One Piece x Reader

Broken Promises (Sanji x Reader)

A/N: this is an in verse AU
i cried writing this :,) sorry for the angst
key:
dialogue in quotations = past dialogue

You walk down a dusty road in a quiet neighborhood, clutching in your hand a slip of paper that has been your lifeline. Your mind is wracked with flashes of the past, of a lovely blond-haired man who had stolen your heart.

"Here, take this."

"What is it?"

"It's called a Vivre Card. I had one made for you, too. With these, we'll always be able to find each other!"

You hold the paper in the palm of your hand. It inches forward, pushed by an invisible wind. You look up. There's a small restaurant that appears to be closed, but you can see a light on somewhere inside.

"I'm going to own a restaurant so famous that it'll make it into the paper."

You raise a hand to knock on the door and rap it lightly, almost afraid of what will happen. The door opens slowly, and standing before you is the owner of the Vivre Card you hold so close to. His expression is unreadable, and you prepare for him to tell you to leave when he steps aside, allowing you entrance. Inside is a small dining area and a counter with a kitchen behind it.

Sanji leans against the door to the kitchen, his arms crossed. He takes a long drag on his cigarette before he speaks. "You're back," he says, his voice flat.

You avoid his gaze completely, instead standing near the door, fingering the slip of paper. "I'm sorry," you mumble. "I know I was wrong. I know what I said was wrong. I was angry; I was prideful."

"You're sorry," he repeats. "You know, for a while, I thought that maybe you hadn't left of your own free will. That maybe you'd been kidnapped." He shakes his head, smiling bitterly. "How wrong I was."

You swallow, not knowing what to say next.

"And when I realized that you'd left of your own accord... when I realized you weren't coming back," he continued, "I was broken. I couldn't do anything for months. I couldn't bear the thought that maybe it was my fault, that maybe I was the reason you left."

Your fists clench and unclench, knowing the feeling he's describing – even if you were the cause. The crushing guilt, the following depression, knowing that you may had very well left the last person who loved you.

"I loved you, Sanji," you whisper. "I still do. And..." you trail off, but Sanji doesn't say anything as he disposes of his cigarette and lights another, his hair falling in his face as he does so.

"Will you still have me? As a partner, as a friend... as a lover."

Sanji is silent, and you're almost expecting him not to respond when he says, "You love me. After all these years."

"If you don't believe me, I'll prove it." You cross the room, kissing Sanji on the lips. You hold it for as long as you can, and when you pull back, Sanji is looking down, his eyes shadowed by his hair.

"Is that your proof?" His voice shakes slightly, and you see a tear fall. The sight is painful, as his pain has always been to you, and you can feel yourself tearing up. When Sanji looks up and notices your tears, he barks a laugh. "Why are you crying...?"

"Because I can't bear to see you crying. And knowing I caused it..." Suddenly, you throw your arms around Sanji. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

Slowly, you feel his arms come around you, and he runs a hand through your hair, comforting you in the way he always had.

"It's alright, Y/N," he murmurs. "I forgive you."