Author's Note: I'm back. Sorry I took so long to write this! I've been busy trying to get published. I hope to write more fanfics this summer. Hope you enjoy this companion piece to "Only Human"!

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece nor do I own the incredible Sanji.

A Mortal God

Cook-san's breathing was stable. It had been for an hour now. Chopper said he'll be fine by tomorrow. For now he just needed someone there to greet him when he woke up.

I'd never really paid this close attention to the cook. His chest was so defined, leading into well-toned muscular abs. He was...cute. He wasn't like the swordsman, muscles everywhere, or like the captain, no defined muscles because he was rubber. The cook was somewhere in between.

I looked at him, sleeping as if he knew the swordsman and our captain had his back. I envied him. He'd probably trusted people his entire life, always having at least someone to trust. He wasn't like Luffy who trusted people after having said one word to them, or like Zoro who never completely trusted anyone. Sanji kept his guard up until he proved to himself it was safe to trust them. I'd seen it with my own eyes when Bon-Clay, or Mr. Two, had approached the crew in Alabasta. Sanji hadn't let Bon-Clay touch him even after Bon-Clay had declared it a "harmless parlor trick" whereas Luffy had been so trusting he hadn't even dodged Clay's punch.

Then, later in Alalubarna, Sanji had fought Mr. Two and beat him, only then acknowledging him as a friend. I admired Sanji for that. He was a very kind person, bonus points if you were a woman. I even amired his constant attention to any female.

I could be having a bad day where my memories wouldn't stay locked in their box and I'd feel like crying in my room, but then he would dance up to me with the biggest smile on his face, like he was just happy to be in my presence. He would start talking to me about books or anything he knew I was interested in and I knew everything was going to be okay. Sanji never pried. He never asked about my past. He didn't even seem like he was interested, not in a mean way, but more like I could tell him and he'd listen intently, but I didn't have to.

He was a great friend to have. I really enjoyed his company. He and Nami were really the only ones I could have an intelligent conversation with. I would often sit in the kitchen, watching Sanji as he seemed to dance around his ingredients, masterfully knowing just what to put in and when even as he would be talking to me as he did so. I knew cooking was Sanji's art and, like when I read, he most likely liked it quiet to revel in his thoughts alone. Still he never pushed me away when I asked to talk with him. I'm positive it never once crossed his mind that I was bugging him. He could never think that. He was too kind for that.

There was never anything romantic between us. Sanji knew that as well as I did. We were good friends and we were happy with that. We didn't need anything more. A kind ear to listen, a small sympathy hug when needed, was enough for us. Anything more would ruin what we had and we both knew it. He was never flirty with me, not to the extent he was with Nami. Nami was his girl and knowing that didn't effect me at all.

There are times, mere moments where I wish we could possibly be more. A small smile passed between us, a protective look whenever a marine got too close, a snack made with love, the sun hitting his face just right. And then there are moments like this.

The moments where I am reminded under that amazing fighter and chef is a human. He bleeds like anyone else. He has to breathe. He needs food and water to sustain him. He is mortal and mortals can only do so much.

Even when they're thought of as gods.