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luffy wasn't as bad with emotions as everybody thought.
yes, he was an idiot.
he wore mismatched socks, weird shoes on his feet and he didn't really care if his shirts were tucked when he dressed up. he was loud, extremely, and he didn't really have a taste for small talk. you're a idiot, nami would say. and she was right. he didn't argue with that.
but he still felt. he still had pounding emotions that would creep on his mind when he listened to music or when he walked down the road. he'd laugh, but luffy did feel jitters. he did feel butterflies whenever sanji spoke to him and he would giggle whenever the cook would even glance at him.
that's why he stood outside of sanji's apartment, a wide grin on his face and he was throwing rocks at his window. the raven-haired male held a wrapped fish and he was dressed in his usual red attire. by the expression on his face, he could assume that he was looking like the world's biggest -
"you idiot!" sanji yelps when he catches sight of him. he's completely flushed by the entire scenario, if he was frank. luffy simply laughed. the blond was standing by his window, a cigarette in his mouth and his eyes looked like they were going to fall out of his skull. luffy didn't know why he was surprised. "where did you even get a fish?! did you buy that? i can't keep owing lola money!"
luffy has a bright smile on her face and his heart was pounding out of his chest. he liked sanji. he liked making sanji stress and he liked making him wonder about him. he liked surprising him and making him grumble in confusion. but he also liked that sweet smile that would appear when luffy complimented his food. he liked the sweet smile that would rest on his face when he talked about his passion - about a sweet island called the all blue.
when all luffy did was laugh, sanji couldn't help but exhale the smoke and take a good look at the other. he was smiling gently, even though he was surprised by the other's actions. "you're going to kill me, luffy."
there's a tenderness that he picks up. that luffy hears and his heart can only thump loudly in his ears. the wide smile never leaves luffy's face. he swears that there's no better feeling than this. than having the other smile at him.
and luffy's been around - he's been wondering towns for god knows how long and everybody swears he's lived a thousand lives, but there's nothing better than the warmness that settles in his chest when sanji is around.
he wasn't much for poetics. he would leave that to those weird books robin would read and to sabo's drunk speeches. but he did feel. he did notice the settling sun's light dance in sanji's light hair. he did notice how the cigarette on his lips was barely enjoyed. he was clueless at times, but he was so attentive when it came to the other. he had to be. it was sanji. his sanji.
he didn't know when this feeling in his chest started.
but he did know that he didn't want it to stop.
"you're so quiet, it's worrying." the blond says, catching luffy's silence. the duo were now watching the night sky, the sizzling from the pan in the background and the air feels so light on his skin. no, it wasn't the air. it's his words.
"i'm just thinking." luffy shrugs and sanji only nudges him.
"you don't think at all, luffy." sanji teases and luffy throws him a look. it's full of stars in his eyes and he's so content by the exchange, he has no clue what to do. he was no idea how to act. he has no idea how to tell the other that he feels for him. that he does think.
luffy thinks about sanji a little too much.
"you're right, i don't!" luffy says, laughing and in the moment it feels right. sanji looks at him with tender eyes and luffy's heart only races a little more.
one day he'd tell know.
but for now, he's okay like this.