Chapter Text
Groaning awake Sanji rubbed at his eyes.
“Mmmm, what time is it?”
He reached across to the usual spot for his hearing aids and… didn’t find them???
There was also the fact that his bed seemed to be... moving?
Looking down he appeared to be in some kind of hammock.
“Wait, what?”
Climbing down he walked over to the mirror propped up against the wall and gasped.
What the hell was he wearing?!
A lacy light blue vest top and matching polar bear shorties.
Zeff would kill him if he saw him in-.
It was then that he realised someone was watching.
He stilled, slowly moving his gaze to the far wall where a kid with a straw hat, a guy with a long nose, and a raccoon dog were staring at him.
“Uh, hi.”
“Wait, it’s a guy?!” The long nose one exclaimed.
“Who are you calling ‘it’ fuckface?!” He retorted furiously, hand at his throat to help with his pronunciation.
A tall woman entered the room.
“Oh Sanji you’re awake now too, perfect!” She smiled at him before turning to the others. “We need to have a meeting on deck once he’s ready, you can all go wait outside.”
The three of them left without anything else said; as the door closed he turned to her.
“H-how do you know my name?”
‘NAME ME N-I-C-O--R-O-B-I-N’
Wait, why was she-.
“I’m a friend and your crewmate which means I know a lot about you, like that you’re deaf but prefer to keep it a secret with people you don’t know or trust.”
Sanji’s hand quickly went to his ear forgetting that he hadn’t actually found his hearing aids yet.
“Your hearing aids were broken during a ball game on our last trip to an island, it’s long story.” She giggled. “‘Long’.”
He didn’t get the joke.
“Sorry, it’s funnier with context.” She stated before continuing. “I also know that you’d be upset if you couldn’t wear your make-up.”
His eyes widened.
“I wear… I can wear make-up?”
“Yes, and you look beautiful when you do.” She smiled softly.
The cook felt alive, rushing over to the trunk with his name on it and rummaging through.
Robin chuckled.
“Yes your wardrobe has grown considerably in the past month or so, Nami and I are always unloading our clothes on you.”
Inside were dresses, tops, tanks, shorts, skirts, heels, boots, and a wealth of jewellery; could he really just wear all of this stuff freely?
“Now come on sweetie, let’s get your make-up done.”
“Hey swordsman you up there?” Robin shouted up towards a crow’s nest.
A few seconds later a guy with green hair jumped down.
“Ahhh, there you are Zoro.”
He furrowed an eyebrow before looking around.
“Who the hell are you people?”
“Well, for a start, the cook here is your boyfriend.”
Sanji’s breath caught in his throat as he coughed and spluttered after inhaling a mouthful of smoke from his cigarette.
Half-doubled over he watched the green-haired guy scoff.
“Yeah right, I’m not bent, lady.”
“That’s strange, considering you were the one to ask Sanji out.”
What the fuck was going on?
“I’m not gay!” The swordsman tone turned almost ferocious.
“Hey, don’t shout at her!” He intervened and just got a shove for his troubles.
Catching his footing before he fell to the deck he growled with a spin as he sent a kick towards the green-haired guy’s face.
It was quickly blocked by the scabbard, the swordsman having drawn his blade without unsheathing it.
Wow, it is so much easier to fight in shorts, fuck trousers.
A punch landed heavy across his face. Thanks to the target being slightly off it mostly struck his ear which had him cursing as he was overwhelmed by a shrill piercing ringing.
Fuck me…
Thrown off-balance thanks to the loss of the tiniest amount of hearing he did have he was easily brought to his knees where, with a groan, he managed to find who had delivered the hit.
It was a ginger-haired girl who looked real pissed at him.
“W-a-a t-uh f-f-uck?”
Her eyebrow rose.
The other girl, Robin, grabbed her from behind.
“Nami, he’s wearing your t-shirt because you gave him it; I know that you probably don’t remember anything right now but I promise you that he didn’t steal anything from you.”
He’d obviously missed what she’d accused him of before the hit.
“One hit from a girl and you’re down, pathetic.” The green-haired guy smirked.
“Zoro she hit him in the-.” Robin began before he interrupted.
“You don’t know jack so I suggest you shut the fuck up.” Sanji warned, thankful that the ringing had stopped meaning he was able to give his reply without any further fumbles like before.
“Fuck you too, blondie!”
The dark-haired woman chuckled.
“You’re such an idiot.”
The swordsman turned to her with an unimpressed expression.
“What?!”
“Your hands.” Sanji voiced.
“What about ‘em?” He growled defensively.
“You signed as you spoke.” Robin pointed out.
“What?! Don’t be stupid, I don’t know sign language.”
“Try signing thank you.”
Zoro just looked pissed off.
“I told you, I don’t know sign language.”
“Interesting; so your brain doesn’t have the memories it needs to do it on command but your subconscious is still able to do it automatically.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“It helps prove my point a little about you two being a couple. You and I are the only two on the ship who can sign, the rest of the crew are at various different stages of learning.”
Sanji’s eyes widened.
“Wait… they’re learning to sign?!”
Robin smiled softly with a nod.
He felt so touched by the idea that people were willing to learn his language so he could communicate easier, so few people had ever done that for him.
“Of course, you’re nakama.”