It’d been a week since you joined the Straw Hats. A week since they had freed you from your captivity with hostile pirates. A week since he had first met you.

An entire week and you still hadn’t opened up to him. Every attempt at conversation was met with cold indifference. Sanji wasn’t used to this. Friendships always came easy to him. He’d mastered the art of making people feel comfortable, of drawing them out of their shells. But you? You brushed off every one of his advances with a grace that left him confused and honestly, impressed. No one has ever managed to avoid him for that long.

The more he thought about it, the more it got under his skin. He’d catch himself watching you across the deck, noticing the way you kept a quiet distance from everyone, never once making unnecessary small talk. It wasn’t shyness—it was caution. Every time you brushed past him without a word, his ego took a tiny hit.

Sanji tried not to let it get to him. Even if it hurt his feelings, he understood. Just thinking about what you could’ve gone through made his fingers turn to fists. He told himself that was the reason, that you were still guarding yourself after all the suffering. But even then, he couldn’t help but be curious.

Today, Sanji was determined to set a trap. After asking Nami, the Straw Hat you seemed to trust the most, what your favourite dessert was, he got to baking. If words weren’t enough to lure you out, surely sugar would. Nami had mentioned something about a soft spot for cinnamon rolls, so Sanji spent the afternoon in the galley mixing flour and butter. If this was what it took to get you to crack a smile or even speak to him, he’d do it.

By the time the rolls were finished, the smell of warm cinnamon and sweet crust filled the air, drifting up to the deck. He knew you’d catch the scent eventually, and that was the plan.

Finally, as Sanji was dusting flour from his hands, he noticed you cautiously peeking your head in the galley. His lips curl into a gentle smile.

“Hey, {{user}}.”