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"Sanji."
Sanji left his eyes closed. "Yeah?" he croaked, voice rough from being asleep, however briefly, and Luffy stopped nudging his shoulder.
"I'm hungry," Luffy whispered.
Sanji opened his eyes. Luffy was standing beside his bunk, peering over the edge with that wide-eyed apologetic look that would have given Chopper's doe eyes a run for their money. His hair was mussed from sleep, his big, dark eyes far too alert for the hour.
"Give me a second," Sanji rasped, and Luffy nodded.
The galley of the Thousand Sunny was quiet. The gentle creaking of the ship around them was punctuated by the soft rhythm of Luffy's bare heels bumping against the cupboards. At any other time of day, Sanji would yell at him for sitting on the counter, but things were different this late.
It always felt like a miracle that Luffy could wait quietly for anything, but while Sanji stood at the stove, wait quietly he did. The lights were off, the galley illuminated only by the soft glow of moonlight through the portholes and the low blue flame of the gas burner. Sanji cooked by scent and sound, at this hour, more than anything else — the sizzle of buttered bread as the skillet warmed; the louder, sharper sizzle of melted cheese hitting hot metal; and a sharp nose to keep it all from burning. It was a delicate balance; simple, but just finicky enough to keep Sanji awake while the gentle sway of the ship and the heartbeat drumming of Luffy's feet tried to lull him back to sleep.
Done. Sanji flicked off the burner and tipped the two finished grilled cheese sandwiches out of the skillet onto a cutting board. Two quick strokes of his knife divided the crisp sandwiches into triangles; his fingers arranged them unthinkingly into a tidy four-pointed pinwheel on the plate he'd set aside before turning to press it into Luffy's hands.
By the time Sanji had wiped his hands and turned back to him, Luffy had already inhaled one point of the pinwheel and was starting in on the second. He wouldn't take long. He never did.
Sanji stepped forward, nudging his way between Luffy's parted knees. Luffy welcomed him quietly, hooking his ankles together behind Sanji's calves as he chewed. He was halfway done, and beginning to slow down. Sanji's hands landed, so very gently, on Luffy's knees; he leaned in, fingers trailing upwards, and when he turned to nudge his forehead against Luffy's hair, Luffy leaned into the contact. Sanji's hands wandered further, tracing up Luffy's sides and down his back — simply touching, the way Sanji could never bring himself to do with other people around. He knew it would have been welcome; some of the others, Zoro and Chopper in particular, seemed to have no problem initiating the kind of casual contact Sanji craved like nicotine. But Sanji — Sanji couldn't. Not where people might be watching. Not in the daylight.
Luffy set the empty plate aside and licked his fingers. "Thank you, Sanji," he murmured, and before Sanji could reply, Luffy's lips were pressing softly against his.
Sanji sighed quietly. Luffy's mouth was warm and tasted of buttered bread and sharp aged cheddar; he let Luffy drink his fill, washing down his midnight snack with kiss after slow, sweet kiss, tasting Sanji's mouth like it was worthy of calling dessert. Sanji's hands drifted into place on Luffy's waist, slipping under the edge of his shirt to trace his skin. Luffy's arms settled familiarly over Sanji's shoulders — holding him, grounding him, keeping him safe and close, so Luffy could kiss him until he was sated.
Eventually — inevitably — Luffy's kisses grew languid, his body falling slack until he was more leaning on Sanji than kissing him. Sanji turned his head, delicately breaking the kiss, and Luffy made a sound of gentle protest, but his head was already lolling against Sanji's shoulder. Sanji smiled against his dark hair. The grilled cheese sandwiches should be a comforting weight in Luffy's belly, warm dairy and carbohydrates to fill his stomach and help him fall asleep. He adjusted his grip carefully, then stepped back from the counter, hoisting his sleepy captain effortlessly into his arms.
Luffy hummed. "Sanji," he murmured against the side of Sanji's neck, and that was all. His legs shifted around Sanji's waist, then fell still.
Sanji left the dishes where they were, scattered across the galley counter, and carried his captain quietly back to bed.