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You held the railing of the Thousand Sunny and closed your eyes, dipping your head back and taking a deep inhale. The sun warmed your face as the sound of the port grew closer. It had been quite some time since you and the Strawhats made landfall on a peaceful island. There were no enemies to face or missions to go on, it was simply a time to stock up on supplies and get some much needed rest and relaxation before setting sail on the next leg of your adventure.
The crew buzzed with excitement to take in the local sights, smells, and tastes. “Here ya go, Y/N! There’s your allowance for the next few days,” Nami said with a cheerful smile. As she placed the satchel in your hands, she opened her eyes slightly. “Try not to spend every beri, ok?” You laughed nervously and backed away slowly, she could be quite frightening despite her warm expression. Just then, a voice from behind caught your attention.
“Y/N-swan! Are you still coming with me today?” Sanji called from the exit of the ship with a beaming smile, waving his arm in the air. That was your cue to quickly say goodbye to Nami and skip over to the blonde cook. You hadn’t realized just how giddy you were to spend time with him until that very moment. The two of you had become quite close during your time with the crew. Sure, he was a little over the top with his affections (and by a little you meant a lot most of the time). But he was a gentleman and extremely kind. You admired his dedication to his craft and would often spend time in the galley with him while he prepared meals for the crew, either enjoying the idle chit chat or helping with the dishes while he poured away over the stove. Plus, it didn’t hurt that he was quite attractive as well.
“Of course!” you beamed at the cook, with maybe a little too much enthusiasm. It was hard to hide your excitement, but you didn’t think he would mind. After all, it was his suggestion that you accompany him to the market to pick up supplies for the voyage. It was normally a task he did alone, but it seemed he quite enjoyed your company throughout the day. That and he couldn’t resist the urge to show a pretty girl around town (a comment that made you violently blush behind the book you were reading at the time). With a sweet smile, he motioned you ahead of him. “After you, my dear.”
The streets of the town were teeming with people. Children played in the streets outside of chic department stores. Vendors of all kinds sold baubles and trinkets that glistened in the summer sun amongst the cadence of foot fall and shopping carts. You relished the sounds of happy townsfolk, the only chaos in your view was the everyday comings and goings of normal people living their simple lives. No Marines, no Emperors, just the idyllic pleasure of the beautiful world in front of you. Looking over to the tall man by your side, you couldn’t help but feel caught up in the romance of it all. With each glance from his blue eyes and twinkle of his laughter, you felt your heart swell. These small moments were something you wanted to treasure for the rest of your life.
Sanji grew excited as you approached the produce stalls, eyes wide with childlike wonder. Seeing Sanji in his element never failed to bring you joy. As he rushed to talk to one of the sellers to ask about the local delicacies, you wandered the market a few yards ahead. Sweet scented melons and succulent tomatoes enticed you, making your mouth water. Supplies on the ship had started to run quite low and while Sanji could turn any amount of scraps into a feast, it was refreshing to see the bounty in front of you. You picked up a curious yellow fruit that shone in the sun. “It’s a persimmon,” a gravelly, familiar voice said from close behind. You turned to see Sanji returned, gazing at you with a captivated look. Something about his expression made your heart skip a beat as you felt your cheeks become flushed. “They’re local to the area, so I went ahead and bought some to bring back with us.” He extended one of the fruits from his basket to you, inviting you to take a bite. “Go ahead and try one! They’re quite sweet and delicious.”
The intimacy of this gesture made you feel like fainting, but there was no other choice but to accept his invitation. You took a bite of the supple fruit he held, savoring the delicate flavor as a drop of juice fell down your chin. Sanji smiled as he used his thumb to wipe the droplet from below your face, lightly grazing the bottom of your lip. Adoration rippled through the pools of his eyes and you felt as though every person in the market faded away, leaving you two alone in this beautiful and fleeting moment.
You quickly inhaled, realizing you stopped breathing for a moment. Hiding your flushed face behind your hands, Sanji laughed softly. “How does it taste, mon aimé ?” Meeting his eyes again, all you could do was giggle in return. “Delicious, Sanji.” A pink tinge colored his face, overcome by the moment you two shared. Needing to break the flirtatious air, you took the remaining fruit from his hand. “Come on, let’s keep moving,” you said with a knowing smile. You felt a small victory knowing you could elicit the same response from him.
The two of you continued to shop, happily talking to the stall owners about their wares. Sanji shared his ideas for recipes with you, excitedly lost in thought as his imagination ran wild while you gave encouraging input. You knew he enjoyed your company, but the afternoon proved that he hung onto your every word. Maybe one day you’d be brave enough to tell him how you felt…
Suddenly, you were snapped from your daydream by a soft tug of your hand. Sanji looked back towards you with a gentle smile as he led you away from the market towards a cozy alcove. Perhaps there was something over here that you had overlooked? There wasn’t much time to register the details as the two of you made your way to the peaceful spot. The sounds of the town dulled to a soft buzz.
It was only then you realized that you were pressed against Sanji’s broad chest, both arms wrapped around your form. You looked up at Sanji, doe-eyed as you felt the familiar flush return to your face. He looked back at you, perhaps realizing the brazenness of his gesture as he swallowed hard. “I just thought… it might be nice to take a break” His voice hitched in his throat as his arms stiffened slightly, nervously . Giving in to the moment, you buried your face into his shirt again.
“Yeah, I think you’re right. Thank you, Sanji.” Breathing in his scent of cologne and cigarettes, you nuzzled his chest softly. You felt his warm hand stroke your hair, head bowing to meet yours. “Anything for you, my sweet.” There was a certain tone to his words that made your heart melt. He was always a gentleman to every woman he ever met, but you had never heard his voice sound so full of devotion before. A rare flower in his heart that bloomed only for you. There was no better time than now.
You raised yourself onto your toes and cupped his face with your hands. Blue eyes and pink cheeks gazed back at you as your thumb brushed against his cheek, breathless and amazed. His expression told you everything you needed to know without saying another word. The tips of your noses met, grazing softly as to ask once more if this moment could be yours. Finally, your lips met shyly, dancing with his the way the both of you danced around the subject of your affection all this time. With each touch, doubt faded into the background and was replaced with wonder and admiration. Small smiles passed between the two of you as you melted into each other. Your mind swirled with emotion, his hands tenderly caressed your back. Nothing else in that moment mattered as time slowed to a halt.
Needing air, your faces finally parted from each other. His puffy lips spread into a delightful smile, you had never seen him so beautiful. With a final kiss to his cheek, you finally spoke. “I’ve been waiting for this for a while, you know.” Even after the moment you two shared, you still felt yourself become shy as you admitted your feelings. Sanji tenderly grabbed your chin and lifted your face towards his again, placing a small peck on the tip of your nose. “So have I, mon bien-aimé.”
The two of you giggled like the love-sick fools you were, noticing that the sun was finally starting to set. Lacing your fingers between his, you lead him out from your hiding spot. As you turned to look at him, the golden light of the sun illuminated his angelic face.
“Come on, let’s take the food back to the ship.”