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The velvet texture of the building you stood in was an odd sight. Everything around you was made of the smooth, fuzzy material. You could've sworn the sign outside read, in large neon letters, 'Grand's Pastries'. The floor was a wine red and the walls matched it. The ceiling was pitch black, but the fabric that made it caused a ripple of grays on its surface. Surrounding you and Luffy were a few tables and chairs set up in an orderly fashion, each of the furniture made of night blue velvet.
“Woah! Everything looks so soft!” Luffy was enamored, drinking in the the little shop.
It was a sight to take in. There was a single window-made of glass-beside the door that your hand still held the knob of. The door was wooden and painted a rich, dark brown.
Luffy still in awe beside you, seemed to come to his senses at the sight of a display counter full of different cakes, pies, and other desserts. Except, as you were dragged behind him, the closer you got the more you suddenly began to notice that the sweet treats were also in fact made of velvet.
Oh no. If those weren’t edible, you were about to have a ballistic captain on your hands. Luffy does not take disappointment very well. And your own sweet tooth would ache knowing your hopes of a quick little treat would be spoiled.
“Hm, they look a little weird, but whatever. They smell so good!” He was all but drooling as his eyes examined every delicious looking pastry and dessert.
“Hold on Luffy,” you murmured out and peered around the counter. “We should probably find the owner first.”
There was a register, a forest green velvet, to the far right of the counter. A small, saloon style, half door split the wall and counter apart. A black chalkboard hung behind the counter and decorating it were various names and prices. There was a doorway on the back wall towards your left, but a set of black velvet curtains splayed out, blocking the view.
Luffy groaned, but ultimately agreed, and was quick to voice his opinion on the matter. “Hello!? Is anyone back there?!” He shouted and suddenly stretched his neck towards the dark curtains and then his head disappeared behind them. “Can I try some of your cakes??!”
“Luffy, you shouldn’t invade someone’s privacy like that.” You muttered, but trailed off knowing your hardheaded captain wouldn’t listen. Especially not when food was involved. Your eyes landed on a small, metal cashiers bell and reached out to ding it.
“Is anyone here-“
“Oh my! Well hello! Are you from the long-neck tribe?” A voice suddenly cut Luffy off from behind the curtain.
“Huh? Oh nah, I’m Luffy!” You chuckled a bit, knowing whoever it was had to be suprised at the sight of a just a head.
“Well, Mr. Luffy, may I kindly ask you to leave my kitchen?”
“Oh, yeah, sorry.” You could hear the sheepish grin as he began to bring himself back.
Promptly following the rubber man was an older gentleman. His silver hair was slicked back with not a single piece out of place. He wore a large white apron over what looked to be a suit, both made of velvet of course, and a monocle sat on his left eye. But the most catching feature of his was his thin mustache that was so long it curled into a spiral up cheeks. He curiously studied Luffy's body returning to normal, before glancing towards you and then smiling proudly.
“Welcome to my shop! I’m Grand, and I make pastries and other baked goods out of velvet!” He explained with his hands outstretched toward the selection of treats.
“Velvet?” Luffy questioned, tilting his head as he stared at a large 3-layered cake wrapped in yellow velvet. “But I can eat it, right?”
Grand nods, “Of course! I'm a velvet-velvet man. I can create anything out of velvet. Hard walls, soft pillows, monacles”, he cheesily winked at that, "and even delightfully, tasty treats!"
Luffy beams enthusiastically, “Great! It all looks so good, I don't know where to start." He scratched his head, thinking for a second. "Okay, we’ll just take one of everything!” There wasn’t a single bit of hesitation in his words.
You, who had been pondering what the velvet would feel like on your tongue, snapped to attention, “Luffy, we don’t have the funds for that. Nami's gonna make me get a job at the next island if I owe her anymore.”
“Well, I’m the captain and I say I want it all.” He says matter-of-factly, crossing his arms at his chest.
“Do you want to be Nami’s personal slave for the rest of the week again?”
He didn’t answer that, just pursed his lips with a glare at you before turning his head away in defeat. At the last island he and Chopper had spent way too much at a candy store; thus ending in Luffy having to be Nami’s footrest till she was satisfied. He had just about died of boredom. You think you had actually heard Nami say he complained about not being near you once, but it didn't mean anything. Luffy was just... spontaneous like that.
“Oh? Pirates are you?” The pastry chef quips up. He had moved more towards the register now, shuffling through some reciepts. “I did a bit of pirating myself in my younger days, briefly. Though, you two don’t act like pirates.” He began to mumble at the end, in hopes as to not offend you both.
Luffy didn’t care enough, “Really!? You look like you’re about as old as Raleigh, do you know him?”
If Grand took the words as offensive, he didn’t say so. “Ah, Roger’s first mate? Yes, I met him once long ago. The Roger Pirates visited here, and Roger himself couldn’t resist my baking.”
“Wow old man you’re actually really cool!” Grand laughed at Luffy’s words. “So do you know Shanks too?”
“Mhm, yes I’ve talked with him a few times now. He’s stopped here even after becoming a captain himself.” Grand reached up and adjusted his monocle, bringing himself closer to the both of you. “That hat of yours looks a lot like his.”
“Yeah, he gave it to me!” Luffy’s hand instinctively went up to his hat and he placed his palm against the top of it. With a large smile, “I’m Monkey D. Luffy, and I’m gonna be the King of the Pirates!” You didn’t miss Grand’s eyebrow raise slightly at the mention of D. Luffy’s arm then snaked towards you and wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer to him. You couldn’t help the flush that appeared on your cheeks. “And this is my crewmate, [Y/N].”
Grand’s gaze went back to you, noticing the tinge of red. He hid the growing smirk behind a grin, “Well, how about this future king. I’m closing up soon, so most of these will get tossed away if they aren’t eaten. I’ll let you have everything for 100 berries, and a promise to come back sometime.”
Luffy’s eyes turned to diamonds, “You’ve got a deal mustache man!!”
With Luffy excitedly jumping around to see all the different sweets, you catch the chef’s attention. “Thank you, sir. It’s very much appreciated. And I promise you, my captain keeps his word.”
Grand brushes you off with a flick of his wrist, “No need for that, I’m just glad to meet another man yearning to eat all of my food.” Grand moves to grab a few folded boxes from behind the counter and opens them. “What would you like to try, dear?”
There was a sound of thunder outside that caused you to turn towards the window near the front. It was beginning to look dark out. It'd probably be best to head back to the ship soon. This was meant to be a restock stop only. You look back through the glass at the assortment and land on a large pink, velvet danish with cream and red jelly falling out of the sides. “Could I have that that one?”
Grand nods and sets up a plate and napkin before grabbing the dessert. Luffy pops up behind you, leaning his head around your shoulder. The feeling of his body flushed against your back causes butterflies to erupt inside. “Ooo, that looks good. Lemme have a bite.”
“No way, you’re just gonna eat the whole thing.” You exclaim, knowing full well what a ‘bite’ meant to him.
“Nu-uh.” He says like a child. Then he rests his chin on your shoulder and looks up with large, puppy eyes. “Pleassseee, [Y/N].”
Lately, he had been doing this more with you. Begging and pleading to you when he wants something he knows the rest of the crew will turn him down on. Almost like he’s noticed the affect of it.
You have loved him for a while now. It was easy to love Luffy, with his kind and honest nature towards everyone and everything. He makes a dark room brighter just with his presence. Ever since departing Ryugu Kingdom though, you’ve begun to feel something more than just platonic. It’s gradually building as the days pass; realizing how fast your heart beat when he smiled at you, and, he was always a touchy kind of person but now your skin burned in the echo of his touch.
Surely you weren't in love with him.
You couldn't, because you knew Luffy had no interest in relationships. You'd never seen him checking anyone out, and he'd never mentioned relationships. He turned down Boa Hancock, the most beautiful woman in the world. So you'd suppress those feelings. He's your friend; your captain. Nothing more.
The chef had set the danish in front of you now, and was moving to begin packing the other pastries into red wine colored, velvet boxes. In gold letters written on the outside of each box was ‘Grand’s Pastries’.
Giving in to your captain with a light huff, for show, you then tore the danish in half. Luffy gave you a toothy grin and a quick hug from behind, “Thank you.” His half was gone before you could even lift yours up.
As Luffy went to grab at one of the red boxes Grand had finished, you turned to make conversation with the cook as you ate. The texture was fuzzy and a bit wrinkly at first, but the taste of the jelly and cream was too good to think about the unusually odd pastry. “Have you always wanted to be a pastry chef?”
Grand glanced up to you as he worked, “Yes, since I was a boy. My mother was an amazing baker, as was my grandmother before her. They each had their own bakery’s. Though, none quite as unique as mine.” He let out a reminiscent chuckle, setting a few caramel colored brown turnovers in a box.
You polished off the danish, savoring the sweetness. “That’s amazing. I’m glad you love what you do, and I’m sure they’re both so proud of you.” He gave an appreciative nod, then began to hum as he continued packing.
Reaching for the napkin, you wiped off your fingers before trailing your gaze back towards the graying sky. Another roll of thunder. “Looks like it’s gonna rain. Do you happen to know the fastest way to the port?”
Grand was packing away the last treat now, the yellow tiered cake Luffy was glued to earlier. He carefully closed the box and set it in the pile as he nodded his head, “Yes, certainly. I’ll write down the directions.” He grabbed at a pen and paper from a drawer under the register. “Hmm, it would be an utter mishap if these pastries were to be ruined.” Grand thought out loud.
At that, Luffy paused his foraging and, through stuffed cheeks, said, “Ruined?!”
“Do not fret, Mr. Luffy, I will not allow my customers to leave with such a thought.” Grand stated, thinking over ideas in his head.
There are about ten boxes—well nine now since Luffy devoured an entire batch of cream horns. How were you going to bring all these back, especially if it started raining (and if you could manage keeping Luffy away from sneaking them).
“Ah! I know,” Grand suddenly exclaimed. He then stretched his palm out and began moving his fingers in a wave motion. From his palm, a velvet burnt colored orange began to grow. You watched as the object formed, a cylinder first, then it began to grow bent spines and a loose cover around them. “And complete, my friends!”
It was a folded-in umbrella, that looked to be large enough to cover you both. Although it was made of velvet, you figured it more than likely worked to shield away from the oncoming rain.
“Wow! Is that for us?” Luffy asks, wiping away the contents of a muffin from his mouth.
“Yes! This should help to keep the goods dry, as well as yourselves.” Grand explains, then reaches the umbrella over towards you. You take it from him with a polite thank you.
“Anytime for a crew like yours. Now, best to get going soon before you’re too caught up in the storm.” Grand hands you the paper with directions, going over them with you quickly. While you listened to him, Luffy managed to get 6 of the boxes stacked in one hand with the help of his arm twisting around them.
He walked over to you and, with the empty hand, reached to take the umbrella from you. “Uh, Luffy, are you sure I can’t just hold it?” You eyed the tower of food in fear of it toppling, the boxes slightly shaking back and forth.
Luffy shook his head and gave you a wide smile, “I got it, [N/N]. You take those other three and just lead the way.”
You weren’t going to fight for it anymore than that. You grabbed the last three boxes and, with the directions in hand, the two of you said your final goodbyes to Grand then walked out into the open street. Lines of shops and merchants littered the walkway, but people had cleared out much more than before when you and Luffy had first stepped inside the pastry shop.
“That was really nice of him.” You comment as the two of you begin walking, taking a right down a green bricked path. Luffy pops open the umbrella and holds it up, his arm stretching far enough to cover the boxes he held and he looked to make sure it covered you as well. “Just in time,” you give him a smile as the clouds overhead begin to release a light drizzle.
“Yeah, he was really cool. I can’t believe he knows Shanks too.” Luffy let out a light hearted laugh, “Crazy, huh?”
The two of you carried on, pointing out the interesting things that caught your eyes as you passed by the endless stream of shops. Luffy had a way of making conversation easy; it was another one of the many things about him that you liked.
The town was colorful and bright despite the overcast, each building a different shade of blue, yellow, and pink. You can’t help but notice how very touristy looking it is, with the multiple bars, restaurants,and shops catered for ships full of people looking to grab a quick bite or drink.
Luffy was continuously inching himself closer to you as you both walked. Close enough so that his arm that’s holding the umbrella is beginning to bump into yours every so often. The orange velvet itself is large enough that we could stand about an arms length away, but Luffy always prefers being close to others. Personal space wasn’t exactly in his vocabulary. And you had to admit to yourself, you enjoyed the promixity. The warmth of him beside you; the graze of his arm against yours.
“Chopper’s gonna love these,” Luffy says, as you curiously eye a giant magenta colored statue of a woman sitting on the back of an elk.
“Yeah, I wonder how he’ll react to the texture. What did you think of it?” You tilt your head towards him watching as he immediately begins to reply. “Besides that they tasted really good.” You quickly add on with a small snicker.
He thinks for a moment. Water splashes on your leg as he intentionally stomps his sandals into a puddle. “It does kinda tickle,” Luffy stops himself and gives you a cheeky smirk before continuing, “but they tasted really good.”
The rain was starting to pick up now; the sprinkles turning into bigger drops that made heavy ‘plink’ sounds against the umbrella, and then there was a sudden, large gust of wind that had the rain pelting your face. Your grip on the items in your hands loosened with the surprise, and you shuffled around to steady everything before it fell. And then you gasped as the directions flew out of your fingers, "Shit!"
Luffy snaps to attention with your yell and, before thinking, he streches out his arm and grabs the paper. In doing so, he dropped the umbrella and you watch in bewilderment as it flies towards the statue. It smacks against the elk's antlers, and the velvet discontorts as the tips rip through the fabric. "Luffy the umbrella!"
"Oh crap, the food!" He's panicking now as the rain drenches the both of you, but his eyes were latched to the boxes in his arm. You search around for the closest shelter and land on a small train stop area.
You point towards it and yell, "There! Go, go!" Luffy and you run, and he extends his arms towards the covered stop. It's a small train stop, nothing but two long benches covered by a small roof. A single pole and sign with a train on it stood beside the seating. You both cross the tracks and stand there for a moment, exmaining the damage. A chocolate mossue had been ruined, but the others remained intact.
Luffy then shakes his head, and water drops go flying. You giggle, “Hey, stop that.”
Drops of rain fell from your own hair and down your face, and you wipe away at your eyes before turning back to look at the, once, velvet umbrella. It's beginning to deterioate into threads, leaving orange strands hanging from the elk. You sigh and turn to look in Luffy's hands–your captain had decided the split delicacy could be eaten now and was promptly stuffing his face with a spoon that had been placed in the box. You note that it’s metal.
"Really?" You laughed and shook your head, reaching out to grab the directions he had set on one of the lavender purple benches.
He gives a closed mouth smile, "It's tasty! Want some?"
"No, I'm okay. Thank you though." You look back at the paper slip. It was completely soaked, a small tear ran down the left side now; but it was still legible enough to read it. "Hmm, according to the directions we're still several blocks away from the ship."
Luffy was sitting now and he had set the stack of red boxes on the other bench beside him. “Do you think we could make a run for it?"
You motioned to the rain still pelting around you and raised a brow, "Eh, we’d get to the Sunny looking like we went for a swim."
"I can bungee us there.” He offers too quick, excitement building in his tone. You got the feeling if you didn’t answer firmly, he’d make the decision for you both.
"Absolutely not."
He groaned and asked with a pout, "C’mon, it'd be fun. Why not?"
"Cause then the rain would hurt with how fast we’d move. And I don’t think the food would make it." You make sure to mention the sweets on purpose.
"Fine.” He says in defeat. “I guess we can just wait it out then." You move towards the purple wood and set the boxes in your hands beside the rest of the pile, then move to sit beside him.
The bench is long enough to fit you both comfortably, but Luffy intentionally leans himself towards you once you’ve settled beside him. The proximity has your heart fluttering again as his side pressed into yours. You try to focus on something else and spread the directions out on your lap to allow them to dry a bit.
Luffy’s still working on the mousse and lifts a spoonful up to bite at. Your gaze on him wasn’t missed, and he gives you a cheeky smile as he dips the spoon again before lifting it towards you. “Here. Stop worrying about your body and just try it, I know you want to. You focus on that stuff too much anyway.”
A blush rises in your cheeks and you look away from his gaze sheepishly. He knew exactly what was holding you back from eating anymore. He was good at this (sometimes). At knowing your thoughts.
Luffy made it easy to feel comfortable with yourself. Just his being beside you was like a blanket of warmth enveloping you. You lean forward and eat the dessert from his hand. The velvet outside was quick to dissolve on your taste buds, leaving a perfectly smooth, airy inside that tasted better than any of the chocolate from Cacao Island. “Mm, that is good.”
“Hehe, told you.”
You both share the rest of the mousse as he tells you about something Usopp and him had done while goofing around with one of Usopp’s inventions; a special attack that was supposed to split into three little pin needles laced with a sleeping agent. Only the plant he used was soemthing different, and ended with Usopp hallucinating a giant turtle with a tree on its back.
“And then like a big cheese wheel came flying outta the sky and landed on the crows nest. I thought it had crushed Zoro! Man I was so scared for a second!” Luffy laughed, and you laughed alongside with him.
You had both polished off the chocolate now, the box set aside. A steady quiet had built up as the two of you calmed down, catching your breaths. The rainfall was beginning to let up just a bit, the pinging on the roof above you slowing.
Luffy had moved so that he was sitting criss-crossed, and his left leg and knee bumped over your own. You studied him; the straw hat was tied around his neck so it hung behind him, his hair was still drenched and it flopped downwards, sticking around his tanned face. A small smile graced his lips, and there was tinge of red around his cheeks from the chill.
You avert your eyes else where when his own turn towards you. His grin widens having caught you staring. Then he speaks, in a soft voice, "[N/N], have you ever thought about wanting to spend the rest of your life with someone?"
The question takes you by surprise, and you try to gather just what he meant. “Like, the crew?"
"Well, yeah. I’m gonna be friends with everyone forever, but I mean in like… Like waking up to someone beside you, everyday, till you no longer can.” He explains gently, his mellow eyes catching yours. He studies you intently, waiting for your answer.
"I don’t know, really. I sorta decided to myself a while ago that relationships would be in the back of my mind. Ya know?" You add that last bit to try and get a gauge on his own thoughts. Why was he curious to know if you wanted to be in a relationship with someone?
He narrows his eyes in thought, looking away for a moment. "In a way." Now his gray eyes are fixed on you again. "But that means it will eventually make its way to the front.” He says in a matter-of-factly way.
You give him a smile and nod slightly, “I guess so.” You pry for more from him, “and what about you, Captain? Do you ever think you’ll ever be with someone in that way?” You try to pretend like you’re not holding your breath at this.
He gives you a toothy grin, and your skin heats up as his hand ghosts across your thigh. “Whenever it happens, it happens." He gives your thigh a light squeeze, a jolt going through you. Luffy’s always been feely with you, but this felt different.
Your heart is hammering in your chest, and your thoughts scramble around as you try to figure out what to focus on first. His hand gripping your skin in an area that was intentional, his admittance that he’s thought about being with someone in a romantical sense, or that he’s asking you about it.
Before you can process your thoughts anymore, Luffy abruptly jumps up, finally breaking the tensioned gaze you two had held. "Oh cool! It's still raining but the sun is shining. How does that happen?"
You look pass the train stop and watch as the suns rays shine through the darker clouds, but a light sprinkle still fell around you. You’d experienced this a few times, and it was always a beautiful sight.
Luffy grabs your arm and before you could protest, he’s pulling you behind him as he runs toward a small grassy area that was behind the benches and cover. A few trails ran through the area and a variety of floral patterns lined along the paths.
He laughs as he pulls you into the rain, his loving eyes glued to you entirely.