Not afraid anymore [Sanji x OC story]

Shitty fantastic

The bitter scent of gunpowder was in the air, mingling with the metallic taste of blood. Leaning over Sanji's body, Gwen wept quietly. The weight of his pain weighed heavily on her shoulders, giving off a burning flame in the girl's heart.

They had managed to break away, to repel the Marine's attack, but the crew felt no joy. The Straw Hat Pirates huddled together, surrounding Sanji. Shadows danced across the room, the play of light and darkness revealing traces of fatigue on their faces.

"Gwen, it's not your fault what happened," Nami whispered, hugging her friend.

"If I had listened to him," Gwen said through her tears. "Everything could have turned out differently."

She leaned over Sanji's body, examining the fresh wound in the pale skin.

"The blood won't stop, we need to change the bandage," Gwen's voice was shaky, but her hands were steady and careful.

When the girl was done with the bandage, she collapsed into a chair and covered her eyes for the first time all night.

"You need to sleep," Zoro said, putting his hand on Gwen's shoulder.

"I'm going to stay here. I want to be there when he wakes up.

The Straw Hat Pirates didn't discourage her. They quietly left the room, leaving their friends alone.

Time became only a fleeting concept. Days merged with nights, the sun rose and set over the ocean. Every morning, she retired to the kitchen and prepared a batch of fresh seafood noodles so that when Sanji woke up, she could please him just a little bit.

Gwen's unwavering faith in the cook's recovery gave Gwen strength. With meticulous precision, she cleaned the wound with a mixture of fragrant herbs and applied a bandage. The girl talked to him constantly. Telling stories from her childhood, softly humming lullabies. With tenderness and steadfastness, she cherished her wounded friend.

"We'll find All Blue, Sanji, I promise. Just wake up," Gwen whispered, stroking his hand.

"What loud words," Sanji said suddenly.

At first, she thought it was the result of her sick imagination, but then the guy squeezed Gwen's hand tightly.

"Sanji!"

She would have thrown herself right into his arms, but she remembered in time about not the best quality stitches, so she held back her impulse.

"Did you make this?" Having noticed a plate with noodles on the table, the guy asked.

A mixture of hope and trepidation was reflected on the jeweler's face. Would the cook like her dish? Would the flavors harmonize? Or would it be a cacophony of mismatched flavors?

"Don't tell me you salted it to your liking," the cook said, squinting uncertainly.

"I wasn't making it for me," she assured him and helped him up to taste her experiment.

Ordinary ingredients put together went beyond their imperfections. The plate of still-warm noodles was a reminder that it wasn't perfection that determined the value of a gesture, but the intention with which it was conceived. Sanji's smile blossomed with each bite and Gwen realized she had accomplished something much greater. She had satisfied his hunger with her sincere efforts.

"Thank you, Gwen," he said embarrassed "But could you get me a glass of water?"

That's right! Water! How could she have forgotten to give him water after waking up?

Gwen corrected her mistake in a flash and Sanji blissfully exhaled.

"I feel shitty fantastic."

"Does that mean... good?" The girl frowned in incomprehension.

"It's better than just good."