Foreword: I'm still writing in Sanji's view, and this is the second time I've made Luffy hold a one-sided affection for Sanji. Well, one-sided for now. I'm holding no promise to keep it that way.
Author's Notes: This story is inspired by Episode 234 of One Piece, but contains no spoilers unless you don't know who Luffy and Sanji are. I know it may seem a bit confusing as I didn't actually state out who's the 'I' and 'him' in there, but if you know One Piece enough, you should be able to find out.
Step by Step: Step One
I know that he likes me.
I can't remember when I first find out - was it Nami-san who first told me? Or was it the stupid swordsman? I can't remember, but I've known for a long time already.
It seems like the only person that doesn't know I know is him.
I really can't imagine him admitting that he likes me (in a romantic way, which is everything he is not) in front of anyone. But the entire crew knows now, and I can't help but admit it's true.
I'm not in love with him, but I start looking out for him, start watching him when he doesn't know just to see what he's like not in front of me.
And I start wondering if it's true.
He acts as if it's nothing. Except calling out my name to ask me for food, he does nothing to particularly show that he truly cares for me more than he cares for the others. If it hadn't been for the rest of the crew, I would never have found out.
That doesn't mean I know what to do.
I manage to be the first one to jump down whenever he falls in the water. It's almost like a routine – I see him in the water, I dive in, I haul him back out and put my hand on him to assure he's alright.
Sometimes, he manages to croak out a 'thank you'. It's not much, but it's enough to make me smile. I still can't find out whether or not he likes me as much as the others say, but his words are enough for my thoughts.
I start staying behind, just to call him when he strays away from the team or is deep in thoughts. I try to pry him open, just to understand him a little more. Most of all, I start to notice every detail of him, for no reason at all.
And I realize that despite the fact that I'm not in love with him, I want him to say he likes me right in front of me.