#intimacy 101

You had found yourself trying to escape that extra little bit of heat, sitting against the trunk of one of Nami’s tangerine trees with a book in hand, in the shade. It wasn’t the most interesting of things, and often you unknowingly zoned out until you realized and then you’d go back and reread the same passage, unfortunately sometimes more than once. Still, Robin had picked it out for you, so you were dedicated to reading it; it’s the least you could’ve done for the time she took. Besides, you liked talking to Robin! It was always a peaceful conversation in comparison to other members of the crew, and sometimes you needed that among the chaos of The Straw Hat Pirates. That was why you were cherishing your moment, just in case the next chance you had was far away, and for a moment your head tipped back and your eyes slipped shut.

That was your first mistake.

Whether it was the gentle rock of the ship or the warmth of the sun, you didn’t know, but something made you lazy. It struck you like a bag of bricks once you closed your eyes, the sluggishness, and you couldn’t help but slump against the trunk a little more when you drew your knees up. It wasn’t like you to nap, you really liked having your day to do things, but today? Well today was an exception because today there was nothing to do. Hence the nap! Well, the almost-nap.

It was a battle between consciousness and the call for rest, a siren song that was certainly very tempting. You must’ve succumbed to sleep at one point because you found yourself stirring due to a light touch at the top of your head, and your eyes fluttered open. In reality you should’ve jumped into action, and there was a brief surge of adrenaline that came with the startle that told you to get up and prepare, but being on The Sunny had you feeling the safest you ever had so it went away. With that being said, you let your still bleary gaze lift slowly, and the first thing you took note of was the tan, circular rim just slightly cutting off your vision. You smiled then, just a sweet, soft one as your hand came up and pushed the straw hat atop your head back a little. Then you were greeted with brilliance, a grin that was shining brighter than the sun above, and it made your smile widen until you were grinning yourself.

“Hi there,” you murmured, voice thick with the sleep you had just experienced, and you yawned after a moment.

“You’re not turning into Zoro, are you? He’s boring.” Luffy dropped in front of you, on the grassy patch and underneath another tangerine tree, cross-legged.

You took in a deep breath, held it for a moment before it was slowly released and you unfolded, your own legs straightening out again beside where Luffy was sitting. Your arms raised above your head, stretching before one dropped back to your side and the other stayed up so that you could fix the hat once more. Playfully did you frown, reaching for the book that had fallen and pulling it into your lap again. “Are you saying I’m boring?”

Wait!

“No!” Luffy responded immediately, almost a bit panicky and he was! He didn’t want you to think you were boring! No … he didn’t want you to think he thought you were boring! You were anything but, especially to him, and he couldn’t help but be a little nervous. You looked adorable actually, with your pouty lips and puffed cheeks, but that was beside the point! For the first time Luffy wanted to eat his words, in fact for the first time Luffy genuinely instantly regretted what he had said. He meant it, Zoro was pretty boring sometimes, but you weren’t boring even if you were sleeping! Now you were looking at him like that and -

“Luffy,” you said, capturing the pirate’s attention and stopping his spiral that must’ve been written all over his face because you looked almost a little amused, “I’m kidding.”

Hmph.

Now it was Luffy’s turn to pout, his a little more dramatic than yours was but Luffy was a dramatic man. “That’s not very funny,” he muttered, brows knitting closer together as his arms crossed over his chest.

You did feel a bit bad knowing Luffy had an impressive amount of obliviousness in him, but there was just something so endearing about the way he jumped in to make you feel better. Dare you say it made you feel a little bit special? Luffy wasn’t the most elegant with his words and normally he didn’t care, but in that instant he clearly did and it was enough felt the need to reassure you. The idea made your heart beat faster.

You used your foot to nudge Luffy, breaking him out of his poutiness and making him look down at it before his eyes came back to you. “I’m sorry,” you told him earnestly, giving him a soft smile and watching as Luffy relaxed the slightest bit. He did end up looking down though, at your lap, and his arms unfolded from where they had crossed over his scarred chest.

“What’cha reading?”

You looked down, too, the book flipped open on your lap, and you picked it up to look at the cover. “Can I be honest?” you mused, flipping it around to stare at the pages. “I really don’t know. Robin gave it to me, and I have no idea what it’s about.”

Luffy laughed his bright laugh and drew your attention back to him, and when your gaze landed on him he was crawling onto his knees and leaning forward. He reached out, plucked the book right from your hand, and then all of him dropped right down onto you. Okay, maybe not all of him, but with some rocking and rolling Luffy’s head was resting in your lap and he was staring up at you.

“Read it to me, then.” The pirate held the book back up, waiting for you to take it once again before letting his hand fall to his stomach.

You blinked, a little surprised. “Really?”

“Yup!”

It took you a second to snap back, honestly wondering if you were dreaming considering the circumstances, but Luffy had this expectant look on his face that not even a dream version could provide. So a smile melted onto your face and you rested the hand holding your book on his chest, finding the page you had ended on before getting cozy against the tree once more and picking up where you had stopped.

Out loud it was much easier to follow along, and you were happy to continue on now that you had a reason to; that reason, you noted after you read a few pages, seemed entirely content. Luffy’s eyes were shut, a gentle smile lingering on his lips, and you felt the soft rise and fall of his chest under your hand as he took in slow breaths. It was nice to see him like this, tranquil and serene as he listened to you, and you had to pause your reading just to admire him.

You can’t say you were exactly calm yourself. You were in a way, the moment itself was soft and it bled into you, but your heart? Geez, is this what a heart attack was like? It was pounding and you didn’t know how you kept your voice so even, but eventually it did escape you when you simply stared at Luffy. You weren’t sure how long you had been studying him, but it must’ve been long enough because he popped open an eye and looked at you. Your cheeks went fiercely hot at being caught right then, and you bit your lip as you looked at the book again.

“Is it over? That’s a bad ending.”

You couldn’t help but laugh, glancing at Luffy again. “No, no, that’s not the end,” you said, reaching over to turn the page before your hand came back but stopped to push into Luffy’s hair. “Do you want me to keep going?”

“Uh-huh,” Luffy replied, though it was quiet as your fingers combed through his strands. You started up again, and once more did his eyes shut as he listened. Well, listening was a loose word.

He tried, he did. Luffy tried to understand what it was you were saying and follow along with the story, but he was so incredibly distracted. He was consumed by smells, so many different things that focusing on anything else was impossible.

Tangerines, that was the overwhelming scent at the moment - citrusy, sharp, zingy. It was a nice smell, it wasn’t horrible or anything, but it wasn’t the smell he was looking for. No, what he was looking for at the moment was faint.

Was it the salt in the air? An expected smell on a pirate ship that came from the water despite its calmness, the fresh breeze carrying it over and bathing everything in saltiness. The light wind was fresh, too, crisp and completely natural. That was a scent Luffy was used to considering his time on the water, and it was one that he really liked as well, but that wasn’t it.

Another thing was Sanji’s cooking, and that was floating from the other side of the ship. Luffy’s stomach did grumble, interrupting you and you paused with an expectation that he was going to run right over. He didn’t, in fact he told you not to worry about it without so much as a blink of an eye, and he knew you were shocked but you continued on nonetheless. It wasn’t that he didn’t wish for that smell to be the one to carry him away to where he could stuff his face, but even that wasn’t what he wanted!

No, what he was looking for was once a mystery to him. It only seemed to appear in passing, fade in and out throughout Luffy’s day, and he never really figured out where it came from. He was curious, and the more he smelled it the more he tried to follow it, but then something else would come along and interrupt the trail. Usually it was meat, so Luffy didn’t care after that.

Then, one day, he found it.

It was shortly after “the” talk, the one where he admitted all of the crazy things you did to him, because suddenly he felt he was allowed to be a little closer to you than before. You had just come out of the women’s quarters, freshly showered, and Luffy was incredibly eager to show you something on shore so he launched himself to where you were. Luffy was excited, almost reaching your hand to drag you along, but then he slammed right into the wall of that unfamiliar scent and he was instantly engulfed by it. It was whatever you used in there, and he immediately wanted to be wrapped up in it all the time.

It was when you were flipping to a new chapter that Luffy turned in your lap, burying his face into your stomach, and he was surrounded by that sweet smell right away. It made him smile into the fabric of your shirt, Luffy even more content with the moment now that he was surrounded by the way you smelled. He twisted himself a bit, an arm coming around your waist to pull you closer, and he sighed happily without realizing you had stopped your reading once more.

You were frozen, hand with the book in it hovering over Luffy, and all you could do was look straight ahead as your insides went crazy. Once again was your heart racing, though this time the thudding was loud enough in your ears that you couldn’t hear anything else. That didn’t matter, your mind was racing too fast for you to focus on anything anyway; the heat in your cheeks, the butterflies in your stomach trying to escape up your throat, they just went unnoticed. You dared to look down, dropped your gaze so that you could see Luffy, and you were holding your breath as you let him get as comfortable as he wanted to be. You slowly released it when Luffy stopped moving, but you didn’t dare move yourself. At least you didn’t until Luffy was making you, reaching up to drag your hand back into his hair and he snuggled his head deeper into your stomach.

“Keep going,” was all he said though muffled, and you weren’t sure if he meant playing with his hair or reading, so you decided on both. Once you calmed down enough, once those flips in your stomach slowed to a stop, you did.

You had to admit that at that point you weren’t sure you were understanding what you were reading, distracted by the way Luffy had slightly wrapped around you. His arm was strong, face buried far enough that you were sure you wouldn’t be able to escape, but did you want to? Not really.

Luffy didn’t want you to be able to escape either, though that was obvious with the way he was hanging on. He was far too comfortable for you to leave, and there wasn’t a force in the world that could make him let you go. Luckily he didn’t have to because he felt you relax after a moment, and then the story continued on.

You told him a bunch of times that he needed to enjoy things more, particularly the little things. At first he didn’t know what you meant by that because he enjoyed a lot of stuff, but one day you were watching the clouds go by and he laid down with you to see what the big deal was, and then he got it. It wasn’t about the clouds, not really, it was just doing nothing. He didn’t think that was something he could enjoy, and he was sure that if he were with anyone else he wouldn’t have, but there were a lot of things he found out he liked doing as long as it was with you.

That’s what Luffy was thinking about at the bow of The Sunny, sitting in his usual seat on the lion head at the very front. He was thinking hard, too hard about what it was he wanted to do first when he woke up the next day. The sun was currently sinking, and it was definitely sinking too slow for his liking. He wasn’t tired yet, but he wished he was because the idea of breakfast sounded really good.

Hm, maybe he could get a snack in if he was quiet enough.

Then you were there, and that snack was the last thing on Luffy’s mind. He hadn’t even heard you climbing up which was funny since you couldn’t even get up there without his help last time, and he certainly didn’t notice when you stood next to him. It was only when he caught you out of the corner of his eye that he became aware of you, and he actually flinched a bit when you seemingly suddenly appeared beside him. The last thing he expected was for you to get to where he was, but he didn’t mind. In fact an excitement swelled in him so incredibly fast that it forced a grin to spread across his face, and that sunset was forgotten.

“Can I sit with you?”

Sunsets were pretty he guessed, but you were prettier.

Luffy wiggled a little to the left. “Yup!”

You smiled back at him though it was gentle, your signature smile in comparison to his large one, and all it did was send his heart into overdrive. Luffy had to swallow down the feeling that surged through him in the moment then, an incredible feeling but one that also made him want to throw up. That was strange, how could he be so happy about that? To be honest he didn’t really care, not as long as it meant you were there beside him.

“I was wondering where you were,” you told him, and his heart only soared more when he realized you were looking for him.

“How come?” Luffy pressed, seeking more of that good feeling.

“I - … I don’t know, I just wanted to hang out with you,” you told him, glancing over but then quickly looking away again. Even with the sun spilling its colors on your face Luffy could still see your cheeks go a little pink, and surprisingly he found his own warming.

“Oh.”

Silence then, but it wasn’t overly awkward. A little weird, the two of you attempting to navigate through the moment neither of you were familiar with, and yet it was still so nice. It was the company; Luffy was happy to have you in his presence, and you were content with having Luffy next to you. Slowly did that slight awkwardness fade away and the quietness that settled was nice, pleasant. Luffy found that weird, because sometimes when it was silent he thought too much, but this one brought comfort and only thoughts of you.

Luffy was the one to catch a glimpse of you now, out of the corner of his eye, and he should’ve looked away but he couldn’t. That sunset he didn’t care so much for became one of his favorite things in the world at that moment. Purples, blues, pinks and reds with some splashes of a burning orange. Yellow - no, it was gold. Gold lit the sea on fire, its waves flames as they rose and fell, and The Sunny was glowing from where it was on the water. It wasn’t the only thing though, because the way the gold washed over you took Luffy’s breath away. That startled him a bit, how his lungs squeezed empty in one go, and all words escaped him right then. Luffy wanted to say something, he wanted to talk to you because he loved listening to your voice, but there wasn’t a single thing that came to his mind when he saw you glow in the wake of the sun.

Luckily you were a little more composed.

“I think I like this better than watching the sun come up,” you mentioned, drawing your legs towards yourself so that you could sit cross-legged as well. “The sunrise is nice, but being able to watch this at the end of the day is better.”

Luffy looked ahead again, just watching. You studied him then, the best you could without staring so blatantly, and your smile turned so tender that even you were sure it looked a little lovesick. Thank god no one else was around, there was no doubt in your mind that it would’ve been commented on knowing the tact of your fellow crew mates, and there was also no doubt that, that would’ve ruined this entire moment.

That was the last thing you wanted, for this time with Luffy to be taken away. It wasn’t often that he sat still enough to enjoy stuff like this, so serene and peaceful, because that just wasn’t who he was. You knew Luffy, you truly did, and you knew his attention was lost and caught so fast that you needed to cherish what you were getting now as much as you needed to preserve it. You would’ve been happy to be there forever, just basking in the warmth of the sun with Luffy beside you, but that wasn’t very possible, was it? That was why you had to stay in the moment, why you were glad to be in a position that no one else could really touch. Dare you say it was yours and Luffy’s spot? You didn’t want to be so bold, but there in the sun’s rays, where the two of you sat in their warmth, you couldn’t help but think that maybe it could be.

“Never really thought about it, I always thought it was boring,” Luffy admitted, still staring out at the water. “It’s not with you, though.” Out of the corner of his eye Luffy saw your head turn, and his did just the same so that he could see you, blinking at the look on your face. “What?”

Luffy really didn’t know, did he? How the simplest of things could make your head spin? Clearly he didn’t because he was looking at you so expectantly, waiting for an answer because he was genuinely confused about what it was you were staring at him for. It was just that you didn’t really know why you were staring either, you just knew you were so incredibly touched and now you couldn’t look away. Luffy spoke what was on his mind, was totally genuine in everything he said, so how could you not be so flattered when he so honestly told you he enjoyed spending time with you?

The thing was that Luffy couldn’t look away either. If he could he would’ve pressed more because he really wasn’t sure why you were so quietly looking at him. Did he say something wrong? He hoped not because it was true, he really did like watching the sunset with you. Luffy wanted to reassure you of that but he was just so captivated by you, distracted by the way your face was lit up and your eyes were sparkling. Your cheeks looked soft, and your nose was cute, and the smile that you were giving him looked so adoring that he couldn’t stop himself.

You didn’t expect it, for Luffy to duck down as fast as he did. It was a smash then, of your noses and really faces in general, but somewhere among that Luffy’s lips did reach yours. It was quick, barely there, and you really couldn’t call it a kiss but in Luffy’s way it kind of was. Rushed and a little clumsy, much like himself, and even Luffy knew it wasn’t done the right way because when he pulled back his face was a bit twisted in some sort of stunned confusion.

You were dazed for a second as well, the smack to your face knocking you a little silly, but you were shaking your head clear and blinking your surprise away. Only one second passed, one where your brain finally connected the dots, and then you went fully red. Your face was fiercely hot, your now slightly bruised bottom lip trapped between your teeth, and you had to look down because now looking at Luffy was difficult. Your bashfulness slammed into you and your heart started pounding, your stomach in knots when you realized what had just happened, but still you reached up and touched your mouth softly.

“Sorry!”

When you looked over Luffy was holding the back of his hat, and he was grinning though this smile wavered just a bit. Luffy was nervous, you could see it underneath his seemingly infinite layers of sheer bravery, but there was an end to that wasn’t there? It came with the unknown, with the things Luffy wasn’t so confident about even though it seemed like such a thing didn’t exist. Clearly it did, and you were watching in real time as Luffy became sheepish by his blunt display.

The next moment was in your hands, wasn’t it?

You were bashful when you slowly lifted your head up from where you had been avoiding Luffy’s gaze, but eventually you did meet it and it was with determination. The two of you sat there, still and staring, but you broke that when you spoke.

“Can I try?”

Luffy’s throat bobbed, and he nodded.

You shuffled a little, shifted until you were on your knees and moving a little closer, and by this point you were sure your heart was going to leap from your chest with how hard it was hammering. Luffy was in the same boat, and he was barely breathing when your hands came up until they were holding his face. There was another moment of stillness, one where the both of you were preparing yourselves, and then from there it was slow.

The kiss that Luffy tried to give you was the one you gave him, the soft, shy one that was curious more than anything. How did it feel? Was it good? Was it right?

It felt amazing. Yes, it was good. Yes, it was right.

You lingered, let your lips stay pressed to Luffy’s for a number of seconds before you were pulling back yourself. You didn’t go far, in fact your noses were still brushing when the two of you opened your eyes, and smiles grew. You were laughing softly when Luffy closed the gap again, giving you another kiss, and you were letting him before the two of you actually broke away.

“Better?” you asked quietly, using every ounce of your courage to keep looking at Luffy who was the one now touching his lips, but when he looked over his thoughtfulness broke with a radiant grin.

“Yeah! We should do that some more!” Luffy exclaimed, and you blushed. You agreed though, and when you did Luffy had such a surge of excitement that he could barely contain it. How could he? The feeling Luffy had just experienced was unrivaled, something he never felt before but he wanted to keep feeling it over and over again. He knew where to get it now, and he felt kind of bad for you now that you had become the source of this indescribable rush because he was going to be chasing that constantly.

That was a lie, he didn’t feel bad at all.

Luffy was pulled from his thoughts when you moved again, and he hoped that it wasn’t to go away because he liked having you close to him very much. He was relieved to see you just sit down beside him again, though this time it was close enough that your shoulders brushed, and he was fine with leaning into that a bit. He felt you rest against him as well, a little heavier but Luffy didn’t mind one bit. No, he didn’t mind that, he didn’t mind the soft sigh you released just after, and he certainly didn’t mind it when he felt your hand brush against his. You were shy, extremely hesitant, and Luffy didn’t know why because you did just kiss him, but if you couldn’t do it then he guessed it was up to him! It was simple for him; he wanted to hold your hand so he did, slid his fingers through yours, and you were looking up at him when he squeezed. He beamed down at you, a big grin for a big feeling, and he had the pleasure of watching your own smile grow on your face. Luffy watched as you turned away again, the world starting to turn gray as the sun sank lower and lower below the horizon, and your head tipped until it was resting on his shoulder. You were watching the sunset, and Luffy couldn’t help but watch you.

In other words? The Straw Hat Pirates felt stuck.

“Can’t you do something, Franky?” Luffy huffed, turning his head from he was sprawled out on the deck and begging for mercy. “Can you build an air conditioner or something?”

You could see it, the annoyed look that crossed Franky’s face, and that was all you needed to make your move. You sat up from where you were laying on a lounge chair, in a loose sundress you smoothed out before making your way over to where Luffy was lying, and therefore forfeiting the relief the large umbrella had been bringing you.

“Alright, let’s go,” you said with a soft chuckle, holding out your hand to Luffy who turned his head to look at you now. He looked rather pitiful, and you were sure that if it got any hotter he’d melt like the rubber he was made of, so you just clutched and closed your hand a few times to urge him.

“But Y/N,” he whined, stretching out your name, “I’m too hot to move.”

You smiled, tipping your head. “Even if I had a present for you?”

Luffy hopped right up then and took your hand, grinning and dragging you away which made you trip a bit, but you did catch your footing. “Where? Come on! Tell me!”

“Luffy!” you laughed, following him but tugging to slow him down because there was absolutely no way you could keep up considering his excitement. He didn’t, but you figured that was going to be the case, so you did your best to keep up with him even though he was leading you to somewhere he didn’t know. It was when you looked back and decided you were far enough that you gave direction. “Go to the kitchen.”

“Really?!” The speed in which Luffy whipped his head around was impressive, his eyes wide and a smile rapidly growing so large on his face that it split it in half. “You’re not lying to me, right?” The shake of your head you gave him was all he needed before he barged forward, and he really should’ve been more cautious for your sake but he was too thrilled to think about that. No, the only thing on his mind was that there was a gift for him in the kitchen, and that probably meant food; he was unstoppable when it came to that.

The two of you - barely - made it safely, Luffy visibly excited as he let go of your hand and used both of his to push open the kitchen door, and it almost slammed back in your face had you not caught it. You were certainly entertained when you walked in yourself and watched Luffy look around.

There was nothing there, was the first thing Luffy noted, and he even gave a second glance around just to make sure nothing stood out but it was the same old kitchen he knew; he had his hands on his hips as he scrutinized every little detail, but soon he turned to you. “Where is it?”

You clasped your hands behind your back and hummed a short tune before answering. “Take a guess first.”

Luffy’s brow furrowed, and he was thinking hard when his hand came up to hold his chin as he wondered. You counted the seconds, seven of them to be exact before you watched his lightbulb go off. “Did you want to kiss again?”

You blinked yourself, but then you were laughing, and you could see that Luffy wasn’t too amused by that but you couldn’t stop your giggling. His brow was furrowed, a frown on his face, but he just looked so cute you didn’t have the urgency to put him out of his misery.

“You can’t say that, I always want to kiss you,” you said after a few more seconds of relishing in the poutiness, delighted when Luffy finally smiled again. He even made his move, came towards you, but you simply held up a finger and moved to the freezer. “The weather was already getting hot when we had our supply run so I thought maybe this would come in handy.”

With your explanation came the answer, and Luffy was watching over your shoulder curiously as you pulled a container out. He stepped back to give you some room as you turned to the counter and set it down, and you pulled out a drawer to grab two spoons. He still hadn’t fully seen what it was, but he got the idea when you pried the top off and turned to hand him the utensil.

“Ice cream!” he exclaimed, grinning big and taking the spoon.

“Yeah! I know it’s super boring but vanilla was all they had,” you explained, shrugging. “I figured you wouldn’t mind.”

“You bought it for me?” Luffy was curious, though caught off guard by the way his stomach flopped. In a good way, of course, everything was good when it came to you, but it was extremely unexpected because getting a gift from you? Wow, that made him feel real funny. When you looked up at him he went soft, and he was sure expression did, too, but then you nodded and turned away, pushing the tub a little closer to him.

“Only if you share though,” you said, holding your spoon out and tapping his nose with it. “I bought it for you, but with ulterior motives.” You were the one to dig in first, unaware of the way Luffy was watching you, and you only noticed when you scooped some of the ice cream into your mouth. You looked up again, though this time you paused with the spoon hanging from your mouth.

Cute.

“What?” you asked, though it was muffled. “You don’t like vanilla?”

Luffy was pulled from his stupor when you looked up a little concerned, and he was shaking his head to hurry up and reassure you. “I like it!” and he punctuated it with a dip of his spoon and a large mouthful, incredibly pleased with the flavor as well as the relief. You grinned at him then, bright and brilliant, and Luffy was happy to have you look at him like that. He enjoyed your smile for a moment, and then a pain struck through his head and he grunted, eyes squeezing shut and face screwing up. “Ow! Ow! Ow!” Luffy whined as a hand came up to rub his head, the brain freeze striking through it fiercely and painfully, and he heard you giggle despite it.

“See? That’s why I tell you to slow down,” you said after scooping up another spoonful, the utensil coming up as you pointed it at Luffy to punctuate your point. Then you went in for your bite, but you weren’t nearly as fast as Luffy who swooped in and took the ice cream for himself.

When Luffy pulled back you were staring at your empty spoon, jaw a little slack and eyes blinking. Then you pouted and your gaze turned onto Luffy, and all he could do was grin as if he was entirely innocent and had done nothing wrong. “Thanks, Y/N!”

“Hey!”

Luffy snickered, knowing full well what he had done, and he turned to stick his spoon in the ice cream. “Here,” he said, hands taking a hold of your waist so that he could hoist you up onto the counter before taking his spoon back, ice cream included, “you can have my bite!”

Your eyes crossed to look at the spoon that was held out to you, Luffy unmoving, and you flicked your gaze back up before leaning in and taking the bite that was offered to you. Luffy smiled big when you did, and you sent one his way in return as you sat up straight, then you were reaching out and taking another spoonful yourself so that you could hold it out. “Your turn,” you told Luffy, and there wasn’t a single moment of hesitation when he dove in and took it, and you were laughing when he pulled back.

“Yum!”

You watched Luffy fondly, watched as he took a few more bites and then happily hummed, obviously pleased with his treat. You weren’t interested in having more, you really did buy it for Luffy after all, but the little bit that got caught on the corner of Luffy’s mouth certainly looked inviting. So you followed through, leaned up to kiss the little bit of mess away, and you licked the sweetness off your lips when you were pulling back. You didn’t go too far though, just enough that you could meet Luffy’s gaze, and you held it when you found him staring at you for only a few seconds. Then you leaned in, and while it was slow the short distance had you meeting Luffy for a short kiss quickly, but it wasn’t nearly enough so you were leaning in again

At that point the last thing on Luffy’s mind was the ice cream. You did that to him, emptied his brain and then made it so that he could focus on only you and the way you made him feel. That was something he could describe really, because how did he tell someone that his heart went “ba-ba-ba-bump” when he saw you, or how his stomach went “whoosh!” and then “kapow!” at the same time. That was a weird one, feeling two extreme things at the same time, but Luffy just accepted the fact that around you he didn’t have control over anything and he just had to go with it. That’s what he did best anyway! For now though he wasn’t so concerned, because the feeling that came with you kissing him was one that made all of his worries disappear. As if there were any in the first place, the two of you were just in the kitchen eating ice cream after all.

Then again … the crew would be pretty mad that they didn’t get some ice cream, wouldn’t they? Too bad they weren’t going to get any of your kisses either.

Oh well! That sucks!

Luffy’s spoon clattered to the counter when his hands became more interested in feeling you underneath them, lying one innocently on your thigh but letting his fingers dig in slightly while the other held your waist. Yours hadn’t moved, staying in your lap with your spoon in one, but you were laying your utensil beside Luffy’s before bringing your own hands up and resting them on his chest after not too long. You leaned into the kiss more, tipped your head to the side and deepened it with a soft hum, and Luffy was eager to dive in himself as his hand released your waist so that his arm could wind around it instead.

It was hypnotizing, the kiss that you gave him. It was growing but it wasn’t rushed, slow and smooth instead, and that was something Luffy wasn’t too used to nor was he good at it. He was the kind of guy that went one million miles a minute, didn’t have a need or a want for a leisurely pace, but you showed him all the ways that he could enjoy it. This? Your lips melding together in the most perfect of ways? He could say that this was his favorite way to learn.

You pulled back just a bit, enough that you could take a breath, but you only had a moment for that and to get your arms around Luffy’s neck before he was closing the gap again. A smile would’ve pulled at your lips had they not been so happy to be taken over, letting Luffy lead the charge now that you had done such a good job in riling yourself up. Luffy, though having learned some patience, was far too excited to take it slow, and you were gasping when he urged your mouth open and plunged his tongue in to meet your own waiting with obedience, the taste of the ice cream flooding your senses. Luffy stepped in between your legs a little more, the skirt of your dress riding up a bit when he moved closer, but it was as the arm around your waist pulled you to the edge of the counter that you found yourself tight against him. Your knees hugged his sides almost as if you were keeping Luffy from moving, but there really was no need considering the pirate would only move if he was being physically pried away.

Yeeeeeah, that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

Luffy was convinced your mouth was magic because it did all sorts of things to him, and they were all very, very good things. When you smiled at him his heart soared, and when you spoke it was the sweetest melody he’d ever heard, but when you kissed him? God. When you kissed his cheek it made butterflies erupt in his stomach, and when you kissed his lips his heart skipped a beat. When your lips touched his ear he shivered, and when they ghosted over his neck he lost his breath. Then there was that one night where your mouth …

The kiss slowed and it was Luffy backing off this time, you following him and wanting another one but not getting anymore. Your eyes popped open to Luffy already looking at you, a sliver of cockiness on his face which you assumed was because he was looking at your flushed face, and you seemed to blush even more. You couldn’t help it if he kissed you silly, okay? It’s not like you asked for Luffy to be such a good kisser, he just was. There was an eagerness he provided that made everything so intense; Luffy did always want to be the best at everything, and he certainly did try to be. You were lucky to be on the receiving end of his enthusiastic ventures, particularly when he was interested in putting in so much practice, and you were more than happy to be there as well. Even now, with your head tilted back, the kisses to your neck were deliberate, curious about what it was that you liked and didn’t.

Some … experimentation? Was that a good word? Yeah, some experimentation had already taken place, many hours lost just absorbing the “do”s and “do not”s when it came to one another. You learned that only Luffy’s left ear was ticklish when your lips touched it, and when it came to you Luffy could make you crumble with a brush of his fingers up your spine. There were things that you did that made Luffy shudder and moan out loud, and Luffy wanted to find those things that made you do the same. That was his intention when he broke the kiss, to learn all sorts of things about you, and he quickly learned one thing when he kissed the corner of your jaw and your fingers curled into his top. He took advantage of that, nibbled gently before his tongue soothed the mark, and you were sighing softly when he did. Your neck was sensitive, and while his was, too your smooth skin was just a bit more, so his trail of kisses slowed as his lips brushed over it just a touch. Those hands on his chest quickly slid up and into his hair, your fingers gripping the locks just tight enough that Luffy grunted, and you held him close to you. It wasn’t for long, however, because he was lifting his head after a few moments of treating your neck and he stared at you. He seemed to be studying you, eyes flicking all over your face, and then some determination spread across his own and he nodded to a question that he must’ve asked himself.

“Everything okay?” you asked cautiously, brow furrowed as you sat a little straighter.

“Mmhm!” Luffy smiled wide at you, and then dropped to his knees.

Oh. Oh!

“Luffy, oh my god,” you said, looking over your shoulder and then back to him, the pirate wearing a grin and staring up at you. “We can’t.”

“Why not? We’ll hear if anyone’s coming.”

He wasn’t wrong, there were a lot of steps leading to the kitchen, and they all squeaked so it’s not like the door would just swing open with a surprise guest behind it. Still, you were hesitant, but when you looked down at Luffy who just looked so eager and ready how could you not give in? Especially if you could help satisfy his curiosity with your pleasure.

You swallowed but nodded, and Luffy beamed at you before his hands were at the bottom of your dress and pushing it up the rest of the way; he had already done most of the job when he pressed close to you earlier. You held it then, curled your fingers into the material and trapped your lip between your teeth. Luffy had happily made a spot for himself in between your thighs, looking both excited and a little unsure, but mostly determined. It was a little endearing, but then that hand was back on your thigh along with the other on the opposite, and it wasn’t so innocent this time.

Luffy, for what could be along with only a handful of times, was a little hesitant. His impulsive nature came with his confidence, and he was confident that he could make you feel good even being inexperienced, but he wasn’t so sure about how to go about it. You had made it seem so easy when your mouth did those absolutely wonderful things to him, so it should’ve been easy for him, too … right? He could do things with his mouth, it wasn’t just for eating. Although, until he met you, he thought that was all he’d use it for, and yet here he was. Then, with a surge of bravery, Luffy impulsively decided to just go for it and those hands on your thighs moved, fingers creeping up and curling into the elastic band of your underwear.

Helping the best you could you shifted, lifted your hips until they were dragged down your legs and you were left exposed. Then you were blushing even more at that fact, cheeks bright red and fiercely hot, and all you could do was sit pretty and wait for Luffy’s next move. He looked up at you again, held your gaze for a moment, and then his focus went back to the task at hand and you didn’t dare breathe.

Luffy wasn’t a careful man, he was reckless and rough. He didn’t take his time, and he barely knew moderation, but what he did know was that those were things he needed to consider at the moment. It was a light touch to the inside of your thigh and you shivered, goosebumps immediately erupting all over, and when Luffy’s hot breath billowed over your sensitive skin you shuddered. He liked it, making you react that way, and he sought more when his fingers came up and brushed along your slit.

You couldn’t help it, the jolt that jerked your hips, and it made Luffy back up quick and look at you. It was with concern, with more hesitation than you’ve ever seen, but you just shook your head. “It’s okay,” you told him, bashful, “you can keep going.” Luffy paused for just a second longer, but when you nodded to encourage him he smiled so brightly at you and continued on with that famous resolve of his. This time it wasn’t his fingers though they did spread your folds, but it was his tongue running through them that gave you the shock of pleasure this time. You were a little more expectant, but even then you weren’t prepared for the way it felt, which was so absolutely wonderful that you couldn’t stop the sigh that passed your lips. It was a bit like relief; you had wound yourself up so much just waiting that when you felt it you could only sag a little. It didn’t last long though, not when Luffy’s tongue repeated what it had just done over and over again until you were trembling.

When he heard your breath come out shaky Luffy paused, taking a moment just so that he could watch you. Your eyes had slipped shut, your lip red and swollen from where you had been biting it, your fingers curled into the edge of the counter, and you just looked so stunning that Luffy was distracted. Not for long though, because your eyes slowly opened and watched him just as he was watching you, your chest rising and falling a little quicker than normal.

“Please don’t stop.”

That was all he needed for motivation, confidence, and he almost smirked with a bit of smugness but his mouth was immediately otherwise occupied. If you liked what he was doing then he was going to keep doing it, and he was going to do so with vigor only he could provide. His tongue was stronger, dipping deeper, and it flicked with eagerness which suddenly had your hips bucking after the tip swiped up. It was accompanied by a sound, a whimper, but it was in surprise and it rang against the walls of the kitchen. Luffy liked that, liked hearing all of the things that came from your mouth, and he was searching for what it was that made you react the way you did. It was a little spot, hidden away, and when Luffy found it you weren’t safe from his assault.

“Luffy!” you squealed when his tongue found your clit, swollen with excitement.

Your legs had tried to clamp shut, and they would’ve done so had Luffy not been so quick to catch them. His hands were on the inside of your thighs, keeping them spread and in fact pushing them open even further so that his tongue could thrust inside of your wet pussy. You clenched tightly around it when it was buried, and Luffy could only keep trying to sink deeper and deeper until he near suffocated. That would’ve been fine actually, he wouldn’t have minded if his final resting place was there in between your legs. The only problem was that he still had some work to do, namely tend to your pleasure, before he could do such a thing, so for now Luffy kept his face buried and continued his work.

Luffy was enthusiastic, and you were reaping the benefits. Every swipe of his tongue, every lick and thrust, it came with an eagerness that made your head swim; you were lucky to still be upright with the pleasure that was swelling inside of you. It was your hands that were really doing their job where they were gripping the lip of the counter, keeping you grounded, but even then they quit eventually. It wasn’t your fault that Luffy caught on so fast sometimes, that he committed certain things to memory, and what he must’ve held onto was that one spot that made you completely weak. Once again did Luffy give that sensitive nub more than enough attention, flicked his tongue over and over it again, but when he trapped it in between his lips and sucked you were gone. A moan, one you couldn’t imagine containing in the slightest, burst free from your mouth and your head fell back, and that hand that quit on you flew into Luffy’s hair to grip it tightly.

“More,” you begged, soft pants escaping you as the world around you became blurry. You weren’t in the kitchen anymore, you weren’t sitting on the counter, no you were on a cloud and Luffy had brought you there. You felt heavy and like you were floating at the same time, a tight swirl tense in your belly, and the feeling was only growing more and more as Luffy kept up with his work; it was work that was going well into overtime. Your plea had been heard, and Luffy’s mouth left your clit so that his fingers could take over as his tongue buried deep into your cunt. You moaned again, whined and writhed, and soon your other hand was finding its way into Luffy’s hair and you dared to pull him closer. He let out his own sound, muffled, but you didn’t hear it considering all you could hear was the beat of your heart rushing in your ears. “Right there. Please, Luffy, like that.”

You dropped demands and Luffy listened. He was, as mentioned, a little unsure and hesitant, so when you asked for something you got it. It may have not seemed that way but you were certainly the one navigating him, showing him all of the right ways to pleasure you and making sure he did exactly what you wanted. Then again Luffy was always a little extra, and he didn’t really listen all that well, so when he found exactly what it was you liked he was giving it to you tenfold. He released you only for a second, pulled your legs until they were draped over his shoulders, and with his arms tight around your thighs he pulled you back to his mouth.

At first the bit of break you had seemed like a blessing, because even though it was a quick moment you were able to breathe, compose yourself. Then, with a push of Luffy’s tongue it was like everything hit you again except this time it was all at once. No build up, just an onslaught of pleasure that put you right back to where you were. You cried out then, out of shock, out of bliss, and your head spun as Luffy brought you closer and closer to the peak of your euphoria. You were there, just about, and when Luffy gave you that little bit you needed you spiraled. That coil in your belly broke, snapped, and you were whining Luffy’s name when it all just crashed into you without so much as a second thought. Everything was just so hot, and you could barely breathe, but it felt just as good as it was sinful and you wanted nothing more than to live in your bliss forever. You couldn’t do that, not when you were in the middle of the kitchen with Luffy’s head between your thighs, but you could certainly enjoy it for the time being. You did, relished in it as your body buzzed and hummed with fading ecstasy, but after what felt like hours you were taking in a deep breath and filling your lungs with life again. Your head came forward, eyes slowly opened, and your hands were releasing Luffy’s hair as you looked down, watching as he pulled away.

Now that sight? That sight was unholy. Luffy’s obliviousness left him looking innocent, pure with his simple thinking, and his bright smile only added to that. The pirate had a sweet face, one that could fool a lot of people, but right now it couldn’t. No, in fact, right now he was looking as sinful as ever with his glistening mouth and lust-blown gaze, his fingers still digging tight into your thighs and not letting you escape just yet. Luffy stayed close to your soaked cunt, watched as your breathing evened out, and it was only then that he leaned in and gave you a few final licks to clean you up, definitely not teasing you on purpose.

Yeah, right.

“Wait! Wait, wai -” your eyes squeezed shut and your words were cut off by a whimper that came with your oversensitivity, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to complain when it still just felt so good. At some point Luffy did slow again though, and once more he was eventually staring up at you again, looking incredibly pleased with himself when you glanced down at him.

Luffy, with an excited smile that broke anything wicked on his face, wiped his mouth on the back of his hand as he stood. “Was that good?” he questioned, genuinely wondering if what he had done was right. With the way you were breathless and flushed he figured he had done so, the satisfaction on your face leading him to believe you liked what he had done very much. Still, he needed the confirmation, and he was waiting almost impatiently for your answer.

You didn’t mean to make Luffy wait, truly. To anyone else it would’ve been obvious, you were sure, but you knew Luffy needed reassurance if only for his own pride, but you could barely think at the very second let alone speak. So all you could do was stare, and despite his impatience Luffy just stared back and waited for you, and yet you knew no words.

“Um,” you tried, blinking the fog in your brain away, and you shook your head away to make the rest dissipate. “Um, I - …” words were still hard, so you did the only thing you could think of to put Luffy at ease - you smiled. It was a sweet one, small but soft and tender, and you shot it at Luffy until you could gather your thoughts. “Yes, that was … that was very good. Amazing, actually,” you told him, a little unsure of how to really answer in such a circumstance. “Thank … you?”

Luffy didn’t notice your struggle.

“You’re welcome!” he chirped, bending down to grab your carelessly dropped underwear and helped you back into them. Then, as if nothing had happened, Luffy turned and grabbed his spoon again, and he scooped up a bite. “Your turn now!”

You bit back an adoring smile, your head tilting as you shook it. “No, no, I’m good. It’s all yours.”

Luffy shrugged and then shoved it into his mouth, letting it melt on his tongue before his face was falling. The spoon was hanging out of his mouth when he looked down at the tub of ice cream, and he frowned deeply. He was displeased, and you must’ve noticed because your head tipped even further until you were in his line of sight.

“Are you alright?” you asked, concerned.

Luffy’s brow furrowed and he looked away from you to the frozen treat, and then back to you again.

That meant he also didn’t know caution, he knew recklessness and impulsivity. There wasn’t much regard for his own safety, and that paired with his impatience and stubbornness left Luffy’s pot of trouble bubbling over. It wasn’t that he thought he was unstoppable, Luffy had plenty of weaknesses, but he just firmly believed that things would work out, and that was an extremely naive way of thinking.

Then again, Luffy didn’t really know that little voice in his head, did he? He heard it, sure, but he didn’t know it, so he didn’t listen. A lack of common sense played into that, a childish obliviousness, and that was perhaps the most dangerous of all. He was just so, so, so unaware of his surroundings that he seemed careless, but the problem was that Luffy cared too much. His actions, his impulses, they listened to his heart instead of his head, and as admirable as that was it was also pretty stupid. Luffy wasn’t stupid though, not really, but he did have his moments.

There was a lot inside of Luffy, a hurricane, and that made him pretty hard to handle. Reigning someone like Luffy in? Impossible. There was just so much happening, so much to understand that it was almost overwhelming. That was why most people didn’t bother, didn’t take the time to look deeper and only took him at face value. That was fine, too, Luffy did wear his heart on his sleeve and was incredibly honest, blunt with absolutely no finesse so he said what he wanted to and meant it. It was just that there was so much more, but Luffy needed the patience he couldn’t muster himself.

You? You were patient.

You were a lot of things, actually, and while patient was among them it wasn’t the most amazing thing about you. You were kind, soft and gentle though determined, and if Luffy had met you any way and anywhere else, he wouldn’t have believed you were a pirate.

“Who are you?!”

“I’m Luffy! Who are you?”

Your eyes bugged, widened, and Luffy was impressed that you could look at him like that and keep running at the pace you were, staring. You seemed surprised, and Luffy had to wonder what it was that had shocked you so much but there were other things to worry about.

When he made it to Sabaody to meet up with his crew, Luffy didn’t expect that he’d be in the situation he was in. There were those stupid people pretending to be his crew, and then the World Government? Couldn’t he catch a break? Oh well, guess he just had to keep running. He had, getting faster and faster as he bound down the hill and towards the water where his ship was waiting for him, gravity and physics making his legs pump faster than they ever had before.

Then there was you, someone who came out of nowhere and slammed into him without warning. He went rolling, the weight of his backpack keeping him from being able to keep his footing, but when he scrambled up he was looking at you who looked as though you had been knocked silly. You had been running, too, probably for the same reason he was, but he didn’t have the time to figure that out. No, the only thing Luffy had time for was scooping you up so you were out of the way, and more running.

Hence the introduction.

“Like …” you trailed off, and when Luffy looked down at where he was carrying you in his arms your brow was furrowed, “... like Straw Hat Luffy?”

He laughed, nodding. “Yup!”

You looked like you wanted to say something, and you had started to, but a tree was obliterated next to the two of you and interrupted whatever question you had. Luffy spared a look back, and he felt you pull yourself up using his shoulders and looked, too.

Sentomaru stood at the top, a dangerous line of Pacifistas behind him, and Luffy could only see them charging up for another blast before he was looking ahead again.

“Why are you running?” he asked as if he wasn’t trying to escape with his - and your - life.

“I thought -” you were cut off when another beam scattered the ground nearby, and Luffy felt you flinch. “I thought they were after me!”

Another laugh, a loud and boisterous one that matched the grin on Luffy’s face. “Well they are now!”

Then it was sky and sea, blue and blue, when his arm stretched out so that his hand could grip the edge of The Sunny, seeing his crew waving and shouting at him. He couldn’t hear them, not when you were screaming in his ear after he launched off the ground, but he figured they were upset, they had been waiting for him after all. After that he flew faster, gaining speed, and you came with him while hanging on for dear life. He could see the beams flying past him, and with the way you had wrapped all of your limbs around him he figured you could see them coming.

Luffy landed on the deck, and while he was sure Nami wanted to yell at him you were still shrieking. It was only when Luffy let his arms drop that you stopped, yet you were still hanging on when your head turned to stare at the group who was staring right back.

“Luffy!” Nami cried. “You can’t just bring random people onboard like that!”

“She’s not random, we’re friends!” Luffy countered, totally sure of the fact that now that you had run away together a friendship had formed. “She’s …” his words petered out, and he looked down at you again, puzzled. “I still don’t know your name.”

You jumped into action then, and Luffy stumbled when you used him to push off of and put distance between you and the Straw Hat Pirates. You were pressed to portside, now oblivious to the attacks of the Pacifistas flying past them, and you were flustered.

“I’m sorry!” you said, hands coming up to show that you meant no harm. “I’m so sorry, thank you for rescuing me, but my ship is right there and -”

Luffy noticed that when you talked you always seemed to get cut off, and with another powerful beam from your attackers he could hear wood splintering. He didn’t feel anything, The Sunny didn’t shake, so that could only mean one thing. He walked then, towards you who had also turned around at the sound, and watched as you slumped before he looked over the railing.

“What? That?” he asked, pointing out to the shredded craft that was simply just floating around now. “It’s not very big.”

You sighed, hand coming up to scrub your head, and when you turned you did so with confidence. The look on your face impressed Luffy, a determined one as your hands landed on your hips and you stood tall.

“I’m Y/N!” you announced with a nod. “I’m going to join your crew!”

In that moment Luffy was in awe, stuck beside you and just staring a little adoringly as you stood your ground despite being fought against. Something funny happened then, something strange, and it started in his chest. It was a heat first, jarring, but not enough that Luffy paid it any mind. Then it was his heart, it had thumped aggressively enough that Luffy’s hand came up and clutched the fabric over his chest.

Huh, that was weird.

When Luffy shook his head, cleared whatever cloud had formed, he was smiling so wide that his cheeks hurt. It didn’t matter what his crew was saying, what Nami and Zoro were arguing over or what Sanji was squealing about, he interrupted them with a gleeful laugh and punched his hand into the air.

“Alright!” he shouted. “Let’s go!”

Thus your adventure on The Sunny began, and so did a lot of Luffy’s problems.

You fit right in, that was the first thing he noticed. His crew was skeptical of most people, particularly people they didn’t know, but somehow you wormed your way into the hearts of every member of The Straw Hat Pirates and you met them on their own level. You took the time to get to know them, to commit to memory the things they liked and disliked, how to engage with them. You were a lot like Robin actually, but whatever was different he didn’t know as per the usual, but he did know that you made his heart feel funny.

Maybe it was the fact that you took the time to know him, like really know him. Luffy was complex, about as complicated as they could come because he was such a striking personality. He was so forward, so obnoxious and open that it was easy to believe that what you saw is what you got, and about ninety-nine percent of people did that. You were in the one percent that tried to understand, that looked underneath the surface and dug a little deeper. You went straight to his heart, and you showed him that you wanted to learn.

Now it was his turn to learn, and you were teaching him so many wonderful things. You were teaching him all that stuff he wasn’t good at - the patience he desperately needed, the “play it safe” route instead of jumping into it like he usually did. That’s how it started, just the little things like that, but as he learned about those more complicated things started happening.

Why did his stomach do flips when you smiled at him? Why, when you sat beside him when he was watching the sun, would his cheeks warm up? And why did he want to hold your hand so much? Anytime you were nearby, whether it was next to him at dinner or just standing in the crow’s nest with him, he just wanted to feel your fingers through his. Now he was dumb, sure, but he wasn’t that dumb. If he remembered right those were the kinds of things Hancock talked about, and he knew that Hancock liked him so he liked you? Yeah, he got that, he just … didn’t know what to do with it.

Luffy had tried on his own, he really did, but he just got more and more troubled about it, and if there was one thing he didn’t like it was being annoyed. That’s exactly what it was, too! He was annoyed that he couldn’t figure it all out, and one day he told you that. He told you that you made him feel weird, that his heart raced when he looked at you, and all you did was stare at him. At that point he thought he had done something wrong, that maybe he had crossed a line he wasn’t supposed to, and this gross feeling surged through him so fast that he almost wanted to launch himself over the railing of the ship and to the waters below.

Luffy, brave and fearless Luffy, wanted to run.

Then you smiled.

That smile was so bright that it poured light into that yucky, black feeling inside of him, and Luffy could breathe again. When he really looked at you he saw the pink cheeks, the smile shrinking into something that looked a little shy, and he recognized that, too.

Thanks, Hancock!

Luffy was excited then, almost a little eager now that he knew you were feeling the same kinds of things, but were you just as lost as he was? Your reaction said yes, but the days that came after said no. That was where you and he differed, the fact that he didn’t know what to do while you were easily stepping through it all. You had a lot of things to teach him, it seemed, and he was kind of excited to learn.

You spoke in whispers, in privacy. It wasn’t a bad thing, you were just a personal kind of person and things, unless otherwise meant to be, were between you and whoever it was you were speaking to. With Nami it was a little more excitable, you quite chatty, and with Zoro it was often a few words and mostly comfortable silence because the two of you were similar in that way. You were more of a listener with Chopper when it came to his medical jargon, but an eager learner with Robin and Jinbe who had endless knowledge about the world while you had endless questions, and with Brook you were happy to sway and sing along with him as his backup. You had an endless amount of ideas when it came to Franky and Usopp who often found themselves up to their ears in inventions, and had excited conversations with Sanji who sometimes had the pleasure - a lot of it - of having you as his sous-chef.

That was all well and good, Luffy was glad you got along with his crew, but he wanted your attention - all of it. That politeness? He hated it sometimes because when he wanted to do something with you he didn’t have the patience to wait, and yet you didn’t dare interrupt whatever it was you were doing with someone else. You had taught him to wait, sure, but he didn’t have to like it, and he really didn’t like you sharing your whispers.

The thing was that you did have some just for him.

Some whispers were playful, short. They brought silly words and quiet jokes, things only Luffy got to experience because he was often the one you’d lean towards and tell. You were funny, not a lot of people knew that, but you knew comedic timing and you were witty, and Luffy had the pleasure of knowing that about you. You made him laugh, you made him laugh loud and hard, and he could see you light up every single time he did. Making you happy made him happy, and if it was as easy as laughing at the things you said then he’d do that a million times. Not like it was hard anyway, like he had said you were pretty funny.

Others were soft promises and reassurances, the ones that came from your mouth when Luffy didn’t feel too good. He had his off days, too, bad days even, and when Luffy had those you knew he had to truly be miserable because any other time he could brush it off. It wasn’t so easy sometimes, but you made it easier with your words. Luffy would seek you out, look for some privacy when he found you, and then he just let you take care of him from there. Your gentle voice, your warm embrace, that was what he needed on those days, and you gave it to him without so much as a second thought.

There were certain whispers though, ones that were his favorite. The crew had bits and pieces of your attention, their own quiet conversations, but he did know that these ones were really meant for only him. These whispers were playful, too, but they were playful in the sense that they lit Luffy on fire, excited every part of him and made him go into overdrive. You were too innocent for the way you would lean in and touch your lips to his ear, let your breath ghost over the shell of it before you’d offer some tempting words. Then you’d just pull away like nothing happened, wearing your sweet smile that was aimed at him and a cute blush that dusted over your cheeks like you were the one flustered. No, you didn’t know flustered, not when Luffy was the one left blushing. Even he could figure out you were feeling flirty.

That night that was burned into his memory? Well, he was flustered that night.

“Luffy!”

It was some sort of celebration, one that Luffy didn’t really know the reason for. He knew it had something to do with the city he and his crew saved, but all he really cared about was the fact that they brought gifts and those gifts were food-related. After that? No thoughts, just meat. Luffy ate, and he kept eating and eating until he was full, satisfied and sated by the feast laid out by Sanji, and with his large appetite it did take some time.

Food mode left Luffy blank, and when he came to he was a little confused. When he dove in everyone else was, too, enjoying the food and chatting amongst themselves, and when he came back things were … well, they were a bit crazy. Brook was behind it, the music and the singing, his familiar and recognizable laugh cutting through the sound of the hooting and hollering. Yet, despite that and all of the noise, Luffy could hear you calling his name and his head couldn’t whip around fast enough.

When he caught sight of you a grin split his face, blinding as you approached, and he was eager to get to his feet and weave through the crowd to get to you. You were smiling yourself, fumbling a little when a particularly rambunctious pirate stumbled backwards and ran into you. You lost your footing then, and when fear struck itself across your face Luffy moved even faster just so that he could get rid of the look he never wanted to see ever again. He lunged forward just as your balance was thrown, and before your weight toppled you over Luffy was catching you, an arm around your waist and his free hand grabbing yours so that you could use it to stand. You did, and you did straighten up eventually, but even then Luffy didn’t let you go just because he liked having you so close. You didn’t seem to mind either, not when Luffy looked down and you were already staring at him with your gentle smile, the hand not holding his resting on his chest.

“Hello,” was all you said, and Luffy was confused. You must’ve seen it, because your smile only grew, and you shrugged. “I just wanted to say “hi”.”

Oh!

“Hi!” Luffy replied, laughing.

The festivities hadn’t spared you, you a little breathless with flushed cheeks and you were warm. Had you been dancing? Probably, you did always enjoy yourself when it came to these kinds of things. You were quiet, sure, a little reserved, but you were still a pirate. What pirate didn’t like parties?

“Having fun?” you asked next, and Luffy could’ve sworn you were leaning into him more but he couldn’t be too sure.

He nodded, looking around. “Of course I am! There’s meat!” he exclaimed, eyeing the table that was filling up again, but he looked back to you in the next second. “You’re here, too!”

God, you were flooded with something when Luffy looked at you so earnestly, when he said his words so easily and honestly. You could never be so brave to say exactly what was on your mind, and you admired Luffy for being able to just say what he wanted to with no hesitation. Well to be fair you admired Luffy for a lot of reasons, but that one really impressed you. You could linger on that, the fact that he could just say it, but all you could think about was what he said.

It sounded weird, and you were sure someone would look at you sideways if you tried to explain it, but being categorized with meat was an absolute honor. Did it sound sarcastic to say you were touched? It was the honest to god truth though, you were flattered, and your heart was racing just as fast as you were sure your face heated up. Luffy was saying your name, and you were trying to answer but you just couldn’t find words. You were knocked out of it when Luffy released your waist and brought his hand up to your forehead.

“Hey, are you sick?” he asked. “You’re all red.”

As if that helped, because you only blushed harder.

You took a moment, breathed a little deeply, and then you were reaching up to take the hand away from your forehead. You were holding both of Luffy’s now, tightly, and you used them to balance on as you stood on your tippy-toes. Your head moved slowly, pressing a kiss to Luffy’s cheek before your mouth was next to his ear.

“Come with me.”

Then, like an obedient puppy, Luffy followed.

The celebration was a good distraction, the amount of pirates stuffed onto The Sunny both impressive and convenient as you slipped through them with Luffy in tow. He didn’t say anything, just stayed close, and you caught a glimpse of his curious face when you looked over your shoulder to see if anyone noticed as you climbed the stairs to the second level of the ship you called your home. You spared another glance, opened the door to the women’s quarters, and quickly pulled Luffy in.

Luffy stumbled, tripped over his feet a little bit, but you clutching his hand kept him upright, and when he turned to look at you, you were leaning against the door. You were smiling at him, and he watched as your head tipped to the right while you studied him. Luffy’s own head tilted the same way, and his brow furrowed as he stared right back.

“Wait, are you actually sick?” he asked again, oblivious to the fact that you were very much not just gazing at him but rather eating him up, all the while you were pulling on his hand gently and making him step closer to you. “If you are, I can get Chopper, I don’t mind,” Luffy said, seemingly unaware of the fact that he was only inches away from you now; either that or his genuine concern distracted him enough. “It’s not any fun if you miss the party, and it’d make it super boring if you weren’t there.”

It was as Luffy kept talking that it became more and more endearing, his worry evident and your heart fluttering at that. You let him go on for a moment even though you weren’t really paying attention to what he said, smile growing, and it was only when he started to move to actually go and find the ship’s doctor did your hand tighten around his. Luffy looked at you then, and you laughed softly.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” you told him, and watched as realization slowly rolled itself over Luffy’s once puzzled expression.

“Okay!”

You were the one that said it, but Luffy was the one to quickly take action. The little space that was left between the two of you was closed, Luffy’s lips finding yours in a matter of seconds. You couldn’t help but laugh softly into it, finding his eagerness rather adorable as his hands found your hips and tugged you closer. Well, he pulled you as close as he could considering there was barely space to begin with, but he did push you a little more into the door and you let him lean into you. “Let” was a loose word to be honest, because “let” made the assumption that it was forbidden in some way when in reality there was nothing you wanted more than to feel Luffy press against you. You were blessed, your wishes fulfilled, and your hands were slipping up his strong chest until your arms could wrap around his neck.

Meanwhile Luffy’s mind was blank, everything simply instinct from the moment he kissed you. You did that to him, emptied his brain completely, and considering he went a million miles a minute all the time the silence was nice. The only thing was that he couldn’t exactly enjoy it completely, could he? No, not one bit, because he was surrounded by you and that was all he could ask for right then. You knew what he wanted and you gave it to him with a tilt of your head, the gentle, almost cautious kiss immediately deepening and you let out a soft sigh. That little sound fired Luffy up, and one of the hands on your hips left so that his arm could scoop around your waist, tight.

The dip of your tongue was sweet, swiping over Luffy’s bottom lip just as quick as he allowed entry, and his raced to meet yours with a hunger that had you just as desperate for him. Your arms left their spot from around Luffy’s neck, dropping so that your hands could fall to his chest again where they curled into the fabric of his open top. The two of you broke, but it was only for a moment to catch your breath before you were diving in again, this time even more starved than before. You pushed into Luffy, used your weight, but it was useless considering you were no match for Luffy’s muscle when he backed you into the door again. He didn’t mean to push so hard, truly, but the door rattled when he did and you let out a grunt that had him pulling back to make sure you were okay.

You were. God, you so were.

Luffy didn’t get too far because you hauled him in, taking over his mouth like you were starving. Like? That was wrong, you were actually very starved. Luffy made you that way and he didn’t even realize it, he just followed your lead. He was intoxicating, overwhelming in the best way possible, and when his being surrounded you it left you dizzy. That feeling seemed to only get more intense, surged through your veins when no part of you was left free. Luffy had shifted just the slightest bit, a leg between your own, and you nearly buckled right then and there. You were thankful for Luffy’s arm at that point, because it seemed as though that and the door were the only things helping you stand.

You were the one to break the kiss again, though this time it was for no breath because that rushed out of you and made you gasp. Luffy’s thigh pressed tight against you, and the back of your head fell to the door with the quietest of whimpers. It happened again, then again and again, and with Luffy’s arm solid around your waist and the other gripping your hip you had no escape. Perhaps that was his intention, to keep you captured and writhing a little, but you knew Luffy and he wasn’t a cruel man.

The thing was that Luffy was unaware of your own bliss because he was chasing his own. He heard the sounds you made, felt you shift against him, but his own hips were driving forward in an attempt for any friction he could get. Your kisses did things to him, like set him on fire or something that felt like that, and that was often what he sought after. This time? This time it was stirring lower than usual, and it only got better and better with every grind of his hips against yours. You seemed to be enjoying it yourself because whenever he did that you let out some pleased sound, and the only reason he hadn’t stretched up to kiss you again was because he wanted to hear more. There was, however, a particularly accurate buck of his hips that had him releasing a grunt, and you took advantage of that. Luffy’s balance escaped him when the hands on his chest pushed, and he was forced to take a few steps back which he really didn’t like because he wanted to feel you against him all the time.

A pout was what you were greeted with when your head tipped back down, an adorable look despite everything that was taking place. You smiled in response, a rather devious one actually, and you took in a deep breath before you moved. You stepped towards Luffy who didn’t move himself, but he did when you got near and yet kept walking. He had no choice but to step back, and you kept going until he knocked into the bed and fell on it. Luffy bounced, his fall having enough force that it landed him near the center of the mattress, and he was just sitting up himself when you crawled onto the bed as well.

Luffy froze from where he pushed himself up onto his elbows, watched as you knelt beside him and leaned down again. Your hand held his cheek, your lips found his again, but it was tender in comparison to what had transpired only moments before. The kiss lingered, soft but slow, and Luffy couldn’t help but follow your mouth when you started moving again; it was just a leg swinging over him, your free hand holding his shoulder. Once again did you break your kiss, but when Luffy’s eyes opened you were prettily perched and staring down at him.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, wondering why it was that you had stopped. He didn’t do anything wrong, right? He was pretty sure he didn’t, you seemed to have been enjoying yourself, too.

You didn’t reply for a moment, in fact you didn’t reply at all. Though in a way you did, you supposed, just wordlessly as you leaned down again and captured Luffy in a kiss. You felt his question recede, felt it slip away when you instantly devoured his mouth, and he responded just as fast.

Lifting up into the kiss Luffy let out a soft moan when you bit his lip gently, and he was far too focused on the way your mouth felt against his that he didn’t even realize you were pushing him down into the bed. It was only when his back was flush to the mattress did he even notice, but he didn’t care when he could keep focusing on the way your lips moved against his. Although, then again, there was something that did disrupt that, and it came with a roll of your hips against his own. The way you were so perfectly pressed against him, snug, paired with your weight on top made that grind so spectacularly delicious that Luffy saw stars. Was this what pleasure was like? Luffy liked a lot of things, and a lot of things made him feel good, but never in this way. No, this was only something you could bring to him, and he would’ve been - even more - dumb to not try and take as much as possible. That was why his hands flew to your hips, gripped them tight and pushed you down even harder than you had done so yourself. Then a beautiful sound passed your lips, one that made the kiss end but graced his ears so wonderfully; a sweet, sweet moan, and then a soft whine of his name. Luffy wanted more of that, he decided, and lifted his hips to meet your own when you rolled yours once again. That was an even better feeling, when the both of you pressed for friction, and Luffy breathed a sigh of sheer relief.

The things you were feeling were indescribable. You could try, sure, say that it was this or that, but being completely honest you never experienced something like this. You couldn’t stop the rolls of your hips, the quiet pants and gentle groans and gasps. All of it was fogging your brain, and it only got more clouded when Luffy met your eager grinding. There was barely any space, pressed together so tightly that every move was felt underneath you. Finally you let your eyes open, and when you did Luffy’s were still closed. His lips were parted, his own breaths escaping quick with the rise and fall of his chest, and every so often his face would twist with pleasure when you moved just right.

To put it simply Luffy had short-circuited. There was nothing else he could feel other than you on top of him, and there was nothing else but you on his mind. The way you were making him feel, hearing your sinful sounds, and he could still taste you on his tongue; his senses were overwhelmed and all he could do was watch. You looked good, too good, with the way your eyes had slipped shut, and your lips were red and swollen which just made him want to kiss you some more. The feeling that had been stirring had grown, and Luffy wanted to chase it because it was addicting, and he was desperate. He could only keep pressing against you, met your hips with eager lifts of his own, then one hit his throbbing cock just right and a loud moan escaped him as his back arched. When the surge of pleasure faded he let go of you and pushed himself up, one hand behind him sunken into the mattress to keep himself balanced while his free arm circled your waist. There was a shift then, one that had him bucking up with a grunt.

When Luffy sat up you immediately dove in, desperate for that kiss. Your mouth devoured his when he responded, tongues clashing in a slick battle, and your hands were hurriedly pushing his open top off his shoulders, seeking more skin that your fingers got to touch when Luffy pulled it the rest of the way off before holding onto you again. You couldn’t help it with the way you were feeling, the smooth slide of your hips against Luffy’s just to seek that wonderful, mind blowing feeling that made you moan yourself. You could feel Luffy’s stiffness right against you, the seam of your shorts pressing against your wet cunt and giving you the most delectable friction that you felt like you needed to survive in the moment. You chased it desperately, greedy, and you broke from the kiss to catch your breath that had been stolen from you. Your eyes opened, met Luffy’s whose were heavily lidded and staring back up at you, and the way he was flushed and panting himself made you a little crazy.

Luffy couldn’t tear his gaze away, desperate himself and still meeting every rock and roll of your hips. The arm that was around your waist tightened, held you closer to him so that he couldn’t feel your every curve press into him, and he used that grip to bring up his other arm. Luffy’s hand was curious, your straddle letting him rest it on your thigh, and there it lingered though it wasn’t for long. It slid up, felt your soft skin until he found your shorts and his touch continued on until it was at the edge of your shirt, and his fingers tugged at it until his hand could slip underneath. Once again did he find skin, and skin was what he kept finding as he crept higher and higher with hungry curiosity - warm, soft, smooth.

“Wait,” you whispered, your voice a little weak but loud enough. “Wait, wait wait …”

Instantly Luffy froze, not daring to go any higher or lower, and he barely breathed when you brought your hands up to his face and held it. You kissed him again, soft in comparison to how hungry it had been only moments before, and when you were pulling away you were biting your lip and wearing an apologetic expression.

“ I … think we should stop,” you murmured quietly as you looked away, keeping your words within the close proximity.

“Okay.”

You looked up again and despite the huskiness in his voice he was looking at you like it wasn’t a big deal at all. You weren’t really shocked, Luffy wasn’t the kind of guy to take advantage of a situation like this, yet you were a little surprised at how easy he made it. Did you even hear him, or was that your imagination?

“What?” you asked a little dumbly, blinking.

“I said ‘okay’”, he responded as if it was the most simple thing in the world.

For some reason your heartstrings were pulled, your throat tight. No fight, no pressure, just Luffy kind and understanding. Like you said, he wouldn’t take advantage of you, but things had gotten so heated that you thought it would’ve been a little more difficult. You felt bad, guilty and apologetic, and then Luffy quickly gave you a reason not to be.

You smiled, your hands still holding his face and you leaned in to kiss him once more before dropping your weight onto him. Luffy let out some noise, a grunt in the back of his throat when he caught you, and the both of you fell back into the mattress with “oomph!”s. You were quick to push yourself up, a hand on either side of Luffy’s head as you hovered over him just as you had earlier, but this time it was with fading passion. He watched you, curious and head tilting to the side when you remained quiet, a little confused about how it was you were looking at him.

“Thank you,” you told him, leaning down to touch his forehead with yours.

Luffy shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.”

Except it was, and you could still feel just how big of a deal it was when the thick bulge was pressed to your thigh, and yet Luffy was showing an impressive amount of restraint. You had a hard time convincing yourself you needed to stop, and you would’ve been happy to continue had your nerves not gotten the best of you, but Luffy stopped when you asked him to and you were filled with absolute admiration at the fact.

God, you adored him.

You rolled off, sat at the edge of the bed and fixed your tousled hair from where Luffy’s hand had wandered at a point as you felt him stare at your back. “How about I grab some more food and we hang out in here?” you suggested, looking over your shoulder and brightly smiled at him. He grinned back, sitting up and looking rather excited and wholly distracted from what had just - sadly - ended.

“Sure! Make sure you get some meat!”

You laughed and stood, straightening your clothes and nodding. “Do you think I’d forget that?” With another glance you winked at Luffy, hearing him snicker as you did. “I’ll be right back.”

Luffy watched you go, watched you walk across the floor of the women’s quarters and then disappear out the door. His smile was lazy when you left, still a little drunk on your affection, and he sighed as he starfished out on your mattress. He was just staring up at the ceiling then, but his smile couldn’t help but stretch into that stunning grin he always wore.