𝚜𝚝☆𝚛

𝔰𝔞𝔫𝔧𝔦

sanji had been in the kitchen for nearly twelve hours.

despite the dark circles under his eyes and the occasional cough he tried very hard to hide, he refused to leave his post.

"i'm fine," he'd insist every single time you wandered in. "a cook can't abandon his kitchen."

you sighed. he was impossible.

so… if words weren't enough, maybe embarrassment would do the trick.

you disappeared into your room with the package nami had helped you pick out earlier.

it wasn't anything scandalous. just a pastel nurse uniform with puffed sleeves, a knee-length skirt, white stockings, comfortable shoes, and a tiny nurse cap perched neatly atop your head.

you even borrowed chopper's toy stethoscope.

"…perfect."

────────────

sanji was humming quietly while chopping vegetables when he heard the kitchen door creak open.

"welcome, my de…"

his sentence died.

knife frozen midair.

eyes wide.

you smiled sweetly.

"good afternoon."

he blinked once.

twice.

"…doctor?" he whispered.

you shook your head.

"close."

you adjusted the tiny nurse cap.

"nurse."

his cigarette slipped right out of his mouth.

"CHOPPER!"

the reindeer poked his head inside.

"what?"

sanji pointed at you with a trembling finger.

"i've gone delirious."

chopper looked between the two of you.

"…no, that's just __."

"…she's dressed as a nurse."

sanji dramatically clutched his chest.

"i'm in love again."

────────────

you walked closer with your toy clipboard.

"i'm here for today's checkup."

he obediently stood there.

not because he believed you.

because he physically couldn't refuse you.

"first symptom…"

you pretended to scribble.

"patient refuses to rest."

"…"

"second symptom…"

another fake note.

"persistent coughing."

"…"

"third symptom…"

you leaned forward.

"terminal stubbornness."

sanji gave you the saddest puppy eyes imaginable.

"nurse…"

"yes?"

"…please don't scold me."

"too late."

before he could protest, you gently pressed the toy stethoscope against his chest.

he completely stopped functioning.

"…heartbeat's pretty fast."

he made the mistake of looking directly into your eyes.

"…that's because…"

he swallowed.

"…because…"

"…?"

"…the patient's condition has worsened."

you couldn't help giggling.

"really?"

"yes."

"what condition?"

"…being hopelessly in love."

you stared.

he stared.

then he turned bright red.

before sanji could combust from embarrassment, you reached up and lightly pressed the back of your hand against his forehead.

"…still warm."

"it's nothing."

"sanji."

"really."

"sanji."

"…okay maybe it's… a little something."

"exactly."

you folded your arms.

"doctor's orders."

"you're not the doctor."

"fine."

you smiled.

"nurse's orders."

"…"

"…that's somehow even stronger."

you confiscated his cigarette.

his lighter.

his apron.

and finally—

his cooking spoon.

"hey!"

"bed."

"but dinner—"

"i'll help."

"you don't have to."

"bed."

"…"

he looked toward the ceiling as if asking the heavens for strength.

"…yes, nurse."

────────────

an hour later, you arrived carrying a tray.

warm soup.

tea.

medicine.

sanji stared at it before looking back at you.

"…you made all this?"

"with a little help."

"…"

his expression softened immediately.

"…thank you."

you smiled.

"good patients get dessert."

"…i'm a good patient?"

"today."

he laughed quietly.

"guess i'll have to stay sick forever."

you gently flicked his forehead.

"don't even joke about that."

"…right."

his smile grew softer.

"then… maybe i'll just let you take care of me every once in a while."

"…only if you promise to actually listen."

he nodded immediately.

"anything nurse says."

from the doorway, nami peeked inside before snickering.

"well…"

she nudged robin beside her.

"looks like the costume worked better than expected."

robin smiled knowingly.

"indeed."

inside the infirmary, sanji happily accepted his medicine without a single complaint.

perhaps the greatest miracle of all wasn't chopper's medical knowledge.

it was you in a tiny nurse cap telling one impossibly stubborn cook to finally get some rest.

𝔱𝔯𝔞𝔣𝔞𝔩𝔤𝔞𝔯 𝔩𝔞𝔴

the polar tang was unusually quiet.

which meant one thing.

captain was buried somewhere beneath a mountain of paperwork.

again.

you leaned against the infirmary door, watching him scribble across page after page without even lifting his head.

"...captain."

"busy."

"you didn't even look at me."

"don't need to."

"your footsteps are recognizable."

you huffed.

"that's no fun."

"i'm not here to entertain you."

he turned another page.

"come back in thirty minutes."

you smiled to yourself.

we'll see about that.

────────────

it had started as a joke.

you had found an old comic book featuring germa 66, and the crew had somehow spiraled into arguing over which character fit everyone best.

penguin had immediately pointed at you.

"poison pink."

shachi nodded enthusiastically.

"definitely."

you laughed it off...

until bepo somehow found a tailor willing to recreate the outfit.

it wasn't the exact battle suit.

instead, it was softened into something wearable. the pink-and-white bodysuit was layered beneath a cropped jacket, matching gloves, and boots, complete with the purple butterfly cape that swayed behind you. the head accessory had been replaced with a simple pink hair clip shaped like tiny wings.

it was cute.

dramatic.

and just embarrassing enough to wear solely because you knew one particular surgeon would hate how much it distracted him.

────────────

you quietly stepped into the infirmary.

law didn't look up.

"i said thirty..."

his voice stopped.

silence.

you watched his pen hover above the paper.

"..."

"...captain?"

he slowly raised his eyes.

they met yours.

then the outfit.

then the cape.

another long silence.

finally...

"...seriously?"

you spun once.

"what do you think?"

"..."

"...who convinced you to wear that?"

"everyone."

"...i'm blaming shachi."

"it was actually penguin."

"...i'm blaming him too."

you walked closer.

the cape fluttered behind you.

law carefully placed his pen down.

"...is it that bad?"

"...no."

"...that's the problem."

you blinked.

"what?"

he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"...it suits you."

"..."

"...too well."

you grinned triumphantly.

"i knew it."

"don't get cocky."

you leaned forward over his desk.

"does captain law have a weakness?"

"no."

"really?"

"yes."

"not even a little?"

"...you're currently standing in it."

you laughed.

"that's practically a confession."

"...don't push it."

────────────

instead of returning to his paperwork, law found himself staring.

not intentionally.

his eyes would drift back to the ridiculous pink cape every few seconds.

he hated germa.

loathed everything associated with them.

and yet...

you somehow managed to wear something inspired by them without reminding him of any of those unpleasant memories.

instead...

he just saw...

you.

smiling.

trying far too hard not to laugh at his suffering.

"...you're enjoying this."

"a little."

"a little?"

"okay..."

you giggled.

"a lot."

law stood from his chair.

you immediately straightened.

"...captain?"

without saying a word, he walked toward you.

one step.

two.

until there was barely any space between you.

"...are you going to ‘room’ me?"

"...thinking about it."

"that's unfair."

"wearing that was unfair."

you laughed again.

"mission accomplished?"

"...unfortunately."

his hand reached up.

you froze.

instead of flicking your forehead like you expected...

he gently adjusted the tiny wing-shaped hair clip that had become slightly crooked.

"...there."

"...it was bothering you?"

"yes."

"you noticed?"

"...i notice everything."

your cheeks warmed.

"...that's kind of sweet."

"...don't tell the crew."

the infirmary door suddenly burst open.

"captain!"

bepo hurried inside before stopping dead in his tracks.

penguin peeked over his shoulder.

shachi followed.

the three of them slowly looked between you...

and law...

whose hand was still hovering beside your face.

law blinked.

you blinked.

penguin immediately gasped.

"I KNEW THE OUTFIT WOULD WORK!"

law's expression went completely blank.

"...out."

"captain—"

"out."

"but—"

"room."

before anyone could react...

the three troublemakers vanished in blue light.

shambles.

their distant yelling echoed from somewhere deep inside the submarine.

you burst into laughter.

law sighed.

"...children."

"you sent them to the storage room, didn't you?"

"...maybe."

you laughed so hard you had to hold onto his shoulder.

he watched you quietly for a moment.

"...keep the outfit."

"hmm?"

"...it looks nice."

"...you just admitted that."

"...don't make me change my mind."

your grin only widened.

"too late, captain."

law looked away, the faintest hint of pink dusting the tips of his ears.

"...troublesome."

but he never once asked you to take it off.

𝔪𝔬𝔫𝔨𝔢𝔶 𝔡. 𝔩𝔲𝔣𝔣𝔶

the sunny was finally quiet.

which, according to everyone on board, was the calm before a very loud storm.

nami was counting the week's food supply.

"okay... we have enough meat for four days."

sanji sighed in relief.

"good."

chopper smiled.

"that means luffy can't eat everything today!"

"...right?"

everyone slowly turned toward luffy.

he was sitting cross-legged on the lion figurehead, staring dreamily into the ocean.

"...meat. meat.”

sanji immediately pointed.

"see? he's already thinking about it."

you had overheard the conversation.

and unfortunately...

an absolutely terrible idea popped into your head.

"nami."

she looked up from her notebook.

"...yes?"

"can i borrow some cardboard?"

"...why?"

────────────

twenty minutes later...

you emerged from below deck.

wrapped inside a giant handmade meat costume.

it wasn't realistic at all.

it was ridiculous.

a huge brown drumstick with fluffy white "bone" sticking out.

usopp had even painted shiny grill marks across the front.

franky gave it a dramatic thumbs-up.

"super!"

brook laughed so hard his jaw nearly fell off.

"yohohoho!"

robin quietly covered her smile with her hand.

"...this is going to end terribly."

────────────

you waddled across the deck.

walking was...

difficult.

"guys..."

you called.

"how do i look?"

nami doubled over laughing.

"absolutely ridiculous."

"perfect."

luffy finally turned around.

"..."

his eyes landed on you.

they became perfectly round.

"MEAT!!"

everybody screamed.

"NO!"

luffy launched himself across the deck like a cannonball.

you yelped.

"WAIT!"

he was already halfway there.

"I'M HUNGRY!"

"I'M NOT ACTUALLY MEAT!"

"YOU LOOK LIKE MEAT!"

"THAT'S THE PROBLEM!"

you immediately turned and ran.

or...

attempted to.

running inside a giant drumstick costume was less "running" and more aggressively wobbling from side to side.

everyone watched as the world's strangest chase unfolded.

"COME BACK!"

"I'M NOT FOOD!"

"YOU CAN'T FOOL ME!"

"I'M LITERALLY TRYING TO FOOL YOU!"

you darted behind zoro.

"help!"

zoro lazily opened his one eye.

"..."

"...you're on your own."

luffy reached around him.

"meat!"

zoro simply stepped aside.

"traitor!"

────────────

next was sanji.

you hid behind him.

"sanji!"

he looked at your costume.

looked at luffy.

then sighed.

"...captain."

"yeah?"

"...that's your girlfriend."

luffy frowned.

he tilted his head.

"...girlfriend?"

"yes."

"...not meat?"

"...not meat."

"...aw."

his shoulders drooped dramatically.

you finally caught your breath.

"thank goodness..."

"...can i have one bite?"

"NO!"

everyone burst into laughter.

even luffy.

"shishishi!"

he pointed at your costume.

"you really looked tasty!"

you crossed your arms.

"i'm never wearing this again."

"...can i wear it?"

"...what?"

"then i'll be meat!"

"...actually..."

you pictured luffy proudly walking around dressed as a giant steak.

"...yeah."

"REALLY?!"

────────────

ten minutes later...

luffy was happily stomping around the deck wearing the oversized costume.

"LOOK!"

he spread his arms dramatically.

"I'M MEAT!"

chopper clapped.

"you look amazing!"

usopp immediately joined in.

"run! giant meat monster!"

luffy roared dramatically.

"RAAAAH!"

he chased usopp across the deck while making completely unconvincing monster noises.

brook pretended to faint.

franky declared him "super meat."

even zoro cracked a small smile before pretending he hadn't.

𝔯𝔬𝔯𝔬𝔫𝔬𝔞 𝔷𝔬𝔯𝔬

zoro had exactly three hobbies.

training.

sleeping.

getting lost on the way between the two.

so naturally, when you complained that he spent more time with his swords than with you...

his answer was simply,

"...train with me."

"...that's your solution to everything."

"works."

"...you're unbelievable."

that was when usopp made the mistake of saying,

"if you dressed like him, maybe he'd finally notice."

"..."

"..."

"...wait."

---

two hours later, you stood in front of the mirror.

green haramaki around your waist.

a white shirt tucked into black pants.

three toy swords hanging awkwardly from your side.

a tiny black bandana tied around your arm.

you had even borrowed a green wig from brook's collection of disguises.

you stared at yourself.

"...i look ridiculous."

"that's the point!"

usopp gave you a thumbs-up.

---

you found zoro exactly where you expected.

the training deck.

shirtless.

swinging one of his swords with the kind of effortless precision that made every movement look simple.

you quietly walked behind him.

copied his stance.

lifted your plastic sword.

and...

"...hya!"

the toy sword squeaked.

zoro stopped.

without turning around...

"...what."

you blinked.

"...how did you know?"

"your footsteps."

"..."

"...and nobody else squeaks when they swing a sword."

he finally turned around.

silence.

his eye slowly traveled from your head...

to the toy swords...

to the green waistband...

back up again.

"...what exactly am i looking at?"

you proudly puffed out your chest.

"i'm you."

"...no."

"yes."

"...i don't look like that."

"really?"

you dramatically pointed at your waist.

"green."

your swords.

"three."

your fake serious expression.

"...constantly grumpy."

"...i'm not constantly grumpy."

right on cue...

sanji walked onto the deck carrying drinks.

"oi, mosshead."

"...what."

sanji smirked.

"see?"

you pointed triumphantly.

"grumpy."

zoro sighed.

"...idiots."

you gasped dramatically.

"you even called me an idiot."

"...because you are."

"that's exactly what you'd say."

you drew one of the toy swords.

"come on."

"...?"

"spar with me."

"...absolutely not."

"why?"

"because that's made of wood."

"...and?"

"...you'll lose."

you placed a hand over your heart.

"you wound me."

"truth usually does."

instead of giving up...

you copied everything he did.

he stretched.

you stretched.

he rolled his shoulders.

you rolled yours.

he took a drink.

you grabbed a cup too.

he scratched his cheek.

you scratched yours.

finally...

"...are you done?"

"no."

he resumed training.

you followed.

every slash he made...

you copied with your little practice sword.

except...

his movements were graceful.

yours looked like you were trying to swat particularly aggressive mosquitoes.

"...hiya!"

bonk.

your toy sword slipped from your hands.

flew through the air.

and landed directly on luffy's head.

"ow!"

luffy picked it up.

"hey!"

he swung it around happily.

"free sword!"

zoro reached down and picked up your fallen practice sword.

"...come here."

you blinked.

"...what?"

"if you're gonna copy me..."

he handed it back.

"...hold it properly."

your eyes widened.

"...you're actually teaching me?"

"can't have someone embarrassing my fighting style."

you giggled.

"so this is purely for your pride?"

"...mostly."

-

for the next half hour...

he patiently corrected your posture.

"feet wider."

"...like this?"

"a little."

he gently nudged your foot with his own.

"better."

"elbows too stiff."

"i'm trying."

"stop thinking so hard."

"that's easy for you to say."

"don't grip it that tight… you'll tire yourself out."

you loosened your hands.

"...like this?"

"...yeah."

-

after a while...

you actually managed one clean swing.

the wooden sword sliced neatly through the air.

you looked at him excitedly.

"did you see that?!"

the tiniest smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"...not bad."

you gasped.

"...you smiled!”

"...didn't."

"you did."

"didn't."

"i saw it."

"hallucination."

-

later that evening...

nami found the two of you sitting together on the deck.

three toy swords rested beside you.

zoro was half asleep against the railing.

you were absentmindedly polishing one of the fake blades.

she smiled knowingly.

"so?"

"hm?"

"did distracting him work?"

you glanced toward zoro.

he'd fallen asleep sometime during your conversation.

one hand still loosely holding your wrist, as if he'd reached for you without thinking before drifting off.

you smiled to yourself.

"...i think it worked better than i expected."

without opening his eye, zoro mumbled,

"...don't get used to it."

you laughed softly.

"too late."

his grip tightened ever so slightly.

"..."

"...troublesome."

yet he never let go.

𝔠𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔞𝔦𝔫 𝔨𝔬𝔟𝔶

koby prided himself on staying focused.

captain's reports?

finished.

training?

never skipped.

paperwork?

organized by date.

meetings?

always early.

he had spent years building the image of a dependable marine captain.

which was why helmeppo loved trying to ruin it.

"...captain."

koby looked up from his paperwork.

"yes?"

helmeppo grinned.

"y/n said she's got a surprise for you."

"...a surprise?"

"mhm."

"...what kind?"

"..."

"...you'll see."

---

you hadn't meant for it to become this elaborate.

all you wanted was to make koby smile after watching him spend nearly a week buried beneath reports from one mission after another.

the outfit you'd found wasn't flashy.

it was an old-fashioned maid dress with a long black skirt that reached your ankles, puffed sleeves, a crisp white apron, and a neatly tied ribbon at your back. the white headpiece perched perfectly atop your hair, completing the classic look.

it was elegant.

cute.

and just silly enough to make you laugh every time you looked in the mirror.

"..."

"okay..."

you took a deep breath.

"here goes."

---

koby was still reading when someone knocked.

"come in."

the office door opened.

"...captain."

he looked up automatically.

"..."

"..."

his brain completely stopped working.

"..."

"..."

"...good afternoon?"

you smiled innocently, smoothing out your skirt.

"welcome home, captain."

...

his face turned pink almost instantly.

"y-you..."

"..."

"...you look..."

his mouth opened.

closed.

opened again.

"..."

"..."

"...really nice."

you tilted your head.

"that's all?"

his blush somehow deepened.

"I MEAN!"

he stood up so quickly his chair scraped loudly against the floor.

"you look very, very nice!"

"..."

"..."

"...really very nice."

you couldn't help giggling.

"thank you."

---

you walked inside carrying a silver tray.

tea.

cookies.

a tiny flower in a vase.

"i brought refreshments."

"..."

koby stared at the tray.

then at you.

then at the tray again.

"...you didn't have to."

"i wanted to."

"..."

"..."

"...thank you."

his voice had become noticeably quieter.

---

you gently placed the tea on his desk.

"you're working too hard again."

"..."

"...is it that obvious?"

you pointed toward the mountain of papers surrounding him.

"...just a little."

he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

"...i guess i got carried away."

---

"then today's schedule is changing."

"...changing?"

you nodded very seriously.

"as your maid..."

he blinked.

"...your... maid?"

"yes."

"..."

"...i don't think that's how this works."

"it is now."

"..."

"...fair enough."

---

you picked up one of the reports.

"...break time."

"i still have twenty-three left."

"they'll survive."

"..."

"..."

"...probably."

he laughed.

"probably?"

"i'm trying to sound encouraging."

---

the two of you sat together, quietly drinking tea.

for the first time all afternoon...

koby actually relaxed.

his shoulders lowered.

the crease between his brows disappeared.

"..."

"...this is nice."

you smiled.

"see?"

"..."

"...i didn't realize how tired i was."

---

just as you reached for another cookie...

the office door slammed open.

"captain!"

helmeppo walked in.

stopped.

blinked.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...captain?"

koby squeaked.

"Y-YES?"

helmeppo slowly looked toward you.

then back at koby.

"..."

"..."

"...am i interrupting... something?"

"W-WHAT?!"

---

before koby could explain...

another marine peeked inside.

"...captain?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

within seconds...

three.

then five.

then eight marines had somehow gathered outside the office.

all staring.

all completely silent.

"..."

one finally whispered,

"...does captain have a maid?"

---

koby's face became the exact color of a ripe tomato.

"N-NO!"

another marine raised a hand.

"...then why is there..."

he gestured toward you.

"..."

"..."

"...tea?"

you politely smiled.

"captain skipped lunch."

the entire hallway gasped.

one marine wiped away a fake tear.

"she even takes care of him..."

helmeppo dramatically sniffled.

"captain... you've grown up..."

"HELMEPPO!"

---

you laughed so hard you had to hold onto the desk.

koby covered his face with both hands.

"..."

"...i'm transferring."

"captain."

"..."

"...to another ocean."

---

after everyone finally left, the office became quiet again.

you gently nudged his arm.

"...hey."

"..."

he peeked through his fingers.

"...are you okay?"

"..."

"...i don't think i can ever look them in the eye again."

you smiled softly.

"i think they're just happy."

"...happy?"

"they've never seen you smile this much."

"..."

he blinked.

"...i was smiling?"

"the whole time."

"..."

"..."

"...i didn't notice."

you reached over and straightened the slightly crooked collar of his marine coat.

"you're cute when you forget to be so serious."

"..."

his heartbeat practically stumbled.

"..."

"...you always do this."

"do what?"

"distract me."

you grinned.

"did it work?"

he looked at the untouched stack of paperwork.

then at the empty teacups.

then back at you.

a sheepish smile spread across his face.

"..."

"...completely."

before you could tease him again, he shyly reached for your hand beneath the desk.

his fingers brushed against yours.

hesitating for only a moment...

before gently intertwining them.

"..."

"...would..."

he cleared his throat.

"...would the maid be willing to stay a little longer?"

your smile softened.

"only if the captain promises to take breaks."

he nodded immediately.

"...deal."

outside the office, helmeppo quietly peeked through the window.

he grinned to himself before walking away.

"..."

"...mission accomplished.”

“oh, sanji!”

sanji stopped short as he entered the gulley. his blood heated slightly, stopping shortly to compose himself. you were always ransacking his kitchen. using ingredients— too many or too little— mixing spices that should never touch, overcooking oil, undercooking rice.

“good morning, love,” sanji exhaled slowly, adjusting his apron as he eyed you suspiciously.

“how do i know when this is done?”

you pointed sheepishly at the pan in front of you. sanji blinked once, fighting over the wave of hysterics washing through him. you were cooking fish. for breakfast… a specific fish that paired best with white wine and something sweet—

“i think it’s almost too done, love…” sanji kept his expression soft, ignoring the twitch in his eye.

“shit.” you frowned, turning back to look down at your culinary creation.

“that’s alright! don’t worry about it—“

even with the horrors you created in his kitchen, sanji could never be upset with you. you would frown and bite your lip and start overthinking your abilities and sanji folded instantly. he held your elbow and sighed softly, “it’s not beyond saving…” sanji lifted the pan and turned off the stove, “no, this is still edible…” he inhaled slowly, fighting away a gag at the smell of the mixed spices combining in ways that should never exist.

“you think it’s still okay?”

oh, godsdamn him… he could never ever hurt your feelings or disappoint you.

“i…”

white fish for breakfast.

“can you pass me the eggs?”

“the— eggs?” sanji nearly tumbled over at this, feeling his fingers twitch at his sides, “eggs? you’re making eggs? with—“ ah.

“yeah, i was thinking over easy!”

runny eggs with white fish. for breakfast…

no, it was fine–

it was alright—

of course someone who cooked for fun couldn’t know basic rules and flavor pallets—

“my muffins!”

sanji jumped as if he saw a spider, “you made muffins? you—“

sanji looked around quickly, noting the four all over the floor that he had missed earlier. flour on your shirt and pants where you had inevitably wiped your hands—

his eye twitched, jaw ticking—

“yes, chocolate and orange!”

that actually sounded good. however, with your culinary skills—

“oh, they smell divine, mon cherie—“

you opened the oven and smoke curled up like one of sanji’s cigarettes. he blinked once, fighting the urge to light one right then and there. you pulled them out, beaming proudly. they were lumpy and mushy in some spots, crispy in others— definitely not muffin shaped and most definitely missing baking powder and enough butter.

“oh—“ sanji breathed out, looking at them over your shoulder. now that you couldn’t see his face, sanji didn’t bother to hide his horrified expression.

“something smells good!” luffy had stormed through the door, bright eyed and nearly drooling. he looked to sanji expectantly before his eyes locked onto you. there was a slight blush and a moment of hesitation before he straightened again, returning to his grin.

“good morning!” luffy crossed the gulley to you, pulling you in for a suffocating hug before you could prepare for him.

“i made breakfast!”

luffy’s wide eyes flashed to sanji, chin resting on the top of your head where you couldn’t see his momentary panic. sanji swallowed slowly, keeping his jaw tight as he lit a cigarette. he shook his head very subtly and luffy breathed slowly.

“it smells very good… i can’t wait to try it.” he rubbed your back, keeping you tight against him, glancing over at the stove with a timid expression.

sanji had stomped on zoro’s foot and luffy had punched usopp beneath the table when their facial expressions gave away their reactions to you having made breakfast. they looked at sanji helplessly, while sanji just smiled proudly and helped you set the table. his jaw was entirely too clenched for his smile to be convincing, though luffy still just stared at you like you hung the stars.

“i hope it’s good! i tried something new…”

at this, nami lowered her fork immediately and gasped, “i forgot to check something!” she went running out as chopper and usopp watched her go longingly. sanji sat across from zoro and kicked him once again, not about to be part of you being offended or having hurt feelings.

luffy had already cleared his plate, hand on his stomach with a wide smile. he was looking at you, as if he couldn’t possibly be prouder. you blinked once, looking to him expectantly. you tilted your head, hopeful.

“amazing. you’re good at everything you do…”

sanji and zoro gagged down the first bite of muffins, washing it down with water and whatever juice they could find with enough flavor to cover your cooking. the fish was burnt and dry, the eggs were rubbery yet somehow undercooked and the muffins had three different textures in one bite.

you had just opened your mouth to try your own when luffy cleared his throat. he was looking at you softly, eyebrows raised in that way that made him look like a begging puppy. “could i have some more?” you blinked slowly, sanji and zoro’s mouths hanging open. luffy had cleared his plate and everyone else’s, still smiling widely. he was still watching you with that adoring expression and soft smile.

“sanji, i think you’ll need to make more breakfast… i accidentally ate it all.”

sanji, relieved and almost too eager, stood up and adjusted his apron. zoro and robin looked so relieved it was almost comical and you just smiled to yourself, sliding your plate towards luffy, “are you sure? you liked it?”

luffy stood and kissed your head, thumb brushing over your forehead as he did. he smiled against your hair, “i liked it…” because he wouldn’t hurt your feelings. he would eat everything you ever made him just to see that smile. that proud, loving smile like you truly loved making food for him— “i love you.”

you glanced up at him with a soft smile, hand squeezing the hand that wasn’t on your head, “i love you too…” you closed your eyes as he stayed close, picking your plate clean as sanji started the real breakfast. “are you sure you don’t need help?”

“no—“

everyone answered too quickly. sanji glanced up with a soft smile, eyeing you like he was in disbelief, “quite alright, love. i’ve got it this time… it takes both of us to feed our captain, after all. it’s my turn, you just stay put…”

you missed the relief in everyone else and the way sanji was extremely good at turning you down politely without letting you feel the slightest bit of hurt. luffy kissed your head again as he finished the last of the muffins, licking his fingers clean as if he hadn’t just finished the entirety of the worst meal he had ever tasted.

because it had made you smile.

you take a deep breath, humid air filling your lungs. “okay. i like how funny you are. sometimes i think you might genuinely be the funniest person i know. you find humor in things no one else does and you make me laugh even when i want to strangle you. but i think you should know that your pranks aren’t funny in the slightest and you really need to stop messing with ‘gumi and nanami”

“i think my pranks are hilarious” he protests. you hold up a finger to his lips to silence him.

“nope,” you say firmly, though there’s no real heat behind it. “your pranks are cruel and unnecessary. poor megumi just wants to live his life without you constantly trying to give him an aneurysm.”

satoru nips playfully at your finger, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin there. you yank your hand back with a gasp, swatting at his shoulder.

“i retract my previous statement. you’re not funny, you’re annoying” you grumble, though you can’t suppress the smile tugging at your lips. “quit messing around or i’ll go back to reading.”

“noooo,” he whines, “i’ll behave, i promise. cross my heart and hope to die. well, not really die. that wouldn’t be very fun” you glare at him, but you carry on regardless

“another thing i unfortunately like about you is how caring you are,” you hum, “you try — and fail — to hide it but anyone who truly knows you, knows that you’ve got the biggest heart in the universe.”

you shift, getting more comfortable, your fingers tracing the faint scar that starts at his neck and trails down his torso. he tenses slightly but he doesn’t shrink away. “and how selfless you are” you add softly, “the sorcerer killer was an asshole, but you’re still taking care of his kids. you took them in and gave them a home. you didn’t have to do that ‘toru. no one would’ve blamed you if you didn’t.”

you pause, your fingers still tracing his scar, “you could’ve walked away y’know ? after everything. you could’ve left it all behind and no one would’ve been able to stop you. but you put your own feelings aside and you stayed which leads to my favorite thing about you,” you say, and now your voice is barely a whisper. “the thing i love most about you is that you’re strong.”

you hold up a hand before he can make a remark about how that’s kind of his whole deal “and i’m not saying this because you’re the strongest. i’m not talking about your cursed energy or the six eyes or any of that. i mean you’re strong in here.” you reach out and gently tap his chest, right over his heart.

“you’ve been through so much, ‘toru. you carry the weight of this whole world on your shoulders, you’ve seen so much suffering. you’ve lost so many people. and you never, ever let it crush you. you’ve seen the absolute worst of our world, and yet you keep smiling every single day. you choose to find joy even in the darkest moments. and it makes me feel safe, makes me feel like everything might actually be okay.”

you feel your own eyes start to prickle with tears. “and i love you,” you say, the words feeling huge and overwhelming in the small, hot room. “i love you with my whole heart. every part of you.”

for a moment, he’s just staring at you, his expression unreadable. and then you see it. a shimmer in his eyes. a single, perfect tear escapes, tracing a path through the faint sheen of sweat on his cheek. and then he’s wrapping his arms around you, pulling you flush against his chest, and all his weight is pressing into you, pinning you to the old leather couch.

“satoru — get off me — you’re heavy—” you squeal, pushing at his shoulders to no avail. it’s like trying to move a mountain.“it’s like a sauna in here, get off !!!” he’s not listening. he’s burying his face in the crook of your neck, and you can feel the dampness of his tears against your skin as he peppers kisses against your jaw, cheek, and the corner of your mouth.

“i love you,” he’s murmuring between kisses, his voice thick with emotion. “i love you, i love you, i love you.” you’re still squirming, still complaining about the heat and his weight, but your protests are losing their steam. your hands, which were pushing him away, are now pulling him closer. his eyes are shining, and his smile is so wide it looks like it might split his face in half. the summer heat doesn’t seem to matter so much anymore.

I hope it’s nighttime for you too then you could look at the stars too. There are so many above the Sunny. I tried to count how many but I fell asleep halfway so I don’t know. Only woke up now because Zoro’s snoring and I thought another fish jumped on deck.

I’m sad it hadn’t.

Also, Nami wants to know if you have a photo of your house.

It was a strange letter. Not for its length or diction but rather… well, you’d never received a letter from the other Straw Hat Pirates before. Luffy spoke of them enough that the names were no longer unfamiliar and he sent you their wanted posters all the time. (You had been reassured that even though Sanji’s one looked funny, it was mostly accurate).

This though, was the first time you’d received a direct question from one of them instead of him and it was a little strange. Nerve-wracking in a way.

Flattering, too. To know that they knew about you. You hadn’t been sure Luffy would ever mention you to his friends.

I’m sorry I went to bed so early. I would have loved to look at the stars with you. We do have the same nighttime but remember, the day is kind of weird here. The sun never fully sets so I mostly listen to my body, more than the sky.

I’ve sent a photo of the house again but please ignore the wall still being unpainted. I know I said I would do it but I got distracted installing a new bench for visitors. You can see it on the left.

I hope you have a fun day! Try not to fall in the ocean.

They must have been at sea for you to receive such frequent letters. Luffy was quite predictable. If they approached an island, your letters would slow until after they left when you’d receive a flood, telling you about everything that had happened – as though he’d been keeping a list. Those letters would always be thick or multi-paged and sometimes come with coins or shiny rocks he’d found.

For this frequency, they were probably between adventures and you couldn’t help but wonder just what they’d get up to next.

It was exciting enough to linger on your mind even as you finished your breakfast.

And then, behind your sink, you found another one of those little bags with yet another letter in it.

Sorry, that’s not what Nami needed to see. She wants to know about the weather and what the hills look like and stuff but that’s a cool bench.

Also, what if you painted our flag on the wall? It’d look cool! I’ll draw what it looks like for you!

Chopper likes that deer statue thing you have.

At the bottom, a quick sketch of his flag as though you hadn’t seen it blazoned over every newspaper in the sea. You briefly considered doing it too. If only for fun. Nobody else would be likely to see it.

You made your way outside and stood beside the gate, turning slowly until the hills filled the frame instead of the sea, not sure why it mattered but happy to oblige. Maybe they were all just bored. It happened at times.

You took one last look at the sky before uncapping your pen. The clouds were behaving themselves today but there was no guarantee they would continue. They rarely did.

You took an extra photo of your deer lawn ornament with its one broken horn and fading paint before you wrote your response.

The weather here is always strange. I can have rain for days straight and then snow and sunshine within the same hour so it’s hard to show with a picture. It’s a nice day today which is good because I thought I saw a whirlpool opening up yesterday evening and was worried it might bother the gulls nesting on the west side.

But I’m sure you know firsthand how strange the weather can be on the grand line…

You sent it back with a smile and turned back to your front door. That wall was bothering you. Maybe you should get it painted for another photo. It wouldn't match your other walls perfectly. You'd run out of the original coat and never found it again, but it'd be close enough.

You reached into your pocket for the key and pulled out a small jewellery box with earrings still inside.

We get crazy weather all the time but do you really see that stuff on your island too? I thought it was only out on the ocean. Is it cool?

You laughed and hurried to send back your response; you just hoped those earrings were something they’d found and not a pair that belonged to any of his crew members.

A bird landed in the grass and fished out a particularly shiny button. You quickly took a photo right as it took off, smiling at the little snail as he printed it for you. If only that had been a second earlier…

Luffy loved seeing the birds that flew around and you would have attached it to your note without having to wait for him to message first.

It would be alright. He never went long without sending something.

But still, sometimes you wished.

Meanwhile, the Thousand Sunny was sailing along open water, moving toward a log pose while Nami tried to work out a puzzle provided by the most infuriating person who could possibly give information.

She stared at the two photos Luffy had given her and then put them down carefully on the table. The most average-looking climate on an island with just hills. No strange plants or weather patterns or anything like that. The closest she had was that it was apparently an area that could experience whirlpools somewhat near the shore.

How close? How would she know because Luffy’s questions gave her no real answers.

“I’m going to write a list,” Nami said. “And then you can just attach the questions when you send a normal note, okay? And if you ever, ever, use one of my earring boxes to send a letter again, I will throw you overboard.”

He nodded. “That’s fine. I don’t even need to send it. You can do it yourself. She gets plenty of letters.”

“Through the same way you send them?”

“Yeah.”

Robin, sympathetic for their navigator but also highly amused, took one of the photos to examine it in case she recognised anything. The island looked untidy. Footpaths wandered where they pleased, walls disappeared beneath climbing plants and what should have been a garden seemed to blur into scrubland. Even in this photo, she found nothing that stood out aside from a strange hat that looked caught in one of the thorny bushes.

“It’s a nice house,” she admitted though the architecture of it was strange. It leaned slightly and the windows were all different sizes. “Maybe we could look into it from a political view? It might not have a name but maybe whoever’s in charge does?”

“If we get a name, we can look through newspapers and ask others about it,” Sanji mentioned.

Luffy ruined that idea with a shrug. “Nobody’s in charge. She lives there alone.”

“Alone?” Nami repeated.

“Yeah. People visit sometimes but they don’t stay for long so she’s normally by herself.”

Robin considered the size of the island. It wasn’t the best photo but large enough that she'd have expected a small town at least. “Strange,” she said. “So, she clearly wasn’t born there then.”

“Nope. She moved there long ago though. I can’t even remember when.”

Nami grumbled something under her breath and went back to her maps. “I think I just need the name of the closest island and how to sail from there. It’s impossible to not know where the nearest island is. How does she travel?”

“I don’t know.”

“How does she get home?”

Luffy shrugged. “If I ask, she’ll know we’re looking for her. It won’t be a surprise anymore.”

“It won’t be a surprise if we can’t even find it!”

Robin laughed softly to herself and gently opened one of the letters; she brushed sand from the creases as she read over a story about a small tide pool before she closed it again. With Luffy’s permission, she had been going through the letters he had, organising them by the numbers on the back and searching for any information Luffy might have forgotten.

There really wasn’t very much. She’d found three letters referencing a cliff on the island’s west coast and put them aside. Gulls were often spoken about but they didn’t help much because it never mentioned what type they were. Though they nested there so it couldn’t be close to an arctic island.

And she’d found only one that even referenced the devil fruit’s ability at all. An old letter that contained nothing more than information she’d already known.

Your letters are coming through very wet. I’m struggling to read some of them so please try putting them into things.

It didn’t tell her much at all. She kept to the side though – her only reference at the moment that either party writing even knew they were using an unusual method of doing so.

She lifted another pile and immediately spotted one toward the bottom. Written on a thick, almost luxurious paper in comparison to the others, Robin turned it over in her hands to see the number written shakily at the top; scrawled in a way that caused the ink to run.

“Luffy?”

“Yeah?” He turned his head back to her and Robin held up the letter.

“This one’s very different from the rest,” she said. “Is it still okay for me to read it?”

Luffy tilted his head and walked over to the table where she (with Sanji’s very offered assistance) had been methodically detailing them. He grinned when he saw the one she was holding up and nodded.

“Oh those? You can read ‘em but I don’t think there’s anything on them. There should be more than one though.”

Sanji looked over the two bundles at his feet and shook his head. “I don’t have any others like that.”

“Neither do I,” Robin noted.

Luffy reached for it and she handed it over for him to open, reading through what was written before he handed it back with a frown. “That’s the fourth one…” he said. “But I thought I put them all together. I don’t want those to be gone.”

He tapped his chin in thought while Robin turned it over, her curiosity far too strong to feign indifference toward it.

Sanji leaned over and she moved it so he could see.

I think it’s a difficult feeling to explain because it’s not the same for everybody. That’s probably why you think it’s like hunger because food is important to you.

For me… It’s hard to describe accurately. It’s a refreshing feeling that runs through my heart and makes me feel light inside. Like I’ve been stolen by the first summer breeze. But being in love isn’t easy to put into words.

Then again, it’s not hard to imagine somebody could fall in love with you.

Robin reread the letter twice before she looked toward Sanji who was frowning. Interesting… This entire time she had been thinking that the two were just friends but it wasn’t hard to imagine that a friendship for so long could grow into something different.

“What was the rest of the conversation about?” she asked.

“Eh?”

Robin ran her finger over the paper. “Why were you asking her about being in love?”

“Oh, that was about Hammock. There was this newspaper thing talking about how she was in love with me. I didn’t know why they thought that when we’re friends but…”

Boa Hancock’s affection for their captain was hardly hidden but Luffy never seemed that interested in it. Robin considered her captain for a moment before she looked at how shakily the number had been written on the back. Nervously.

“And what about your letter friend?” she said slowly, as gently as she could.

“What do you mean?”

“This one reads rather intimately,” Robin said. “She may appreciate hearing your thoughts about it.”

Sanji shook his head and lit another cigarette. “How you keep managing to sway ladies’ hearts…” he muttered under his breath.

Luffy still wasn’t getting it so Robin sighed.

“She might be in love with you too.”

“Oh,” Luffy said with a shrug. “Yeah, I know that. She says she loves me all the time. Haven’t you found a letter with that yet?”

Robin paused, a faint smile appearing on her face at the information. That certainly changed how she’d been reading most of these letters. “She does?”

“Yup.”

“Do you love her too?”

“Obviously.”

“Have you ever told her it back?”

“Uh… I don’t know. Probably? I don’t remember my letters.”

Sanji was staring blankly at his captain, clearly in mild shock. He looked to Robin for help but she just shrugged, not certain what the relationship was exactly. Then again, it was very possibly Luffy considered all types of love the same.

He was starting to give up looking in favour of watching something out the window and she wanted to get a little more information before she asked more.

“Has she ever sent photos of herself?” Robin asked. “It would be nice to have a face to pair with the name.”

“Yeah, I’ve got photos,” he said. “She has my wanted poster so she sent photos back. They’re really old though.”

His stomach growled and Robin hoped she could keep a little part of the captain’s attention before his appetite demanded all his thoughts.

“Perhaps you can show us? If she’s identifiable enough, we might be able to narrow it down to a region.”

“I guess. I don’t know where they are though. I lost them ages ago. They’re not that important.”

Sanji gave Luffy a look that threatened his portion of dinner. “If a woman has graced you with a photo of herself, you should treasure it far more than that. Why, if Robin-chan gifted me an image, I would never let it get lost.”

“Why does it matter? I can just ask her to send more.”

Robin laughed softly. She should have expected that. “Some women might find it a little rude if you don’t keep things they send to you.”

Which, naturally, meant that you came across a soaking letter in the dirt while you watered your herb garden; paint taken out for the wall but remaining unopened beside it. It was wrapped around a shoe and you sighed, hoping it hadn’t gotten too damaged to read. A small bug crawled over the surface and you pushed it away before you gingerly unrolled the fragile paper.

Would you be upset if I lost the photos you sent me?

It was a strange question. Weird enough that you frowned at it for a short while as you considered the best way to respond. You’d never even thought about it before…

You hung the letter over the bench to dry, with some rocks in case the wind picked up, and sat on next to it. The notepad and pen you’d taken to carrying around once again came in handy as you wrote out the obvious answer.

No. I sent those photos for you to have them. You don’t have to keep them for eternity.

If you ever want more, I’ll send some.

Like this little bird I saw in my garden earlier. I’ve been finding more buttons than ever lately and I think he’s enjoying it.

You rolled both up and tied them to the dripping shoe before you sent them off. The smudge of sea water on your fingers sapped some of your energy and you breathed out, relaxing into the bench for a while. Maybe you should have asked why he was worried.

But if it was important, he probably would have told you.

You didn’t pick up your watering can again. Instead, you made your way down the hill from your house, stepped over a discarded threadbare coat in front of your gate, and picked up an apple from a sack that lay against a stone.

Waves lapped endlessly at the shoreline as you approached; a steady thrum that gave music to the persistent fog on the horizon.

Ships passed now and then, little more than dark shapes moving through the mist. Most vanished before you had time to wonder who sailed aboard them. Once, only once, one had caught the light just right. Gold had flashed through the fog like sunlight striking polished metal and for one impossible moment you'd seen the lion's mane upon its bow before the mist swallowed it again.

You sank down to sit and took a bite of the apple. You knew you probably shouldn’t spend too much of your day watching but sometimes, you couldn’t help yourself.

Something fluttered against a nearby piece of driftwood and you leaned over to pick the paper bag up. The letter inside was drier, shoved in what looked like it had once been used to bring food from the market.

Oh, okay. That’s good.

Nami has a whole bunch of questions she wants to ask you by the way. She’s writing this list so look out for her letter. But don’t send any more photos of you yet! I want it to be a surprise!

I’ve seen those birds before at one of the islands we stopped at! They tasted really good but Sanji says you mustn’t try to make it unless you know how to do it. So maybe catch one then send it here. Then he’ll cook it and I’ll give it back!

Actually, send two. I want one too!

Maybe more if you can.

Also, Robin says I should tell you that I love you back. So, I love you!

You smiled down at the letter; melancholy lifting from your chest as you went over the last few words a few times. Sometimes, you could swear you heard how he laughed when he wrote these to you.

Why would Robin want him to say that? Had they been talking about it?

You were excited though, to receive a letter from another one of the Straw Hat Pirates. Nami’s list would be interesting.

You’d just have to make sure her letter didn’t end up stuffed into the half-rotting pile that had once been a mailbox.

Tag List: @xcarrotxs-blog ; @shijm420 ; @adetolasblog ; @chocolateshortcakesblog ; @miwn8 ; @aceincase

A salt-filled breeze moved lazily through the patio. Not a cloud in the sky and the refreshing sparkle of the drink in your hand made this almost seem like a normal trip to an island. Almost.

“What… are you two doing?”

You turned your head toward the sidewalk that meandered just on the other side of the restaurant’s half wall. Usopp and Zoro were looking at Luffy’s arm wrapped around you and the drink in your hand.

You smiled and nodded your chin toward the restaurant’s window. “We’re dating. Considering that couples eat free today.”

Usopp looked at the sign and then snorted. “Fair enough. Good food?”

“Great food!” Luffy corrected.

“We just have to keep up the act,” you said with a small smile. “Want to try some of the breadsticks? They’re good.” You offered one to Usopp who snatched it before Luffy could.

“Hey,” your captain complained. “You said they were finished.”

Usopp hopped the wall to take a seat next to you, grabbing Zoro and tugging him over before he could wander off. “Did you apologise to them beforehand for how much they’d be feeding Luffy?”

“I felt bad for a second,” you said. “Then I spoke to some locals and found out this place is a bit of bad news so…”

“Serves them right?” Usopp asked.

“Exactly.”

Zoro dragged over his own seat, slouching into it. “Makes more sense,” he scoffed. “I thought I had missed something.”

“You did!” Luffy said cheerfully. “They already brought the first round.”

“Not what I meant,” he scoffed. “Is there booze?”

Luffy pointed toward the sign with a bone. “Yeah. Couples drink free as part of the plan.”

Zoro looked at you and you shook your head. “Don’t look over here. I’m taken. You can date Usopp.”

He looked to his side then shrugged. “Whatever. As long as I get free drinks.”

“What?!” Usopp squawked.

“We’re dating,” Zoro decided. “Don’t ruin it.”

“Says who?!”

“Whoever’s in charge of booze,” he said, looking back over his chair for the nearest waiter.

“Are we allowed to do this? This feels like the kind of thing people get thrown out for.”

You pressed a hand over your mouth to fight off the laugh at Usopp’s distressed expression, made far worse when Luffy slammed both his palms into the table.

“Yeah! Usopp and Zoro are dating too! That means they’ll bring more! But you guys should sit closer together.”

“No!” Usopp said.

Luffy immediately looked to you for assistance and you shrugged. “They don’t have to. Sometimes people sit further apart but you sitting close is easier than you trying to compliment me.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Captain, give me a compliment.”

“Okay.” He looked at you for a long moment and you nodded. “You’re good at hiding food from me.”

“Yeah, stick to sitting closer,” Zoro said dryly. “Oi!”

The waiter who stepped over was tired enough from Luffy’s appetite that he only took a look at the other unconventional ‘couple’ and sighed, bringing the drinks Zoro wanted with resignation. Them not having to prove it was probably much better for their sanity.

You ended up returning to the Sunny far later that night, cheeks sore from laughing while Usopp firmly dragged a drunk Zoro along. Luffy looked at the two of them and immediately snaked his arm around your waist instead. You sighed and just moved his hand to rest right above your hip.

“More here for actual couples,” you whispered though it didn’t really matter if the restaurant heard you now.

“Oh okay.”

His hand stayed there until you boarded and he eagerly explained the plan to Nami who honestly looked impressed at the lack of money spent. You’d thought that was the end of it, even if his touch still lingered on your side.

But no sooner had you arrived at the next island and hopped off the ship than Luffy’s hand was resting on your hip again.

You looked down at it, noticing Franky’s confusion from next to you.

“And this, captain?”

“We might get more free food,” he said with a grin.

“Luffy,” Nami sighed. “They’re not going to have something like that on every island.”

“You don’t know that,” he said with a broad grin. “It worked great last time and I know what to do now.” He was maintaining the close thing, that was for sure. His body was practically flush to your own.

You took the hand from your hip and laced your fingers through his instead so you were holding hands. “This looks much better,” you promised with a small laugh. “Holding hands is much more common.”

Luffy swung his hand with yours happily. “Alright. Let’s go find somewhere that has food then.”

“Good luck,” Nami said to you and you shrugged.

“Just remember to not run ahead if you want this to work,” you told him. “Or you’re going to pull out my shoulder.”

“Right.”

That island had no restaurants with promotions and no heart-shaped signs in windows. By noon, Luffy had already been distracted by three food stalls, a beetle, and a man balancing knives on his chin.

His hand still stayed locked around yours.

At first, you told yourself it was easier not to mention it. He was following the rules you had given him, after all, and Luffy could be stubborn once he thought he understood something. But when you slowed to look at a row of painted shells, he slowed too. When you stopped, he stopped beside you, fingers warm between yours, patient in a way he almost never was around food.

You looked down at your joined hands and decided, very carefully, not to ask why.

And that just turned into a habit.

On the next two islands you found, no sooner had you made land than your captain’s fingers would be laced with your own. He made no true complaints about following your exploration or helping with the tasks you were given to handle. If you slowed, he matched your pace, exactly like you had asked the first time.

One day, when you found a stall with beautiful jade jewellery, you found his arm move from your hand back to your waist again while you looked, more and more weight pressing onto your side.

“You can go and find food,” you told him, turning over a bracelet between your fingers. “I’m not going to keep you here.”

Luffy made a thoughtful sound and leaned his cheek against your shoulder. Then his arm looped around you twice suddenly.

“I’m good.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” he said. “I’ll wait.”

“Captain.”

“Mm?”

“You’re very close.”

You reminded him as though his arm wasn’t continuing to snake around your entire torso. It wasn’t the first time he’d done this but it was new outside of fights where he used it to move you from danger.

“I know,” he said, seeing no problem with the proximity.

“Alright,” you said, fighting not to laugh. “But it makes it quite hard to look at things.”

“Oh. Okay.”

He unwound himself from you and stood normally at your side, rocking back on his heels with his hands in his pockets. You looked at him for a second longer, smiled, and then went back to considering the jewellery.

It didn’t even take ten seconds before something warm touched your hip and you glanced down to see his arm slowly winding its way around you, as though if he moved carefully enough, you might not notice several feet of rubber.

Luffy started whistling when you tilted your head toward him, eyes fixed very purposefully on the opposite stall.

The old woman behind the jewellery display gave a soft laugh. “That is quite the devoted arm. Very interesting devil fruit power.”

“Eh?” Luffy asked, looking around him.

“Yours,” you clarified, poking his arm that had already wrapped twice around you. “But it really is, isn’t it? I think I’ll take the bracelet, thank you.”

The woman smiled. “Half-price for such a sweet couple,” she said with a small twinkle in her eyes.

“Really? Thank you.”

You paid and Luffy didn’t let go of you when you walked away, still rather curled around you as he laughed.

“See. I told you the couple thing would pay off!”

“You weren’t wrong,” you admitted, smiling at the small bag. “Though, I must say, this is a bit close for a normal couple.”

“You said I should be close.”

“When sitting.”

“Standing and sitting are basically the same.”

You laughed and left it. You certainly weren’t about to admit that you really liked it when he was this close and wrapped around you. It felt wrong to say the pounding in your heart was caused by the press of his chin against your shoulder.

The act continued onto the next island too.

An island where there were no discounts for couples and no heart-shaped signs anywhere. No reason for Luffy to be holding your hand as though the two of you were about to be inspected at any moment.

Yet his fingers were firmly through yours even as the group split and you joined Nami, Robin, and Chopper in walking through a shopping district.

The two women were definitely giving you looks but Chopper mentioned it first after he almost walked between the two of you and got caught on your joined hands.

“Is this still the dating thing?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Luffy said easily. “It works.”

You didn’t really have an answer so you stayed quiet, even when Nami looked over her shoulder, very unimpressed.

“There are no couple promotions here.”

“You don’t know that,” Luffy said. “We found the last one by accident.”

Robin, who honestly looked far too entertained, commented, “You’re very committed to the role of a good boyfriend.”

“I am!” he said brightly.

“He has taken all my lessons to heart,” you admitted with a slight laugh.

He grinned at you and something in your chest did a stupid little flip.

Robin disappeared into a tiny bookshop not long after which meant the rest of your little group settled onto a bench outside to wait. Well, most of you did. Luffy instead chose to drape himself over your shoulders, winding around you like the world’s most enthusiastic backpack. His head rested on your shoulder, hair tickling your face.

“This is boring,” he said into your ear.

“You didn’t have to come,” you reminded him, hoping he didn’t notice the shiver that went through you when he spoke so close.

Nami looked over from the bag of fabric samples she’d been sorting through and then frowned. “You two really don’t need to be so close for this game.”

“Huh?” Luffy asked.

“You’re practically on top of her.”

You lifted one hand in mild protest. “Technically, he’s behind me.”

“You can hold hands again,” Nami said. “That works just as well as… whatever that is.”

“We got food out of it once,” you defended though your heart was pounding. “You never know when it might happen again.”

Chopper frowned up at you. “Why would you get food out of that?”

Luffy, utterly unbothered by the stares he was getting, leaned even more of his weight against you. “Because we’re good at it?”

“Good at what?”

“Dating.”

You made a small sound that was supposed to be a laugh and came out far less convincing when he was so warm against you.

Nami looked at you and you hurried to look away.

He dropped his head back to your shoulder, nose tickling the side of your neck as he sighed. “I’m hungry.”

“Me too,” you said, immediately grateful for the escape route. “Let’s go find somewhere to eat while we wait.”

He was off you so quickly that the sudden lack of warmth almost startled you and you hoped Nami would go back to whatever she had been doing. She wasn’t. She was still staring as though you were losing your mind.

“Can I come with?” Chopper asked.

“Of course.”

The restaurant you found was quiet enough that you could hide your fluster in the dim light. They didn’t offer any couple’s discounts but they had meat enough that Luffy quickly forgot about his acting and set about inhaling the plates.

You helped Chopper guard his meal as you shuffled your own plate closer, waiting for the inevitable.

A hand darted toward your plate and you smacked it lightly without looking. Luffy, entirely undeterred, tried again, this time far too fast for you to stop. So instead, you sighed and reached over to take something from his plate.

He glared at you. “Hey, that’s mine.”

You put it pointedly on your plate. “You started it.”

“But I’m your boyfriend.”

You nearly knocked over your water glass. Chopper frowned up at you and you fought to keep the embarrassment from your cheeks.

“Even then,” you established, trying to regain control of the whole pretend thing. “Couples share. They don’t just rob each other’s plates.”

Luffy huffed and then picked up another piece from his plate and dropped it onto yours with exaggerated slowness. As though it even made a dent in the massive pile he had in front of him. You laughed and leaned over, kissing his cheek before you could think better of it.

“Good boyfriend,” you teased. “Thank you.”

Luffy blinked once.

You realised as you stared at him that that probably was a bit too much. But then he swallowed, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and leaned in to kiss your cheek in return.

“Thank you too.”

And he went back to eating like nothing happened.

Chopper stared at you both for a second. “Is that… part of it?”

You took a very careful sip from your drink and tried to pretend your face wasn’t heating up substantially. “It can be. A dating thank-you thing. Sometimes,” you said, voice slightly too thick.

Unfortunately, it seemed Luffy took that lesson and ran with it.

At breakfast the next day, half of your plate disappeared, only to be replaced with the fruit from his before you could even protest. You sighed and looked at him.

“Captain?”

“Yeah?”

You gestured at your plate and caught his wrist before he could grab from another piece. “Not an invitation,” you corrected. “What was that?”

“Oh right.” And then he leaned over and kissed you on the cheek. “Thank you.”

It flustered you enough that you let go of his wrist and he beamed as though having solved some kind of puzzle.

Sanji, who had been refilling your glass, froze and the water spilled across the rim, splashing across the table and straight into Usopp’s lap.

“Hey! Watch where you’re pouring!” Usopp yelled as he jumped back.

Sanji didn’t respond. The jug was still pouring as he looked between you and Luffy with not a single ounce of comprehension. He opened his mouth as though to ask but before he could, Luffy dropped something onto your plate.

“My turn,” he said, leaning his cheek toward you.

You pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, trying to ignore the eyes all burning holes through your skull. “It’s a way to say thank you,” you said to nobody in particular.

Brook laughed heartily. “A kiss as thanks? How romantic. Though I suppose I would have to receive mine directly on the bone.”

“Nope. They’re our thing,” Luffy said with enough surety that you had to take a second to get your heart rate back to normal.

This fake dating thing was really starting to go a bit far. And then, of course, you ended up making it much worse.

You were in the pantry, trying to reach a jar somebody had shoved onto the highest shelf which was ridiculous considering that half the crew had no real way of getting it. You’d been stretched up onto your toes, reaching desperately for it when a familiar arm stretched past your shoulder.

“Here,” Luffy said.

“Thank you.”

And without thinking, you turned to give him a kiss on the cheek the way he’d apparently taught you to both do now. Only Luffy turned his head at the exact same time.

Your mouth met his. Not his cheek.

For a second, your heart just about stopped.

The jar slipped from your hands and Luffy caught it before it could fall. Your shoulder bumped into the shelf behind you as you stared blankly at him, not certain where to even begin defending that one.

“I…” you trailed off.

The words just weren’t forming in your brain.

“I was going for your cheek,” you finally managed to say.

Luffy nodded thoughtfully. “Yeah.”

“I’m sorry.”

He looked at you then and smiled. “Why? That was fun.” He leaned in and kissed you again, quick and certain. Not long enough for you to move but not short enough for you to pretend it hadn’t happened.

“There,” he said. “Now we’re even.”

You stared at him, finally starting to realise that this might be something you should talk about.

He picked up the jar and twisted the top off with a pop, peering into it curiously. “What’s this for?”

“I forgot,” you said honestly because your memory seemed very caught up on what had just happened.

You should have asked what that meant. You knew you should have. But asking meant giving him the chance to laugh and say it didn’t mean anything at all, and you hated how quickly that thought made your stomach drop.

Things became much harder to explain neatly after that. Because the cheek kisses were a thank you that you’d accidentally taught him but the others were… less easy. Mainly because Luffy seemed to use them for everything.

He’d give you a proper kiss at random points throughout the day. To say good morning. To ask you to move over so he could sit with you. To thank you for moving over so he could sit with you.

It was something you should have stopped. Probably.

Or at least should have admitted that it was a little strange.

Instead, when he leaned in across the breakfast table and kissed you quickly before stealing the last piece of toast from your plate, you only stared at him for a second before saying, “That’s… not a fair trade.”

He grinned with the toast already between his teeth.

The worst part was that you stopped needing a reason too. Once, he leaned over your shoulder to look at the map in your hands, and you kissed his cheek simply because he was there. He grinned for the rest of the afternoon.

So you accepted it as part of whatever game you were playing and every time he did it, it sent your heart into a complete panic. And you found he was weaker to those sorts of kisses too. Especially when you wanted him to do something, there was no easier way.

Which ended up being a problem when you forgot this was far from normal for the others to see.

Luffy had wrapped himself around you with terrifying efficiency. One arm was looped around your waist, the other hooked over your shoulders, and his chin was planted stubbornly beside your head. He was warm and heavy and impossible to move when he decided gravity was somebody else’s problem.

“But it’s my turn to be on watch,” you told him.

His arms wound around you an extra time. “Well, I’m the captain and I think somebody else should do it so you can stay here.”

“That’s not fair,” you said with a small laugh squeezed from your ribs.

“So?”

You tried to pry him off to no avail and Nami had already tried a lecture that went nowhere. And you had no chance of actually beating him in a competition of strength so you relented.

“Okay, okay,” you said. “If you let me go on watch, I’ll buy you whatever food you want the next time we make land.”

“Nope.”

“Captain…”

“What? I want you to stay here.”

He was close enough and you were distracted enough that instinct moved you toward the one thing you knew would work. It was a quick peck, done mainly out of exasperation and because it was the best way to say please.

You just forgot you were very much surrounded by others who didn’t see kissing their captain as an effective way to beg for release.

Sanji dropped a knife from the plates he’d been carrying. It clattered over the floor and stopped alongside Zoro’s foot who kicked it back without looking.

Nami had gone completely still, one hand frozen halfway through sorting a stack of coins. Usopp’s mouth was hanging open and Robin was openly smiling behind her hand. You could have heard a pin drop in the room.

Luffy, apparently caring about none of this, groaned and dropped his head onto your shoulder, his hair tickling your face.

“You can’t do that to get your way,” he complained.

You had an answer but it didn’t really seem to be forming because everybody in the room was staring at you. You hurried to look at him instead as he unfurled his arms from you rapidly.

“Fine,” he huffed. “But only this time. Nami, you can’t put her on night watches anymore. It’s not fair.”

Robin cleared her throat. “So…” she said. “This is new.”

Nami opened her mouth. Then closed it again. And you realised with a very sinking a sinking sense of doom that there wasn’t really any room for misunderstanding that you had, in fact, just kissed Luffy. Very much in front of everyone.

“Habit?” you offered in a very weak defence.

“That’s worse!” Sanji exploded suddenly in a very wounded tone. “I have spent years perfecting the art of romance and he gets kisses out of habit?”

“There is no way this is a game anymore, right?” Nami asked, finally managing to get her voice back. “You two cannot be serious.”

“It’s not that weird,” you defended.

“Yeah,” Luffy agreed and you should have known that he was going to say something slightly worse because he immediately followed with, “But we always do this.”

Brook leaned forward at the table. “All the time, you say?”

“Brook,” you warned.

“It’s normal,” Luffy said and he grabbed your face and kissed you firmly on the mouth. “See?”

Sanji dropped the knife again.

“You picked it up just to drop it?” Zoro asked.

“Shut up!” Sanji snapped though he was staring at you with betrayed horror.

Robin laughed softly. “It’s certainly unusual,” she said. “Sanji feeds all of us without anybody needing to pretend to be a couple.”

Luffy blinked as though that hadn’t even occurred to him. “Yeah, I know. I’m not doing it just for the food though?”

You turned to him, your last defence against this entire thing shattering as you heard him. What did he mean he wasn’t doing this for… The entire time you’d been telling yourself to stop your heart from fluttering as it did and… Your brain wasn’t working.

Zoro scoffed. “Sounds like dating to me.”

“Yup,” Luffy said and you stared at him helplessly.

“We are?”

Nami groaned and just moved all the coins into her bag, sorting forgotten. “You cannot tell me the two of you fake-dated into actually being together. I knew it. I hate that I knew it, but I knew it.”

“Captain,” you said and Luffy looked at you, far too eagerly. You forced yourself to speak before you forgot. “We’re dating?”

“Yeah,” he said, tilting his head to the side. “You didn’t know?”

“No,” you said, softer now. “I thought we were doing the fake dating thing. You never told me it was real now.”

“Right,” Franky said. “Super normal fake dating. You two have been acting like a couple for weeks.”

You gave him a sharp look. “I don’t… I told him to do all those things.”

“Yeah, so we could date better,” Luffy clarified.

And you didn’t really have an answer for that one because the more you were thinking of it, the worse your excuses became.

“We were pretending,” you reiterated. “At first.”

“I stopped pretending ages ago,” he said. “Didn’t you? I mean, there wasn’t free food afterwards.”

You stared at him, realisation creeping up on you with the same heat as the embarrassment crawling over your neck. No, there hadn’t been any free food. Not for weeks. There had just been his hand finding yours every time you stepped onto a new island, his weight against your shoulders while he complained about being bored, his mouth pressed to yours like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“No,” you admitted. “I wasn’t pretending either.”

Then he grinned widely. “Good.”

You laughed before you could stop yourself, helpless and embarrassed and absurdly happy. Around you, the silence finally broke. Usopp made a strangled noise, Sanji said something wounded and dramatic, and Nami dropped her face into her hands. Even Zoro huffed a laugh from his seat.

Luffy only looked at you, still grinning, as though this had all been settled ages ago and he had only been waiting for you to catch up.

Tags: @miwn8 ; @aceincase ; @chaeisrichnow

“H-Hey, Satoru! Wait-wait a sec!” The words spilled from your lips in an unintentional desperate plea, the halls fully swarmed and packed with students squeezing past one another. Dozens of conversations mulled around you, voices mindlessly buzzing and bouncing off the walls as you paced towards the white haired man.

Satoru had been anything but clear as of recently, a new push pull dynamic he’d adopted that had you more confused and thrown off than ever. You thought you were going crazy.

One night he was taking you out, looking at you like you were his dream girl who hung the moon in his sky, and the next he was treating you like some clingy puppy that he had never even asked for in the first place. The hot and coldness of it all had given you whiplash trying to keep up with him.

But of course, of couuurrrse, you believed him when he said it was stress. That finals and exams had him so busy, but of course he liked you! He was just new at this whole communication thing and needed time but please Y/N, I like you so much please im trying.

You believed it all.

After all, why would you not? Especially when Satoru was Satoru and you were you.

Sure, you knew you could be a lot, knew you could have more than afforded to shut up every now and then and not chimed in with your over the top unnecessary eager commentary, but regardless, the point still stood. Satrou Gojo, one of the hottest most pined after frat boys on campus that everyone treated like a myth, like an untouchable legend, talked to you, was nice to you, even took you out and seemed happy to do so.

Maybe for once, the rumors could have been just rumors!

Plus, the last few times you remembered being taken out was high school, and they never showed you much interest past the first date once they learned they couldn't get in your pants. Gojo hadn't even tried!

“Sorry-excuse me,’cuse me, sorr- oops, my bad, imsosorry- Satoru!”

He'd been oddly silent the past few days, completely unresponsive to your texts. But with finals coming up, surely he must've been cramming and just far too busy to respond.

He hadn't sat next to you like usual in lecture, but he showed up late, so maybe he didn't want to bother you?

But he didn't wait for you after either, gone before you could even leave your seat. You couldn't deny how it stung, but always chalked it up to him being too busy or in a rush.

You could visibly see his shoulders tense from behind, the slight tilt of his head as it hung forward in what you could only assume was annoyance, a brief mental preparation to deal with you. A pang bloomed in your chest, unease pulsing through you.

He slowed down just enough for you to catch up, but didn't stop. Slightly out of breath, you fell into step next to him, cheeks flushing and heat creeping up your neck from his clear uneagerness to see or talk to you. You nervously swallowed. He could be intimidating when he wanted to be.

He didn't greet you, didn't look at you, just waited for you to speak.

You awkwardly cleared your throat to speak, a small and meek “hi,” being the only word to squeeze out.

“I’ve got class.” Short, quick, dismissive.

His blunt uninterested response sent doubt pummeling through you, the gifts in your pocket weighing heavier and heavier with the possibility of rejection more realistic than you initially thought.

He would draw you in, perfect words to butter you up and make you feel foolish for ever questioning him, and then he'd get like this. Not mean per se, but just so uninterested in you that you wondered if you had made it all up. You weren't dating (yet? So you were hoping) but he had kissed you on the most recent date. Didn't that mean something?

You'd been so ecstatic afterwards, but with no solid friends on campus, you had no one to tell or squeal to. You carried everything alone, both good and bad. Gojo knew that, the whole frat knew that. It's what made you the perfect choice.

“R-right, yeah! Um- can you stop just for a second- i wanted to-” and he loudly sighed, piercing blue eyes rolling into his head as he stopped to turn to you. He didn't say anything, just stared expectantly at you like you were completely wasting his time. His gaze on you was irritated.

The eye contact had you jittery. Not the usual nerves you'd get when you turned your head just to find him already looking at you, so anxious you’d somehow mess things up with the hottest guy ever, so desperate to be good enough for him. No. It was the on edge, antsy type that had you replaying every dumb thing you've ever said to him, the doubt pooling at the very bottom of your stomach that felt like a heavy black tar. It felt like a test you knew you’d fail when you had studied so hard to do good. You just wanted him to like you the way you liked him, and god, did you fucking like him.

Don't fuck this up, y/n, this is the best thing that has ever happened to you.

Nervously swallowing and cheeks blazing, you gave an uneasy awkward smile before rummaging through your tote bag and pocket, muttering a tiny but sincere “sorry,” when his foot started to impatiently tap against the floor.

A small pit formed in your stomach, feeling slightly mortified and very embarrassed. The feeling was similar to a child showing off their very mediocre work to an overly critical parent.

“Sorry,” you huffed a fake laugh, pulling out the small container from your bag and the keychain from your pocket.

“I-um, I made these for you, since you know, you said you loved cookies, uh on the date, they're um your favorite..” and your words trailed off as you held out the tin, slowly beginning to feel smaller and smaller as he kept his hands by his side, no show of trying to take it from you. A small sticky note on the top read, “Hope you like them! :D <3”

“Oh! A-and, hah, I saw this and, and I thought of you, especially since you said you really, um, really liked that show.” nothing. “J-Just as a um, thank you, for the other night. W-Was a lot, o-of fun.”

You held both hands out, praying he didn't see the slight tremble of your clammy hands holding the items as you stood there feeling like an idiot. The thumping of your heart picked up, eyes looking anywhere but at him, bowing your head just slightly so you wouldn't have to see him look so repulsed by you.

Had you somehow misread everything? Like actually? This entire interaction felt like some humiliation ritual.

“Um, if, if you want, o-of course, no.. no pressure,” You pathetically added, already trying to lessen his blow, already trying to minimize and justify his cold reaction towards you.

He let out a small snicker, hands finally coming up to grab the items from your unsteady hands. You hid the sigh of relief that you wanted to let out, so easy to please and already feeling happy again that he accepted your gifts, as if it was a nuisance for him to do so.

“Wow, thanks. You do too much,” he dully noted, a small closed lip smile gracing his pretty features before he turned on his feet to continue his trek to class.

The comment made you freeze, staring at the spot he stood in, a “thank you?” not even having the chance to leave your tongue. You didn't think he said it with mal intent, but the words ‘too much’ always seemed to find its way back to you.

“Oh wait!” Gojo's voice broke you from your thoughts, and you immediately turned to face him, eyes wide and excited like a dog hearing the word ‘walk.’ Maybe he'd talk to you some more, or want you to walk with him! Or maybe-

“Party this Friday night at the house. You should come by, all my friends will be there.” The words made you deflate. A party… at his frat house… the idea made your stomach twist with nerves. You knew no one, had no friends to go with, and you were absolutely horrified of embarrassing yourself around him- even more- than what you felt like you had already done.

“Oh! Um, haha, I don't think your friends like me- um- very much, haha,” you stated, hand coming up to push your fallen hair behind your ear, a small wince on your face as to not make it a big deal.

His friends, and Gojo at first too, had been relatively mean to you starting off, relentless teasing about your looks, your interests, hobbies, lack of knowledge you had despite trying so hard. You had been so caught off guard when he told you he liked you.

“Psh, they're just playing! See you at 10pm,” he yelled back, already walking away, arm coming up to carelessly wave. You sighed to yourself. You knew you would go. You really wanted to see gojo.

Friday night was a mess. A good mess at first, at least. Cars parked up and down the street, people packed in like sardines in and outside the house, music so loud all the neighboring dorms and frats could hear, and god did it reek like sweat and musk.

The two shots - okay maybe three - you took right before for liquid courage seemed to do the exact opposite as you maneuvered around a couple making out, small “excuse me’s” falling from your lips every second in a measly attempt to find gojo.

The small revealing outfit you had on, at least, seemed to match the vibe, relieved when you saw girls wearing far less. The only con was that your favorite knee high boots would most definitely get stepped on, but at least you were taller now as you searched for the stark white tufts of hair.

The house thrummed from the vibration of the speakers, bass so heavy your teeth rattled. It was dark, the only light illuminating the rooms were colorful shades of blues, purples, reds, and greens shining and flashing everywhere. The party felt like everything you weren't, but for a split second you were almost proud of yourself, going so far out of your comfort zone it felt like you were on a whole other planet. You imagined how fun these parties could be if you had any friends, and before you could let the thought get you down, you let your tipsy self imagine what it would be like to experience these with gojo by your side, excited that you were about to.

Like the rest of the house, the kitchen was packed. Unable to find Gojo had you seeking out another drink and the multitude of bottles of liquor that covered the surfaces were calling your name. You felt confident, wanting another drink to keep your courage and vibes up, grabbing a red solo cup and creating a concoction that would be far too strong, but you were here to let loose right? You were at a party!

Further encouraged and emboldened when a girl passing by stopped to compliment you, you smiled to yourself, feeling the tension roll off your back and a new found self-assurance bloom within you.

Bodies flowed and worked around you, not shoving into you or looking at you like you didn't belong, but moved in rhythm near you, like you had every right to be there and fit just fine. You relaxed into the music, earlier shots of vodka giving you a nice buzz that warmed your skin, made your cheeks tingle, and more importantly a soft happiness that weighed in your chest that comforted you like a safety blanket. Pouring the liquor into the cup with a mixer that admittedly was way too little, you knocked over a different cup, relieved there was barely any liquid that spilled over.

Quietly giggling to yourself, you spun to grab a roll of paper towels, quickly drying up the small mess you made, already sipping on your drink that made you wince in disgust. It was perfect. You hummed along to the music, hips swaying while lights blinded you, walking over to the metal garbage can to toss the wet material. Looking inside, you couldn't help but notice the tupperware that looked exactly like yours.

Furrowing your eyebrows, you leaned in a little closer, tiny fractures cutting into your heart as you realized it was yours, still packed to the brim with your cookies, sticky note still stuck to the top. Next to the cookies, the keychain you had bought him.

You froze, just a moment before scooting back, not wanting to get caught staring into the trashcan as you processed everything. There was a dull ache in your chest, energy immediately depleting and inklings of shame and embarrassment circulating through you. Your mind worked through the different possibilities, seeking out any excuse or reason as to why your items now lay forgotten in the trash.

You felt the build up of tears, blinking them back with a shaky breath as you chugged your mixture that was mainly liquor, a hopeless attempt at suppressing the sadness you felt. You shivered, turning your head to gag at the disgusting taste. Surely all the alcohol would calm your nerves.

Maybe one of the guys had done it? And not Gojo? You were positive this was all some sort of misunderstanding, no way he would just do that right? He told you he liked you- it wouldn't make any sense.

You began your trek around the sea of people, legs a little more unsteady now, eyes slightly glassy, contents of your stomach filled with a majority of alcohol and barely any food from your earlier nerves. All you wanted to do was find him, figure out an explanation that you were positive you'd be more than willing to accept, and spend the rest of the night by his side having a good time. The cookies weren't hard to bake and it's not like the keychain cost that much- it was fine, you were fine.

A little more intense this time, you made your way through the frat house, a sigh of relief when a glimpse of that notorious white fluffy hair came into view, a black backwards baseball cap sitting perfectly on his head. When your eyes finally landed on gojo, albeit still a little wobbly and throat tight, you couldn't help the smile that automatically formed on your face, hoping he'd feel the same. Why wouldn't he? He did invite you after all.

He was surrounded by his friends and then some, everyone dialed in on what he was saying. You anxiously stepped forward, waiting for the right time to get close to him and say hello. You wondered if he'd hug you and say ‘hi baby,’ like he sometimes did. The thought made your heart flutter inside its ribs like a bird in a cage.

Maybe he'd even compliment your outfit, or your hair and makeup. You eagerly bit your lip, too excited to be embarrassed at your spiraling thoughts of being somewhat wanted by him.

“Bro and then she gave me a fuck ass keychain, dude!!” he broke up his commentary with a laugh, a little too forced for it to be genuine, but a laugh nonetheless. “Said it reminded her of me, like, she just can't get any weirder bro. God and don't get me started on the cookies. She said it was her thanks for taking her out, but she doesnt know its all a bet to get into her pants- shes a fucking virgin for sureeee, threw that shit out as soon as i got back,” and he snickered and grinned like he had won the best prize. Like he had formed the best, most elaborate plan and you had played your part perfectly. You really, really had.

His friends, who you recognized as toji and maybe sukuna, chuckled, all chiming in with terms of agreement and encouragement, adding on all sorts of lies and theories about you, like maybe you were secretly a whore putting out, your innocent act a devious little facade. Geto, who had always been kind to you, was there too, perched against the side of a couch, not joining in, but silent and accepting.

You flinched, physically recoiling back when you heard them laugh about how you were too much, too pathetic to see right through anything at all, a fucking stupid girl for thinking someone like you could have a chance at him. Everything you had told yourself, every insecurity that had coursed through you, all confirmed. Others really did view you the way you saw yourself.

“Bro and when I kissed her, swear i almost gagged-”

You drowned his voice out, the music. There was a ringing in your ears that wasn't there before. Frozen in your spot, fingers beginning to shake, throat burning so badly you weren't sure if the alcohol you had downed was about to make a surprise appearance or not.

The bodies around you blurred as the pit in your stomach grew, humiliation washing over you as if you’d just been doused with a bucket full of ice water. You didn't run, couldn't, feet glued to the floor as you were forced to listen to the group of the hottest guys on campus who didn't even know you as a person, didn't take the time to learn you, ridicule you and make fun of you. You guessed it didn't matter, because Gojo had.

Each breath was labored and jagged, chest tightening and skin prickling with such an intense heat that you felt constricted in the already sparse clothes you wore. The way the fabric dug into you, a certain stitch that scratched you, the zipper that rubbed against your skin - it felt like you were suddenly aware of every unpleasant feeling in addition to the shattering of your heart.

You wanted to go home, wanted the floor to swallow you whole- felt so unbelievably silly standing there watching the guy you liked- fuck, the guy you had fallen in love with- paint you out to be some weird nasty creature who was undeserving of his attention. Sure, you had felt that way initially, but he had been so kind to you that you had been so blindsided, unknowingly setting yourself up to fall right back into your constant cycle of heartbreak and misery.

Built up tears finally broke the surface, some beginning to stream down your face and others just dropping from the sheer amount that had welled up. It wasn't until gojo turned his head, eyes landing directly on you and smile completely dropping that your legs became unstuck.

Your breath hitched, crackling sob breaking through as your saliva grew sticky. The extra drinks sure to make you vomit after this. You spun so fast you lost balance for a split second on your heels, immediately righting yourself and pushing through the sweaty bodies blocking you in. You didn't say sorry or excuse me, just pummeled through, desperate to get outside so that maybe you could finally breathe. You felt like a pig in makeup, and the thought made you cry harder. So beyond embarrassed, having dressed up and done your hair and makeup, mortified that everyone else thought you looked just as ugly and silly. You had to get out of here, the air was too thick and stuffy as the walls closed in on you.

Your name fell on deaf ears, sprinting out the front door and down the porch steps, surroundings a blur from not only how fast you were moving, but the alcohol that coursed through you. You knew the gifts were stupid, sure, but everything else? The kiss? He wanted to gag? All the times he called you pretty, beautiful, yes, it was more than plausible that it was a lie, but why did he say it all then? That's right, because you were supposedly just a fucking bet.

Who would willingly want to be with you?

Gojo called your name again, louder. You weren't the only one sick to your stomach. He cursed, heart dropping to his ass as the overwhelming suffocating feeling of guilt bloomed inside of his chest, heart quite literally constricting at how shitty, how fucking disgusting, he felt. It spread throughout him and he would've thought it was dramatic if it didn't feel like he could currently drop to his knees and heave. The entire situation was beyond fucked up, everything a misunderstanding and completely not at the same time.

“Fuck fuck fuck,” he repeated, hoarse and panicked as he immediately trailed after you, abruptly leaving the conversation mid sentence, not caring how he looked when all the guys stared at him in confusion. He lost sight of you for a moment but knew you'd only try to leave, escape the perfect hell he had just created for you.

Why the fuck did he do this? How the fuck was he gonna make this up to you, and why had he let himself get involved in this shitty idea anyway? He knew he should've called it off, he knew he had fallen for you.

Muttering insults as hands came out to grab at him, others trying to talk and some pulling him in for a dance. He didn't look, didn't care who they were, practically throwing and shoving their hands off him with only you in mind. He would explain everything to you, lay himself bare and expose the ugliness and insecurities that festered inside of him.

He had been projecting this entire time, exhausted from maintaining such an ugly facade of the frat fuckboy, desperately trying to fit in with everyone else that he stupidly agreed to the bet just to feel some type of belonging and companionship. All at the expense of you.

He didn't think, that was his issue. So caught up in this fake lifestyle that he knew the act wasn't just pretend anymore, his morals slipping by the day as he settled into this new once foreign character. They were all fucking assholes. All of them.

Fingers tightly clenching your almost dead phone, you bawled, frustration making you grit your teeth in additional annoyance when the sidewalk wouldn't stay straight. Accidentally stepping off the concrete, your heel caught on the edge, sending you falling onto all fours on the pavement, too drunk to care about the pain that shot up your wrists and knees. You let out a guttural infuriated noise, a mix between a squeal and growl, feeling so much more than just pissed and heartbroken. You furiously smashed your palm against the concrete as if it held the blame.

“Fuck, hey, shit, are you okay??”

Gojo's palm rested on your back and in the blink of an eye you stumbled up, whipping around to face him seething and disgusted as tears continued to stream down your cheeks.

“Don't fucking touch me,” you spat backing away from him as if he had physically struck you, and at this point you thought you would’ve almost preferred that over the gut wrenching feeling in your chest. There was a physical pain that tore throughout you, your heart feeling like sharp talons had ripped it out and stomped on it like an attempt at snuffing out a flame.

If you had it in you, you would’ve laughed at his expression, so devastated and hurt and torn as if he wasn't the one who caused all this, as if he wasn't the one who could've prevented everything. He had the audacity to stare at you like he was scared of losing you.

“Please, please y/n, i can explain, I am so sorry, please,” and it was as equally pathetic as it was infuriating. gojo pathetically begged, arms awkwardly reaching towards you as if you were the solution.

You paused, tongue loose and words slurred, staring at him bewildered as you threw your palms up. He wasn't who you thought he was. Or maybe he was exactly who everybody said he was and it was your fault for thinking otherwise.

“I thought you liked digimon??”

He swore, hands coming up to drag down his face. You saw. Saw your cookies and the keychain you bought him in the garbage.

“That wasn't me, I swear, please believe me, I swear- I-I got back from class, one of the guys saw and- and started laughing, they took it from me before I could even say anything. They tossed it, and I swear, please believe me, I was gonna grab it after, I-I love Digimon, I loved your gifts, please.”

He was breathless now, a fruitless panicked attempt at defending himself.

You scoffed. “Sure it wasn't too much?”

Gojo winced, hands curling. “I didn't mean it, I didn't mean it like that-” You cut him off, angrily sniffing and wiping your bloody gravel pricked hands against your black mini skirt. God you felt ridiculous.

“Yeah?? Which fucking part??” Your voice raised an octave, almost yelling but you didn't care as passerbyers turned their heads. You spewed the words, moving forward just to angrily shove at his chest, blood smearing his white shirt. Good, you wanted to stain his shit, wipe your blood all over it.

He took advantage of the proximity, quickly but lightly wrapping his large hands around your wrists to keep you close. You screeched, thrashing in his hold, weakly trying to hit him, shove him, and with his loose grip, he let you, your small fists pounding against his hard chest

“Im sorry, Im sorry, Im so fucking sorry, I like you- I like you so fucking much-”

A broken sob escaped you, a mix between a snarl and cry getting stuck in your throat.

“I didn't mean anything I said in there, I loved kissing you, you’re beautiful - fuck, you’re perfect, you’re so fucking perfect and- and you know me, the real me, I feel like I can be myself with you, please please please, im begging you, let me explain everything- from the start.” He was frantic, words rushing out so fast they blended into one. His eyes were glossy and rimmed red and you knew it wasn’t from whatever drugs he had done.

You stilled your hits, pausing in his hold. Rapid breaths mingling, chests quickly falling and rising, faded background music from the frat echoing into the night.

“Please.”

Gojo spoke it like a prayer, voiced with despair and a frenzied anguish that he knew deep down would do nothing. He would continue to beg, to plead with you, to reason, but deep down, he knew. Your chin dropped to your chest helplessly, a small hiccup squeezing itself out as you tried to catch your breath. Your eyes felt swollen from how much you had cried, but you had plenty left.

You could feel gojo guide your palms to rest against his chest, a new set of bloody hand prints against the stark white, heart thumping like he'd just ran a marathon. You slammed your eyes shut, new sobs threatening to break loose, the feeling of wanting to curl up and die had never been more prominent.

“y/n, I'll do anything, please- please, I don't-” and his voice cracked, fingers tightening around your wrists. “I don't want to lose you- Im so, Im so sorry, baby.”

Your breath hitched, lips curling and fingers twisting into his shirt to bunch the fabric beneath your fingers. The agony and discomfort in your chest was painfully overwhelming, silently wishing you'd wake up from this nightmare, wishing you never heard him, trying to wrap your mind around how and why he would do this to you. You’d never understand, would never gain pleasure from hurting anyone, let alone, him.

“What did I ever do to you?”

The words came out small, so small and fractured and so confused, seeking an explanation or reason that could maybe get the two of you past this- that maybe you must've done something to deserve it and the two of you could come back from this, but you knew it was all for nothing. For no reason at all.

Gojo's eyes flashed with guilt, anger, and shame. He wanted to recoil, wanted to throw his head into his hands and sob, but he didn't want to let you go. He knew it would be the last time. Your gaze didn't meet his.

He swallowed, throat stinging and eyes burning. He regretted everything, internally begging to take it all back like some upper power would hear him and turn back time.

“Nothing, you didn't deserve this- you did- did nothing.” The words caught as his voice wavered and you wondered if he was crying. You refused to look at those eyes. His fucking blue perfect eyes that bore into you like you mattered- it was all lies- he had lied to you for months- almost an entire semester. You dug your teeth into your bottom lip, attempting to stifle the wail you wanted to blubber out. It had been months.

Months of getting to know one another, of a build up, of a hope for something more. The silliest stupidest notion that for once someone found you valuable too and it wasn’t one sided.

A shallow gasp, an unintentional whimper, your shoulders shook as you wept.

“I wish I never met you, g-gojo. I would never-” a cry broke your words, tensing up as you angled your head down to hide your uncontrollable tears. He wanted to correct you and tell you to call him satoru or toru, but he stayed silent, let the sting burn. “Never hurt you like this.”

You shakily exhaled, not paying attention to his mindless small whimpers of “I know, I'm so sorry, I know, please.”

You gripped the fabric tighter, lifting your head to finally meet his eyes, hating how he was crying, how he genuinely looked heartbroken at hurting you, how you hated seeing him like this. His chin wobbled, breath coming out in unsteady pants and for once, he didn't look like the notorious frat boy who could conquer anything. He looked small, like a scared little boy.

Unsteady shaky hands lifted to gently cup your cheeks, gojo preparing himself for you to yank away from his touch like it burned. He sniffled when you didn’t, perfect lips shiny and slightly parted as he fully rested them against your soft skin.

“I never want to see you again.”

His composure shattered, immediately shaking his head murmuring “no’s”, thumbs rubbing back and forth over your skin and under your eyes as he repeated the same words over and over again. You pushed him back roughly with all your drunken force, which wasn't much, but enough to send him stumbling backwards to create distance.

He was alarmed, not at what you had done, but at watching you walk away, brain filling with nothing but no no no no no please, please stay, stay with me stay.

“Y/n, no please, baby, baby, y/n, please hear me out- please-” his voice was shredded, raw from drinking and yelling and begging, but he didn’t care. He’d beg and beg until he had no voice left, and when it was gone, he would find another way.

For a moment, you paused, and he thought that maybe, just maybe you would listen. But when you slowly turned to him, looking so fucking beautiful still as street lamps glistened in the reflection of your eyes, cheeks shiny and tinted pink from the tears that painted your cheeks, it all clicked. It was torturous.

“Fuck y/n, please, I-I love you. I’m so,” he swallowed to ease the scratchiness of his throat. It did nothing. “I’m so in love with you,” and he whispered the words, loud enough so you’d hear, but almost as if they weren’t meant for you, as if he was just talking to himself and unintentionally said the realization aloud.

He watched as a lone tear dropped down your cheek and it was cruel. He was cruel, you were cruel. Standing there so perfect and so beautiful while you broke his heart, and it was all his fault since he had done it first. The silence was thick as the two of you stood feet apart, wordlessly staring at each other, letting his words hang in the air. You opened your mouth and shut it, letting the process repeat as you mulled over the words in your head, wishing more than ever he hadn’t said them. Wishing more than ever you didn’t feel the same.

“I’d pick you, over and over again Satoru, every time, in a room full of people. Everyone would,” you huffed a fake laugh, blinking away your tears as you stared into his dumb perfect eyes. “I thought-” your lips quivered, chin wobbling at the humiliating admission. “I thought for once, someone had finally picked me.” The words slowly fell from your lips, laced with what one could only describe as pure heartbreak.

Gojo felt the final blow split his heart, not a clean cut, but a jagged uneven slash that cleaved it in two. He called your name, desperate and all, watching you spin on your heel and angrily walk away, your perfume hitting him as the wind blew.

He stepped forward- yelled your name again. But you didn't turn, didn't peek, didn't flinch as you sobbed, fingers constantly wiping your eyes to see where you were going as you drunkenly walked back to your apartment. Cried for yourself, mourned who you were becoming, who you were becoming with him. You had fallen in love with him too, of course you had. He was so easy to love.