Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

You've always taken daily walks around your neighborhood since you've started working from home. It feels nice and refreshing, and it's definitely a nice way to spend your time instead of rotting on your couch scrolling through some social media app, waiting for another gig. The best part of these walks is that you get to walk past your handsome neighbor Sanji's house, in the hopes that you can see him through the window or on his porch.

It's not stalking, you tell yourself. It's not like you know his every waking minute, as stalkers do. You just know he wakes up sometime before you, goes to work at 7 a.m., and comes home at 3 p.m. to take care of his daughter, Sora. Then the lights in his house turn off some time around 11 p.m., but as in most houses with a baby, the lights will turn on a handful of times in the middle of the night to handle some sort of problem. It's only because your houses are right next to each other that you know all this; it's just normal, neighborly stuff, at least that's what you tell yourself.

Most days when he's at work, you'll see a woman with pink hair that you assume to be his sister comes to babysit Sora. Other days he'll just bring her to work with him. Today, though, it must be his day off.

You started your walk earlier than you normally do, at around 10 a.m., and clearly he's still home. He's sitting out on the porch, trying desperately to calm his daughter down. It's gotten to the point that you can hear her screaming on the other side of the block. When you get closer to your house, you can hear his begs.

"Sora, please, stop crying for daddy. Daddy's really tired, baby... oh, Sora, please tell me what's wrong..." he says between sighs. "I know, I know, auntie Reiju isn't here and you don't know what to do... daddy's not normally here in the morning, right?"

He continues his desperate begs as you walk closer towards your house. You can't help but feel sorry for him, he must be completely overwhelmed. So, instead of heading up your porch stairs at the end of your walk, you go right to his house.

"Hey, Sanji. I don't want to intrude, but do you need any help?" You ask gently, trying not add flame to the fire. Sanji sighs, shifting Sora's weight to one arm so he can run his hand through his blonde hair. You can't help finding this attractive, but you know you need to keep your cool on something like this. "I can babysit for a bit, I've done it before."

Sanji looks at Sora, who's still crying, then back at you. "I-I don't know. Thank you for the offer, but I'm hardly ever with Sora in the mornings. My sister tells me I need to figure out how to handle her, so I took off these next few days. I think I can do this by myself."

You nod, understanding his answer. But after another look towards the screaming Sora, Sanji speaks again. "I could really use some help calming her down right now, though... and I could use some sleep..."

"Can I offer some advice, then?" You suggest, chuckling awkwardly. "Maybe if you ignore her, she'll stop? Like maybe she just wants attention. I dunno, that's my experience. I mean, that's if you fed her and her diaper's changed."

Sanji's face darts back to you, his eyes widening. "Ignore her? Oh, nonono... she can't handle that!" He stresses. "She needs to know that her daddy's always here... I can't let her think I'm abandoning her." Now you realize why she's screaming so much.

"Sanji, it makes her know that all the attention shouldn't be on her. If she's taken care of, then she shouldn't be crying, right?"

"Right..." he says cautiously, bouncing Sora gently. Still, she sobs. "But I can't leave her..."

"I'm not saying leave her, okay? I mean, put her in her play pen while you... I dunno, make yourself a sandwich?"

Sanji looks at you incredulously, then takes a second to consider your idea. He sighs, looking down at Sora again. "Thanks, y/n. I'll try that. I'm desperate. Sorry for being so frustrating, my dear." He heads towards his door, leaving you out on the porch. "I'll let you know how it goes."

"No problem. Um... you sure you don't want me to babysit? You could get some sleep or something."

Sanji shakes his head, offering you a soft but tired smile. "That's alright, my dear. I'll get that sleep somehow. A woman like you shouldn't be troubled with me."

You can't help but blush at Sanji's charming nature. Sure, you've talked to him before, just some small talk, but this? A man has never treated you with such respect before. "Oh. Yeah, yeah. No problem. Um... good luck."

He puts his hand on the doorknob, nodding a goodbye to you as he brings a screaming Sora inside. You nod back to him and head back to your house, a bit dejected that you couldn't help him out.

***

You're sitting on your couch later that day, watching your favorite show while eating a microwaved dinner. Just then, your doorbell rings. You set your half eaten meal on the coffee table as you get up, going to see who could want you, or maybe just see whatever package was left on your doorstep.

You open the door to see Sanji, holding a happy Sora and carrying a Tupperware filled with food. "Oh, hey. Looks like Sora's stopped crying." You say, looking towards the baby. She coos and reaches a hand towards you, making you smile.

"Yeah, your plan actually worked. Thank you, my dear. So I made you some dinner with my free time. It's spicy seafood pasta, with fresh seafood." He says with a smile, handing the Tupperware towards you.

"Oh, you didn't have to do that. I'm free to help whenever, it's no trouble at all, I swear."

"My dear, it's no problem to cook for you. I wanted to share it with you, especially since you're my neighbor. It's my pleasure to cook dinner for you." He tells you, with Sora squealing in agreement. You can't help but laugh at their cute dynamic.

"Alright, well, thank you. This was really nice of you. And y'know, I'm free to babysit whenever. My house is baby proofed, considering how much I already babysit." You assure him with a laugh, taking the food and putting it aside. He smiles and nods his head.

"Thank you, but I really don't want to bother a darling like you."

"If your sister ever needs a break, though, I'm here. Or if you want to get a full night's sleep, I can babysit nights." You offer once more. He looks at Sora in consideration, who coos at him as if saying "I'll be okay".

His spirit defeated, he lets out a sigh. "Alright, my dear. I trust you, I'll let you babysit her tonight. But please call me if she bothers you too much. Or if she needs help. Or-"

"She'll be okay, Sanji, and so will I, okay?" You assure him, interrupting his worries. "Trust me, I've done this a lot. And you can call me whenever."

Sanji looks at you, his eyes filled with concern. "Alright. I'm gonna go home and get all her things. And the collapsible crib. Can you watch her for a few minutes?" He asks, handing her over to you. You nod and take her.

"Yeah, no problem." You bounce Sora in your arms, making her smile and laugh. Sanji gives you a tired smile and heads back to his house to grab Sora's things.

You're sitting on the floor playing with Sora when Sanji finally comes back. He's carrying two large bags on his shoulders, looking like he's about to go on a two month long vacation, plus the collapsible crib in one hand.

"Okay, so this is filled with her diapers and her bottles, also baby powder for when you change her. There's multiple nipples in here because sometimes she gets picky about what she drinks out of. There's also a lot of formula for nightly feedings and things like that, plus water bottles to make her milk. This other bag has all her favorite toys and stuffies and blankets, but make sure she doesn't sleep with them! She could strangle herself, you need to make sure the crib is-"

Once again, you stop his rambling, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Sanji, Sanji, it's alright. I got it, okay? Here, I'll help you out." You take the crib from him, setting it up in your bedroom, away from anything that could fall on her so Sanji doesn't go into a panic. You consider mentioning that this is way too much stuff for just one night, but you just smile at his concern for his daughter. While you set everything up, Sanji kneels down and gives Sora a whole lecture on how to behave while over at your house. Meanwhile, she just coos and looks around at her new environment.

"You need to be good for Ms. Y/n, okay? You cry a lot for daddy but I'm sure you'll be good with her. Don't stay up late and don't ask for too much food, otherwise you're gonna be one chubby little baby~!" He pokes her stomach playfully, making her giggle. "You are the cutest little girl around, Sora. And you're just like me, so I know you'll be good for this lovely woman. Don't torture her, okay?" He stands back up, lifting her in his arms. He cuddles her close to his chest, almost scared to let go of her. "I love you, my perfect Sora..." He tells her, running his hand over her thin hair. "I'll miss you so much. And I promise I'll come back, okay? I'd never abandon you, baby. I swear."

Your heart sinks at his attachment to her. From what you could tell, Sora must be the only person in his life right now, you realize. Even though he has a sister, she has her own life. You can't blame him for being overprotective of his only daughter. "Sanji... if you're so worried, it's alright, I don't have to watch her." You say gently. He shakes his head in response.

"No, no... it'll be good for both of us. I can't cling to her and I need some sleep, and she needs to meet different people." He says, but you can still hear sadness in his voice. He hands Sora over to you, giving her forehead one last kiss. "Be good for Ms. Y/n, Sora. And Y/n, thank you so much, my dear."

With that, Sanji hesitantly leaves your house, going back to his own. Sora watches him as he goes, waving her hand and cooing. "Alright, Sora. Should we start your night routine or play a little bit?"

***

It's midnight now, Sora's been asleep for a little over 4 hours. Meanwhile, you sit on your bed, engrossed in a book while listening to the rain patter on your window. Normally you'd be asleep by now, but you expect Sanji to call, and you don't want to worry him by not picking up. Surprisingly, though, he hasn't called, not even left a text. You take this as a sign that he must've passed out as soon as he got home.

A loud banging on the door interrupts you from your book, but luckily, it doesn't wake up Sora. You creep quietly to your front door, lifting up the baseball bat positioned next to it in case of a burglary or any other break in. But, when you look through the window, you don't see any dangerous madman; you see Sanji, soaking wet, his hair a mess, and looking like he hasn't slept in weeks, despite him looking fine just a few hours ago. You set the bat aside, opening the door. "Sanji? Are you okay?"

He walks right past you, into your house. "Excuse me, my dear, but where's Sora? Is she okay?"

"Um... yeah, but uh- do you want a towel or anything?" You ask, watching him drip rainwater all over your hardwood floors. He shakes his head, looking around for your bedroom.

"I'm fine. Where's Sora?" He asks again, firmer. You lead him to your bedroom, where Sora is sleeping soundly in the crib. As he looks down at her, you go to your bathroom to grab a towel for him and for your floors.

Once you come out, you see him holding Sora to his chest, whispering gentle words of love to her as she sleeps. He leaves your bedroom and heads to your living room, sitting down on the couch. You throw one towel down on the wet floor, and hand the other one to him now that he's staying in one place.

"...you okay?" You ask him cautiously as he holds Sora tightly to him. He takes a few deep breaths and nods.

"I couldn't sleep. I missed her." He explains, leaning back against your couch. You nod in understanding.

"She's doing alright, she only woke up once for a dirty diaper." You tell him. You glance towards your window, seeing how it's practically pouring outside. "Why don't you stay here tonight, too? It's not a good idea for you to take her home in this weather."

He shakes his head, looking down at her. "No, no. I can't bother you like that, I already feel bad you have to watch her. I'll just go back home, I just wanted to see that she was okay." He hands Sora back to you, making sure not to shake her up.

"It's no bother, really. I'll set up a makeshift bed on my couch." You offer. Once again, he shakes his head.

"It's alright, my dear. I'll see you and Sora in the morning."

"At least let me give you an umbrella, Sanji. It's pouring out." You take Sora back to your bedroom where her crib is, laying her down. You grab an umbrella from your closet and go back to the living room. There, you're met with the sight of Sanji passed out on your couch. You smile at how sweet he looks, setting down the umbrella and grabbing him a blanket. "Get some sleep. I'll handle Sora." You whisper to him as you cover him up with the blanket.

You admire the man as he sleeps. Even though he must be exhausted, he sleeps so peacefully. You think it's admirable, being able to handle his daughter as a single father while also working full time at the town's most popular restaurant.

You would give anything to have a man like that, a man who cares so strongly about his child and can live a busy lifestyle, still providing his child with constant attention. But you know you can't, that you shouldn't. You know he's too busy for a love life, and you respect that. He'll put his daughter above anything and everything, you know he would.

And so, some things must just remain a dream, you tell yourself on your walk back to your bed. You fall asleep thinking about some other relationship you might find yourself in, one much different from this one.

Chapter Text

In the morning, after a few more nightly cries from Sora (that Sanji slept through), you wake up to a delicious smell coming from your kitchen. You can't remember the last time your house has smelt so good, it makes you feel like you're dreaming. You get out of bed in a daze, taking your time as you approach your kitchen, the sight making you believe you're actually living your dream. There's a handsome, well dressed, blonde man preparing a nice breakfast in a clean kitchen, smoking a cigarette, humming a song, all while bouncing his daughter in one arm.

You approach this 'dream-husband' of yours, about to give him a hug and a kiss. Just then, the man, who you now realize to be Sanji, turns around and faces you. You thank the heaven and earth that he turned around now, if it was one second later, you'd probably end up on the news as an offender, ruining your life right there — then you'd never get that husband you dream of.

Sanji's eyes widen, quickly putting out the cigarette in a cup of water he had prepared, considering you have no ashtrays in your house. "Morning, Y/N! Sorry, I shouldn't smoke without permission in your house." He gives an awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "And I'm so sorry I intruded on you last night, falling asleep on your couch. So, I made you breakfast!"

"Oh, it's alright! I didn't want you to go home in the rain anyway. I'm glad you stayed over. But... yeah, I'd prefer it if you don't smoke on my house."

"I get it. I won't bother you much longer, my dear. I'm just going to finish these eggs for you." He directs his free hand to the pan he's currently cooking in. You see the most delicious food that's ever been in your own house, amazed at what he cooked.

"What'd you make?"

"Smoked salmon eggs benedict, my dear!" He exclaims proudly, followed by a happy squeal from Sora. "It's a healthy breakfast, I hope you like it."

"I had salmon in my house?"

"I got it for you from my house when I went to drop my bags off real quick. I thought you deserved it after everything you did for me and Sora last night."

"Sanji, wow, thank you. You gave me dinner last night and breakfast this morning. Seriously, I don't mind babysitting, Sora's such a good baby, it's no problem at all."

He plates the food, still with only one hand available, looking incredibly attractive. "I don't want to bother you, my dear. But I'm free to cook for you whenever you'd like."

"Well, I'm free to babysit whenever you'd like." You respond with a grin, sitting down at your kitchen counter. He laughs, sitting down next to you.

"Alright, maybe another time. You did great with Sora, thank you so much for that." He looks down at the baby girl in his arm, shifting her a bit so she's against his chest. Her tiny hands grip his dress shirt, her eyes looking up at his face as she coos.

You take a bite of the amazing breakfast Sanji put in front of you, and your eyes widen at the taste. "Sanji, this is absolutely amazing!"

"Yeah? Glad you like it." He chuckles, a smirk on his face. "You should come by the Baratie. I'm the head chef there, when the shitty old man isn't around to tell me different." He takes a bite of his own breakfast. You're amazed at how he doesn't scarf down his food, unlike you, but you figure he must be used to such delicacies — after all, he's the one cooking them. You can only imagine how Sora's going to be so used to amazing food, she won't understand why most other food tastes so bad. Maybe it's good you're only babysitting her when she's still drinking formula and trying baby food, then she can't be picky.

"That sounds great, Sanji. I'd love to come by one day."

"Did you eat the pasta I made for you last night?" He asks after taking another bite of his breakfast.

"No, I'm planning to eat it tonight. I already ate dinner by the time you came, so I just put it in my fridge."

Sanji looks at you with an almost offended face. "You didn't eat it? Then I'll have to make another one for you, so it's fresh." He goes back to eating, as if he didn't just say he was going to remake a difficult meal just because you're going to have it as leftovers.

"What? No, no. It's fine, I'm used to eating leftovers, it's not a big deal. I'm sure it tastes just as great."

"I can't let a woman like you eat leftovers! You have to taste it fresh, it's better fresh. I'll make it again for you tonight, okay? You can come over for dinner. I'll eat the leftovers."

"Are you sure? I don't want to bother you and your time with Sora."

"It's alright, my dear." He gets up, hands you Sora, and takes both of your empty plates to the sink. "Consider it as thanks for letting me stay the night."

You can't help but let out a soft laugh. "Alright, if you insist. Do you actually want the leftovers, though? I can just throw them-"

"No, no. No wasting food under my watch! I'll eat them, it's no problem. And I'd be happy to cook for you, whenever you want. I can never turn down a beautiful woman's meal." He puts the cleaned plates to the side. "Now, me and little Sora should get going."

He leans over you, taking Sora back out of your hands. You can't help but smell the flowery scent he has on him. Most men who are well dressed like him would be wearing some sort of gross aftershave or cologne, but he actually smells great. It's a wonder the scent stuck after he was in the pouring rain last night, you'd imagine he'd smell worse.

"Oh, well, bye. Thank you so much for the breakfast. What time should I come over?"

Sanji looks between you and Sora. "I think Sora would like to see a lovely lady like you again, so why don't you come at around 5?"

"Sounds good. I'll see you later." You say as you follow him to the door. You give Sora's belly a little tickle, getting a laugh out of her. "You be good to your daddy. He deserves it."

Sanji gives you a wave as he leaves your house, carrying Sora and her portable crib. You can't help but admire the man that Sanji is as you watch him walk back to his house. He has to be the kindest man you've ever met, well dressed, well put together, a great father, and an amazing cook. He'd be the perfect husband for any woman out there, but you know he most likely doesn't have room for any women in his life besides Sora. As much as you'd love to have a relationship with him, you tell yourself it's better to just stay good friends, and to keep yourself as a helpful neighbor.

***

There's no gig available for you today, so you decide that after you take your daily walk, you'll look into the restaurant Sanji says he works at. You've heard of the Baratie before from some of your friends, but it just seemed too expensive for you, plus you never had anyone to go with. But now, knowing how the food must taste, you figure that the meal is worth the cost.

You're absolutely amazed by how famous the Baratie is, but shocked by its extreme polarity. Five stars in terms of food, but half a star in terms of service? It's known for the waiters fighting disrespectful customers, and great seafood dishes...?

You read through some of the reviews. It seems like a lot of the customers enjoy going just to watch the fights go down. Two reviews, though, really stick out to you. One is a five-star one, posted just two weeks ago by an older woman: "I love the food at this place, and the entertainment coming from the fights! What I enjoy most, though, is the baby girl that a very sweet waiter brings in sometimes. She sits in a high chair by the kitchen, cooing at everyone who walks past, and squealing happily when she sees the waiter! She's adorable and a sight to see! I totally recommend this place!" You assume the review has to be about Sora, but the waiter part is throwing you off. Sanji told you he was a cook, didn't he?

The other review, however, is one-star, posted two years ago by a young man: "The blonde waiter with swirly eyebrows is a total freak. He constantly complains about being out on the floor and not on the kitchen, and will give any male customer grief while giving all the female customers free food. Don't bring your girlfriends/wives here, guys— this man will attempt to steal them from you. And ladies, don't trust this playboy. He's not loyal, any idiot can tell that much. Great food, awful service. I will NOT come again." This review closed the case for you when it came to Sanji being a waiter, but it confused you on the type of man he is. A playboy? A freak? A home-wrecker? To you, he's just that sweet, next door neighbor.

The review being from two years ago makes sense, though. It seems like a lot of reviews up until 13 months ago are complaining about the "flirty blonde waiter". Maybe it stopped because a fling got knocked up and he knew he had to get serious. Maybe that's why he has no wife, no girlfriend, no present mother to Sora.

Sanji had only moved in next door fairly recently, only 6 months ago, just two months before Sora was born. You remembered seeing all the baby stuff entering his house and how stressed he looked. But on top of all that, you never saw any woman that could be the mother. Then one day, the infant was brought home in a carrier. Sanji had an exhausted look on his face, but not a physical one, rather a mental one. You could only imagine what happened the day Sora was born. Did her mother die? Did she leave Sanji? Did she refuse to take part in any of Sora's life?

You remember being worried about the baby, about Sanji not being attentive to her. You assumed he'd be too depressed about this woman that he wouldn't want to take care of Sora. It was a harmful assumption of the poor man, but you couldn't imagine anything else. All you knew was that he was alone in that house of his.

Later, after your first meeting with Sanji, you felt incredibly guilty about everything you assumed about him. You crossed paths with him one day on your walk. He was pushing his newborn baby in a carriage as she slept, just giving her some fresh air and sun. You introduced yourself as his next door neighbor, and he immediately apologized about Sora's loud crying during the night and how it must be interrupting your sleep. It was that day you realized how sweet and caring he is, and your crush on him started.

You choose to push away your negative impression from Sanji off these reviews. Okay, maybe he was a flirt and playboy before, but now that he has a daughter, he seems to be different. Sure, he's a sweetheart to you, but he's never actually flirted with you, at least not in a way you recognize. It's not like it matters, anyway, like you told yourself last night — you can't be with Sanji, not when his daughter is his whole life. You know you shouldn't ruin that.

***

You knock on Sanji's door at exactly 5:00. You're wearing a nice, casual sort of outfit, despite knowing that he'll come and open the door in a suit, just as he always does. But you don't get dressed up very often, so you figure this will do.

He's quick to open the door for you, a kind smile on his face as he holds it open with a little bow. "Hello, my dear, you look beautiful." He says gently, guiding you towards his dining room table. He pulls out a chair for you and beckons for you to sit.

"Thank you." You say with a smile.

"Dinner will be ready in just a few minutes. Sorry, it took a little longer than expected because a cute little girl had to be fed." He explains, heading back to the kitchen. Sora, sitting across from you in her high chair, squeals and claps.

You look around his house, amazed at how clean it is. Yes, there's baby toys scattered on the floor of his living room, plus a play pen, but other than that, it looks ready to host an open house.

Everywhere you look, though, is a picture of Sora. You can't help but smile stupidly at how adorable this is. This man loves his daughter so much that his house is covered in pictures of her already, and she's just four months old. There's a picture of her at the hospital after her birth, a picture of her sleeping in her crib, one of her drinking formula, one being bathed, one playing with a bear plushie. You can just picture Sanji bombarding Sora with photos every minute of the day when he's with her. One picture, the largest one on the kitchen wall, is her in a high chair, surrounded by what looks like chefs, plus Sanji. Sanji looks the happiest you've ever seen him. It definitely wasn't taken in his house, so you can only assume that it must've been taken at the Baratie.

"Are you looking at Sora's pictures?" He asks, his focus on the stove.

"Yeah, they're all so cute!"

"She really is the cutest, isn't she? I wish I could hang up more pictures, but there isn't enough wall space in this house. I have so many photo albums of her." He moves over towards his island counter, placing his creation on two fancy plates.

"So, what'd you make for dinner?" You ask as he walks towards the table, carrying the two plates.

"For you, my dear, I made Elephant True Bluefin Saute with a side of Pommes Paille. I hope you enjoy it." He puts the dish in front of you with a nice little flourish. "Everything is fresh, I promise." He sits down between you and Sora, at the head of the table. "Dig in, my dear."

You eat the meal slowly, letting your taste buds take time as they enjoy the amazing meal in front of them. There's no doubt that this is the best dinner you've ever had, maybe even the best meal you've ever had. You look over at Sanji, who's trying to keep his plate away from Sora. She's reaching for the pommes paille and giggling, seeing her father smile at her antics. You smile too, feeling like you're a part of this little happy family. It's like a family dinner, husband and wife with their little daughter, enjoying a home cooked meal. You can't help but feel a little bit guilty thinking this way of the two of them.

"Sanji, this meal is amazing." You tell him, distracting yourself from your daydreams. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Anything, my dear." He responds, looking gently into your eyes. Sora's given up on trying to steal his food, now she's just sucking on her fingers.

"Where did you get Sora's name from? It's beautiful."

Sanji looks back at Sora with a sad smile. "From my mother. She was very kind to me and never hurt me. Only her and my sister were kind to me when I was a kid." He sighs. "But she died when I was young. Sora looks just like her, except she has my eyebrows."

You look at Sora. You've never known what Sanji's mother looks like, but you figure that based off what he said about Sora, Sanji must take after her. Sora looks like a young carbon copy of Sanji; same blonde hair, blue eyes, swirly eyebrows.

"I have a picture of her on the kitchen counter, hold on." He says, getting up from his chair. Sora eyes his food, deciding now would be the perfect time to steal something. You give her a stern look, seeing if that would scare her away. It doesn't, and you end up having to move his plate closer towards you, away from the reach of her tiny hand.

Sanji comes back, handing you the picture frame. "It's my only picture of her." He admits, sadness in his tone. In the picture, there's a beautiful blonde lady with a cheerful young boy in front of her. The woman has gentle eyes and a soft smile, just as any great mother would, but strangely enough, it's the same as Sanji's eyes and smile when he sees his daughter. You were right, Sanji does take after his mother, he just has darker hair and swirly eyebrows. "I'm trying to raise Sora just like she raised me, but sometimes I feel like such a bad father." He says, his frustration clear as he runs his hands through his hair repeatedly. "I don't want to be like my asshole of a father."

"Sanji," you say gently, standing up. "It's okay, you're raising Sora fine. I don't know what your father did to you, but after seeing you last night, I guarantee that Sora's in a safe and happy home."

Sanji sighs, looking at you with hopeful eyes. "I hope that's true, my dear. Sorry if I ruined your dinner."

You look over at your empty plate, and Sora still reaching for Sanji's half full one. "I'm more worried that I ruined yours."

"Hey, I'm just glad you enjoyed my cooking. I love feeding a beautiful woman great food. I have dessert too if you want it." He offers, sitting back down at his chair to eat.

"I'd love some! But we can eat it together, so I'll wait for you to finish your dinner."

You and Sanji spend the rest of the night talking about Sora and your jobs, nothing too upsetting for him. He promises that when you finally visit the Baratie, he'll cook you whatever you order and it'll be on the house, too. You decide you shouldn't bring up the reviews that you read about him, after all, he does definitely seem different now. He had made a crème brûlée for both of you, which was even better than the dinner. At the end of the meal, Sora was ready for bed and you were full from all the delicious food Sanji made for you.

Sanji leads you to the door, holding a drowsy Sora in his arms. "Whenever you're craving something, I'll cook it for you, my dear!"

"Alright, and whenever you need a babysitter, I'm right next door." You lean over to look at Sora. "Goodnight, Sora. Be good for your daddy."

Sora just looks at you, her eyelids drooping. You smile and rustle her thin blonde hair before looking back up at Sanji. "Have a good night, I hope she's not too much for you."

Sanji looks lovingly at Sora. "She's never too much." Sora puts her head on his chest, cuddling against him. "Goodnight, Y/N"

You leave his house and head home, your stomach full and your mind content. A night with the sweet father and daughter next door was a nice, comforting experience, and one that you wish you’d have every night.

Chapter Text

A few weeks have passed since Sanji made you that delicious dinner. You haven't seen him too much, really just waving to him on your walks, other than one time you babysat for Sora last week. You miss his presence, even though you've really just been around him for two days in total the whole time he's lived next door to you.

So, when your friend invites you out to the Baratie for lunch, you can't turn her down. After all, you've already been wanting to go there, now you know that Sanji works there, and your biggest reason is that you're craving Sanji's cooking. It's dense, sure, but that's what happens when your diet is made up mostly of takeout, microwaved meals, and snacks.

Your friend, Laura, picks you up at 1:30 p.m. to take you to the Baratie. "Heyyy, girl! What's up? How are things?" She asks you excitedly as she drives.

"Not much. Just work, I guess. I have someone new to babysit for, too."

"Yeah? How's the kid? A monster?" She laughs, knowing that's how it usually goes when you babysit. "How are the parents? Are they too strict or enabling? How much are you getting paid?"

You laugh too, seeing how she knows how most babysitting jobs go. "It's not bad at all, actually. It's a baby girl, she's only four months old. Well, she's five months old now, I think. And her dad is really sweet, just overprotective."

"Okay, okay! Good to hear." She responds, making the turn to bring the two of you closer to the pier, where the Baratie is. "What about the money?"

"Laura, it's not all about money." You tell her, trying to bring her away from that.

"Shit, Y/N, are you not getting paid? How much do you babysit this kid?"

"Laura, c'mon, it's not like that. I don't babysit her a lot, I'm just trying to help her dad." Laura parks the car as you continue explaining it, still suspicious of this unknown father's intentions. "He's a single father and he struggles a lot. I'm just happy to help."

"Really? That's it?"

"Well, sometimes he cooks for me, too."

Laura scoffs, heading towards the entrance to the restaurant. "This guy's food better be pretty damn good for you not to get paid for it."

"Trust me, it is. He'll probably cook lunch for us today. He works here."

"WHAT?" Laura exclaims, her hand on the door handle. "He works here and he can't pay you? This shit is gourmet, Y/N! He can a hundred percent afford a fucking babysitter." The word seethes out of her mouth like filth.

"Laura, shut up. I don't know his story and you know less than I do. Give the guy a break. And don't you dare mention anything while we're in here."

Laura scoffs in response, shaking her head. "Fine. I just hope that food is good."

The two of you enter the restaurant, the air between you thick with tension. You can see her point about you not getting paid, but at the same time, it's not like babysitting Sora is torturous like the other kids you've handled. Plus, the meals you get make the job even more worth it. It sounds crazy, but you really don't mind doing it for free.

The host seats you at a table by a window, where you could see the water. You can see the center of the restaurant, where you assume the fights go down, and you can smell the scents coming from the kitchen behind you. A waiter quickly comes by and drops off water for the two of you before leaving.

Remembering the review you read a few weeks ago, you turn to face the kitchen. You see an empty pink highchair, a little heart sign on the wall above it saying "Sora". Beyond that heartwarming sight, you can hear arguing from the kitchen, along with a screaming baby.

"You can't force me to be a waiter, you old geezer! I told you, I'm sick of it!"

"Well, like it or not, Little Eggplant, you're going out there! I don't want you cooking in here while your baby sits out there! God forbid a chair comes flying her way!"

"I can cook and watch her at the same damn time! We can just bring her damn highchair in here!"

"You think a kitchen is safe for a baby? I already told you, it's not a good idea for her to be here to begin with! You see how Patty and Carne act with those ingrates out there!"

"Screw you, old man! You don't get it!" With that, a fuming Sanji storms out of the kitchen, carrying Sora with him. The two of them are red in the face, Sanji with anger and Sora from her crying. He brings Sora outside onto the dock, lighting a cigarette and taking a drag, all while shushing and bouncing her. You can't hear what he's saying now, but you see those gentle eyes and soft smile.

"What the hell are you doing?" Laura asks, her tone already pissing you off. "You're just gonna stare at that guy and his kid?" She glances out the window at him. "I mean, I guess he's kinda cute, but I'm sure he's married."

"That's the guy I babysit for."

"Him?" Laura does a double take before looking back at you. "Okay, okay, I get it. I'd babysit his kid for free too. Does this mean he won't be cooking for us today?"

You sigh, look at Sanji through the window. "I don't know. He said he would." Despite you looking towards Sanji, Sora is the one that notices you. Her little blue eyes stare into yours through the window, her smile growing. You watch as she squirms happily in his arms, making him take his eyes off the water and look towards where she's looking. His eyes brighten when he sees you and his smile grows. You lift your hand to wave, but Sanji quickly leaves the dock. Hardly three minutes later, he's standing at your table with Sora in his arms.

"Hey, ladies. Welcome to the Baratie." He says with a charming smile. "Are you two ready to order? I'll make you beautiful ladies whatever you'd like." Sora coos along with him, reaching out, trying to touch you. You laugh, letting her hold onto your finger.

"Chef's choice, please. Whatever he thinks I'll like." You say with a smile. Sanji nods, and in that moment, it feels like it's just the three of you. The same feeling you had that night when he cooked you dinner, like you're a family.

Laura clears her throat, interrupting the moment and bringing Sanji's kind gaze towards her. "I'll have the penne gorgonzola, please. Oh, and can we please have the croquettes to start?"

Sanji nods, noting the order down in his mind. "Sounds good, ladies. Excellent choices." He turns back to you, a nervous expression obvious on his face. "Y/N, my dear, I'm so sorry if this bothers you, but do you mind watching Sora while I cook for you two? That old man won't let me back in the kitchen while she's out here. You're the only one I trust her with."

"Of course, Sanji. No problem." You very carefully take Sora from his arms and shift her into your lap.

"Daddy's gonna be back soon, okay? Be good with Miss Y/N, I know you like her." Sanji tells his daughter, kissing her head before he heads back into the kitchen.

"Man, you're really kissing his ass, huh?" Laura teases with a smirk. You can't help but laugh, bouncing Sora gently on your knee.

"Just being a good neighbor, I guess." You respond. Sanji's eyes and Sora's laughter really calmed you down from your anger at your friend before, letting you handle a normal conversation with her.

You and Laura talk about random things in your lives, maybe gossiping about people you used to go to school with, all while entertaining Sora. That is, until an older man with a peg leg, a braided mustache, and a comically large chef's hat comes rushing towards you.

"I told that Little Eggplant he shouldn't be in the damn kitchen while his daughter's out here." He mutters. "Give me the baby."

"Sanji told me to watch her." You shakily respond, nerves flooding your system. "It's fine, I sometimes watch her."

The man sighs, looking down at Sora, who looks happily up at him. "I can't have her out here while he's in the kitchen, I'm sorry. C'mere, Baby Eggplant. Let Gramps hold you." He extends his arms towards her and she gladly reciprocates, letting him lift her up.

As if on cue, Sanji comes out of the kitchen with the plate of croquettes. He strolls happily to your table until he sees the old man standing over it, holding Sora.

"Hey, Zeff! What the hell are you doing?" He asks, his smile dropping. He puts down the plate of croquettes on your table. "I asked this beautiful lady here to watch Sora."

"You can't be asking random people to watch your kid." Zeff responds through gritted teeth. Laura leans in, grabbing a croquette as if it's popcorn for a movie. You, on the other hand, watch nervously, your eyes darting between the two men. Zeff had called himself "Gramps" to Sora before, is he Sanji's asshole father?

"Y/N isn't random, she's my neighbor. She's babysat before and I trust her with Sora." Sanji retorts, clearly angry. "I know how to watch my damn kid, I don't need some old geezer telling me different."

In the matter of a second, Zeff lifts his peg leg and kicks Sanji across the floor. A wave of silence crashes over the restaurant, only to be broken in an instant as Sora shrieks, and all eyes land on Sanji. You quickly stand up and run over to him, kneeling by his side.

"Oh my God, Sanji! Are you okay? What the fuck was that?"

"I'm alright, my dear, don't worry. This old man can't hurt me."

"Are- are you sure? You just got flung across the restaurant..."

Sanji grins, sitting up. "Trust me, this happens all the time. The geezer just disciplines me like this."

You're absolutely baffled by him right now. And he's grinning? This is so crazy. You watch in disbelief as Sanji gets up, takes Sora from Zeff, and calms her down before giving her back to you.

"You don't mind watching her while I cook your entrees, do you, my dear?" He asks with a kind smile. Still in disbelief, you just shake your head without a word and walk wide eyed back to your table as the two men head into the kitchen.

Laura looks at you and laughs. "You look like you just saw a ghost!"

"That was the weirdest thing I've ever seen! He's kicked across the room, then just gets up and walks off? Neither of them say a word to each other about that? He doesn't even fight back?"

"That's how it goes at Baratie." She says plainly, just taking another croquette as if she's seen this a million times. You take one for yourself and take a bite, savoring the delicious flavor. "That neighbor of yours can really cook."

"See? This is why I don't bother him for money. His food is already enough for me." You look down at Sora, who's burying her face in your shirt. You smile, running your hand through her thin hair. "Plus, isn't she the cutest? Look at this cute pink strawberry dress! He dresses her so cutesy.”

"She's good, too. And quiet." Laura adds. Sanji comes by and drops off your entrees; a penne gorgonzola for Laura and... a very, very, very large plate for you.

"This, my dear, is a sky seafood extravaganza! The Baratie's specialty!" He exclaims with a large smile, clearly very proud of his work. "You two beautiful ladies can share it, I know it might be too much for just one person."

"Wow, Sanji, thank you! It looks amazing!"

"Oh, trust me, it is amazing." He says with a smirk. Laura is quick to ruin his moment.

"Isn't this too expensive, though? I'm pretty sure this is the most expensive thing on the menu." She points out, looking at him with a raised brow. He nods, his smirk remaining.

"Yes, it is the most expensive thing on the menu. But for a perfect neighbor and her wonderful friend, it's on the house, along with the pasta and croquettes." He explains as he takes Sora from your arms.

"Thank you so much, Sanji! And I already know this is gonna taste amazing." You look back at the large plate on the table. “Are you gonna get kicked across the restaurant again for this?” You ask with a nervous chuckle.

Sanji laughs and shakes his head. “No, no. I rarely give meals on the house anymore. He’ll understand for this, I think.”

“Hey, Sanji!” A random chef shouts halfway outside the kitchen door. “Chef Zeff says you’re off the clock!”

“What? It’s only 2:30! Where’s that geezer?” Sanji storms off, leaving you and Laura to enjoy your food.

“If I knew it would be on the house, I would’ve ordered way more shit.” Laura complains, grumpily eating her pasta.

“Well, you can share this monstrosity with me.” You joke, trying to ease the tension.

“What’s up with that cook, anyway? Do you know who the mother of the baby is?” She asks in between bites.

You sigh, taking a bite of some shrimp. “I have no idea. I think it’d be too forward of me to ask. Honestly, I’ve hardly talked to him.”

Laura smirks at your last line, raising an eyebrow. “Oh? You guys don’t talk when you’re together?” She asks, obviously suggesting something.

“Ugh, that’s not what I meant. I’ve only babysat for him twice and he cooked me two meals, that’s it.”

“Alright, alright, whatever. You better get up to something fun with him before the next time we hang out.” She sets her fork down and excuses herself from the table. “I’ll be right back, I need to use the ladies’ room.”

Sanji comes by while she’s gone, Sora sleeping peacefully in his arms, clutching his dress shirt. “Hey, are you enjoying your food?”

“Yeah, thank you.” You hesitate, looking at him, thinking of so many questions you have about him. “Who’s that old guy? Zeff?”

“Oh, he’s the guy that taught me how to be a cook and how to be a respectable person. He practically raised me.” Sanji answers with a gentle look in his eyes. “He’s like my father.”

You give him a soft smile. “Is that why he called himself ‘Gramps’ to Sora?”

He chuckles and nods his head. “Yeah. He loves her a lot. That’s why we’re always fighting, he doesn’t want her in danger. This place can get…” he shakes his head with a sigh. “Really rowdy. And the stupid waiters don’t help. But I know he’d never force me to stop bringing her, because he loves to see her around.”

“That’s really sweet, Sanji. But listen, if you want Sora safe, I really don’t mind babysitting more during the week.”

He sighs again. “I really appreciate that, Y/N, but I already have my sister doing it, and some days it’s just nice to have my little girl at work with me. She means the world to me. I’d wait every damn table in this place for my whole shift if it meant I could see her happy face every day.”

His words are so heartwarming that they practically bring tears to your eyes. “Alright, well, you know where to find me. But, y’know, I think I definitely prefer you spending time with her here. Who knows, maybe she’ll end up being a cook here by the time she can walk!” You joke, getting a laugh from Sanji.

“I’m already trying to teach her at home, I put her high chair next to the counter as I cook and tell her what to do. I don’t think she’s listening though, she just sits there and sticks the ingredients or utensils in her mouth.” He says with a grin.

“She’ll get it eventually, just like her daddy. So, that guy from before said you’re off the clock?”

Sanji groans. “I guess so.” He grumbles. “Stupid geezer decided I worked too much today and should bring Sora home.”

You glance at Sora, fast asleep in his arms. “Well, she’s definitely exhausted. I’m sure she’ll want to play later, though. Maybe get some more cooking lessons.”

Sanji smiles and laughs, bouncing Sora slightly. “Yeah. I should get going.” He looks back and sees Laura heading back to your table. “I told the other waiters your meal was on the house, so you’re good to go whenever you need to, my dear. I hope you enjoy the rest of your lunch.”

“Bye, Sanji. Have a good rest of your day.”

“You too, my dear.”

Sanji leaves the restaurant, waving goodbye as he goes. Laura sits back down and asks for a recap on what she missed, but you just tell her it was about the baby and nothing else, protecting his personal life.

The two of you finish your delicious lunch just talking about other random events, her mind finally away from Sanji. But yours can’t go anywhere else. All you can do is hope that the stars align, and you’ll see him again soon, more than just passing by his house.

Chapter Text

"I hope you're having a wonderful day, Y/N! Would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow night?"

You stare at the text from Sanji. You haven't seen or spoken to him since the Baratie, which was about a month ago. You thought this was pretty random, but hey, a dinner from Sanji with Sanji? You can't turn that down.

"Yeah, of course! What's the occasion?" You respond. You watch the little thought bubble go on your screen, waiting to see what he'll say. It disappears a few times before a message is finally sent.

"It's Sora's six month birthday. I thought it'd be nice to celebrate. Please come at 5 pm. ☺️☺️"

The message tied with the emojis are just so cute to you that you can't help but smile.

"I'd love to come, Sanji! 🩷" You respond, still smiling stupidly. And so, after your walk of the day, you head over to a nearby department store to buy some gifts for Sora.

You walk through all the aisles, trying to find the perfect toy for Sora. There's rattles, ring stacking, put the shape in the box, all the basic baby toys. Your eyes catch one specific toy set that you know Sanji would love for Sora to have: a baby cookware toy set. It has a mixing bowl that talks, sings, and lights up, a milk bottle, measuring cups, an egg rattle, and two toy foods to help with counting.

You put the set in your cart and cross your fingers, praying she doesn't already have it or somebody else doesn't buy it for her. You figure you'll also buy her some clothes too, just to add onto her cute outfit collection.

The stars have definitely aligned for you today, because the very first graphic onesie you see is one designed to look like a white chef's coat with the words "sous chef" written on it. Now, you realize you're more shopping for Sanji's liking than Sora's, but it's not like a baby knows what she's wearing, as long as she's comfortable. You grab the onesie along with two cute flowery ones and toss them in the cart. The last thing you grab is some cute wrapping paper before you head to checkout; at least then Sora has some fun unwrapping it.

***

You wake up earlier than usual the next morning and figure that with that free time, maybe you'll bake something for the party. Sure, nothing you bake will ever be as good as Sanji's, but it's the thought that counts, right?

And so, you find just enough ingredients in your pantry and decide to make some chocolate chip cookies. Once they're done, you head out for your daily walk.

It's a nice day today. The sun is shining, the air is warm, and the sky is clear. It's definitely not a day where people want to be cooped up inside, and Sanji took this opportunity to play with Sora in his front yard.

You walk down the sidewalk from your house to his, seeing him sitting in the grass with her. She's in a blue summery dress and he's in a matching blue dress shirt and black dress pants, like always, plus a cigarette in his mouth. You can never figure out how he doesn't sweat through his clothes like that. "Hey, Sanji! Long time no see. How's it going?"

Sanji smiles when he sees you. "Hey, Y/N! We're doing good! You're also enjoying this warm weather, huh?" He chuckles. "Sora, say hi to Miss Y/N!" Sora looks up at you and babbles happily. "Now that she's six months, I'm trying to get her to sit up all by her little self."

"Oh yeah? I'm sure she'll get it right away, she's a smart baby." You crouch down across from her, talking to her in a baby voice. "Hi, Sora. Are you excited for your party later?"

"Party?" Sanji asks. You look at him and notice his confused face, his cigarette drooping a bit.

"Um... you invited me over tonight for the party, right? 'Cause she's six months old? Shit, did I mess up the day?"

Sanji blushes in embarrassment. "Oh, no no no. It's not a party. It's just the three of us. I thought it'd be nice for us to get together again. I-" he stops himself and clears his throat. "I mean, both me and Sora like having you over." He pauses for a moment, looking down at Sora for a second before looking back up at you. "...you'll still come, right?"

Your eyes widen and your cheeks flush. He wants just you? "Yeah, yeah. Of course. I just got the wrong idea, that's all." You chuckle awkwardly. "I, um... I did make a big batch of cookies, though. Since I thought it was a party."

"You could still bring them. I'd love to try your cookies! I'm sure they're amazing, my dear." Sanji insists, looking up at you with his kind eyes. Sora, meanwhile, babbles and smacks her hands on the ground.

"They're not gonna be anywhere near as good as your cooking, though." You tease, kneeling in the grass with the two of them. Sanji takes your hand in his, brings it up to his lips, and kisses it, very softly. You feel your face getting hot, and you can only imagine how red you are right now.

"It'll still be amazing because you baked it, my dear." He says, lowering your hand but still holding onto it. You don't have the heart to pull away and you don't want to, either. You just look down at your hand in his. "You can come over now, if you want." He suggests, his thumb gently massaging the back of your hand. Sora babbles in support, crawling over to your knees.

"I-I'd love to." You let out, your face turning even more red out of embarrassment. "Um. I just need to finish my walk and grab some things in my house."

"We'll wait for you, my dear! Take your time." Sanji tells you, pulling Sora closer to him as you stand up. "See you later."

You continue your walk, listening to Sanji as he cheerfully encourages Sora to sit up by herself. You think about the conversation you just had — he invited just you over? Nobody else? And the hand kiss??? It's all so baffling. Is it possible he has feelings for you? Or is this the "flirty Sanji" you read about in the Baratie reviews?

Your mind rattles on about these questions for the whole walk, up until you end up back inside your house about a hour later. You grab the cookie tin and the bag of wrapped presents for Sora before heading over to Sanji's house. The two of them are still outside in the grass, with Sora sitting up and Sanji, very delicately, holding her tiny hands to keep her up.

"Okay, you're doing great. I'm gonna let go now." Sanji tells her, carefully removing his hands. Sora, slowly but surely, keeps leaning to her left until she almost falls over and hits the ground, with Sanji catching her just in time. "So close!" He laughs.

"Aw, she's almost got it!" You add on, sitting beside Sanji in his yard. He looks at you and smiles.

"Is your walk done?" He asks, his eyes wide with hope. You nod, a smile on your face.

"Yeah. And I brought gifts over for little Sora!" You say, presenting the gift bag of presents. Sora squeals when her eyes fall upon the brightly colored wrapping paper.

"That's so sweet, Y/N, my dear~!" Sanji exclaims, a weird swoon element to his voice. That's definitely something new, you think. "Let's go inside to open gifts." He scoops Sora up, goes up his porch stairs, and opens his front door for you. He stands to the side with a kind smile. "Go ahead, my dear."

You go inside and you're surprised by the scent — despite him not currently cooking anything, his house still smells like a delicious home cooked meal. It's something comforting, a recognizable smell that would cheer you up when you would come home from a bad day at school as a kid. It gives you a warm feeling in your heart and it makes you feel safe.

"Go in the living room, my dear. Sorry about the mess." He chuckles, walking past you and into the living room. "Sora can open your gifts."

Before you go into the living room, you gently place the tin of cookies onto his dining room table. Then, you weave your feet through the maze of toys on the living room floor and sit awkwardly on the couch; your legs together and your hands in your lap, still holding the bag of gifts. Sanji places Sora on the carpeted floor in front of you, then sits behind her. You're in kind of an awkward position, looking down at the two of them.

"Can I give them to her now?" You ask, looking at him, and he nods. First you pull out the largest wrapped gift, which happens to be the cookware playset. You hand it to Sora, who happily starts ripping the paper right off, crinkling it in her hands. Of course, she's not the one to react to her present, she's just happy to have something in her hands. Sanji, on the other hand, is ecstatic.

"This is perfect!" He exclaims with a large smile and a laugh, grabbing onto the box. Something about this reminds you of a little kid opening Christmas presents. "I can't believe I've never seen it before! Sora, you're gonna be a cook just like daddy." Sora just laughs, waving around the wrapping paper that she balled up in her little hands.

"Look what else I got her." You say with a grin, pulling the second gift out of the bag. You hand it to Sora, who, of course, opens it in an instant, revealing the 'Sous Chef' onesie. As if it was even possible, Sanji seems even more excited.

"It's adorable! I'm gonna have her wear this all the time! And she'll wear it when she comes to the Baratie, too! Zeff would love her in this!" Sanji goes on and on, just yammering on about how much he loves the cook themed gifts. As he continues, you hand Sora the two other wrapped onesies for her to open. He only fawns over how cute the other clothes are for about a minute before going back to the cook themed gifts.

He gets even more excited when Sora shoves the boxed toy in his face while babbling, hoping for him to open it. "Look! She already wants to play with it!" He exclaims with the biggest smile. "I'll go open it for you right now, mon cherie!" He takes the box and rushes to the kitchen to cut all the toys out, leaving you there with a babbling Sora.

She babbles and waves her arms around, as if she were telling you a story about her father. You move off the couch and sit next to her on the floor, listening intently to what she has to say.

A large gasp cuts into her babbling. You turn to see Sanji standing in the doorway to the living room. "She's sitting up! Y/N, my dear, look! She's sitting up by herself!" He gushes, then rushes to take a picture of Sora sitting up, a proud smile on his face. She looks at him happily, her babbles silenced by his excitement. She leans closer to him, getting closer and closer to the floor... wham!

"Oh, Sora, baby, are you okay?" You ask, kneeling closer to her, but she just giggles and squirms beneath you. You lift her back into a seated position, and Sanji hands her the new, unwrapped toy while furiously checking her head.

"Is she bleeding? Is she okay? Is she hurt?" He rambles on, looking over every inch of her while she fusses over the singing toy bowl.

"She's okay, Sanji. Don't worry." You assure him, gently patting his hand. "If she wasn't okay, she'd let you know."

Sora, reassuring him, babbles and shoves her new toy measuring cups in his face before throwing them into the bowl. You watch as the panic in his eyes fades to a loving, gentle gaze as he takes the measuring cups out and explains to her what they're used for, all while she just throws the other smaller accessories into the bowl. He just smiles and laughs the whole time, picking up each thing she drops and explaining it simply to her. It's a sweet thing to watch, you just can't help but take out your phone and snap a picture of them to send to Sanji later. Maybe it'll end up on the wall with the many other pictures of her.

He looks up from his daughter when he hears the click of your phone's camera. Still, he has that loving smile and those gentle eyes, the ones you see on T.V. in romance movies that make you kick your feet and long for a partner. But here they are, in person, and it just feels so... unreal.

"I'll, uh- I'll send you the picture. I, um, I just thought it was a cute scene." You stammer, clearly flustered by the look he's giving you. He nods in understanding and stands up, straightening his clothes.

"Thank you, my dear. I'm gonna start on dinner."

You nod too, clearing your throat and looking at Sora to avoid his gaze. "Cool. What's, uh... what's for dinner?"

"Seafood risotto. It's great, you'll love it." He says with that same smile he has whenever he talks about food. He leaves you there in the living room with Sora as he cooks dinner.

Once her father's gone, Sora quickly loses her interest in the cooking toy. You try to hand her one of the rattles or make the bowl sing to grab her attention, but it's not working. Instead, she crawls over into your lap and starts to cry.

"Sora, baby? What's wrong? C'mon, you're gonna worry your father if you cry so much. Let him cook us dinner. Do you need food? Your diaper smells fine..." You try to rock her or offer her different toys, all of which aren't working. So, you decide that maybe she's just hungry. You lift the crying baby into your arms and carry her into the kitchen, trying to comfort her as best you can. You're about to ask Sanji for the formula when you see it.

His sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, showing off those arms. Something just hits you and you can't take your eyes away. All you can focus on are those gorgeous arms. And from the back, too! He has an amazing back profile, you think, especially in that suit.

He turns around to look at you, a confused expression in his face, his cigarette drooping. "Are you okay, my dear? Do you need anything? The food's not ready yet."

"Sora was, uh." You look down at Sora, who's now quiet, just snuggling you. "Well, she was crying. I just wanted to know if you fed her recently."

"Oh, yeah, I fed her about two hours ago. She should be fine." He confirms, turning back around to put his focus towards cooking once more. You nod to yourself a few times, trying to get over what just happened. Was Sora just crying to get you to talk to Sanji? That was really weird. "Y/N, do you think you can keep Sora awake and playing while I cook? I want her to be tired when I put her down for bed in two hours. I'll be done soon"

"Sounds good."

***

About a half hour later, Sanji calls you into the kitchen for dinner. You place Sora into her highchair and sit across from her, just as you did the last time he cooked dinner for you. He puts his cigarette out in a nearby ashtray before picking up a dish and a small bowl.

"Alright, for two beautiful ladies, I have seafood risotto for you~..." Sanji declares grandly, a slight swoon in his voice as he places the dish in front of you. "And a veggie risotto for you~!" He places the small bowl on Sora's highchair, resulting in a happy squeal from her.

He moves his chair right next to Sora's, and takes a small spoon out of his pocket. "She's old enough to have peas and risotto. I was waiting for the day she'd turn six months, so she could finally eat my cooking! I hope she likes it." He explains, pure happiness and excitement in his voice. It's always so cute to see how excited he gets when he talks about cooking or his daughter.

"I'll wait for you before I eat my dinner. It'll be cooled down by then, too." You tell him, pushing your dish a little to the side. He stops his swooning over Sora to look at you with pure shock on his face.

"No, no, no. A lady doesn't have to wait for a man to eat her dinner. You eat it while it's hot. It's best when it's hot!" He stresses, all while Sora plays with the food in her bowl. "I want you to enjoy your dinner. I can't see a beautiful lady go hungry." He turns back around to Sora, as if he didn't just say the sweetest words to you. "No, mon cherie. You can't play with your food, you need to eat it."

His words fade out as you stare down at the meal in front of you. He seems to really care a lot about you, even though you're just his neighbor and occasional babysitter.

"Y/N, can you take a picture of me feeding her?" Sanji's voice cuts through your silence, and you look back up to see him adoring his daughter as she happily (and messily) eats up his cooking. Right after you take a picture, he takes his attention away from Sora to face you. "Is the risotto okay? Is it cold, my dear? Do you like it? I can make something else if you want."

"What? No, it's okay. I just wanted to eat dinner with you, I mean... you made it for me, after all."

He feeds Sora her last bite of food and wipes her face before facing back to you. "You don't need to do that. I'll eat it, don't worry. I don't want to put food to waste."

"You wouldn't want dinner together?" You question, a little worried about his selflessness. Instead of denying it this time, he simply blushes.

"You'd really want to eat dinner with me?" He asks, his voice a bit quieter now, as if he's in disbelief.

"Yeah, of course, Sanji. I'd love to."

"Okay, then, let me heat up our food." He quietly gets up and takes your plate from you. You're surprised when he uses the stove to heat up the food; normally, when you heat up food, you just use the microwave. You guess that being a chef means you don't even need it to heat something up. "It's nice of you to want to eat dinner with me. I'm so sorry for being rude and turning you down, my dear. I shouldn't be so rude to a beautiful lady."

"It's okay, really. Don't worry about it." You reassure him. He places your dish back in front of you and puts his own down too before he takes his seat at the head of the table, between you and Sora. He takes a bite of his risotto and looks at his daughter, who's gnawing on her fingers (or more like gumming, since she has no teeth). "Sanji? Can I ask you a bit of a personal question? You don't have to answer if you don't want to, though."

His eyes turn to you when you speak up. He swallows his food and smiles. "Of course, my dear. Go ahead. I'll answer any questions that a beautiful lady has."

"What happened to Sora's mother?"

Sanji's hand freezes with the fork in his dish as the tension in the room thickens. Sora even stops chewing on her hand as time seems to freeze. You wish you could suck the question back inside, rewind time or erase their minds to make it so that you never said anything. You can imagine it would've been much less awkward if you just admitted your feelings for him right there.

Finally, he answers you, his voice low and his face dark. "She didn't want to be in the picture. I'd normally be all for forgiving and understanding a lady, but abandoning a kid is just-" He stops himself with a sigh. He runs both hands through his hair, ruffling it and gripping it tight. "It's not right. Sora didn't deserve that." He takes a deep breath, speaking even quieter. "No kid does."

You put your hand on his shoulder as an attempt to ground him, bring him back to now-- a dinner that celebrates his daughter's six month birthday. "I'm so sorry, Sanji. I'm here if you need anything, I promise. And I agree, abandoning a helpless child is wrong, plain and simple."

Slowly, he takes his hands off his head and back onto the table. He takes a few deep breaths and pats his chest. He reaches into his suit's chest pocket to grab something, then glances over at you with sad eyes. "I won't smoke around you, my dear." He mumbles before returning his attention to his meal.

The rest of your dinner goes by painfully slowly, and it ends with Sanji deciding you should go now that Sora's sleepy. You leave your tin of cookies with him, hoping they'll cheer him up despite how moderate they are. You lay awake in your bed that night, the whole evening running through your mind about a million times. You wonder about the finer details of what happened between him and Sora's mother, but you also wonder how the night would've went if you didn't bring up such an upsetting question. More than anything, you kick yourself in the ass, wishing you could've just stuck your foot up your mouth and let yourself be curious, and let Sanji enjoy his daughter's day.

Chapter Text

You're working on your computer while sitting on your couch, a movie playing faintly on your TV. Staring at your laptop, you can't stop thinking about what you asked last night. You've continuously beat yourself up for it for the past 14 hours, but still, you feel so horribly guilty. You can't imagine Sanji ever speaking to you again after that.

You submit your work and lean back on your couch, letting out a deep sigh. You're so depressed thinking about this, you don't even want to go on your walk of the day. Seeing his house is just going to bring all the guilt back, if any of it even faded.

Your doorbell rings, making your mind put the guilt aside for just a minute. If only it was that easy to get rid of it while you're trying to focus on work. You turn off your TV, head over to the door, and look through the peephole. There, you see Sanji. Just Sanji. And he's holding your cookie tin. He has a cigarette in his mouth, but you can tell he realizes what you said about smoking in your house, considering his eyes suddenly widening. He's about to toss it when you open the door.

"Hey, Y/N," he says, his voice filled with sadness. "Sorry, I forgot about your rule about smoking. I'll put it out."

"No, it's okay. Just this once." You respond with a slight chuckle. "If it helps you, it's fine. Well- I mean, helps you with anxiety or... Y'know. Whatever."

He just nods, looks to the side for a moment, then back at you. "I brought you your cookie tin back." He extends the hand with the cookie tin in it. You take it and step to the side, letting him come in. "I wanted to talk to you. About Sora's mother. I called my sister, Reiju, to babysit while I'm here."

"You could've brought her if you needed to. You know I don't mind her in my house." You explain as you guide him to your living room couch. He plops down, leaning back as he breathes out smoke from his mouth. You get a small ceramic bowl from your kitchen when you put your cookie tin away, line it with water to use as an ashtray, and place it on your coffee table in front of him.

"It's not that, my dear. I don't like talking about her mother when she's around. I don't want her to assume all women are like that. Women are perfect, her mother just..." he takes a drag from his cigarette. "Made mistakes."

You raise an eyebrow at his explanation. You doubt a baby could think that deeply about it, and even if she could, she's been around other women. Still, you know it'd be insensitive to say that. "...Okay.... Can I ask what she did?" You inquire calmly, sitting down next to him and gently placing a hand on his knee. A faint smile grows on his face and he places a hand on yours.

"Of course, my dear. She... well." He takes another drag. "I met her when I was being forced to wait tables one day. This beautiful woman... well, all women are beautiful. But she stuck out. She was gorgeous, like you. I was in love. We started going out." He pauses to take yet another drag from his cigarette. You just sit there, trying to not get flustered from the 'gorgeous' comment. He continues as if he didn't mention it. "Okay. Not going out. We hooked up. But we planned on going out." He waves his hand around as he explains. "We maybe went out for a week, maybe two, before she found out she was pregnant. I was nervous, but I was excited. I always wanted a kid, despite my anxieties about it, about becoming like my father. Zeff helped me through most of that anxiety. I started planning things with her, but...." He flicks his now-short cigarette into the bowl you filled and runs his hands through his hair again. "She didn't want the baby. But she didn't want to get rid of it. She wanted to give birth and just abandon it. It was like a stab to the heart, to hear her say she wanted to abandon the kid. Not even a kid, a baby. I never thought I could lose respect for a woman so quickly."

He stops there, looking down at his lap as his fingers grasp at his hair. You move a little bit closer to him, your thighs touching. "I'm sorry."

He shakes his head, his hands slowly falling back to his sides. "You didn't do anything, my dear. I just couldn't abandon my kid. I refuse to be like my father. So I straightened up. I stopped flirting and I made sure the pregnancy went well, even though she didn't want me there. I worked all the time so I could support my Sora once she was here. And I don't regret a thing. No woman will ever mean more to me than Sora, and that-" he chuckles. "That's saying a lot, for me."

"I think that's great, Sanji. I really respect that. And I think it's great you stepped up to take care of your daughter."

He smiles and glances towards your living room window, where he has a view of his house. "I love her so much. She's my whole world. She's so precious to me. I want to spoil her so badly. I want to give her the world." He takes a second to look down, then back at you. "I appreciate your understanding, Y/N."

"Of course, I understand. I would do the same for any kid. They're so innocent, they don't deserve to be abandoned."

One of Sanji's hands seeps back into his blonde hair, grasping it. He has a sad smile on his face. "Where were you when I was a kid?" He asks under his breath, but you could still hear it.

"If you want to talk about that, too, I'm here. I wouldn't judge." You offer, holding his other hand.

"No, no. I don't like talking about it. I'm sorry, my dear." His eyes begin to fill with tears, and a few pour out.

"No, no, no. It's okay, it's okay." You cup his cheeks and slowly wipe away each tear with your thumbs. You can't help but notice how pretty he looks when he cries -- almost like an angel.

You gaze into each others' eyes -- well, you gaze into his eye that isn't covered by his hair. You can't focus on anything else, just him. Just this handsome man in front of you, the only man to ever be kind to you. He has that gentle smile on his face, just smaller than normal. You want to lean in to kiss him, but you keep yourself back.

Sanji cups his hands over yours, ending the moment, and brings them down to his lap. "I wanted to tell you something, my dear Y/N. That's why I came here." He shifts his position on the couch for a second, more so that he's facing you. "It's been really nice talking to you lately. I love spending time with you, it makes me forget about my past."

"I'm glad I could do that for you. I'm not going to pressure you to tell me about your past, don't worry."

"Thanks. But that woman, she just--" He sighs. "She reminded me too much of my father. The last day I ever saw her was the day she gave birth to Sora. She didn't want me in the room, which I respected, since it's the woman's choice. But I was worried she'd abandon the baby before I got the chance to see her, hold her. Before I got the chance to bring her home myself. She made fun of me for loving a baby that doesn't-" He stops himself, his voice breaking. "Loving a baby that's useless."

"Oh, Sanji, I'm so sorry. That's an awful thing for her to say."

"My dear, can I hug you?" He asks, his left eye overflowing from tears. You see his tears from his right eye falling past his blonde hair and down his cheek. He looks so sweet and innocent, you just can't refuse, not that you would anyway.

"Yeah, yeah, of course." You answer. You open your arms and let him fall into them, grasping you tight. Still, his arms are gentle on you. Your heart aches for him, knowing he's going through so much. It aches so hard that you can overlook the fact that you're hugging such a handsome man. The same man that you have loved guiltily from a distance.

After a long moment of crying quietly in your embrace, he pulls away. In an instant, you mourn his warm, gentle touch, but you know you need to stay quiet.

"I never got to tell you what I need to say, my dear." He starts, holding both your hands as he looks at you, pure honesty in his eye. "You're perfect. And thank you for everything you've been doing lately. I wanted to tell you that--" His ringtone cuts him off. He lets go of your hand, sliding his hand to take his phone out of his dress pants. "I apologize, my dear. My sister is calling."

He excuses himself to the other room, leaving you alone and thinking in your living room. What was he going to tell you? You don't want to assume that it's anything romantic, but that's all you can think of. You wish, you hope, you pray that it's what you want it to be. And so, you wait for Sanji's phone call to end, so he could come back into your living room, sit next to you on your couch, hold your hands, and tell you that he loves you.

Except he doesn't.

Instead, Sanji rushes back into the living room with a look of deathly worry on his face. "My dear, I'm so, so sorry about this, but I have to run back home. Sora has a fever. I should make sure she's okay. I don't want her to think daddy isn't there for her when she needs me." He says urgently. He almost looks like he's about to sprint for the Olympics.

"Of course, I understand. Go ahead, it's no problem." You tell him, waving your hand dismissively. But even though you understand, even though you want the best for Sora, you wish he would stay and have a romantic evening with you.

You watch him run out of your house. Once he's gone, you bury your face in your couch cushion and let out a scream. Why the hell are you thinking like this? Why do you want him to stay with you, knowing he has a daughter that should be prioritized? You kick yourself over and over again in your mind, hating yourself for thinking the way you do. You tell yourself that you don't even deserve Sanji's love. His daughter should come above all else, you know she should. You know you wouldn't love or respect him if he put some random woman first instead of Sora. So why the hell are you thinking like this?

***

You don't see Sanji again until the next week. You decide to knock on his door, make sure everything's okay, make sure that Sora is healthy, and definitely not to just see him.

He's holding Sora close to his chest, and she's babbling while waving around her toy pepper shaker. "Hey, my dear."

"Hi, Sanji. Hi, little Sora~! Oh, you like the toy I got you, huh?" You coo, running your hand over her thin hair. Sora responds with a babble, as usual, and puts the shaker in your face. Sanji just chuckles.

"Yeah, she loves that cooking toy so much. She's just like her daddy, aren't you, Sora~? Gonna be a future chef, aren't you~?" He bounces her a bit, making her squeal and laugh. He turns back to you, curiosity in his eye. "Anyway, why'd you come over? Not that I'm complaining. I love having a beautiful woman over."

You let out a light laugh. "I'm glad she loves it. I was just wondering, what were you gonna tell me the other day? You got cut off because of Sora being sick. I hope she's better, by the way. Sorry, I should've said that first."

"Sora feels so much better." He starts, then begins to look incredibly hesitant. Sora cuddles closer to him, dropping the toy shaker and holding his shirt tight. You crouch down and pick the toy up from the floor. "What I was going to tell you the other day... well..." he sighs. "I can't, my dear. I'm sorry."

"Did something happen?" You ask, a bit concerned. It seems like he's anxious about something.

"No, no, no. Nothing happened. I just don't think it'll work out. I'm sorry." He looks back into his house, almost like he's avoiding your gaze. He reaches up to his mouth to take a drag out of a nonexistent cigarette. Once he realizes there's nothing there, his hand goes through his hair instead. "What I was going to tell you... it- well." He pauses, taking a deep breath. "I have feelings for you. You're the first woman I've loved since- since what happened with Sora's mother. But I can't risk that happening again."

"Sanji, you know I wouldn't do that, right?" You try, taking a step towards him. He shakes his head with a frown.

"I don't think any woman would. But I'm scared."  He murmurs, holding his daughter closer to him. "Sora's my life. I'd rather die than see her get hurt again, especially if it's my fault."

You let out a sigh. As much as you want to fall into his arms, hug him, kiss him, tell him you love him too, you know you need to respect him. He's right to want what's best for his daughter. In fact, you're glad that's what he wants; you'd fall out of love if he didn't want that.

"I understand, Sanji. I feel the same way about you. But I completely understand, you want what's best for your daughter and I totally respect that and I want that too. Maybe, one day, when she's a bit older, we can figure this out. With her in the mix, too. I'd want her to be the main focus of your life." You tell him with a smile on your face.

He nods back at you, returning the smile. "I'd like that. I wish you the best, my dear." He says, making your heart drop.

"I hope this isn't goodbye?" You ask softly, hopeful that you can see him again. He chuckles.

"I hope it didn't seem that way! I'd love to see you all the time, if you'd let me. Right now though, I think Sora's a bit tired and I'm going to put her down for a nap. Come over anytime, alright, my dear?" He tells you with a large smile on his face. He looks so cute, you think.

"Sounds good. Bye, Sanji."

"Bye, my love!"

Chapter Text

It's Fall now, specifically November, the time when it's starting to get cold and windy, and people are preparing for the winter holidays, despite Thanksgiving being right around the corner.

You've seen Sanji on and off these past two months. Mostly, you've been babysitting eight-month-old Sora and you see him for a few minutes before and after. He's still nice to you, though. It's like nothing was said about any feelings. He's still a man who loves his daughter, and charming to you.

One day, though, before he leaves for the Baratie, he lets you know that he's going to talk to you about something once he comes back from work. You think about it the entire 8 hours you babysit, whether Sora's asleep or awake. You try to distract yourself from those anxious thoughts by reading a book or watching some TV, but nothing works. You watch the clock tick, each minute - no, each second - passing by so slowly. You don't doubt that you saw every minute from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on that clock in his living room, or occasionally the one in his kitchen when it was time to feed Sora. A million thoughts about what it could possibly be run through your head, but nothing particularly sticks out to you.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Sanji comes back home a few minutes after 3:00 p.m., as always. It's a particularly warm day today, despite it being cold and rainy early this week, so you decide to wait outside his front door for him, Sora in your arms, squealing excitedly for her daddy.

He has a big smile on his face and a cigarette in his teeth. He happily reaches out for Sora and takes her in his arms, bouncing her up and down. "Hey, Mon Cherie! You look as cute as ever." He coos to her. His eyes then look to you with a charming smile. "And you look cute too, my dear Y/N~".

There it is again, you think. That swoon. The only other time you heard him swoon like that was on Sora's sixth month birthday.

You smile back at him. "So, what were you going to talk to me about?" You ask, standing to the side so he can head inside his home.

"Oh, right! Long day at work, I forgot," he says with a chuckle. "Thanksgiving is coming up and I'm hosting for Zeff and my sister. Usually I'd just work through the holiday, but now that I have a family..." he drifts off, admiring his daughter for a second. "I'll be hosting for the first time. Do you want to come over, maybe around four p.m.?"

"I'd love to, that sounds great!" You respond with a smile. His face lights up and he grins.

"Knowing you'll be there, I'll cook the best food. And Sora will help, right?" He asks, looking at the baby. She babbles and claps her hands. "I'll take that as a yes. Oh, also, I really enjoyed those cookies you made a few months ago. Do you mind making them again?"

You look at Sanji for a second, confused that this gourmet chef is asking for your baking at his holiday. "You sure that head chef at Baratie won't kick me over my amateur baking?" Your question comes out as a joke, but you're a little worried that Zeff actually might.

Sanji chuckles again and shakes his head. "Zeff would never hit a lady. He's actually the one who taught me to be a respectful gentleman to women," he tells you, easing your worries. "So please, can you bake for me? I'd really love it if you did." Sora grabs his finger as he talks, and so he holds her hand. "And uh, I think my sister and the old man would like them too."

"Alright, Sanji. I'll do that for you." You respond with a smile, turning to leave.

"One more thing." He comments, and you turn back to him. Sanji leans forward and plants a kiss to your cheek. "Have a good rest of your day, okay? Go on that walk you always go on. I like watching your beautiful self pass my house," he says with a charm to his voice, like a prince would in a princess movie.

You're flustered by what he said; you stare at him for a second. He's never said anything like that before, right? Especially so charming. Not to mention, it seems unrealistic, but it's almost like you see a heart in his eye when he says that.

"Yeah- yeah. Thanks. Thank you. I will. You- you and Sora also." You stutter, each word stumbling over the other. He gives you that same sweet smile as always and lifts Sora's little hand to help her wave goodbye to you.

***

It's like Sanji has you on a schedule. Every time you pass his house on your walk while on the way back home, he waves to you with a big smile and offers you some food, especially hot food, considering how cold it's getting.

But it's you, too. You changed your walks from around noon to just after 3:00 pm, when Sanji would just be coming home. You want to see his cute face, his sweet smile, his handsome suit as you pass by. Even if it's sunny in the morning and rainy by the time you leave the house, it doesn't stop you.

The day before Thanksgiving, you accept his offer for hot food. You head inside his house to be treated to a nice, hot plate of curry and rice while Sora sleeps in her nursery. As you eat, Sanji sits beside you. You notice he's looking at you, admiring you with the same eyes he admires Sora with.

"You're making those cookies for tomorrow, right?" He asks with a gentle voice, his hand reaching out to touch yours.

You keep your eyes to your meal, taking a bite as you nod. You chew slowly, trying to calm yourself from his hand unexpectedly touching yours. He squeezes it now, his smile growing.

"Good. I'm excited to eat some."

You swallow your curry. "What are you making, since you're hosting?" Your question excites Sanji.

"Oh, it's gonna be great! Turkey and stuffing, of course! But I'm putting a special basting on the turkey, my own recipe. And also mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, string beans— oh! Sora can eat mashed potatoes and diced poultry, so she can have Thanksgiving with us! I'm so excited!"

Sanji babbles on and on about his cooking for both Thanksgiving dinner and dessert, all with a huge smile.

"You'll like all that, right? I want you to enjoy it." He asks you suddenly, squeezing your hand tightly again. But then, he looks away and sighs. "Shit. I don't know what I'm doing, I'm sorry. I said I wasn't ready for this."

Sanji's hand slips away from yours and instead pats his chest pocket in the hope for a cigarette. But before he can grab one, you take his hand back.

"We're going at a slow pace, aren't we? We're just talking and holding hands," you assure him, squeezing his hand the same way he squeezed yours. He squeezes back.

"You're right. I'm just- I'm just scared." He tells you with another sigh. "I don't think you'd up and leave me like she did, but I'm so scared of it happening again."

"I know. And I know my words won't really convince you." You move your other hand to hold his as well. "But I just want you to trust me, okay?"

Sanji nods with a nervous look on his face. "Yeah. I will." He glances off into the distance, at the clock in his kitchen. "Sora will wake up soon. You should head back and get started on those cookies. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

He says this, but doesn't let go of your hand, just as you don't let go of his. You lean in a bit, expecting... something. He leans in as well.

"How'd you like your curry and rice?" He asks with a smile, as if everything that just happened was a part of your imagination. He lets go of your hands as he stands up and takes your plate.

You smile back, a bit disappointed that this interaction hasn't gone anywhere, but happy that you've talked something out with him nonetheless. "It was delicious. Thank you so much."

He walks you to his door, and it feels the same as every other day. This time, though, disappointment lingers in your mind. "Bye, Sanji. Thanks so much again for the food. Tell Sora I said hi. I'll see you tomorrow." You wave to him as you leave his house. He waves back cheerfully, and watches you as you walk back home.

You practically hop out of bed on Thanksgiving, excited to see Sanji again, and hopefully things will go somewhere this time. You put on a cute outfit, something good for the cold but also something that shows off your figure.

The baking goes by fast, or maybe that's just how it feels considering how excited you are. You haven't felt this excited for a holiday since your teenage years. But now, like a schoolgirl, you're excited to see your crush.

You're at his door five minutes earlier than he told you to be, antsy and excited, practically bouncing on your feet. Sanji's happy to see you too, he even gives you a hug. It's a tight one, and it surprises you, but of course you hug him back.

"I'm so glad you came~!" He practically squeals with excitement. "My sister and the old man should be here soon. Oh! And you brought the cookies, great!"

When he lets you go from the hug, you admire his face. Looking into his eye, it's almost like you see a heart in there as he looks at you. That's definitely new, you think. Then, you remember that moment a few weeks ago, the day he invited you to Thanksgiving, when he kissed your cheek. He had the same heart in his eye, but you assumed you must've just imagined it. It's weird to you. First the swoon, now the heart eyes.

"Yeah, yeah! Of course I brought the cookies, I know you said you loved them. Anything for you, y'know," you say with an awkward laugh. "And I want to make a good impression on your sister and Zeff. Especially Zeff." This time your laugh isn't as awkward. "I don't want him to hate my cookies." You notice now he's been holding your hand since the hug ended.

Sanji laughs and squeezes your hand. "My dear~!" He swoons. "I promise you, the old man would never do anything rude to you! And if he does, I'll kick him real hard, got it?"

"Alright, alright. Thank you." You give him a smile. "So where's Sora?"

Sanji smiles back and runs a hand through his hair. "She's taking a nap. I don't want her to get fussy while people are over. I'll wake her up once they come over."

There's a moment where you both gaze at each other. It's something out of a romance movie, right before the two love interests kiss.

But, also like something from a romance movie, there has to be something that keeps you two from kissing — a knock on the door. "Dammit," you murmur under your breath as Sanji heads to open the door, giving one last glance your way. Maybe you should've shown up to his door twenty minutes earlier.

The night goes over well. After Zeff and Reiju come inside, Sanji happily goes to wake up his precious daughter. At first you're awkward with the two, not sure what to say because you don't know anything about them besides the fact that Zeff cooks, and you don't even know what you are to Sanji to be able to talk about that either.

It gets better as the night progresses. The two tell you funny, loving stories about Sanji to embarrass him, but you think it's the cutest thing you've ever heard. It just makes you love him more. Sora's also there to make the night run smoothly, posing as the entertainment with her endless babbles and her happy squeals.

The food is delicious, even more so than usual, and Sanji uses it to try and convince Zeff to let him stay in the kitchen instead of being pushed out onto the floor all the time. The old chef just scoffs with a smile and continues eating, as you and Reiju let out a laugh.

The night ends on a good note. Everyone is full from their meal, ready to pass into a food coma. Sora's already fast asleep in Sanji's arms. And, of course, just as you were the first to show up, you're the last to leave.

Even though he kept refusing it, you help Sanji clean up a bit, knowing that Sora's gonna keep him up for a good amount of time tonight anyway. As you wash dishes, you occasionally glance at Sanji. You lock eyes once or twice, then quickly look away, like you're a secret couple at work.

"You, uh... you wanna do this again for Christmas Eve?" Sanji asks you suddenly, taking another clean plate from you to put away. "I guess I'm hosting that too."

"Yeah, of course. So Reiju and Zeff are gonna be here then, too?"

Sanji responds with a shrug and looks off into another direction for a moment, as if he's avoiding the question. Then, he turns back to you. "Would it be too weird if I asked you to sleep over that night...?" He then asks hesitantly, his voice barely louder than a whisper. The question stuns you, you never expected him to say something like that.

"I don't think it would be weird," you respond, your voice at the same volume as his. "Do you want me to?"

"Yeah." He glances at you again, this time a nervous smile on his face, and you don't turn away out of awkwardness. "I'd love that."

Sanji takes the last clean plate from your hand, then glances at his clock. "It's getting late. You should head back home." You feel his arm snake around your back, his hand landing on your waist, making a shiver run down your spine.

He leads you to his door with a delicate motion, almost like he's afraid you'll break if he moves you too fast. "I had a great day with you here," he says to you. "For the first time in my life, I'm enjoying the holidays."

He places a kiss on your cheek and pulls his hand away from you.

"Have a good night, Sanji. I really enjoyed today, it was so much fun. I really can't wait 'til Christmas."

"You too. I'm probably gonna be working a lot before then, though. For the holidays. I'm sorry, I probably won't be able to see you." He says with clear disappointment in his voice.

"Nonono, Sanji! That's okay, I totally understand," you reassure him with a kind smile. He just nods and opens his front door for you.

Your eyes linger in each other's as you walk off into the night.

***

Sanji was being honest; you really didn't see him for the next month. Every so often, he'd send you a cute or flirty text, maybe a picture of Sora too. But you never actually saw him. You didn't babysit Sora either.

It's not that he didn't trust you anymore, or you didn't want to. You were busy with work too. You constantly received emails about new gigs and what-not, so after about a week or so of turning down Sanji's requests to babysit with a flurry of apologies, he stopped asking.

He eventually told you that Reiju couldn't make Christmas Eve because she was spending it with his "shitty biological family" (as per his words), and Zeff couldn't make it because apparently that's one of Baratie's biggest days. So it'll just be you and him.

You and Sanji.

And you were spending the night.

That morning, he texted you to come at 8 p.m.; the two of you would have a late dinner while watching classic Christmas movies on his couch.

A nice, peaceful Christmas Eve, you think to yourself. Except for the fact that it's with the man that you're in love with, alone with the man that you're in love with. And he likes you back; you're not delusional about this, you know it's true. And he's been kissing your cheek as of late. Your mind wanders in a million different directions. Are you two going to cuddle? Kiss? Make out? Go even further???

You hope for all of the above but also mainly the first two so Sanji doesn't get overwhelmed, but also you're not really ready for the last one even though you do kind of want it whenever you think about him, as guilty as it makes you feel— maybe just going as far as making out would be nice.

GAHHH!!! There's too many thoughts running through your head at ten o'clock in the morning!!

You grasp your head, pushing your fingers through your hair, trying to keep yourself from slamming your head into the wall to stop the thoughts. That wall's too cheap, you'll break a hole through it. Maybe the kitchen counter instead.

No, definitely not. Do not bash your head in today, you tell yourself. Maybe instead do that tomorrow if you screw something up today. Maybe end it like George Michael— die on Christmas Day after giving your heart away on Christmas. Okay, that's not the actual way he died, but that's how you're gonna die if you screw this up today.

The song Last Christmas runs through your head, over and over, just the chorus. You want your blabbering mind to shut the absolute fuck up right now.

So, you storm out of your house, putting your jacket on as you walk down your lawn onto the sidewalk. As the walk goes on, you slowly calm down. Your mind slowly quiets. And you decide.

You're not ready to have sex with Sanji tonight, and he's definitely not ready either. The farthest you'll go is a make out session. But you're not going to push him, and you're not going to let him push you.

The two of you may get caught up in the moment, but you're going to be in control and you're going to stop it before it goes too far.

Thank God for your walks.

That is, until you get back home and try to find something cute to wear. It can't be something too revealing, since you don't want to go that far tonight. It has to be comfortable since you're spending the night on the couch.

While searching for something to wear for the day, you find some nice pajamas that you used to wear when you still had a roommate. This'll be what you'll wear while you're sleeping over there, you confirm as you put it in a small duffel bag with all your cosmetic needs (hairbrush, deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, etc.).

Finally, you decide on an outfit. An oversized, warm, red sweater, flared black leggings, and some cute boots. A comfortable outfit for a relaxing night on the couch, while also not looking lazy. Perfect.

This time, when you knock on his door, you’re right on time. 8:00 on the dot. And, as usual, he opens the door with a cute smile on his face, but this time his cheeks are a nervous pink.

You notice his suit immediately. A dark red suit jacket and dress pants, a black dress shirt, and a white tie. Yes, he’s always dressed up, but this time takes the cake. He looks absolutely breathtaking. Now you feel like an idiot for dressing so casually.

“Come inside, my love,” he says with a flourish of his hand. The inside of his house has never smelled more delicious. “You look beautiful tonight.”

You feel his hand on your waist as he guides you to the table to take your pick of the food he has cooked. Your options look like they’re from the menu of a Michelin star restaurant that’s way out of your price range. Not to mention, he also made way more food than the two of you could ever eat.

“It’s a traditional French Christmas dinner!” He exclaims with the excitement of a young boy. “We have roasted turkey with chestnut stuffing, some roasted potatoes over here, glazed carrots here, and some green beans almondine — these are made with toasted almonds and shallots, it’s great, I’m sure you’ll love it! Oh, I also made some small things too. Here’s a classic Parisian salad, Gruyère cheese twists, stuffed mushroom caps, and Brie en croûte. That has nuts, cranberries, and thyme in it, just so you know.”

“Sanji, everything looks and smells amazing, but isn’t this a bit much for the two of us?” You ask with a tad bit of concern. Hopefully he doesn’t think you can eat all that.

Sanji chuckles with an embarrassed smile and rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah, I noticed that after I made everything. I’m used to cooking for large groups, y’know, since I used to be roommates with a huge group of people that ate a lot back in college and now I work at a restaurant and all that.” He looks at the table, then towards you. “I’ll send some home with you so you can enjoy it during the week. And I’ll bring some to a nearby homeless shelter to feed the needy.”

“That’s so sweet of you!” You chime, now loving him even more.

The two of you fill your plates with a good selection of the meal he’s laid out, you taking a bit of everything. He puts the rest of the food in the fridge. Then, you follow him to the living room and sit next to him on the couch. He puts on Elf, a classic Christmas movie, and turns down the lights.

About twenty minutes or so into the movie, you put your plate down onto the coffee table (about a quarter eaten of it) to readjust yourself on his couch and pull the blanket over yourself.

Sanji also puts his plate down.

“My dear.” He quietly utters, and his arm goes around your shoulder. You turn to face him, surprised.

He slowly shifts closer to you, he leans in, closer and closer, until he’s about a few inches away from your face. “Is this okay?” He asks.

You know what’s coming. You prepared yourself for this while you were freaking out this morning. You nod.

He delicately presses his lips against yours, like a butterfly landing on a flower. You lean into it, pushing him back a bit on the couch.

Quiet moans seep out of his mouth during the kiss, and his hands move up to hold your cheeks, while your arms are loosely wrapped around his neck.

The kiss feels like everything you’ve ever wanted. It’s delicate, it’s slow, it’s perfect. It’s like a slow ballerina dance to a calm, orchestral piece, compared to a vicious, clashing sword fight that the make out scenes on TV look like.

The movie has become an afterthought, background noise. It’s not long before he’s lying down on his couch with you on top of him, with his tongue searching your mouth for more.

But his hands don’t reach for more, he doesn’t push for more, he doesn’t ask you for more. He’s in the here and now, just as you are, enjoying the moment and not trying to push his luck and do something neither of you are ready for.

You finally pull away after what felt like hours to catch your breath. He looks up at you, his hair fallen back so you can see both his eyes, and he looks at you with such adoration and love.

“I love you,” he whispers. “I love you and I don’t ever want to lose that.”

You smile and give him a soft, quick peck. “I love you too. And I loved the dinner you made. And I don’t want to lose my love for you either. My love for you or Sora.”

You lay your head on his chest, with one of his hands in your hair and the other rubbing your back. You close your eyes and listen to the movie in the background.

“Sorry.” “You missed.” “I missed?” “Yeah.”

“Goodnight, my love.” Sanji whispers one last time, and you’re too much asleep to answer, but you still hear it.

The two of you fall asleep on the couch, you on top of him, barely covered by the red and black throw blanket you meant to cover yourself with before he kissed you. His suit is still completely on, the tie just a little undone, and your duffel bag with your pajamas lies untouched in the entryway. Your almost full plates sit on the coffee table in front of you, forgotten and slowly growing cold. His Christmas tree’s lights sparkle in the corner, bringing nostalgic lighting to the otherwise dark room. Outside, lights from your neighbors’ houses shine through the window, and a soft snow falls.

In the morning, Sanji says that was the only night Sora slept all the way through without a single cry.

Chapter Text

You awake to the sound of Sora crying and the feeling of Sanji carefully holding you.

It doesn't last long. He's just laying you back down on the couch. "Sorry, Y/N-dear. Sora's crying. I didn't mean to wake you up. Go back to sleep," he tells you, quietly, soothingly. "For the first time, she didn't cry all night, so hopefully she's okay."

He gives you a sweet smile before he leaves you alone there in the living room. For the first time in a years, you don't want to go back to sleep after waking up. You stay there, your head on the arm of the couch, staring off into the distance. How did you get here?

There's no way that make-out session last night actually happened. The two of you were like teenagers, unable to keep your lips off of each other. Maybe you just fell asleep on him and he was too nice to wake you up and so he also slept on the couch, and all that kissing was a dream. It had to be.

You sit up on the couch, in a daze. You have so many questions but at the same time you're at a loss for words. You look up at the clock on the wall. 7:26 am. You didn't sleep in, but it's not that early of a wake up.

You look at the coffee table. The two dinner plates are still sitting there, hardly eaten and cold. Now you really hope the make-out actually happened, because putting that amazing food to the side so you can get some sleep would be a waste.

You're so lost in thought you don't notice Sora's cries subsiding. You're just brought back to reality by Sanji walking into the living room, holding his daughter in one arm.

"Oh, you're awake," he comments. Then, like a switch was flicked, his mood quickly changes. That strange heart in his eye seems to appear again and he gets a stupid smile on his face. "Good morning~! I'll make us some breakfast~!"

He then practically twirls and floats out of the living room, still holding Sora. You let out a giggle; who is this man all of a sudden? He's like a completely different person.

You take both plates from the coffee table and carry them to his kitchen. He's humming cheerfully, bouncing his daughter, and cooking up something in a pan.

"Are you the cutest baby~? Yes you are~!" He coos occasionally to Sora, making her squeal with laughter. You let out a laugh too, watching from behind his kitchen table. He hears it and turns to face you with a smile. "Hello, my dear~! I'm making us some French Toast, I hope you'll like it~!"

You take a seat at the kitchen table and watch him cook with his baby girl. "I'm sure I will. Everything you cook is great. I can't believe I didn't finish eating dinner last night."

You had to add last night in there. You had to confirm with him that it was real and you weren't crazy.

"Yeah, you were tired last night," he comments, oblivious. "Fell asleep on me. It was cute."

"And that's... all that happened last night?" You add.

Sanji chuckles. "What, do you normally do something weird in your sleep?"

"No I mean-" you scoff. "Like. Before we went to sleep."

Sanji freezes. "Oh. Yeah. Sorry. I hope I didn't hurt you."

"What? No, no. No. You didn't hurt me. I was just... making sure that it was real."

"Of course it was real. You wanted that too, didn't you? If you didn't, I would've stopped. I really hope I didn't push you into it." Sanji blurts out, focusing back on his cooking. Sora leans her head on his shoulder, keeping quiet.

"Yeah. I wanted it," you say immediately. He nods and keeps his eyes on the pan.

"Good. I did too." He adds silently. The two of you sit in an awkward silence. Your fingers draw patterns on his kitchen counter. Your eyes glare at Sora, hoping she'll cry and end this awkwardness.

She doesn't. She stays silent and glares back at you.

"What time do you want me to leave?" You ask suddenly, cutting through the silence. The mood drops too.

Sanji freezes in his spot. Smoke rises from the pan. "Oh. Didn't think about that. Do you need to?" He responds, still looking down. "I don't really want you to go."

"Then I'll stay."

The awkwardness comes back for a minute, so you force yourself to make small talk. "How come you haven't been smoking that much recently?"

Sanji pats Sora's head. "I've been trying to cut back when I'm around her so she doesn't inhale anything harmful. I do still smoke when at work or at night, though." He sighs. "Bad habit."

You shrug. "Makes sense. I'm glad you're considering her, though."

He comes over to the table with two dishes of French toast being held skillfully in one hand while Sora's held in the other. A dirty thought fills your mind for a second, but you push it away.

He places one plate down in front of you, and the other in front of the seat right next to you. He sits to your left and shifts Sora into his left arm. She whines and reaches for you, making Sanji laugh a bit. "She really does like you."

"What about you?" You tease with a grin, half joking, half hoping for an actual answer.

"Like father like daughter." He comments with a laugh. "But I like you in a different way."

Sanji leans over and wavers, pulls back, then inches over once more. You want to grab his tie and pull him towards you. But he acts first.

He lays a quick, soft kiss on your lips. He pulls back slowly, his eye searching yours. Then, he faces his food and quickly takes a bite.

"Sanji?" You watch him as he swallows.

Sanji clears his throat. "Yeah?"

"What are we now?"

"Y/N... my dear..." he sighs. "I want to be with you. Like, really badly. That kiss last night, it wasn't nothing."

You let out a small laugh as you poke at your food. "Definitely wasn't."

You can see his eye beaming when he glances at you. Then, it dims back down. You take a bite of your French toast.

Sanji holds Sora closer to him. She grasps his dress shirt. It's now that you realize you're still wearing the same clothes you wore yesterday while he's wearing a different suit, like usual.

"It's different with you," Sanji starts to say, quiet. "Sora's here. She'll remember you. She won't remember her mother." He holds Sora's little hand in his own. She doesn't understand what's happening, but it's precious anyway. "I don't want to put such little faith in a woman. But I'm doing it anyway. This was never me."

He looks towards you with sadness and desperation clear in his face. You can tell he wants this so badly, he wants a mother figure to his daughter, he wants a lover, he wants to be himself again.

"Sanji, I'm here. I'll always be here. I don't need to move in, we don't need to get engaged or married or be together 24/7. But I won't leave."

You put your hand over his and Sora's. A warm smile forms on his face, the same way it does whenever he comes home from work and sees his daughter. And you.

"I believe you. Thank you," he responds. He admires you for a bit longer before he returns to enjoying his breakfast. You go back to eating as well.

"Hey! It's Sora's first Christmas Day, right?" You realize, turning towards him with eyes bright with excitement. "Did you get her anything?"

Sanji grins. "Oh yeah! I totally forgot about that. Of course I got her something! I got her plenty of things. Right Sora~?" He pokes his daughter's stomach, making her laugh and squirm in his arm. "Oh, you're just the cutest. Yeah, you got plenty of gifts~!" He looks towards you. "I got you something too, my dear."

Your smile falls in an instant. Out of everything you worried about yesterday, one thing you forgot was the fact that it was a holiday. You didn't get Sanji nor Sora a Christmas gift.

"Oh- Sanji... you didn't- you didn't have to get me anything." You stutter with a nervous smile.

He flashes you a grin. "Of course I did! Why wouldn't I get you anything? Especially after what happened last night."

You sigh and mumble out "oh fuck...". There's no way that you can hide the fact that you didn't get any gifts.

Sanji is able to detect your nerves, despite being completely oblivious before. "You okay?"

"Sanji, I'm so sorry. I was really nervous coming up to today that I just totally forgot that I should've gotten you a gift."

"Don't worry about that," he says with a smile. "Last night was a gift in its own way. I'm not complaining at all. I'm not used to gifts anyway. Maybe, I'll say though, you owe me for Valentine's Day~?"

You're too taken aback to even speak. Valentine's Day? Wow. You begin to do the math...

Six days left of December. 31 days of January. Then 13 days of February until Valentine's Day... how many is that? Exactly 50. Not bad. You can wait that long.

"Wait, what about New Year's?" You ask at the realization. "Am I gonna see you then?"

He shakes his head. "Sorry, can't. I'm working late and I have an early morning. And I already asked Zeff if I can bring Sora to work those days. I don't want to miss my daughter on the New Year."

"I get it, I get it." You respond, being honest but still a little disappointed. "I'll still see you between the days. It's not like I'm not seeing you until Valentine's."

"Yeah, right." Sanji agrees. "I can't imagine waiting that long to see you. And neither can Sora."

He hands you the baby and you gratefully take her. He takes both plates from the table and places them in the sink.

"Can I kiss you again?"

You hear his voice say that as you play with Sora. You look up at him and see his vulnerable eye. He doesn't want to hurt you. He doesn't want to hurt himself either, or his daughter.

"Yeah. Of course."

He's hesitant as he inches closer. His look searches your face, and you do the same. Then, he lays his lips on yours. He keeps it there for a bit, enjoying the feeling and your presence. Sora stays between you, holding your shirt with her little hand and confused by what's going on. But, like you and her father, she accepts it. She leans into the embrace between the two of you.

It feels like a family embrace.

His lips pull away from yours. He searches your face once more, with a vulnerability that makes you want to squeeze him tight. But he does it first.

He bends down and takes you and his daughter into a tight hug. His head rests on your shoulder, his face buried in your neck. You can feel his heavy, anxious breathing against your skin, and the way his hands grasp at your back.

You hug him back with your one free arm, gripping him tightly too. "I'm not gonna go anywhere," you whisper to him. "I promise I'm going to stay here, for you and Sora."

"I'm always being abandoned. I don't want this life for Sora, but I'd be lying if I said it wouldn't break me if you abandoned me too."

You let out a sigh. This is just heartbreaking. "I know. We always want to give our children a better life, the life we wished we could've had. But we can't control everything." Your hand moves up and seeps into his hair. "We can't control everything," you repeat, telling that to yourself too. It was hard not to get angry at how Sanji was treated in his past. "But we try to help them through it."

He pulls away from you and keeps one hand on Sora's back. "Yeah." He runs a hand over his face and up into his hair, grasping at it. "She'll know I'm here for her."

"Why don't we go to the living room so you can give Sora her gifts? I'm sure seeing her happy would make you feel better."

He gives you that smile again. "Sounds good. C'mon." He takes Sora from you and leads you to his clean living room. You remember the first time you were inside his house, when it was filled with toys everywhere.

You didn't even notice it was clean when you came in here last night. The idea of being alone with him must've consumed your mind and clouded your vision.

He must've cleaned it before you came over yesterday. There's a toy chest against the wall, along with a basket of more toys, and multiple basket drawers filled with even more toys. Damn.

You sit on the couch and watch as Sanji bends to lift some wrapped presents from under the tree. Your eyes linger on him inappropriately. He really is such a handsome man. And that suit? Makes him look even better. He fills it in perfectly.

He stands up straight, holding a pile of variously sized presents in one arm while holding Sora in the other. She babbles and reaches for the presents, eager to rip the paper off each one. He does his best to hold her back, but to no avail.

Her hand grips the wrapping paper of the largest gift on the bottom of the pile. She lets out a squeal and pulls back.

"Shit, no!" Sanji cries out, and tries to pull his other arm away from her. A large piece of the wrapping paper tears off and Sora holds it successfully in her hand, like an athlete holding a trophy. The rest of the gifts fall off the pile and hit the ground with a variety of noises. Some even begin to sing lullabies from the impact.

You get up to help him and start picking up the smaller gifts that fell. He notices you and his expression grows fearful. "Oh! My dear, you don't- you don't need to do that. I got it."

"Sanji, you clearly don't got it. It's fine, let me help you. I'll carry the rest of the gifts."

"No, no. You're the guest, and a lady guest at that. Go sit back down."

Sora squeals and throws the balled up wrapping paper she ripped off at you. Or- not at you, but towards you. It was more of a toss than a throw. It lands at your feet and you pick it up.

You unravel it and find writing.

"To my dear Y/N, from Sanji ♥︎♥︎" it says. The biggest gift, for you? It's not some dollhouse the size of Sora so his daughter has another toy to play with?

Sanji notices what you're doing and quickly tries to rotate the gift so you can't see the uncovered part. You note his nerves and take your seat on the couch, setting the smaller gifts beside you. The crumpled wrapping paper remains in your hand.

Sora continues to grab at the present, but this time he's able to keep it away from her. "Sora! I have plenty of other gifts for you! Be patient!" His words are stern, but not mean.

Sora babbles and whines and waves her hands around. He sighs and finally makes his way over to you. "She's getting older and already getting fussy. Is this the start of her being a toddler?" He asks you, clearly already exhausted. You just laugh.

"The joy of parenthood, I guess." You tease. "I'll take her."

He shakes his head. "No, here. Take the present." He leans towards you with the large box so you can take it out of his hold.

You place the present on your lap and rip the paper off. You hand the garbage to Sora, who's happy to take it off your hands. Under the paper is a box labeled with an expensive designer's name. Your mouth drops at the label.

"Sanji, you- I-..." you stutter. "This is... this is too much. This must've costed you a few grand or something..."

He waves his hand like he just spends this much money on a regular basis. "You've been babysitting for free for the past five months." He pauses to remove Sora's hand from her mouth before she eats some of the paper you gave her. "I'm sure this costed less than what I would've paid you."

"Yeah, but-" you try, searching for words. "Sanji, I love babysitting Sora. She's a great kid and I love watching her play and grow. I don't even want to charge you."

"My dear." Sanji's hand falls on yours and he squeezes it. "You mean so much to me. I don't care if you charged me for the babysitting or not, I still would've gotten this for you. I hosted Christmas Eve just for you for a reason. Please, just accept the gift."

A sigh leaves your mouth. "Alright. Thank you, Sanji. It really does mean a lot to me."

You open the box. The first thing you see is a smaller box, about the size of a box of chocolates. Inside is a beautiful set of jewelry, clearly very expensive: a necklace, earrings, and a bracelet.

You fight back commenting on the amount of money he must've spent just on the jewelry alone. "Thank you, Sanji. It's so, so beautiful. I love it."

"There's more."

You remove the jewelry box and place it on the couch. Underneath it is a folded piece of clothing. You carefully lift it out and see that it's a beautiful dress in a deep blue, a color that matches the jewelry perfectly.

"You should wear it to the Baratie, next time you come. And instead of being a waiter or a cook, I'll... I'll be your date."

You place the dress back in the box and put the jewelry set in there as well. "That sounds so perfect. And is Sora going to come along, too?"

"Of course!" Sanji beams. "She'll be in a cute little dress too. I gotta treat my girls out."

"Thank you, Sanji. This is probably the best gift I've ever received. Now I feel really bad for not getting you anything."

"No, no." Sanji moves closer to you on the couch and moves the gift box off your lap and to the floor. Your thighs touch, and you're reminded of the last time your thighs touched like this — he was telling you about his ex, Sora's mother. He places Sora on his lap and holds her close to him. "Thank you my dear Y/N. You've been there for me and my daughter from the start. You've been babysitting and helping out and- and listening to me. That means the world to me and you deserve the world. So don't feel bad. You deserve this."

He moves close and places a kiss on your cheek. "Let me make you happy," he says. "Just the way you've been making me happy."

"Alright, Sanji. Thank you."

The rest of you spend the day together playing with Sora and helping her open her gifts. She received plenty of toys and was overjoyed at all of it. By the time her nap time came around, she passed right out.

You and Sanji sat on the couch together during her nap, just talking about your lives and getting to know more and more about each other.

By the time she wakes up, you say your goodbyes and leave his house with your untouched duffel bag, your gift, and plenty of leftovers from the night before that will last you for a week.

Chapter Text

It's already New Year's Eve, and you're sick. You're sick every year around this time, it sucks. People invite you to their New Year's party and you can hardly get out of bed to make yourself some tea to drink.

But hey, at least Sanji didn't invite you this year. Otherwise, you probably would've forced yourself over there just to see him, especially after what happened on Christmas.

Christmas. That has to be the only thing on your mind these past few days. His lips, his hands... you literally slept on him... you feel like a pervert thinking about it all the time, but what else are you supposed to think about? Work? Hell no. You have nothing else going on, anyway.

Okay, enough daydreaming about that.

New Year's isn't really a holiday for you, considering how sick you get and how you're never with anybody when you celebrate it. It's more like celebrity award events or sports games -- you sit at home and watch it, then talk about it after the fact while going back to your normal life.

Nobody really bothers to check on you, either. On other holidays, at least one person will text you. Not this one, though. On New Year's, you're all by yourself. And you're used to it.

So why does your heart feel so heavy today?

***

You sit on your couch, eating microwaved ramen, wearing your cozy winter pajamas, and watching the countdown to the New Year. 10 seconds.

You slurp up your ramen and listen to the cheering on the screen.

10! 9! 8!...

Fireworks boom outside your window already.

The clock ticks.

3! 2! 1! Happy New Year!

"Happy New Year," you mumble to yourself while chewing on a mouthful of noodles.

There's a pounding on your door. "What the fuck...?" You force yourself off the couch with a grunt, placing the cup of noodles on your coffee table. You peek out the window, it's... Sanji. Standing there in a pair of dark blue plaid pajamas.

You open the door. "Are you-"

He pounces on you with a kiss. A kiss that's already made your year. "Happy New Year!" He announces with the biggest smile when he pulls away. "I just remembered about New Year's kisses! Isn't that the cutest thing?" His arms snake around your waist, keeping you close to him. "You're my first ever New Year's kiss!"

You push him away. "Sanji! I'm sick! Now you'll be sick, and then Sora-"

"SICK??" He quickly pushes you further inside your house, just enough so he could close your front door. "Why are you out of bed? What have you been eating? Are you eating enough? If you needed me to cook for you, you could've asked." He glances to your living room, his eye landing on the coffee table. "Ugh, microwaveable ramen? That's not going to help you. Nothing but empty calories. Go to bed."

You can't wrap your head around anything right now. He's talking too much, your head hurts too much from the cold, and it's midnight. Still, he's dragging you to your bedroom. This... isn't exactly how you imagined Sanji taking you to your bedroom. His face is filled with so much worry.

"I'd take you to my house but if you go out in the cold, you'll get even more sick, and I can't have that. Is this why I haven't seen you on your walks this week? I bet your jacket isn't thick enough to keep you warm, I'll buy you another one. And I'll make you some hot, delicious soup, maybe some couscous chicken soup, or pastina, and then you'll feel all better, okay? It'll just take me a bit, so lay down while I cook. Or should I prepare you a hot bath?" You see some blood drip down his nose when he says that, but he's quick to wipe it away. You wonder if you should question it. "A hot bath would do you some good, I'll go do-"

"SANJI!" You yell at him before immediately rubbing your temple. "Fuck, too loud..."

He stops in his tracks and looks at you, stunned. "My dear, what's wrong? Don't talk too loud, it'll-"

"Sanji. You're gonna get sick."

"No, I won't." He tells you before opening the door to your bedroom. "I've never been sick."

"That's bullshit."

He shrugs. "It's true. Now, let me-"

"Sanji, I'm fine. Go back home and take care of Sora."

His eye widens and he looks even more worried hearing your words. "Shit! How am I supposed to watch both you and Sora tonight? I'm going to have to bring you to my house, despite the weather."

"Sanji, it's just a cold. I'll live. I just need to rest and I'll be fine, okay? I get sick every year around this time."

He looks at you, not believing your words. "I don't care about that, I'm still worried about you. You can rest at my house where I'll watch you and feed you and-"

His words start to convince you, but not so much that you're ready to head to his house. "But then I'll get Sora sick..."

"Then I'll keep you in my bedroom, okay? And that way I can wash everything once you leave and keep Sora away from you."

Your head is way too fuzzy to process his words. You're tired and you have a headache from all this talking and you're sick. You just want to climb into bed and get some sleep, who cares whose bed it is?

"I guess that can work..." you say to yourself, quietly. He grins.

"Perfect! And I'll make you a good, healthy, hot dinner that'll help your body fight this sickness." He follows you back to your front door and helps you put on your coat. "Yeah, this coat isn't thick enough for this cold. You need a different one. I'll buy it for you."

"Thank you, Sanji, but it works just fine. I'll live. Don't spend any more money on me."

Sanji leans over and zips the jacket for you. You get flustered as he does so, with him being so close to you. God, you want to kiss him again.

Then, he leaves you and moves about your house, turning off all the lights and the tv, and taking the ramen cup with him.

"Sanji, you don't need to bring that. Just put it in the fridge, I'll eat it tomorrow," you tell him as he comes back to your side.

"I'll eat it, don't worry," is his response as he takes your hand and opens your front door.

"That's stupid, you'll get sick. Just put it in the fridge," you say again, frustrated, pulling him towards the kitchen.

"No, I insist, my dear. I'll eat the rest of it. It's not good for you," he responds, equally frustrated. "Now come on, you need to get into bed."

"Then why are you eating it?"

"I'm not gonna waste it, whether it's nutritious or not."

You accept his response and shrug it off. "Alright. Take me to your house then, Prince Charming."

He swoons at your teasing. "Anything for my princess~!"

The time starts to get to you, your eyelids start to falter and droop. Sanji's quick to rush to your side.

"My dear! I'm so sorry, I forgot what time it was. I'll bring you to my house, c'mon." He grabs your keys off the hook and grabs your hand. You just stand and follow, lovesick and... yeah, actually sick. You are so out of it. Of course you're gonna let this man take complete care of you.

You cling to him as he locks your door. You cling to him as he walks you down the sidewalk to his house. You cling to him as he opens his own door. And of course, with the exception of one hand holding the ramen cup, he clings to you too. His hand went from grasping yours to going around your waist.

Your brain may be fuzzy, but one thing is clear: Sanji. Sanji, Sanji, Sanji. You know you have a stupid, lovesick grin on your face as he brings you to his bed. But you don't care, he has the same grin on his face.

"Thank you," you whisper to him, stumbling a bit as you walk from how much your head hurts. He quickly places the ramen cup down on a nearby table and he tightens his grip around you, keeping you from falling. Now, both his hands are holding onto your waist.

"Careful! Don't want you falling."

Listening to his words and still out of it, you put your head against his chest. "Okay. Protect me."

Sanji gulps hearing your words, his grip weakening a bit. But, he regains his composure and wraps his arms around your waist. "Of course I will," he declares. "We're gonna go to my room."

"Sounds good." You still cling onto him as he leads you into his room. It's now you realize that you've never been in his room. You've been in every other room in his house, but never his bedroom. And of course, you're flustered.

His room and nice and neat, the only place in his house without a baby toy anywhere in sight. It smells like a mix between flowers and cigarettes; a strange scent, but one that makes sense for Sanji. On his nightstand is an ashtray beside a framed photo of newborn Sora.

His bed is simple — dark blue sheets, a black comforter, and white pillows. It's made, too, something you don't expect for a stressed-out single father.

"Sanji, where are you sleeping tonight?" You ask him, a bit dazed.

"In the bed with you, if you don't mind~," he responds with a grin. But then, he hesitates. "Only if you want. Don't let me force you. I can sleep on the couch."

"You can sleep with me," you answer, sitting on the edge of his bed. "I don't want to kick you out of your own bed. I'd rather go home than do that to you."

He quickly shakes his head. "Nonono, anything but you going home. It's not a good idea for you to be back out in the cold."

You give him a smirk. "I guess you're sleeping with me in the bed, then."

"Gladly. Let me check on Sora, and I'll be right back to take care of you~."

"Sounds good."

Sanji leaves you in his bedroom to go care for his daughter. You tuck yourself under the blanket. It's a nice, heavy blanket, makes you feel nice and warm. So nice and warm. You can't keep your eyes open, not in a bed this comfortable.

You fight your eyelids, wanting to see Sanji again before you go to sleep, but it's a losing battle. They continue to close, despite your best wishes. And you fall asleep before he comes back.

***

You wake up pretty early the next morning, around 4 a.m., thanks to Sora's cries. You turn over in bed to see Sanji, curled up in a fetal position and sleeping nice and soundly. His hair is messy, blonde strands falling over his face. He looks so peaceful. Sora didn't wake him up. Still, you're sick, you don't want to handle the baby, it wouldn't be a good idea.

You nudge Sanji awake. It sucks, he looks so cute right now, but Sora's more important than you admiring him. He mumbles something under his breath and opens his eyes. "Mmm... morning. Happy New Year, my dear..." he mutters.

"Happy New Year to you too, but Sora's crying."

He sighs. "Yeah, yeah. I'll go handle her." With that, he gets up out of bed. Not before giving you a kiss on the cheek, though.

You watch Sanji as he leaves the bedroom. It's funny, but this morning feels so uncanny. You and your husband wake up to your infant daughter crying. You're too tired to get up and comfort her, so instead you wake up your loving husband to ask him to do it. Both of you are tired after spending the holiday together yesterday.

But he's not your husband. He's your neighbor and the guy you babysit for that you happened to kiss a few times. There's no label on your relationship.

Still, he feels like family. He's the first person to contact you on New Year's, even if it was just for a kiss. You haven't thought about this day as a holiday for years, but now someone has spent it with you, someone important to you, and you can't lose sight of that. It feels like a holiday again, like back when you were a kid and you still had a cold, but at least your family included you in the day.

Sanji thought about you enough to run outside in his pajamas and kiss you at midnight, leaving Sora alone. He cared about you enough to worry about you when he found out you were sick, putting everything else aside. He loved you enough to take you to his home and have you sleep in his bed just so he could take care of you.

For once, you notice, these aren't daydreams about something more than what you already have with him. No, instead you crave it. A family with Sanji and Sora wouldn't just be nice, it would be perfect. The perfect thing worth all those years of never having another partner, yet longing for more. You would get married to Sanji, have our family and friends attend. You won't be behind them when it came to relationships anymore.

You'd meet more people that see important to Sanji, more than just Zeff and Reiju. You would help raise Sora, especially since you work from home. It's easier that way. He'll be at the Baratie during the day, you'll be at home taking care of Sora. Once he comes home, your family will be all together. You'd sit around the dinner table and talk about your day, then Sanji would talk about his, and when Sora's old enough, she'd talk about hers, too.

But you know you can't have that, at least not for another few years. No, now you have to just accept occasionally staying at Sanji's home for the night, sleeping in his arms, maybe getting a kiss here and there, but you'll always be an outsider. You told him that it was okay that it'll take a while before truly going far with this relationship, and you so desperately want it to be okay, but now it haunts you. You want more. But you know you shouldn't tell him that. Then he might feel as if he's failed.

"She's back to sleep," Sanji says, his voice releasing you from the prison that is your mind. "Can I hold you? Am I allowed to do that?"

You give him a soft smile. You hope that he can't read your face. "Yeah, c'mere."

He takes you into his grasp, his hold on you firm yet comfortable. "I wanted to hold you last night too, but I wasn't sure if you were comfortable with that, especially since you were already sleeping. I didn't want to wake you. Are you feeling a bit better today?"

"Kind of. But I'm still- yawn - exhausted."

"Right, it's too early in the morning for you to be up. I wasn't able to make you dinner last night, but I'll make up for it with breakfast."

"What about your job?" You ask, snuggling your face into his neck. "I thought you worked today."

His hand sinks into your hair, his fingers curled up and grasping it. "I texted the old man that I wouldn't be in today because a certain lady is sick and needs care."

You feel yourself dozing off, comfortable in his grasp. "Cool. Thank you."

His free hand runs down your back. "'Course. Anything for you. Now get some sleep. Only 4 hours isn't healthy."

Your lips graze Sanji's neck before you close your eyes. "You get some sleep too," you mumble, your words barely escaping your mouth. And you're asleep again before he can respond, entangled and safe in his arms.

***

When you wake up again, Sanji's gone. You can tell that he's in the kitchen, though, based on the delicious smell that's wafting through the house. You push yourself up out of his bed and towards the kitchen.

It reminds you of the morning after that night you were babysitting Sora and Sanji ended up sleeping over on the couch. He's cooking breakfast and holding Sora in his arms, trying to teach her how to cook. You can't help but notice that he's already wearing a suit, and it makes you wonder if he got dressed in the room with you while you were sleeping.

You stand feet away from the two, keeping your sickness away. But still, you listen in and admire.

"Look at this, Sora. What fruit is this?" Sanji coos, smiling expectedly at his girl. She responds with a babble. "So close! This is an orange. Can you say orange, mon cherie?"

"Oooo!" Sora attempts. Sanji chuckles while he cuts the orange.

"There you go! It has citrus, it's good for helping colds. Okay, what about this?" He raises a blueberry up to her.

"Buh!"

"Yeah! It's a blueberry! It's also good for colds. This is all for Y/N-dear, because she's sick, which is why you can't see her." Sora pouts and tugs at his shirt. "I know, it's so sad. I'd be sad too if I couldn't see her. Okay, now we're gonna heat up the tea, alright? All while the eggs and turkey bacon cook."

"Morning," you say from his hallway. Sanji jumps and turns to you with a frown. "What? I just wanted to watch the two cuties together."

"Go back to bed, my dear. You're supposed to be resting."

"I know, I know, but can't I watch you and Sora cook together?"

Sora squeals and reaches towards you, almost falling out of Sanji's arms.

"Woah! Okay, my dear, I appreciate it, but you need to go back into bed," Sanji insists, grasping Sora closer to himself. "It's gonna be a breakfast in bed."

"Okay, okay, I'll go," you say with a sigh, raising your hands in defeat.

"Good. I'll be in there soon," Sanji calls after you as you head back to the bedroom.

You plop yourself down onto the bed and pull the blankets back up over yourself. You feel yourself sink into the mattress, under the coverage of the thick blanket. But you miss Sanji's warmth this time.

Each minute feels like hours while you wait for Sanji to come back to you. Not because you're hungry - which you are - but because you wish you can sit in his bed and just talk about anything. And if you weren't sick, Sora could sit with you guys.

"Alright, my dear. Here it is!" Sanji announces as he comes into the room ten minutes later, carrying a tray of food. "You have warm chamomile tea to help your throat, a bowl of fruits so you'll get your vitamins, and some eggs and turkey bacon for protein."

"Thanks," you say as he places the tray over your legs. "Where's Sora?"

"In her playpen, playing with her cooking toys. She'll be—" Suddenly, a baby's sobs echo through the house. Sanji lets out a sigh. "Guess not."

"I'm sorry, Sanji. I'm such a bother right now, I should really go home. I can't keep you from your daughter."

"No, please don't go. I can take care of both of you, I want to take care of you. Just eat while I handle her, okay?"

It's too easy to give into him. "Alright. I'll stay."

He leaves you in his bedroom so he can calm Sora. Meanwhile, you indulge in his breakfast. Like always, it's delicious.

Sanji comes back to stand in the doorway of his bedroom, holding Sora up. Her face is red from crying, and she's sniffling while gripping onto his dress shirt. "See, mon cherie? There's Y/N-dear. She's still here. She's eating the breakfast we made together."

Sora responds with a cry and pushes her tiny little hands against Sanji's chest. "You want her to hold you that badly?" He asks, a frown on his face. "You don't like daddy holding you? I can't give you over to her, then you'll get sick."

It's incredibly difficult not to feel awkward right now. Having these two watch you, having a baby cry over not being able to go near you, it makes you feel like you're some sort of exhibit at a museum. Taking awkward sips from your tea, you stare past them and wonder why you're even here.

Right, because Sanji wanted to bring you here to take care of you. But, more importantly, he needs to take care of his daughter. And you're causing problems for that. If you were Sora's mother, it wouldn't be a problem. You'd still keep your distance from her, but the exposure to the cold would probably be good for her. But you're not her mother and you're not his wife. There's no point in you being here right now.

You move the now-empty tray aside on his bed and sit up. "Sanji, thank you so much for the delicious breakfast. I have some work to get done today, so..." your eyes leave his and instead you look to the wall. Why is this so hard to say? "I, uh... I gotta go."

Sanji looks at you with a small frown, a frown that makes the atmosphere even more awkward than it was when Sora was crying over you. A good sob from her would break the awkwardness, but it seems like she's still not in tune with breaking the ice. She just sits comfortably in her father's arms, sniffling and sucking her thumb. Now you're thinking you shouldn't have even opened your damn mouth. Fuck!

Then, like a cold drink of water on a hot day, he sighs, breaking the awkwardness. Well, not really.

"You're right, my dear. I'm in over my head. I can't take care of both of you. Crap, I didn't even think about how you felt about this. I basically kidnapped you last night, didn't I?" He asks with an awkward chuckle. Okay, so the awkwardness is still there.

"No, no no no, don't think of it like that. I wanted to come over last night, and I liked sleeping with you," you pause for a moment when you hear your words. You didn't sleep with him. Dumbass. That would mean sex. You just slept in the same bed with him in his arms. Luckily, he doesn't question it. "I just don't want to get in the way of you and Sora." You smile at him to ease his worries. "I'm an adult woman, I can handle myself. Like I said, I get sick every year around this time."

Sanji hesitates before giving you a great, big, cute smile. "You're right, you're stronger than I give you credit for. That's on me, sweets. I'll take care of Sora, then."

"Oh? Did I unlock a new nickname?" You ask with a teasing grin. Sanji nods his head with a chuckle.

"I figured it fits you. And it'll be a nickname just for you."

"Are you telling me you've called other women 'my dear'?" You flirt, slowly getting out from under the covers. "I'm offended~..."

He rubs the back of his neck, giving you a guilty smile. "You caught me. But I treat you kinder than I do any lady. And I haven't kissed anyone in a while... or spent the night with anyone, either. Not in over a year and a half." He looks at Sora, into her big doe eyes. "Agh, isn't she the cutest? I adore her."

"She is the cutest. Just like her father. He's pretty cute, too. And handsome."

Sanji backs out of the doorway, flustered. "A-alright, sweets. Let's not forget how beautiful you are. And sweet and kind." He looks at Sora again, then back at you. "You should be on your way. Let me know if you need anything, though, okay? Anything at all."

"I will, don't worry," you respond as you leave his bedroom, keeping a safe distance from him and Sora. You take your jacket and your keys from his entry.

"Especially if you're hungry! Sora and I would love to cook you some lunch or dinner. Isn't that right, mon cherie?"

"Bah!" Sora cheers.

"So no more microwaveable ramen. I can make you some home-cooked ramen, without all the sodium."

"Bah," Sora agrees.

You laugh at their banter. "Sounds good, my two favorite chefs. I'll text you when I get hungry." Your hand lingers on his doorknob. You don't want to leave just yet.

"One last thing, sweets," Sanji comments. When you turn to face him, he blows you a kiss. You catch it with a smile. "Since I can't kiss you while I hold Sora, I hope that makes do."

Any hesitancy you had immediately disappears once you catch his kiss. "It does. Bye, Sanji. Bye Sora~! I'll hold you when I'm all better, okay?" You coo. Sora squeals happily, clapping her hands when you walk out the door.

On your walk back to your house, all the doubt you had today leaves your mind. You're content with where you and Sanji are. It makes sense for both him and Sora, and for you too. Maybe you're not ready for that, either. You're both still young. For right now, you'll just enjoy the time you have with him. After all, you're clearly special to him. And you have a new nickname to prove it.