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Luffy never actually was alone in his life.
Like, never after 3 years old.
Luffy hates being alone – its not a secret for anyone. People think its just because that maybe he’s a little bit too extravert. Or maybe he just emotionally is a toddler.
He’s not. He’s actually emotionally smarter than most people around him.
He notices everything. He observes, he listens(if he wants to), he takes care and pays attention. Never loudly – no, but he takes note in his mind.
People are complicated – and Luffy always knew that. People are more complicated than numbers or letters. People have traumas, fears, shades of past that never leave them alone. They have feelings and senses, and every person is unique enough to react on all things differently.
For example, - Luffy thinks, sitting on the railing of Sunny Go, observing his crewmates, the sun is bright, warm enough to nap around and watch Sanji from the corner - Ace and Sabo.
Back then, when they were kids, Sabo and Ace were as similar as different. They were both rebellious, active and fun to be around; they both were troublemakers with a single braincell for two. But still – Sabo had his calm in character, which allowed Luffy to cuddle him whenever and be patted on head while napping on Sabo’s lap. Ace, on the other hand, always pushed him away, got mad and all pouty. Not because he was strongly against – but because he was not used to affection at all and covered it with anger.
So Luffy hugged him anyway.
Luffy titles his head slightly, watching Sanji cooking with the most gentle and pure smile he can let out – the one he has when he’s content, happy and comfortable. Luffy smirked slightly and rolled over, looking at the sun.
“Slacking off again, little sunshine?” – a voice teased a little out of nowhere.
“Mm”, Luffy hums closing his eyes. The voice chuckled and through his closed eyes Luffy could see the appear of the smudged white colour besides the sun.
So. Luffy never is alone.
Not even because he has friends around him – he is not glued to them, unfortunately.
The thing is, that being a little child Luffy never had someone to be affectionate with, or at least talk to a lot. The village was small and not really developed – sure, Makino was cute, but she never talked much; Shanks was on the island just for a couple of weeks. Luffy never had parents to comfort him, so he always ran to Makino.
Luffy wasn’t that stupid. He knew kids should have parents. He saw it in the central city, in the village in the end of the day. But Garp, who was absent most of the time, never told him why was he alone.
Then Luffy ate a strange fruit from a small chest out of frustration.
And The Sun appeared.
He was his first friend, basically. This creature only Luffy can see and hear – all bouncy, fluffy and purely white, like a little cloud. His name is Nika – and he is both the parent, the friend and the compass of Luffy’s life. They were talking – a lot, loud and giggly. Nika was making fun for him out of nowhere, and Luffy was never bored again. When Luffy was frustrated, Nika would coo at him and comfort him. When Luffy was too excited, Nika gently pulled him out of possible danger. Luffy often doesn’t know what to do – but Nika does, and this helps so much.
When Nika goes quiet, Luffy gets the most nervous person in the world.
Nika tells him not to tell anyone about him. Luffy doesn’t, apparently, he has his secretes no one knows about. Not even Ace.
This can sound like the coolest thing in the world. Except that Nika can’t just… go away. He’s always there.
And he is freaking talkative.
Nika, while Luffy tries to stay focused and cuddle with Sanji on the hammock with whispers and forehead kisses: “Aw, you’re such a puddle. Pathetic”, he chuckles and giggles smugly, while Luffy is just trying not to ruin the moment for Sanji who is clueless and still breathes evenly near his ear.
Nika, while Luffy is just sitting at the table and watching Sanji chopping an onion, humming and swinging his hips without noticing: “His waist is, like, tiny. Look at that. Bet dresses suit him”. Luffy almost hisses at him out loud.
You got the idea. No personal life with this. Just none.
So Luffy mostly just goes along with that – because Nika doesn’t go anywhere. Not during fights, not during sex. Nika disappeared just for a couple of times – when Ace died and when Luffy was having a breakdown about it. And Luffy didn’t even notice, because, like, his brother just died, his crew is gone, he is exhausted. But when he did notice? Well, his breakdown just got worse.
Law had to knock him out for Nika to come back. Nika never explained that.
Returning to reality, yes, people are really different. Robin looks like she’s cool, but she behaves so unaccustomed in affectionate moments that everyone wants to cry. Chopper is incredibly sensitive and needs reminders that he is still wanted and needed.
Sanji is a mess of that. Of all of that.
You can not notice it at first, because Sanji is all cool and pretty, - Luffy thinks, - but Sanji is so neurotic its actually impressive. Sanji doesn’t always feel like touches, and Luffy respects that. Sometimes Sanji just wants to cry ugly in his shoulder and Luffy just lets him. Sanji can usually behave so flirty, but in real intimate moments Sanji is more about sobbing and cuddling and whisper-talking. He also has to be reminded he’s loved, like Chopper does, but he won’t ask about it and will probably punch you if you showed affection – just like Ace used to do. Sanji’s touches are soft and his hands are always gentle, and Luffy likes that feeling of being cared about so much. Sanji’s lips are always bitten and may be a little sore – he bites them when he’s nervous. When, for example, Sanji thinks his today meal is not tasty enough, if someone clearly doesn’t like it and tries to be nice. When Zoro talks sharp and somehow hurts him, and Sanji gets quiet, lights up his cigarette and fidgets his fingers, and Luffy knows already he will drag Zoro down the ship and scold him. Luffy knows Zoro always listens, and that his grunts are just an embarrassment. Zoro then will silently apologise with some stupid gift, making Sanji smile.
Luffy never will let Sanji feel neglected. Actually, Luffy will never let any of his nakama feel neglected. But still.
Sanji for some reason just feels so right to watch on.
Luffy feels like a bad captain, but he also feels like making out with Sanji in the kitchen, so Luffy decides to do like he feels to.
Luffy gets up from the floor, runs up to the cook and kisses the hell out of him.