This is still a no-romance story, but that doesn't mean that Sanji doesn't like his women and that they can't take advantage of that ;)

Story set: Timeless

Are you sure I don't have to pay for the cake?

Sanji sleepily opened his eyes and immediately noticed that he had overslept. He slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Using his observation Haki he quickly confirmed everyone's well being as well as he could, and determined that there were in fact no one but them on the ship. So Sanji wondered, why had no one woken him up? It was usual routine that Sanji got up at 5 am to prepare breakfast and his internal clock usually never failed him, but just in case it did, someone would wake him up. It would usually be the person on watch, which on this night had been Robin, so it would not have been all that difficult for her to check up on him.

The men's quarters were quieter than usual. Luffy wasn't snoring nor talking in his sleep, which meant that he was still recovering from their last fight. It had involved a strong enemy and Luffy being a little too Luffy and ending up in the water, though still insisting to finish off the enemy after Sanji had so kindly rescued him and made sure he was breathing properly. He would be fine come morning, but he just needed a little extra rest. Zoro was 'sleeping' in the hammock beneath Luffy. He was no doubt making sure that Luffy got his rest and was ready to take on any threat that would wake Luffy from his quiet slumber. Sanji knew that if anyone were to wake up Luffy they would be cut in pieces so fast that they wouldn't even be able to apologize. Sanji mentally sighed. Zoro was just way too protective when it came to Luffy. Was he unaware of the fact that their Captain was a fucking monster?

Sanji scanned the room. Both Franky and Brook were no one where to be seen, but he could guess that Franky was assessing the condition of the ship post-battle now that it was light out. Brook was an early riser, usually up only half an hour after himself, playing soothing tones that were pleasant to work to. Chopper was lying in the hammock next to Zoro, ready if Zoro woke him to give an unexpected update on Luffy. Usopp was in the hammock above Chopper and beside Luffy wide awake. At first Sanji wondered what he was doing, but after having watched for a minute it occurred to him that Usopp was sketching. Usopp was a skilled artist and he practised almost every day. Sanji had been told that Usopp had been the one to make their first flag and considering the symbol Laboon had on his head, Sanji was thankful for that skill. After a few moments Usopp seemed to notice that someone was watching and turned his head to Sanji. First he looked slightly surprised and then he lifted his eyebrows as if asking: shouldn't you be making breakfast? To which Sanji tilted his head and closed his eyes, replying: I should. He then quietly left for the kitchen, careful not to wake Luffy and invoke the swordsman's wrath.

He was greeted by Brook, who wished him a good morning and asked if he wanted to request a song. Usually Sanji was fine with all of Brook's songs, but today was a special day, so he asked if he would play Ocean Blue, a song he had learned to play on piano back when the Baratie still had a piano and Sanji was still a chef in training. Of course as the years passed, Sanji was always to busy to play the piano and only played during free time. And one day, because the Baratie is what it is, the piano had been crushed in a fight and no one had bothered to invest in a new one. But the song still had a special place in Sanji's heart. When Brook started playing, Sanji closed his eyes and for a moment imagined that he was back on the Baratie, where he had spent half his life and had learned the way of a chef on the sea.

Now, there was only an hour left until it was time for breakfast and Sanji still hadn't started. It wasn't going to be much of a disaster, because he had made some preparations the night before and Luffy would be sleeping until it was time for lunch, where Sanji would serve him an extra big meal with extra meat, but that was for later. Sanji calmly strolled towards the kitchen only to find that the door was locked. This took Sanji aback for a second, because the door to the kitchen didn't have a lock. The fridge had a lock, but not the kitchen. Sanji didn't want to deny anyone a midnight snack if they needed it, he just wouldn't let them eat everything, so he had requested for a lock for the fridge, but not the kitchen. Sanji was of course aware of the fact that Franky was awake and making a lock on a door that he had made to begin with would probably not take the man more than thirty seconds, because that cyborg was just freakishly fast at building stuff, but why would the kitchen need a lock? And why was it used to keep the cook out of the kitchen? Sanji couldn't really figure it out.

One thing that Sanji could figure out was who was inside the kitchen. Luffy, Zoro, Usopp and Chopper were in the men's quarters, Brook was playing music on deck for everyone to hear, Franky was in his workplace, where Sanji could hear some sort of hammering going on and Robin was in the crow's nest most likely reading a book. This meant that Nami was in the kitchen, preventing Sanji from entering by locking the door with a lock that she must have made Franky make within the last five hours... why? Sanji couldn't for the life of him figure it out, so he tried knocking on the door, because Franky would murder him he damaged the ship and Nami would murder him if he entered a room that very specifically had Nami saying: Don't enter! So he knocked and when nothing happened he knocked again.

"Nami-san?" he tried without raising his voice and still nothing, so he tried again a bit louder and then again and again, until he was afraid to go louder in case Luffy woke up and Zoro killed him as a result. Sanji was now wondering how he could make breakfast in time, when Nami suddenly opened the door, got out of the kitchen and closed the door again, so fast that Sanji couldn't see what was going on inside.

"Nami-san?" Sanji asked again wanting to know what the hell was going on, but as soon as Nami smiled, he knew that she would be giving him no answers... at least not yet.

"It's all fine, Sanji-kun, don't worry. I took care of breakfast, so you just go enjoy the morning." She turned him around and gently pushed him further away from the kitchen, to which he tried to protest, but she wouldn't have it. When she assessed that he was far enough away, she turned around and disappeared back into the kitchen, not letting Sanji offer his help or even say another word.

"Thanks... I guess," Sanji muttered to no one as he went to the library, picked up one of Nami's books that he had been wanting to read for a while and found a nice spot on the railing with almost no wind and the only sound being the sweet tunes of Brook's violin.

When the time for breakfast arrived everyone was up and about, except for Zoro and Luffy, and Nami called that it was time to eat, which confused the ones who had yet to notice that Sanji was not the one in the kitchen. This earned him a few confused gazes to which he had nothing to say, because he still didn't know why he hadn't been allowed to make the breakfast.

The food was good, it wasn't Sanji-level good, but it was still better than most meals made by third-rate chefs. Sanji could only imagine Nami had gained this skill through years of living by herself, which made Sanji a bit sad to think about, but he also looked at her now and remembered how much further she had come since Luffy had defeated Arlong and she had been freed from her horrible life. Sanji looked at Nami and smiled... She slapped him as a result.

Breakfast passed quickly and peacefully (As peaceful as the strawhats could muster, which in all honesty wasn't very peaceful). Nami gave an update on their travels, informing them that they should be reaching a spring island within three days if the weather didn't go too bad. Franky assured them that the ship had only taken minimum damage and he had finished all the repairs this morning, so there was nothing to worry about. Chopper told them of Luffy's condition and said that as long as they let him sleep he would be fine. Apparently, the reason he had taken any damage at all was because he had kept fighting before he had gotten all the water out of his lungs, but Chopper had treated him and now sleep was finishing the job. Sanji had taken a plate of food aside for Zoro and told Usopp to bring it to him and make sure he eat it. Zoro had a bad habit of not eating when Luffy wasn't well, but Usopp seemed to be able to make him eat by telling him stuff like: Luffy would want you to eat and what if someone tried to kill Luffy and you were too hungry to fight? Sanji wasn't quite sure why Usopp was the only one who could say things like that and get away with it, but he made the stupid swordsman eat and that was all Sanji asked for.

Soon enough, the kitchen cleared and Sanji was left alone with Nami who was silently drinking a cup of tea, while finishing the inking of her last map. Nami would often come to the kitchen to draw her maps, because it seemed that Nami and Sanji being in the same room kept people from interrupting them for whatever reason. After Sanji had cleaned everything, he estimated that he could wait about an hour until he would need to start preparing lunch, so he made another pot of tea and continued reading the book he had started that same morning. It wasn't unusual for Sanji and Nami to quietly be in the same room, though unlike with Zoro, Sanji did like to talk to Nami, whenever they found themselves together in the kitchen. But right now she was working and he could do with a peaceful and quiet day, though he was sure it wasn't going to last knowing his friends and their... tendencies.

After half an hour Nami seemed to be done and was just letting the ink dry, so Sanji thought that this might be the perfect time to ask her about the morning, so he marked the page he was on and went for it.

"Nami-san, why-" he was interrupted.

"Today is your birthday, right?" She asked, though it didn't really feel like a question. She was sitting opposite him, with her head slightly tilted and resting on her hand. Sanji wasn't sure if he was being interrogated or having a conversation with a friend.

"How did you know? I'm pretty sure I haven't told anyone." It wasn't that he didn't want anyone to know that it was his birthday, but Luffy would take any excuse to throw a party and as much as Sanji liked parties, he wanted a peaceful birthday and since it would be Franky's birthday the week after his, he saw no need to tell anyone.

"I know a lot of things," she simply said and then she got up, "I made something for you, free of charge and everything."

Nami walked to the oven, brought out a cupcake and placed it in front of him. "It has a chocolate chip base and orange frosting," she said and, like the thief she was, she slipped her fingers into his pocket to steal his lighter without him noticing before she was holding it in front of him with that little smug smile of hers. She then lit a candle and placed it on top of the cake.

"Happy Birthday Sanji," she said and kissed him on the cheek. Sanji was so happy he could die.

I'm pretty sure that a kiss from Nami is all that Sanji could ever wish for. Please fave if you liked it, follow for more and leave a review with your thoughts, and I'll see you again tomorrow, bye x