You’re seated on a twirly chair in front of the vanity, right foot up on the cushioned surface to better polish your toes. They’re a vivid coral, matching the ones on your fingers. Nami’s lying upside down on her cot across from you, hands behind her head and feet up against the wall like it’s nobody’s business. She's finished her toes already, all coated in a beautiful teal that compliments her hair.

Everything is perfect tonight. As perfect as being bountied pirates on a ship can get. The flower scented candles around the girls’ cabin run warm, making sweetness blossom around the room. Your beds are made perfectly, pillows fluffed up just the way you like it. You and Nami move with an unspoken understanding, of unwinding and finally taking time to yourselves after a day full of adventure. 

The sound of the sea has been quietly lulling the two of you into peace, though you have to delay your sleep for an extra hour of chatting away your complaints.

Girls night always welcomes honesty—when you and Nami can talk about everything the boys would never understand. And she’s being real truthful alright, hand enthusiastically waving around like a maestro to her own words. 

And of course, the current topic of conversation was the blonde, women-loving cook in your crew. 

Nami can be blunt, to say the least. It’s what you appreciate most about her, although you wish she’d soften her words up just a little bit. 

Or maybe try to see him the way you do.

“He’s a lot.”

She’s talking about typical Sanji behavior. The incessant flirting, the hovering and his I-live-to-serve-women attitude, which she’s convinced is some type of overcompensation. 

You definitely don’t think it’s annoying. If anything, you think it’s really sweet that he tries his hardest to impress Nami. 

Matter of fact, you love it when he tries to impress the girls on this ship. Fortunately for you, the only two available ones include an independent, no-bullshit navigator who doesn’t easily fall for his smooth-talking. Now that just leaves him to focus more of his affection onto you, and you absolutely love being the center of his attention.

You bite your lips, trying to hold back your laughter. “I mean, he’s intense for sure.”

She rolls her eyes at your attempts to soften her complaints, and she truly can’t find it in her to understand why you would defend the cook. “Annoying.”

“I think it’s kind of cute.”

A beat of silence. 

And then Nami literally whips her head to face you so fast you’d think you were a treasure made of a trillion berries.

The sight she’s greeted with is one she will never forget. And not in a pleasant way, because you look positively, 100%, absolutely sure about the words you just uttered out of your mouth.

You’re hugging both your legs up to your chest, lips still bitten in a silent restraint. You’re actually melting into yourself, lost somewhere in the clouds as you swing yourself right and left in your chair. 

Where do you even begin? 

From memorizing your likes and dislikes,—and not just about food—attending to your needs, whether you voice them or not, and genuinely wanting to know you for who you are. Sanji somehow manages to embrace who you were, who you are now and who you hope to become in the future, all in the same breath. 

He is never quiet with the way he loves. God forbid he doesn’t worry about others for even one day. He’s dramatic, over-the-top, theatrical. All the synonyms of spectacular you can find in the dictionary. But also grounded, selfless, and so genuine that it makes your teeth ache and your heart clench erratically. 

Sanji treats you with a kind of gentleness that makes you think you’re the most precious diamond in the Blue Sea. You are. To him. He never ceases to convince you of so. 

So it’s an absolute no-brainer that you think he is the one for you. If not the only man ever. And, the fact that you aren’t alone in this fortifies your belief. You and Sanji have your own thing. A quiet game that only you seem to understand the rules of. A kind of connection that isn’t defined by or bound to labels; one that grew from quiet glances and secret smiles. The others may not notice—for now. They’d probably brush it off as you being kind to Sanji and finding genuine friendship in him. 

But you like it that way, and you really, really like him. You don’t need to say it out loud, because you’re sure he knows you do. You’re content with what you have because you can feel it that he reciprocates. 

You are his just as much as he is yours. 

“Say that again.” Nami pumps out the sentence like she can’t believe her own ears. She’s fully upright now, propping her upper body with her hands. She leans towards you as if it’ll make her hear better. 

“I think..” you mimic her pose and lean your chest forward, palms resting on both knees as if preparing to tell her a secret, “—that he’s kind of cute.”

It’s he, now. Not it, anymore. 

God, you are hopeless. And crazy. 

“You’re kidding.” The navigator hits you with the most deadpan stare you’ve ever seen her muster in her life.

Nami tries to look back at all your past interactions with Sanji. From the first time you joined the crew to the most recent ones. Then it all clicks for her—like a puzzle piece to answer a question she’s never bothered to ask. 

It starts with the way you get quiet when Sanji’s around, a secret smile and an undeniable warmth seldom missing from your face. Gosh, you’re so shy when he talks to you sometimes. It’s crazy that it didn’t register to her because you’re typically always so sure of yourself. Then it’s how you never, ever brush off his attempts at flattery. How your sweet compliments always seemed to be drowned out by Luffy’s shouts and Zoro’s arguing. She looks back at the way you naturally gravitate towards him. It didn't matter if you were on the ship, jumping from island-to-island, in the middle of a fight or simply lounging around with the rest of the crew, you always found your way right beside him. 

Huh. 

It was all in her face the entire time. Loud and apologetic. She feels silly at the fact that she’s never thought to even look because she couldn’t fathom that any woman could genuinely put up with him. And you never denied anything either—not when there wasn’t anything to deny in the first place. 

Her words set you off like a pirate looking for the one piece. 

“Nami don’t you ever dream of a guy who’ll sweep you off your feet?”

You’re breathless, absolutely lost in your own daydreams as you twirl around your chair with a force that could blow the Going Merry across the Grand Line. There are stars in your eyes, genuinely. Your hands shoot up in a rainbow above your head, and your body melts further into the seat. 

Something’s definitely gotten into you.

“And Sanji’s that guy for you?!” She exclaims. You watch her go through all the 7 stages of grief in the span of 3 seconds. 

You laugh at her silliness, and then you’re back to swooning again.

It was as if she’d unlocked your inner beast. A lovesick, crazy girl who was spouting her dreams of romance and everything that was butterflies and rainbows. A woman who was absolutely mooning over Sanji.

From then on the navigator makes it her mission to uncover where this crush of yours came from. She can try asking the rest of the crew, but she’s 98% sure the boys are oblivious to this, or simply aren’t as perturbed as she is. (Because how has no one questioned this before?!)

Starting wasn’t hard. At all. Turns out you and Sanji are shameless. It just takes the right time for someone to pay attention and see how deep the connection runs between the two of you. 

It happens bright and early a few days later. Nami—by instinct or intuition—woke up to an empty cabin. Your bed looked freshly mussed, like you couldn’t be bothered to tidy it up before getting up. She looked through the small window, greeted by the sight of the barely peeking sun in the darkness of the horizon. Way too early for anyone to be up. Except for Sanji, who she knows is already prepping for breakfast in the galley. And conveniently, you seem to be missing in action as well. It doesn't take much to put two and two together. 

She catches you right as you are entering the kitchen.

Of course, Sanji is already busying himself on the counter, chopping an array of fresh fruits into—what Nami can’t see—hearts.

“Mon trésor.” 

It barely takes a second for you to enter before Sanji is calling out to you, gaze immediately snapping towards your figure. He doesn’t need his sight to know that it’s you. He can’t admit that it’s because he’s memorized the weight of your steps on the ship, and the sweet scent of your perfumed clothes. 

A lit cigarette hangs off from his lips, though he quickly puts it away when you make your way to the dining table. 

You rub your eyes tiredly, hand then moving down to hug yourself closer in an attempt to chase some warmth. “Hi, Sanji.”

He’s melting at the sight of you. 

This might just be his favorite part of the morning, second only to when you start talking to him. You’re in your pajamas still, shirt hanging loosely over your bare shoulders. Absolutely radiant, and so domestic. You can barely open your eyes in the morning sun, and the way you carry yourself feels heavier, but more honest. Relaxed. A good sign that you slept well. 

Sanji doesn’t fight off the small flush that makes itself known across his face.

“Do you know that every time you say my name an angel gains its wings?”

You grin at the early morning flattery while you settle down on your seat. You could look like the messiest thing on the ship and Sanji will find a way to compliment you regardless. “Heaven must love me,”

“Heaven would be a fool not to love you, darling.” It doesn’t take even a beat for him to answer, and the cook puts down his knife to come closer. He makes a point to lean his face down to yours to greet you with an open teeth grin. 

And that genuinely brings a giggle out of you, leaving Nami mildly disgusted. 

When he's finally seen your smile, he returns back to the stove, slathering butter over the surface of a pan. The familiar rich aroma and the oddly calming sizzling sound makes you soften into yourself. You slouch onto the countertop, folding your elbows into each other and laying your chin on top. “I take it that this is a good morning for you?”

“Everyday better when I see your beautiful face.” He curls his lips into a smile, sneaking a quick glance at you before winking. 

Thank goodness he goes back to focusing on the pan because you are already throwing your face away to the sea, pursing your lips in a barely restrained smile before burying yourself into the crook of your arms, releasing a hidden breath. 

Sanji, that sly man, takes a quick peek from his shoulders. Seeing you, confident you, turn into a flustered puddle from his words makes him puff up so quickly. He wears his pride so boldly on his chest. No one could tell him anything for the rest of the day, and it was insufferable. 

Unbeknownst to you, he’s already started on your breakfast. He knows that you’re an early riser, and that you will almost always seek him out first thing in the morning. So everyday he sets out your breakfast ingredients and preps as much as he can. He doesn’t start cooking them before he sees your face, because he only wants the most warm and freshly cooked meal for you.

You notice it though, the way he always serves you first, no matter the time and place. Dinner? A plate of the finest meat for you first (Luffy hates it.) Going over logs with Nami? All the snacks you like are immediately placed in front of you, and a drink to compliment it following behind. He always thinks about your needs first, and if that isn’t love then you don’t know what to believe. 

Just as you are in the middle of your daydreaming, Sanji interrupts with the sound of cutlery against porcelain. He’s plating up your mouth-watering breakfast, made to absolute perfection. 

“For you madam, golden brown honey toast with freshly whipped cream on top,” he dishes out the plate in front of you, and the aroma itself sends you straight to heaven. “—extra fruit, just the way you like it.”

You didn’t think it was possible to fall deeper in love with him, but you’re proven wrong once you see the fruits that decorate your toast, all of them heart shaped. Both hand-cut and perfectly uniform using the cutter he specifically bought to use for your meals. 

You gasp in exaggeration, though deep inside you’re aching about how sweet he is to remember your preferences. “You spoil me,”

“Only the best for my favorite Strawhat.” He answers, pouring you a glass of freshly brewed coffee. 

You’re in the middle of cutting your toast in half when you look up at him, teasing by saying, “Don’t let the captain hear you say that.”

Sanji exclaims back to you in all his confidence, turning away as he places the pot on the counter. “Bah! One sirloin steak and he’ll forgive me like it never happened.”

Your giggle is like the brightest melody in his ears, and the words that follow it could bring him back from the dead. “Thank you, my chef~”

“You know my heart can’t take it,” He playfully sighs out your name, clutching his chest. Sanji stands across the table now, resting his chin on his hand against the counter top. Just happy to watch you.

“Delicious!” You continue to shoot honeyed words at him, not just as a means for him to keep sweet-talking you, but also because you think Sanji deserves all the love and goodness of this world. 

“Sing me your praises, my angel of music,”

Nami can almost see him propel himself to the sky with giddiness. 

“So perfectly crunchy,”

“—and I’m yours forever.” He takes your hand in his from across the aisle, pressing a chaste kiss to your knuckles as he looks up at you. 

Nami felt chills sweeping up her spine. 

You guys were so cheesy. But sort of.. cute. That was something she couldn’t deny. She’s never seen Sanji this genuine, and when someone actually reciprocates, it makes him look less like a fool. 

And the way you were bouncing back and forth on each other was like a sick game of ping-pong she couldn’t look away from.

She couldn’t figure out for the life of her why you two aren’t together already. It’s perfectly clear that you both feel the same way, and aren’t afraid to act upon it. A small part of her wants to meddle, and she’s halfway into a plan that’ll somehow get either of you to confess to each other, but then she abruptly stops.

Eh, you guys will sort that out yourselves. Eventually. You look like you’re exactly where you want to be. So, Nami shrugs and beelines into the kitchen, hoping to get a fresh plate of breakfast seeing that he’s already started with yours. 

The next time Nami catches a moment between the two of you wasn’t intentional. Right, because she wouldn’t be caught dead seeking the conversations you and Sanji had after that traumatizing event. 

It was late at night. For once a quiet one between all the chaos that seemed to follow the Strawhat Pirates. Luffy was snoring away somewhere with a full belly, Ussop tinkering away in his cabin, and Zoro likely in the crow’s nest. Nami decided to look for fresh air, feeling a little bit holed up inside her room. Between the gentle rocking of the sea and the soft melody of the waves, it was the perfect atmosphere to spend watching the horizon. 

She didn’t mean to overhear your conversation, but the door was open and a ship doesn’t exactly leave much room for privacy. She tried to leave the two of you alone at first, but found herself leaning against the galley wall to listen in in the end. 

When she takes a peek through the door, she finds you seated still and pretty on the stool close to him, cross-legged in your pajamas. Like a sous chef who wasn’t really a sous chef but boosted the cook all the same—if not a million times more. 

When you first got to the galley, you paid mind to his laser-focused expression. You didn't want to break his flow, so you stuck yourself against the counter at a distance. You were content with the picture of him from afar, but Sanji had absolutely none of it. He began your conversation of the night while silently dragging a stool and placing it right next to him by the stove. Safely away from getting blasted by the heat, but close enough to where he could feel you around him and talk to you without feeling a million miles away. 

He’s got on one of your top favorite get-ups: a classic blue striped dress-shirt unbuttoned just the right amount and his pink Doskoi Panda apron tied around the back. Sleeves deliciously rolled up to his elbows for a bonus. Though Nami isn’t attracted to him the way you are, she isn’t blind. She has to admit that the image of his forearms are a sight for sore eyes. Sanji can be quite charming at times, mostly when he keeps the talking to a minimum and does what he does best. 

You’re not even hiding it at this point, gaze tracking every languid move of his hands like you were hypnotized. 

It’s not hard for you to admire him when he’s deep in his element. You find yourself going quiet, not because you don’t want to talk to him, but because it’s mesmerizing to see the way he commands the kitchen like his own battleship.

There’s a small smile on your lips as you take in the passion he carries, and on your lap you fidget with the shiny silver ring on your thumb. It’s his ring—your favorite one that's shaped like a skull—that he gave to you for “safekeeping”, even though Sanji never ever takes them off. Even when he’s cooking. It’s incredibly intimate; a symbol of his trust for you.

He’s just finished cooking a dish of his own creation. A classic menu made of meat, but a little more experimental with the seasoning. You can only describe it as heaven in a plate, sweet and savory at the same time, with a hint of something that you can't fully describe with words. Yet, you enjoy it for all that it is, and the delectable fragrance isn't something to complain about, either. It’s almost shocking that Luffy hasn’t come running down the kitchen from the smell alone. Sanji isn’t technically done with the recipe, seeing as he’s trying to perfect the ingredients being used. He has his worn-out notepad by the counter, filled with endless scribbles and notes of improvement. The cook will come back to it once you’ve given your own comments on the taste.

Once finished turning down the heat, he takes a clean spoon out of the cabinet and offers you a small portion fresh out of the pan, where the dish was still simmering in the heat. 

You feel honored that you are Sanji’s unofficial taste-tester. The first time you came across the cook experimenting with new creations was a complete coincidence. That particular night you’d been restless in bed, stomach aching for a bite of food. You ended up pattering into the galley to get maybe a few crackers, a slice of bread or cheese or something that’d temporarily distract you. But you didn’t expect to feast on a five star meal once Sanji found out you were hungry. You? His precious princess starving? Not on this ship. 

What began as compliments to the chef turned into fully fledged reviews of each flavor profile, and eventually became something more intimate. A space for honesty just for you and Sanji. 

You like to think that’s where you found the real Sanji. The kind heart beyond the ladies man, the truths behind his endless honeyed words. 

You sought him out like a moth to a flame, and every night Sanji welcomed you with open arms. 

Most of the times you were there to actually be his taste-tester, which is just his excuse of having a private late dinner with you. But, other times he’s prepping meals for the next day and you’re simply there to keep him company. Either way, you’ll never skip out on an opportunity to spend time alone with Sanji.

Funnily enough, more than once you’ve caught Luffy sneaking in and rummaging through the pantry, already halfway stuffing his face with something that makes Sanji tick before he notices that the two of you are occupying the room. It’s a bit adorable that he doesn’t make a fuss about it. He never questions anything beyond “Hey… are you sneaking for snacks too?!” and then an “Okay!” followed by his high pitched laughter after Sanji kicks him out for offering you the stolen goods from his sticky hands. 

You take notice that he never lets Luffy get a bite of his cooking. Sure, if the captain asks, Sanji will make him something, but not from the same pan. A different dish all together. You think that maybe it’s because he isn’t open to someone tasting something he considers isn’t “perfect” yet, but another part of you just believes that it’s because he only trusts you to give him the honest truth. 

Still, you find it hard to believe he’d ever need one, considering everything that he makes turns out flawless. 

“More seasoning?” The cook watches as you chew on the meat slowly.

You shake your head in disagreement. “No, this is perfect, Sanji.”

“Not too sweet for you?” 

Nami sees you visibly recoil at his questions, body moving as if he was spouting blasphemy. 

He’s got his back turned to you while he rinses his hands over the sink, so he can’t see the flabbergasted frown on your face.

“This is quite possibly the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life.” You make an emphasis on the word “best”, sticking the wooden spoon back at him to signal that you wanted more.

“You flatter me, angel.” He grins, pulling the dish towel from his shoulders to wipe his hand. Then he goes straight to follow your command exactly and dips right back into the pan, scooping up a portion before blowing it softly to cool it down. 

You’re practically vibrating in your seat, legs bouncing and arms holding up the weight of your body as you lean towards him. 

“Nope. I’m just sayin’ the truth!” The words come with a pause as you’re swallowing your last bite, and the brightness comes right back up your face while you praise Sanji.

By the All Blue, he just wants to scoop you up and squeeze you in his arms for all eternity. You can be so shy around him, but also incredibly animated when expressing yourself. 

Once Sanji deems it the perfect condition for you, he motions the spoon to your mouth.

It’s a stupidly sweet gesture, and also his way of stopping you from eating the whole thing. You can just take the spoon from him and feed yourself, but you’d be lying if you said you didn’t like being pampered by Sanji. You’re not ashamed to admit that it makes you feel very special. If you truly weaponized your voice and asked him for the whole pan, he’d give it to you without a single doubt. But, it’d be a shame if he didn’t wait until he could properly serve it with some rice so you could have your very late dinner “date”.

He holds the spoon out for a beat longer to look down at the way your lips wrap around the surface, turning away only when you finish munching happily at the taste. After all, your satisfaction is his number one priority. Nami can’t see your face from where she’s at, but she can absolutely make out Sanji’s, and the way he’s staring is sensual, borderline debauched. It makes the navigator feel like she’s intruding on a private moment.

You are none the wiser to this, Sanji needs to get it together, and Nami’s very close to throwing up in front of the galley. 

Your eyes are closed as you hum contentedly once the flavors settle nicely in your stomach, and it’s then when you start to feel the weight of his stare. 

You’re only chin level on this short stool, so you have to look up to meet his eyes.

He's quiet and awfully still, taking you all in and leaving no part of you starving for his attention. There's an evident tension swimming around the kitchen, and it makes you acutely aware of just how close you are to him. Inches away. The position is a tad intimate, to say the least.

“What? Is there sauce on my face?” 

You know there isn’t anything on your face except for pure happiness, though you’re a tiny bit flustered by his attention. 

“Sorry, darling,” He's not sorry at all. He leans in to wipe the non-existent sauce, and for a second you think he’s going to deny his obvious admiration of you but then he pivots into something that is so Sanji it makes your brain melt. 

“Your beauty demands to be seen. I can’t deny you that.” He traces the back of his finger over your cheek before tucking a stray hair behind your ear. 

Time and time again, Sanji is able to surpass your every expectation. You continue to feel the weight of his stare, now much different than before because he looks at you with deep, unabashed, reverence. Not hidden, and not in halves. A softness he reserves only for you.

You’re speechless for a moment, but then he cups your face into his palms and it feels like everything just melts away. 

Now Nami understands. Why you adore him so much. Why you don’t need to scream it out to the world that you love him (although you would love to). The two of you aren’t “together” officially not because you don’t want to, or are too shy to say it out loud. But because you enjoy every part of who he is. The chasing, the teasing, the thrill; it’s everything in him that makes you feel alive. You don’t need words for him to understand that you love him, just as he doesn’t. 

Nami watches the way you look up at him, positively beaming. The silence is broken away when you start giggling to yourself, and it only makes Sanji move closer to you, his forehead bumping gently against yours as he sports an identical grin on his face.

She shakes her head, both astonished and happy to see you flourishing in his presence, before walking away with an affectionate eye-roll.

Yeah. You two are the lamest.

Mon trésor: My treasure

Aaah I couldn’t really decide which sanji to base this fic off of. I ended up doing a bit of both 🍽️

So when the mysterious man had moved into the towering mansion at the very end of the village without a word, it had caused a rather large fuss within the community. Rumors started sprouting every hour of the man, each one getting more and more ridiculous than the last one. 

“I heard he’s so ugly, he can’t show his face to anyone!”

“I heard he did some terrible crime and he fled to this town to hide.”

“I heard he’s a vampire and he’s here to look for his next victim.”

It only got more and more outlandish from there, with people reporting that they saw ‘suspicious’ activity from his manor and that he was surely up to no good. Apparently, doing your grocery shopping late at night and having a rather poor nicotine addiction was enough to be regarded as suspicious in this village. 

You’ve learned to not mind the stories the villagers tended to make up. It was all in fun and jest, you convinced yourself. Technically speaking, it wasn’t harming anyone and the man surely didn’t seem to mind, not that you heard of at least. You were curious about this mysterious man, however. Every now and then you would hear brief descriptions of his appearance, he has unkempt blonde hair, you know! and whispers of his actions, he buys such fancy ingredients, he must be one of those fancy gentlemen from the city.

You desperately wanted to achieve your own interaction with him, just so you could categorize him personally in your head. Was he kind? Gentlemanly? Mean? Stuck-up? You just wanted to know. 

Despite your wants, life moved on. Early summer was creeping into the town, with hot winds and long nights settling into the crooks of the cobblestone roads. It was a late night when you had decided to step out of the small cottage you called home and out into the streets. Street lamps lit the weathered roads orange as your shadow danced across the stones. It was late, but you simply couldn’t sleep. It was one of those nights where the sheets were sticking to your legs, the heat clinging to your skin, and your thoughts were drifting to every random question that shooed sleep away. Hopefully, a late night walk would be just the cure to tire you out enough to finally get some sleep. 

The night wasn’t too scary of an endeavor in this town – most people knew not to mess with others during this late at night lest they wanted the whole town to hear about it the very next day. You hummed as you walked, the breeze in the air bringing some slight relief from the pounding heat. You walked and walked and walked until your feet led you to the edge of the forest, the dark towering trees looming nearby and adding an edge to the moonlit night that made you swallow in trepidation. The mysterious man’s manor sat right at the cusp of the forest, the trees serving nearly as a gated fence to the property.

Tentatively, you walk closer to the forest, attempting to peer in the dark woods. Beyond the sound of the night creatures, you hear something else. A distinct shuffling, a quickened pace, and you step closer to the forest to see what it is despite the warning bells ringing in your head. You inch forward, the canopy of leaves from the trees blocking out the moonlight, your only source of light. You swear you can hear the sound getting closer to you when - “Ouch!” 

The lack of light made seeing the path difficult and it led you to land on the ground. Your knee had skidded against some sharp rocks right as you fell and the stinging of the rocks against your skin burned brightly. Thankfully, you weren’t bleeding but it would surely leave a bruise against your skin. 

“Are you okay, ma belle?” 

A gloved hand reached out to take yours, pulling you up from the ground. The figure led you out of the woods and back into the moonlit night, the mansion once more hovering just beyond the hill of forest. The man was blonde and was looking at you with concern in his eyes as he knelt to his knees to brush any dirt that stuck to your skin. 

You felt heat rise to your cheeks as you realized that this man that you didn’t even know was standing there doting on you while you stood there processing everything that occurred in the past five minutes. Backing away you stammed, “I’m okay! I’m alright, thank you, I’m sorry for worrying you.” 

He chuckled, “Nonsense, I was just hoping the forest didn’t scare you off. Ah, where are my manners? I am Sanji, the town’s new neighbor. And you are…?” He trailed off, his eyes light with curiosity. 

Quickly, you told him your name and he smiled at you brightly. He was so pretty, something you could deduce even in the darkness of the night. The layers of his blonde hair brushed the nape of his neck and were a contrast to the dark curl of his eyebrows. He dressed dapper - like a city gentleman, his whole ensemble topped off with the chain of a pocket watch hung on the loops of his pants. The smell of cigarette smoke and cloves hung off him and you had the strange desire to bury yourself nose deep in the scent. 

“Since it is so late, shall I walk you back to your home? A lady shouldn’t walk alone at night, you know.” He offered out his arm to you and tentatively you looped your arm around his as he escorted you down the cobbled path. 

Clearing your throat you look over to him, “So, what made you want to move over to this town, Sanji? You seem more like you’re meant for the city than anything.” 

There’s a slight pause as if Sanji is searching for the words to come to him, for a story to land on the tip of his tongue. “I’m… I heard that this manor has some strange history. So, I have come to explore more of that.” He stops once more in speech as if combing over his words and then nods, seemingly satisfied with his response. “What about you? What does a beautiful lady like yourself do here?” 

You duck your head at his pretty words, miffed at the fact that you could be so easily wooed by him. “I’m the librarian here, I have been for a couple of years now. If you want to explore the history here, I could always help you.” You debate saying the next few words, wondering if perhaps they would be too bold for someone you had only just met. Ah, well, he was already flirting wasn’t he? It wouldn’t be all so horrible if you tried the same. “Or I could fend off any dangers from your handsome person.” 

At that he stops walking, leading you to pause as well. The start of a grin begins forming across his face. “Oh? You think I’m handsome, then?”

Perhaps you couldn’t do this flirting thing. “Well- I mean- I suppose-” you take a deep breath. “Yes, maybe I do.” 

With that, the two of you start walking once more and you swear you can feel him tug you just the slightest bit closer to his body. The moon shone upon your backs as you led him toward the wooden door of your house, swaying slightly on your feet once you were stood upon the welcome mat. “We’re here! This is my place.” You gesture with a flourish of your hand. Tentatively, you unhook your other arm from where it rested on the crook of his elbow. “I’ll see you around, then?” 

Sanji gave you a quiet smile, ever so alluring in this time of night. He nodded. “I shall see you, ma belle.” 

✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚

He did indeed see you rather soon. Only a few days had passed when you heard the clang of the library door opening and closing. It was dusk, the sun nearly completely set and the sky colored in pretty reds and pinks. It was nearing the end of your shift, only a few people still left in the quietness of the library, a few students hunched over their homework and an old lady nose deep into a book about architecture. Sanji sauntered over to the front desk where you were immersed into a book yourself, when he leaned his body over the desk and whispered to you in a conspiratorial manner, “I heard there’s a rather pretty lady who works here, have you heard of her?”

You jumped at his presence and immediately felt heat rush to your face at his flirtatious words. Slowly, you close the heavy book with a thump and look up at him, face resting on your hand. “Hm, I don’t recall but I did hear something about a rather handsome gentleman that moved into town recently.” 

You grin at the redness that takes over the tips of his ears before looking back down at your book. “Oh! Look at this book I’m reading, our conversation from before made me look more into the history of this place. Did you know that this place has a history of weird mythical creatures? I saw something about vampires?”

Something shifted within his expression as he tried to school his face into neutrality, “Is that so? How odd that they would add something like that in the books.” 

You nod eagerly, excited at all the possibilities this research could lead to. Pointing at the text upon the pages, you shake his shoulders in anticipation, “We have to look more into this, it looks so interesting.”

He nods, gazing woefully at the ancient book before dragging his eyes away and back onto you. The look in his eyes melt into something softer as he places a gentle hand on the small of your back. “How about we get some food first before we look more into this, hm? You’re probably tired from work.”

Dramatically, you sigh and lean your head upon his shoulder. He stiffens just slightly before softening into your touch. “Food sounds nice but –” 

Before you can finish your sentence he claps his hands together and ushers you to pack your stuff and out the door. “Great! I know just the place, I’ve helped train some of their cooks. Their food will be the absolute best.”

Just like that, it becomes a routine. You grow used to his constant presence in your life. He makes himself known. It’s in the way the bell of the library jangles in a particular melody when he enters through. The click-clack sound his fancy city boy shoes make against the linoleum floors. It’s in the way the crook of his elbow now seems perfectly molded for your arm to link with. The way he comes knocking upon your door when you haven’t seen each other in a day or two with freshly made food and a brilliant smile. 

Sanji has made sure to make his presence known in a manner where when he is not there, you feel hollow. Empty. But even then, that was a rare occurrence and he always made sure to make up for it every time. 

There were bouts where he just seemed so drained, so tired and then he’d be gone from your life for a day or two. No visits, no message, no nothing. Silence. He’d come back every time like a stray cat hounding for affection and looking much more rejuvenated. You never minded of course, you could stand some time to yourself and to steel yourself against his constant flirtations. 

A prime example would be when he had insisted on a surprise outing and had clasped his gloved palms against your eyes. His gloves were soft against your skin but it made you wonder whether he was hot beneath all the layers he donned. Any time the two of you met during the daytime instead of the typical nightly outings, he was always dressed in so many layers, almost like a protection against the sun. You wondered how his skin looked under all those clothes - the paleness but still so pretty. How it would feel to kiss – 

“We’re here!” 

His hands fell away from your eyes to reveal a quaint red-brick building. Robin’s Bookstore was painted at the very top in bright purple letters, the paint still seemingly fresh. 

You look at him, a smile growing infectiously across your face. “You took me to a bookstore?” 

He returned your smile, his happiness only growing at the sight of yours. “Of course, you loved telling me all about what you’ve found so far on these uh, vampires, I figured you’d like to find some more books that weren’t in your library. Of course, I’ll buy any book you desire, this outing is all for you, my darling.” 

Your heart surged at his kind words, you didn’t know what to do with yourself. To have someone pay attention to you so diligently and take interest in your interests, it was such a lovely thing to experience. 

Without thinking, you rush into him, wrapping your arms around his waist and holding him tight. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love it.” 

You feel him pause momentarily before returning your embrace. His chin rests atop your head and he pulls you even tighter against him. “Anything for the smartest girl I know.” 

You look up at him, eyes narrowed playfully, “Your pretty words will have no effect on me.”

Releasing you from the embrace, his hand slides around your waist as he leads you into the store. “Ah, is that so? How unfortunate, I’m only repeating the truth to you.” 

In that fashion, the two of you progressed further, the shape of your relationship looking more and more like a pair of lovers. It continued in that manner until the day where you had mistakenly thought the two of you would finally address this game the two of you were playing. 

“I do believe you’re trying to kill me, darling.” He said as he twirled you around so your dress could flourish around your frame. 

You grinned at him and bumped your hip against his, “I would never.”

Your hands laced together tentatively, his long and slender fingers twined with yours. This affection was a new development, teetering your relationship further and further to something you weren’t quite sure how to define. You surely liked Sanji – he was practically perfect. Always kind, gentlemanly, eager to hear your rants in your new found research, but still there was still missing. It was like he was hiding something, something you just couldn't put your finger on. 

Shaking the thought away, you turned to him and asked, “What are we doing today? Another fancy dinner?”

Sanji shook his head before looking away bashfully. “I found a pretty place in the forest near the manor, if you wanted to go?” He scratches the back of his head nervously, “I figured it was something you’d like to see but if –”

“Well let’s go then, pretty boy.” You say dragging him forward by his hand and he tumbles slightly on the sidewalk as he catches up with you. The smile on his face grows wider as he holds your hand tighter and leads you to the clearing. 

The sight was indeed an area you enjoyed, it looked something out of a fairytale with the moonlight basking everything in a pretty silver light and the cool breeze offering some relief from the summer night. You sat near some rocks, careful of stepping on any sparse flowers sprouting in the area. “It’s beautiful, Sanji.” 

You feel him come sit by you, thigh to thigh, arms pressed against each other. He plucks a stray white flower gently and places it by your ear. “You are indeed.” 

Heat rises on your face and you look away bashfully, “Oh well, I don’t –” 

He leans closer, grasping your chin and bringing your face to look back at his. His eyes glint brightly in the night light, he looks other-wordly. He was pressed so close to you, you could feel his warm chest so near, the feel of his fingers against your cheek, brushing against your cheekbone. He glances down to your lips before looking back up to you. Your heart races faster at the motion – was this it? Would he finally tell you of his feelings? 

“Sanji,” you breathed. “I wanted to tell you that I – ouch!” 

The rock you had sat on had a jagged end near the back and in your panic to get the words out to Sanji, the words to tell him that you liked him, you cut your hand on the sharp parts of the boulder. It wasn’t a deep cut by any means, but the blood still spilled out from the opening on your palm. “Ah, look at me being clumsy, I’m sorry Sanji – Sanji?” 

Sanji’s eyes were wide, round, and pupils blown wide at the sight on your palm. He blinked hard as you repeated his name, seemingly shaking himself out of a daze. All at once, he looked away from you, turning his head in the complete opposite direction. 

“Sanji? Are you okay?” 

He nodded, still refusing to look at you, bent over and covering the lower half of his face. Cautiously, you walked closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, “Sanji –” 

“Don’t come near me.” 

He turned, hands still covering the lower half of his face. Even with his face half covered, he seemed… different. He looked sharp almost, his eyes seemingly predatory and hungry, such a stark contrast from the soft way he was looking at you only five minutes prior. 

“What?” you asked, confused. Why was he acting like this so suddenly? Was he sensitive to blood perhaps? 

He shook your hand off and took a few steps away from you. Shaking his head, he backed away even more. “I can’t – I’m sorry – I have to go.” With that, he sprints off, disappearing into the darkness of the forest. 

You stared at his disappearing silhouette, gaping at the situation that just unfolded in front of you. Still clutching your bleeding hand, you sigh and glare at the boulder, kicking some grass at the innocent piece of rock. “This is all your fault, you know.”

The rock did not bother to respond. 

✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚

Similarly, Sanji never bothered to respond. He never bothered to come back to clarify on his odd behavior, never came to apologize, no. Rather, he decided to completely disappear from your life. Gone were the near-daily library visits, the dinner not-dates, the affectionate touches and caresses of his. He had just uprooted himself from your life with no remorse. 

And so you rearranged the slight aching in your chest at the missing presence in your life and kept moving. Life did not end when (a rather handsome) romantic conquest decided to disappear on you. No, life would keep cycling forward and you would do your damndest to keep up with it. 

You kept up the rigorous amount of research, not for Sanji’s curiosity anymore, for yours. You found the depth of history within this town to be interesting, the near-mythical traditions it carried were something rooted deep into the grounds you walked daily. The books reported on the villagers of the then-time and how they’d ward against a variety of creatures, the most stark mention being vampires. The wild roses upon the doors, the ash-wood stakes always prepared in stashes, the adamant use of blackwood, it was all something of a fairytale, you thought.

Beyond that, you threw yourself into any activity you could, if just to ignore the hollow ache in your chest. Visiting the farmer’s market, taking yourself out on solo dinner dates, crafting just to have something to do with your hands. Anything to bring a brief distraction and peace of mind to yourself. Sure, your time with Sanji wasn’t anything long but you had found your heart attached to him and his manners in a way that made you hope for a future. 

Scoffing at the thought now, you shuffled around in your cottage, grimly getting up to make dinner for yourself. It was a rainy day, the dim weather only further greyed out your own mood. “Maybe I should make pasta…” you murmured, still half in a daze as you scooted around in your slippers. 

There is the single knock on your door just then, pulling you out of your thoughts. Pulling open the door, you try to stop the gaping of your mouth as you stare at the mouth standing in front of you. Just at your doorstep stood Sanji, the rain making his blond hair cling to the sides of his face and the back of his neck. There was an expression of desperation on his face as he stood in front of you, hands clasped together. 

“I’m sorry.”

Despite your heart lurching in your chest, you crossed your arms and squinted at him. “For what?”

His eyes search yours, desperate and begging, before he lowers his head. “For disappearing. I- I didn’t mean to and it was wrong of me to leave you like that, I just - I had to.”

You narrow your eyes further at him, “What do you mean you had to?” Pausing, you think back over to the events that occurred that night that he left you. “Are you scared of blood? Is that it? If that’s what it is, you should’ve told me. I wouldn’t have judged you for it, Sanji.”

There is a brief moment where it seems like he is digesting your words before he nods fervently, “Yes, yes, that’s exactly it. I just can’t stand blood.” His nose crinkles at the last word. 

A crack of thunder roars in the back and you frown at the sky before opening your door wider, indicating for him to come inside. Sanji just looks back at you, hesitating while looking at the entry frame of your door. “Sanji.” you say, concern on your lips. “Come inside, you’ll get sick.” 

You swear you hear a murmur of “...can’t get sick.” But at your words, he comes in leaving a forming puddle of water in the hall of your entryway. Pushing him forward into your home, you sit him down on the couch before running to fetch him a towel.

Rummaging through your drawers you manage to scrounge up an old baggy sweatshirt and some unused sweatpants and you rush back to toss the clothes at him. “Wear this.” At his protests, you give him a glare that makes him close his mouth immediately, and continue, “I’m going to cook dinner for us and you will eat it and you can sleep here for the night, it’s supposed to rain till the morning.” 

Shooing him off to the bathroom, you go to the bathroom and start on the food. Something quick and easy and hopefully warming enough to heat up his perpetually cold, rained on, skin. 

By the time Sanji comes out, the food is already half ready. He shuffles onto one of the seats on the wooden dinner table, looking utterly at place in your home. He folded the sleeves of the sweatshirt, showing his long forearms and his hair had been swept back and ruffled, giving the impression that he had just taken a rather long nap rather than being rained on. 

You set a warm bowl in front of him before settling into the seat next to him. He looks at you, adoration in his eyes, “Thank you. For this,” he gestures to the clothes and the warm food, “and for giving me another chance.” 

Looking at him from the corner of your eye, you bite back your smile as you say, “Who says I’m giving you another chance? Maybe I just felt bad for keeping you in the rain.” 

His expression blanches and you don’t hold back your laughter this time around. Turning fully towards him, you reach out to tuck a stray strand of his hair from his face. “I’m kidding. We can restart, if that’s what you want. But,” you point a finger at him, “if you disappear on me again, that’ll be the last time you ever see me.” 

He nods eagerly, “I promise you, darling, I won’t disappear from you again. Not ever.”

✧˚ ༘ ⋆｡˚

Just like that, you once more readjust your life to Sanji’s presence. He comes swooping into your life even harder than before, whisking you away at any given opportunity. This time, however, you make sure to be just a bit more wary of his gestures, lest there is a repeat of what happened before. 

Despite that, you can feel yourself falling deeper and deeper for him. More of you wants to reach out to him, to caress his hair, to melt straight into his arms and kiss the life out of him. He is gentle in every form of the word and always reaches out to take care of you in words you couldn’t explain. In some way, it felt like you had already been in a relationship for years and you had somehow fallen in the midst of it without experiencing the beginning of it. 

In a late night where your shift at the library was drearily long, sorting through archives becoming something dreary and not enjoyable in the moment – you were dragging your feet home at the thought of having to do even more tasks at home. The mere thought of having to change your clothes or even cooking felt so dreadful, you just wanted to lay in a pile right there on the street. 

Yet somehow, when you opened the door to your cottage, a welcome mat now placed near the entryway at Sanji’s insistence, you find the blonde already bent over in your kitchen hard at work chopping vegetables. It was no surprise to find him in your house; the two of you had exchanged spare house keys with one another, after realizing just how often the pair of you were basically co-habitating together. 

No, the surprise was that he took the time to memorize your schedule and he took it upon himself to cook you dinner so you’d have something warm and restful to come home to. At the sound of you bustling in from the door, he looks up with his hair half-covering his eyes. “You’re home.” The words creep into your heart, home. “Rough day? I laid out your favorite pajamas on the bed and I made some noodle soup.” 

In that moment, you swear you could’ve melted into him right then and there. You feel your eyes prick with the familiarity of tears and you just stand there in the middle of the room, shoulders slumped and staring at him with glassy eyes. When he glances over to you, he does a doubletake at your expression before setting down the knife and enveloping you in his arms. “Oh, darling. It’s been a long day, hm?”

You wrap your arms around his waist and lay your head on his chest, breathing in the scent of him deeply. You nod against him and he hums incomprehensible words of comfort into your hair, keeping you tight against him. He holds you until you finally let go and offer him a watery smile. Smiling back, he brushes a thumb against your cheekbone and presses a gentle kiss on your forehead. “Go change and then we can eat, okay? Maybe watch your favorite show too, if you want to.” 

Nodding, you make your way to your room with your heart fluttering madly with the feel of his kiss on your skin. It was the new things like this that you simply couldn't get used to. You wanted more from him, more of him, but something just held you back, a fear that speaking it out loud or making a move first would break the spell that held the two of you locked in this grey-area. 

The two of you danced in this unknown area for months. For months, it continued that way, with the two of you closing the gap until there was no way to move without toeing the line that both of you were too scared to cross. It had all bubbled to that day – it had been a couple of days since you had seen Sanji, a rare occurrence and something in you was warning you something was wrong. He hadn't visited, left a note, or given you a warning and something within you was telling you that there was something amiss in his behavior. 

Near sunset, after lazing about within the town and soaking up the sunlight, you decided to go visit him. You had visited him in his manor-like house many times and this wasn’t any different. Still, your heart plucked in anxiety as you walked up the steep hill to his front door, the sky darkening as you made your way up. Knocking tentatively, you call out, “Sanji?” 

There is a silence beyond the door and you shift nervously on your feet, wondering if you should knock again or simply just come in. Just like he had with your home, you had grown comfortable with the idea of coming into his house with the key he had given you, but in the case he was home, the idea of knocking just sounded right. 

After waiting a couple of more minutes on the front door, you fish out the rustic key from your pocket and open the creaking door. Looking around the home, you call out his name once more, dazed by the silence in his home. He always made himself known in the house, whether it was with music playing or simply by being busy enough to create noise – you had known him well enough now to know he was not someone who was fond of silence, but was someone who liked the hustle and bustle of life. 

Walking deeper into the home, you squint against the darkness before spotting a candle near a desk. Glancing past that, you see Sanji curled up on the couch and clutching his stomach. 

“Sanji?”

His eyes flash open and he looks at you in pure confusion before sitting up and backing away. “Why - Why are you here?” 

“I was worried about you and I haven’t seen you in a couple of days so-” 

“Leave.”

You swear you can see a flash of white as he speaks but that slips your focus as indignation rises in your chest. “Excuse me? I will not leave, I was worried for you-”

Once more, he cuts you off. With almost super human speed, he stood in front of you, his eyes darkened with an unread emotion. Grasping your wrist, he brings it close to his face, his nose leaned against your wrist, right near the pulse point. “I would be more worried for you, right now darling.” 

The flash of white appears once more and you realize dimly what they are. Fangs. Swallowing your nerves, you look him in the eyes and ask, “What do you mean? Why are you worried?”

He inhales, his pupils blown out with desire. “Because, my dear librarian, I am the creature you so deeply researched.” He presses a kiss to your wrist before trailing down your arm leaving more down the path. “I am the vampire, you’ve been reading about all this time. I’ve been avoiding you because I haven’t fed in a very long time and I fear I am particularly…hungry.” Another kiss. 

“I wouldn’t want my beloved human to be hurt.” Your pulse is jumping from your skin, the veins almost pulsating with the rapidness of your heart. “Unless she wants to be, of course.” 

You lean into him, sighing out his name. “Sanji.”

“Hm?”

You weren’t surprised at his revelation. There was always a sneaking suspicion within you that he was holding some kind of secret like this, with his constant aversion to sunlight, frequenting out at nighttime or being completely covered in the daylight – or how he would only come in to your home when you asked him to until he placed the welcome mat upon your doorstep. Better yet, when he ran off on you when he saw the brief glimpse of your blood. It all made sense. Truly, when it came down to it, you didn’t mind. You had fallen for him completely and a secret like this was something you could live with, if only it meant that you could have him. 

Trailing your hand up to cup his face, you lean closer into him, your nose brushing against his. “Kiss me, please. I want you, I don’t care that you’re a vampire, I want you.”

He didn’t spare a single moment before crashing his lips into yours. You can feel the sharpness of his fangs as he kissed you, the press of his tongue as he explored your mouth. Separating away, just so you could take a breath, he pulled away as your chest rose for air. He didn’t stop, he pressed you into the desk as he pulled down the collar of your shirt to leave open-mouthed kisses against your collarbone. 

You could feel the swirl of his tongue against your skin, kissing and leaving marks all over. Moaning, you swept a hand into his hair, pressing him closer into your skin. You wanted him to devour you, to be so close to you that you melded into one. Wrapping your legs around his waist, you pulled him closer to you, so you could feel him right against your heat. 

“Sanji, please.”

He grinds against your clothed cunt before laying you down on the desk, pushing aside anything in the way. He kisses you once more, needy and urgent for your touch and you can feel him moving against you, desperate for any friction to get the two of you off. 

His dark eyes gleam with hunger and desire as he looks down your heated face, drinking in every detail, the way your chest heaved with each ragged breath, the pulse fluttering wildly at the base of your throat, the intoxicating scent of your arousal filling his nostrils. A low, approving growl rumbled in his chest.

“Mmm, such an eager little thing, aren't you? So desperate.” His cool fingers trailed feather-light caresses along your inner thighs, teasing higher and higher until they brushed against the damp fabric covering your most intimate area. He inhaled deeply, savoring your essence.

Just as quickly, Sanji pinned your wrists above your head, looming over you with a wicked grin that flashed glimpses of his elongated canines. His other hand made quick work of your lower garments, baring you completely to his hungry gaze. Leaning down, he dragged the flat of his tongue along the column of your throat, mapping out your racing pulse. Sharp teeth nipped playfully at your earlobe. 

“Tell me, darling, do you have any idea what you're offering yourself up to?”

His knee nudged your thighs apart as he settled between them, the hard ridge of his arousal pressing insistently against your core through the confines of his trousers.

“I do,” you say, raising your hips against his, desperate for any sort of friction. “Just, please, I can take it, give it to me, Sanji.” 

A dark chuckle escaped him at your plea, his eyes flashing with primal hunger. In one swift motion, he ripped away the remaining barriers between your bodies, freeing his length. The swollen head notched against your slick entrance, teasing you with the promise of what’s to come.

“As you wish, my dear.” he breathed hotly against your ear, his grip tightening on your hips. To emphasize his point, he licked a slow stripe up your neck before grazing his fangs over your jumping pulse, not quite breaking the skin. 

With that, he surged forward, sheathing himself to the hilt inside your tight heat with a guttural groan. One hand grips your hip bruisingly tight while the other tangles in your hair, yanking your head back to expose the column of your throat. He stilled for a moment, savoring the sensation of your walls clenching around him. “You feel incredible, like you were made just for me, my pretty girl.”

You whine against him, words lost on you as you're drowning in the feeling of him inside you. With glassy eyes, you look at him pleadingly, wanting him to continue fucking you, to bite you. Incomprehensible babbles escaped you and he obliged. 

Sanji began to move then, setting a relentless pace as he drove into you again and again, each powerful thrust hitting that perfect spot deep inside. The wet sounds of your joining filled the room, mingling with your wanton cries and his own guttural moans of pleasure.

“That's it,” he growled. “Let me hear you, let me hear how good you feel,”  his hips snapping forward with supernatural strength and control.

His lips latched onto your throat, suckling hard as his fangs pierced the delicate skin. Hot, tingling pleasure-pain radiated out from the points of entry as he began to drink deeply, your rich, warm blood flooding his senses. He swallowed greedily, the taste of you igniting his passion to new heights. 

“You taste so good,” he rasps in between gulps. “I’ve wanted you for so long and I can’t believe you’re letting me, hah, you feel so good ma belle.”

Lost in the passion, he continued his relentless assault on your senses, drinking deeply from your throat even as he pistoned his hips, driving into your welcoming heat with inhuman vigor. The dual sensations of his fangs and his thick cock stretching you deliciously sent jolts of electric pleasure coursing through your veins.

He panted praises against your skin as he lapped at the puncture wounds on your neck to seal them. “I could feast on you for eternity and never tire.” 

One hand released its bruising grip on your hip to snake between your sweat-slicked bodies, clever fingers finding your aching clit. He circled the sensitive bundle of nerves with ruthless precision, determined to push you over the edge into blissful oblivion. 

Feeling your body begin to tense and quiver beneath him, Sanji doubled his efforts, his fingers working your clit in tight, fast circles as he angled his hips to hit that special spot inside you with every deep thrust. The obscene slap of flesh on flesh echoed through the room, punctuated by your keening cries and his own animalistic grunts.

“Yes, yes, that's it! Let go for me, mon amour,” he urged huskily. “Come undone on my cock, I want to feel you as I fill you with my cum.” His movements grew more erratic, chasing his own rapidly approaching orgasm.

With a final, brutal thrust, Sanji buried himself to the hilt inside you, his cock pulsing and twitching as he spilled his release deep within your spasming walls. A guttural moan tore from his throat, echoing off the stone walls as wave after wave of intense pleasure crashed over him. 

He collapsed against you, his weight pinning you to the desk as the last tremors of your climax worked their way through your body. After a long moment, he lifted his head to gaze at you with hooded, satisfied eyes, a lazy smile playing about his kiss-swollen lips. “That wasn’t how I had wanted to ask you to be yours but,” he bites his lip almost nervously, despite the show he had just presented to you. “Let me be yours. Let me court you properly.” 

Heaving a heavy breath, you run a hand through his hair, a laugh on your lips. “Is that how the vampires do it? You’ll court me?”

He tucks his face into the crook of your neck, almost hiding. “If that’s what you’d like of course, darling.” 

Unable to hide the smile spreading across your face, you bring his face back to yours and press a kiss to his lips. “I would love nothing more, my dear vampire.” 

You sigh dreamily, leaning your head on your hand as you watch him in the kitchen. You were a mere 10 feet away, right at the dining table but with no concern of if he heard you or not. Nami shoots you a disgusted look as Robin paid no mind. You three were supposed to be reviewing each others notes gathered from the last island you visited, maps, papers, notebooks, and sketches strews about the table. You were supposed to provide your sketches of the landscape and mentioning things unique to the island but you were busy watching the chef flutter about in the kitchen. Your paper went from organized notes to being littered with little sketches and doodles of said man who insisted making you three afternoon snacks.

"He's right there" Nami says flatly, trying to nudge you from your heart eyes and very obvious swooning

"He can't hear me, he's focused on the food" You said with certainty, before adding, "He looks so handsome when he's focused"

Nami faux-gags, rolling her eyes as Robin chuckles.

"Why aren't you guys dating again? Not that I want you both to, it would be disgusting if you guys were all lovey dovey in front of our faces." Nami asks

You shrug, "I'm in no rush. I'm very open about liking him but it's not anything I want to deal with right away. Just crushing on him is a lot of fun." You explain, eyes never leaving him

Nami seems to accept the explanation, albeit still finding the longing looks annoying. She and Robin go back to the papers as you take a minute just looking at him, mentally promising yourself that you'd go back to your notes after a minute.

You watch the way he moves stations, chopping up nuts and toppings as he waits for the savory snack to cook on the stove. He checks on it a few times, timing his prep and cook time perfectly as he finishes up cutting chives and moves to flip the crepes on the stove. You eye the way his tie is loosened, the top button undone to relieve him slightly of the heat of the kitchen. His sleeves are rolled up, giving you the perfect view of the flex of his forearms as he lifts the heavy pan. You could hear him humming to himself and you see the shape of his smiling cheeks from behind.

Gosh, you wish you could hear his sweet voice right now. It would be the cherry on top of how delicious he looked.

While the girls are busy, you call out to him, "Sanji?"

The girls pay your shenanigans no mind, used to you always chatting him up

"Yes, My Love?" He answers back, his voice certain, smooth, and clearly comfortable the way he's in his space.

You melt, you know he used those pet names on everyone but hearing it directed at you was enough to fuel your daydreams.

"Nothing" you answer back, just wanting to hear what pet name he'd call you this time, in that suave voice too.

That seemed to energize you, letting you go back to your work as you wait for him to finish cooking

-

Another day, you wake up to the crew already having had breakfast. You decide to make yourself a meal as you were too late and Sanji already packed the leftovers in the ice box and washed the dishes. After making yourself a simple omelette, Sanji comes back in the kitchen to wash the remaining dishes. He finds you already eating and gives you a good morning kiss on the head. You note how touchy he was and let your mind wander if he would act the same or more affectionate if you both were an item. You eat slowly, wanting to wait for him to finish so he could join you in the dining room. Once he does, he walks over and sits with you, claiming he had free time and 'a lovely woman such as yourself should never eat alone.'

You chat him up, enjoying the food and letting him taste your cooking, something you don't do as often anymore now that he makes all the crew's meals.

There's a gap in the conversation, allowing you both to sit in comfortable silence, before you pipe up once more, "Sanji,"

He instinctively turns his head to you, letting you look into his ocean blue eyes, "Yes, Dear?"

You hum in content, shaking your head dismissively with no further response as he looks at you a little confused but with a smile nonetheless. You finish your food and get up to wash your plate as he wonders what antics you were up to.

-

A few days later, Nami indicates you were near the next island. Everyone waits outside, waiting to dock in a few hours. You sit outside on the upper level of the ship, basking in the sun with the drink Sanji made you. You sip and savor the flavor, the mocktail refreshing in the morning sun. Sanji finishes handing out the drinks and takes a smoke break at the railing of the ship.

"This drink is great! You should use this syrup-to-soda proportion more!" You call out to him, praising the technique he mastered in making mocktails. You weren't against drinking alcohol per se, but it was morning and you had stuff to do later in the day so he thoughtfully prepared you something not intoxicating. You would beg to differ though, anything he made you was intoxicating enough

He grins back at you at the compliment, "Thank you, Darling!" He yells back, dramatically making a small bowing gesture as you playfully pretend to applaud him. You both giggle at each other, your cheeks warm and you heart wanting just a little more of his affectionate titles.

"Hey Sanji!" You couldn't help yourself

"Yes, Sweetheart?"

You grin, not getting enough of his terms of endearment. You wave your hand around, "Nevermind!"

He looks at you with a smile and furrowed brows, not knowing why you kept calling but never responding to his reply. He shakes his head with a chuckle, letting you get up to whatever you were doing.

-

It was one night when he finally asked. He was catching a breather outside in the cold night air before getting ready for bed. You followed him out, wanting to milk more time with him in the day.

You approach him from behind, "Mind if join you?"

He glances at you as he lights a cigarette, "You're always welcome to join me, Darling" replies with a smile that was enough to warm you in the cold of the night.

You stand with him, looking at the stars and trying to remember the constellations you read about but couldn't quite memorize. He looks far from the ship, enjoying the quiet company you were always able to provide.

After a few minutes, you break the silence, now so used to getting doses of dopamine from him too conveniently, "Sanji?"

"Yes, Dearest?"

You shrug, "Nothing" you say, content with the name. You fail hold back a smile, cheeks warm and heart buzzing in the familiar but butterfly inducing feeling that he always gave you.

You expect him to just leave it again but this time he asks you, "Why do you keep doing that?"

"Doing what?" You instinctively play dumb

"You know what. You keep calling my name but not saying anything after. Not that I mind, I'm just curious" he adds the last bit, knowing you and not wanting you to feel bad or like you couldn't call for him whenever you want.

You sigh, the jig is up and you have to come clean now. "Fine, fine. It's because... well, you call every woman by a nice, endearing name. I know it's just natural to you but I just so happened to really like it" you say, a cheeky grin on your face when you nudge him.

You knew it was something so lighthearted he wouldn't be bothered by it at all. "Is it so wrong that I wanna hear it every now and then? You have all the names to spare, and if I'm being honest, I'd prefer if you use them on me more than other women"

It was his turn to blush. Sure, you both always had a sense of affection that was special to you two. You always went back and forth on the sweet gestures and you were always a little more open to his touches than other girls, but he didn't expect you to want this much more of him.

He's left speechless as he tried to take in your request.

You giggled, loving the effect your flirtations had on him. "Maybe you'd be more inclined if I returned the pet names. Doesn't that sound nice, Honey?"

That got him. He might as well be short circuiting the way he stammered and the blood dripped from his nose. You take your handkerchief, one that smells as sweet as you, and pressed it to the dripping blood. He was frozen, not knowing what to say as he just held the hand pressing the holding the handkerchief up.

"I- I- I- that sounds.... so good" He would've phrased is better, but his brain could not process how amazing it was to hear the same sweet names from your mouth. Your voice was now the one carrying the titles, with him the bearer of them.

You giggle, cupping his face and holding his nose as long as he needed

˚₊‧꒰ა . ——— ˗ˏˋ ✮ ˎˊ˗ ——— ˖ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

A/N: Been a while but FRICK I love Sanji sm I had to write a little sumn sumn. Don't worry yall I'll still post sometimes I love crushing on characters. I just be writing whatever whenever. Thanks for reading!!