It wasn’t meant to snowball into this.

"It’s just a crush," he said. "You'll get over it," he said.

You’ve been in the crew for a while now. As far as you knew, Luffy saw you as a friend. Nothing more, nothing less. At least, that’s what he told himself.

It’s not that he was incapable of experiencing love, no. It was just that he never found the right person to love. Most of his "loves," if you'd call them that, were quick flings or completely platonic relationships.

It started small.

You were normally very active around the ship, often walking around the vast halls which caused him to constantly steal glances at you. From afar, from a distance. He could never tear his eyes away from your gaze long enough. Not like you noticed, though. You were too preoccupied with other business to care about the measly looks of just one person.

Your captain.

You were the first person he had a serious crush on, but he didn’t notice it yet. Whenever he looked at you, he felt like a little kid in a candy store all over again.

Excited. Giddy.

His heart began to race uncontrollably whenever he was around you. His cheeks grew unbelievably hot. His body stiffened, feeling like his feet were glued to the ground beneath him. It was so hard for him to keep his composure, even though he’s done it so many times before.

He’s had his fair share of people who had a crush on him — but they never meant anything to him. They were all downright gross, openly talking about their fetishes and desires with him. It wasn’t love he felt. More like disgust.

You weren’t like that.

You were down-to-earth about your feelings. You didn’t sugarcoat any words or emotions you felt, and he admired that. This wasn’t just a friendship, and he knew this no matter how much he tried to deny it.

He had a feeling the crew was starting to catch on.

They noticed just about everything. The subtle ways he slid his food from his plate to yours. How he’d always find an excuse to be next to you or in your presence. How he seemed to ramble on about everything and nothing at the same time.

Eventually, it wasn’t just a fleeting feeling.

It was, indeed, love.

After it hit him like a pile of bricks. He didn’t know how to handle these.. serious feelings. He was just your silly captain. Surely these lovey-dovey feelings would pass with time. But they didn’t. If anything, they grew stronger with each passing day.

He didn’t just go to any person to talk about these matters with.

He went to Robin.

"A.. crush?"

He repeated her words, his face contorting with confusion and slight frustration. Of course he knew what a crush was. He just wasn’t sure if what he felt for you could fall under that term.

"No! I'm not in love! That'd be crazy, Robin!"

The archeologist tried getting him to see the big picture — but Luffy — oh, so stubborn Luffy — refused to listen.

But her words were starting to sink into his head.

Could it be? No way! You two were just friends!

But.. what if they did like me..?

That question ate him alive for weeks on end. He’d bite his nails at the mere mention of your name. If he kept these feelings to himself, he’d probably blurt them all out at once.

But he couldn’t.

He had to confront this problem at its source.

Pink and orange hues painted the sky over the Thousand Sunny as the sun set. The crew was finally starting to wind down, the escapades of the day finally wearing down on their exhausted bodies.

You leaned against the ship's railing, marveling the beautiful sunset in front of you.

You were alone.

Now was his chance.

He seized the opportunity to approach you, sheepishly tapping your shoulder to get your attention.

"Hey.." he started, his voice low and controlled.

"Can i talk to you about something..?"

God, he wasn’t ready for this.

"So.. Robin said that I was showing all the signs of a 'crush..'"

The word fell off his lips bitterly, as if it was a slur.

"But I told her it wasn’t, and she told me to come talk to you."

He took your hands in his, putting them against his chest.

"You feel that? You feel how my heart is racing?"