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He should be sleeping. His watch was coming up, and if this storm didn’t let up he’d need all the sleep he could get, but something had woken him up, and it wasn’t the motion of his hammock (unpleasant, but survivable.) Sanji wanted so badly to turn over and close his eyes, but he had a feeling in his stomach that he’d learned not to ignore.
Sanji pushed himself up, glancing around the men’s cabin. Ussop was a quiet huddle in his hammock. As he did frequently, Sanji silently thanked wonderful Nami for putting him on a different watch from that idiot marimo, who’s unrefined snorting made rest nigh impossible; of course, Luffy’s snoring was just as bad, and he was always—Luffy! Sanji sat up fully, scanning the room. Luffy’s hammock was empty, but his beloved straw-hat was still hanging on the wall, rasping back and forth as the Going Merry rolled. Sanji groaned, rolling out of his hammock and prodding the piles of clothes on the floor to make sure they were just that, and not his missing captain (who had slithered out of bed to be a tripping hazard before.)
Cursing, Sanji hurried to the mast. He had slept fully clothed, and quickly struggled into an oilskin before climbing the ladder and pushing open the hatch. The wind immediately blew his hood off and slammed the hatch into the mast. Biting back another curse (he would need it later, he was sure,) Sanji stepped onto the slick deck and closed the cabin door.
“Please don’t let him…” Sanji muttered, craning his head back as he walked to scan the twanging rigging. Thankfully, the crow’s nest and ratlines appeared Luffy free. Gripping the rail, Sanji looked back toward the wheel. The aft deck was partially obscured from this angle, but was that… Nami? At the helm? He sighed, a hand rising toward his heart; that woman was masterful.
“HIIYYYYYY! SANJIIIIIII!!!!!” Sanji whipped around, startled, before his shoulders relaxed at the sight of his captain. Luffy was clinging to a halyard, grin lighting up the storm, waving as though he were possible to overlook. Sanji drew breath to call back, but just then Merry took a breaker broadside, and Sanji lost sight of Luffy in a wash of white as the cabin came up out of nowhere to bash him in the side. He cursed now, pushing himself up and stumbling forward a few step as water sluiced around his shoes. Luffy came back into view. He’d lost his footing, but was still holding the sturdy rope with white-knuckled grip. Sanji covered the last few yards between them, bracing himself against the rail, only, in the last foot Merry plunged downward and Sanji fell into Luffy, who caught him, laughing.
“What are you doing out here, Sanji?”
“What am I doing?!” Sanji steadied himself, and tried to assume a disapproving expression. “You’re not supposed to be out here at all, let alone without a jacket or a lifeline!”
Luffy pouted. “But I wasn’t tired at all, and it’s exciting out here!” (We must have different definitions of ‘exciting’ Sanji thought as icy water stung his face.) “Besides, I’m Captain; I should be helping!”
“If Zoro knew you were out here, he’d be so distracted thinking about you going overboard he wouldn’t be able to do his job.”
Luffy smiled at the thought of his swordsman, and Sanji sighed, bringing a hand up to his temple. Now that he was closer, and no longer blinded by salt, he could see that Luffy was shivering pretty hard. Idiot.
“If Nami finds us out here she’ll tan both our hides.” The grin dropped from Luffy’s face to be replaced with and an almost comical consideration.
“Let’s go to the galley, and I’ll make hot chocolate.”
The grin was back. “Okay! But my hand is s-stuck.”
Sanji reached up to uncurl Luffy’s frozen fingers from the halyard. He did his best to be gentle, but Luffy’s whined ‘Owie, ow, ow,’ made him cringe apologetically. It’s his own bloody fault Sanji reminded himself, but still, he unbuttoned his oilskin and held it open for his captain. Said captain only tilted his head, frowning.
“Sanji, I’m already wet.” It was so simple, as though his friend might not have noticed such a thing. Sanji rolled his eyes and stepped forward, grabbing Luffy in his jacket and wrapping it tightly around the both of them.
“This is a privilege reserved for ladies and certain idiot captains, so no complaining!” Sanji set off for the kitchen with long strides, shuddering slightly at the sensation of something cold and wet and alive pressing into him. He stumbled as the ship pitched, catching himself against the wall as a sheet of spray slaped into them. Luffy flinched back as the icy water hit his face, shuddering as well.
When the shaking hadn’t stopped by the time they reached the galley, Sanji began to worry. His brain supplied him with the terms ‘frostbite’ and ‘hypothermia’ but had no information on either, which was useless.
The galley door was in the lee, and therefore did not try to yank itself from Sanji’s hand as he bundled his friend inside and kicked it back closed. Hanging his coat behind the door, the cook let memory guide him to the drawer with the matches, and from there to the small hanging lantern. Dull orange light flared, guttered, then steadied.
Sanji shook out the match and tried to remember what he was doing. Luffy was perched on the table, head tilted, eyes fastened on the swinging lantern. His black hair hung down in his face, and water dripped off his nose and clothes.
Sanji pulled two towels from the stack that had been demoted from ‘bath’ to ‘kitchen mess’ and tossed one to Luffy, using the other to quickly dry his face and hands. After setting a small pot of milk on the stove, Sanji put his jacket back on.
“I’m going to grab you some dry clothes.”
Luffy gave him a thumbs-up. He’d dried his hair and it was back to defying gravity, sticking out a little extra as though trying to make up for its lost time. He looked like a startled sea urchin.
***
Nami held the wheel with one hand for a moment while she curled the other into her sleeve, stretching her stiff fingers. Zoro had come up beside her. His arms were crossed and one eyebrow was raised.
“Sanji came and got him.” Nami said.
Zoro grunted. “Guess Curly’s good for something.”
Nami punched him in the arm.
“Ow!” He scowled. Then, “Want me to take over?”
Nami rolled her eyes, Zoro steering? Really? “Nah, I got it.” Besides, she loved steering; feeling the pull of the rudder, taking each wave just so. Speaking of, they crested a rather large one, and Zoro had to un-cross his arms to keep his balance as the plunged down the far side. Nami’s laugh danced away with the wind.
***
When Sanji got back to the galley Luffy was rolling across the floor with his vest pulled halfway over his head.
“Sanjiiiii.” He whined.
Sanji stepped over him and went to the stove, making sure the milk wasn’t boiling over, before going back to his captain who was tearing up dramatically at being left to his distress for two seconds longer than necessary.
“I couldn’t undo the buttons.” Luffy warbled.
Sanji was wishing he’d never gotten out of bed, but he crouched down to set Luffy to rights, struggling awkwardly with the slick, wet buttons. Then he stood up, pulling Luffy with him, and turned back to the stove to give the younger man some privacy to finish changing. He fiddled with cups and stirred the chocolate for a minute or two then—
“Ta-Da!”
Sanji swore he could hear little sparkles in the air. He turned to find Luffy standing proudly over his wet clothes, now dressed in the red pajamas Sanji had brought.
“Who’s are these, anyway?”
“…Yours?” Sanji raised one eyebrow, not that anyone could tell. “I got them from your stuff.” He filled one mug halfway and set it in the rack before filling the other one. The pot could stay on the stove ‘till he had a chance to wash dishes.
Luffy was back to sitting on the table. Sanji held out the mug, and Luffy grabbed it excitedly. His hands were still shaking.
“Thanks, Sanji!” He immediately plopped his face down so it was resting on top of mug, and that… that was fine. That was normal.
Sanji turned to his own cup, and wow, could he ever make a cup of hot chocholate! Maybe he should bring some out to Nami. Poor Nami, freezing out there, she’d probably be so greatful! He didn’t know how long he was lost in his little daydream, but when the room came back into focus Luffy was sitting on the floor.
“…”
“Gonna sleep now.” The captain explained helpfully.
“Not on the floor.” It was practically an ocean right now, and besides which, someone might twist an ankle of they didn’t know he was there. “Sleep in the sink.” That seemed logical.
Luffy shrugged and struggled to his feet, flopping over to the sink. Sanji glanced at the clock, which showed it was almost his watch. He sighed, handed Luffy the rest of the ‘kitchen mess’ towels, collected the mugs and put them in the rack, and stuck an unlit cigarette between his teeth.
“Good thing you’re a rubber man.” Sanji observed upon seeing the way Luffy has folded himself into the sink.
“The best.”
Sanji smiled briefly before coming closer and resting a hand on Luffy’s shoulder. “Hey, you’re not sick or anything… are you? You feel fine?”
Luffy didn’t open his eyes, but his arm stretched up to pat his cook on the head. “Silly… Don’t get sick…”
Sanji huffed and walked away to grab his oilskin. He then came to stand under the lantern.
“I have to go. It’s my watch. Will you be all right without me?” He added the last part with a bit of joke in his voice.
“Mmmmhhungryy.” His captain mumbled. Sanji smiled, and this time it stayed. He blew out the lantern, and turned back one last time before turning the doorknob.
“Think about what you want for breakfast!” He called, before stepping back into the storm, which seemed to be lifting at last.