Mystic

- the baratie was packed– fuller than even the average hectic friday night. you were practically tripping over the other waiters as you rushed to fulfill orders and refill drinks. there was an agitated curse as you fully collided with one of the sous chefs. his infuriation turned to mild panic as he stumbled over frantic apologies.

“apologies, miss! i didn’t see you there.”

you knew if it had been anyone else, he would have fired them or cursed the out until he was blue in the face. it was always different with you. it had to be different with you— you were the owner’s daughter and the baratie princess aspired to be more than just what you were and desperately wanted to be anywhere else…

“i wish i didn’t see you at all…” you brushed past him and scooped up the upcoming orders, eyeing them skeptically, “these look drier than your wife, chef… why you were elected sous chef i will never understand. you’ve done crimes to my beautiful tomatoes with this sauce—“

perhaps you were biased— it was a five star restaurant after all, and zeff only hired the best— though there was one– one who’s cooking outdid even your father and even he knew it.

“there was no one better qualified, love. your father’s decision– take it up with him.”

you huffed in exasperation as you tilted your hip against the door to open it just as someone else swung it towards you. the trays flew into the air as your feet slid out from under you. multiple dishes splattered onto your head as a pair of arms lunged forward to catch you. you gasped as scalding liquid soaked down the back of you, shrieking as the door slammed into you once again and sending you tumbling to the floor.

“shit!” the body that had attempted to catch you went tumbling down on top of you, bringing plates shattering and even more miscellaneous liquids and solids down on your head. the familiar head of blond hair looked down at you with a guilty expression, reminding you greatly of a scolded puppy.

“you two!” you cursed and attempted to scramble to your feet at your father’s sharp tone, “out! both of you out! tonight is not the night for your bullshit!”

“but i–“

“it was my fault, sir—“

“both of you out! now! go back to your garden and you can clean this entire place later!”

you cursed as you threw your apron on the floor, stomping out of the kitchen and drawing the attention of many guests.

“i’m sorry—“ sanji was stumbling over apologies too, though his were sincere and an attempt to placate your mood only slightly. you grabbed his hand and dragged him along behind you, not slowing until you were on the roof.

“i am sorry. i didn’t see you behind the door and—“

you pulled him against you with a sigh as your lips met his. he shut up instantly; arms snaking around you and pulling you in with all the more enthusiasm and desperation.

“you didn’t do that on purpose, did you?” sanji pulled away breathless, eyeing you with that damn smirk that always got him in trouble.

“of course not. the door swinging back and hitting me in the ass was just a happy accident.”

sanji snorted and shook his head, looking you over with an incredulous smile, “now you’ve landed us with clean up.”

“as i recall you quite like making use of the empty kitchen… and the stainless steel counters-“

sanji just kissed you again— all passion and hands and intensity as if every time he kissed you would be the last. your knees nearly gave out as you get lost in the feeling of him. the constant giggles and goofing off of childhood had shifted to quick kisses and stolen glances and were now something deeper and heavier and all consuming.

“i think he’s a damn fool and has no right to handle your produce…” sanji’s mouth dropped to your neck, lips brushing against your skin as he spoke, before placing slow and agonizing kisses along your throat. you hummed, tilting your head back and closing your eyes.

always knowing just what to say, while always making it sound suggestive, sanji responded with a hum. the stress and frustration of the day washed away as sanji pulled you closer and the kisses deepened, slowed and turned more sensual.

“sanji—“ you gasped as your calves fell against the edge of a planter, “the plants—“

sanji didn’t move his mouth from yours as he shifted once more, “i would never ravage your beautiful plants, darling…” he eyed you with a soft, devilish smirk, “only you.”

you pulled him closer, head falling back as he returned to his trail along your throat and collarbone. “if my father comes up here—“

“i will talk to you father…”

“sanji—“

“we’re going to do things right, love. the moment we tell him, you’re getting a ring… i’m still going to ask for your hand. call me old fashioned—“

“i think i’ll call you a hopeless romantic…”

“hopeless for you. that’s for sure…”

you rolled your eyes and breathed out a laugh, “sanji, it’s been four years… sneaking around and taking the early shifts and closing shifts… i just think… what if he says no—“

sanji’s head burrowed into your neck again as he shushed you softly. you just sighed contently, hands reaching for his hair to steady yourself. -

the morning had started quite like every other morning for the last ten years since your father had emerged from sea with a strange boy— finally claiming you after your mother’s death. growing up in the baratie had taught you anything culinary and customer service you would ever need, while your mother had taught you to cook, clean, tend to flowers and plant a garden bountiful enough to provide for an entire village. you had never experienced anything of the real world, living your life as the quiet cook’s daughter, growing the produce for the restaurant and wishing desperately to one day leave.

sanji cursed beside you as zeff’s voice rang out orders throughout the kitchen. he was slicing your precious herbs with a careless urgency that would have anyone else in this damn kitchen chopping off a finger or leaving horribly uneven cuts.

“you seem tense this morning…” you shifted just slightly so your shoulder brushed against sanji’s, head ducked so only he heard you.

“i’m not tense, love.” sanji’s tone held its usual soft fondness towards you, though his posture and aggressive chopping proved otherwise.

“he’s just been— really really—“ sanji tilted the chopped dill into a bowl and reached for the cilantro– you placed your hand over his and lifted your eyebrows. sanji tensed and froze, eyes on you softly, “i’m sorry. the talk didn’t go well. ever since—“

“the talk? you asked him?” you nearly dropped the knife you were holding, “you talked to him? what did he say?” you abandoned your cutting entirely and grabbed sanji’s elbow, pushing him into the walk in freezer and shutting the door behind you.

sanji didn’t meet your eyes, jaw tight, glancing around the freezer as if looking for a way out. “he said i wasn’t good enough for you. and that if he was in his right mind, he should have me arrested and shipped off to-“

“sanji.” you leaned back against the door to block him from trying to end the conversation by leaving, “i told you not to talk to him. i told you there was no point— he doesn’t care that you tried to do the right thing…”

“i wanted to do it right! i want to show him that i’m… i’m… more than he just lets me be.”

“sanji. i have loved you since we were running around here in training aprons and i couldn’t see the top shelves of the freezer. i have known you as long as i’ve known my father. i don’t care what that bastard says… he has no right to say anything about me… where was he for the first nine years of my life? i don’t care what he says and you shouldn’t either.”

“i think you underestimate the shipping me off in handcuffs for going near his daughter.”

you eyed him sharply, lifting an eyebrow, “is that why you never came back last night?”

sanji looked away and you exhaled slowly, not needing any answer other than that.

“he raised me… like his own son. i just thought—“

“who gives a fuck?”

sanji looked at you incredulously, startled by your bluntness. “he said no… fine. i’ve always found the sneaking around rather…” your fingers closed around sanji’s wrist, thumb sliding up his arm and grip closing tightly around his bicep, “invigorating…”

sanji’s foot slid slightly and you fought back a snort as he cursed under his breath.

“i just… i tried to do things right. i want you— i want to be enough for you.”

“sanji.” you shook your head, jaw tight, “you are all i want. this stupid restaurant, this stupid staff— my damn father— this stupid ship…..”

sanji closed his eyes, nose resting against your forehead. he shifted slowly until his lips were against your skin, placing a delicate kiss on your forehead, “i love you. i’ll keep proving myself… i’ll keep doing what the damn old man says until i’m deemed good enough for you.”

“sanji…” you stood on your toes and tucked his blond bangs behind his ear, “do what you think you need to. but don’t you dare ever let my father stop you from meeting me in my room again…”

sanji grinned, eyes twinkling mischievously. he gave you his usual devilish smirk, tilting his head to eye you softly, “whatever you say, my love…” he kissed you once more as your hands slid around his neck, “i get off at eight tonight. so long as the old man doesn’t have me cleaning up the entire place again, i’ll be there by eight o’ one.”

the plants in your windowsill seemed to visibly perk up as you hummed. managing to grow flora that wasn’t found anywhere in the east blue in your tiny ship bedroom was enough of an accomplishment, let alone having blossoming bushes and vines that slowly climbed up the walls. you took a deep inhale at the orange blossoms, eagerly waiting for their fruit to be ready. there was a knock on the door and you nearly dropped the watering can and hit your hip against the corner of your table. cursing, you limped towards the door enthusiastically, opening the door to an exhausted, yet still smirking sanji.

“eight o’ five.” you smiled in amusement, “you’re late.”

sanji ducked his head with a playful smile, “apologies, my love. but i found these and couldn’t resist.” he held out a bouquet of colorful blooms of numerous shapes and sizes. you grinned, scooping them into your arms as you inhaled their scents.

“beautiful… where did you find them?”

“some sorry bastard double booked a date. i scooped up the ones that weren’t smashed. i figured you would be able to tell me what they all were…”

you eyed him adoringly, smiling up at him like he had hung the moon and stars. sanji loved hearing you talk about plants– your garden, your house plants. it was the same passion and excitement that he shared about cooking. you shifted the bouquet into a vase and readjusted the flowers, talking softly as you plucked and flattened. sanji watched with an expression that would have had you folding had you seen it. you grabbed his hand and pulled him over, listing every individual flower and their origin. he slid his arms around you, settling against your back, nose brushing against your jaw, breathing deeply as he just listened to you.

when you were satisfied with the flowers’ new home, you turned to sanji, who was still giving you those dangerous eyes. he looked tired— eyelids heavy and hair slightly undone. his apron was still on— hanging crooked, streaked with tomatoes, green sauce and miscellaneous meat juices. you slid your hands around his back, kissing his jaw as you pulled him closer to untie his apron. sanji sighed contently, head falling forward onto your shoulder.

“is he working you terribly hard, chef?”

your tone was light, soothing him as if he were in need of being babied. sanji’s mouth quirked up, breathing deeply as he settled against you, “nothing i can’t handle… still needing to take orders from the sous chef and not getting caught fixing up his sorry excuse for meals…”

sanji ducked his head gently so you could lift the apron over his head. you tossed it onto the back of the chair and brushed off his suit, pausing to glance up and admire him. his hair had fallen over his eyes and you swore he had never looked more gorgeous. he still wore his suit, wrinkle free and pristine, always showing up and looking his best for a job that didn’t appreciate or deserve him. you pulled his jacket off and his breath shook just slightly.

“i’m supposed to take care of you, love.”

“quiet, you. i recall— as only a humble waitress and occasional host— my job is to serve the sous chef…”

sanji smirked at this, raising a suggestive eyebrow. “i don’t recall that rule… especially since your official title is supplier of our produce and daughter of the owner...”

you clicked your tongue, “see, that’s where you’re confused, then… her job requires her to work directly under the sous chef…”

sanji’s tongue pressed against the back of his top front teeth, smirking, eyeing you with a look that promised you would both be running late tomorrow.

you shifted into the warm sunlight on your face, smiling to yourself at the comfortable heaviness that still clung to you. your limbs felt tired, the mattress seemingly pulling you down further into it. a heavy arm draped over your middle and pulled you against a solid chest that radiated heat. the ship rocked slightly, doing nothing to shake the absolute contentment and satisfaction you felt.

the bed shifted as you were pulled into an all encompassing hug— warm breath on the tip of your spine, sanji’s nose brushing against the back of your neck as his bangs fell forward onto your jawline. you hummed softly, “g‘mornin…” your voice was thick with sleep and the satisfied wear from last night.

“good morning, gorgeous.”

sanji’s accent was thick, tone rasping slightly with sleep. he shifted to his elbow, placing a light kiss on your jaw, leaning in until his lips created pressure against your face. you grinned, humming once again as you shifted closer, turning to face him.

sanji’s hair stuck up in numerous places, disheveled, clear grooves where your fingers had run through it the night before. “like what you see, love? this certainly isn’t your first time waking up next to me…” you smiled to yourself and answered him with a kiss. you shifted as his palm tucked between your shoulder blades, rolling you slightly with the full intent of carrying on what had been finished last night.

an abrupt pounding on your door sucked the sensual domestic bliss from the air and you sat up so quickly your forehead nearly knocked into sanji’s.

“are you awake yet?”

the tone would not be expected from a father, but it was much softer than the usual tone of zeff— you gave sanji a grave look before standing to your feet, untangling yourself from the blankets and second set of limbs. “how fast can you climb out that window?” sanji almost laughed, but he glanced at the table full of plants sympathetically, as if weighing how to best avoid tipping any of them on the way out.

you tripped awkwardly on the way to the door, struggling greatly at pulling on a shirt in record breaking speed and also trying to walk on jelly like legs.

“is there a problem? you could have paged me.”

“i— no, no problem… i wondered if there was anything you needed?”

you blinked skeptically.

zeff eyed you up and down and you stepped closer to the wall, pulling the door closed with you, stupidly.

“we are docking soon… picking up more supplies and taking a little day break. if you…want to buy some clothes… or new seeds…” you stared at him incredulously as he dropped a sack of berry into your hand.

“take sanji with you. you could use… i mean— some places can be unsafe. i wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”

you almost smiled, though you were so stricken at his uncharacteristic gesture. sanji had always been directed to go everywhere with you— likely another factor that inevitably pushed the two of you together. zeff knew sanji would die before letting anything happen to you— you had grown up together and were raised together so the two of you going off together or getting into trouble on a day off was nothing new. and zeff was assured that sanji knew the lines that couldn’t be crossed and what should happen should anything ever escalate between you…

sanji had argued— he really hadn’t wanted to disrespect or go against zeff’s wishes. he had taken him and saved his life and raised him with everything he had given you– but when you gave him that look and inevitably pulled him into bed the following night, once again– despite your father’s threats and warnings— he really couldn’t say no. after all, you had been sneaking around and stealing kisses since you were sixteen. the fact that sanji had tried to go about things properly and been blatantly told no and to stay away from you wasn’t stopping you– and he certainly wasn’t going to argue with you. he had promised that you would get a ring. you had promised that one day you would both get the hell out of here. the glass jar filled with tips gave you a trickle of hope, though you swore you were happy as long as you were with him– secret or not, sneaking around or not— ring or not. you would have that future, even if it consisted of staying in the baratie, keeping sanji hidden behind your door and pretending like his bedroom had not been vacated for the better part of a year.

the small curl of cigarette smoke hit your nostrils as you turned to reach for another fish. you coughed, hands on your hips as you eyed the culprit. sanji had his eyes half closed, taking another slow drag as his hands settled on the table.

“sanji…” you scolded and his eyes snapped open and his attention turned to you. he took you in with a guilty expression, smiling shyly.

“that could kill you.”

“so could this work environment, love.”

you raised your eyebrows in a silent scold and sanji grinned. he stuck his lip out slightly, shifting to lean into you with a knowing smirk.

you snatched the cigarette from his lips and placed it between your own, inhaling slowly with a small smirk. sanji tipped forward, catching himself on the counter with an exhale as his head fall back, “what are you doing to me, gorgeous?” he eyed you like you were in trouble and you just smiled innocently before dropping the lit cigarette into the dirty sink water in front of you, “you’re too easy, ji. and smoking is a dirty habit that will kill you.”

“i could say the same about you, love.” he smirked and met your eyes, leaning in all the more. you narrowed your eyes and gave him an amused smirk, lifting your eyebrows in a dare for him to say more. the kitchen door swung up and sanji straightened his back, standing upright and shifting away from you. you cast him a final smirk before dropping the dead fish down in front of him. sanji eyed you incredulously with a sigh, shaking his head as he began his delicate process of chopping up the fish.

“we’ll be docking tonight!” you perked up slightly, turning your attention to zeff, now standing in the middle of the room, holding everyone’s attention, “sanji, make a list of any and all ingredients you may need. you all will have the evening to do as you wish… we will be leaving before first light. anyone not on the ship gets left behind and out a job.”

sanji ducked his head slightly, voice lowered so only you heard him, “do you think that’s a promise?”

you bit back a snort, covering your mouth with an exaggerated clearing of your throat. zeff barked orders at the staff before stopping in front of the two of you. he lifted his eyebrows at you, expectant. you blinked slowly, sensing sanji tense slightly. you fought the urge to reach a hand out to stop sanji from starting something or getting himself stuck with working the entire night off.

“you two don’t get into trouble tonight. and don’t piss me off today or you’ll be on overnight shift.”

sanji’s mouth twitched and you swore you could read his thoughts for a moment— your hand behind your back closed securely around his wrist– a silent warning and plea.

sanji exhaled slowly, almost reaching for the cigarette that was no longer there. “yes, sir. thank you. i’ll get right on that list…”

“nothing weird or fancy! stick to the usual!”

sanji’s mouth twitched again and he ducked his head in agreement. zeff crossed the kitchen once again, leaving the staff breathing once again and you releasing sanji’s wrist.

he eyed you with a glare that wasn’t at all sincere, “you took my damn cigarette…” he exhaled and rubbed his face and you fought back a laugh.

“you can get all the weird and fancy stuff you want, you know... i’ll sample anything my favorite chef makes…”

sanji lit up at this, practically coming to life with an animated gesture, “i’ve had a lot of ideas. some of them incorporate fruit too. i was thinking of making some kind of jelly— then i’d pair it with—“

you leaned back against the counter and watched sanji with a smile. he sliced and stirred and boiled without even looking up– all while talking enthusiastically about his plans for the dinners he would cook you.

“sounds wonderful, my love. i’ll try all of it and then more… god, you’re brilliant–“ you grabbed his face and kissed his forehead once, quickly, before releasing him and shuffling off towards the back exit. sanji was left speechless, smiling like a damn fool as he watched you go, too flustered to bother checking if anyone had seen that. at the last moment he grabbed your wrist and pulled you back against him, realizing you would do much more effectively than a cigarette— he kissed you once, fully on the lips– quick enough to look like he had merely reached past you for something. “dinner tonight… we’re going out.”

you opened the door with a sharp yelp as zeff stood on the other side. you closed your coat around the front of you in a desperate attempt to cover the dress you were wearing— any idiot could see you were dressed up for more than just picking up seeds. black and entirely too low cut for anything other than a rare and inconsistent date night, slightly slitted up the leg and sequined enough that the light caught your every move.

“what are you wearing?”

as if you were sixteen, and not twenty two.

you shrugged, glancing down at yourself with an innocent smile. “i’m going out. i haven’t had a proper night off in months. so i put on something nice and i intend to have a nice time.”

zeff blinked slowly, lifting his eyebrows, “is that so? you look like a show girl. that could be free advertising to some, you know.”

you eyed him sharply, debating telling him the true reason you had gotten so dressed up— that you wouldn’t be going to clubs and bar hopping alone and considered this a highly important date night.

zeff was still just staring and you fought the urge to wave your hand in front of his face, “you— perhaps i’ll go with you… or— no…” he rubbed his face and for the first time you realized he truly did care about you— he was just shit at expressing it.

“why don’t….” he grunted, clearly debating his own thoughts, “take sanji with you.”

“sanji?” you fought back a smirk, “you want sanji to see me in such a low cut, thigh slit dress?”

“well i— no! but it’s better than… i think he— you two always get along.”

you scoffed slightly, finding all of this more amusing than he would ever know.

“are you giving him permission to take me on a date?”

“well— no! don’t you get any ideas too! for tonight… just have a nice time. i want you back before sunrise. i was serious what i said! i’ll leave you both behind.”

tempting…

zeff dropped a handful of berry in your hand, face slightly red like he was still trying to figure out how to function around you. “make the boy buy you dinner… it would be a shame to waste a lovely dress…”

sanji had taken your arm, other hand tucked over the top of yours as if escorting a queen. he had required a full ten minutes and splashing cold water on his face to recover from first seeing you in the dress. it had taken an additional five minutes to convince him that he didn’t need to take it off just then and that getting ready all over again would further delay your night out, to which he countered that you getting ready again would definitely take longer than he would.

“so he told you to take me with you? like actually verbatim told you to bring me?”

“he also instructed me to make you buy me dinner and that a dress like this shouldn’t go to waste.”

sanji clicked his tongue and eyed you up and down again, “certainly not. the old geezer does have some wisdom sometimes…” you let sanji continue to guide you through the streets, talking about absolutely everything and sometimes nothing at all.

“do you think we’ll ever get out of here?”

“one day. i still think i’ll see the all blue.”

“i sincerely hope you do… before you’re old and bitter like zeff. if he ever lets you go…”

“oh, you would come with me. a man needs his guiding light. someone to keep him out of trouble…”

you inclined your head, eyes softening.

“please, darling. do i look like someone who could handle long distance? now really, love, sometimes not seeing you for an entire shift about does me in…”

you smiled to yourself, shifting to lean up against the banister to look up at him, “i suppose i would have to come with you… it would be horribly boring without you. i don’t think i could bear not having you here…”

sanji leaned in, voice softening, “you’ll always have me. i’m all yours…”

you kissed him softly as the waves met the shore, the sunset showing off her full colors as if trying to make the moment even more perfect.

“i’ll hold you to that, ji.”

“always…” he took both your hands and kissed you again, “i’ll prove it to you every day. if i have to work here forever just to be with you, so be it…“

“sanji…”

“i love you. i’ve always loved you. you’re the only thing that’s kept me sane in this damn place. you’re it for me, love. no matter what the baratie or all blue holds… nothing will ever compare to you.”

you felt tears in the corner of your eyes and were willing to bet he had just streaked your makeup, “shit, sanji.” you pushed him away playfully as you reached to wipe at your makeup.

“i promise… there’s nowhere in this world i’m going without you.” he held both of your hands, looking at you as if falling in love all over again.

“that’s quite a promise… almost sounds like a proposal.”

sanji’s mouth curved into a smile as he lowered his head to you, “if i had a ring for you i would put an eternal vow around your finger right now…”

you just stared at him— cursing yourself for wiping at your eyes too early. he still held both of your hands, glancing down at your intertwined fingers. you watched his eyes light up, expression turning to a fierce determination that you had only seen when being given compliments by customers— the look that he was sure of himself—

sanji dropped to one knee and pulled the ring off his own finger. his ring. the ring that had been on his finger since the day you met him. the ring that always clinked gently as he washed dishes, was sometimes cool to the touch when he looped a lazy arm around you and caught that small area of skin between your shirt and pants. the ring that he had told you the story of many times when you couldn’t sleep— of his life before zeff…

“i promise… with this ring… one day we will get out of here. or grow old together on the same damn ship… either way– i only want you.”

your knees nearly buckled as you collapsed into his chest, kissing him like you were deprived. sanji arms flew around you, grinning into the kiss as he stood to his feet, bringing you with him. your feet didn’t touch the ground as he held you in that kiss, arms locking you against him as if you hadn’t seen him in a very long time.

“i love you…” you muttered it against his lips, tilting your head to deepen the kiss once more.

“is that a yes?”

“of course, you idiot… you made me cry and everything.”

“apologies, love. i know you spent time on getting ready…”

you merely kissed him again to placate his concern.

“shall we get some of this to go?” sanji was eyeing the glass of wine in his hand, “we’ll have to thank the old geezer for dinner…”

“was it to the greatest chef in the world’s satisfaction?” you glanced at the empty plates between you, hand on your stomach.

“it was divine. i think they could do with a little less salt in their sauces, and i think i would have cooked the meat for a fraction second more so it truly fell off the bone…”

you eyed him with a small smile, eyes lighting up. you had your hand on your chin, watching him go into detail about the dishes he would add to the menu. “i think if this place got ahold of some of your berries or fruit trees, they could have the best deserts in the east blue.”

you shook your head with a small smile, “i believe that title goes to you.”

“not much of a baker, love…”

“nonsense. your birthday cakes and the pies you’ve made me have been better than anything the baratie serves…”

“i think you’ve had too much to drink.” he tipped his glass against yours, grinning like usual.

you eyed him with a playful smile, “i think we need dessert.”

“excellent idea. shall we get a menu?”

you hummed and stood up, “i have a better idea…”

you tipped a handful of coins onto the table and grabbed sanji’s hand. he trailed behind you without a single question, leaning into you slightly as you lead him along. sanji draped and arm over you as you crossed into the street again. the street lights were lit, vines crawling up them with flowers and a few fruits. you inhaled sharply, cutting sharply to admire the greenery.

“we should have flowering fruit vines on our ship… wouldn’t they be beautiful along the entrance? and people could pick the fruit while waiting to be seated…”

sanji was admittedly looking at you more than the plants. but your excitement and awe made his stomach and flip as he smiled down at you, “absolutely, love…” sanji picked one of the fruits and dropped it in his pocket, “think you can grow this from the seeds?”

your smile grew and you kissed his jaw, grinning, “of course i can.”

you tucked yourself under his arm once again, leaning into him as he pulled you closer. “i know this will be appalling to you…” sanji lifted his eyebrows in interest.

“but i saw a few food carts… a bakery, some gelato…”

sanji leaned in, “food made in a mobile kitchen that you then eat standing up?” his tone was playful.

“come on, sanji… not all the best parts of life can be lived sitting down.”

sanji sighed and trailed behind you, fighting back a comment that there was a great many things he enjoyed that were not done sitting down- or sometimes even laying down…

“why is this the greatest thing i’ve ever tasted?”

you grinned at him as you held out the mostly eaten pastry once again. he pushed it back towards you and leaned in for a kiss instead.

you hummed against him, melting into him slightly as you closed your eyes, “i have an idea…”

“i’m not sure i can eat another thing, love.”

“i was thinking maybe we see if there’s any rooms available in that little oceanside inn…”

sanji’s eyebrows shot up, grinning like a fiend.

“when’s the last time we’ve slept somewhere besides the damn ship? in a real bed… away from everyone else… with a room that doesn’t rock with the waves.”

sanji’s eyes nearly glazed over just thinking about it. “i should have thought of that… i shouldn’t call myself a hopeless romantic having not thought of that.”

you sprawled out on the too big mattress in the too fancy hotel room. sanji had his arms wrapped around you as you just closed your eyes, savoring the quiet, the normalcy— the lack of voices and yelling and pounding in the door.

“we could just stay here…” he traced small circles on your stomach, placing lazy tired kisses on your temple.

you hummed contently, glancing over at him between heavy eyelids.

“i’d bring you pastries from that bakery every day… spoon feed you gelato… give you more reasons to wear your fancy dresses… find a house with a garden…”

“that does sound nice…” you kissed him once, sitting up, “but you need to see the all blue. we haven’t seen enough of the world yet to settle down…”

sanji tucked his fingers between yours and closed his hand around your own. his thumb traced the ring of his you now wore before bringing your knuckles to his lips gently, “i’m happy wherever you are, my love.”

you had left sanji in bed, after what you deemed a very well deserved birthday morning wake up. you knelt in your garden, overlooking the waves and the restaurant that was not yet open to customers. you hummed at the sight of your berries, picking a few of each and popping them in your mouth. they were perfect. juicy and nearly exploding in your mouth before you could fully chew. you scooted your vegetable baskets to the side and procured a single, smaller basket. you dropped berries that you had handpicked in the small basket and closed the lid. you then moved to the final wheeled bin reserved for today’s apple and orange collection.

once nearly overflowing, you stood up with a content sigh. “there you are!” you glanced over your shoulder at the arrival of zeff. “good morning… do you need anything extra?”

zeff normally didn’t venture up to your rooftop garden— no one actually, was allowed in your little area of sanctuary. sanji and very rarely, zeff, were the only two that had not been threatened off or thrown over-ripe produce at.

“no, no… i just..haven’t been up here for a while. it looks wonderful. really, really amazing what you’ve done up here…”

your arms fell uselessly to your sides, wondering what the hell was coming– “thank you…”

“i know i don’t spend much time with you.”

you stiffened slightly, finding your thumb brushing against a mint leaf suddenly very interesting. “i do apologize. i just… it’s hard. i’ve never been- i’m not really… a people person.”

you smiled slightly to yourself, “at least you know that…” zeff actually laughed at this and the normalcy panicked you.

“i don’t know if i ever… you remind me of her. so much… your mother. i promised to look after you and i’ve done a pretty pathetic job.”

your eyes stayed fixed on the plants in front of you, heart hammering in your chest, “you’ve done satisfactory. i’m clothed and fed and have a place to live…”

“but do you truly live? do you experience life? outside of this restaurant? laughter, culture… love.”

your breath caught, head spinning slightly at his words. “i–”

“are you happy, little bug? is this garden truly a big enough world for you?”

you inhaled deeply, hands shaking slightly.

“you’re an adult… you can talk to me. you have never once asked me to leave. you have never once brought up getting away from this place…”

you fidgeted with the hem of your sleeve, closing your eyes against your racing mind. you collected a handful of cherry tomatoes in your hand and shifted them back and forth. you could tell him..

you could tell him everything—

if he knew sanji was the only thing keeping you there—

“i should have talked to you sooner... do you think there’s anything that happens on my ship without me knowing? do you think i don’t see the way he looks at you? the way you are with him…”

you closed your eyes, feeling like a weight was lifted from your chest.

“i forbid him from it, you know… i told him i would have him arrested or enlisted.”

your mouth quirked up, finally looking up at zeff with a small, guilty smile, “i know. he was willing to listen… he didn’t want to disrespect you. sanji, he’s…”

“he’s good. last night he nearly knocked out the cook to feed a customer that couldn’t pay… he stayed long after his ship, even though– i assume… he was going to meet you.”

you stood up, arms crossed, allowing yourself to smile. he hadn’t even told you that– he had merely apologized for being late and started on dinner despite you arguing that he did not need to cook for you every night.

“he’s the reason you stay…”

you nodded once, “i’m not going anywhere without him.”

there was a vow. a promise between the two of you… you could never imagine life without him. goddamn him, you would die in this ship if it meant growing old with vinsmoke sanji.

“can i ask you something?”

you shrugged stupidly in response, eyeing zeff softly.

“how long? how long have you been sneaking around as more than friends…”

your mouth twitched up, eyes falling on your finger that would have had the ring.

“since we were fifteen.”

“seven years…” zeff shook his head, looking torn between being impressed and disbelieving, “do you love him?”

“yes.” you didn’t even have to think about it. you didn’t hesitate or feel embarrassed to answer.

“and you’re sure?” zeff sighed in mild iritation, “you’re absolutely sure about him? ….him?”

you smiled to yourself and sighed, standing up to collect all your baskets. “sanji is the only thing i’ve ever been sure about…”

zeff cursed under his breath, rubbing his face as he paced, “goddamn it, kid.”

you just grinned, “if you try to forbid it, i will go out of my way to make the entire staff uncomfortable around us…”

zeff made a choking sound and waved his hands over his head, “i’m not that stupid, kid. i tried that already. and it turns out you’re worse than he is…”

you smirked slightly, “does this mean you approve?”

“hell, no. the two of you could take down the entire world if you tried… but he’s always loved you. and i clearly can’t stop it…” zeff rubbed his face again and shook his head. he exhaled again and looked up, face set in stone, “if i ever catch the two of you swapping spit, i’m chopping something off him.”

you had landed front of house shift and while listening to zeff cuss out half of the wait staff, you tied a black apron around your waist, anticipating yet another job assignment thanks to useless staff. sanji stuck his head out of the kitchen, looking tired but not the receiver of the cursing, “geezer says he wants you—“ his eyes landed on you tying the apron around your waist, “ah, you heard.” your mouth twitched up, eyeing him in amusement. you turned you back to him and sanji reached for your ties without being asked, placing a gentle kiss on your shoulder as he secured your apron. you tilted your head just slightly to meet his lips, “you’re going to get me in trouble…” sanji didn’t protest, though, as he leaned in to deepen the kiss, hands still on either side of your waist.

“oi! you two!” sanji jumped back, at zeff’s voice, though you followed him, fully intending to finish the kiss. “no time for that! customers are coming!”

you sighed, looking up at sanji with a slight pout at being interrupted.

“no distracting my chef! tonight is a big night.”

zeff was scolding you with a wisk and a steak knife and you only smirked, “he doesn’t get distracted. i don’t think there’s a single thing i could say that would distract him from food…” this was a blatant lie and likely even zeff knew it. sanji was always thinking about you, though he had become a professional at not letting it effect his cooking– he also tried very much not to think about you during work, but was thankful for an apron that covered the evidence of when that failed.

you squeezed sanji’s arm as he moved to follow zeff back into the kitchen. he turned to look at you once more, stealing one last quick kiss. you kissed him twice more, smiling into him, “be good. don’t get distracted…” your tone was playful, and sanji smirked, “and definitely don’t think about that time i wore nothing but your chef hat.”

sanji cursed as his knees buckled and he nearly collapsed. his hand grabbed onto the counter to catch himself, wide eyed, “why the hell would you say that?” his voice shook slightly, reaching desperately to adjust his suit and fix his hair.

you smirked to yourself, eyeing him innocently. he really did look wrecked. just one little comment and he was tripping over his own feet, breathing heavily. you grinned once more, kissing his cheek before sending him back towards the kitchen. sanji glanced behind him, looking very much like a scolded puppy you were sending away.

it was within the second hour of being open that you realized this night would be remembered as one from hell. waitressing was not your favorite thing on a good day, but now with a full house and only one competent waitress — you — you would be sure to tell zeff exactly what you thought about his staffing. you returned to the kitchen, sure you looked as run thin as you felt.

“table four sent the wine back again—“

there was a slam and a curse and you winced, “the hell for now!?” sanji had kept an eye on you all evening, watching you slowly run out of energy and a pleasant expressions.

“they say it’s not the ‘46.”

this time, even zeff peered over the corner, “not the 46? does he think we’re upselling him and bringing him cheap garbage?”

you sighed and opened your mouth to answer as a line cook pressed two fresh trays into your chest. you blinked slowly, eyeing them with a blank expression.

“come on, they’re hot!”

he pushed them further into your ribs and you nearly winced, “excuse me?”

sanji had looked up from his seering dish and it was a look you knew you would never be on the receiving end of. the cook had all but dropped the trays, wheeling around to get back to his station, not bothering to see if you had ahold of them. you scoffed as you adjusted to hold the trays, glaring daggers into the chef as he retreated without a second thought.

“excuse me…” sanji’s tone was calm, despite the tense expression on his face and the way he was forcing himself to breathe slowly, “apron off. you’ve got dishes now.”

“what?! sous chef, i— at least let me wait tables! she was just standing there! i’m sorry- we’re in a rush.”

“apron off. you’ve got dishes. you do not speak to or treat her like that and if you do it again, you’ll find yourself much worse off than dishes. and your sorry ass does not need to be the first thing the customers see.”

you fought back a smile as you shifted back into the dining area, suddenly looking much more pleasant and energized.

“pardon me, miss!”

you winced slightly, nearly toppling over as you turned to address the voice, “just give me one moment, i’m sorry!” you served the first table with all smiles and agreement, shifted completely around to slide the plates onto the next table before finally addressing the man that now had his hand up and was waving you over. you breathed deeply, summoning that charming customer service smile you had learned and perfected all those years ago.

“is there a problem?” your cheeks hurt from smiling and your tone was several pitches higher than natural.

“this is excellent. truly spectacular… i mean i’ve been here numerous times, but this…” you glanced down at his nearly empty plate and immediately recognized the fancy layout as sanji’s handiwork.

“thank you, sir.” this time your smile was genuine, “tonight’s chef puts a lot of care into his cooking… he will be thrilled to hear that.”

“is he— if it’s not too much trouble, could i compliment him?”

“oh, of course! he’s—“

before you could finish, there was a bottle slamming and raised voices, “sir! i assure you this is the wine you ordered. i have even brought the bottle out to prove it… perhaps you were mistaken and you might have wanted the 48 or even the 45.”

“with all due respect, kid— i know my wine! maybe you’d better stay in the kitchen with the things that don’t require acquired taste or special aging!”

you cursed under your breath and hoped you hadn’t just imagined the apology you uttered to the table you now rushed away from.

“with all due respect to you, sir. the ‘46 is a fine wine. even better than whatever you thought you were ordering. had you any sense of taste or sophistication, you would quickly realize that the food here is significantly better than even the wine and perhaps next time you’d better bring your date to a burger joint if your palate is so dullingly boring that you can’t see—“

you stepped in front of sanji quickly, seeing the man’s knuckles tighten in warning. “is everything good over here?” you pulled your best smile, hoping your voice shaking wasn’t noticeable.

“chef, table twelve would like to complement your—“

sanji’s hand tightened around the table as he leaned in, “at least someone appreciates art! all that money and not a lick of taste—“

you stepped further between the now nearly steaming marine and sanji, who had never once backed down from anything in his entire life.

“aw, the waitress is protecting the sous chef from getting hurt… how quaint. i’ll give you a bigger tip girl, if you step aside and let me land one right in his smart mouth.”

“sir, there’s really no need—“

“step aside please, love. someone needs to be taken down a peg— if he wants to take a swing at me, that is his right as the customer.”

you eyed sanji sharply, silently pleading with him not to cause a scene. he gave you a reassuring glance, using his palm to straighten his hair and taking a deep breath to regain composure, before glancing at you once more.

“i should think your services would be better suited elsewhere. wrangling an unruly chef and serving mediocre wine… i could pay you more just for your tit—“

the table went flying before you had taken a breathe. before you could throw your arm up to stop sanji from inevitably reacting. people were staring now. wide eyed in horror at the sous chef that had just punched a marine captain so hard that the table flipped. you scrambled to think of a way to keep sanji from being blamed and inevitably punished for this asshole’s behavior. the bastard’s date looked pissed that he had hit on you— storming out with a furious expression. sanji moved forward again and grabbed the man by the collar and you moved. your hand flew over your face, gasping with a hiccup as if you had been struck. sanji looked at you wide eyed, realizing what you were doing. the door to the kitchen opened and zeff stormed in, looking more red than the marine.

“what is this!?”

“your waiter attacked me!”

“sanji—“

“i’m the sous chef, you boarish—“

“he hit me.” you stared at your father with tearful eyes, hand still on your cheek.

“what!?” zeff roared— and if the entire restaurant hadn’t already been watching the scene, they were now. sanji moved towards you, hands around your shoulders protectively as zeff grabbed the man and dragged him towards the door.

“i didn’t hit her! i would never lay a hand on the lady! i merely complimented her figure and—“

there was cheers as zeff sent the man swiftly into the water with a swift press of his foot against the man’s tailbone. “i don’t serve creeps who hit on my daughter either!”

you cleared your throat and straightened your shoulders, wiping off your apron as if nothing had happened. sanji was eyeing you with a slight smirk, shaking his head slightly.

“you’re welcome.”

“it would have been worth getting in trouble for that bastard.”

“sanji.” zeff snapped his fingers as he returned to the kitchen, “try to make that your only time attacking a customer tonight…” you glanced at sanji with an amused smirk— he would have been verbally slaughtered if he had acted for any other reason but you…

“apologies, everyone…” sanji adjusted his suit jacket and cleared his throat, “i simply will not stand for anyone laying a hand on our gorgeous waitress, here…” you eyed him with all the adoration that was anything but subtle as the restaurant applauded. “now, who was wanting to compliment me?” you rolled your eyes slightly as you returned to refilling drinks, smiling to yourself that he was at least getting the attention he deserved.

sanji, having had it with the kitchen staff, had elected himself to be host at the front of the house and keep an eye on you and occasionally step in to serve tables. zeff had taken over for sanji and the yelling could occasionally be heard from the dining room. you met sanji’s gaze from across the room, to which he gave you a coy smile, silently taking bets on which one of you would have to inform zeff that he could be heard from the front door.

“right this way, madam, this absolute stunner will be your waitress and she’ll take wonderful care of you.” sanji shot you a wink and you nodded to him with a smile and the flush of your cheeks. zeff would have his head for flirting so publicly with you. he had no shame, however and his charm and your dynamic always got you both bonus tips. sanji shot you one more wink before returning to the next waiting couple, in which he would repeat his introduction to you, embellishing and getting more and more flirty each time.

you carried the final stack of plates into the kitchen, sanji on your heels with empty wine bottles cradled in his arms. his feet were dragging, apron dangling uselessly at his sides, the ties nearly tripping him as they dragged by his feet. you dropped the dishes unceremoniously into the sink, ignoring the glare of the exhausted dishwashers.

you side stepped the staff, ducking the cleaners and cooks that were closing for the night and leaned into sanji, exhaling in exhaustion. sanji draped his arms around you, kissing your temple.

“i have something for you. i’m too tired to put in the effort of surprising you…”

sanji eyed you, “you don’t get me gifts, love… i get you gifts and you just look pretty for me.”

you eyed him sharply, fighting the smile creeping onto your face. zeff stormed through the kitchen, chef had dangling from his hand, apron draped over his arm, “night from hell—“ he was muttering, scrubbing the stainless steel counter aimlessly.

“what are you two doing?”

you tensed slightly, glancing away from sanji with a blank look.

“go to bed! your shift is over! stop standing in my kitchen uselessly and making eyes at each other!”

sanji opened his mouth to counter, but you grabbed his hand and pulled him along behind you without another word.

sanji collapsed onto the bed with a sigh and a groan, stretching out full length, sprawled on his stomach. “i’m spent, love…”

sanji hadn’t gotten past stripping to his boxers and you paused to take him in, shamelessly. you pulled the box out of your drawer and shuffled over beside him before collapsing across his back, causing sanji to groan with a laugh. you dropped the box by sanji’s head and opened one eye.

“what is that?” he lifted his head with interest, eyes shifting to you questioningly.

“your surprise.”

“that looks like an extravagant surprise…”

“only the best for the world’s best chef.”

at this, sanji sat up and you rolled off him just enough to see his expression over his shoulder, “what have you schemed…”

you flipped open the box’s latch and sanji took his eyes off you to take in his surprise. he opened the wooden box to a small piece of paper, hand scribed with a small heart.

to the world’s greatest cook (and lover)

sanji eyed you with a soft expression, clearly already losing it at the card. you took the liberty of removing the card and uncovering the shiny blades underneath.

sanji inhaled sharply, sitting up further, so quickly you nearly fell off the bed.

“what are these?”

“kitchen knives… i assumed you would know that.”

sanji eyed you sharply, clearly not joking, “what— where did— why… why would you? i— when?”

you eyed him, running a thumb over his, “if you don’t like them i can give them to my father… but they are engraved with your initials so—“

sanji shut you up with a kiss, wheeling around so quickly, hand on the back of your neck to pull you in.

“you can’t have bought these— they’re… my love, what are these for?”

you kissed him once more, fingers stroking through his hair, “i did, thank you very much. specifically for you. consider it a ring…”

sanji lead you through the crowded street, hand around your waist, looking at you, rather than where he was going. “i’m telling you! i did not like how that man spoke to you.”

“i didn’t notice any sort of tone, ji.”

“it wasn’t just his tone! he was looking you up and down like he was trying to decide which part of you to eat first.”

“he was perfectly fine, i thought… i just wanted to try his mangoes. i haven’t quite gotten them to grow right…”

“and i think he wanted to try you.”

you shoved him playfully, eyeing him with a disbelieving smirk, “am i to cause a scene then, every time women look at you like you’re a meal?”

sanji’s brows furrowed, a smirk forming on his lips, “you do, love. that bartender batted her eyelashes at me and you nearly crawled inside me, until she moved away from me…”

you narrowed your eyes slightly, “she could see that i was right there! glaring at her clearly wasn’t enough.”

sanji snorted, “i think it’s quite endearing, love. you being jealous, as if i even see anyone else in the world.”

“you have a rather flirty personality…”

“get better tips that way. as i recall i have never once directly complemented a woman’s looks or called her anything that you get called daily.”

“it’s the tone, sanji.”

“do you want me to loudly pronounce my love for you to every table? i apologize, madam, i will not be friendly with you because my fiance exists and i shall only ever lay eyes on her!”

you were laughing now and that only made sanji carry on all the more, “i’ll do it, you know! don’t think i won’t. if you want me to never speak to another woman, i wouldn’t. if you want me to walk around blindfolded on a leash, i’ll do it.”

this time you snorted, looking up at him with a loving expression and shaking your head, practically grinning from ear to ear, “you’re insane…”

“you know i’m committed.”

“i have never once doubted…”

sanji crashed through your door with a curse and his hand running through his hair. you paused, eyeing him with raised eyebrows. even though clearly irritated and possibly enraged, he still held himself calm and collected. you nodded to the bed, silently urging him to sit. sanji began pacing instead, to which you eyed him sharply.

“sanji, you’ll stress my plants out.”

“i’m sorry, love…”

sanji finally sat, only once you did– on the floor rather than the bed– leaning back between your legs. you ran loose fingers through his hair, sighing to yourself at how much it actually relaxed you to play with his hair. he smelled faintly of cigarette smoke and kitchen grease and you breathed him in fully. “what happened now?”

“nothing… just a fight.”

“a fight?” you pulled his hair sharply so he was glancing awkwardly back at you. he winced, inhaling sharply, though there was a slight smirk on his face at the gesture— he had never been one with an aversion to hair pulling…

“sanji–“ your tone was scolding, which made him smirk all the more, “you can’t just—“

“it was self defense. the bastard tried to punch me… all i did was correct him in front of his date.”

you eyed him, sighing.

“then he snapped at his date and the table just… ended up broken. all the food gone to waste, glasses of wine all over the floor. quite the mess…”

your mouth twitched up slightly, “did she at least tip you?”

sanji smirked to himself, letting his head fall back fully so it rested on his thigh and he looked up at you. “she did. though i expect she was after something a bit more, after a failed date…”

you smacked him and he grunted with a laugh, “don’t worry love, i work even harder to get tips from you–“

you smacked him again but this time you held a devious smirk, “aren’t i usually the one working to get your tips?”

sanji made a violent choking sound, snapping into an upright position. his face had gone red– something he should have been used to after all the years of comments and flirting back and forth– and he coughed once, hand over his chest as if he was having a heart attack. you watched him in amusement, eyebrow lifted with that same smirk. he recovered— somewhat— and adjusted his jacket and cleared his throat, “i assure you, darling. those you don’t have to work for at all.”

you smirked again, looking down at him in amusement, “take a break… smoke if you open the window.”

sanji kissed your jaw, smiling, “old geezer says i’m grounded from customers for the rest of the night.”

you lifted an eyebrow, grinning to yourself, “probably not a bad idea… i’ll come down and entertain you when the rush is over.”

“as i recall, you entertaining me isn’t allowed in the kitchen.”

you just eyed him again as he lit his cigarette and continued to smirk.

the kitchen was packed and the dining room had not emptied of customers at all. there was a loud group at table four, and you couldn’t help but stare at them. they were so out of place. sticking out like sore thumbs— not dressed up in the least, not at all acting as though they were in a five star restaurant. they laughed too loud and their clothes were too bright. they stuck out so strikingly in the baratie— they didn’t belong there at all. yet your feet started moving towards them.

“you just told me—“

“table four, sanji!”

the loud table. obnoxious and amused. laughing over a table of waters— clearly not having been served yet. sanji was already glaring when he strode in, though his eyes lit up when he saw you.

you had approached the table yourself— curious about this group and feeling a strange pull towards them.

“you lot seem hungry…”

the table fell silent three pairs of eyes met you— intrigued, interested, interested in more ordering

“it’s been a long time since we’ve eaten!”

“shut up, luffy.”

“well then you’ve come to the right place! our sous chef is the best cook in the east blue. possibly even the world.”

the man with green hair observed you, lowering his beer bottle and tilting his head, “you seem biased.”

“i might be. but i could get you to sample some things not on the menu. you could let me know with an unbiased opinion based only on experience.”

green hair lifted an eyebrow, now eyeing you fully. the girl between them looked between them before keeping her attention on the guy in the straw hat— who looked overjoyed.

“that sounds amazing! i will eat anything!”

“luffy, i think she meant— i think she’s just…”

“we don’t have any money.”

you glanced between straw hat and his friends, waiting for one of them to laugh. green hair exhaled slowly, closing his eyes in an expression you had seen sanji make when trying very hard not to start a fight. and his female friend, who just stared at him in disbelief.

you glanced between the three, knowing if you had learned a single thing from zeff you should throw them all out and never give them a second thought.

“give me a moment…”

you turned slowly, hand on sanji’s chest as he approached you and the table. his mouth was open, preparing to greet the colorful table, when you pushed him back gently, guiding him away from the tables.

“everything okay, love?”

you winced, tilting your head slightly, “they don’t…have money.”

sanji glanced over your shoulder, eyebrows raised. you exchanged a glance, noting the trio’s uneasy— or in straw hat’s case, enthusiastic— eyes.

“you know what zeff or chef would do.”

you nodded, crossing an arm over yourself while keeping your other on sanji’s chest, “they said they’re hungry… they haven’t eaten in a while.”

sanji’s posture straightened, eyes shifting to you softly before glancing back at the table. “understood.” he brushed past you without another word and you trailed behind him enthusiastically.

“any preferences? what are we in the mood for?”

“booze.”

sanji eyed green hair, unimpressed– before looking to the other two. “i’ll eat anything. i like meat. i really like meat…” sanji blinked slowly, glancing to you in silent question. your mouth twitched up slightly. “but i was telling your friend, we don’t have any money—“

“she’s too pretty to be my friend, mate.”

“sanji—“

sanji glanced over to you with a wink before turning back to the table, “not a problem.”

this time the other two perked up, “what?”

“no one leaves here hungry…”

you ducked and shifted around sanji as he cooked and you brought him ingredients. you ignored the glares and questions from the rest of the staff and kept your attention fully on sanji. you had a small smile on your face as you watched sanji plate up a more than full serving, only glancing at you occasionally when he noticed you staring.

“i won’t let you get in trouble for this…” you shifted a tray onto your shoulder, following sanji back out into the dining room.

“let the old geezer try…”

“you gave the entire table free food!? what is possibly in your head, sanji!?”

“i don’t let people go hungry…”

you kept your back straight, glancing between the chef and your father in silence.

“you idiot! this is a restaurant not a charity!”

sanji said nothing, calmly placing a mint leaf on a slice of chocolate cake.

“that better not be for them!”

sanji passed three plates of cake to you, eyeing you knowingly. you turned slowly, carrying the plates back out to the dining room.

“stop! i will not let you serve more customers free food!” the chef positioned himself in front of you, arms on your shoulders.

you stared at him, daring, glancing slowly down at his hands on you. “let go of me.”

“you are not giving away my food! owner’s daughter or not! you’re acting like a spoiled brat and you two are nothing but a thorn in this place’s side!”

sanji had shoved the chef roughly, shelves clattering as his back slammed into them. you ducked as a fight broke out, adjusting the desserts on your arm as you returned to the same table. the fight carried through the kitchen doors and through the dining area and nearly to the front door.

you sighed as you placed the plates down, not missing the way the table’s eyes were on sanji with wide eyes. sanji took a hit to the jaw and you cursed under your breath.

“who is he?”

“clearly he’s more than a cook…”

you didn’t glance back to respond, “he’s sanji. my fiance…”

zeff had appeared and tore the pair apart, throwing the chef back into the kitchen and dragging sanji back to his feet.

“you!” zeff pointed to straw hat, who looked up, chocolate frosting on his nose, wide eyed, “you’re working that off.”

straw hat stood up, grinning, “sure! just call me your chore boy.”

zeff grunted, clearly expecting an argument or protest. he grunted once more, gesturing for him to follow.

you pulled sanji along by the tie, earning a slight groan as he wiped at his bleeding nose.

you pushed sanji down into a chair in the kitchen and knelt between his legs, “did you have to hit him?”

“he put his hands on you.”

you scoffed softly, nudging him slightly as you shifted the bandages into his hand. you tilted his chin up slightly, eyeing him disapprovingly, “you need stitches. he got you good…”

“but i didn’t lose.”

you sighed, glaring at him softly.

behind you, there was a clatter of dishes and a quiet apology. you glanced up at straw hat in amusement, “what do you think his deal is?”

“clinically insane, perhaps.”

“say, you’re pretty good at that!” you lifted an eyebrow as straw hat’s eyes were now on you.

“and you’re a good fighter. we could definitely use someone like you… and it would be awesome to have a cook on the ship.”

you both just stared at him, clearly sharing expressions.

“i’m monkey d. luffy. i am sailing to the grand line with my crew, and one day i will find the one piece be king of the pirates.”

“that’s very ambitious…” you swatted sanji’s hand away as he reached up to fight your fingers off his face.

“what about you? do you have any dreams?”

“everyone has dreams, luffy.”

“you should come with us.”

you didn’t look up, though your mouth twitched slightly, “become pirates with you?”

“that’s right!”

“you’ve just met us. quit—“ you pushed sanji’s head back again and he smirked up at you slightly.

“you served us anyway…. i told you we couldn’t pay and you didn’t hesitate. that doesn’t seem like a fun star chef to me. and your food is amazing. better than anything else here.”

you glanced over, now realizing he was eating all the leftovers from every plate before cleaning them. he wiped his face with his arm, dripping soap suds on you as he did. you blinked once again, turning fully to now look at him.

“we could use you too. we’re always getting injured… and it seems like a bad idea to separate the two of you.”

sanji had stood up and now looked luffy over with amused interest, “and why is that?”

“i can see it. the entire time i’ve been talking you only looked at each other. even when i mentioned getting you out of this place.”

“it’s a nice offer.” you returned the first aid kit under the sink before taking the stack of dishes from luffy.

“you mean you’re happy here?”

you kept your eyes on the stack of plates, though you knew both eyes were on you.

“i could never leave the old man. after everything…”

“you should go with him.”

you nearly hit your head on the counter, with how fast you stood up. there was a palm thrown out between your head and the metal shelf and you glanced over to see luffy, still standing the same spot, arm outstretched to cushion your head.

he was— rubber?

you looked at sanji for answers, but he was only looking at zeff. zeff stood with his arms crossed, taking the two of you in like you were being scolded once again as children.

“what?”

clearly you had misheard him.

this place wouldn’t last without sanji— you wouldn’t—

“go with him, kid.”

what?

“what?”

“i have no use for you anymore. you’re making trouble, you’re always getting into fights! you’re making too many fancy dishes i have no need for!”

sanji stood, dumbstruck. he looked like a scolded puppy and you just watched, frozen.

“you’re crazy, old man! what would you do without me? i can’t just leave! you know i can’t!”

“i would be just fine without you! you get out of here! go see the world! find the all blue! start your restaurant…”

sanji was numb. he hadn’t moved an inch, wide eyed and statuesque.

you would go with him—

you couldn’t—

not without—

“sanji.”

luffy eyed him, still grinning, “what do you say?”

he had his way out… the first time it had ever been dangled in front of him. the first time it had ever seemed like a possibility—

“i can’t. i’m sorry. i can’t be your cook. i can’t leave…”

you felt like you were falling. relief washed through you, but a guilt twisted inside you.

“you stupid boy… you idiot girl.”

your attentions snapped back to zeff, furious and speechless.

zeff lifted his hand, flicking a single object to sanji in a clean shot. sanji caught it, wide eyed, brows furrowed.

“i wasn’t stupid enough to suggest you leave without her. i thought it was a given…”

you felt tears stinging in your eyes at the weighty realization of his words. your father’s tearful eyes met yours and it felt like a slap.

“you wouldn’t stay here even if i forbid you from going with him.”

sanji opened his palm and stared down at the object in it. his knees nearly gave out from the sheer shock of it. he looked to you, eyes lighting up, face set in determination.

“it was her mother’s. the only thing i ever got right…”

you were trembling slightly, heart hammering in your chest like a drum. surely—

there was a catch—

“sanji.”

he had turned to you, mouth curved up in that smirk that meant he knew something you didn’t. he glanced at zeff, who gave a single, approving nod.

“is it still yes?”

sanji opened his palm to reveal a small blue stoned ring. your mother’s. you nodded— because what else could you do—

you were leaving.

you were traveling the world.

your father—

you were rushing forward before you realized it, hugging zeff for the first time ever.

“i’m sorry i was a lousy father.”

you just shook your head, clinging to him like you never had.

“thank you. for everything…”

“i don’t do tearful goodbyes, kid… go on. get out of here before i change my mind. get that punk out of my sight…”

you laughed and wiped your eyes.

“take care of him. he needs you more than you need him… i expect you to come back for a wedding. captains are ordained, after all.”

you grinned, stepping away from him and taking sanji’s hand. zeff blinked away a tear and cursed to himself. he cleared his throat and waved his arm, “get out of here, i mean it. you’re both more trouble than you’re worth and now you’re someone else’s problem.”