One Piece Comfortember:

Afraid to Sleep

One Piece © Oda

Sanji yawned as he scratched his scalp, preparing to head to bed for the night. He made absolutely certain that Luffy would not be seeking out any midnight snacks...mostly because he made sure that the fridge was locked. Now that he had made sure that there was some food stocked up and safe, it was time to hit the hay.

At least, he thought that, at first.

As Sanji prepared to head to bed, however...he spotted someone standing out on the deck, leaning against the railing as they stared up at the night sky. As he went to get a closer look, he saw that it was Luffy, standing outside, watching the moon and the stars.

At first, the cook seemed a bit irritated. He thought that the captain had gone to bed like everyone else. He probably got up to get a last-minute snack before bed, as always. However, that's when Sanji realized: if Luffy really wanted to get a snack, how come he hadn't snuck to the galley by now?

"Luffy?" Sanji called, causing Luffy to turn around and face him...and that's when the cook noticed that the captain looked rather tired. His eyes seemed a little sunken in and his hair was a bit messier than usual.

"Oh, hey, Sanji," Luffy said. "What are you doing up?"

"I was just about to head to bed, actually," said Sanji. "What are you doing?"

"I just thought I'd come outside," Luffy answered. "Fresh air might do me some good, you know what I mean?"

"...You don't want a snack or anything?" Sanji asked.

"Not really," Luffy said...and almost instantly, Sanji felt his heart drop.

Luffy NEVER rejected food, not once in his life. Now he knew something was wrong.

"Luffy...is something going on?" Sanji asked.

"No," Luffy replied. "Why?"

Sanji and shook his head before he went up to the captain, firmly placing his hand on his shoulder.

"Luffy," he said. "We TALKED about this, remember? I thought you agreed not to bottle up your feelings, anymore, okay? If something bothers you, you have to tell someone. We're here for you...I'm here for you."

Luffy furrowed his brow...and yet, he couldn't help but sigh. He knew was Sanji was right. He promised that he wouldn't keep things to himself, anymore, but as they say, "Old habits die hard". Still, it was no excuse.

"I...I don't know what's going on," Luffy said. "I've been having a bit of trouble sleeping. It's not that there's anything bothering me, but...sometimes, I feel like I just can't sleep. Maybe I'm afraid to sleep, though...but it's not like I've been having nightmares! I don't have them as bad, anymore! I don't know!"

"And that's okay," Sanji said. "Luffy, sometimes you just have nights where you feel like you can't sleep. It happens to the best of us."

Luffy sighed as he scratched the back of his head.

"Come with me," Sanji said as he turned and walked to the galley, and though Luffy was a bit puzzled, he followed nonetheless. Soon, the captain was sitting at the table while Sanji was at the stove, simmering something in a pot. He had just a bit of salt and some rosemary to it, then after stirring it for a bit, he ladled it into a bowl.

"Here you go, captain," Sanji said as he put the bowl of soup in front of Luffy. "This should help a bit."

Luffy spooned the soup before blowing on it a bit, then sipped the broth.

"Mmm...this is good!" he said.

"Of course, it is," Sanji smirked. "Eating or drinking something warm and light relaxes the body and mind. It helps you sleep better."

Luffy continued to sip the soup while Sanji sat beside him, watching him eat. Unsurprisingly, he finished it in a matter of seconds...and then he began to yawn.

"Mmnn..." he moaned as he rubbed his eye. "Thanks, Sanji."

"I'm the cook," Sanji replied. "I'm supposed to know these things. Besides, I remember that used to help me sleep when I had trouble. I bet you feel it working now, huh, Luffy?"

No answer.

"Luffy?" Sanji asked as he looked over at the Straw Hat Captain...who was slumped against the table, snoring softly with his head resting against his folded arms. Sanji smiled softly before he got up and went over to one of the cabinets, then gently draped a blanket over Luffy's shoulders.

"Goodnight, Captain," Sanji whispered.

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