Bonjour Friends!
AN/: Wow, it's been a very long minute and my apologies for that. Yes, part of the reason has been work—I wish I could accurately describe everything that's going on but long story short, I got a promotion and a raise but I'm also being forced to work 2 departments and I only want to really work in 1 of them. Plus my daily schedule is absolutely insane!
Then there's my personal/home life; that where my anxiety and depression acts up the most. I butt heads against so many members of my family that by the time I get access to my computer, I just want to binge watch garbage because I don't have neither the energy nor the attention to dedicate to writing. But I've been thinking of One Piece a lot (more so on Sanji and Luffy) and decided to do them justice as best I can. Hope Luffy isn't too OOC in this but let me know what you think and again, sorry for the disappearance.
If you do like this fan-fic (or not—but still), then please check out my other fics on my page such as Always a Sin and Not the Same as Them which are Naruto fan-fics. Once again, if you like this story, let me know, send a review my way and follow it up. Thanks so much!
Eggs and Bacon,
CrimsonNi
~*Page Break*~
Chapter Eight:
Sanji had to wonder if this is what God feels like whenever he "checks up" on the mortals of the world. For Sanji's head felt as if it were trapped in void filled with various radio channels all sounding at once. It was vexing and overwhelming—he just wanted it to stop so he could appreciate the silence. But the more he tried to deny the sounds, the louder they became. He could not discern what any of the voices were saying, just that they were incoherent and loud. Sanji clutched his ears but to no avail. The noises continued to grow louder until Sanji opened his eyes and all he could then hear was silence. The juxtaposition left him disorientated and shaken; the palms of his hands were a little sweaty and rattled and his heart was pounding a mile a minute.
Breathe, Sanji, breathe. One, two, breathe, three, four, breathe. The manta was repeated over and over until his breathing felt regulated. Sanji took note of his body, checking off that everything was fine…real fine. Nothing hurt, not even his arms. Sanji then took note of where he was and noticed the familiar ceiling of the Sunny medical room. The room smelled as it usually did, clean and a little woodsy, and it felt as it normally would, room temperature. So there were no red warnings that he was in any danger—except for the lack of pain he was in. Coming back to those thoughts lead Sanji back to thinking about the noises in the void, then thinking of what he was doing before that. He thought hard, remembering how he was standing in the kitchen with the crew and they…were talking about the book? Yes, the strange book. Then something fell out, but what was it? It was on the tip of his tongue, he knew what it was but it wasn't coming to him. It was causing some irritation to bubble under his skin.
No, calm down, you're not going to figure it out if you get mad. What fell out of the book? He thought it over again, this time slower, calmer. The image of his hand reaching out came up and he went to grab something from Hiniku. It happened so fast, he remembers….remembers putting it to his mouth—a cigarette!—and lighting it. Now it's clear, he remembers smoking it and feeling so fucking euphoric. It felt like he had experienced pleasure for the first time; there was heat traveling all throughout his body. His lungs felt wide, his stomach full, his blood fluid. Then he passed out.
Sanji shot up from the cot of the medical bay and concluded that he was correct. He was on the Sunny, on the cot, and his arms felt like paperweights. Despite the overwhelming sensation beating up his brain cells, Sanji felt as if everything—or at least most—of what has been going on made sense. He remembered now! Not just of the recent events but about…his brother. About Judge. Shit! The realization had Sanji scrambling to snatch the sheets off his body and race out the door, but a voice halted him.
"I wouldn't if I were you," said Law.
Sanji was proud that he hadn't shrieked or let any other expression of surprise slip. He'd be damned. But he was also ashamed that his observation haki hadn't alerted him that there was a witness to his oddness.
"What's going on?" Sanji snapped back, internally apologizing for the rudeness. It wasn't Law's fault that he currently felt out of sorts.
"You passed out less than in hour ago and now Strawhat-ya wants you on the Sunny to be closely monitored."
"Ah, fuck, Hiniku is probably shitting her pants. She wasn't kidding about Luffy being upset."
"That's a bit of an understatement. He's been glaring a hole through her head since your collapse."
"Where are they now?"
"Still in the kitchen. I volunteered to do the monitoring."
"That right? Because…?"
"It'd give me a chance to check on you."
Law, in Sanji's eyes, was a creepy fuck. Although, had anyone else said that to him, he'd kick their jaw into their stomachs. It had to have been because Sanji could somehow tell that Law wasn't lying. He didn't get the feeling that Law was after something for his own personal gain.
"Okay, I'll bite."
The staring contest between them made Sanji feel awkward. Law's eyes were reminding him of molten lava, slow and intense. They were also suffocating in how they made Sanji wish to be able to look away but found that he couldn't. It should not have been a surprise that a small lick of envy reared its ugly head again, forcing Sanji to wonder if Law shared this same intensity with Zoro. It had Sanji's heart thumping heavily in his chest.
Suddenly, Law stood and quietly made his way closer to Sanji. He never disconnected his gaze from Sanji but still made every movement visible, almost as if he were dealing with a wild animal. It was apparent that Law was reaching for his arm and Sanji was aware of that, but he still seized his arm in trepidation.
"I won't hurt you," Law said quietly.
"I know." And Sani meant it, he knew. Yet there was so much about Law that Sanji knew nothing about. Mystery painted this man thicker than skin.
Before Law's fingers so much as tickled his arm, Sanji took a deep breath and gave Law the nod of approval. Law's hands were warm and steady, just like last time. He started from the top, taking his time in peeling back the wrap, anticipating that the wrap would be stuck against the open areas of his skin. To Law's surprise, there was little tug or resistance. No, Sanji's arms, although not completely healed, looked as if it has been sped through time. There were pink scars scattered throughout and compared to before, where there were nasty red wounds, were now smaller and in the process of scabbing.
"What…in the world?"
"What?"
"Your arm, it's healing."
"Isn't that the point, Doc?" Sanji asked sarcastically.
"The skin was practically falling off the last time I observed, it's completely different now. It looks as if weeks have passed."
Sanji disagreed. Sure, the burn marks were less prominent but his arms were marred. There were wrinkles and scars that Sanji knew, with given time, would develop insecurity. As Sanji went to voice this, he gasped as he suddenly felt Law skim his hands up and down his arms. The heat of his hands felt scalding to the still fragile skin…yet amazing. It was as if his skin was eating the heat of Law's hands. Bemusedly, Sanji imagined himself a purring cat or a submissive dog, silently begging for more.
Believing that he hurt Sanji, Law snatched his hands away. "My apologies—"
"No, it's alright, I guess I'm cold. Your hands are warm."
A hint of a smirk peeked through Law's typical scowling expression. "Good," he said in a whisper-like tone. "My practice as a surgeon has come in handy."
Had the moment not felt strangely intense, Sanji would have rolled his eyes. Instead, he opted for wit. "I keep forgetting that you're a doctor. You never dress or act like one."
"Forgive me, but do you not have a medical crewmate that is a talking reindeer with a blue nose?"
Sanji chuckled. "Good point."
Then again, Law took him by surprise by taking a hold of his right arm and rubbing his hands. Sanji shuttered in happiness—physically at least. "It makes sense that you feel cold; the loss of blood lowers your temperature."
"Mmhmm," Sanji moaned. By this point, Sanji's eyes were closed as he basked in the warmth of the surgeon's hands. Before leaving, he'd make sure that Law would not speak a word of this. But all sensations halted when he felt a more isolated heat from a different source. Immediately opening his eyes, Sanji was face to face with a Law memorizing his hands before placing a soft kiss to his knuckles. Sanji was in too much shock to react. "L-Law? What are—"
"It appears that allying with this crew has helped me realize how selfish I have been with my person. My battle against Joker highlighted this fact as well. Uncaringly, I sacrificed my arm, believing that it didn't matter, as I was going to die in the end regardless.
When we found you after your battle with your brother, all I saw was familiarity. You looked exactly as I did against Joker, hurt and battered. Except Strawhat-ya reacted much differently. He was very panicked and demanded that we—Tony-ya and I—check on your hands. I had informed him your arms were critically injured but that your hands were intact and fine. No one had explained to me why this was so important until I asked, as I was growing tired of Strawhat-ya making such demands. He finally told me the importance of your hands and why you treasured them so dearly. It was the first time I heard Strawhat-ya speak so sophistically. It made me realize that as a surgeon, as a doctor, it is my duty to preserve my skill in the best manner that I can. I cannot respect Corazon or the medical field if I continue to treat my hands so carelessly. I am very glad the health of your hands are in mine; it is an honor."
"Jesus, Law," Sanji said breathlessly. Each word he spoke left Sanji open and raw. It was more than sincere, it was reverent. Sanji believed him, Law truly was honored to help him. And Sanji wasn't entirely sure how to feel about it, let alone how to respond.
But Law continued. "Like me, the health of your hands are of great importance. You cook to increase and maintain the health of your loved ones. Except I think you are keeping your skill on too small a scale."
"Meaning what?" Sanji asked hoarsely. He was trying to digest his shock as casually as possible.
"I know that you've inspired and changed the lives of many, just with food alone, you've saved lives. These are not just the hands of a pirate chef who just so happens to be good—really good. These are the hands of a king."
With lightning speed, Sanji snatched his hand back and stared at Law with saucer-sized eyes. "What are you on?" He demanded. "What the hell do you even mean?"
Law then stood to his full height until it casted a shadow over Sanji. He looked intimidating and threatening but Sanji did not get the vibe. Although he did have to restrain himself when Law grabbed for his chin. They were face to face, yellow and blue within inches of each other. Shit he's attractive. Sanji shook those thoughts right out.
"I mean," his voice vibrated lowly. "that this pond is much too small for you to grow in."
"I—"
"Torao! How's San—". At the entrance of the medical bay stood Luffy with a curious expression. There had been remnants of a smile but Sanji—and presumably Law—could tell that it was slipping. "Hey Sanji, what're you doing?"
There was a notable heat burning Sanji's cheeks as he realized Law's fingers were still holding onto his chin while his figure remained hovering over him. He couldn't recognize or acknowledge it at the moment, but a dreadful flutter threatened his heart upon seeing Luffy stand there with a look of confusion. Instead, Sanji reacted with a harsh shove at Law.
"Luffy, we're uh…he was checking my pulse."
"Is it working?" Granted, it was a strange way to phrase the question, but it was innocent enough and knowing Luffy as well as he did, Sanji knew that was just how Luffy processed foreign information.
"I'd say it is. It's thumping rather chaotically," Law replied, the tone almost seeming amused.
Sanji wanted to shove his shiny shoe up Law's ass—if he were wearing them. He wasn't sure if the bastard was having an internal laugh at his expense but as soon as he got the chance, he'd make sure Law would pay. Until then, the icy glare had to do.
"Awesome! Torao, can I talk to Sanji for a minute?"
"Why are you asking me, he's your chef."
Neither Sanji nor Luffy replied yet there was an unspoken shift in the room after Law said that. Sanji, for some reason, felt the need to fight off a heavy blush, especially after getting a peak of Luffy looking so…serious(?). He wasn't sure what the right term was but Luffy's expression, for what feels as if the first time ever, wasn't so simple to read. Getting the hint, Law stepped out and left Sanji and Luffy alone in the medical bay.
Not wanting to sit in silence, Sanji spoke up first. "I know I said it a million times already, but I am sorry for causing so much trouble."
"You're not causing trouble, Sanji."
He begged to differ but he wasn't going to have an argument with Luffy about it. "Then what do you want to talk about?"
Luffy decreased the distance between himself and Sanji, standing right where Law had been standing just before. "I don't know what's going on," he admitted.
"What else is new?" Sanji managed to joke, hoping it would loosen the tension brewing between them.
It worked enough for a tiny smile to crack Luffy's serious(?) expression. "This," he gestured at Sanji. "This feels new to me."
"I don't get it, what does?" Sanji asked, still not understanding Luffy's meaning.
"I don't know what's going on with the Sunny or with you. We just kicked Kaido's ass and I'm happy, everyone else is happy, but…I feel…urgh! I don't know how to explain it!"
Sanji could tell because as Luffy tried to think of the words to describe his feelings, his forehead turned a stark red and purple from the effort. Sanji was worried that Luffy would pop a blood vessel.
"Well, don't go blowing up, take it easy. You're saying you're feeling happy but there's another feeling mixed in with it? Maybe it's an opposing feeling, like anger? Fear? Nervousness?"
"Yeah, that one! The last one!"
"So you're nervous? What for?"
With how sudden Luffy grabbed onto his chin, Sanji had to wonder if there was a weird bug going around on the ship that was causing this odd, forward behavior. Luffy's never grabbed him in any capacity before, yet all of a sudden, he's mimicking what Law had done just moments before. Sanji was also sure his eyes widened and the blush that he tried holding back before came with a force that almost lit his skin on fire. Their faces were a smidge closer than his and Law's and it left Sanji with jelly-like limbs. He was thankful that he was standing at the moment. What the hell?!
"L-Luffy?" He whispered brokenly. Sanji considered himself well versed in the antics of Monkey D. Luffy but nothing in his experience ever prepared him for this kind of intensity.
"Why do I get this bad feeling that you're not with me, Sanji?"
"W-What?"
"It's like you're not here and when you are, you're not happy."
"I am hap—"
"Please don't lie. I want to help but I can't if you keep running away to deal with it by yourself."
"I'm not running away from anything, I'm just…trying to figure things out. You don't know what's going on, well imagine me. I have no idea on the status of my family, there's the matter of all of these soldiers who are relying on my guidance! Then there's my health which appears to be either falling apart or working on overdrive."
Luffy's hand moved from his chin to the side of his face to cup it in his palm. "You're not by yourself, Sanji, you have us."
Yet that wasn't as satisfactory as Luffy assumed it would be. "Thank you but I don't even know what I need help with. Plus, I've regained my memory about my fight with Ichiji…and there's some questions I need answers to. I know you're by my side and want to help, but I think I need to go at this on my own."
Still, Sanji could not help but smother his face in the warmth of Luffy's hand. It felt immensely different from that of Law, almost as if there were little sparks with every caress. Because of that, Sanji almost whimpered with the loss of the hand when Luffy retreated. Come back, damn you!
Luffy was seen smirking, as if he could somehow read Sanji's mind. Despite being such a doofus, Sanji would be surprised if he could. "Okay, if you want that, but can I ask you a serious question?"
"Sure."
"That's all this is, right? Because of your family? Nothing else?"
"That's 3 questions."
"Sanji…"
"What are you implying?"
Luffy hesitated, even biting his lip, which was something he only did when he stole food. This wasn't a conversation related to food in anyway so Sanji was a bit baffled for why Luffy would be nervous.
"This isn't about Zoro?" He nearly whispered as he asked.
"…Zoro?"
"Zoro."
"What does Zoro….have…anything…," and then he trailed off. Sanji looked at Luffy, right into his pupils without so much as blink. Where Luffy's brown eyes were wide in fear, Sanji's were narrowed in building embarrassment. He felt mixed with the desire to die and fury. "How did—For how long?!"
"I don't know, I just did."
Nausea whipped violently in the base of his chest and his eyes began to tear with the frustration. Truthfully, he wasn't sure what set him off; it wasn't as if Luffy would be one to judge or use the information against him, but him knowing—actually figuring it out—terrified Sanji. It meant that Sanji wasn't as subtle as he believed this entire time. This meant that possibly the ENTIRE FUCKING CREW knew! It meant that Zoro fucking knew! Hyperventilation began to set in. He grabbed at his face and took as many deep breathes as he could, wishing that a black hole from somewhere would take him to an abyss. Faintly, he could hear Luffy calling his name, apologizing, telling him that it was all okay.
No, it's not okay! It never was, it never will be now! He felt no different than when he was a child and Zeff would catch him doing things he wasn't supposed to be doing. One particular memory came to mind; when he had still been on the "peeling potato" stage of his training, Patty and Carne had been particularly annoying. It was due to him mentioning the All Blue again. They mocked him, saying the same things the chefs on The Orbit would say and Sanji reacted no differently to the ridicule—he lashed out. He cussed and spat every cruel name in the unwritten book of man. But he knew he crossed a line when he called out on the fact that Carne was bi-racial. Sanji couldn't name why that popped into his head, but it was as if he just knew those particular slurs would pick at him. So he shouted them with a faux confidence only an arrogant, ignorant child could exude.
It was when the kitchen fell eerily silent that Sanji knew he fucked up. And what made Sanji nearly wet himself was when Zeff clicked up to him with the familiar uneven gait (Sanji assuming that he was about to be kicked into oblivion) and merely growled a "get out". It wasn't filled with any kind of malice, in fact the demand was devoid of any emotion. Confused, Sanji looked at Zeff to get a better understanding and saw what he dreaded the most—his biggest fear. That Zeff would look exactly as Judge always looked when he spoke about or to Sanji—disappointed.
That was what he felt sitting in this confined room with his captain whispering condolences of pity. Like a big disappointment, as if he never learned. He could even hear Judge's words now, slicing him until he was nothing but scrap meat unfit to feed even the strays. Realizing he needed to collect himself and get out of the medical bay, Sanji sat himself straight and forced every emotions punching the back of his eyes to the bottom of his stomach. He'd deal with them at another time but for now, he had to get out. Get a cigarette, get some fresh air, and get some answers.
"I need to go," he said, praying that it sounded strong and coherent.
"Sanji—"
"I'm sorry, we'll talk later but I need to go."
Sanji pushed his hands away and reached for the door to make a hasty exit. He knew in the back of his mind that Luffy was respecting him enough to give him space because had this been about any other topic, Luffy's stance would have been unmovable. Standing outside, Sanji saw that the crew were stranded about on the deck, intermingled with some of the crew members of Law and maybe Kidd (right, he's apparently somewhere). He saw Hiniku standing by the rail by Robin and Nami, chatting about whatever topics, but she must have sensed Sanji because he instantly found her looking up right at him. His expression had to have been obvious because within a second, she excused herself and warped both her and Sanji away.
She transported them on the deck of Roi, the main ship. The clone soldiers stopped and stood in formation to greet Sanji.
"I need a distraction," he said as soon as the soldiers dispersed.
"Anyway I can help?"
"I remember everything now, at least most of it from before I passed out. Until Reiju returns, I can't do anything, so I need some other ideas. Something related to Judge and his "science"."
"What about the book I found? I read through some of it after you passed out in the kitchen and it's really strange."
"Do you have it?"
"Let me go and get it." Hiniku disappeared for about a minute before returning with the book in hand. "I really do think it's a spell book but it talks about food and mixes that make it seem like you can eat whatever its talking about."
That piqued Sanji's interest. Taking the book from Hiniku, he began skimming through the pages. Nothing stood out to him but he immediately understood what Hiniku meant—was this a spell book or a cook book? Sanji changed tactics and decided to start from the beginning, seeing the inscription: FOR: VS/VP. He was curious as to who that was; were they a fellow scientist on the ship? Not that it mattered because why would someone from the Germa have and hide this kind of book in the office filled with scientific notes? It just didn't make any kind of sense. But Sanji still took it upon himself to read through the first "recipe" and gather a sense of what this book was really about.
Slowly, he began picking up on the pattern that certain phrases of ingredients would be repeated in other sections of the recipe. A little bell sounded off in his head. And the more he read, the more bells went off. Although he was sure he never read this book before, he was certain that he was familiar with this sort of set-up. Lock-picking. Zeff had taught him well in the intricacies of picking the locks on the secrets hidden in literature. Sanji almost laughed upon remembering when he told Zeff that such a thing was stupid, it was not a needed or desirable skill. Fuck, now he needed to send a letter of apology to the old man. It wasn't long until Sanji realized that this wasn't just one long recipe either, these were pieces of a puzzle that transitioned from one to another….like a story.
"Holy shit," he whispered to himself.
"Hm?"
Sanji shot up, almost forgetting that Hiniku was there with him. Yet seeing her waiting patiently with him without one complaint falling from her, Sanji felt immense gratitude. Adrenaline was zapping him from the inside, demanding that he continue on his ventures to decipher the book!
"D-Do you know what this is?!"
"No? Isn't that why you're reading it, Sanji-sama?"
Deciding to throw personal boundaries over the rails, Sanji grasped at Hiniku's face and pulled her close. A bewildered look took over her expression, nearly causing Sanji to laugh, but he held it together. He was feeling too many emotions for one day. Still, he kissed each of her cheeks and presented her with a smile reserved only for a few. It left her melting.
Before she could ask for an explanation, Sanji shook his head, silently telling her to wait, to give him a moment. "I take back what I said before, you're pretty amazing. Thank you."
"What? Why? What's in the book?"
"Exactly what I needed."
