One Piece

Stranger Things:

Steve Harrington

Eddie Munson

Mike Wheeler

Bob Reynolds

Rhett Abbott

Bellamy Blake

Marvel

Miscellaneous

knot tricks // vinsmoke sanji

you were twirling ribbon between your fingers when buggy stormed in, ruining your focus and dragging an exasperated huff from you. “something i can help you with, captain?” despite his general decency and somewhat respectfulness, buggy forgets he can’t just barge in anywhere, anytime.

“that isn’t your new costume.”

you stopped threading white and red ribbon through your hair and blinked, “correct, captain.”

“and why is that? i work very hard to make sure you look good, you know. as one of my star acts, i just think—“

“if you put me in any less clothing, i’m going to be hanging from that rope by gripping it between my ass cheeks. last i checked it is not that kind of show. and if it is, you will start paying me.”

you removed your accusing finger from buggy’s chest and you weren’t sure if he looked more irritated or impressed with you. “fine, fine. whatever you say…” he couldn’t lose you and that was the sole reason you got away with your frequent lip and back talk, “but i don’t think i need to remind you that tonight is a big night. i mean with the gold roger anniversary and all the tourists—“

you snapped your fingers and buggy gaped at you like he had imagined it, “don’t tell me how to do my job, captain… last i remember, only one of us looks good tied up and dangling from the ceiling…”

buggy stared at you for a moment, blinked and rolled his eyes, “when have you ever seen me tied up or dangling from the ceiling?”

you hummed, bouncing your finished hair with a satisfied smile, “straw hats… i believe you were one or both.” you popped your mouth, satisfied with your look and confident that at least three or more men would throw you berry.

buggy let out a growl, exhaling slowly in a breath that was both grounding and irritated, “don’t bring those punks up to me ever again! the next time we see them, they’re dead!”

you smiled to yourself, “i thought they were cute. good fighters… especially for such a small crew.”

“oh, then next time you can go join them! maybe make that insufferable shitbag your boyfriend…” you snorted in amusement, eyeing buggy incredulously, “i like blonds… you know that.”

“yes, how silly of me. forgetting what my acrobat’s type of man is…”

you pouted playfully and patted his cheek, “so long as you know it isn’t you.” you brushed past him as buggy launched into a tangent about your disrespect and how he shouldn’t even put up with it.

you were tugging at your stockings while stretching and walking— hey, you couldn’t sit still, what was a girl to do— when you saw them. the straw hats were down the street, not even having noticed the carnival yet. a familiar tug pulled at your chest and you tilted your head. they had gotten a bigger crew since you saw them— you saw zoro and nami and of course luffy— but there were two you hadn’t met. you could pretend to hate them like buggy. you could hold a grudge against them for embarrassing your captain and then abducting just his head. but you didn’t.

you had liked them. when your only conversation was buggy and his crew, you longed for civilized conversation— or at least someone who was actually funny…

you could invite them to see you perform— though then buggy would inevitably trap them and you would almost feel bad. so instead, you watched. you watched them laugh and argue like siblings. you watched them split up and promise to meet up with each other again. trusting and friendly. nothing like the crew you were a part of…

shouts were heard for the beginning of the circus and you sighed. you adjusted your posture and fixed your hair before skipping out into the middle of big top, smirking like you knew everyone’s secrets— drawing eyes and gasps as you grabbed ahold of the rope and started to swing.

it was easier to forget about your meaningless purpose when you were so high above everyone else; flying through the hair with a grace that didn’t reflect your inward thoughts at all.

you let go of the first rope, spinning and flipping and receiving enough gasps to fill the tent, you caught yourself with your leg, hooking it over your head and arching your back until you were using your own head as a footrest. there were whistles from some of the men and you batted your eyelashes and flashed an even bigger smirk. as if inviting them to you— as if they would ever get close enough to touch you.

you were barely breathless when you touched the ground again and placed an exaggerated friendly hand on buggy’s chest as you took your bow. there was more applause for you as buggy talked you up more than he ever did anyone else. you winked once more at the audience before somersaulting, skipping and flipping your way out until your next act.

you stopped short on your way to your dressing room. you were half way unzipped from your dress when you exhaled slowly, “excuse me…”

the blond turned quickly, wide eyed until his eyes landed on you. you crossed your arms to keep your dress from slipping completely, though you hoped it looked like you were just intimidating.

his mouth fell open and he flushed several shades of pink. your shock turned to amusement as you took him in. he was cute. too cute, really. definitely too cute to be from here or here on purpose. and he was blond.

“hi…” your tone took a higher pitch as your voice softened, blinking up at him innocently.

the man stood statuesque, posture tense, eyes wider than you had ever seen, “um— h– hi- hi… hello. i’m— i’m—“

ah, you had broken him…

he put his hand on his chest, finger uselessly pointing at himself, “sanji. i’m…. me– sanji.”

your mouth twitched up and you shifted slightly, removing your hand from the wall but keeping the other one holding your dress up, “sanji…” you liked the way his name tasted. you bet he would taste even better…

he nodded, smiling now, despite his terrified expression.

“you can relax, sanji. i don’t bite.” you watched him relax slightly, eyes still on you like you would disappear if he looked away. you smirked to yourself again, thrilled to have such a captivated audience, “unless you want me to…”

sanji joked, then— stumbling forward and catching himself on the opposite wall, straightening his back and trying to pull himself together.

oh, he was delightful…

he hadn’t even made a singular comment about you— though he did look remarkably close to drooling.

“would you like a drink?”

“would i—?” he lifted his eyebrows as if he imagined it.

you raised yours in answer, questioning if he was sure he wanted to hesitate or ask you to clarify.

“yes. i would… very much.”

you smirked to yourself before glancing back at him and opening the door to your dressing room, “come on, then.” you knew he had noticed your unzipped dress, hanging off one shoulder and exposing your entire spine. he stumbled over his own feet and trailed behind you, still smiling but sweating slightly.

“so,” you kept your back to him as you poured two drinks, “sanji…” you glanced back at him and he just nodded, smiling like an idiot, keeping a surprisingly respectful distance.

“what are you doing here?”

sanji fidgeted slightly, “i— well my crew needed supplies… my captain wanted to see the execution platform… it’s all—“

“you’re a pirate?” you looked him up and down, remarking that you would have never guessed— he was dressed nicely, he wore a tie— he was entirely too well put together.

“i’m a cook,” sanji seemed to gain some sort of confidence back and stepped closer— still respectful, not looking like he was going to do anything without your permission.

you eyed him, tilting your head slightly, “interesting…”

“is it?” it was a genuine question— hopeful, maybe.

you passed him a drink, smiling slightly, “it is… most pirates i meet are all hands and ego and usually end up getting a finger or two broken.”

at this, sanji smiled, “i said i was a cook… i’m not like that.” he didn’t want to bring up how he was damn near drooling when he saw you, or how good you looked or how it would be his single greatest honor if he kissed you—

your mouth twitched again, humming to yourself, “very interesting…” you drained your drink in one swallow and sanji’s eyes widened, though he looked nothing near put off by you.

“give me just a second—“ you stepped behind your wooden shades and tossed your dress over the top. you heard a distinctive choking and fought back a laugh. when you stepped back out, now in your second outfit, sanji was standing, back to you, admiring the spectacular nothing on the wall.

you lifted an eyebrow, head now spinning. “you turned around.” you hadn’t meant to say it out loud. sanji relaxed slightly at your voice but still didn’t turn around, “of course… you invited me in for a drink. i wouldn’t expect anything more…”

oh.

you crossed the room and stopped just before reaching him. still processing and weighing the situation. sanji turned, having noticed you getting closer, expression soft, slightly anticipating.

“do you….often…invite strangers into your room?”

you smirked slightly at this, “only the cute ones.” your tone was playful, eyeing him like you didn’t want to miss anything about him.

“ah,” sanji sipped his drink and sat down on the squishy chair that was really too small to serve a purpose, “and here i thought i was special…”

your lip twitched, looking him over, “i said you were cute, didn’t i?”

sanji’s his cheeks flushed slightly and for a moment his flirty demeanor faltered, “there is that…” he looked up at you, head tilting slightly. that look nearly dropped you. it damn near could have been a lethal hit, the softness in his eyes, his blue eyes that rooted you in place and looked at you like you were currently the only thing in the world.

your eyes stayed locked on his and you swore time slowed. you forgot all about the show— your stupid costume, your stage call, even incessant buggy and the crew. “i don’t…..always invite strangers here… i’m not— actually like that…” you didn’t know why you felt the need to explain yourself— or why you cared what he thought.

he still eyed you softly, “just the cute ones?”

you almost laughed, sighing, “there aren’t cute ones… it’s hard to have… a relationship…here. i don’t really— i mean there was a few—“

sanji’s expression didn’t change. he didn’t look disgusted or judgmental. he just nodded, setting drink down on the vanity across from him, “it doesn’t matter… i didn’t come here expecting anything… actually i was looking for my captain— there was food and he— well, never mind… why did you invite me in, anyway? for…a drink?”

you eyed him with a not so innocent look, tilting your head slightly again, “maybe i’m lonely. and you’re cute…”

sanji flushed again, “as if you couldn’t get any man you wanted…” he closed his mouth, blushing even further at his blunt statement that he did not need to say out loud.

this time you smiled, trying to figure out exactly who had walked through your door, “i don’t just want any man… the other times— like i said… maybe i get lonely. it’s never been….” you shook your head, “never mind.” one night stands had never made you feel better. the few you had been with made you feel worse instead of better.

“can i take you out to dinner?”

you lifted your eyebrows, looking at him like he was insane. he was smiling slightly, clearly amused by your surprise.

“i think maybe you can…” you flinched at the pounding on your door, “damn it. that’s my cue… you should come watch… normally people don’t get to watch for free.” you winked and sanji was already standing to his feet, trailing behind you like a lost stray that had been offered food.

sanji was practically drooling when he met you backstage; wide eyed and weak in the knees, eyes locked on you like a magnet. you were smiling— a genuine smile, not missing the way your stomach flipped at the sight of him waiting for you.

“that was…. incredible. remarkable, really… i’ve never seen anything quite so—“ his eyes dropped down your body and you felt your cheeks heat. your smile widened, smirking slightly as you leaned in, “thank you…”

you opened your mouth to say something sure to send him tumbling to the ground when you heard him— you grabbed sanji by the shirt sleeve and pushed him into your dressing room with enough force to have him gasp.

“great job tonight, sweetheart! you had eyes all over you.”

great…

“i was thinking maybe tomorrow, you could—“

“i’m taking the night off. i found a little cafe i want to try, so do not come looking for me.”

buggy stopped, blinked once, opened his mouth. if he tried arguing you would go anyway. if he forbid you from going you would injure him. again…

“oh! okay… can you take someone with you? as a guard? i would hate to see something happen to my acrobat…”

“i’ll be fine, captain.”

buggy opened his mouth to speak but you were already closing the door on his face. you turned to sanji with a guilty smile, “sorry about that. he’s—“

“your captain is buggy?”

you raised your eyebrows, blinking once, “you know buggy…”

“you could say that.”

shit.

“sorry about that…”

sanji laughed and your stomach flipped. “i find it hard to believe that you are on buggy’s crew.”

you laughed weakly, shaking your head, “it’s not…” you cleared your throat and stepped behind the shutters again, “he’s better than the other options…”

sanji said nothing. he didn’t need to say anything— but his stomach sank unpleasantly and twisted in protest. you deserved better— that much he knew, even in the short time he knew you he knew that much. before he opened his mouth and said something truly stupid, you stepped out in a black dress that had sanji’s jaw dropping once again.

“sorry… i rarely get to go out. figured i’d put on something nice…”

“yes—“ sanji’s voice cracked, “yes… it’s definitely… you look— beautiful.”

you smiled again, glancing at him innocently. he meant it. you knew he meant it with everything in him. he was looking at you with true adoration— not with lust, not with hunger…

dinner had been good. the company had been even better. and after…

sanji stopped at the door, having snuck through the camp and tents, holding back laughter as you shushed him. he stopped outside the door to your temporary room, eyeing you softly.

“thank you for letting me take you out to dinner…”

oh.

“and the drink…”

his eyes dropped to your lips for only a second. he was wanting to kiss you. but you knew he wouldn’t. he would wait. he would say goodnight and thank you again unless you were the one that gave him permission.

oh, he was something else entirely…

you eyed him up and down and he shifted slightly, moving to stand up from where he leaned against the door. he glanced over his shoulder at footsteps.

“sanji.”

he stopped, glancing at you expectantly.

“are you just leaving?”

“i—“ he covered his mouth with a fist as if holding back a nervous gag, “well i—“ he had lost all color in face, “i wasn’t—“

you smirked faintly, stepping aside so your door opened wider, “come in…”

sanji nearly collapsed as he stumbled towards you and through the doorway. you eyed him with an amused smirk, tilting your head slightly.

“i had a really nice night…”

sanji looked remarkably close to fainting.

“nights still young, sanji…”

and when you kissed him, sanji melted into it like he had waited a lifetime for it. his hands hesitated– held lifted just above his sides, as if waiting for permission. you slid your hands up his back, through his hair, pulling him closer.

sanji exhaled slowly, shaking slightly. his hands slowly reached your hips, just resting them there, gently— scared to hold you as tightly as he wanted to. you pulled him closer, not giving him an option as he held you tighter to keep his footing. you dragged your fingers through his hair, pulling his mouth to yours again.

all hesitation and caution evaporated as sanji breathed in shakily, shuffling after you as you pulled him towards your bed.

sanji wasn’t stupid— he was not one to turn down this opportunity. he had given you many opportunities to say goodnight. to let him leave… as soon as his knees and the back of your thighs hit the bed, he broke like a dropped a vase.

it had never been like that.

nights sharing a bed always left you feeling dirty, feeling heavy and making that loneliness stick to you like glue. you always woke up alone— you always fell asleep alone.

but sanji stayed. he held you afterwards, arms around your shoulders, placing soft kisses on your shoulders and neck. he held you like there was never an option to do anything else— like it’s what he was meant to do. all he was ever meant to do…

your face buried against his chest, shifting against him. sanji’s breath sharpened, tensing slightly as you willingly got closer to him. there was something in the air between you. it was thick and demanded to be noticed— it wasn’t casual… it was too comfortable to be a one time thing.

“i can leave… do you want me to leave?”

your heart beat hadn’t slowed yet. legs and core aching from how desperately you had clung to him. it had never been like that… you knew it would never be like that again.

“no. you can stay…”

please stay.

sanji did.

you woke up slightly before sunrise, still feeling heavy arms draped over you and a warm chest pressed against your back. you shifted only slightly— pleading with whatever higher power was out there that you wouldn’t wake sanji up. that this wouldn’t end… that he could just stay—

there were already footsteps and voices outside of the tent. some of the crew preferred to sleep on the ship; while you savored being far away from the others and locked in your own room. shortly after you just laid there blissfully, you felt hair fall against your face as sanji shifted awake. he was just as charming as last night— hair sticking up in odd places, bangs falling over his eyes and hiding the blue you had been so transfixed by.

“good morning,” sanji looked down at you softly, like he had been convinced you were a dream. you just looked up at him, head pressed securely between his shoulder and chest. he had stayed. he had stayed all night and you didn’t have to ask him…

“you’re beautiful.”

holy shit.

you likely had yesterday’s make up streaked all over your face, eyes glossy and still dazed, lips swollen from where sanji had been— quite enthusiastically and skilled.

“for a moment i thought it had been a dream…”

holy shit.

it wasn’t even cheesy coming from him— he looked at you like he was enraptured. and when he said these things, you actually believed him…

“not a dream… i think you have proof…” you brushed your thumb against his chest, where there was undeniable evidence of where you had been.

sanji placed his hand over yours, eyes still on you even though your attention was elsewhere, “i will treasure them always…”

you tilted your head up at at him, eyeing him like you couldn’t quite figure him out. he was… perfect. too perfect. unfairly, cruelly perfect.

“you should return the favor.”

sanji had focused on you— he was… extraordinary, really. slow and careful and kissing you like he was worshipping you. hands gentle, holding you like he was scared you would break. he was respectful— even when you were shaking and muttering his name like a prayer. he didn’t take. he didn’t dare leave any marks on you, despite how badly he wanted to— so you had to remember him… so there was proof that he had been here. tangled in your sheets, wrapped around you in ways that he never knew existed…

sanji didn’t hesitate. he shifted just slightly, until he was leaning just slightly over your chest, lowering his mouth to yours to give you the sweetest, most agonizing kisses. your fingers found his hair again— god, you loved his hair… and it was already messy, so running your fingers through it and tugging on it would harm nothing—

“make them last…”

sanji breathed in deeply, as if your permission was the sweetest thing he had ever heard. as if he had restrained himself last night— holding back with all the will power he had left.

you would remember him.

even without the marks along your neck, collarbone, under your chin, along your jawline— shoulder, chest, stomach…. inner thigh.

you would remember him.

and you didn’t think you would ever get over him…

“sanji.”

you breathed his name finally, while his head rested against your stomach, tracing small circles, placing lazy, open mouthed kisses along your skin.

“yes, love?”

don’t go.

stay here…

be completely insane and irrational and never leave me…

and sanji just might. if you asked him— god, he couldn’t leave you. one night had felt like everything in his lifetime clicked into place—

there was a pounding on your door and you both flinched. you swore— loudly and strong enough for sanji to eye you with a small, impressed yet terrified smirk.

“are you awake yet? i need to run something by you. it’s about my nose— and also another outfit for you.”

fucking buggy.

you glanced to the door— mournfully— then back at sanji, chest constricting at the thought of ever leaving this bed again.

“i’m going to come in… you’d better be awake.”

that had both of you scrambling to your feet, tripping over each other and mumbling curses. you pulled a shirt over your head— sanji’s– to which he nearly folded at the knees at seeing you in. and sanji scrambled for his pants.

“hold on! just a moment, captain!”

“he can’t see you!” you hissed it through a whisper, starting to panic only slightly. sanji, wide eyed and red faced, clearly agreed to at least not being seen without his clothes back on.

“i would rather him not see me! is he always this demanding with you?”

you snorted, eyeing him incredulously with a look that was answer enough.

“i can kick his ass for you. if you want—“

“chivalrous…” you smiled to yourself.

another pounding on the door, “hurry up! we don’t have all day!”

sanji looked at you with a disbelieving expressing and you huffed. tempting.

you glanced around your room for a place for sanji to hide that wouldn’t be obvious— and buggy, as clueless and amusing as he was, always noticed when something was off. you would be better off shocking him into leaving— if you hid it there would be an interrogation and if he recognized him—

“i need to tie you up.”

sanji choked— coughing slightly as he stared at you with wide eyes, “pardon?”

“do you trust me?”

sanji probably should have said no. he should have backed away slowly and turned and ran.

he held his wrists out to you with a smile.

sanji sat on the too small stool once again, hands tied in his lap, ankles tied together— pillowcase over his head.

god, he had never been happier. his eyes never left your face as you tied the knots with more precision and grace than he had ever seen. smirking entirely not innocently as you placed a kiss against his lips before letting the pillowcase fall over his head.

you opened the door and buggy stepped in with a shriek. “making friends, are we?” he was smirking, looking at you with raised eyebrows and a scolding shake of his finger.

“i hope you didn’t do this during open hours.”

you clicked your tongue and shrugged, smirking, “girls got needs, buggy.”

buggy eyed you with a brief horrified expression before moving towards sanji. you stepped in front of him with your arms crossed and shook your head, “that one is mine. he will not be part of your act or your crew…”

buggy narrowed his eyes at you, “is he disfigured? is the bag part of it? is he even consenting to being tied up?” buggy snapped his fingers and sanji just tilted his head slightly in acknowledgment.

“hello! are you alright in there? is she more than you can handle—“

sanji, to his credit, shrugged. then nodded. and you knew he was smiling like a fiend under that pillow case.

“get out, buggy.”

“right, sorry. i’ll fill you in later. but we caught the damn straw hat. his execution will be in an hour… you won’t want to miss it!”

sanji was fighting against the restraints now as you pulled the pillowcase from his head. his eyes were wide, looking up at you like you were the only one who could stop this. you freed his hands with one tug and knelt to free his ankles.

“i can get you out of here. you’ve got to save luffy… buggy’s insane. all he talks about is getting his revenge on—“

sanji had stopped pulling the ropes off his ankles to look up at you, confused and almost hurt, “you know luffy?”

“yes i know luffy… i met him before you joined the crew.”

sanji blinked, eyebrows furrowed as if trying to do an impossible math problem.

“you…. know luffy…”

you huffed, “yes, sanji! last time i helped him escape and—“ you stopped short and looked up so you were eye to eye with him, “not like that!”

sanji looked so relieved you almost laughed.

“god, no! i didn’t sleep with your captain.”

you eyed him playfully, “i told you. i like blonds…”

“who can cook…” sanji was smiling smugly and you wondered if he had momentarily forgotten all about luffy, “and doesn’t protest being tied up?”

you smirked as he stood to his feet, “it certainly doesn’t hurt…”

the crew had been all but immobilized and when sanji turned to you with wide eyes, you flashed him a smile. you had turned on your own crew– taking out three people you shared meals with a knew their names, all because of sanji… sanji, who was more than capable of taking care of himself. zoro held his sword up to your throat and you lifted your arms in surrender, smirking slightly.

“hello again, zoro…”

zoro sighed deeply, like he was talking himself out of killing you and reminding himself that you had helped them last time.

“sword down, mosshead… she isn’t…” sanji eyed you softly and you tilted your head.

“cook, not every woman needs you to defend them. she can take care of herself. last time we saw her, she threw sea water on her own captain…”

sanji eyed you with an impressed smirk and you merely shrugged, “i tripped…”

the lighting blast had been so sudden and so close that the ground shook— you screamed and sanji instinctively moved to grab onto you. the execution platform was gone and with it, luffy and buggy.

the straw hats fell silent— tears in a few of their eyes, curses in the mouths of others. you held your breath— and you felt a sickening twist of your stomach as luffy’s hat floated down and landed at your feet.

no…

lighting—

buggy hadn’t succeeded but—

“hey, guys!”

you took your attention off the hat in your shaking hands, and met the grinning, slightly dazed expression of luffy. the crew rushed forward and pulled luffy in for a hug— except zoro, who still eyed you, but regarded luffy with an relieved smile.

“hello again,” luffy said your name as sanji and nami pulled away. he said it like he was greeting a friend, eyes soft and still smiling.

“hey, stretch…” you held his hat out to him and he grinned even wider, taking it back gently.

“it’s good to see you.”

you glanced over the crew of straw hats and felt a small sting in your chest. they weren’t a crew, they were a family…

“where did you come from, sanji?”

you hadn’t even noticed the other new crew member— a boy with goggles, looking slightly dazed and frightened.

“oh, apologies, captain luffy…” you glanced at sanji and he was still eyeing you like it was early this morning.

“i borrowed your cook last night…”

zoro choked, nami cleared her throat and the fifth unnamed crew member looked between you and sanji with wide eyes and a slight blush.

“like for dinner? is there leftovers? can i have them? i’m starving…” your mouth twitched in amusement as luffy’s oblivious innocence.

sanji was flushed slightly, though he was smirking like he wasn’t at all sorry, “not exactly…”

luffy just looked between you, still grinning, expectant and anticipating.

zoro cleared his throat and shifted on his feet, “we’d better be going. the marines will show up and we’ll all be in trouble…”

right.

your captain was nowhere to be found, likely in pieces and smoking from the strike. your crew was all incapacitated and you had committed treason to buggy and your crew.

right…

“you should come with us.” luffy pushed his hat back onto his head, stating it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“you’re good with knots, right… you’ve saved us twice now… we could use you. you should join my crew…”

oh.

sanji was looking at luffy like he could just hug him— turning to you with a soft smile and eyes that sparkled, “you should come with us…” his tone was soft, expression almost a plea.

they were inviting you. the crew that became a family… the cook who hadn’t been casual… you had nothing here— you would likely be killed after that stunt… you glanced back over your shoulder at the only life you had known. the performance, the crew, the captain who had treated you better than anyone else…

sanji carried your bags with a smile that rivaled luffy’s. zoro kept glancing over and snorting, thoroughly amused by sanji being so pathetic and love struck, “you just had to, didn’t you…”

sanji glanced at him with an innocent look, smiling almost smugly, “when you’re invited for a drink, it is rude to say no, mosshead.”

zoro snorted again, “i bet you took her to dinner too, didn’t you?”

“of course i did.” as if that was the only thing he was ever supposed to do, “and now i get to cook for her every night and make sure she never goes without a proper meal ever again…”

one week had passed and you only felt mildly guilty about making sure your former captain was still alive— but not for leaving. you had already laughed more in these seven days than you had your entire life. you loved it here. you loved the merry. you loved the straw hats…

the merry was much smaller than your usual job requirements. luffy talked of one day getting a bigger ship, but you didn’t think he would ever actually let go of the going merry… rigging lines were wrapped around your hand as you tied off and twisted, giving a firm yank that sent you upwards, into the crow’s nest.

you clicked your tongue as you landed on your feet, glancing down at the ship’s deck below. you would get used to this. it was quiet. it was filled with laughter and the kind of arguments between friends that didn’t lead to fist fights.

“how’s it looking?”

sanji had stepped out of the kitchen and looked up at you with his hand over his eyes, grinning. your heart did a pathetic little flip and you smiled. he looked really damn good from up here… and even better up close.

“not bad, chef… looks like one of your knots is tied incorrectly and the rope is starting to fray.”

sanji frowned slightly, while luffy stopped beside him, “can you fix it?”

you snorted, “of course i can, captain.”

anything to make yourself feel useful. you hooked your leg over the rope and bent backwards over the rail of the crows nest. sanji’s mouth hung open and he had a brief flash of you in that too small and too tight circus outfit— then of you bending over similarly that first night.

“careful, love—“ he couldn’t help it; he knew you were more than competent and much more qualified than any of them, but the thought of you falling was almost worst case scenario for him.

you glanced down at him with a grin, smirking slightly, “may i borrow your lighter?”

“my—?”

“fire on the ship?” luffy watched you wide eyed, “around all that wood and rope?”

you smiled cheekily, “i won’t burn down your ship, captain. i promise. just making her feel better…”

you flipped yourself slowly, rope twisted around your leg, hanging upside down with both hands free. you held your hands up— or down– and glanced at sanji eagerly. he tossed you his lighter without thinking— something he never lost sight of or took out of his pocket.

you caught it, smirking at sanji and his glazed expression, before flipping yourself back around to grab a second rope. luffy was memorized; thinking you looked remarkably like a squirrel bouncing between trees. you lowered yourself again, tugging the first rope taught so you could retie the knot. sanji held his breath, silently noting that you were only staying up there by holding yourself up and weren’t secured to anything.

luffy was wide eyed, hand on his hat like he was being literally blown away— “she’s amazing… how does she not fall?”

sanji just watched you with all the adoration in the world, smiling to himself, “yeah, she is. she’s not gonna fall…”

you retied the main rigging, grunting slightly as you made sure to tighten it as much as possible. you flipped again, hair cascading below you as you flicked sanji’s lighter and melted the frayed ends together. you blew on the ends, satisfied. you unhooked your leg from the rope and let yourself fall, gracefully, hands sliding down the rope until you landed in sanji’s arms, bridal style.

sanji was beaming— actually beaming, like a school boy who was given too much candy— looking down at you like there was absolutely no where else he would rather be.

“that was amazing…” luffy was looking at you with wide eyes, smiling nearly— if possible— as much as sanji.

“why thank you, captain. it was nothing…”

“you should teach us to tie those fancy knots. in case something ever happens…”

you smiled to yourself, “sure, luffy… that’s a good idea.”

you glanced to sanji, who was still holding you, still beaming, still on cloud nine that you were really here. “i can give you private lessons if you want…” you smirked and sanji nearly dropped you.

he cursed, scrambling to keep his feet under him and not drop the most precious thing in the world, “yes.” he was so easy, you just smiled, heart flipping, “yes ma’am. whenever you fancy…”

you scrunched your nose up, leaning in just slightly and kissing him. sanji’s arms tightened around you, shifting you closer and breathing in slowly. he lowered your feet back to the deck, but only to place one hand on your cheek and the other around your waist.

“i’m really glad you came with us…”

you tilted your head so your forehead rested against his, “so am i, sanji…”

“thank you for coming with us..”

“thank you for being the reason i did…”

there had been a breaking point— one you had felt. the kind that twists itself around you and squeezes, seizing up your stomach like the waves of a storm, sitting heavily on your chest like it waited for your ribs to crack.

grief made you unsteady, loss made you desperate and the drinks made you stupid. you had been the one to drag him into your room— hands in his hair, lips devouring him as if stopping to take a breath would once again give room to the flood of thoughts you longed to silence. you had no idea what you were doing— neither of you had any experience or time for this type of activity. your second commander, the comfortable thorn in your side and your partner on every excursion— you knew him better than anyone. you had been beside him through all of it. yet there was never room— never a thought—

“ace,” you breathed his name out like a plea as he pulled away slightly. his pupils were blown, hair a mess, looking more animal like than the put together, confident man you had followed for years.

“are you sure— if this is just because of—“

you kissed him again with a growl, desperate to shut him up and not audibly acknowledge the weight in the room— the loss that hung over you like a vice. ace answered by deepening the kiss, pulling you further against him, hands on your hips as you climbed him like a tree and wrapped your legs around his waist. his breath caught but he didn’t slow. he kissed like he was angry— like a starved animal fighting for a semblance of scraps. like he needed it too.

a distraction.

a desperate attempt to forget.

if only for a few hours—

“i haven’t ever—“ ace pulled back slightly once you were below him and he straddled you on the uncomfortable inn mattress, “i mean i don’t—“ his wild expression had faded, the soft eyes you were used to returned and the kindness had softened his posture only slightly.

“i don’t care.”

“i don’t want you to think i’m using you… i respect you. i care about you. i—“

“ace.” you spoke through gritted teeth, fighting the intensity that coursed through you at the adrenaline the man perched between your legs had caused, “stop thinking…”

ace eyed you like he wasn’t sure he heard you right. his gaze was still soft as he hovered just inches from your face, “are you drunk enough to not remember this? are you drunk enough to wake up tomorrow and resent me…”

“i don’t think i’m drunk at all…” the words were more sure than anything else that had happened that day. the realization hit you with startling clarity.

“please just let go… for tonight. we can grieve and mourn and drink tomorrow… i just— please, ace. i need to feel something else… i can’t bear the weight of all of it—“

ace lowered himself down enough to place a soft kiss on your forehead. his eyes glistened only slightly, as if you had spoken every internalized thought he couldn’t find the words for. he met your eyes again and the look there reflected your own.

and he let go. he stopped thinking. he just was. messy and rough and desperate. he clung to you like you were all he had left, like this singular moment could drag him back from the depths. he held you like it meant something, like every gasp and moan and sharp exhale of his name was enough to get him through to morning. he didn’t stop. not as you trembled beneath him, not as you said his name like a prayer, not even when you screamed and cried with a relief that felt like a vow. until he collapsed on top of you with shaky breaths and a sweaty forehead, lips pressed against your skin like they had nowhere else to go.

ace closed his eyes tightly, chasing the release— the fragment of time it had just been you- saying his name like you needed him. nearly screaming it like he was everything in the world to you. he didn’t move. he was scared to— like moving a muscle would send this all crashing down around you- like maybe you, too, would disappear. and this momentary bliss would evaporate like smoke.

your fingers were still in his hair when he dozed off. dreamless and spent, the weight of the world only a little less heavy. he was still on top of you, arms around you, even in sleep, like he was scared of losing you too. you stared at the ceiling for a long time; feeling the beat of his heart against you, the heat of his body that made sure you were never cold…

it was supposed to be one night. a meaningless night to feel something else. pleasure instead of pain— any sort of control in a world that had gotten so far out of hand. the next night was the same. softer, gentler, like this time it could have meant more. he fell asleep beside you every night. sometimes you were still half clothed, sometimes you went to him—

for days. for weeks.

it had become routine. microdosing on anything other than the guilt, the grief, the goddamn emptiness. microdosing in anything other that eased the pain, slowed the current you were drowning in.

“you don’t have to follow me… if you think you’re still obligated to, i release you from any sort of duty.”

you looked up from your spot on the ground, squinting. “excuse me?” you stood to your feet and crossed your arms, eyebrows lifted in an accusing question.

ace momentarily looked guilty— his eyes softened as if he realized his error.

“i’m not following you because i have to.”

you looked up at him sharply, making sure he heard you. ace ran a hand through his hair and nodded, “you really shouldn’t follow me, then… i bring death and destruction. you’re better off far away from me.”

“so you can go and get yourself killed?”

it was sharper than you had intended, accusing and slightly angry.

“i knew what i was doing.”

“you were going to be executed, ace…” the anger had vanished; a tired, warn down plea now all there was. because you had almost lost him that day, too. along with the crew. along with whitebeard.

“i know that. you had orders to stay away. i told you to leave me.”

“like hell. i wasn’t going to leave you there. you deserve so much fucking more than an execution by marines… and you—“

“i was supposed to die that day. one way or another, i—“

“too bad.”

there was a bitterness in his voice, it shook slightly, like he sometimes thought that death would be better than this.

“you didn’t get to make that choice for me.”

“i couldn’t lose anyone else!”

“you would have had luffy! i made him promise—“ ace cursed and kicked at a rock, “i made him promise he would take you with him. he was going to knock you out and drag you with, if he had to…”

you snorted, looking at him in disbelief, “i’m sorry i ruined your death date, then, ace… i guess i was selfish and should have let you fucking die. you wouldn’t be here. and i would still be sitting at your grave. but you wouldn’t be here for it to matter, i guess…”

ace stared at you for a moment, wide eyed and tense. he opened his mouth, closed it– reached out with one hand as if to comfort you. he pulled it back, fist tight as smoke started to curl around it.

“go ahead and walk off the dock, ace… i won’t stop you this time.” the words left a hollowness in your chest, twisting and constricting like a dying snake. you hadn’t meant it. ace knew you hadn’t meant it… you had dragged him back from death and followed him into hell too many damn times for your words to hold weight.

“i’m sorry,” ace moved to squeeze your hand in some sort of comforting gesture, but you were already gone.

“listen, hot head. i understand that you outrank me,” you said it with a spat that had ace smirking in amusement, “but i will not take orders from someone who’s so determined to get himself killed.”

ace was still smirking, something that he knew would piss you off even further. maybe that’s why he did it; to see that scrunch in your nose, the furrow of your eyebrow, hands on your hips while you scolded him like a child. he thought you were very amusing— looking down right adorable instead of menacing. as the only woman in the whitebeard pirates, you had fought for respect and struck fear into most people’s hearts with just a sharp glare or an even sharper tongue. not ace, however; he loved provoking you. egging you on, irritating you enough until you yelled at him or smacked him. the others had gasped when you screamed at your commander like he was beneath you; while ace just beamed- smiling like a kid on christmas, arms crossed over his chest with a wide smile as he leaned into you like it was the greatest flirting he’d ever experienced.

his smile only irritated you further and you huffed, “you’re impossible! go on, then! lead the mission. jump right off the damn ship and drown for all i care.”

ace was still smiling, leaning in further, hand above your head, towering over you in a way that reminded you how big he really was and how he could pick you up and throw you over his shoulder like a child throwing a tantrum. this angered you further and you now looked remarkably like a kitten, puffed up and hissing over food.

“only if you’ll jump in and save me… you know mouth to mouth right?” it was the way he shifted just slightly as he said it, smirking at you now like he knew you were close to strangling him, like you would love nothing more than to push him in yourself.

your mouth twitched, eyes softening slightly. you had known him too damn long to continue this baiting and flirting. he lived for it. giving orders that he knew you would argue and call him an idiot for. he wanted you to challenge him. he wanted you to let him know you still cared enough not to let him get himself killed…

“i don’t want you to walk into the sea…” ace heard your footsteps behind him, slowly setting down his fork and twitching his finger against it.

“i know.” he glanced back at you, frowning slightly. his hat was hanging around his neck, resting in his back. his shoulders were slumped slightly, looking more tired than anyone should.

you glanced down at him, sighing. you pulled a chair out beside him and said nothing as you sat down. ace glanced over at you, silently pushing his plate of fries towards you. you fought back a smile and grabbed two, eyes softening as you took him in. ace truly must not have been mad at you if he was sharing his food with you…

“so,” his gaze returned to the wall in front of him, “you’re really with me?”

you lowered your hand, eyes locked on him, widening slightly. he still doubted you. after everything…

“yes, ace.”

“why?”

because you’re all i have left. because if i lose you too, i will likely lose myself…

“because you would be lost without me.” you grinned and ace snorted. he shook his head, smiling to himself.

“so where to next?”

you tilted your head slightly, “i don’t know, captain… that’s up to you.”

captain. it was still a title he didn’t think he deserved. he was still on that battlefield. still fighting, still grieving…

“i don’t know.” his shoulders stiffened, “where do we go from here? we’re just…drifting. i mean, how do we move on from this? it’s….”

“ace.” you couldn’t let him blame himself again. you couldn’t watch him spiral and sink into guilt and push away from you again.

ace turned to look at you, hand in his hair, playing with it like he always did when he was thinking too much. “i know… i didn’t think i would be able to keep going with the weight of it… but i do. i have to… we survived. that has to mean something, right?”

ace just looked at you, saying nothing as your words settled against him. he moved to grab another drink and you put your hand on his, “you need to sleep… you look exhausted. and you know that doesn’t help…” he ran a hand through his hair and sighed, standing to his feet. he never argued with you, he followed you willingly up the stairs, shoulders nearly against your shoulder blades as you walked.

“i’m down the hall, if—“ but he was kissing you then, softly, thumb brushing your jaw like he was scared of breaking you. you knew you weren’t going to the other room tonight… ace needed you tonight and you had never been good at talking him out of bad ideas. you melted into him, stumbling through the lodging room door, clinging to each other like you had so often before. this was supposed to have been a one time thing… this was supposed to have ended. yet— ace rarely ever initiated it. he hated the way he felt after; like he had used you as an outlet, clinging to you as he let the waves take over and erase everything else. he wanted you to hate him for it… to stop him one night. to tell him to go and put an end to it…

he told himself it was unhealthy and that he should feel like shit for it. for letting you allow it, for not stopping you, when you came to him with that same desperate, broken expression, needing someone— even if just for the night.

just for the night…

ace reminded himself of that when you fell asleep, clinging to him like he was the only thing you were ever scared to lose.

the sound was overwhelming. gun shots, flames, the crashes of various weapons and the cries of devil fruit powers— you turned slowly, too numb to run; dazed like a baby deer surrounded by wolves. luffy was there— raising hell and reeking havoc like his big brother.

ace.

the sudden lack of flames had you running again. you ducked, dodged the swing of marines, stumbled over a body you had to make sure wasn’t him. it wasn’t. you threw up regardless…

you screamed his name like it could be heard over the sounds of war. like it would carry to him like a loosed arrow.

smoke billowed behind you, an explosion rocked the ground you walked on and you stumbled. your stomach twisted as you turned your attention above you— luffy was screaming, launching himself above you in a desperation you had never seen. towards—

fire.

towards ace.

“i told you to fucking run.” ace nearly threw you behind him as fire raged around him, enveloping everything surrounding him like an angry beast. heat filled the air, crackling and devouring everything. except you. you stood in the flames with ace planted in front of you– keeping anyone from coming within a few feet of you.

“i wasn’t going to leave you.”

“you should have!”

the anger in his voice was uncharacteristic. but you knew he was angry you were still here— in the fight- not running away. refusing to leave his side even when ordered to.

“the others, they—“

another explosion rocked the earth and you tumbled forward into ace. flames tried to swallow you too, but they couldn’t touch you. the air was sweltering- ace was burning fully, like a supernova about to explode.

“ace.” your hand on his chest, gripping his bicep, “you’ll burn out… you have to stop—“

another explosion, followed by the distinctive sound of a snapping mast and wood splintering. the ship… your ship. your crew— shattered in two, engulfed in flames that were not his.

no—

ace was shaking. flames burning hotter, angrier- rage taking the place of fear.

you cursed as you pushed yourself to keep up with him. he reached the cliff and you grabbing him was all that stopped him from jumping.

“i have to help them!” his voice was desperate and broken.

“you can’t swim!”

“i have to help them!”

“there’s no one to help, ace! they— they’re gone.”

the ship had collapsed in on itself; hit with a power you had never seen. they were gone before the boat started sinking, before it was engulfed in flames and wood splinters showered everywhere.

“no— no, they—“

you were supposed to be on that ship. you would have been— had it not been for…

ace had stopped. the flames gone, the fight gone…

“look at me. ace, look at me.”

he was almost unreachable— expression far away and haunted, eyes glossy.

“we have to find the others. we need to get out of here. we—“

“no.”

you were not about to watch him get himself killed on a revenge mission.

“you go… i need you to go. find luffy… tell him i said to get you out of here. both of you.”

goddamn that heroic asshole…

“no. i’m staying with you.”

“that’s an order.”

he said your name like he hated you; as if maybe hatred would make this goodbye easier. knowing you were safe— that was enough for him…

“fuck you…” there was no conviction behind it. your voice shook as tears blurred your vision, “i’m staying.” he was going to sacrifice himself. selfless bastard… he had almost nothing left.

“i need you to live, commander…”

ace turned to you with wide eyes, as if just now realizing his death would affect more than just him. luffy was there, suddenly— flashing in his head with that stupid laugh and contagious smile— fighting beside whitebeard like there was no more rivals today.

“live, ace.”

“look at me…” his voice pulled you back slowly, like waking from a dream you swore was real. “look at me… there you go.”

you were bundled up in three jackets— two of them were ace’s and they were so oversized they swallowed you whole. your teeth were chattering as snow fell around you outside the window, curled up in ace’s lap as he attempted to contain his nerves.

“thought i lost you, there…” ace laughed but there was no humor in it and his eyes were hallow.

“where’s your coat?”

there was mountains outside— you remembered being cold, you remembered a blizzard and being stuck on the water—

“where are we?”

ace looked down at you softly, smiling slightly. you were awake again and already demanding answers from him.

“you have my coat. i don’t need it… and i don’t know where we are— it was the first island i saw with people… i found you a doctor and heat… i think i almost lost you.”

“ah,” you were dazed as you shifted slightly, hair falling around your head on his thigh, “you weren’t so lucky.”

ace smiled, that exasperated smile he did when you were being obnoxious but he secretly loved it. there was a heaviness in his eyes that had you sitting up, looking at him with furrowed brows, “hey, i’m okay…”

ace nodded, hand still on your hip like he hadn’t even realized it was there. his gaze was far away and when you snapped your fingers in front of his face he flinched.

“ace?”

“hm— yeah. yeah, i heard you…”

“ace…”

you shifted to a full sitting position as ace’s grip tightened on you, like he was scared of letting go. you looked at his hand on your hip, to his eyes that looked haunted and guilty.

“you were so cold… i don’t– i don’t know how we ended up here… i’m sorry. i held you in my lap and kept you warm and—“

your hand grabbed his, tightening. he was spiraling— his eyes were haunted just like the night you lost whitebeard and everyone else you knew…

“i was yelling for help… i lit myself up so they could see us and… i passed out from it but-“

“ace.”

“i woke up here… you were curled up next to me… still shivering and cold, but alive… so i held you again… until—“

the door opened and in walked a man who looked more ancient than the sun, “ah, good. she’s awake.” he grabbed your arm and pulled it towards him, checking pulse and vitals, nodding with a hum. “thought we lost you, dear… your boyfriend was a damn mess… pacing and getting in my way. hardly letting me touch you…”

you eyed ace with a hint of amusement, smiling to yourself, “was he?” you didn’t correct him.

“oh he didn’t sleep from the moment he woke up. he just held you… trying to use that devil fruit fire to warm you up but he wore himself out. i’ll be damned if he listens…”

your gaze softened, looking at ace with an adoring smile that made him blush, “that sounds like ace… he doesn’t listen for shit…”

ace was smiling at you incredulously, rolling his eyes slightly. he didn’t argue; he just watched you like watching you tease him had been the one thing he needed to live. “i’ll be damned if i listen, i outrank you.”

you snorted, “easy, hot head. i don’t think i’m quite up to keeping up with your banter yet…” ace’s playful tone made your chest swell and your stomach flip. it was like old times again. before…

before everything.

ace said nothing as the doctor finished checking on you, watching cautiously as if still not trusting anyone else with you. you still didn’t know the man’s name– you assumed ace hadn’t bothered asking and this doctor didn’t intend on telling you.

you were declared no longer near death, though your body temperature was still low. the doctor— still nameless— left and ace turned his attention back to you.

“can i get you anything? water… soup… another blanket?”

you smiled to yourself, shifting slightly in the bed, “i’m kind of cold still… but i feel okay.”

ace moved to grab a blanket and you grabbed his wrist again. it was warm to the touch— like usual and you fought the sudden desire to curl up around him and crawl against his skin.

“maybe just…. sit with me? if it’s not….”

weird.

as if ace hadn’t seen every inch of you. known you inside and out and better than you even knew yourself.

ace didn’t even bother with a response as he climbed into the bed beside you, squished against you comically in the twin size cot. he draped an arm over your shoulder and heat immediately spread through your shoulders and down your arms. you melted against him, trying very hard to not cross a line that passed friendship. if that line even existed anymore.

you let your head fall against his chest, curling up against him and allowing yourself to hold him. you told yourself it could always be your last night. this could end at any moment… ace pulled you closer, body warming up like a radiant heater.

neither of you spoke; the heaviness between you filled in where words lacked. you both felt it. that unspoken tug. that fear of losing this. the toxic dependability on each other still dragged out. it could have ended months ago. you could have gone separate ways and tried to move on. settle down. build a life that wasn’t completely insane…

but you stayed.

he kept coming to you.

you rarely slept alone anymore– even if it didn’t end in messy sheets and slightly scorched bed frames, you would fall asleep in ace’s arms, curled up in his lap, holding his hand across the room, being used as a pillow while he fell asleep sitting down.

as if that was normal.

as if that was the usual dynamic between partners that were also friends.

“i thought i lost you.”

his voice pulled you from your half dazed state. you glanced up at him, eyelids heavy, fighting off sleep again, “i’m here…”

“you almost weren’t. i got us lost and—“

“no, ace.” you sat up again, sleep suddenly shaken from you completely, “don’t you dare blame yourself. you saved me. you almost burnt yourself out saving me…”

ace was shaking his head and you grabbed his hand hard enough for him to flinch, “look at me. ace, you saved me… you damn hot head, you were going to let yourself burn out entirely to save me…”

“i…couldn’t lose you.”

“you didn’t.

“not you. okay? not…after everything…not you.”

you said nothing. you didn’t move or even breathe, you just looked at him, hand still on his wrist– frozen.

“i’m… i’m okay. i’m still here. because of you.”

ace just shook his head again.

“you’re not losing your partner… you’re stuck with me. i promise…”

ace laughed— actually laughed like he used to— head tipped back, eyes sparkling, hand running through his hair like he was in disbelief, “partners…”

oh.

“is that what we’re still calling it? you drag me half dead across a marine base and save me from execution… i let myself burn like the sun to save you…”

your heart was in your throat, hammering against your eardrums like they were trying to break through.

“i would— you..would have done it for anyone.”

“no. i wouldn’t.”

you nearly choked on your own tongue as he continued, “i would give anyone the coat off my back… i would fight for someone helpless, defend someone in trouble… but i would never give myself so fully to someone. to strip away every inch of clothing in a blizzard and hold you against me so tightly that your shivering hit my very bones… to fall asleep every night knowing the one thing i have left in the world and the only thing worth protecting is sleeping next to me, safe… and waking up in a nightmare that she’s not. no. it’s nothing like it is with anyone else…”

fuck.

“ace…”

“damn it, there it is.” he exhaled slowly and rubbed his face like it would erase what he said. “there it is…” he said it like he regretted it, like he knew he had messed everything up.

you didn’t speak for a moment. you tried to find the right words to say without sounding stupid or letting everything you’ve been feeling come tumbling out like an avalanche.

“would you at least say something?” there was an edge to his voice, fingers in his hair, tugging slightly like it would distract him from the bomb dropped in the room. “usually you never shut up and now—“

you didn’t think you could say anything. at the risk of sounding desperate and pathetic and giving him an even higher ego boost. so you did what you always had when things got too much, too heavy, too real.

you kissed him.

hands on his biceps, dragging him into you with the force of an earthquake. he breathed in sharply, breath shaking, hands coming to either side of your face in a heavy desperation. he didn’t let you pull away— he dragged you closer, arms around your shoulders, caging you in.

“is that your answer, then?”

he pulled his lips from you to rasp out his words, eyeing you like you were the most trouble he had ever seen.

“you never asked me a question, ace…”

ace smirked slightly, eyeing you in irritation that was nowhere near convincing. “i just assumed that little speech would win you over.”

“oh, making assumptions about me?” you quirked an eyebrow, smirking like you had never been more amused.

ace kissed you again and you didn’t stop him. your hands roamed up his biceps, across his shoulders and up the back of his neck in a gesture that made ace tense up like a loaded gun. your fingers found his hair and he melted into you like he had been waiting for this his whole life— like he had never kissed you before but wanted to his entire life.

“you didn’t need to win me over…” you breathed, forehead falling against his nose.

ace placed a kiss on your forehead, hands sliding from around your back to your hips, “i don’t think our arrangement ever would have worked long term…”

you lifted your eyebrows, “because you’re too emotional and couldn’t handle meaningless sex with me. you fell head over heels and dreamed about me every night.” your tone was playful and ace smirked.

he shook his head with a playful smile sighed dramatically, “you really won’t let me say anything, huh? you took all the words out of my mouth.”

you snorted, grinning up at him in adoration, “it wasn’t meaningless… it was never casual between us… you can’t risk your life for someone almost a dozen times, follow them blindly across the seas and share laughs and tears and too many drinks for it to be nothing…”

“i think i’m irreversibly in love with you.”

your breath caught. you blinked away the tears and shock and forced yourself to stay in the present.

“i love you, too… i probably already have. even when i was threatening to beat your ass over the last piece of chicken…”

ace’s lip quirked up, grinning, “i new that was all foreplay. you wanted me all along… i was irresistible to you…”

you just stared at him, fighting your amusement at him getting carried away.

“oh, yes. because you never had a shirt on so i just couldn’t help myself. i wanted to climb you like a tree some nights… but— i didn’t think the crew deserved a free show.”

this time ace actually choked. he choked out a laugh, looking at you like you were the most unbelievable thing to ever walk the earth. you smiled up at him smugly, tilting your head slightly while he debated weather you were serious or not.

you kissed him once more before letting your head fall back against his shoulder, “i love you, hot head… captain or not, i’ll follow you wherever you lead us.”

“i think… as long as you’re with me, i don’t care where we go. i never… had a plan. i never really intended to..keep living… you’re the reason. i couldn’t leave you. i couldn’t handle not knowing if you were safe or protected… thinking about you eventually settling down with someone else—“

you lifted your forehead from his shoulder and looked up at him again. you rested your hand on his chest; feeling his heartbeat. feeling how remarkably hot his skin always was, even here… a blizzard outside and he was practically smoking.

“i would never settle down. i’ll be telling you to shut up and correcting your sense of direction until your hair is grey and i’m covered in wrinkles.”

“my hair will not be grey, sweetheart. it will be this spectacular until i die peacefully in my sleep– probably still having naughty dreams about you.”

you smacked him playfully, scrunching up your nose, “ace, you ruined my cute speech.”

“i’m sorry, sweetheart… go on. i’m listening…”

“no, now you don’t deserve it.” your voice was playful, hand on your hips, eyeing him with that scolding expression you had had the first day you met him.

and ace just beamed— heart swelling, skin heating up even more. his chest ached, head swimming, body nearly threatening to burst about the things he felt about you, “well i’m sorry. i’ll make it up to you…”

you hummed, letting your head fall against his chest again. you placed a small kiss against his sternum and he exhaled slowly. his hand rested against the back of your head, lowering his own to place a kiss against the top of your head.

“i promise… i’ll spend the rest of our life making it up to you…”

the unspoken things.

the nights it was supposed to be meaningless.

the recklessness.

the times he didn’t care if he lived or died—

almost leaving you behind in a world without him.

the sun was already up, as you made your way across the deck of the merry. zoro was still in his sentry soldier stance, guarding the ship from whatever he had envisioned the biggest threat to be. nami was scolding usopp about using her pen to scribble down ideas, and sanji, judging by the sweet scent wafting through the air, was cooking lunch.

“looking good, zoro. if you hadn’t acknowledged my presence, i really would have thought we got a new statue to decorate the ship.”

zoro eyed you, the slightest hint of amusement on his face, “i see you’ve finally woken up. nice of you to join us today, you almost missed the part of the day when the sun isn’t the highest point.”

“perfect timing to sunbathe…”

“i beg you not to.”

“can’t stand the sight?”

“i can’t stand the way the other two act around you…”

at this you smiled to yourself and crossed your arms, “they’re cute. it’s rather amusing…”

“to you.”

“you could ease off our poor captain… sanji at least can take it.”

“no he can’t!” you snorted, “the first time i flirted back at him, he collapsed.”

this made zoro smile, looking more amused than you had ever seen him, “i know. but it never gets old…”

you grinned at him, shaking your head slightly. you had formed some kind of odd friendship with zoro. you had bonded over the stupidity of most people and barely attainable aspirations. you nudged him once as you brushed past him and he acknowledged you with a non irritated glance.

“he was looking for you, by the way.”

“sanji?”

“probably. but no…”

you smiled to yourself, despite the attempt you had really made not to get attached, “where is he?”

“his usual spot…”

you started up the curved horns of the ram’s head, but you didn’t make it far before there was an enthusiastic inhale and a head appeared over the edge. “there you are!”

“captain…” you smiled up at him and tried to remember when they stopped being forced and only an act.

each time you addressed him as captain, luffy swore he malfunctioned just a little bit. he pulled you the rest of the way up, dragging you directly into his lap like he forgot there were others around.

you hummed contently, “good morning…” what you had meant as a quick greeting kiss, luffy always escalated. he pulled you closer, kissing you with the fervor of a man that had not, in fact, seen you eight hours previously. you tilted your head slowly as luffy traced down your neck. you put a hand on his chest, steadying him with a breathy laugh.

“luffy—“

“hmm?” he pulled away from you slowly, eyes glossy and pupils blown.

“let me at least eat first…”

“oh, great idea! i could go for seconds!”

you eyed him in amusement, huffing slightly as he dragged you down the figurehead and towards the gulley. “good morning, beautiful. i was wondering when you’d show up… luffy was wandering around like a lost puppy waiting for you.”

luffy gave you an innocent smile, blushing slightly.

it hadn’t always been like this. you had no intention of falling for the captain at all, or forming any kind of romantic relationship. you had heard of a crew going to the grand line and taken your opportunity. sanji, tending the bar at the time, had told you everything with only one coy smile to him. you had taken one look at the crew and rethought your odds greatly– but you had been proven wrong again and again and the straw hat crew had turned your entire world on its side.

even the captain seemed to be fond of you from the beginning. luffy was always checking on you, always asking for you specifically to accompany him when off the ship. it had originally made it easier to make more requests, it had been easier to get anything you needed— though anyone on the ship wouldn’t have hesitated to make sure you were comfortable and taken care of— and it was even easier to actually fall for him.

the small smiles that got you anything, the slight brush of his arm that had him stopping whatever he was doing and giving you his full attention… it had shifted to something beyond just an end goal— you had wanted to be around him. you wanted to greet him before anyone else… you wanted those few touches to linger and shift into something else.

you still felt guilty— dragging him along on whatever self serving agenda you had. but then it had become real and you were more scared than you had ever been. because that wasn’t supposed to happen. you were never supposed to stay with this crew… you were never supposed to fall for the captain in a straw hat, but now that’s all you wanted.

you had told luffy once, on the quiet of the ram’s head, that you were sorry. you hadn’t meant to use him and that you promised now it was real.

luffy just looked over at you with those constant soft eyes, the smallest smile on his face, “i know that. at the time i just thought i was so lucky to spend time with you. i knew you would never actually go for someone like me… but then the more time i spent with you, the more i realized you were perfect for me. and you were always meant to be here with me.”

shit.

you had cried then.

and every wall you had put up and every brick you had placed to be independent and on your own shattered. because you wanted him. you wanted to be with the captain of the straw hats. you wanted to be by his side when he found the one piece, more than you ever wanted anything.

it was impossible to hide from him, you learned quickly. he was always there— circling you, looking out for you, telling you what was wrong when you hadn’t even been able to identify it yourself. horrifyingly, you fell for him fast. he defended you in arguments even against zoro, he had protected you on more than three occasions, as if it was just the only thing that had ever crossed his mind to do.

you fell hard. and he loved you with every bit of himself, just like he did everything else. sometimes he was dizzying, sometimes he took your breath away just by the sheer force of him—

“are you alright?”

a hand settled on your shoulder as you leaned against the barrier, elbow brushing against the orange tree. you glanced over at the soft brown eyes under the familiar black curls.

“i’m good, luffy… very good.”

“you were thinking about something…”

it wasn’t a question.

“you.”

this made luffy grin like a kid on their birthday, overlooking their stash of presents. “i like hearing that…”

you smiled to yourself and let your head fall on his shoulder. his hand was there immediately; pulling you closer, grabbing you, always acting as if he hasn’t seen you in years. you placed a delicate kiss under his jaw and he pulled you fully into his lap with a grin.

“oi, lovebirds! remember we can see you.”

“ah, i think it’s charming… look at how pathetically whipped our captain is. if his eyes could be heart shaped i think they would be.”

“sanji, not everyone is as hopelessly romantic as you.”

“and yet she landed with luffy and not me…”

you smirked to yourself, glancing over your shoulder at sanji, “are you jealous, gorgeous?”

sanji muttered a curse under his breath as you batted your eyelashes with a grin. he still couldn’t handle female attention— and you still thought it was great fun to mess with him.

“sanji!” luffy huffed, crossing his arms and pouting, “stop flirting with my girlfriend!”

sanji gaped, stammering over protests, “i— i wasn’t! i wasn’t, luffy! she—“

luffy snorted, cackling like it was the funniest joke in the world. sanji cursed again, looking at you like you were responsible for his constant torment and verbal assaults.

you smiled innocently, eyes sparkling mischievously. zoro was nearly as amused as you; always thoroughly enjoying jokes at the cook’s expense.

“i don’t see why you’re laughing, mosshead! she tried flirting with you, too! you just are broken or something!”

zoro snorted, smirking in even more amusement, “i happen to remember that i was the first one she tried fighting…”

“usopp was the easiest. i think he was too easy… he was tripping over his own jaw when she winked at him.”

nami rolled her eyes, glancing between you and luffy, “for all the torture she put you boys through, i don’t think she planned on falling for that one.”

sanji grinned, “she certainly didn’t. i would have been the obvious choice…”

“oh, yes. the blond haired blue eyed cook.”

“well it wouldn’t be the mosshead!”

zoro snorted and luffy had reappeared to shove sanji in the face with an irritated expression. his overprotective jealousy was rather adorable to you. his possessiveness when any male gaze was on you was more amusing to the crew than his love for food— until it was directed onto them.

“luffy, be nice to sanji. he really tried…” you winked at sanji playfully and sanji huffed. you turned your attention back to luffy, fingers sliding up the space of his stomach between his unbuttoned shirt, “he just couldn’t compete with brown eyes and black curls…”

luffy melted into you, tensing and breathing in slowly, eyes dilating as if hit with an adrenaline shot. he leaned in towards you, eyelids heavy and mouth parted just slightly; now looking remarkably like he was drugged or in a trance.

you grinned up at him, looking innocent despite your hands on either side of his shirt. luffy’s eyes softened, though there was still that slightly wild look about him. you placed a quick kiss on his jaw and his smile grew. he put his hand on his hat, like he always did when you kissed him— like he was preparing to be knocked off his feet.

“the hair, huh?” luffy’s eyes sparkled, smiling softly with the faintest teasing expression. you smirked faintly, tilting your head, “among other things.” you straightened his shirt that you had messed up, smiling up at him.

“you’re still happy here?”

you paused, as if offended by the question.

“with me? you don’t regret it? you’re still…”

“luffy.” you turned to face him fully, “i plan on following you to the end… until you find the one piece and become king of the pirates…”

“or until you’re sick of me…” he said it like he believed it.

you shook your head, “no. i think we’ll both be old and grey and retired on a beach somewhere before that happens…”

luffy beamed, seeming to stand straighter and get closer. he kissed you again and there was collective groans from the crew. they had thought— perhaps hoped— that the pda and luffy being all hands and puppy eyed and pathetic for you would be a phase you would grow out of.

Giggling and Kicking Your Feet

⚔︎ ⚔︎ ⚔︎ ⚔︎

Zoro was at it again. torturing you slowly, meticulously and agonizingly. or, maybe just working out. he was in the middle of the deck, hot sun blaring down at him as if challenging him to push himself even further. he never did it intentionally— he just trained like he always had and would continue to do daily. you couldn’t even be mad about being up so early to watch him when his abs were displayed in full glory as he lifted his swords above his head and—

“ohhuh,” you felt your knees weaken slightly as you stumbled to grab onto the banister. your head was spinning, vision dancing slightly.

zoro was a hazard to you.

you stumbled into the kitchen, nearly tumbling into sanji, who looked up from the sink in alarm. upon seeing that it was you, he smirked, eyeing you knowingly. “mosshead training again?”

you groaned in answer, your head falling against the counter slightly too hard.

“oh, love…” sanji sounded pitying, though he was still smirking in amusement. he slid you a glass of water and clicked his tongue, “suppose you could stop watching him every day? avert your eyes to literally any other direction…”

you scoffed, eyeing him like he was insane.

“oh, of course… of course you couldn’t. how silly of me…”

“cook,” you flinched as if you had been shot as zoro stepped into the gulley. he took you in, eyes softening, dangling shirt shifting from his hand to over his shoulder.

“morning,” he nodded to you, the faintest smile evident on his face.

“morn—“ the rest choked out and was cut off as your eyes drifted south, to where his abs gleamed with sweat and the v of his—

sanji whistled and you flinched. you flushed scarlet, eyes dropping to literally anywhere else.

“can i get some water?”

you stumbled over your own feet and beat sanji to the faucet to fill him a glass. sanji just eyed you incredulously, still thoroughly amused.

“are you okay?”

you watched him down the water, swearing time seemed to slow as his throat bobbed as he swallowed.

“i think she just needs a cold shower. she may have overheated a bit…”

you shot sanji a glare but zoro was already moving, hand outstretched towards your forehead, eyebrows knit with concern.

“i’m– no, i’m okay—“

zoro eyed you with a worried intensity, sliding the glass back towards sanji as he looked you over, “you seem alright… is there anything i can get you? do i need to get the cook to make you something?”

sanji hummed, slicing potatoes into thin cubes, “not sure i have what she’s wanting… it’s not exactly on the menu—“

you stomped backwards, heel landing on sanji’s foot with clear intention. sanji cursed and muttered under his breath, looking up at you with wide, slightly tearfilled eyes.

zoro just looked at you, looked to sanji, then blinked. sometimes you wished he was slightly less oblivious. especially when it came to you and the painfully obvious effect he had on you.

nami was sighing in time with you, batting her eyelashes sarcastically as you ogled over zoro once again. she was watching you, torn between annoyance and amusement. anyone who saw you half bent over the guard rail and doe eyed would call you pathetic— and they would be right.

“you’re going to cut yourself in half if you don’t stand up straight.”

“just look at him— i mean, that physique shouldn’t even be possible.”

“he works out for at least an hour every day… of course he’s going to be fit.”

“fit.” she said it so casually and you snorted, “you say that as if he’s not… like, utter perfection. sculpted by—“

“zoro!”

zoro glanced up, eyebrow lifted.

“put on a shirt before your girlfriend chokes on her own drool.”

your face flushed and you looked at nami furiously. you glanced back at zoro and nearly shrieked when you found him inches away, now eyeing you with a smirk.

shit. holy shit, he was even nicer up close—

as if you hadn’t seen him a million times and woken up with him smothering you as he snored and nearly suffocated you with an arm across your cheek.

“you look a little red…”

you tried to glance anywhere but him but he took two fingers and pulled your head to face him. “it’s hot.”

“is it?” his voice held that dangerous tone, voice rasping just slightly. your legs turned to jelly and his smirk deepened.

“if you see something you like, you can just ask… i would be happy to make special arrangements so you can touch the merchandise—“

you cursed as your stomach flipped and heart raced, eyes meeting his likely like a deer in headlights. zoro only grinned wider, smug with that expression that promised something you couldn’t entirely handle. zoro tilted his head, smirking, “have you always been this interested in my workouts? and have they always gotten you so….”

he gestured vaguely, eyes hungry as his smirk remained, “hot and desperate.” you crossed your arms, eyebrows lifted in exaggerated offense.

“i’m not judging you, sweetheart. it’s quite flattering. who knew i didn’t have to touch you to get this worked up.” he leaned down and shifted his fingers to your jawline, tilting his head slightly with a smirk. “would you like me to do something about your predicament? sanji mentioned a cold shower… or we could try other methods…”

you stumbled and nearly collapsed into him at his words, exhaling shakily as he caught you with a smirk, “come on, sweetheart. i’ll help you to our room…” he scooped you up and threw you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

ঌ ঌ ঌ ঌ

Ace never wore a shirt— in your defense, it wasn’t hard to stare at him. he was taller than almost everyone else, broader than almost everyone else and again– had a cruel and torturous aversion to shirts. really, it was harder to not stare at him. it wasn’t just you, either! anytime you were out with him, there was at least four women eyeing him like he was a prize stallion up for auction. you really couldn’t help yourself… he was, in every way that counted, exquisite. sculpted by the gods, freckles hand painted to look like the stars you loved so much.

the problem was your beloved boyfriend didn’t seem to realize just how much effect he had on you. and he had truly no shame when it came to sprawling out on the deck; tanning or napping, doing push ups, doing sit ups— or gods forbid— pull ups. the pull ups… the way his veins popped and sweat glistened off him reminding you of some dessert you very much would lick frosting off of—

“ahem.” you wheeled around so quickly you lost your balance and nearly sprawled out on the deck like a corpse. there was snickers as you huffed and brushed yourself off.

“sorry.” you tried to regain your bearings but the glazed, out of it expression wouldn’t leave your face– nor would the blush that was the result of your stomach twisting and heart racing, “what?”

“gods, he has got to give you a break.”

“i wasn’t— we weren’t—“

gods, your mind was in the gutter. you rubbed your face and cursed the effect he had on you– and how it was obvious and insulting to everyone else on the crew. marco was smirking with his arms crossed over his chest. izou only glanced between you and ace with an exasperated smile that he didn’t fully mean.

“hey, hot head!”

ace lifted his hat off his face and squinted into the sun. he grunted slightly as he stood up, muttering under his breath about uninterrupted nap time. he stretched, horrifyingly, arms above his head, muscles drawn tense as he flexed and stretched out before yawning again.

“one hundred berry says she faints.”

izou snorted and eyed marco with an amused smile, “again…”

you rolled your eyes and huffed, sending both of them an irritated glare, “perhaps you’re just jealous. because we’re happy and i’m obsessed with my—“

izou clicked his tongue and snorted, “no, no, sweetheart. you can have hot head. he is all yours. i got my booze and the sea. i have no desire for all….” she gestured rather grotesquely and you fought back a smirk, “that. or anyone…”

“we hear enough about it already to ever have a desire for what…you two have.”

“i have never once gone into detail!”

“no need, sweetheart! you always look at him like he’s the first meal your starving ass has ever seen.”

your cheeks flushed slightly but your smirk only grew.

“not to mention it’s not a very large ship.”

“oi, and the walls are thin…”

other crew members had gathered around you and joined in on the snickering and apparent betting on how soon it would be before you fainted or walked off the side of the ship just to cool off. you gritted your teeth and breathed out slowly, thrilled that your attraction and fondness of your boyfriend was such an amusing group spectacle.

“what’s going on here?”

ace had crossed the ship and stopped in the middle of the heckling crew, lifting an eyebrow with a skeptical expression.

“making bets, hot head.”

“oh yeah? two hundred berry on whichever side is against marco.”

you fought back a smile but it didn’t last long before someone else opened their mouth, “actually, we’re betting to see weather your girlfriend will pass out or drown herself before she implodes.”

ace paused running his hand through his hair, eyebrows raised, amusement turning to concern, “what?” he turned his attention to you, suddenly wide awake, “why would she do that?”

you moved to take several steps away from him, but marco smacked you on the back with a phlemy laugh, “i think she’s got the hots for you.”

ace furrowed his brows, waiting for him to elaborate, as if that wasn’t already obvious since you had agreed to that first date you had nearly begged him for.

“i think she’s just hot…”

“and bothered.”

you cursed under your breath and glanced over your shoulder, considering if a jump off the plank really was worth avoiding this. ace eyed you, confusion and cluelessness written on his face. you opened your mouth to laugh it off and tell him to ignore them, but apparently the crew’s grievances about you constantly tripping over yourself and drooling over your well established boyfriend had them finally fed up.

“oh she doesn’t shut up about you. she was chopping vegetables this morning, going off about the color of your eyes.”

“she tripped and knocked over barrels of whiskey because you were cooling yourself off yesterday.”

“next time you’re exercising those muscles you’ll have to warn us so we can at least blindfold her first.”

oh, yes— drowning would have been better than this.

you were envisioning how to slowly kill each and every member of your crew, when ace finally turned to you. your brain short circuited and you once again fought the urge to just shrivel up and die.

ace was smirking. not just his usual playful or flirty smirk— no, this smirk was lethal. it was smug and egotistical, as if he had gotten away with stealing the entire universe.

“is that so?” ace crossed his arms over his chest, tilting his head slightly in a way that made your knees nearly buckle. godsdamn him for being so lethally attractive. even without his smirk. or those dark eyes that locked you in place.

you knew you were blushing. you knew your face was so red that you wouldn’t be able to look at anyone for a week. even still, you couldn’t let him win. you couldn’t let him keep that satisfied, smug smirk on his face.

stupidly, you crossed your arms and tilted your chin up, challenging him, “and what about it?”

ace narrowed his eyes slightly, smirk deepening as if the thought of you challenging him made this even better. your hands were shaking, your knees threatened to drop you. his tongue flicked across his bottom lip and you broke. your knees dropped, stumbling forward into him with a shudder. ace was ecstatic. his smirk turned to a grin and you breathed out shakily.

“sweetheart.”

you braced for the comment or nickname or suggestive words that would inevitably be your killing blow.

“yes, ace?” you sighed, bracing for impact, bracing for collapsing into the floor once again.

“if you ever stop being this in love with me, please let me know… i shall walk myself right off the side of the ship.”

you scrunched your nose up and tugged him down to finally kiss you— as if that was payment for torturing you and enjoying it.

౨ৎ ౨ৎ ౨ৎ ౨ৎ

Sanji was attractive; this was plain to see to everyone yet it still baffled you that he had never once had luck with women. zoro and nami constantly gave him shit for it, pointing out how much effort he put in just to be shot down repeatedly. when you had first met him and he flashed that charming smile and met you with those blue eyes that locked you in place, you were done for. truly. you had never once believed in love at first sight until you met sanji.

even more shocking- when sanji flirted with you it worked. too damn well… sanji was so caught off guard that he stumbled through the menu and mispronounced half of the wines, visibly sweating and trying to stay standing. you couldn’t keep your eyes off him and zoro wondered if he had put some kind of spell on you.

sanji had almost thought you were joking when he first asked you to dinner— a private dinner he had cooked, somehow away from luffy— and you had said yes. he was rather pathetic when it came to you- going out of his way to do anything and everything without being asked. you practically melted the first time he took your hand and kissed your knuckles, your arm, your shoulder, finally your neck— he was everything romantic and chivalrous and didn’t at all belong on a pirate ship or on a wanted poster.

months in, and you were still just as pathetically and grossly obsessed with him. zoro was on the deck shirtless, sweating and being slightly in the way, while luffy and usopp dared him to add more and more weight to lift. “are you enjoying the view?” you snorted in amusement and shook your head, eying nami with a playfully incredulous expression. nami laughed and nudged you, “i forgot, you only admire sanji. when he’s cooking, when he’s smoking, when he breathes…. when he’s sleeping.” you smirked to yourself, not about to deny a fact. you just smiled smugly and stepped into the gulley where your preferred and favorite view lied. sanji was at the counter, slicing vegetables like it was an art. you bit your lip as he rolled his sleeves up and wiped condensation from the steaming pot off his forehead. if sanji glanced at you now, he would fold like a piece of paper. the eyes you were giving him, the flush of your cheeks, your lip tucked between your teeth… he would abandon lunch completely and once again everyone would have you to blame for a late meal, burnt food and a heated make out in the kitchen that someone accidentally walked in on.

sanji looked up as soon as you were close enough to him for him to sense your presence. his eyes lit up and he leaned over the counter to kiss you, “hello mon amour… is there something i can do for you?” you tugged at his shirt collars when he moved to pull away, deepening the kiss as if he had been so cruel and unjust as to withhold kisses from you since this morning.

“oh gods, not again–“ nami stopped in the doorway, looking torn between irritation and a small fondness for how happy you truly were.

“something you need, nami?” sanji barely took his eyes off you, still leaning to kiss you.

nami crossed her arms, lifting her eyebrows in question, “can i make a request?”

sanji shrugged, glancing over at her with minimal interest, waiting for her to continue.

“stop making out in the kitchen.”

sanji’s mouth twitched, eyes returning to you with that intense hunger that always made you fold, “if you can’t stand the heat, nami, get out of my kitchen…”

sanji placed one more delicate kiss on your forehead and you inhaled shakily as he returned to the stove. he always dropped whatever he was doing to greet you and make sure you knew you were the priority. sanji pushed the diced vegetables around in the pan, lifting a cigarette with his other. your mouth hung open slightly as he lit it and inhaled deeply. he readjusted his sleeves above his elbow and exhaled. you watched the smoke curl up from his lips like a trance, unaware of how utterly pathetic you looked. nami snorted and you barely noticed. sanji ran a hand through his hair and your knees buckled; you nearly collapsed onto the floor, had your hands not been gripping the table, white knuckled.

“good grief,” nami eyed you like she was in awe of your brain function getting lesser and lesser when it came to sanji. sanji glanced up, over his shoulder, eyeing you with lifted brows, “are you alright, my darling?” the softness in his tone nearly had you folding again and nami huffed, “that’s going to make it worse, sanji. care less… ignore her. do something—“

you glared at nami briefly, but sanji just lowered his head to place another kiss to your forehead, “i would never ignore you, mon cherie…” your grip on the table tightened and nami choked out a laugh, thoroughly amused that him being so reassuring and loving just made you all the more worked up.

sanji held your hand as you glanced into every shop window you passed. you had lost the rest of the crew somewhere between docking and the town square though neither of you would complain or worry about rare alone time.

“if you see something you like, mon amour, please don’t hesitate…”

you glanced up at him shyly, smile slowly starting to spread. sanji eyed you with a soft amusement, “mon cherie, i’m offended you didn’t speak up. what is it? anything you want and it’s yours…”

you tugged on his hand for him to follow you back the way you had just come, though sanji didn’t need to be pulled— he was already following you before you had taken a step away from him.

you returned to the agreed upon meeting place five minutes late, flushed and slightly out of breath, with sanji both carrying your bags and asking if you were okay— the former was why he had needed to ask the latter. nami was staring— she nudged zoro who was smirking in utter amusement, “get lost?”

“not at all. my angel saw something she liked…”

nami glanced at zoro and his smirk widened even more, “whipped.”

nami sighed, shaking her head in amusement, “if only he knew the truth. neither one of them would ever be able to stand straight or be in the same room…”

sanji lifted an eyebrow, “what are you two smirking about?” you held your hand out to take the bags from sanji, to which he switched the bags to his other hand, put his free hand in yours and then brought your hand up to his lips.

oh, that had done it.

zoro and nami watched your brain short circuit and your breath catch as you breathed out shakily. you were now staring at the ground, trying very hard to stay standing.

“are you alright my—“

“for goodness sake, sanji! don’t say another thing to her if you want her to remain conscious.”

sanji froze, glanced at nami, wide eyed and confused, then glanced at you in concern, “what’s going on? did i do something?”

“oh, you were pretty much just born…” zoro sighed and shifted on his feet, hand resting on his swords like he was tired, “and then she met you in a restaurant. and we’ve not stopped hearing about you since…”

your eyes shot to zoro with a look that you hoped promised a slow, painful death.

nami was almost laughing now, clearing her throat to find a voice that was playfully meant to be you, “oh, sanji is cooking again… i’d better make sure i’m in there to drool over him.”

zoro smirked, amused and joining in, “oh, he rolled his sleeves up, someone better catch me when i inevitably pass out—“

“he’s smoking again, someone better dump cold water on my head—“

“alright! thank you…. for that.” you had seemed to shrink several inches, posture tense and awkward. sanji was eyeing you with a questioning expression, a small, timid smile on his lips.

“are they…. do you…do that?”

“do i— well— i just— i think— i—“

sanji looked very near to melting. his grip had tightened on your bags and his hand shifted from your hand to your chin, gentle. “i never noticed?”

“i was hoping not… half the time u don’t realize im doing it… you’re just so—“ you gestured to all of him and zoro scoffed.

you braced for a comment, a flirtatious remark, a smirk that would bring you to your knees— maybe even for sanji to throw you over his shoulder and sprint you both back to the merry.

instead, sanji knelt down— knelt down– in front of you and took your hand in both of his. there was a choke behind you but you couldn’t even focus on your surroundings. the world slowed, your head spun—

“i’m undeserving of you, my darling… you love me so well. so much… after all this time. to think you look at me the way i look at you. to think i am loved even a fraction of the way i feel for you— thank you. thank you, my angel… please let me spend the rest of my life with you. please let me keep loving you and being with you…”

zoro coughed, nami stood with her mouth open and luffy and usopp were just showing up, both applauding cluelessly. you just nodded, nearly as stunned as nami, though much much closer to passing out.

“i should get a ring— i should—“

you dropped to your own knees, despite sanji quickly standing and trying to pull you to your feet and make sure you never lowered yourself for him– you met him half way with a kiss that had both of you wrecked— but it was a very good thing you were both already on your knees…

᳂ ᳂ ᳂ ᳂

Luffy had grabbed you so suddenly that you hadn’t even yet been aware of what was happening. sanji and zoro were already approaching as luffy swung his first strike. you never really got used to the rubber thing… every time he fought or went out of his way to pull you against him, it was like seeing it for the first time— ironic, since luffy was all hands and all consuming all the time. he had saved you enough times now that you had learned to stay out of his way and not to question him if he was randomly pushing, pulling or dragging you rapidly away.

zoro and sanji stopped beside you with a sigh, “what now?” you just shrugged, eyes watching luffy in the fight that you hadn’t heard the beginning of or reason for.

regardless, luffy always looked good fighting. he managed to keep his hat on, which was a remarkable achievement of its own, when he was all limbs and flailing half the time. you winced as a single blow landed on luffy, though he either didn’t feel it or didn’t care—

“not the face…” you sighed, crossing your arms. zoro snorted, while sanji shook his head, “our captain is more than capable, as you know by now…”

“doesn’t mean i want his pretty face bruised.”

you pouted slightly, though your eyes were playful. luffy flew through the air suddenly and you cursed.

“do you think we should help him—“

zoro had his hands on his swords, though no sooner than he moved did the opposing foe drop to the ground. luffy returned to you with a small smile, only slightly out of breath.

“what was that about?”

“he looked at her.”

you almost snorted, eyeing him with an amused disbelief.

“your girlfriend was worried about your face, by the way…” zoro returned his sword to his side and smirked only slightly.

luffy turned to you, brows furrowed, “really?” you expected him to say something cute, but he wiped at his face in determination, “was there food on it?”

this time you did laugh, “no, luffy… believe it or not, i don’t want you buried and broken.”

he grinned at this, realizing you were being cute. he moved closer to you, arm around your shoulders, “not to worry, then… it all bounces off me.” he placed a messy kiss against the side of your cheek and you grinned.

his kisses were always messy and wet, sometimes acting more like he was tasting you than kissing you. “i think it’s cute that you worry about me.”

you scrunched your nose up slightly as he pulled you even closer until you almost couldn’t breathe, “and i just think you’re cute.”

luffy let out one of his laughs, loud and obnoxious, warming your chest like a hug. he flushed only slightly, hand on his hat like he was worried he would lose it. he kept his hand in yours as he moved to return his attention to food.

“i think luffy could beat anyone…” you shrugged innocently, pushing your half finished plate towards luffy, who would have no problem finishing it off.

“anyone?” nami eyed you incredulously.

“yes, anyone… name a single fight he hasn’t walked away from.”

“well arlong—“

“using sea water doesn’t count, nami.”

“i mean it is—“

“no, nami. using someone’s weakness isn’t winning…”

nami opened her mouth to argue, but sanji just shook his head slightly, as if warning that this was a useless argument. you truly believed luffy would beat anyone— would win any fight. sanji reminded nami of this and she just huffed.

luffy looked at you with wide eyes, glancing over his plate. he didn’t need you to defend him- he didn’t need you to believe in him, yet you always had. since they day you met him and joined his crew.

“it’s nice that she thinks so highly of me… if i ever stop believing in myself, i know there’s someone who will.”

you smiled softly at him from across the table and luffy just went back to eating, as if that hadn’t been one of the most romantic things he had ever said.

“you know she talks about you all the time… even when you’re stuffing your face, somehow… she thinks you’ve hung the stars.”

you flushed slightly, but zoro wasn’t lying. luffy’s eyes found you again, softer, the slightest amusement hid behind that loving expression.

“i know… i hear her. it’s nice… it makes me feel important.”

“you are—“

luffy lowered his now empty plate and took your hand, “i’m really glad you’re here. thank you.”

you fought away a stupid smile, sinking further into your chair as your heart swelled. “always, luffy… i would follow you anywhere.”