I’M IN!

Nightmares | Sanji x Reader

Tags: major spoilers for sanji's past and whole cake island arc, sfw, hurt/comfort, GN but written with F!Reader in mind, no use of y/n

I Absolutely Love How You Write Sanji! The Tenderness You Give Him Is So Comforting. Could You Possibly

Sanji was no stranger to nightmares.

Unsurprisingly, many of his nightmares involved losing you. But believe it or not, those were the easier ones to get over. As soon as he woke up and saw you sleeping next to him, all of his panic and worries would dissipate.

No, the worst nightmares were the ones where his bitter memories blurred with even more horrors that his mind made up, tricking his brain until it was no longer aware of what was real and what wasn't.

He'd often dream of that solitary rock in the ocean. He'd dream that no ships passed by until his skin withered and only his bones were left to dry under the scorching sun. The hunger and thirst would feel so real that more often than not, Sanji would end up in the kitchen in the middle of the night, chugging three glasses of water and scarfing down a slice of bread before heading back to bed.

He sometimes relived being electrocuted by Enel's lightning, his whole body burnt into a crisp. In other dreams, it was Usopp and Nami who were struck, while Sanji watched helplessly, frozen by an unknown force that prevented him from reaching them.

Many times, he dreamed that he was still trapped in that dungeon, a heavy helmet locked to his head, the key nowhere to be found. He'd pull and pull, but the helmet wouldn't come off. He'd shout and shout, but no one would come and help him. Those dreams would always leave him waking up in cold sweat, grasping at the invisible iron upon his head.

Tonight, he was back on Whole Cake Island, looking down and seeing those wretched golden cuffs fastened on his wrists.

Vinsmoke Judge was there, sneering at him, "Useless—can't even do something as simple as getting married. You just needed to stand there and say ‘I do’. Was that too hard for your little brain to manage?"

His brothers were there, too. Their hard-as-steel legs finding his stomach, his back, his knees…

"Where are your little friends now?"

"Give it up, they're not coming."

"Why would they ever care about a weak coward like you?"

With a click of a button under Judge's fat thumb, the cuffs exploded and blew his hands off to bits.

Sanji woke up screaming.

He brought his hands up to his eyes, flipping them back and forth to ensure they were still there, not a scratch upon them. He clutched his precious hands to his chest, a sob threatening to escape him. His chest heaved as he struggled to fill his lungs with oxygen.

You were there in an instant.

Your hand was there, brushing his hair—damp with sweat—away from his face.

Your voice was there, gently hushing and comforting him.

"Sanji, love, breathe. It's alright. You're okay." You grabbed his face, guiding his sight to you, "Whatever it was, it wasn't real. You're okay."

You asked him to inhale with you, then exhale. His eyes slowly regained their focus.

"Tell me what's real." You'd prompt, "Your name is…"

"My name is Black Leg Sanji. I'm not a Vinsmoke. My father is Red Leg Zeff."

"That's right, honey. And where are you now?"

"I'm at the Baratie." He shifted his gaze out the window at the vast expanse of sea, the water glistening under the moonlight, "But, we're not in the East Blue. We moved this ship two years ago… to the All Blue."

He looked around again, taking in more of his surroundings, "I'm in my room—well, our room."

You nodded reassuringly, encouraging him to keep going as his breath gradually became steadier, "What else is real?"

He took your hand, thumbing the ring on your finger. Sanji's lips upturned into a soft smile—gone were all traces of the frown that marred his handsome face before—as he admired the matching ring that adorned his own finger, "You’re the one I’m married to. I proposed to you after Luffy became the Pirate King, and you said yes. I still can't believe that's real sometimes, but it is."

He placed a kiss onto your knuckles, the thin wedding band cold upon his lips, "I'm your husband."

You couldn't help but return his smile, "Yes, you are, baby."

Sanji sighed and laid his head on your chest.

You carded your fingers through his soft, golden hair as you held him close, "Feeling better now?"

"Much better." He looked up at you, "Thanks for always being here, darling."

When you first started sharing a bed, Sanji would apologize profusely whenever he unintentionally woke you up with his thrashing or screaming. You reassured him many, many times that he had nothing to be sorry about, even going so far as to reprimand him every time he apologized. But even after the apologies ceased, Sanji never failed to let you know how grateful he was that you were always there by his side.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

When Sanji shook his head, you changed your question, "Do you want to try going back to sleep?"

"Only if you do, too."

"Of course, love. Come here."

You pulled him down to lie flat on the bed, and he curled up to your side as you rearranged the covers to wrap around both of you. Sanji placed his head on your chest again, his ear resting right on top of your unwavering heartbeat.

"We need all the rest we can get." You kissed his forehead before continuing, "Luffy's arriving tomorrow, remember? I think he's picked up the rest of the crew along the way too, this time."

You booped his nose teasingly, "He definitely expects a feast, so you have a looong day of cooking ahead of you."

"Don't remind me." Sanji huffed as he snuggled closer to you, "I know the All Blue is overflowing with every kind of seafood imaginable, but with Luffy coming by so often, it won't be long until this ocean's drained."

You chuckled. He always complained, but you knew he loved it more than anything whenever the rest of the Straw Hats came to visit you two.

"Sleep, Sanji. I'll be here when you wake up."

You started humming an old North Blue lullaby you learned from Sanji long ago, back when you were still sailing on the Thousand Sunny. He told you that his mother used to sing this to him when he was little, and it was one of the only few good memories he had of his childhood. You gently stroked his hair, carrying on with your song until you felt his breathing slow.

There was never any guarantee that Sanji would remain asleep until morning. Sometimes he'd jerk awake again, but you didn't mind. You'd always be there to anchor him. To breathe with him, to hold him, to love him. You'd be there to remind him over and over that he was not alone, and that he would never be again.