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Sanji woke up with a start, panting heavily.
The phantom sensation of heavy iron weighing down on his head was still there after waking, and he swore he could still hear his brother’s snide remarks and shrill laughter echoing off the walls of his room.
He lifted his hands to his head, running his small fingers through his hair. Just to check, to be sure. To know that he wasn’t living this anymore.
Sitting there for a little while, he tried to calm down. Taking deep, shaky breaths as he pulled on his blonde locks, but it was no use.
Every time he’d close his eyes those images would return. His body wouldn’t stop trembling and he could feel his pajamas getting soaked with sweat.
He realized this wasn’t going to work.
Wrapping his blanket around him like a protective cocoon he moved off the bed, walking over to his bedroom door and opening it slowly.
The hallway laying beyond it was dark, only illuminated here and there by moonlight filtering in through the portholes.
He knew where he had to go. Third door on the left, right next to the stairs leading down to the kitchen. Zeff’s room.
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Sanji had been dealing with nightmares before, on the Orbit. Tossing and turning in his hammock, often whimpering in his sleep. The nightmares could leave him quite exhausted, but he always pushed through. Not wanting to cause a scene and risk getting kicked off the ship.
However, Zeff had noticed him one morning after a particularly rough night. Stumbling around the kitchen and nearly slicing his hand open when cutting up bell peppers for that day’s soup.
He’d been scolded, kicked in the head with the man’s peg leg, like usual. Then Zeff had sat him down on the stool next to the potatoes and asked him what was going on.
Rubbing his aching head Sanji had relented and, with a soft voice, admitted how he struggled to sleep some nights. Zeff had huffed, told Sanji that if he needed help to calm himself after nightmares he should come wake him up. After all, it wouldn’t do if he’d be walking around the kitchen sleep deprived and at risk of cutting his hands off.
Sanji had made a scene, yelling at the old man about how “he wasn’t a little baby” and “he didn’t need someone coddling him”.
But from then on, some nights, Zeff would be woken by a knock on his door. A small figure bundled in blankets waiting behind it. Looking up at him with an ocean blue, tear filled eye.
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Sanji was standing in front of that same door now, having knocked and waiting to be let in.
However, where he normally would be able to hear the approaching “tap tap tap” of Zeff’s peg leg, there was nothing but silence now.
He knocked again, biting his lip and nervously looking around while he waited. When that still didn’t prompt a response he called out. A shaky “Zeff?” being spoken, feeling infinitely small in the dark, empty hallway.
Sanji took a deep breath, pushing against the wooden door and peeking into Zeff’s room. Maybe the man was simply sleeping very deeply, not hearing Sanji’s knocking and calling.
But as Sanji walked into the room he found it deserted, the bed made and empty.
He could feel his throat closing up in panic. Tears starting to cloud his vision as his blanket slid from his grip. Zeff wasn’t here. The one person to help ground him during these moments.
Where had he gone? Had something happened while Sanji slept? Had his family tracked him down and taken Zeff, come to threaten the life Sanji built for himself?
Were they lying in wait just outside the Baratie? His brothers, just toying with him like old times before they’d strike and drag him right back to North Blue?
With his thoughts spiraling he sank down on the floor, curling up in a ball, tugging at his hair until it hurt.
He could feel his chest start heaving with sobs, though the noises sounded distant and distorted. Almost like it wasn’t him letting out those panicked, desperate sounds.
He sat there, gaze fixed on the floorboards, tears leaving dark stains on the wood.
Then he heard someone approaching.
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Patty was starting to get annoyed.
Carne and him had been sharing drinks in the kitchen, deciding to take it easy tonight while Zeff was out recruiting more cooks on the nearby island.
After all, they were long overdue for celebrating the fact they’d finally landed a job. And so they had been drinking and talking and laughing, recounting stories of old.
Up until Carne headed off to go to the bathroom. That had been quite some time ago now and Patty decided he’d been waiting long enough.
Walking up the stairs he called out. “Oi, Carne! You fallen through the loo or something?”
Immediately there was a shushing sound, coming from Zeff’s room. A room that was meant to be locked.
Patty went inside. Carne was over by the corner of the room, where squeezed between the bed and the wall there was a small figure. Wrapped up in a blanket with some strands of blonde hair peeking out.
Zeff’s brat.
“He’s catatonic. Can’t get him to listen to me at all” Carne said, trying to carefully reach out to the small boy on the floor, but pulling back once he saw him flinch at the attempt of bodily contact.
“What’s he doing in here?” Patty asked, crossing his arms as he stayed put in the door opening. Probably best if they didn’t crowd the kid.
“No clue, but he was already in here when I found him. All huddled up and whimpering on the floor. Scuttled over to this nook when he saw me.”
Carne stood up, walking over to Patty and patting him on the shoulder. “You look after him, I’m gonna get something that might help.”
“Look after him? What the hell am I supposed to do about this!?” Patty exclaimed, but Carne had already gone back down to the kitchen.
With a sigh he moved over to the kid. The little bundle pressed tight against the wall was shaking slightly.
Right, raising his voice probably wasn’t the best idea. He’d have to keep it down. “Hey, brat, what’s up? How’d you get in here?”
All he got in answer was a wide, tear-filled eye and a soft sniffle.
“Look, we’re not gonna rat you out to the owner or anything once he gets back. Lets just get you back to your own room”
At that, some tension seemed to bleed from the kids form. “The…The old geezer’s… fine?”
Patty raised a confused eyebrow at that. “As far as I know he’s just out rounding up some more chefs. We’ll need more than the four of us if we want to run this place proper.”
“So he’s going to be back? He’s really fine?” the kid asked, tears running down his cheeks, though they seemed to be from relief. His iron fisted grip on the blanket easing up as well.
“Really, there’s nothing to worry about. Was that why you’re in here? You worried about the old guy?” Patty was relieved the kid seemed to be calming down.
At that moment, Carne came back. Carrying a tray with three mugs on it.
“Didn’t expect this to be the drink we’d be finishing the night with, but here you go”. He said, while kneeling down and holding out a mug towards Sanji.
“Back when I was a kid my mother would always make me chocolate milk when I woke up in the middle of the night so I figured I could continue that tradition.” Carne said, a fond smile on his face at the memory.
And so the three of them sat, drinking the chocolate milk.
Sanji wouldn’t really explain what had happened, but Patty and Carne didn’t feel the need to press. Figuring he’d be alright now that he’d calmed down.
The kid started yawning not long after finishing his drink, as did the two men. In a bit they’d bring him back to his room and go to sleep themselves. It was late after all.
In a bit. They would.
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The next morning, Zeff returned to find the kitchen of the Baratie silent and empty.
He stormed upstairs, looking for a certain bunch of cooks he’d have to knock over the head. They should have been nearly done with breakfast now damnit.
He didn’t expect to find said cooks asleep, in his own room. The two men sprawled on the ground with the brat tucked in between, snoring softly, with a slight smile on his face.
A little while later they were rushing around the kitchen. Matching bumps on all three of their heads while Zeff shouted instructions over the noises of boiling soups and sizzling steaks.
And if a certain Den Den Mushi had taken a picture of the pile of sleeping chefs, all cozy and content… well, that was only for the old man to know.