Written for the 2015 OP Big Bang. Many thanks to my beta reader, Septdeneuf, who patiently answered my medical questions and endured my painful medical mistakes.

When Sanji woke up, the first thing he saw was Luffy's face.

He instinctively shut his eyes but it was too late to pretend he was still knocked out. That expression of innocent fury was locked onto him now, and in his captain's simple-mindedness, it would tear into him, peel away his skin without mercy until it was spent.

Well, if he was going to be a punching bag, he could at least use a smoke. But a quick pat-down of his pockets revealed none of his usual cancer sticks. Actually, he couldn't seem to find his pockets. Did he even manage to move his arms? Shit, he really was in bad shape. And with that realization came unwilling cognizance and hell, had gravity always been that heavy on the ol' chest cavity? And by cavity, he really meant cavity, 'cause somehow his stomach felt like it was sinking into a black hole. The comforter that was laid on top of him better be nailed down or something, else it risked being sucked in as well. He could feel his legs now, oh god he could feel his legs, and they seemed to be generally parallel, which was a hell of a lot better than last time he was conscious. But god he could use a smoke.

He risked opening his eyes in order to scan the familiar infirmary and its familiar side-table, but while Chopper usually had the decency to pile his packs of King Grounds there, such decency was nowhere to be seen this time around. Double shit.

"Sanji," came that cold, low voice, and his eyes trailed back up to Luffy's face before he could stop them. The captain's eyes were wide but his face unsmiling and he was still. Inert, even, all of his usual boundless energy being bundled up deep inside, packed in and boiled and ready to punch something. Sanji ground his teeth but there was nothing there, not even smoke for him to spit out in the space between them like a barrier.

There was the sound of wood scooting against wood and somewhere behind Luffy's shoulder the clop-clopping of eager hooves: "He's awake?"

"Yeah," said Luffy, eyes unwavering, and Sanji wasn't about to lose, not to this idiot, but meeting his gaze was like looking into the sun. "We're gonna talk, okay?"

Chopper stopped at that tone of voice, suddenly aware that there was something more important that needed to be done besides pesky medical attention and things like that. His beeline towards the infirmary's bed became more like a V-line as he turned diagonally and examined his growing herbs with the diligence of a hawk with a doctorate.

Sanji's eyes flicked downwards as well, couldn't help but concede when Luffy talked like that, but he still managed a grimace in the form of a smirk. "What'd you do with her?"

Luffy didn't blink. Like a fish, maybe. Or a shark. "We beat her up."

The sound that came out of Sanji's throat could conceivably be called laughter, to anybody feeling more than charitable. "Ah, shit. I'm on a ship full of fucking barbarians."

He winced before he understood what happened, and at first he thought Luffy had really actually punched him, even in the horrid state he was in (because he would, he totally would, that idiot had no concept of fragility) but no, the captain had simply punched the wall above. His arm straight and tense above the bed, his head looming over so that Sanji couldn't help but stare at his face because even turning his neck hurt like hell. It was a miracle that Luffy didn't punch a hole straight through.

"You idiot."

"Talking about yourself?" It wasn't the time for this, it really wasn't the time, but this conversation wasn't the best thing to wake up to, he was sure. He'd rather take the punch.

"You didn't have to do that."

"Yeah, yeah." Sanji's eye lazily slid closed. Wasn't like he could move much else. "I got it."

"Dammit, listen to me – "

"L-Luffy, please – "

Time froze. The only sound was Sanji's shaky breathing, an unsteady vibrato that traveled down his torso in spasms. Luffy had pulled him up by the scruff of his shirt and this new position known as 'upright' was hell on his spine, he could tell by the weird way bone ground against bone, it was wrong, so wrong, even if it didn't exactly hurt, not yet, and he wanted to push away, but his arms only shivered like the first time he ever held a knife. All he could do was gasp for air and wasn't Luffy going to let him down already?

"...H...hey. Y-you're making your doctor cry, y'know..."

With a grunt, Luffy let go and backed up into a waiting chair as Sanji flumped back into the bed. The jolt as he bounced was enough to make him dizzy and the ceiling of the infirmary briefly fizzled and twisted until he closed his eyes and just focused on letting his lungs do their thing. Somewhere to the side, Chopper was checking IVs or whatever, pulling the comforter back over him like he was some shitty kid. And wasn't it sad? That he couldn't even shove away help and pull up the covers himself and turn his back on the world, couldn't even make one gesture of rebellion as simple as clenching his fist? What a piece of shit this body was.

"Thanks," he breathed out, and Chopper nodded before retreating, the brim of his hat low over his eyes.

From the far corner of the bed came a weak, "You almost died."

"I guess," Sanji said, closing his eyes so he couldn't see the cracks in those words, didn't have to confront the accusation or the sorrow behind it. But it was hard to ignore the sobs coming from not one, but two people in the room, muffled wails accompanied by fat tears and messy snot.

"Usopp and Nami were right there. You should've let them – "

"I had to protect them. I would die protecting anybody on this ship. You understand, right?"

"Stop! Stop talking like that! We protect each other, idiot!" Another thud. The infirmary was taking quite a beating today. "If you're facing an enemy you can't fight, you're the one who needs protecting! Got that?!"

"No, you – " Coughing hurt, it hurt so much and he couldn't even stop by himself until it felt like the walls of his throat was stripped bare through sheer force. Raising his voice had been a terrible idea. When Sanji spoke again, his voice was soft and low; not exactly the effect he wanted, but it was better than expelling a lung. "...You're in no position to lecture me, Mr. Gear-Second-Shortens-My-Lifespan-But-Who-Cares. What, you're allowed to run around risking your life? And what am I supposed to do, twiddle around and do nothing when someone's in trouble?" He did an experimental chuckle and was a little pleased that it went off with little injury. "That's not my style, captain."

Luffy was standing again, he could tell by the clatter of the chair falling over. Sanji's eyes blinked open at that sound and caught sight of Luffy's face, still a little snotty, nose still red, but the way that mouth was set in a snarl was certainly nothing to laugh at. "Don't compare that," he growled. "It's not the same."

Sanji's mouth tensed into a smirk, proud and haughty even while staring down a monster. "Yeah? What's different?"

"You die for your friends. I fight."

That last word was said with such force that it couldn't be anything but the end of the argument. And indeed, Luffy was already turning to leave. But before he opened the door, he said, "I won't forgive you until you cook me all the meat in the world."

Sanji gave himself a grim once-over as best as he could. "I don't think I'll be doing that for a while."

"Then I won't forgive you."

The slam of the infirmary door pounded on his head like a mallet and it took a while before Sanji even noticed the soft whimpering coming from under the desk.

"Sorry, Chopper. You shouldn't have to hear that."