[Well, he's already getting comfortable now. This was the plan, after all, and thought Sanji knows he won't sleep well, at least it's better than holing up near the kitchen.]
Well... wake me if you get bored.
[Closing his eyes after resting his head on the end of the couch.]
At any rate, he's definitely late. Yet when he enters, he doesn't necessarily provide a chipper greeting. Rather, he's quiet as he moves to set the table. Rather plainly. No candles.
. . . .
And then as he leans against the counter, watching Sanji cook, he sighs.]
I need you to tell me I'm a terrible person. And maybe punch me later.
[Nevermind that if Sanji looks closely - he seems to be starting to develop a bruise on his jaw.]
The damage is only that Jae-ha seems to be sporting that bruise - and lacks any joy in telling this story. There isn't even a flicker of his usual amusement.]
... dear Cardia asked me if I'd slipped a love potion into anything she'd had. I did with a few other people in the castle, so it was a warranted question. We have plenty of partners who've grown closer but seem to be bad at admitting it.
[rng shared jae-ha's ships apparently
but also]
... but I didn't give her one. I accidentally spilled one on Fane, who told her what love was like.
Apparently she needed to know because - those are the feelings that she has toward me.
[... It probably says a lot that Sanji does not get angry in Cardia's favor as one would expect. No, his expression softens into sympathy and... understanding.
Because he's... been there...]
Skipping over that putting love potions into people's shit is manipulative and you're lucky I don't break your neck for that.
[Sighing]
Honestly, your biggest crime is you're too damn nice to everyone and this is what happens. Poor Cardia-chan... I assume she didn't take it well.
[Love potions are fun for the whole family - and only last a few hours, so Jae-ha isn't going to consider it to be a big deal.]
.... she didn't. The punch came before, actually, because she was angry about the love potions. [ . . . ] You know, she'll really make someone happy someday?
[There's fondness there that he doesn't care to hide. He adores Cardia, which makes it all the more painful to know that he hurt her. But he can only imagine that what she's feeling is a million times worse.]
I don't think she ever experienced love before.... and I don't want her to think that heartbreak is all there is.
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