The Heart and Soul of Monkey D. Luffy: One Piece (Luffy x OC)

Chapter 9: Dance with Me?

That afternoon, Luffy sat on the lion figurehead of the Thousand Sunny, staring out at the ocean. His mind kept replaying the conversation he had with Sanji, and his heart felt like it was being torn in half. He knew that he had strong feelings for Aria, feelings that he had never felt before... but he refused to admit it out loud. He felt like he was still trying to wrap his head around everything.

He knew that he cared deeply about her, that being around her made him feel happy and warm and fuzzy, but he wasn't ready to say that it was love. He was afraid that admitting it out loud would somehow make it real, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to deal with that. He knew that he didn't want to lose her, that he wanted to protect her and keep her close, but love? He had never felt that way before, and it scared him.

While he was lost in thought, Aria walked up the steps toward the helm of the ship, spotting Luffy on the Sunny's figurehead. She was carrying a plate of muffins in her hands. She hadn't seen Luffy since earlier that morning when she encouraged him to talk with Sanji about their heated argument over breakfast.

"Hey!" Aria shouted. "I figured you'd be up here."

Luffy spun around to see Aria at the top of the stairs. He smiled when he saw her. "Oh, hey." He said.

Aria smiled back at him. "I brought you some muffins."

Luffy smiled wider as he saw the plate of muffins she was holding. "You made me muffins?" He asked, his face lighting up.

"Yeah, I did. Well, I made some for the rest of the crew too, but mostly for you." She admitted.

Luffy's face flushed as he heard her words. "Really? You made them for me?" He asked, his heart skipping a beat.

Aria nodded. "Yeah, I did. Are you going to come down here and have some?" She said, a hint of teasing in her voice.

Luffy laughed, still blushing. "Yeah, yeah... I'm coming." He said, hopping down from the figurehead and walking closer to her.

"So how did your talk with Sanji go this morning?" She asked as he approached.

Luffy felt his heart skip a beat as she mentioned his conversation this morning with Sanji. "Uh... it was fine, I guess..." He muttered, looking away.

"So you two hashed things out? Everything's all good now?" Aria asked.

Luffy nodded, still not looking at her. "Yeah, everything's good. No big deal." He said, trying to sound casual.

"Great! I'm glad you two worked it out." Aria said cheerfully, holding the plate of muffins out to Luffy.

Luffy smiled. "Thanks." He said, his stomach growling as he caught a whiff of the muffins. He immediately grabbed one from the plate, taking a big bite, and immediately moaned at how delicious it was. "Oh, man. These are good!" He mumbled, his mouth full.

Aria smiled at the sight of Luffy enjoying the muffins she made for him— err, the crew.

Luffy practically inhaled the muffin, wolfing it down like a ravenous animal. "Oh, oh, these are really good!" He said as he reached for another one.

Aria couldn't help but laugh. She was always amused by his enormous appetite and love of food. "I'm glad you like them!" She beamed.

Luffy grinned. "Yeah, they're great! You really know how to bake!" He said, his voice muffled as he chewed. Luffy finished his second muffin and immediately grabbed a third.

Aria laughed again. "Thanks." She replied as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Luffy nodded, finishing his third muffin and grabbing a fourth. "I could eat these all day!" He said, stuffing the muffin into his mouth. Luffy swallowed and then smiled widely. "No, seriously. These are the best muffins I've ever tasted!"