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Your fingers work delicately with the straw hat in your hand.
The red band around the hat had accidentally caught up mid-battle in Luffy's previous battle, miraculously holding on by a single thread.
You knew your captain's love for his hat and how he cherished it more than his own well-being. That's why you didn't hesitate to help when the boy tearfully ran up to you after knocking his opponent unconscious.
The Thousand Sunny had long since departed from that island, and as you're mending it, it seems a little strange that all Luffy has done since then is quietly sit beside you.
Your gaze flickers over to him again, still staring at your hands with big, concentrated eyes. Something quite uncommon outside of fights.
"You didn't take it to Nami this time, captain?"
His head juts up at the title, and you see it incline to the side from your peripheral vision.
"You fixed Chopper's coat last week."
"I did."
"And now I want you to fix my hat."
How straightforward.
A faintest twitch curls the corners of your lips up, more endearment than real amusement. Saying nothing, you resume fulfilling your current task, swiftly threading the needle through the ribbon to make it whole again.
You don't miss the way he keeps scooting closer even if you wanted to, and on his part, it certainly didn't look like Luffy was trying to intentionally be subtle. He likes being close to the people he likes; he said so himself.
So that's why you don't mind when he draws close enough for your knees to brush, close enough to feel the warmth emit from him, and close enough for you to be able to lean against each other.
Yet you don't move from your spot near the mast; you don't feel the need to, and the next moment, Luffy's doing that for the both of you.
He presses his temple against yours, firm enough to be able to feel the faint pulsating under his skin. Your cheeks lightly squish together until you can clearly make out their softness.
Your methodical movements don't pause for a break even when his fingers lightly pinch the fabric of your shirt.
"Feeling alright, Luffy?"
"Uh-huh."
Silence encapsulates the two of you; the only thing breaking it is the sound of water rippling underneath the Sunny. A gust of wind threads through Luffy's hair, causing it to brush against your skin.
"I like my crew."
Luffy blurts out while you reach to your side for a pair of scissors.
"That's wonderful."
"And I like you a lot too."
Your chest grows a little warm and fuzzy.
"I'm glad you do."
He lightly presses further into you as you cut the red thread, the freshly mended straw hat in your lap.
"I don't really understand feelings and emotions and all that stuff like how Sanji says it."
Luffy pulls away, just enough so that you two can see eye-to-eye, and smiles.
"But I wanna understand you."