#i'll get back to Sanji mode tonight

[honnelander]

crush

alright, this is such a niche and self-indulgent little piece of writing bc i freaking LOVE this (awful and huge asshole) character buuut i do like to write for whatever i love in the moment sooo here's a little Brad Wolfe aka Hunter X-5 fic (he's cute ok??) (and if you're into marvel and are not watching the loki series, PLEASE go watch it! it's so amazing!) credit to @mrsbawar21-blog for the still!

WARNINGS: none

word count: 2.8

pairing: Brad Wolfe (Hunter X-5) x reader

summary: Mobius could tell Brad knew you a lot better than he was letting on, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it.

masterlist

taglist: @antrenna @buggy0827 @laviiv @feelinmatcha @ivonarfsh @facelessfionna @deserticwren @shadydeanmuffin

"See? Isn't this nice, Brad?" Mobius asked his beige jumpsuit-claded prisoner as he sipped on his vanilla milkshake, happy as a clam. "I mean, literally ten minutes ago we were at each other's throats, yelling at one another, and here we are," Mobius gestured around with his hands, emphasizing the 1980s McDonald's they were currently sitting in, "sharing a meal like two adults."

"Yeah, and you also tortured me," Brad replied quickly, not missing a beat as he kept his gaze set on the pair of Lokis conversing in the parking lot through the window. He drummed his fingers on the plastic tabletop, bouncing his leg up and down as he quickly glanced at Mobius with a quirked eyebrow. "Forgot to mention that part, huh?"

"Yeah, and you called me a 'nobody'," Mobius rebutted quickly, a hint of irritation dripping from his voice. He stopped himself, shaking his head slightly with closed eyes as he exhaled curtly.

Now wasn't the time to dispute that and the silver-haired TVA analyst knew that arguing with X-5- or Brad, whoever, was a waste of everyone's time and he didn't feel like renewing their earlier verbal scrimmage here when there were more pressing matters at hand. Ultimately, Brad did bring them to Slyvie in the end so that must count for something, right?

"But, that doesn't matter. See, I even bought you a shake," Mobius said, reaching across the table to pick up Bradley's vanilla shake and put it closer to him. "A little peace offering."

Brad's eyes flitted to Mobius' obvious olive branch for a second before looking back up to the analyst, unimpressed. After a beat, he raised his right hand, jabbing an accusatory index finger at Mobius, as he cocked his head to the side, saying, "But you did slap me, right in the face. I'm not gonna forget that."

"Just take the shake, Brad," Mobius said swiftly, slightly exasperated as he suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh.

Now, Mobius M. Mobius prided himself on his seemingly never-ending well of patience, but even he felt himself start to get annoyed at Brad's unrelenting persistence on being as difficult as can be. Did he always try to be as annoying as possible or was this just how the ex-hunter always is naturally? It was exhausting.

The former minute man-turned-actor glanced down at the shake again, leaving it untouched before looking out the window to refocus on the Lokis outside. "What- what are they even doing out there?" he asked with a huff, gesturing a hand towards the pair of variants. "It's like they're going over every detail of their relationship or something."

"Yeah, well," Mobius relented with a small sigh, taking another sip of his shake. "There's a lot of baggage to unpack when you're basically in a relationship with yourself," he explained casually like he was talking about a bad day at the office.

Brad picked up on the slight disdain in his captor's tone but he didn't care enough to broach the topic any further. Instead, Brad sighed in slight disgust as he resumed drumming his fingers on the table saying, "God... it's weird."

Not wanting to harp on his partner's unorthodox romantic relationship any more than he had to, Mobius picked up a plastic fork, getting ready to dig into his pie. "Now, why don't you tell me a little bit more about your movie, huh?"

Brad rolled his eyes and scoffed at Mobius's obvious deflecting technique. "What about it?"

"Tell me about all about it." The analyst took a forkful of pie, asking with an encouraging smile, "Is it a horror flick?"

"Oh, come on, Mobius. You don't care."

"No, really! I'm serious," he said through a mouthful of pie. "The poster we saw looked scary."

Not being one to pass up discussing his work and real life that awaited him back on the sacred timeline, Brad took the bait. "It's not scary... it's elevated thriller," he explained in a slightly matter-of-fact tone, waving his hand around for emphasis. In a condescending tone, he added, "It's cinema, thank you very much."

Mobius had no clue if there really was a difference between a scary movie and an 'elevated thriller', since it all sounded the same to him, but he appreciated Brad's enthusiasm on the topic.

Lifting his milkshake up to his mouth to try and hide his amused smirk, Mobius relented, "Oh, my bad. You're right... 'elevated thriller', got it." He nodded as he took a sip, putting his cup back down when he was finished. "I'll have to check that out then."

"And you have to get your own ticket!" Brad continued. "I'm not hooking you up. Especially not after all of," he waved his hands around at their current setting, "this."

"Right, of course," Mobius agreed patiently, watching Brad with a small smile. "I'll get my own tickets."

After his small spiel, the ex-hunter let out a small sigh. He blinked, a look of recognition overcoming his face as he straightened up like he was remembering the situation he was currently in.

He turned his torso to face Mobius head-on, putting his arms on the table and motioning towards the TVA analyst's meal. "Look, why don't we get this all to go, huh? It- it packs right up. Why don't we just- get it to go, so we can get out of here," he said, emphasizing the second half of his sentence as he mimicked packing something up and motioned towards the exit.

"We can't do that," Mobius rejected quickly. "Not yet, anyway. I haven't finished eating and besides, y/n hasn't even gotten her food yet," he added, jabbing a thumb over at you, who was loitering by the cashier in the front, hands on your hips as you looked up at the menu.

Brad followed Mobius' thumb, huffing out another irritated sigh at your figure and rolling his eyes. "She's still ordering? We don't have time for this- God," he muttered under his breath and slumped in his chair, rubbing his jaw. "She always takes forever to do anything," he added with a mumble.

However, Brad's little admission right there didn't escape Mobius' keen ears. Trying to keep casual, he dug back into his pie. "'Takes forever to do anything', huh?" he asked nonchalantly. "It kinda sounds like you know a lot about y/n."

Brad's eyes flashed to Mobius's briefly before looking elsewhere, shifting in his plastic seat. "Yeah, well, she's your partner, isn't she?" He glanced out at Loki for a second, "Or, at least one of them? You should know how slow she can be sometimes."

The silver-haired analyst shook his head once. "She's not slow. I prefer the term meticulous, actually."

For whatever reason, Brad felt the need to clarify himself, which Mobius couldn't help but find interesting since he knew X-5 to be a guy who always brazenly said what was on his mind no matter the circumstances.

"I didn't mean slow as in stupid," Brad quickly clarified. "I-I meant as in she just takes a long time to do anything."

"Uh-huh," Mobius replied simply, secretly enjoying how bent out of shape the man in front of him was getting. "Right."

"Yeah..." Bradley trailed off, finally picking up his forgotten shake and taking a long sip of it, avoiding Mobius's expectant gaze. After a few beats of silence, he put his shake back on the table, looking over at Mobius with an annoyed glance. "What?"

"Nothing," Mobius replied easily, looking over at Brad once again before looking back at his food, munching on a fry. "I just think it's interesting how you know how 'slow' y/n can be sometimes, that's all."

"Look," he looked back at Mobius, a hint of irritation (and embarrassment?) in his features. "Whatever little 'thing' you're trying to imply here between me and her, just drop it."

Mobius perked up, looking back at his prisoner. There it was again, Brad's peculiar choice of words. "'Drop it'? Don't you mean 'give it up'? Since 'giving up' would imply that there's absolutely nothing there, whereas 'dropping it' would mean that something is there but you just don't want to talk about it?"

Brad sat up. "Drop it, give it up- whatever Mobius, just stop talking about it."

A smile started to creep up on Mobius's face, finding joy in all of this. This little impromptu interrogation was turning out to be a lot more fun than the last one he had with the actor. "'It'? So there's an 'it' now? What's 'it'? Do you mean your little crush on y/n?"

The actor's body stiffened for a nanosecond before turning to fully face the analyst. "Mobius, I swear to God-"

"OH! So that's a 'yes'!" Mobius declared, hitting the tabletop playfully with a grin, his smile only getting wider at seeing Brad become more and more agitated. "You do have a crush on y/n! Aw, that's so adorable Bradley, really."

The ex-hunter leaned back in his chair, scrunching up his face as he looked to away. "'A crush'? Really, Mobius? What are we- five? Please."

"Oh, so you love her?"

Brad's eyes widened, snapping back to look at him. "What? No, I don't-"

"Oh, that's ok," Mobius reassured with a wave. "Maybe your crush on her will blossom into love one day, who knows? I mean, life is crazy right?" He got another forkful of pie as he said, "I just can't believe that you had a crush on my partner this whole time and I didn't even notice. What kind of analyst am I?"

Mobius shook his head, laughing at his own joke. It seemed so obvious to him now. He should've realized that X-5 had some type of feelings for his long-time work partner eons ago. He always thought it was strange how X-5 would randomly stop to chat with them, well, with you mostly he now realized, at seemingly random times throughout the day, like when you both were having lunch in the cafeteria or how X-5 would always be the minute man to volunteer and be the muscle for one of your missions if need be. He had always thought it was weird and strange, but now it just made sense.

"Mobius," Brad said, letting out a defeated sigh. "Can you just, drop it? Please?"

Mobius looked back up, eyebrows raised as he looked up at the former minute man. "And now you're saying 'please'? Wow, you're just full of surprises today Bradley, aren't you?" he asked with a disbelieving laugh. He watched as Brad slunk back into his seat, a resigned look on his face. Ever the kind soul, Mobius kinda felt kinda bad for him. "Hey, look," Mobius started, in a softer tone, "X-5, Brad, Bradley, whatever you want to be called, your secret is safe with me, alright? I won't tell her, I promise."

The movie star was quiet for a moment, sucking on his teeth. Even though he personally might not like Mobius, he did know that Mobius was a man of his word and kept his promises so, he had no choice but to trust him. "Yeah, well... thanks," he said, flashing the analyst with a quick look of gratitude as he rapt his knuckle on the table.

"Hey, no problem," Mobius said, regarding the man across from him for another moment before finishing up his pie. With a small, surprised laugh, Mobius said, "You know, I just think it's funny how a," jerk, he thought to himself, "guy like you ends up with a little, school-yard crush on such a kind and caring person like y/n."

Brad raised an eyebrow at Mobius's choice of words. "'A guy like me'? Liking someone like her? What is that supposed to mean Mobius?"

"Oh, nothing," he replied innocently. "I just think it's funny. I guess, in this case, opposites really do attract, huh?"

"Oh, what? Now you're calling me a jerk?" Brad started, ready to go at it with Mobius again. "Why don't you just-"

"Hey, guys," you said, finally arriving at the table with a brown to-go paper bag with your food, sliding into the seat next to Mobius, your partner, unknowingly stopping the argument that was about to take place. "Sorry I took so long. There were just so many options to choose from, you know? It was hard to decide."

Now that Mobius was keen on Brad's little crush on you, he couldn't help but want to mess with him even further. "Ah that's ok y/n, I know that sometimes those things can be a little slow," he said, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards when Brad sent him a glare. "So don't worry about it."

"No word from Loki yet?" you asked, completely oblivious to the invisible sparing match occurring between the two men. "They're still out there?" you asked as you leaned on the table, craning your neck to try and see the two variants better.

"No, nothing yet. Hey, y/n," Mobius said suddenly, hitting your shoulder slightly like he had just come up with a great idea. "Why don't you move and sit next to Brad? I think he has a better vantage point to see them than I do," he innocently suggested, sending Brad a good-natured wink.

Brad nearly face-palmed himself. He forgot that Mobius could sometimes be as subtle as a baseball bat. "Mobius," he warned lowly.

But the mentioned analyst continued unphased. "And while you're sitting over there, watching the Lokis, you know, next to Brad," he added again for emphasis, "you can eat your meal."

"Oh, no need," you answered easily, to which question, the guys didn't know. "I got my food to go."

"See?" Brad quickly straightened, a newfound urgency in his tone and movements are he looked back and forth between you and Mobius. "She's smart, she got her food to go, to have back at the TVA. Which is exactly where we all need to be. Right now. Let's go."

"Jeez, Brad, what is it with you?" He asked exasperatedly, rolling his eyes. "You're like a broken record. First, you're all like, 'get me back to the sacred timeline' and now you're all like, 'get me out of here'." He shook his head. "It's like you-"

"Know something," you said, cutting off Mobius' train of thought, your eyes looking at your beige jumpsuited prisoner with a calculating gaze.

At your words, Mobius stopped his spiel, blinking as he leaned back in his seat, his eyes looking over at Brad in thought. "Do you know something?" he asked.

Brad, however, stayed quiet. He picked up his milkshake, swirling it around before taking a couple of sips as he turned his body away from you both, looking out the window.

"Hey," Mobius said a little more firmly, slapping the actor's forearm to get his attention. "Don't get all quiet on me now, Zaniac. What do you know? Is this a setup?"

"It's an ambush," you said.

But Brad continued to suck on the straw, not looking at either of you.

"Bradley, answer me," Mobius said forcefully.

Brad put his milkshake down, swallowing the sweet treat before looking at you. "We need to get out of here," was all he said.

You held eye contact with him, discerning the urgency and panic you saw held within his gaze. You couldn't help but feel that when Brad had said 'we', he really only meant you and him. His look and words sent a shiver down your spine.

Mobius was the first to get up, the rest of his meal forgotten. "Alright, let's go. We need to regroup with Loki so our friend Brad here can tell us what's really going on." He picked up his tray, walking over to the trash to dump the rest of his fast food scraps away, and put his tray on top of the can.

Brad held your stare for another moment before finally blinking, breaking the spell, as he hastily got up himself. "Finally," he muttered. He tossed his drink away as he quickly followed behind Mobius.

But you didn't move. You stared at the now empty spot that X-5 had occupied seconds ago, trying to discern why you felt that he knew about a lot more than just this current situation.

As always, your long-time partner and best friend knew when you needed to be broken out of your train of thought and get you back on track. "Y/n!" Mobius called out as he headed towards the exit. "Let's go!"

Snapping back to reality, you blinked, shaking off your wandering thoughts and stood up, following Mobius and Brad outside. Now wasn't the time to analyze Brad's actions and choice of words, right now all you needed to know was what Brad knew right at this moment and why he was so adamant about getting back to the TVA.

If you wanted to question Brad more, you could do that later. He was your prisoner after all and time worked differently in the TVA, right?

[littlemissfiore]

Cigarettes out the Window. | Vinsmoke Sanji x fem! Reader

summary: sanji falls in love with a woman he truly loves, but faith does not grant him such luck. obligated by his family to go through an arranged marriage he does not want to partake in. sanji has to decide which path in life he wants to take.

tags: modern au!, doctor!reader, friends-to-lovers, sanji's pov, horrible family dynamics, mentions of sex, spoilers to WCI arc, no use of [y/n], angst

note: if you can read this, it means this fanfic made it out of the draft hell. it's kinda long too, was going full novel mode, chopper also doesn't exist in this au (sorry), i wanted to put my own spin on the WCI arc but if it were set in modern au, hopefully it goes well, you can also imagine this as a la!op Sanji

The Baratie was full compared to other nights. Like, god awfully full, was there some sort of special event going on? Sanji didn't know nor did he have the time to ponder something so trivial. He had tables to serve and Zeff was already losing his mind in the kitchen in desperate need of Sanji.

He took a long inhale from his cigarette before heading back inside the restaurant. Throwing it and stomping it on the ground, first clearing his throat before letting out a cough.

Shit. When was the last time he had visited a doctor? All that smoking was not good for him, Sanji knew that. Although, he could care less, fixing his posture and tie before heading back inside the Baratie.

"Where the hell is Sanji!?" yelled Zeff, smacking the kitchen counters. Sanji's footsteps were heard amongst the sizzling and loud noises in the kitchen. "Well I'll be damned, look who decided to make an appearance."

Sanji scoffs. "Decided to take a small break," he responds, picking up his blazer from the rack and putting it on. "Y'know, since I'm not allowed in the kitchen."

"You most definitely won't after this," Zeff states, even though this was not the first time Sanji heard this. "Now, get out there and serve some customers! You're holding us back!"

Usually, Sanji and Zeff would argue and go back and forth. It was tedious, but no matter how many times he tried standing up for himself. That old man would refuse to have him help out in the kitchen. Tonight, Sanji begrudgingly chooses to keep his mouth shut and head out to serve customers.

The Baratie was full, more so than other nights. It was going to be one hellish night for Sanji and the rest of the cooking crew, he was sure of it. Foolish of him to think he would be able to get out early and spend the rest of his night with his friends. Sanji made his rounds around the restaurant, making sure the guests felt comfortable and satisfied.

Everything seemed to be going okay-wait-did his eyes betray him? No. A beautiful lady sitting all by herself? Impossible!

Leaving a beautiful lady all on her own in a big restaurant like the Baratie should be a crime. Sanji watched as she looked everywhere in the restaurant, probably waiting for her date to arrive. She didn't look nervous, but one would be foolish enough to not see the obvious disappointment plastered all over her face.

Make all the guests feel welcomed and comfortable at the Baratie, thought Sanji as he made his way to the lady.

"M'lady," started Sanji. You did a little jump on your seat, surprised by the sudden appearance of the waiter. You turned around to look at him with big wide eyes, expecting him to say something. Cute, was all Sanji could think at the moment. "I'm sorry for startling you, have you decided what you would like to have for the night?"

You shook your head weakly, "No," you responded, looking down at the menu. "I'm waiting for my date but he hasn't arrived yet. Looks like I'll have to eat alone..."

Sanji was baffled. That's the only way he could describe what he was feeling right now. What kind of man left a woman alone in a restaurant, especially on a date.

"A gorgeous woman such as yourself shouldn't be eating alone," stated Sanji, a sly smirk lingering on his lips. Your date might have passed off his chance with you, but he certainly wasn't going to.

Your stare lingered before realizing he was complimenting you. You felt your face grow hot, your eyes immediately glued on the menu to avoid his stare. "Oh..! Um... Thank you!" you responded, shyly. You closed the menu and set it down on the table in front of you, turning to look at the waiter. "But I'll just have a glass of water. I don't think I'll be eating anything tonight."

Nonsense, thought Sanji. "A beautiful lady like yourself should enjoy our very best!" Sanji stated, proudly. How funny, Sanji would always complain about Baratie. Now, here he is, trying to give the best impression he can of the restaurant. You didn't seem entirely convinced, just absentmindedly staring at him. "On the house."

You smiled. "You're doing a lot more for me than my date," you gesture towards the other seat that was empty.

"And let a lovely lady like yourself be all alone tonight? Never," flirted Sanji, making you flustered. You chuckled shyly, he could tell his compliments made you feel giddy.

Before you could continue the conversation, out of the corner of his eye, Sanji could see Zeff glaring at him from a distance. While his chivalry was not a problem, the amount of time he wasted swooning over women cost the restaurant time and money.

Are we paying you to tend to customers or flirt with women?! Sanji could already hear that old man yelling at him. Before you could continue with your conversation, he fixed his blazer.

"I'm sorry, madam," started Sanji. "I have to tend to the other customers but I promise you I will be right back."

All you could do was giggle and nod your head. "Alright!" you gave him a smile before he walked off. Sanji walked past Zeff, expecting him to berate him but he just felt his gaze follow him all the way to the kitchen.

Tch! That old man was always on his ass. How could Zeff not see he was tending to a beautiful lady who's date didn't bother to show up last minute. Of course, how would he know? He's never had a wife. Sanji just needed to take these plates out to their respective tables, then, he could talk to the beautiful lady sitting by herself.

Yet, when he stepped out of the kitchen, you were no longer there. Maybe you were in the bathroom, fixing your makeup. Could you have possibly been crying? No, Sanji shakes his head. The sooner he can serve the plates, the sooner he can check up on you. You still needed your glass of water!

After he finished making his rounds, Sanji made his way to your table. He had a glass of water on his hand, setting it down on the table. You were nowhere to be found, the only thing left on the table was the menu and a folded twenty dollar bill.

Oh, you were gone.

Sanji frowned. It broke his heart to think a beautiful lady like yourself would leave out of embarrassment. It did not help that you were surrounded by people around you who had dates or friends accompanying them. What a shame, he truly wished he would have made your night.

Sanji's cough was getting worse by the day. He tried holding on for as long as he could but, alas, he succumbed to his sickness.

"Good, don't come back 'til that nasty cold of yours is gone," Zeff stated simply. Of course, he of all people would say that. Sanji felt like he could hear the man thanking the heavens from the other side of the phone. "Check with a doctor, is probably all that smoking you do."

"I'm fine," Sanji said through gritted teeth before letting out a horrible cough.

"Check yourself, boy!" yelled Zeff through the phone. "I will not allow you back into Baratie if you do not get better. So get off your lazy ass and go see a bloody doctor."

"Even outside of work, you love to order me around," spat Sanji, glaring down at his phone. "Fine! I'll get it checked out, you can stop complaining."

"Fine!" was the last thing Zeff said before hanging up.

That old man, always thinking he could intrude not only at work but in his personal life as well. Sanji coughed, holding his chest to try and ease the pain. He hadn't been to the doctor in a while, maybe he did need to check himself out.

Bzzt!

Sanji stared at his screen, reading off the text message.

Reiju Father wants to talk to you read 2:30

Sanji chose to ignore the message sent by his sister, there was no way she could convince him to talk to his father. After all these years, he wants to talk to him? After he kicked him out of his house and disowned him.

Sanji shook his head, a desperate attempt to shake off all the bad thoughts that started to crawl in his head. There was no use thinking about his old life, he was happier now. With friends who cared about him, even old man Zeff cared about Sanji in his own way.

Sanji lets out another horrible cough, man, was he feeling shitty. There was no use beating around the bush, he needed someone to take care of him. What better person to do that than the woman he trusts the most, Nami.

Sanji Nami~ I'm sick. Your presence would help me feel better ! ❤️

"Nami!" exclaimed Sanji, swinging his door wide open. He was excited to have alone time with a beautiful woman such as Nami. What else could he ask for? "And, Usopp."

Sanji frowns. "Don't get too excited to see me now," stated Usopp, holding his arms up in the air. "She told me to accompany her."

"I figured you needed more than just my company, Sanji," smirked Nami, making her way to his fridge and rummaging through it. She grabbed the first beer she could find, popping the cap off with the handle of the fridge. Oh, Nami! The woman that you are. "Ah! This tastes great! Good thing you're driving Usopp."

"What!" cried Usopp, glaring at the red-head. "Is this why you brought me all along!?"

Nami pressed her lips together. "Hmm... maybe!" she responded back, shamelessly. "You look like you went through hell, Sanji."

Sanji cleared his throat, forcing a smile for Nami even if his body felt like it was giving out on him. "You look as beautiful as ever, Nami."

"Have you ever visited a doctor yet?" asked Usopp, folding his arms. Sanji faces his friend, his blank expression giving Usopp a clear answer. "Now, that's why, you have not gotten better."

"How long has it been since you've seen a doctor?" asked Nami, sitting on Sanji's couch.

"It's... been a while," Sanji said, through gritted teeth.

"You're definitely gonna be the first one to go out of all of us," joked Usopp, earning a nasty glare from his blonde friend.

"Men..." sighed Nami, pulling out her phone. "Lucky for me, I have my own doctor. Free of charge!"

"Who?" asked Usopp, now sitting next to Nami.

It was almost as if Usopp was the one who needed to go to the doctor's office.

"I'm not saying!" Nami stuck out her tongue before chuckling. She turned to Sanji, acknowledging his presence. "She's cool, she can probably fix you up! She owes me a favor, anyway."

Sanji chuckled, heading to the kitchen to fix up a small snack for his friends. "You don't have to do all that for me, darling," he said, smiling. "I can manage."

Following right after was a string of long horrible coughs coming from Sanji. What a pain, it was unbearable he had to use the kitchen counter for support. Nami and Usopp look over at him from the couch before heading up to Sanji and leading him to bed.

"Yeah, I'm definitely calling her," grunts Nami. "This will cost you! You better feed me well once your health improves!"

Nami left Usopp alone to carry Sanji to bed while she searched through her phone. Finally finding the number and putting the call on speaker, Nami greeted, "Hello~, Love! Say.. are you free right now? I have a big favor to ask of you."

What a small world it was.

Who would've thought the girl from the restaurant was Nami's friend and a doctor. It was hilariously convenient, not that Sanji was complaining though. He was able to see your pretty face again. Just the flustered look you gave him as he laid in his bed was enough to know you recognized him.

"You two know each other already?" asked Usopp.

"From where?" Nami questioned, looking at you. From the look on your face, you were a little embarrassed that your love life would soon be on display while you're tending to someone.

"That one restaurant you told me to go to-" "Baratie, love," Sanji interrupted you. "Sorry, darling. I just work there, got to give that place some free promotion."

You chuckled.

"Stop flirting with my doctor, I don't need her running away because of your antics," huffed Nami. She turned to look at you baffled while you took Sanji's hand and checked his pulse. "Did the guy even show up?"

You shook your head, intently focused on Sanji before asking him any questions. "Something about an emergency, never texted me again," you mumbled.

Wow! That guy must've been a loser, thought Sanji. Not only had he ghosted a lady and left her alone at a restaurant, she was also a doctor. A cute doctor at that. No, gorgeous, no-wait-, a stunning woman. Ugh, thought Sanji. There were so many words to describe your beauty, it felt like he could write a novel.

"Well that guy is a loser, doesn't know what he's missing out on," cried Nami, putting her arms around you. "Don't worry, I'll marry you!"

"Yes, some guys can be dumb," stated Usopp, nodding his head.

Sanji let out a horrible cough, his body feeling disoriented as he held his chest. You searched through your bag, taking out your stethoscope and putting it around your neck.

"If you guys don't mind, can you leave us alone?" You asked, bluntly. "I shouldn't take too long, don't worry."

Even in his worst state, Sanji could feel a smile creep onto his lips. Nami did not miss his expression, giving him slight glares knowing he was secretly excited about having one-on-one interaction with a woman.

"Don't try anything weird, I can't afford to lose my doctor, they aren't cheap," said Nami, grabbing Usopp by the arms and dragging him out the room. Before closing the door, Nami points at you, "If he tries anything weird, tell me."

"Don't be jealous my dear Nami," joked Sanji, earning a giggle from you.

"As if!" with that Nami slams the door shut, leaving you and Sanji alone.

You let out a nervous chuckle. "I'm sorry, I was getting a little overwhelmed," You said. "What seems to be the problem here? You have a pretty bad cold from what I see."

"There is no problem here, darling," Sanji sits in an upright position on his bed. "It seems faith had plans for us to meet again."

"Seems so," you respond, curtly before putting on the ear tips from the stethoscope. "Do you smoke?"

"Yes."

"Hm." Was the only thing you responded with as you placed the bell on Sanji's chest. Sanji felt his heart drop, why did you respond like that? Did you find smokers unattractive? Sure he knew he had a nasty habit of smoking but he never figured it was too bad, right?

Why was Sanji doubting himself so hard? Why did his chest feel like it was all tied up in knots? He'd seen plenty of beautiful women, but now that you were in his presence he felt like he was struck by lightning. This was the first time Sanji had ever reacted like this. He usually had a collected demeanor, even when flirting with attractive ladies. Now, he didn't even know what to say, how to feel.

"Wow! Your heart is beating fast!" you exclaimed, worriedly. "Do you feel okay? I'm going to check and see if you have a fever, alright?"

You leaned in towards Sanji, the back of your hand softly landing on his cheeks. He felt his face turn red at the close proximity the two of you had. Get it together! You've been around women! Sanji scolded himself.

"You're burning up," you mentioned, sliding your hand to his forehead. "I think you might've contracted the flu, you should rest and drink plenty of water."

W-what?, thought Sanji. "That's all...?" his whisper coming out raspy. He was upset you were now leaving.

"Unfortunately for you, I am not allowed to give you any prescription medicine," you started, as you put away your things. "But if you go to a pharmacy store, you should get some medicine specifically for the flu. It'll fix you up faster, plus, you should quit smoking. At least for the time being while you recover."

There was a small silence between the both of you, listening to the rustling of your bad.

"Y'know you were beautiful that night, ma chérie?" started Sanji, staring at you starstruck. By the look of your face, you were caught off guard. He was taking a big risk flirting with you like this. "That jackass doesn't know how to appreciate a beauty like you."

Sanji watched your breathing stop for a second, taking in what was happening to you. He hadn't known you but by your reaction it seemed like you weren't used to these types of comments. What a shame, thought Sanji. He would shower you with praise every day if you would let him.

"T-thank you," you mustered the courage to say while facing down at the floor. "If you need anything, Nami has my number!"

You quickly gather your things and head towards the door, opening it. Usopp and Nami pretend to make small talk, acting as if they weren't trying to eavesdrop through the door. "I hope you get better soon!" you yelled out, leaving Sanji's room in a hurry and leaving the apartment.

Sanji's heart ached a little. He hoped he hadn't made you uncomfortable with his excessive flirting. He just couldn't resist you though. A woman of such high caliber as yourself should be showered with nothing but praise.

"You better not have said anything weird, or you're dead," frowned Nami, crossing her arms.

Even if he did, Sanji is sure he will make it up to you.

In the following weeks, no woman occupied his mind other than you. Sanji made sure to keep in touch with you, first pretending he needed another check-up to make sure he rid himself of his sickness. Then it turned from sending each other a few messages a day, to full blown conversations. Nobody had seen him like this, hell, nobody actually thought a day like this would come.

The day Sanji had confessed to his friends he had his eyes set on you, he was met with mixed reactions. Usopp and Luffy cheered him on, immediately telling Sanji to confess his feelings for you and sweep you off your feet. All Zoro could do was scoff, muttering to Nami 'let's see how long this lasts' before plopping on the couch. Sanji could see Nami's face becoming red, indicating how displeased she was.

"You womanizer!" Nami clenched her fist. "You better be serious about this! That poor girl cannot handle another heartbreak, you hear me!?"

Sanji felt a little hurt by Nami's comment but knew she was only saying it out of care for her friend. They've been friends for years, she has witnessed him flirt with almost every girl in the country by now.

"Relax, Nami, this is Sanji we're talking about," said Luffy.

"Exactly," huffed Nami, crossing her arms.

"When will we get to meet the lucky lady?" asked Luffy with a wide grin. A small smile was plastered on Sanji's face as Luffy kept asking him the same question.

Huh... Sanji hadn't thought about it. Now his mind was imagining what it would be like for you to meet his friends. His found family, how well you would get along with them. Sanji felt like a schoolboy with all that daydreaming he was doing in his head.

Vinsmoke Sanji, finally finding the woman of his dreams after spending years flirting with so many women. It started becoming more noticeable as the days passed. Before, he spent his time at the Baratie flirting with women and swooning them with free meals. Now, Zeff would catch him being on his phone, usually smiling down at whatever text message you had sent him.

Both his friends and the crew at the Baratie did not chastise Sanji whenever they saw him glued to his phone. No, instead, they would stand in front of him in disbelief. It was baffling, almost as if Sanji wasn't... Sanji.

The old man, Zeff, probably caught on before any of Sanji's friends could. He came into work more of an airhead than usual. His incessant flirting with women was now dialed back. Sanji still gave them pet names, but now he wasn't asking them for their phone numbers or to wait for him at the end of his shift.

Actually, there was one time a woman waited for Sanji at the end of his shift. Zeff was rather annoyed he had to tend to this customer when it was already closing time.

"Do you need anything?" asked Zeff, trying his best not to sound annoyed. He could tell you were nervous, stumbling on your words.

"I'm here to see Sanji, if he's here!" you said, hoping you weren't bothering them. Zeff stared at you, trying to connect the pieces together. Were you the girl Sanji was constantly messaging throughout his shift? "He told me to wait here since it's raining outside, if that's okay..."

Yes, you were the girl Sanji was so busy swooning over. "I'll bring him out for you, take a seat," Zeff walked away from you and into the kitchen.

"Hey, Sanji!" Zeff shouted loud enough for the crew to hear. Sanji appears with a dish already prepared on his hand, wondering why the old man called out for him. "Your girl is here..."

Zeff did not miss the way Sanji's eyes lit up, there was no malintent, just pure happiness. Sanji starts making his way towards you but is stopped by Zeff. "Where are you going with that plate, boy?"

Sanji didn't bother trying to argue with the old man, simply rolling his eyes before answering. "She just got off work and she's hungry," was the only thing Sanji responded with before heading out.

The crew watched in silence, surprised both men did not instantly start a screaming match with each other.

"Yep," started Zeff. "That boy is in love, Patty. Who would've thought the day would come." The Baratie crew can only snicker.

Sanji was excited for you to try out his new dish. Sure, you have already tasted his cooking since he would prepare food for you whenever he could; but this dish was special. It was something new, and Sanji could not wait for you to try it. He saw you already sitting at a table, nervously looking around at the empty space around you.

"My lovely lady!" exclaimed Sanji, making his presence known. He saw the way your eyes lit up, immediately getting shy.

"Sanji! How are you?" You asked, watching him place the dish right in front of you.

He sat next to you, he couldn't contain his excitement. "Oh, I feel much better now that you are here," flirted Sanji, making you turn shy. "I tried a new recipe, you're the first one to try it so let me know if it tastes good."

You giggle. "Whatever you cook for me, I know will be good," you complimented him, grabbing a fork and eating away.

Sanji was nervous. He had confidence in his cooking skill, he knew he was a great cook. Hell, his friends and strangers alike would always rave about his cooking. Sanji had yet to come across someone who did not enjoy his cooking. He had food critics from around the country come and visit the Baratie just to get a taste of his cooking. To Sanji, though, he could care less about the opinions of those snobby rich critics. Your opinion meant more to him than some five star review.

You seemed to be enjoying the dish Sanji made for you, seeing as you were only focused on eating. Over the past few weeks, Sanji was able to pick up on your habits. Whenever you had a rough day at work, you would enjoy eating the dish Sanji made you in silence. Even though he loved nothing more than talking to you, he'd prefer you eat first. The first week he met you, you would skip meals even though you were a doctor. From then on, Sanji made it his mission to make you a dish whenever he had the chance.

"Hm~, this is amazing, I should make you my husband," you teased. You had no clue just how much love Sanji poured into this dish he made you. You overtook his thoughts in every department, this dish was made out of genuine care for you. He would be honored if you made him your husband.

"I have some good news!" You exclaimed, wiping your mouth with a napkin.

"Tell me all about it, love," smiled Sanji, seeing your grin widen and getting all giddy. He loved how you got excited whenever you wanted to tell him something that interested you.

"There's a new aquarium that just opened downtown," you started, moving your seat closer to him. "It has all kinds of exotic fish and beautiful marine mammals!"

"Hm, maybe I should check it out, give me ideas for what I might prepare next," joked Sanji as you gasped. You slapped his arm playfully, calling him mean.

"Well... You see," you started as you twiddled with your thumbs. Sanji noticed how you refused to look him in the face. He saw your flustered expression as you tried to figure out what to say next. "A-a co-worker of mine, he gave me free tickets to the aquarium."

Sanji's heart dropped. He? As in... Male? Has somebody else asked you out on a date already? Sanji could hear his heart slowly break but he tried keeping a calm demeanor. Right now all he wanted to do was curl up on his bed and cry.

"Him and his girlfriend broke up and he didn't want the tickets to go to waste," you scratched your head, your eyes roaming around everywhere but Sanji. He felt his heart break a little more. "Anyways, he gave me two tickets... a-and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me?"

You finally look up at Sanji, your flustered expression showing all over your face. What? It had hit him like a train all of the sudden. You were asking him to go out with you to the aquarium. Sanji had prepared many scenarios in his head, but this one he did not expect. It was almost as if you were asking him out on a date.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to..." you try to hide the sadness in your voice. Sanji hadn't realized he had been blanking out for a bit, explaining why you were so hesitant.

"N-no! It's not like that!" Sanji exclaimed, desperately trying to salvage the situation. "If anything, I'm honored you would like to go with me."

Was this his chance? Sanji had dreamed of this moment since he was young. A beautiful prince finally meeting his beautiful princess, it felt like something out of a fairytale.

This was his chance. Sanji had to seal the deal.

"Love," Sanji gently held your chin with his fingers, as you tried to keep your eyes on him trying hard not to show your flustered expression. "How about we make it an official date?"

Sanji felt your body tense, you always had this reaction whenever he complimented you. He wasn't sure if it was because you valued your personal space, or because you were caught up in the moment. Regardless, Sanji loved seeing your expression when he treated you sweetly.

You nodded your head. "Yes," you whispered. "It's a date."

You were so cute showing how excited you were. It was hard for Sanji not to swoop in and plant his lips on top of yours. If only he could just lean a little closer-

"Hey, you two!" a thunderous voice erupted, making you jump from your seat. Both you and Sanji turned to look at Zeff who was holding the kitchen door open. "We're about to leave, if you guys want to stay in here, be my guest!"

With that, the old man walked away. Sanji chuckled and turned to face you, "You wanna get out of here?" he asked. You nodded your head, as both of you stood up from your seats. "First, let me introduce you to this old geezer, Zeff. I promise you, he's not as intimidating as he seems."

"He's pretty scary to me," you joked. While both of you made your way to the kitchen, your hand magically interlocked with Sanji's.

How could words explain just how absolutely stunning you looked. Sanji caught a glimpse one night of how beautiful you looked all dressed up. Usually, he would see you in your work clothes, which he didn't mind, he got to see you in that white lab coat. Although, now, Sanji was able to bask in your beauty. Seeing how you put so much effort to look presentable for your date, you look so cute!

"Darling, you look absolutely stunning," complimented Sanji, taking your hand and placing a kiss on top. He gifted you a bouquet of flowers with a letter attached to it. "Read it when you get home, love."

You shyly nodded, putting the letter on your table to read for later.

Sanji held your hand, leading you to his car and finally making your way to the aquarium. You couldn't contain your excitement on the way there, explaining to him what animal you were most excited to see. It was cute, really. Nami had told him how excited you were for this date and just how head over heels you were for Sanji.

Nami I don't know how you did it, but I better hear good things from you after tonight. read 6:27pm

Sanji couldn't help but crack a smile, seeing how overprotective Nami was of you. He had no doubt in his mind that Nami would put him in his place if he crossed the line. Although, Sanji had no plans of leaving you anytime soon.

He watched you, starstruck by your beauty as you stared at the fishes in the tank. The way you stared at the fishes with such focus, pointing to Sanji every fish you found intriguing. Your skin was glowing beautifully all thanks to the water's reflection shining onto you.

"What do you think?" you asked, turning your attention to Sanji.

"I think..." He smiled, tucking your hair over your ear, before pointing at a big fish. "I think I've actually cooked that fish at Baratie before."

You gasp before stifling out a laugh. "You're cruel," you said, your eyes locking onto him.

No, you're cruel. The way you cemented yourself into Sanji's heart. The way you made him feel like he was finally allowed to be selfish. How, no matter how many women hit on him or flirt with him, you're the only one taking over his mind.

"Look at this one!" you pointed at a Green sunfish. "He reminds me of your friend!"

"Ha! That is mosshead!" laughed Sanji, pointing at the fish alongside you. He took out his phone from his pocket to take a picture of the fish. "I have to send this to the Strawhats group chat!"

As Sanji zoomed in on the Green sunfish and took a quick picture, he felt your gaze on him. He could've sworn he saw you give him a warm smile, watching him have his own fun. Sanji puts his phone away, giving you his full undivided attention.

"Sanji..." you started. He felt a shiver run down his spine as his name rolled off your tongue. Your hands were a little shaky as you went to grab his black tie.

"L-love-!" started Sanji but before he could speak, you pulled him towards you and planted a kiss on his lips.

Sanji's body felt like it was on fire. As a young boy, he always thought he would be the first one to initiate a kiss. Now here he was, getting a kiss from you first, not that he minded. If anything, it proved to him that you were just as crazy for him as he was for you.

You pulled away, refusing to look him in the eyes and planted your head on his chest out of embarrassment. Sanji couldn't help but laugh at how cute you were, you had pulled the first move and now you were acting all shy. He wrapped his arms around you, kissing the top of your head and held you closely.

Two lovers enjoying their moment, blissfully unaware of the world around them.

"What are you doing here?" growled Sanji, staring at the woman sitting on his couch. It was his sister, Reiju.

"You've been ignoring my calls," she answered, unamused.

"Yeah? Well, maybe I've been ignoring them for a reason," scoffed Sanji, taking off his coat.

"Father wants to talk to you," Reiju went straight to the point. "He's been wanting to get a hold of you."

"Tell him to piss off!" yelled Sanji, heated. "That man has done nothing good for me, I don't want anything to do with him. In fact, he was the one who didn't want anything to do with me first."

Sanji swore he saw his sister's face drop, remembering the mistreatment of her younger brother.

"I know that..." spat Reiju. "But I'm here to try and spare you the trouble. If you continue to ignore his request, he will make you talk to him."

"Like I said, he has no right trying to come back into my life like nothing happened," said Sanji. "Now, if you would kindly leave me be, I would appreciate it very much."

Reiju's eyes don't leave Sanji's intense stare, sighing, before getting up from the chair and making her way out. She gives her younger brother one last look, one of shame.

"I hope things go well for you..." muttered Reiju, already out the door.

Sanji frowned. "Goodbye, Reiju."

And with that, he slammed the door.

Sanji felt like the happiest man in the entire world.

He is the happiest man in the world.

Being with you the past few weeks, Sanji had never felt more alive. You surround everything around him, whether it be from the dishes he cooks you or the music you play for him on a daily basis. Sanji could never get enough of you, you occupied every single one of his thoughts.

I got lucky, thought Sanji as he watched you dance with his friends. The bonfire was brightly lit, reflecting an orange tint on not only you but all of his friends. This was beautiful, almost like a scene taken straight out of a movie.

Sanji felt relieved that you got along well with his group of friends. He knew they were a bit much to handle, their personalities could be all over the place. He had remembered when he met Luffy at the Baratie, he was accompanied by Nami, Zoro and Usopp. It was a relatively small friend group before it expanded.

A few years ago, Sanji would've never imagined he'd have a big group of friends; ones who he considered his found family. Not that he didn't consider Zeff and the cooking crew at the Baratie his family. Zeff was his father-figure, the one who pushed him to befriend Luffy, to pursue his dreams and aspirations.

Now, here Sanji was, with his friends and lover, enjoying the beautiful night by drinking and dancing. He was content, so much so, he was sitting next to Zoro enjoying his beer. They were always at each other's throats; but tonight, they enjoyed each other's presence as they watched the others have fun.

"You sure are happier than ever before..." muttered Zoro, taking a drink from his beer. "For a second, I thought you were joking but you actually surprised me this time."

Sanji knew Zoro was referring to you.

"What can I say..." started Sanji, grabbing his lighter to light up a cigarette. "When you meet the right woman, it changes you."

Zoro chuckled. "I like her," said Zoro, watching his friends getting more and more drunk. You were struggling to hold Luffy and Nami as they leaned on you for support. The others laugh at their two friends' antics. "She doesn't take herself too seriously, plus, she's a doctor."

That being said, Luffy grabbed onto Usopp, trying to give him a hug. Both of them were drunk, and instead of hugging each other, their heads collided. You gasped and went to check on both of them to see if they were alright.

"Plus, looks like we need one," Zoro gestured to Usopp and Luffy.

Sanji laughed.

As the night progressed, most of Sanji's friends left one by one, leaving only the two of you. Both of you were sitting on the couch, exhausted from the fun night you two had.

"I think I should start heading home..." you sighed. Sanji could tell you didn't want to leave him.

He held you closer to him. "Why not just stay here for the night then, darling?" Sanji cooed in your ear, making you giggle.

You sighed, shaking your head hesitantly. "Can't, I have to do a lot of paperwork tomorrow. You know they will go crazy without me there."

Sanji felt a twinge of disappointment, but he did not let it ruin his mood. He understood how important your job was to you, he didn't want to get in the way of things. Although, by the way you acted, it didn't seem like you wanted to leave either.

You sat on top of your legs, looking at Sanji with a flustered look. You didn't really want to go, you had to make it clear to him. You leaned in towards Sanji, giving him a rather passionate kiss.

Sanji reciprocated the kiss, putting his hands on your cheeks to deepen it. His hands landed on your cheek, neck and then on your waist, putting you two in an intimate position. This felt heavenly, you roaming your hands on his chest made Sanji's whole world go up in flames.

This felt like a natural transition to something more; to sex. But who was Sanji if he didn't make sure his lady was absolutely sure about this? Sure about taking your relationship to the next level. Sanji broke the kiss, seeing as you were straddling on his lap. You gave him a cute pout, one which he found adorable.

"Ma chérie," started Sanji, placing his hand on your cheek. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

He could see your eyes full of nothing but lust and love for the man in front of you. You nodded shyly, but in a desperate manner, showing him just how much you wanted this without words.

"Sanji... I have never been more sure about something," you confirmed it for Sanji. "I'm ready."

And that's all Sanji needed to ravage you for the night. He made you feel so many emotions that night; love, passion and pleasure. He made it his mission to make this night only about you. Sanji wanted to show you how much you meant to him. Just how much your presence had changed his life. You made him feel special and loved, something Sanji had gone without for far too long in his life.

You looked absolutely beautiful in your afterglow. "I love you," you said in between moans.

Sanji felt his whole world being turned upside down. Hearing those three words were so foreign to him. His family never said that to him, in fact, emotions were not allowed in his house growing up. Now, the woman that he loved, who was sprawled out on his bed, was confessing her love to him.

Sanji felt overwhelmed by the sudden emotions that had hit him, he couldn't take it. How did you know? The words he needed to hear the most. Sanji felt tears well up, but he was too ashamed to let you see him cry. He buried his head on your neck, embracing you tightly and letting his tears run.

"I love you more, ma chérie."

"Finally, I am able to sit you down and have a proper talk with you..." the large man muttered. He had long blonde hair that reached his waist, a stupidly funny upwards mustache and thick blonde curly eyebrows.

Shit, Sanji really was his father's son. Out of all his siblings, he resembled his father the most. Sure, he had his mom's features passed down to him but there was no denying that the man in front of him was most definitely his father.

He chose not to meet his father's gaze, instead staring down on the floor. He could hear his older siblings cackling, Sanji knew his siblings saw him as pathetic.

"We want to expand Germa 66, establish ourselves as a powerful business," explained Judge, keeping his eyes on his son.

"Typical..." spat Sanji, clenching his fists. "So? What's that got to do with me?"

"I've met someone that could help me expand who can help us expand. But, she will only do it if someone marries her daughter."

Sanji was growing impatient listening to his father talk. If he was going to ask him to marry somebody else, the Judge was wrong. Sanji already had built his own life, one his father didn't help create. He had Zeff, his friend and most importantly, you.

"I didn't want to bother my sons about it, so I thought, what about Sanji?"

This man knew how to get under Sanji's skin.

"I always thought you were a failure, but it turns out, you'll actually be useful this time around," laughed Judge. "So, you're gonna go through with the wedding."

Sanji felt nothing but pure rage inside of him. Not only was the Judge embarrassing him in front of his siblings, but making a decision for him; one he did not decide.

"How dare you!" yelled Sanji, clenching his fists. "I will never go through with that marriage."

"Oh, is that so?" said Judge, mildly impressed by his son's outrage. It was almost as if he wasn't anticipating this sort of reaction from him, what a joke!

"I'm not asking you, I'm ordering you," spat Judge, crossing his arms. "If you don't, it'd be a shame if the restaurant you work in just so happened to get shut down."

No way, Judge was actually threatening to close down Zeff's restaurant. After he worked his ass off to build that place from the ground up, a place Sanji had spent most of his years in.

"You wouldn't dare...!" challenged Sanji. Even though he was putting on a tough exterior, he was feeling scared and helpless. The man who was so cruel to Sanji as a kid, the man who kicked his own son out to fend for himself. Now, he was ordering him to accept this marriage like it was nothing?

No, Sanji had vowed to get married to you, the person he truly loved. His mind, body and soul belonged to you, not this random person he never even saw.

"How about that girl you're seeing," said Judge. It was almost as if he was reading Sanji's mind. "She seems like a nice lady and I hear she's a doctor too. Would be a shame if all her hard work was crushed by a simple call I could make."

This was going too far, even for them. Sanji could hear his siblings snicker, all of them enjoying the scene that was unfolding before their very eyes. Of course they would find this amusing, Sanji's brothers never held any sympathy towards him. His eyes landed on Reiju, the only one who was not laughing. She avoided Sanji's stare, looking defeated as she watched her father strip away her brother's life right in front of his eyes.

"Just accept the inevitable, failure!" laughed Yonji, Sanji's youngest brother.

This was crossing the line, threatening Zeff and threatening you? The love of his life, the person he stayed up all night talking to about his dreams. No, Sanji couldn't risk being selfish. Not when Zeff's business was on the line alongside your career. You had busted your ass day and night, you would avoid sleeping and eating just to get where you were.

There was no other choice, Sanji was backed into a corner. All he wanted to do was cry but held the tears in, knowing his father and brothers would use that to berate him even further.

With a defeated look, Sanji could only stare into the abyss as he said, "I... will go through with it. Just don't bring them into this mess."

Sanji knew how horrible his family could be and their threats were no joke. They were willing to use their positions of power just to get what they wanted. He wasn't gonna let you fall victim to his family, even if it meant hurting you in the process.

Sanji could see your whole world crashing down before his very eyes. It took you a minute to process what he had told his friend, what he had told you.

"I'm getting married, I'm cutting ties with all of you," spat Sanji.

This wasn't like him. Sanji never spoke to his friends in such a condescending way. Sure, he got annoyed by their antics from time to time but it was never enough to justify lashing out at them. He felt his heart rip in two as he watched your eyes well up with tears.

Luffy and Nami stood in shock, outraged by Sanji's behavior. Luffy shook his head, refusing to accept what his friend was saying.

"How dare you say that!" yelled Luffy. "You're supposed to get married to her!"

Sanji was grateful that you had Luffy to defend you. You looked so broken, he couldn't bear to see you any longer. He knew he wouldn't be able to go through with it if he continued seeing you in pain. You didn't say anything, but your body language said enough. You were hoping this was a dream-a nightmare-you could get out of.

"Sanji!" Nami yelled out, Sanji looking at her. He felt the palm of her hand collide with his cheek. The stinging sensation was brutal, but it was nothing compared to the sight of an angry Nami. Sanji knows he failed her, she doesn't need to say it.

"You promised me, Sanji," cried Nami. He had promised to not hurt you, now here you were, crying.

Luffy was comforting you, making sure you were alright. You hadn't spoken a word, screamed or cried, you just stood there lifeless. Sanji knew he had broken your heart, but it was for the best. That's what he wanted to believe, that you were better off without him. You wouldn't have to suffer because of him.

Nami made her way to you, and together with Luffy, guided you away from Sanji. He couldn't help but let the tears overflow as he watched the love of his life leave him. Just when he thought he had a chance at happiness, it was just as quickly diminished.

I'm sorry, was the only thing Sanji kept repeating to himself inside his head.

A few weeks have gone by and Sanji felt like his soul was already sucked dry. Sanji wanted nothing more than to escape this cursed wedding, but no matter how he tried, he couldn't avoid it. Every waking day, Sanji was reminded how much of his life was taken away. He missed his friends, but most importantly, he missed you.

Sanji missed going to visit you at the hospital you worked at. He missed the surprise visits you do when he worked at Baratie. How much he loved cooking for you, every meal made out of nothing but his love.

Now, he was making a meal for his fiancée, Pudding, the woman Sanji was forced to marry. She was a nice girl, but she was nothing like you. You had a certain charm about you that Sanji found adorable. He just couldn't help but compare Pudding to you at every corner.

Like the meal he had made for Pudding for the picnic was nothing like what he would cook for you. You had your own special meal that Sanji was accustomed to, now he had to memorize a new one that wasn't even for you.

Sanji watched Pudding as she giggled, telling him a story that he wasn't listening to. He didn't mean to be rude, he was just so busy in his thoughts he blocked the whole world around him. He knew that the date was going fine, Pudding was enjoying herself.

For a short moment, Sanji enjoyed the scenery around him. There was a beautiful lake and the sun was out. Sanji saw from the corner of his eyes a familiar figure walking up towards the bench in front of the lake.

It was you.

For the first time in weeks, Sanji felt happiness fill all over him. He hadn't seen you in a long time, he was finally able to say hi to you and how much he missed you. It's almost as if he had forgotten what he put you through. Sanji was forced to come back down to reality, watching as two familiar friends sat down beside you on the bench; it was Nami and Luffy.

Sanji wasn't able to see your face, but he could tell by the way Nami was hugging you and the way Luffy put his arm around you; you were still hurt by the events that happened weeks prior. Sanji's heart ached as he heard from afar you sniffle and Pudding calling out for him. Good thing he was too far away to draw attention to himself, but there was a dark looming feeling that floated over his head.

One of guilt, regret and sadness all combined together. Guilt for the way he made you feel, promising not only to you but to his friend Nami, that he would never hurt you. Regret that he had to leave his father figure, his friends and you behind all in favor for this sham of a marriage.

Sanji was so sure about his decision. He didn't want anyone coming after you just to get back at him. He promised you he was doing you a favor by making you stay away from him and his cursed family.

But seeing as you cried your heart out to Nami and Luffy, Sanji couldn't help but think that he had made a crucial mistake. One that he was afraid he could never undo.

if this gets enough love, i might do a part two (─‿‿─) tag list: @hellotamatoe and @somiawn, thank you for your guys support ♡5