It's a balmy night where they are, so they have all stayed out on the Sunny's deck, sprawled on the lawn in various stages of blissfully passed out from their Finally back on our ship! party.
Even Sanji is slumped over on the table, dishes all neatly stacked beside him for when he can work up the energy to... opening his eyes would be a good start. But giddy exhaustion has given way to a mellow bonelessness, and he wants to enjoy it for another minute or ten before getting up.
He can still hear the laughter and song, the memory of those happy noises echoing over the black waves louder than the current orchestra of snores. He can still see all of their faces light up at the sight of his dishes, and, oh, the way Nami smiled at him when he brought --
A keening cry has him on his feet before he can think, the raw pain in it resonating through his own body, screaming danger and protect. He scans the ship for assailants, the soft shadows outside the lantern light turned to pools of waiting horrors. As he moves, he hears the hiss of bared steel, and catches the delicate fragrance of flower petals. He does not need to look to know that the other two are circling the deck, as awake and alert to the danger as he is. Whatever that danger may be.
They can't see it yet; he still doesn't know where the sound came from, and the lack of violent attacks or giant looming monsters makes him contemplate relaxing a fraction - enough to light a cigarette, at least, and - and then there is another of those cutting cries, leaving his mind blank of any thoughts.
Zoro and Robin have both stopped, looking down at something, and for a wild moment Sanji is gripped by a terrible apprehension - but their reactions don't call for despair. Zoro's eyes flash with guilty fury, and there is an infinite, calm sadness in Robin's.
It's Luffy.
Sanji takes a step forward; two. Pain steals his breath away, because now that he can see - he knows where he's heard that kind of cry before.
It's Luffy.
It's Luffy, and he's sounding like he did then, all despair and denial, shadows carving harsh lines of grief across his sleeping face, and Sanji needs him to wake up and stop hurting now, right now, so he raises a foot --
Nami is faster.
Before Sanji's kick can shatter the nightmare that is squeezing sounds like that out of Luffy, she hunches down over his tense, twitching form, and shoots Sanji a glare.
"Not like that! You idiot! Did you never have nightmares?"
Sanji recoils at the fury in her whisper; takes a step back before he realizes that burning anger it is not aimed at him. He understands only too well - the pain radiating from the deceptively slight figure on the grass makes him grit his teeth. He wants the whimpers to stop; he wants to find those responsible for those sounds and feel their bones snap under his kicks.
But if Luffy can't be woken, then what can they-- and then Nami is stroking his hair.
She has sat down, cradling Luffy's head on her knees, and Sanji's own rage stills at the sight of her gentle hand moving over sweat-damp black hair.
A soft, "Oh, I see" later, and a second hand sprouts from the grass by Nami's side, reaching up to brush tousled bangs away from Luffy's forehead.
Zoro says nothing - he simply narrows his eyes. Then he sheathes his sword and kneels, a hand on his captain's shoulder.
Sanji watches them; watches Luffy. Is it possible that he is quieting a little? That the next choked cry ends sooner than the ones before it, trailing off into a soft breath? Or...?
Chopper totters up, blinking sleepily. "Robin, what..." Then he sees Luffy; hears Luffy, and tears well up in his eyes. With a small whimper, he grabs on to a tightly fisted hand, and then wraps himself around Luffy's arm in a full-body reindeer hug.
Usopp speaks Luffy's name like a plea; crosses his legs and catches Luffy's other hand in both of his. He bends to rest his forehead against it, and this time there is no doubt - Luffy is stilling.
With Franky's arrival, it gets a bit crowded, but they make room. All in silence, all listening to Luffy's ragged breaths. Franky reaches over sprawled legs, spreading the fingers of his big hand wide on Luffy's heaving chest.
One breath, two, and they can all hear the difference when it no longer hitches on every exhalation.
"What are you waiting for?" Nami wonders, something that is almost a smile showing through her frown at Sanji.
He shakes his head, her words breaking him out of trying to will Luffy to feel his nakama's presence. She nods at him, and he slides into place beside her. He finds his hands moving almost as if by their own volition, the tips of his fingers gently brushing what could have been a bead of sweat from Luffy's cheek.
Luffy is almost entirely quiet now, the deep shadows of his face lightening. A small sound at the back of his throat drives through Sanji's heart like a paring knife -- then it is gone, drowned by the warm voice of Brook's violin, which wraps around them all.
It is a soft lullaby, filling Sanji with the image of a small flock of birds resting together, safe in the embrace of their mother tree. It is beautiful - but not even half as beautiful as Luffy's snore.
Sanji breathes, deep, and when the snore is followed by a mumbled "Meat...!", the smiles he sees around him are like a physical warmth, something coursing through him in a way not even the finest of brandies could match.
They don't speak. They just stay. All of them. Drifting off where they sit, close enough that Usopp's hair is tickling Sanji's nose and Zoro tucks Chopper under one arm. Close enough that they are like a wall - solid and warm and there, something no nightmare is going to get through.
They don't speak, but they all know what they are saying.
They are saying that nothing is going to steal any of them away again. Not tonight -- not ever.
That this is where they belong - around this shitty rubber brained idiot who is snoring fit to wake the dead.
That they wouldn't have it any other way.