Fireworks (Sanji x Reader)
- SFW.
- Fluff.
- The Straw Hats have a day off from adventuring. Reader has a crush on Sanji, but is unsure whether he likes her back... Until that night.
- Inspired by Episodes 134 & 139 (Firework Island & Rainbow Mist);
- Written with pre-TS Sanji in mind.
- Not proofread.
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Traveling the seas brought the Straw Hats to all sorts of new places, one more exciting than the other. But no matter where they went, you could be sure to never get bored.
You’d been traveling with the Straw Hats for some time now, and for some time now you’d had your eye on a certain love-cook. His grace, charms, and manners captivated you instantly, but it was his cooking - second to none - that truly sealed the deal, and reserved him a place in your heart, and in your mind, where he’s now been living rent-free.
You couldn’t help but marvel at him. His chivalry was truly unique. His charms, while quirky to others, never failed on you. Sometimes you wondered if he noticed; wondered if he truly paid more attention to you or whether you were just imagining it - whether you were just blinded by your fancy, looking for a sign that he felt the same.
Whenever he’d cook, you’d be in the kitchen with him, helping out wherever you could. You honestly weren’t even sure anymore how it started - did you really enjoy cooking, or were you then already looking for an excuse to get closer to him?
When the dishes would be more elaborate, Sanji, polite as always, would seat you down with a treat while he did the work. His treats were delicious, always and without exception. But no sweet in the world was as sweet as his goofy smile when he turned to look at you over his shoulder. Even then, his skilled hands never stopped the preparations - steadily chopping, slicing, dicing, grinding, or stirring. His hands… You so often found yourself staring at them - so graceful, and so skilled. Every once in a while your thoughts would slip a little further, wondering what else those beautiful hands of his could do, and just how skilled they would be with you. Other times you found your eyes drawn to his rolled up sleeves, or the way the shirt hung off his back, or the way those pants suited him well enough to drive you mad. His cheerful voice, and bright smile would tear you out of your daydream every so often, as he asked you questions you did not hear. The smoke from his cigarette would swirl up, clouding the air around him, much like he clouded your judgment.
But today was a day to relax. The crew was in no hurry to their next destination, and decided to stop on a small island along the way to restock their provisions, and spend a day off the sea’s swaying waves.
After finishing the necessary shopping, the crew split up to explore the island. You, Nami, and Robin thought of going shopping. As luck would have it, Sanji and Chopper decided to tag along, while the others went their own merry ways for the remainder of the afternoon.
Shopping with the girls was always a unique experience, what with Robin’s dark humor, and Nami harassing the vendors for unreasonable discounts. Nevertheless, it was your quality time with them. But today, with Sanji there, things were bound to be different.
Nami wasn’t particularly fond of having Sanji tag along at first, not looking forward to his attentions, until she realized that she could use him as a mule. Robin didn’t seem to mind. She never seemed to mind spending time with any of the crew. And besides, she knew that while Sanji always spoiled the ladies, there was one in particular he always paid more attention to in particular; one in particular that, if given the choice, he would naturally gravitate towards, and that was neither her, nor Nami. It was you. You, who’d been pining for him for so long, and yet, were still so blind to his affections. Robin found it amusing. She and Chopper even had a little bet on it.
As your little group sauntered from store to store, Sanji’s load of bags piled on and on. You tried to refuse his help at first, feeling bad for him caring so much, but Sanji, ever the gentleman he was, would not take no for an answer, as his deft hands swept the bags from your hands. The feeling of his soft skin brushing against your own, made you feel all warm and tingly with a soft, sweet, subtle kind of joy. And so, the only thing you were left to carry for the day, was your ever-growing love for the love-cook.
As the day progressed, you and Sanji spent most of the time talking to each other. Robin and Chopper exchanged looks and chuckled to themselves, knowing that their bet was soon to be settled. Nami seemed a bit suspicious - suspicious of Sanji’s lack of flirting with her and Robin, suspicious of Robin and Chopper’s discreet glances, and suspicious of how in the world you were able to put up with him for so long, and not go insane. You could see it in her eyes, as she looked at the rest of her group. Her brows would furrow in confusion every so often, before she’d shrug it off - at least she didn’t have to put up with him, right? And you, surprisingly enough, actually seemed to be enjoying yourself.
By the time the evening started setting in, it felt almost as if he’d forgot about everything else but you. And you, about everything else but him - his calm and soothing voice, his kind and flattering words, his poised walk, the way always kept an eye on you, the way his lips moved when he spoke. By the time the evening started setting in, the two of you were so immersed in each other that you had shut the world away.
But every day must come to an end, and so, your little group headed to the ship to drop off the bags, and regroup with the rest of the crew, before heading into town for the evening.
The evenings were your favourite time of day to explore new towns - the enticing smell of local cuisine, the cheerful townspeople toasting at the pubs, the stars shining brightly in the sky as the whole world left shed their worries, and came together.
“Oooohh !! That smells good! Let’s eat there!” Luffy was quick to catch a whiff of a local spiced roast, and then quicker still to rush towards the place.
“Oy, Luffy! Wait a seco-” Nami tried to stop him, but it was too late. Once Luffy zeroed in on food, there was no holding him back.
The rest of the crew laughed and shrugged, and started following their captain.
The skies were clear that night, exposing millions of stars twinkling in the skies. But clear skies also brought chilly winds, and Sanji, who’d been walking right beside you since you left the ship, was quick to notice you shiver, even if only so slightly.
“Ah, ___-swan, are you cold?” This man - always so attentive, always so chivalrous - had no intention of waiting for an answer, and was already taking off his suit jacket. “Here, take my jacket. I wouldn't want you to catch a cold.”
With a small nod, you allowed him to guide your arms into the sleeves of his jacket. A smile made its way to your lips, and your eyes softened as your mind zeroed in on the jacket. It was so warm. So soft. And above all, it smelled of him, and his cologne. It’d never really occurred to you before, but now that the scent was so close, you remembered it - it was the same cologne you gifted him for his birthday a few months back.
A booming sound followed by crackling caught your attention before you could reach the restaurant. The crew all looked up to the skies to see the dying sparks of a firework, quickly followed by another, and another, and another two, then five, then ten, twenty, until the skies were lit with spirals, and scattered sparks of red, and gold; of blue, and green.
Most of the crew were transfixed by the fleeting artworks that painted the skies above them in a myriad of colourful sparks, there one moment, gone the next.
As you gazed at the skies - your eyes wide, glittering with joy; your mouth agape in awe - you felt an arm wrap around your waist, gently at first, testing for a reaction. When you turned around, you found none other than Sanji, looking down at you with a soft and warm expression on his face, though you knew he was nervous. You could see it in his shy smile, and the way his arm tensed around you. Sanji, the object of your affections, was holding you. And most of all, he seemed genuinely nervous - nervous to not mess this up, because it was you that he wanted most of all. And what a pleasant surprise this was.
It took you but a moment to return his smile, as you looked up in his eyes. A soft blush crept onto your cheeks as you settled deeper in his embrace. This was all he needed. You quickly felt his hold of you tighten, pulling you closer still into him, and deepening your blush.
Sanji leaned down to your ear, his breath warm as it fanned against your skin, his golden locks soft as they brushed against your cheek.
“The fireworks may be beautiful, but they cannot compare to you,” he whispered, just loud enough for you to hear.
Bewildered by his words, his whispers so intimate, you turned your head to look up at him, before he continued…
“For you, my dear… Are breathtaking.”
There was no cigarette smoke to cloud the air tonight, but he continued to cloud your mind, and his words of romance would have you stripped of inhibitions, as you raised yourself up on your tiptoes and pressed your lips against his.
The fireworks, as charming as they were, could not compare to him.
