#captain luffy

Romance within the crew won’t end well.

Luffy’s mind relentlessly drifted back to those words over and over again while he waltzed through the bustling village at the new island they stopped by. But it’s not romance if I just care for a Nakama, right?

His carefree whistling causes heads to turn while he copes with his humming to sort out the discording thoughts within him. Something about you hurting your leg that day, about the way you always put his safety before yours, it triggered a protective instinct in him he himself knew was different from the kind he gave to his nakamas.

But he would never show that, no. He knew Zoro was right, deep down. It was taking him apart, acting this way, putting up this front, but he knew.

He sniffs around curiously, nose scrunching a little to catch a whiff of juicy meat around the corner, to which his arm stretches automatically, launching himself in its direction.

His teeth gnash into the meat hungrily, juicy seasoning dripping down his chin as he devours it happily, grinning, finally gaining a moment of reprieve from his tumultuous thoughts of you, his eyes closed as he enjoys his food bought with what little Berry Nami had given him.

You were just around the corner, wearing new black jewelry you’d bought from around the bustling village, limping around in your freshly healed leg. The gleam of your new black accessories were what caught Luffy’s attention, his eyes snapping to your form as you browsed the shops, steps slow and careful as you look around in curiosity.

Immediately, Luffy is before you, meat in hand, looking down at you with his curious childlike expression of confusion.

“I thought I told the others to keep you on the ship, (__).” He blinks, eyes finally trailing down your figure to see the new additions on your form, gaze lingering on the way the black necklace you wore fit snugly around your neck, your pretty little tendons straining softly as you raise your head to look at him.

“Your leg hasn’t fully healed yet.” His eyes wander to your leg you’d been limping a little with.

“Oh, is that why they tried so hard to convince me not to come?” Used to his sudden appearances, you muse nonchalantly, tilting your head in thought, not catching the way Luffy’s gaze wandered over you, your own gaze fixed on the meaty juices that ran down his chin, heart fluttering beneath your cool demeanor. “You should’ve known I’d find a way out, Captain.”

You’d easily slipped out the Merry while the others went out for some fun when Zoro had fallen asleep as usual while guarding on the ship.

Luffy frowns a little, his gaze snapping back to your eyes, pouting in that cute, innocent manner of his. “Chopper made it clear not to let you strain your leg.” He drops down to a squat, eyes popping out the sockets comically as he peers at your nearly-healed leg, frowning. “It’s not fully healed yet.”

You cant hold back a slight huff of amusement watching him, and can’t help but squat down before him as well, peering into his deep brown eyes as you restrain your heart from fluttering too much at the proximity of him, to the point his sea-scent was wafting all over you again.

“If I could walk all the way here, I’d say I’ve healed quite well, Captain.” You say coolly, watching him closely.

Luffy, however, leaned even closer, scrutinizing your expression in concentration to detect any lies, teeth ripping out a large piece of meat from the bone in his hand, munching on it thoughtfully, his tongue flying out to slurp at the residue juice on his lips.

“Yet I’m sure Chopper said not to strain yourself...” He mumbles thoughtfully, voice low and protective, and his eyes flash softly when your cheeks flush with heat, mistaking it for your discomfort. Suddenly he seems to realize just how close he was to you, how the only thing between you both was the bone of meat in his hands, and he can’t stop the words that rang in his mind for the umpteenth time: Romance within the crew won’t end well.

Quickly, he shakes his head, the juices of his meat mixed with his hungry drool sloppily flying around adorably as he abruptly stands up, risking a large hand to pull you up with him, rough rubber fingers wrapping around your smaller one firmly and gently, muscles flexing as he tugs your body effortlessly off the ground to press right against him.

You’re used to this; his firm grabbing but gentle touches he seemed to offer to everyone in your own delusion. So when he suddenly steps back, his hand slipping off yours the moment you’re steady on your feet, and his body blatantly kept a foot’s distance from you, your mind flashes immediately with an automatic warning light.

Was he … avoiding you right now?

“Let’s go back to the Merry, (__).” Luffy’s words are slightly strained as he blinks at you, gnashing his teeth into the meat once more. “Captain’s orders.” He adds casually through a mouthful of meat.

You sigh, recognizing that protective tone once again, barely registering your inner annoyance with it with the way he was acting right now. You take a step towards him, your expression giving away nothing, cool and nonchalant.

“I don’t want to.”

“I said, Captain’s orders, (__).” Luffy takes a step back, munching softly, casually watching you between bites.

“I said I don’t want to.” You step forward, not missing the way his tongue licked where the juices dripped off the meat, cheeks flushing with heat again despite your nonchalant expression.

“You’re still hurt, (__).” Luffy’s voice grows a little low and raspy when he starts to get a little serious. He takes yet another step back.

You frown. What’s he trying to do? Why’s he running away? His words are contradicting his actions. Take you back to the Merry? Shouldn’t his rubber arms be wrapped securely around your waist, picking you up and pressing you against his body protectively to Gum-Gum fly you both back to the Merry? Your steps grow pushy as you back him up against a wall, chin tilted up in soft distaste as you watch him calmly.

Luffy’s eyes don’t waver from yours, licking his lips casually, the bustle and rush of the villagers granting you both some semblance of anonymity amongst the crowds of people.

“What are you in such a hurry for, Captain?” You ask lowly, eye squinting just a bit in irritation at his avoidance of your presence until you’d forced yourself on him.

Luffy just feigns ignorance, peering down at you slowly.

“To get you back to the Merry.” You don’t notice the way his fingers twitch softly at his sides, tapping restlessly against the stone walls of the village, the other hand gripping the bone meat tighter.

“Yeah? Well, I’m not going anywhere unless you force me to.” You reply boldly, no nuance in your words, just a pure, blatant challenge. “I’m not so weak that a mere leg injury will hold me back from having fun on a new island.” You don’t understand what made you behave this way, pressing into his body even more. You just didn’t understand why he was running away from you all of a sudden, when usually you’re the most coolheaded, nonchalant baddie on the ship.

Luffy finally grits his teeth at your dismissive words, lowering his gaze. His free hand clenches stiffly at his side when you press further onto him. “You’re still hurt, (__).” His tone is warning now. He seemed to be either extremely fixated on getting you back to resting your leg, or he was restraining himself; something you couldn’t grasp just yet.

“Then you’ll have to force me, Captain.” You reply casually, unbothered, as you push down the fluttering in your chest at the way he was gazing down at you, and the way his heat left your form as you stepped away with a stride. You spin on your heel to saunter away rebelliously, your cool demeanor cracking only with the slight limp in your leg. Your heart clenched painfully at the thought of Luffy losing his touchiness with you; it was the only way you could cope with knowing the fact he’d never be yours as long as he was your Captain. You knew you were being stubborn, and your leg really was beginning to ache from strain despite the days of recovery. Though you’d never expected the voice of a familiar gentleman calling out your name lovingly, causing your head to turn quickly to the voice, seeing Sanji’s heart eyes popping out comically, the sudden movement pushing you off balance, you limping leg tripping over yourself clumsily, as you begin to fall forwards, completely caught off-guard amidst the banter with Luffy and Sanji’s sudden appearance.

“(__)-swaaannnn~~!!”

Familiar rubber hands, roughly calloused but gentle, ghost over your midrift like a wandering breeze before you feel more skilled digits grasping your waist reverently; Sanji.

“Caught you, love.” Sanji’s smooth voice rolls off near your ear, his gentlemanly charm emanating as you’re lifted back upright with a tug of his arms, scarred fingers firm on your waist to keep you steady on your feet. Your head turns to see him grinning down at you with his cigarette hanging out his lips casually.

“Ah, Sanji. Thank you.” You straighten yourself quickly, frowning softly in slight confusion at the ghosting feeling of rubber hands right before Sanji’s scarred fingers, while Luffy is right by your side again, devoid of any of the avoidance he performed earlier.

“Luffy, why didn’t you catch her?” Sanji scolds comically, his hand tightening protectively on your waist, forwning at Luffy in disapproval. “She was about to fall! Her leg isn’t fully healed yet.”

“That’s why we need to get her back to the Merry.” Luffy comments agreeably, completely ignoring his scolding. Though his eyes, dark and steady, were rather focused on Sanji’s fingers gripping at your supple flesh at your waist, digging into you gently while you steadied yourself, finally letting go the moment you brush it off you nonchalantly.

“I said I wanted to stay for a while longer exploring the island, Captain.” You say sternly, brushing you clothes down a little, watching him steadily.

“I’m not going anywhere unless you force me.” You say again with slight annoyance. You realized that breeze was him, coming to help save you from your little clumsy moment, but you realized he had instead retracted his hand, allowing Sanji to hold you instead. He really was avoiding you. Did you do something wrong? You can’t help but think negatively, immediately masking your uneasiness with that usual cold snarky attitude of yours to cover your internal turmoil.

Luffy watches you with stern, dark eyes, his body unconsciously shifting closer to you, but Sanji doesn’t have whatever conflict is brewing within Luffy, stepping forwards and reaching down, his arms scooping you into his chest bridal style, your feet sweeping off the feet smoothly, as he grins down at you with heart eyes.

“I’ll take you back then, (__)-swannn~.” He grips you close to him, eyes glued to you, unaware of the smoldering gaze Luffy gave him, his hands clenching his jaw and his fists, an expression of pure serious coldness emanating off in an intimidating aura all of the sudden at seeing Sanji’s hands on you.

“Put her down, Sanji.” Luffy’s voice cuts through the air.

Sanji quirks a curled brow. What’s this? He observes Luffy’s gaze a moment. Protective? No. At this point, it’s rather possessive. He can’t believe it, his goofy, charming childlike captain could have a gaze like this?

Sanji smirks. “Come get her then.”

Luffy’s eyes flash with something you couldn’t recognize, your eyes following his movements as Sanji rushes off with you in his arms, Luffy right on his tail. You couldn’t understand it. He was so against touching you just moments ago, he wouldn’t even hold you, he wouldn’t even let you get too close. So what is this burning look he’s giving Sanji and you, this heart-wrenching expression of need and desire, your insides pooling with heat at the confusion and utter disbelief of such an expression on your Captain’s beautiful face. You’re flushing with heat, unabel to take your eyes off of his gaze as Sanji chuckles heartily at the new revelation, using his powerful legs to jump from roof to roof, while Luffy chases after, limbs stretching effortlessly to grab onto roof corners and launch himself at the two of you, his jaw clenched tight around the juicy piece of meat he has yet to finish, gaze hardened on you, your hands helplessly clinging onto Sanji’s neck for support, in a vulnerable state with your injured leg, your fingers sliding into his blond hair.

You didn’t want to feel so flustered anymore. You can’t look away from his dark gaze, it’s making you so uncharacteristically nervous you just want Sanji to put you down already, so that Luffy would stop looking at you with those eyes. So you do the only thing you think will make Sanji stop.

“Sanji, you make me feel like a princess, running away with me in your arms like this.” You say into his ear, hugging yourself closer to him to lean up to his ear, eyes fixed on Luffy’s, neither of you able to tear your gazes away, oblivious to the other’s inner turmoil.

And while Sanji freezes on the top of a roof, his feet skidding to a halt, mouth agape in shock, hearts pouring out of his eyes and his entire being, cigarette dropping out his gaping mouth, Luffy’s eyes widen hearing your words. Yes. He heard them.

And then you scream.

Hair flying behind you when you’re entire body is smoothly snatched out of Sanji’s arms, and all you can see for a moment is the shocked faces of the villagers looking up into the air, your eyes wide as you take in the sheer height you were at, the walls looming down below as your vision begins to fade away into the familiar nest of raven black hair, the overwhelming scent of the wild seas engulfing your senses, you eyes catching only a glimpse of Luffy’s heated gaze forward, as the both of you fly through the skies, strong muscles supporting your legs and your back as you scream in panic at the sheer reckless nature of this entire ordeal, hands clinging desperately to Luffy’s broad back.

Luffy’s hand comes up to cup the back of your head, pressing your face gently into the crook of his neck so you won’t have to witness how high above you both are, and also just to prevent you from noticing his gaze. You breathe into him, breathing his scent, clinging onto him, confused, panicked, and tired all at once.

He runs away from your touch one moment, and the next, he’s doing something like this? What the hell? But little do you know, he’s in a greater conflict within.

Romance within the crew won’t end well.

But how come his heart pounds furiously each time you call for him in that nonchalant tone of indifference?

How come just a smile from you makes him grin wider than ever?

How come his head rings in alert when his rubbery arms around your waist? When his hand finds your waist? When you look up at him all nonchalant, the slight tint of red in you cheeks always so cautiously revealed at certain moments?

How come he can’t seem to keep his cool when he sees you get hurt, being held by another man even if it's one of his precious Nakamas?

How come he can’t keep his damn hands off of you, how come it physically hurts to restrain himself?

How come his heart burned with envy at hearing your words to Sanji?

How come all he could think, feel, and see, was red?

How come?

How come…?

Romance within the crew won’t end well. This damn sentence, echoing like a mantra in his mind, like a relentless metronome - it’ll be the death of him. Luffy’s mind buzzes in a cacophony of emotions and desperate desires as he struggles to restrain himself.

Touch her. Stay away. Be close to her. Keep your distance. Hold her. You’ll ruin everything.

Luffy’s hand slams harshly onto the surface of a wall on the Merry as you both land, denting the wood as his hand allows your form to slide back to a standing position, giving you no time to react as his fingers grasp your flesh, pulling you close to his chest as he pants in exhaustion into your ear, head dipped low, down into you, shoulder hunched and caging you into the wall.

You can only see the strength of his neck muscles as he breathes and exhales heavily, exhausted with the conflict within him, as you feel the rise and fall of his chest against yours so clearly that you can't help but flush with heat once more, hiding your face in the crook of his neck.

“You like that cook?” He murmurs gruffly into your ear, voice raspy with strain, fingers clenching into a fist against the wall, as he steps closer against you, crowding you against the wall.

You can’t even breathe right now. He’s making your heart flutter so uncontrollably you’re afraid he’ll hear it, so you will it with all your might to stop beating if it means he won’t hear.

“Hm? Answer me, (__).” Luffy’s voice demands, crowding you further against the wall, your form pressed intimately against his, your vision blocked with his messy nest of a raven strands, senses overwhelmed with his sea scent, and your injured leg begins to wobble unsteadily at the rush of emotions within you. Luffy’s grasp on the flesh of your waist is the only thing holding you up right now, and he tightens his hold on you, your bodies molding into each other’s.

“What do you mean-” You manage to mumble out before he cuts you off, slamming his fist against the wall.

“A princess, hm? Sanji-kun makes you feel like a princess, does he? Hm?” He practically growls into your ear, and it’s all you can do to not shiver at the unexpected tone, and you can’t even think, can’t even realize the way he’s acting right now. You could only focus on his warmth, his body, his hair, scent, voice, his entire presence swarming you right now, struggling to find an answer.

“I only said that so he’d stop running back to the Merry, Captain.” You rasp hoarsely, unable to think straight.

“Did you?” He asks breathily, his words tickling your neck now as he can’t seem to hold himself back anymore, his teeth gritting harshly as he tries to reign himself in.

“I just wanted to explore the island a moment longer.” Your voice is strained, the tickle of his words making you try to lean away.

His rubbery arms unconsciously stretch and wrap more around your waist more protectively, as he tries not to do something he’ll regret, his mouth opening and closing, lips grazing the skin of your neck ever so slightly, voice low.

“ ‘m sorry, did I cross a line-” You start to say softly, confused, and worried you’d perhaps edged him on too much earlier into touching you, that maybe he had gotten mad over it, before he’s cutting you off with a surprisingly soft, vulnerable tone.

“I-I don’t like it when you-” He begins, voice quiet and muffled with the crook of your neck, pausing mid-sentence when he hears the boisterous laughter of Zoro, Sanji and Nami coming back up the deck. He immediately shifts, stepping quickly with his hand firm on your hip, over to the other side of the wall to hide the both of you from them, his chest pressed close to you, his form engulfing yours as he embraces you like you’ll disappear.

“Just don’t…” He breathes deeply into your neck, risking a ghost of a bite over the area your neck and shoulder meet, not allowing actual contact, his teeth clacking with the chain of the new necklace you bought, before pausing and straightening as he takes a careful step away from you. The heat and strength of his body leaving yours as he watches you with a heated gaze, an eye covered with the rim of his straw-hat as he backs away carefully.

“...Don’t say things like that again.” He murmurs lowly, quiet, his head turning to avoid your gaze. You watch him with tingly nerves, caught off-guard with his sudden retreat, and before you can say anything else, Luffy’s casual smile returns, as if nothing had happened.

“You’re an important nakama, afterall, (__).” A nakama, is it? That’s all you are to him? Your own disappointment makes you bristle in both irritation and exasperation. What exactly had you expected? He has never once expressed any romantic interest in you, so you just stare at his kind, smiling eyes, his pretty nose scrunched in his charming toothy grin, and his demeanor not showing a speck of the hunger before when he’d devoured your form with his gaze alone.

Sanji’s voice calls the both of you over for food; seems he knew you were both there, but hadn’t bothered to digress. And Luffy is grinning wider, beckoning you come as he rubber bazookas over to the kitchen, yelling carefreely, “Let’s eat, (__)!!”

It’s all you can do for now to stand there, trying to calm your racing heart. The way he’d looked at you, called for your name, the ghost of a bite over your neck, and the sheer proximity of him before you erupted the fire within you you’d been dying trying to keep hidden since the moment you realized your affections for him.

I can’t hide them anymore.

You start to panic. Could he tell? Did he see the way you flushed red? He knows, doesn’t he?

Groaning, you muster a call back, “Coming.” before simply throwing up your nonchalant demeanor once again, unsure how you’ll face him again like usual, but one thing was for sure.

Your secret was finally out.

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gosh I acc don’t know how to end things off I suck at endings pls tell me if I literally ruined the whole thing with this tua ending for the sake of their pining!!! 😔😔 I’m acc crashing out reading it again tell me if it sucks pls ISTGG😩

But next part they’ll probably have to deal with their pining FR. (￣∀￣)