Chapter Text
Sanji.
That day Sanji woke up feeling a weird heat emanating from his body. It was something he had never experienced, but he dismissed it and blamed the weather for it since it was a particularly hot day. He went on with his duties as normally as possible, but he must admit the uncomfortable feeling was there all day long. Even after he took a cold shower he was left with an itch that he couldn't scratch away. He couldn't pinpoint exactly where it came from either, but he tried his best to ignore it.
Though, he did notice the silent exchange Luffy and Zoro shared at lunchtime. Both Alphas would normally do that when they were worried about him having a hormonal imbalance that could send him into a stress induced Omega state. He hated to admit it, but he loved them for how caring they were with him, still , he hated feeling different. Sanji never thought being a Sigma was a disadvantage of some sorts, but he definitely would hate to be a nuisance if he ever were to go through a sudden heat.
Not that he hadn’t experienced one before. Normally he wouldn't have problems with making his daily life, sure he would be bothered by it, and both Alpha's aboard the ship would stay as far away from him as they could, but in the end he could take care of it alone in the room that Franky made for him to go through it, but things were different when it was stress induced. He would be incapacitated, and would need care from an Alpha. Not necessarily in the sexual way, but he would need to be at least scent drunk during a whole week and share a nest with them at all times.
He had had an experience closer to it, when they took Nami to Dr. Kureha's Castle, to his dismay. He remembers how distressed he was Back in Drum Island because of Nami's state, then the avalanche, and Luffy. He had to do something to save both Luffy and Nami, so he did, but everything took a toll on him. He didn't expect to wake up feeling and smelling like a full Omega. That was new for everyone.
He had been taken pills to avoid having heats during their journey, but the abrupt hormonal change and the way it hit him full force out of nowhere, had made it impossible for him to hide it. Even though he wasn't really hiding he was a Sigma, it was a topic he didn't want to talk about. After the mess, he had to explain it, but he was glad the old hag and Chopper knew what was happening to him, so he avoided giving the details himself. But this… this felt different, he was sure it wasn't his hormones going crazy, Luffy had taken care of him right after lunch, so, why would it happen?
The memory of his Captain coming into the kitchen and scenting him right there, made him weak in the knees. It wasn’t a secret they shared intimate moments that could go even further than just the rubber boy scenting him, but they never did something like that outside the Den. Luffy rarely let his instincts take the best out of him. Sanhi noticed his scent was particularly sweet that day and he knew Luffy was affected by it, but it really surprised him when said boy overpowered every other scent inside the Kitchen with his, in a possessive gesture.
The moment Sanji saw Luffy enter the kitchen he thought he wanted more food, but instead, it took him by surprise when his Captain encaged him against the nearest counter. Their height difference didn’t matter, Luffy was towering over him.
"Luff-... What the hell!?" He exclaimed when he finally found his voice. Being so close to him made him go dizzy.
"Just stay still, Sanji." Luffy used his command on Sanji, it wasn’t really imposing but his instincts made him submit to the Prime Alpha, and he let the Captain do whatever he wanted to do with him. Then the scent hit him almost full force, but the cook noticed Luffy didn’t want to affect him with it. Instead he waited until he could touch him without making him go scent drunk, which was proving to be quite difficult to avoid.
"That's better!" Sanji heard Luffy exclaim with pride, and Sanji understood his intentions. "You want to do it… here ?" He asked. Normally the young Captain would call Sanji to the Den, but apparently he wanted to do it in the kitchen.
"Yes, here ." Luffy replied, and then he took Sanji's hands within his, massaging his wrists where his scent glands were. If the cook wasn’t affected enough, this almost made him melt, and he had to use the counter to support his body. Fuck! He cursed mentally. He never thought he would be so affected by such possessive behavior from his Captain.
" Luffy… " Sanji was afraid he would end up scent drunk. "Shitty Captain, you need to stop!" He still had some fight in him, and he did his best to ignore his instincts to submit. "You need to stop. I - I don't want to be out for the rest of the day." Luffy understood, but it was clear he wasn’t happy to leave just like that.
"Fine, I think it's enough." He said, and Sanji thought it would end right there, but the young Captain squeezed the back of his neck. Sanji felt a rush of hormones through his body, but it was quick enough, and he just felt warm and fuzzy afterwards. He didn’t know how Luffy did what he did, but it helped him calm down.
"Thank you." He whispered under his breath, almost too low that it could have been hard to hear for anyone else besides the Prime Alpha. Luffy just smiled, and let him go, telling him to ‘Get some rest.’ It wasn’t a command anymore. "Yeah, will do." he agreed, and his Captain left the kitchen with a pleased “Good!”
After whatever happened at the kitchen, the cook made a mental note to go see Chopper, so the doctor could take a look at his symptoms. He kept special care to stay hydrated, since he suspected it to be a heatstroke. He didn't want to be a burden anymore, but the day was proving to be a tedious one, and it became a stressful one when they were spotted by a Marines' ship. The ship wasn't a threat in itself, and they dealt with it quickly enough, but the marines aboard the ship must've sent a warning, and their position was surely revealed.
So Sanji forgot about his mental note, and all he could think about was that they had to be even more careful for the rest of the week. It sucked because he wasn't feeling in top condition for it. He blamed the weather for how cranky he became by the end of the day. Zoro dared to stop him when he brushed past him on his way to the bathroom, and he felt like killing him right then and there.
"You ok, cook?" He asked with that monotone voice of his. The green haired swordsman was resting casually against a wall nearby and decided to stop him grabbing him by the arm. Sanji didn't like the feeling of the strong grip on his arm at all, but he was exhausted so he decided not to fight back, which was completely against his nature.
"Yeah, kinda. Nothing to worry about, marimo." He replied, deciding it was best to let the swordsman know he didn't need any kind of assistance. He didn't want that. Not from him, at least not at that particular moment.
"Now… Let me go." He let out a low snarl in frustration, and Zoro got the cue finally letting him go. He was grateful it was night time, since the breeze had taken a shift to a lower temperature, and it felt great against his skin. It helped him calm down too.
He took a much needed scented bubble bath, and went straight to his bunk bed. It wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, but he was used to it by now, and as mentally and physically battered as he was, it felt like heaven to finally be able to get some sleep. He hoped a good rest would help his body recover from whatever it was going through. He has never been sick before, but he guessed this was the closest he would feel to being sick.
He was wrong.