knots and kisses

Chapter 9

Ace stirred awake, his nose twitching as the scent of something delicious wafted through the air. Beside him, Luffy was already sitting up, his eyes half-lidded but clearly drawn by the same mouth-watering aroma.

"Smells goooOOOOdddd~~~" Luffy mumbled, rubbing his eyes as he stumbled out of the tent. Ace followed suit, stepping outside into the crisp morning air. Sanji was crouched over a small fire, his golden hair catching the sunlight as he stirred a pot with practiced ease.

"Morning, Sanji!" Luffy called out cheerfully, making his way over to the fire.

Sanji glanced up, offering a small smile that made Ace's heart skip a beat. "Morning," he replied and stirred the pot again, the steam rising in gentle curls.

Ace sauntered over, taking a seat beside Sanji. He stretched lazily, his movements deliberately slow as he let his arm brush against Sanji's shoulder. "Looks good," Ace commented.

Sanji handed Luffy a small bowl of food. Ace, however, leaned in closer, his gaze dropping to the spoon in Sanji's hand. "You gonna let me have a taste?" He asked.

The blonde hesitated for a split second. "...Sure," he said, lifting the spoon toward Ace, expecting him to take it. Ace's lips parted slightly, taking the spoon in a way that was far too deliberate to be innocent. He pulled back, his tongue darting out to lick the spoon clean, his eyes never leaving Sanji's.

Sanji blushed as he quickly looked away, focusing on the pot again. "Y⏤you could've just taken the spoon," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ace smirked, clearly pleased with the reaction he'd gotten. "You're a good cook. I wanted to savor it properly."

Sanji huffed, trying to hide his flustered expression, but the corners of his mouth twitched upward despite himself. "Thank you," he said.

Luffy, oblivious to the tension between them, slurped down the last of his food and held out his bowl. "More, please!" he said, grinning widely.

Sanji chuckled as he refilled Luffy's bowl. "You're bottomless, Luffy. How do you even fit all that in there?"

Ace watched the exchange, his smirk softening into a genuine smile. There was something about the way Sanji interacted with Luffy... patient, kind, and just a little exasperated. That made Ace's chest feel warm. He couldn't help but tease a little more.

"You know," Ace said, leaning closer to Sanji again, "if you keep cooking like this, I might never let you leave."

Sanji glanced at Ace. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

Ace shrugged, his grin turning playful. "Just saying, you're pretty marriage material."

Sanji's blush deepened, and he turned back to the pot, stirring a little more vigorously than necessary. "You're just saying that because you're hungry."

Ace chuckled. "Maaayybbbeee~" he admitted. "But that doesn't make it any less true."

The morning continued like that, with Ace's teasing remarks. As soon as the group finished breakfast and began packing up, Zoro appeared out of the tent. Hovering around Sanji, offering to help with every little task.

Ace made sure to position himself near Sanji at every opportunity and 'accidentally' bumped into him. "Whoops, sorry about that," Ace said, his voice low.

Sanji puts some distance between them. "Watch where you're going next time."

Ace grinned, clearly enjoying the effect he was having on the blonde. "I'll try, but you're kinda hard to miss, Sanji."