the beast and the bandit

Aspire To Be...

He lets him come in, the familiar walls and items all there, welcoming them. They bow at the boys as they walk through the hall; Sanji can almost feel them smiling.

"You want tea?"

" Yes please,"

So Sanji gets to the kitchen, Luffy follows him.

" We should've gotten a few desserts from Usopp right,"

" I can go-"

" It's late let it be, I'll make you something,"

Sanji brings out eggs, milk, sugar whisks them all together. He makes caramel and leaves it to cool as the water for the tea boils.

Luffy watches him intently swinging his legs as he sits on one of the counters.

" Where did you learn all this?"

" Zeff taught me, he used to let me spend the night at the restaurant after the customers left, I wanted to learn how to cook, didn't just want the food be sent or made by the items in the house. I like cooking..."

" How do you wait for the things to cook, it's so boring,"

Sanji chuckles,

" Impatient aren't you, you learn to give them time. To mature and bubble. Reaching their perfect form when it's the most delicious,"

He says popping the little pots in the oven, then closing its door.

" This place is so huge! I don't think I've seen every room yet,"

" Maybe I'll show you around while these cook,"

Luffy jumps down, Sanji walks ahead,

" You've already seen your room, mine, the hall, the kitchen and the library"

Luffy nods.

" There's a few more spare bedrooms and some store rooms."

Sanji says pointing to some of the doors.

They go up the stairs, a few of the candles light up as they move.

" It's really dark on the left side. Have I been there?"

Luffy asks.

"No, I don't usually let anyone go there but-"

" What's in there?"

" It's nothing special, just a room, some curtains."

Luffy sprints towards the room. Sanji rolls his eyes at how predictable he is, he follows him.

Luffy gasps at the glowing rose encased in glass. It floats as if in water. It has lost almost all of its petals, only one hanging onto it for dear life.

" What is it?"
" a rose,"
" It's dying..."
"Yess,"

Luffy keeps looking between Sanji and the Flower. Trying to understand.

" It doessn't matter anymore. Whatever itss purpose was, I think, hass been fulfilled. I wass protecting it, but it wass unnecesssary."

" I don't get what you mean,"

"Let'ss jusst go and eat. Okay?"

"Okay..."

Luffy's mind trails off, even when they sit to eat he thinks, brows knitted together.

"That flower,"

Sanji starts and Luffy snaps out of his thoughts to look at him.

" It signifiess a dream I wanted to fulfil and the lasst petal will fall tomorrow, which means I've failed,"

Luffy stares at him with a spoon in his mouth, he takes it out with a pop,

" Giving up is not allowed!"

"I've not given up okay,"

" You've not tried hard enough then,"

"I have, everytime I've knocked on an opportunity the door hass sslamed in my face, I'm tired. But I've never sstopped trying,"

"Then break the door. If you can't then I'll break it for you!"

Sanji smiles, Luffy's gotten out of his seat as if on a mission already. It's blasphemous to mention anything is impossible to him.

"Tomorrow,"

"What's tomorrow Sanji?"

Luffy asks sitting down again.

" It'ss my birthday"

Luffy grins,

" I can't wait for tomorrow then,"

The beds are made in their respective rooms yet Luffy follows Sanji to his.

" You don't like ssleeping alone do you? Are you sscared?"

"I'm not scared of anything!"

There's a pause, Luffy plays with his fingers and replies

"I'm not scared, but I don't like sleeping alone,"

" You can ssleep here with me,"

"You're the best,"

Luffy says hopping on the bed belly first and the bed dips under his weight. He scoots over to give sanji space who lies down beside him.

Luffy almost immediately knocks out, softly snoring and Sanji stares at him, confused. Not a thought or worry in Luffy's face.