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Whether you liked it or not, you were awake.
The black vignette of sleep slowly receded from your vision as you rubbed your eyes. You sat up from your bed and looked out the window towards the vast horizon, the soft glow of the sun awaited to kiss the edge of the sea. It was beautiful and serene. These were the last few hours of peace before the hustle and bustle of the Thousand Sunny would soon awaken.
Beautiful, but far too early for your liking.
You turn to your sleeping compatriots. Robin slept peacefully in her bed, a pair of reading glasses barely hanging from her fingers from her late night reading. Nami was asleep at her desk, arms crossed underneath her face as she laid on top of her latest map. A great feeling of peace washed over you even more than the impending dawn. You had only been a part of the crew for a short time, you became close to your shipmates rather quickly. Friends weren't something that came to you easily and family was a complicated concept to you. But seeing the dreaming faces of your fellow nakama warmed your heart. You quietly left your bed and walked to Robin's side, softly plucking the dangling glasses from her fingertips and setting them on top of the book she was reading. Grabbing the soft throw blanket at the foot of your bed, you gently lay it across Nami's shoulders. You can't imagine sleeping like that was comfortable, but you didn't dare wake her.
Making your way to the vanity, you stare back to your own puffy eyes and messy, tangled hair. Hey, good lookin' , you quipped to yourself. You always had a sleepless, unkempt look about your appearance no matter how much rest you got. You grabbed the worn, baggie hoodie you brought from your home and pulled it over your head, brushing your voluminous waves to one shoulder. You noted the special feeling of being wrapped in something soft to cut the chill of the morning ocean air. Carefully opening the cabin door, you intended to make your way to the washroom. Suddenly, a tall, slender figure appeared from the corner of your eye.
He stood on the stairs, leaning against the wall to light his first cigarette of the day. Radiant blonde hair fell in his face as he lifted his head to take a drag and exhale slowly, opening his brilliant blue eyes. Those same eyes slowly met yours, followed by a head tilt and a soft smile.
"Well, good morning, beautiful. Didn't expect to see you awake this early." Sanji spoke coyly with a dash of pleasant surprise.
Despite what your heart was telling you, you scoffed and rolled your eyes at the compliment. You gesture at your haphazard appearance, "In all my glory".
Sanji chuckled, which made you return a sleepy smile back. "Whatever you say, sunshine. Join me in the kitchen, will ya? I'll make us some coffee."
"Sounds great, be there in a sec." You turned and waved as you made your way to the washroom, slightly holding your breath. As soon as you close the door, you let out a long sigh.
You figured you'd run into him at some point this morning. As the ship's cook, he was often the first crew member awake. He loved his crew just as much as he loved his craft, so he rose early to prep ingredients for the day, check inventory (especially if Luffy was seeming extra devious around the meat stores), and began breakfast for the Strawhats.
You put your face in your hands and squeezed it hard enough for stars to dance around your vision before looking at your beet red complexion in the mirror. Sanji was a chronic flirt with literally every woman with a pulse and two tits. But something about him made your heart flutter and your brain turn to mush. And that feeling made you nauseous. After all, nakama was the name of the game in piracy. And though he drove you crazy (in more ways than one), he was your friend and family above all else. You would much rather be eaten by a Sea King than damage the very precious bond you had with your crew. Cold water slapped your face, hoping to wash away the residual sleepiness and school-girlish infatuation from your eyes. Pull it together, Y/N . Taking one last deep breath, you exit the room and make your way to the kitchen.
"Hey, Y/N!" Sanji turned towards you as he poured hot water from a kettle. The smell of coffee wafted towards you and you feel your senses come back to life. You take a deep inhale as the warm, caramel aroma fills your lungs. "Give it a few minutes to brew, then I'll pour you a cup."
"Thanks, Sanji", you reply with a smile. "Need any help with breakfast?"
His head turned to you again, eyes a little brighter. You were one of the few crew members he allowed in the kitchen while he worked and the only one he let help him. You never tried to steal food out from under him or pestered him about how hungry you were. You were typically silent, helping clean dishes as they were dirtied or minding the pot while Sanji attended to something else for the meal. You occasionally asked about his cooking techniques, watching with wonder as he effortlessly deglazed a pan or fileted a fish. You'd listen to him talk about the dishes he made, how important it was to care for every ingredient no matter how small. Sometimes, he'd share a story about his time growing up on the Baratie , fondly reminiscing about his teachings from Chef Zeff.
"Why don't you do the honor of choosing today's meal? I'll cook whatever your sweet heart desires.", he said with a boyish smile that made your heart sing. Though, that was a tough choice. Sanji took care in preparing meals that were balanced, filling, and delicious, perfect for a life at sea with some of the hungriest pirates you'd ever met. One dish in particular stood out in your mind. He made it a short time ago, but the delicious and comforting taste stayed in your mind, beckoning your thoughts back to your childhood. You thumbed through one of his cookbooks until you finally found what you were looking for.
"This one,” you finally said. It was a humble dish with not a lot of substance, made on a whim as a snack for the female members of the crew. Not something that would keep the crew filled for very long. "I know it's not much, but I haven't stopped thinking about it since you made it. It reminds me of home, I guess."
A small smile curled on the edges of Sanji's lips, eyes softening again when you finally look back at him. You feel a flush beneath your skin. "As you wish! I'm glad know it was well received," he said, proudly. You couldn't help but notice the slight tinge of pink on his own cheeks. You gave him a very high compliment, after all.
"I'm sure Luffy will give you a hard time looking for his next meal." you stammer, slightly embarrassed, wishing you could take the suggestion back.
"I'll prep some extra meat, don't worry. I can't pass up a special request from a very special lady, you know!", his heart-eyes practically popping out of his sockets. Your heart beamed, but you quickly tried to swallow the feeling building within your chest. You were special to him, but not that special. Not in the way you truly wanted to feel. There was no point in getting your hopes up for that.
You turned your attention to the piping hot carafe of coffee and decided to make the first move, pouring Sanji a cup of coffee first, followed by yourself. You smirk and raise your cup in half-hearted cheers as he nodded in return. "You should grab a seat and keep me company. I don't want you slinking off and acting all mysterious and distant" he said, eyeing you knowingly, somehow reading that you wanted to take your coffee to go.
" Mysterious , you say?" You played along. You admit that you were sometimes rather closed off, but the crew noted recently that you had been dropping your walls little by little. And you tended to be rather cheeky with the cook, using playful banter to deflect your own feelings towards him while keeping the air light.
"Yeah, you tend to brood," he said. "You kind of look like this. " The tall man somehow managed to make himself look small, squinting his eyes and holding his coffee cup with both hands and staring out at the sea. He let out a wistful, elongated sigh and placed one of his hands under his chin. After a moment, he perked back up and shot you a wide smile, chuckling at himself. "Did I get that right?"
You couldn't help but laugh. It was pretty spot on. "You're an ass, you know that?" You felt the insecurity in your body fade as you gave in to the joy of the here and now. This was your relationship with Sanji, friendly teasing and companionship, admiration and respect. Despite your desire to hide your romantic feelings towards him, there was no denying the fact that you had a certain chemistry together.
You found an unused surface of the counter and hoisted yourself up to sit. Sipping your coffee, you watched a master of his craft work his magic in the kitchen. Though Sanji never used a weapon in a fight, you were always impressed with how he handled a knife. He made quick work of the vegetables he retrieved from the pantry and set his mise en place in an orderly fashion. Every movement was intentional and effortless, like a well-oiled machine. No, more like a dancer artfully displaying great skill motivated by passion. Between the Sanji's movements and the relaxing sound of the knife hitting the cutting board, you became entranced by the man before you. Your eyes trailed the many details you admired about him. The strands of wispy golden hair that fell in front of his eyes, the cigarette dangling from his lips, the veins that protruded from his strong hands, the powerful stance of his muscular body...
"Getting hungry over there?" Sanji's gravelly voice snapped you back into reality. You forced your eyes to connect with his, hoping to all the gods that he didn't catch you staring. Judging by the flirtatious tone in his voice and the devilish smirk he gave you, there was no god that could save you. Shit. Your ears rang with the sound of blood rushing to your face. Was there any way out of this?
"I am!", you squeaked. "I'm always excited for your cooking, I was just admiring your technique. I can barely chop an onion without bursting into tears, haha!" An uncharacteristic chuckle rattled from your throat. You weren't doing yourself any favors, you were way too flustered.
Sanji raised a curly eyebrow at you, not buying your half-assed excuse for a moment. But alas, he decided to humor you. After all, when a woman lies, a real man forgives her. You were just too cute fidgeting on the counter, trying to hide your flushed cheeks from view. It was endearing to see the vulnerable parts of you that you rarely let show. Behind the quiet, sarcastic exterior you tried to front, you were secretly soft, gentle, and oh so obviously infatuated with him. He may have been girl crazy, but you made it very easy to figure it out. Guess it took one to know one.
“Whatever you say, sweetheart,” he cooed to you. The term of endearment made your face feel like it was on fire. Maybe you could make up a new excuse to leave? Maybe you left the stove on? Wait, shit, that makes no sense. You’re literally in the kitchen right now! Think, think, thi-
A soft hand touched your clenched fist. The sensation was tender and warm. Its thumb lightly rubbed the top of your hand, coaxing you to relax. You looked up towards the hand’s owner to see Sanji, watching you with gentle eyes. “You know, if you have something you want to say, you should probably breathe first.”
You swallowed hard, hoping to dislodge your pounding heart from your throat. It was then that you realized you really had stopped breathing, taking in a sharp, cold breath of air that settled your body again. Sanji chuckled, relieved to see that his teasing actually helped. His radiant smile was adorned by the rosy apples of his cheeks, a sight that threatened to melt your heart all over again. You knew in your mind that he must have found you out at this point and the growing surge of courage in your chest beckoned you to finally break your silence. “I guess there has been something on my mind, something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about...”
Before you could get lost in your thoughts again, Sanji lifted your hand from your lap. Your eyes widened as he raised it towards his face to plant a small, delicate kiss across your knuckles. The warmth of his lips made the tentative butterflies in your stomach burst into a swarm, flitting through your every extremity by the gentlemanly gesture. As he placed your hand back on your lap, you needed to remind yourself to breathe once again.
Sanji returned to the pan on the stove to stir, the familiar sound of sizzling vegetables returned you back to the present moment. A flash of orange caught the corner of your eye as you looked out the window. The sun finally peaked its head from beneath the horizon to meet the new day. Feeling Sanji’s gaze on you, you turned back to him. The pools of his blue eyes looked at you with breathless affection, watching you as the sunrise bathed your face with a warm, golden light.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?,” he spoke with a voice like honey, his attention not breaking from yours. You nodded slowly, still processing the surge of emotions swirling in your mind. He raised the remains of his cigarette to the lips as your eyes trailed behind, taking one last slow drag before ashing it in its tray. A final puff of smoke escaped the smile that curled on his princely face. “We still have plenty of time before the crew wakes, if you want to share what’s troubling that pretty head of yours.”
Courage blossomed in your chest once more. There was no reason to be scared, not when you had someone like Sanji in your life. Not when you were surrounded by unconditional love on all sides. You took a deep breath in and exhaled the nerves from your body. You readied your words and spoke, letting this new day begin.