Chapter Text
Oh, Sanji…
He’s adorable in a pathetic sort of way. So badass one moment, and then an immediate 180 when faced with a lady. From his heart eyes, to his lovesick twirls, to the way he clasps his hands together when he adores. It’s so endearing, you can’t stop a silly smile from forming when he leaves after delivering you a drink or a snack.
You had to hide it of course, you weren’t about to give this man more than he could handle, this silly, lovable man.
You knew Nami would sigh in exasperation if she knew, making a remark about “chasing skirts,” which you wouldn’t deny. Robin probably knew, she just hadn’t said anything yet, but you have your suspicions after she had paired you and Sanji up for the last grocery run.
Well, you didn't mind it too much. You got to spend a good amount of the day with Sanji, without any interruption from your lovable, but annoyingly perceptive crew. You listened to Sanji explain to you different ingredients and good substitutes in recipes. The way he spoke about flavors and uses for every part of an ingredient, hell, just his passion for cooking in general, pulled you in.
He was still flirty, of course, this is Sanji we're talking about, but that wasn't what struck out to you in recent memory. And you remember, oh you remember too well, the way your hands brushed past each other several times throughout the run. Sometimes on purpose, others (thank the crowded markets) had you squeezing in close, shoulder-to-shoulder, oh gosh you can feel his warmth through the clothes, catch the scent of his cologne-
You lean back and sigh, oh, you were in trouble. “Down bad” and a fool. Oh, how you wished your eyes wouldn’t follow him uncontrollably when he passed by. Oh, how you wished that you didn’t try to memorize the scent of the coat he lent you that one time. (Faint citrus, nicotine, and that expensive cologne.) Oh, how you wished you hadn’t learned what his footsteps sounded like against any surface, or his preferred brand of cigarettes, or his favorite dish-
Oh, you hopeless fool.
You take another breath.
Just. Focus on something else. Anything else. Anyone else but him-
“Oh ma cherie why are you sighing so much?”
Fuck.
“Oh, hi Sanji,” You said as casually as you could, your voice strained, “what’s up?”
He looked you over with that gentle concern as he always does with anyone who needs it, “Well, I was going to say the orange tarts are ready, but I couldn't help but hear a pretty lady in distress. What’s troubling you?”
'I want you.'
Says the thought left unsaid.
“Oh nothing much really,” you lie, “just thinking about… a book I read. Nothing much.” Your hands were clenched behind you, shaking uncontrollably.
Sanji tilts his head curiously, like a puppy, and you immediately wanted to face-slam through the floorboards with the force of Luffy's pistol punch.
Sanji looks as if he might say something but stops himself, instead going back to his stupid charming smile.
"Oh well, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I'm here to lend an ear if you need." He says gently, handing you a tart before going to deliver the rest to the others.
You let out a breath you didn't realize you were holding when you were sure he was gone, allowing yourself to feel giddy and gleeful in his absence.
Gingerly cutting a piece of the tart with the fork he also gave you, you take a bite.
The punch of the flavor, had your eyes lighting up like fireworks!
The spice aromatic, yet mild flavor of the crust contrasted with the smooth, yet sharp sweetness of the bright orange filling had you closing your eyes to savor it. Sanji's iconic orange tarts, and one of Nami's favorites. His cooking is undeniably incredible, making things in a way to suit everyone on the crew-
Ugh, another thing about that man… he knew how much Nami loved his orange tarts, he knew about everyone's favorite dishes on this ship. Even Zoro's favorite rice balls. He had them written down in a small journal he keeps tucked in his pocket. Everyone's preferences, dislikes, allergies, just another example of his kindness.
Ugh… You really were in too deep….
"—… Hey!"
Suddenly, you feel a hand on your shoulder, startling you.
"Ah-! Nami!" Your pitched voice betraying your attempt to seem composed.
And as you feared, she seemed to suspect something was off.
"Everything alright? You've been spacing out quite a bit these days." Nami says, sincerity in her eyes, "I'm not the only one worried, you know…"
Ah, Nami… always looking out for a fellow gal. Though you appreciate her support, the weight you were carrying in your mind was sure to become blackmail material for the rest of your life. If she found out you were yearning for that silly cook, besides the initial disappointment, who knows what could transpire, I mean, this is the Cat Burglar we're dealing with here.
"Yeah… I guess I'm still a little shaken up from the last adventure." You try grabbing at any excuse. "You know… just the usual of everyone fighting for their lives, you forget it could be over at any.. time…?" You trail off at the end, losing whatever point you might've been getting at and causing Nami's brows to furrow further.
"Is that what you're so worked up about? It is in the description of the job, to be in it means to be ready for anything that follows." She questions, but her tone is slighted in a way you don't immediately notice.
You chuckle, "Coming from our sly Nami, huh? Our pragmatic navigator?"
"Well, don't you remember what you vowed when you joined?"
"Fair point." You both smile leaning against the railway.
"Careful, you're about to drop your tart." Nami smirks.
You snap up immediately and catch it in time before it slips off the plate, "Oh! Thank you…"
Nami takes a second to respond.
"That last adventure you mentioned… it was a really tough fight, huh?"
"When is it not?" You say, slightly distracted with the tart. It was true, your last fight back on the last island was difficult, but the Strawhat pirates were always getting themselves (specifically Luffy…) into situations. So of course you had your fair share of small worries you kept tucked in the back of your mind every time you went into battle, hopefully, everyone would come out in one piece. It was expected, and it always happened, but that didn't stop the nerves.
"Yeah… the hit Sanji took for us…" Nami continues.
"You know he kicks right back."
"Sure, but isn't it concerning how many times he throws himself in front of others?"
You pause in thought before replying, "It does concern me… I mean as it does for everyone, but… you know, he's just that sort of kind person, always thinking about others, of the crew. He'd throw down his life for any of them-"
Nami listens to your rambling with a knowing smile.
"So, you think it's alright for him to take our hits?"
You immediately swing your head back to face her, frantically explaining yourself, "No, no! Of course not! Of course I don't think it's alright, I just…" You look back down to the final bite of the tart, "I really do worry about him sometimes. If he knows how much we need him here with us. He's willing to help others understand their worth, but he's also just as willing to throw his own life away."
"You really care about him, huh?" Nami flashes her iconic catty grin.
"Everyone here does. Like you said about me." You savor the last bite, "Especially Luffy, you know the captain."
"Yes, and our captain speaks in passionate detail about our cook."
"You know that's not his style-" You pause before glaring at her, caught in her trap.
She merely laughs.
"What are you doing, what does this mean?" You ask carefully, knowing full well what it meant.
"Just confirming something." She waves it off, giving your shoulder a friendly pat as she walks away, leaving you speechless.
That sly witch, no, IDIOT. You groan at yourself. How could you have fallen for such an easy trap?! And hold on-
"CONFIRM SOMETHING?" You call out to her in a confused panic, to which you get no response to, expectedly.
You were royally screwed now, at least three members of the crew will know about this by dinner, and you were NOT ready for all the teasing. There was no avoiding it now, you supposed. And maybe Nami was onto something, and maybe you were just revealing your little crush in more noticeable ways you weren't aware of. Not that you knew how, you thought you had been doing a great job of hiding it!
She and Robin must be in cahoots for this. They just have to be. Of course they would.
Well.
That just means you will have to learn how to survive dinner tonight.