#every week is sanuso week

[julissart]

Special gift to @strawberrycamel for tagging me in that video

I put everything aside to finish it, hope you like it, I had so much fun doing this 🥰

This is probably my prettiest Sanji yet and the sassiest Usopp I have done

Translation for Usopp part:

"Hit me one time, baby, one more time (tell me, tell me)

OK, I know you said it but please once more (tell me, tell me)"

My OP Fanart Masterlist here

[mintypsii]

guys i love them i promise i just have the urge to put them through the grinder sometimes

umm on the bright side here's the alternate good ending version lol!!!!!

[beanghostprincess]

Me, appearing under Oda's bed in the middle of the night: 👁️👁️ Usopp should've been in WCI

[camels-pen]

burning love

@sanusoweek Day 1 - Ice Skating / OT3

Summary:

Roses are red, Violets are nice, These guys are gay, Sanji falls through the ice.

Ao3 Link | sanuso week series | Day 2

Sanji skated a decently sized heart into the iced over lake, a tray of warm drinks in his hand as he called, “Usopp, my darling dearest beloved brightest—”

“We get it, Curly, what the fuck do you want?”

Sanji scowled. “I wasn’t talking to you, Mossy.” He looked around. “I’m looking for our angel of a boyfriend to deliver hot cocoa.”

“He’s busy.” Zoro jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. Sanji looked past him to Chopper in Horn Point, Luffy holding onto his antlers, and Usopp pulling Luffy backwards by his grip on Luffy’s waist. He had a big kissable grin on his face and oh, Sanji must’ve been struck by cupid’s arrow again because the wind blew just right through his curls and—

Zoro gripped his shoulder. “He’s busy.” 

Sanji rolled his eyes. If Luffy and Chopper couldn’t mess him up with all their loud laughter and squirming and Hurry up, Usopp! ‘s, then Sanji’s perfectly polite entrance wouldn’t do a thing.

“Thank you for your services, Mr. guard dog, but they’re no longer needed.”

“Don’t think you have the right to say that when you always look like you’re in fucking heat—”

Sanji slammed one skate into the ice, lifting the other into the air. “Be very careful with your next words.”

Zoro put a hand on his swords. “Or what? You’ll whimper?”

“DON’T YOU FUCKING—” Nami cut herself off with a shriek. “Robin, catch me! And stop them, please!”

Familiar hands grabbed his calf and thigh. He spotted two more gripping Zoro’s arms. “You’ll crack the ice if you fight,” Robin said somewhere behind Sanji. “And the shock of the cold water could make you involuntarily inhale and drown as you start to slowly lose feeling in your limbs.”

Sanji let the tension bleed from his body. “Sorry, Robin dear.” Zoro grunted his own acknowldgement and the hands disappeared.

“No, Diable either Sanji-bro,” Franky added as he skated around, Robin perched on one of his shoulders, a book between her gloved hands. “You’ll melt the ice and it’ll be a hell of a lot worse.”

He waved a hand. “Yeah, yeah, I get it.” He quickly spun around and took off. “Usopp dear! I’ve made you hot cocoa filled to the brim with all my love for you!”

Usopp a noise between a squeak and a shout and he stumbled. His arms pinwheeled, abruptly letting go of Luffy and sending him flying.

“Oh no, Luffy!” Chopper yelled. “Usopp, you said you wouldn’t send him that far!”

“Blame Sanji, not me!” he said, still wobbling back and forth with a beautiful red undertone to his dark skin. “Quick, you and boss Jinbei get after him!”

“Right!” Chopper switched to Walk Point, picked up a confused looking Jinbei by the shore and took off after Luffy.

“Shit—!” Usopp fell with a loud smack and a groan. “Zoro, you were supposed to not let Sanji distract me,” he whined.

“My bad.”

Sanji wasted no time offering a hand and pulling Usopp up. He pressed a kiss to Usopp’s forehead and the bottom of his nose, where it had bent against the ice. “I should’ve listened too, I’m sorry, love.”

Usopp grumbled, then stumbled again. “Ugh, my balance sucks,” he said, accepting the affection—and hot cocoa—with a smile. “How did you pick this up so fast?”

“I can show you.” Sanji pulled him closer by the hand, his arm finding its place at the small of his back. “Let me teach you, give you some private lessons.”

A thick arm suddenly wrapped around Usopp’s shoulders. “Hey, I’m better at skating than you, I’ll teach him.”

“Fuck off, we both know you’d just let him fall flat on his face every time.”

Zoro raised a brow.  “Well yeah, how else is he gonna learn?” 

“Goddamn mossheaded brute,”—he tugged Usopp closer to him—“I’m going to teach Usopp.”

“No, you’re just gonna coddle him.” Zoro pulled Usopp back.

“There’s a difference between coddling and not letting him get hurt, moron,” Sanji growled.

“Not with this there isn’t.”

Sanji slammed his forehead to Zoro’s. “You wanna go, you shitty piece of algae?!”

“Anytime, shit cook,” Zoro said, pushing him back.

“Hey, hey—” Usopp wiggled his way out from between them. “You don’t have to fight!”

“Yes, we do,” they said in unison.

“God, you two.” Sanji couldn’t see what he was doing, but the next thing he knew there was a trail of soft kisses from his cheek to his jaw. He closed his eyes with a hum, a pleasant flush crawling up his neck. He heard another series of kisses and felt Zoro pull away.

Usopp huffed and Sanji blinked his eyes open to look at him. “Honestly, you can both teach me,” he said, arms on his hips and a smile on his face.

Zoro turned away, his ears dusting pink. “Yeah, alright.”

Usopp turned to Sanji. A grin split Sanji’s face.

“Oh, my dearest and most beloved boyfriend, how you bless me so! I, of course, will heed your wishes. Nothing compares to such a thoughtful gift upon my person.” He twirled around a few times. His heart beat rapidly in his chest, his burning love growing hotter and hotter all throughout his body. “In exchange let me regale you with a poem: roses are red, violets are nice—”

There was a crack.

Sanji fell through the ice.

[spikeymike]

With your last Sanuso fanart where you say Zoro thinks Usopp is drunk and that's why he's getting clingy with Sanji I can't help but think about the crew actually partying and getting drunk and Sanuso being in a secret relationship but too drunk to care about who sees them now so they're extremely touchy and handsy and everyone's like "What the fuck" except Nami who just passes a few berries to Robin muttering "Fuck you, they would've come out in like a week if it hadn't been for the alcohol".

omg YES. the initial secrecy of sanuso is really where the magic is 😭 (dear god i have so many thoughts) ive been thinking about how the crew (and even usopp) might assume usopp is straight bc of kaya, but SIKE the high seas and the attention of a blonde man can really open your eyes….and i also think usopp might feel guilty about kissing boys on the ship kaya gave them so my art was initially loosely taking place on the sunny/the party after enies lobby :p like saying goodbye to the going merry gives usopp a chance to explore non-kaya love (and non-cis gender perhaps 🤫)

and i can totally see robin/nami observing and placing bets on the crew’s relationships (and ofc robin wins every time that woman has the eyes of a hawk)

[sugarbear2001]

Me liking and rebloging every sanuso week post I see

[strawberrycamel]

For the ask game🧸🏜️ 🪲 🧩 <3 <3 <3

(Writers Truth & Dare Ask Game)

🧸 what's the fastest way to become your mutual?

oh uhhhhhh probably just chatting with me- through asks, tags, comments, etc. wait no you said fastest way, uhhh-

new answer: sending me things you think i'd like/tagging me in stuff. that'd probably be fastest kdjfhgdf <- has no clue if this is correct, just pulling stuff out of their ass

🏜️ what's your favourite type of comment to receive on your work?

the ones that tell me how my fic affected them (ex. "i scared all my cats i was laughing so hard") AND the "how dare you fucking do this to me" comments are my favourites <3 (god but seriously any comment that is just yelling at me is so so good - "BERRY WHY" / "BERRY WHAT THE FUCK" / "BERRY MY FUCKING CARDIOLOGY BILL" <- these are just examples, but you get the gist)

🪲 add 50 words to your current wip and share the paragraph here

wait shit no- how could you do this to me

“I’m coming as fast as I can!” Usopp bent over, panting. “I’m taller than you, how come you’re so much faster?” Sanji laughed. “I’m not that fast, lots of kids are faster than me.”  “Yeah, well,”—Usopp puffed out his chest—“I was the fastest on my island. I won every race, even against the adults! So that makes you the super fastest.”

this was for a sanuso week wip ksjdhfgdf thanks anon (not actually mad) (did kind of need a push to write today kdjfhgdfg)

🧩 what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately?

if there are no paragraph breaks i'm outtie. it's very rare that i read more than a sentence of a fic that has no paragraph breaks in it

[missallsundaes]

Favorite ships in One Piece and why?

Frobin is my number 1 ! !! ! They are so perf together and like crew mom and dad and their dynamic together is just like (heart eyes) it's the perfect dynamic for a ship and like... when he carries her after enies lobby i just MELT i drew fanart of that scene for weeks after i watched it the first time. I just want them to kiss and cuddle and take care of all the train wrecks that the crew is. such a power couple.

SanUso.... They're so cute and like... domestic.... They have what the other needs to balance them and like... I probably reblog the most SanUso on my personal blog tbh. Also I really think that Usopp would help Sanji come to terms with his bisexuality and he would be someone who like, Sanji could open up and have a bad day with and Usopp would understand and be there for him. Both of them with low self worth on the inside but lots of confidence on the outside. . . ♥

ZoLu !! Not me crying over the "nothing happened" scene every day of my life. Like the idea of Zoro being hard around a lot of people but soft for his captain bc Luffy is his one and only and the fucking dumbass that he would go to the ends of the earth for. And the bond that Luffy has with him where he would ride or die for Zoro.. .. . perfect... Nap together..fight together..eat together.. so domestic...

Honorary Mentions: NamiVivi: They're married Lesbians. Perfect for each other. This is canon, I don't care what anyone says. Marco x Ace.. .. . himbos in love.. . .. ♥ also the aesthetics of blue and red fire is so sexy. Kokoro and Kureha LISTEN i know its a crack ship but like.... old ladies in love.......... Zoyori is so good and i really like him with Hiyori but not as much as ZoLu. I don't dislike Buggy x Shanks but its not like an otp by any means.

I also like Sanji in a couple other ships but SanUso is my fav. If I had to pair Nami with a dude it would be Usopp but imho they're best friends.

I know there are other things I ship but honestly I'm rambling at this point ? ?

[kenbunshokus]

this is a (super late) update to this fic rec post! i was planning to just keep editing and updating that post, but it’s been so old it no longer appears on tumblr search system and all, so here we are. be ready for some old school zosans in the mix

all complete

absolute favorites will be noted with a ♡

list will be updated as i find more

story count: 30 fics

last update: jan 5th 2020

CANON-VERSE

Goings On by clarify  ♡

Zoro and Sanji understand each other, and sometimes have a very similar sense of humor. Even though they're worlds ahead of most, sometimes they can't help but to act their age.

easily one of my favorites. zoro and sanji are completely in character, being themselves and comfortable in each other’s spaces. for anyone who thinks zoro and sanji can’t get along in canon, this fic can easily prove them wrong.

Part Timer by 8ball ♡♡

Sanji really, really doesn't want to give Zoro a job at his restaurant. Zoro doesn't really even want to work there in the first place, but, well, there’s this thing with Sanji, and this thing with feelings and the whole thing is pretty damn stupid all together.

Zeff just wants grandkids. He’s too old for this bullshit anyways.

a wonderful, heart-wrenching, roller coaster ride of a post-series fic. this fic is not just a mere fic — it’s a zosan magnum opus with guest appearances by so many other characters, lots of crew hijinks and a must-read for everyone who craves for a happy ending for these good boys.

Say It Again by 8ball

Zoro tells Sanji how he feels. And then again. And again. 

since we’re talking about 8ball i just want you to know i’d rec everything they’ve ever written, but special mention to say it again — a classic miscommunication trope fic done well where the miscommunication stems from fundamental misunderstanding of each other’s principles and views instead of just some plot-convenient coincidences. and soft zoro. god, he is soft.

The Wedding Night by cuethe-pulse (lj)

Zoro had never expected any of this.

major character death warning. don’t let the first few scenes fool you. note the warning; the last few lines were like a punch in the gut for me, except, you know, the good kind of punch. also, a quick rec of a drabble by the same author to soothe the pain after this one.

Roronoa Zoro: World’s Greatest Bug Killer by insaneidiot ♡

Sometimes, Zoro's life really sucks. He should've known better than to make fun of Sanji's bug phobia, though...

zoro’s internal monologue is hilarious  — until today, this author is still my go-to expert on zoro’s voice, especially his more sarcastic side.

Quitting’s Easy by insaneidiot

Sanji decides to quit smoking. This is not quite so easy as he thinks it will be. Also, his crewmates (excluding Robin and Nami, of course!) are assholes.

fun, fun strawhat hijinks and oblivious sanji. the crew dynamics and especially sanji’s voice are pitch perfect. there’s a hint of luffy/nami that you can easily scroll past if it’s not your thing.

I can’t stop thinking that i can’t stop thinking by hieiandshino ♡

In which Brook changes tactics and Zoro is not amused. Everyone else is, though.

holy shit is this fic hilarious. i love comedy fics that manage to slip in thoughtful observations and character study in between the hijinks, and this fic pulls that off with flying colors. 

The Walls See All by threesipsmore

Reiju hides a snail cam in her brother's room.

fun short fic from reiju’s pov. there’s never enough zosan set in whole cake island arc and this fic delivers.

Stormbird by Judin ♡

The Straw Hats' first landing in the New World is on Arashi Island, where it looks like they'll be spending a fun week attending the local festival and making new friends. Until they spot a strange pirate ship in the harbour, and Sanji starts behaving oddly. The Straw Hats become entangled with the mysterious Gently Pirates, a crew that harbour many secrets, and whose captain is a man out of Sanji's past who has the power to tear the Straw Hat crew apart. 

it cannot be overstated how wonderful this fic is, and how it could’ve fit into the canon just nicely, like a better-written one piece movie, except with zosan. not only are sanji and zoro in character, every strawhat gets a spotlight and has pitch-perfect voices. brook is especially lovely in this fic.

Unintended Consequence by itsmylifekay

A group of marines charge, Zoro slices through them, and in that instant Sanji feels his own eyes grow wide. Because there, on the arm now outstretched towards him, steel glinting in hand, is the stupid bracelet he’d given Zoro. The bastard is actually wearing it.

there’s a reason this is the most kudo-ed zosan fic on ao3 right now — it’s so soft without being ooc, and there’s a quiet undercurrent of affection laid throughout the fic that will warm you up from the insides.

Somewhere Between Sorrow and Bliss by srididdledeedee

Sanji has never cared for winter.

He can see himself, is the thing. There are bits and pieces that poke through, but it’s not all him. It’s like staring in a fractured mirror. He knows, intellectually, that the person staring back at him is himself, but his face is splintered and his shape is distorted and his body is wrong.

a fantastic character study on trans!sanji and how he comes to terms with his identity with the help of his crewmates. supportive strawhats are always a lovely addition to a zosan fic

Give In To Love by libbylune

Zoro knows better than to think about it too much, but between the rowdy festivals and ancient unexplained temples on this island, it's hard to forget about wanting Sanji.

i love how this fic puts as much focus on the boys after the confession as it does before the confession. a good case fic with its own unique island adventure and i’m always a sucker for soft!zoro

Laundry by libbylune

Dealing with Sanji makes Zoro develop a lot of opinions about clothes.

there’s absolutely nothing hotter than bi!sanji who’s completely comfortable with his gender identity and sexuality. also gay disaster zoro fumbling his words whenever sanji is around is 1) accurate 2) hilarious.

Language of Swords by HaveMyWeedCookies ♡

It took them for a while but finally, Zoro asked if Sanji wanted to hold his sword.

i love fics that explore zoro’s relationship with his craft and his swords, and adding zosan into the mix is something i didn’t know i needed. an interesting outsiders pov zosan in the pov of zoro’s swords.

Ghost of a Chance by sabershadowkat

“I know, for sure, that I didn’t expect to miss everyone so much, including you.” Sanji cut a glance at Zoro and rephrased correctly, “Especially you.”

this fic handles tropes that are usually associated with character death fics, but manages to end it with a happy ending. zoro’s devotion here is heart-wrenching.

Idiot Romance by sabershadowkat

"This has to be a joke," Sanji muttered, poking at the colored petals. Zoro couldn't have just given him flowers.

a classic  — this is literally the first zosan fic i’ve ever read — and a lovely one at that. sanji is oblivious and zoro attempts romance, not that zoro ever needed to.

festival night by thisislegit

“ANOTHER FEAT BY THE WORLD’S STRONGEST MAN, JORIRI.” The woman turned to Mr. Mohawk and with faux sympathy said, “Oh! Sorry, sir. Maybe next time. We can’t always beat the best, but we can do our best and that’s what matters. Do we have any other takers? ANY OTHER TAKERS READY FOR THE STRONG MAN CHALLENGE? HOW ABOUT YOU SIR? MADAM? YOU OVER THERE? ARE YOU INTERESTED?”

“What kind of shit name is Joriri,” said Zoro and Sanji in unison.

i’m an absolute sucker for fics that have zoro and sanji simply hanging out and enjoying each other’s company, comfortable in a way they couldn’t with their other crewmates, and this fic exemplifies that. just them being little shits and having fun with one another.

No Victory in Hesitation & the Past Has Its Lessons by EudaimonErisornae & vageege

Zoro has a lot of things he wants to say to Sanji, but he just needs one more day. || Zoro tries to fix a mistake he made in the past.

major character death warning. i died a little bit inside after reading this tbh. there are some devil fruits-explained time travel hijinks, but mostly it’s this looming, grim inevitability of death that’s written so pervasively throughout the fic that really got me.

Imperatives by dollcewrites

Zoro is confident in saying that Sanji is a man who doesn’t do what he’s told. Which is why, when a command accidentally slips from Zoro’s lips during foreplay, he is expecting to hear the cook’s scoff as he continues to do what he pleases.

i don’t tend to do pwp, but this isn’t just one — it’s a completely in-character piece about their relationship and dynamics.

when you say by bluewalk ♡

It's a long time in coming. Usopp can promise, but.

this fic is as much sanuso as it is zosan, and usopp here is — still very much usopp, but also a very beautiful take on his character as someone who spent a lot of time behind sanji’s back, and realizes that when he watches sanji’s back, he gets to see zoro’s, too.

a complete guide to falling in love by ThousandSunny

Sanji was trained in the Bridal Arts; this does not go unnoticed by the rest of his crew.

while the main ship is still zosan, the fic also focuses a lot on zoro and sanji’s relationship with the rest of the crew, and it’s one of those fics that really makes you realize how much of a family the strawhats is. a lovely read all around.

destructivity is a poison that run through our veins by wasteofmind

Zoro thinks that, someday, they are going to kill each other.

a dysfunctional take of their relationship. it’s fascinating in the same way a car crash is fascinating  — there’s an undercurrent of something violent, something visceral. this is one of the fics that inspired me to write migratory animals.

ALTERNATE UNIVERSE

Ocean’s Child by 8ball  ♡

Here's the truth: Zoro couldn't swim. He fell in the water and sank like a stone because there had never been anyone to teach him how to move his arms. He forgot that if he screamed for help the water would get in his mouth, and he even opening his eyes hurt.

Here’s the other truth, the one that stays a secret: a mermaid saved him.

a fascinating retelling of the one piece canon with mermaid!sanji. it feels a lot like a love letter to the seas, and it’s mesmerizing how sanji’s mermaid backstory is seamlessly weaved into the one piece canon.

with you by Cirro

How to find your life partner in three easy steps: 1. Punch them in the face 2. Insult their cognitive abilities 3. Embarrass them so much they agree to marry you

a wholesome two-part modern au series. my personal favorite is the second part, where sanji brings zoro home to meet zeff — complete with the two of them teasing sanji in their own ways.

The Proper Reaction (or What To Do When Your Son Brings His Boyfriend Home by three_days_late

Holidays at the Baratie were always hectic, but it's nothing Zeff can't handle. Sanji's new boyfriend, on the other hand...

on the topic of meet-the-family: the only thing more fun than zoro meeting zeff is zoro meeting zeff and the entirety of baratie staff. also includes one of my favorite line about bi!sanji: “sanji loves nice girls and bad boys”.

Exclusive by cuethe-pulse

Zoro loves Sanji, Sanji loves Zoro. Zoro wants to be exclusive, so Sanji should, too. Right?

this is a circus/bakery au. yes, you read that right, and yes, it works. i went into this fic with a lot of doubts and came out very satisfied with how fleshed out everyone in this au is, and i’m forever in awe with how the author can set up an entirely separate, vivid universe with so few words.

Delivery by styx_in_the_mud

Sanji is stuck delivering pizzas when Patty is out of commission for a while. Zoro likes to order pizza after training. Both of them are sort of idiots, but Zoro can be smooth as fuck if he puts his mind to it.

a fun, in-character au with good ol’ banter and cute get-together.

The End of It All by xpiester333xx

Humans have been forced underground due to the effects of a chemical weapon that has made surface life impossible. Sanji lives in one of these underground colonies and though he dreams of bigger things his life has been mundane; spent following strict rules and obeying higher commands. Or it was, until a stranger shows up and changes everything.

the author labelled it as sci-fi au, but I personally think it’s more dystopian-like? either way, while this fic is on the long side, it manages to keep everyone in character until the very end, which is something that can’t be said for a lot of fics.

well, there we go! feel free to drop me an ask if you want to rec me fics or ask for a more specific/themed rec list; i’ll also update this post regularly !!

i also have an ao3 donutsandcoffee if you want to see my take on these dorks o/

[starswallowingsea]

Secret Santa Time

I have been waiting to post this forever!! I don’t normally write shippy stuff but I think this turned out pretty cute. 

This is a gift for @lestis, for the event hosted by @opsecretsanta2019, who I think is pretty great and a really sweet person that y’all should follow! That said, here’s my gift! 

Waking Up 

Fandom: One Piece 

Word Count: 1623 

Ship: SanUso 

Notes: CW for nightmares, see the end of the work for more notes

He was running again, the buildings around him familiar but strange. That didn’t matter now though. He saw his friends sailing away, towards their next adventure without him. 

He shouted at them, apologizing for acting the way he did, but they couldn’t hear him he thought. So he yelled louder, his words becoming more jumbled and mixed with sobs that he could barely understand himself anymore. But they kept sailing. 

And suddenly he was falling. Falling? Or drowning? He couldn’t breathe all the same.

---

Usopp awoke with a start, drenched in sweat and breathing heavy, he knew he had another nightmare. They had become so normal to him that when he actually got a good night's sleep it meant he didn’t dream at all. 

It was the same every night, reliving Water 7 and begging to be taken back by his friends and being left behind anyway. He tried every trick in the book to get them to stop but nothing worked.

But at this moment he knew he couldn’t go back to sleep, not yet anyway. His heart was beating too fast and breathing ragged, it would be endless tossing and turning in his hammock which would probably do more harm than help right now. 

So he swung his legs over the side of the hammock and jumped down quietly to avoid waking the others. He tiptoed out of the room and carefully opened and closed the door, cringing at the slightest sound he made and hoping it wouldn’t wake anyone else up. 

Instantly the cool night air began to calm his nerves. He stood still, just outside the door for a minute. 

Breathe in. 

Breathe out. 

Breathe in. 

Breathe out. 

Breathe… 

He pulled his hands to his face and stood like that, taking deep, calming breaths. It helped a little, but not much. 

He turned to walk onto the grassy deck, lay down and look at the stars. Maybe he could get better sleep out here. It couldn’t hurt to try anyway. 

---

Once on deck, it appeared he was alone and he let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Usopp walked over to the railing and stared out at the sea, just thinking, trying to calm himself down. It was so quiet, the only sound coming from water hitting the side of the ship and the gentle breeze that rocked it back and forth. 

He heard footsteps approach from behind and jumped a little as someone stepped up beside him.

“Relax, it’s just me.” 

Usopp looked over and saw it was Sanji, who was putting a cigarette to his lips and pulling out a lighter. Usopp wondered how Sanji could smoke like he did but not fall into a coughing mess all the time, but he shoved the thought aside, saying he would ask about it later. 

“What are you doing out here so late?” Usopp asked. 

“I could ask you the same thing.” 

“Couldn’t sleep?” 

“Something like that,” Sanji said, moving to put his shaky hand on the railing, using the other one to take a drag of the cigarette. 

“Me too, if I’m being honest.” 

They stood in silence for a moment, just letting the wind brush past them, leaving smoke trails from Sanji’s cigarette. 

“Hey, uh, can I ask you something?” Usopp said, breaking the silence. 

“Sure,” Sanji responded, taking another drag. 

“Do you get nightmares? Like of your past or anything?” 

Sanji put his hand with the cigarette on the railing, shocked at the question Usopp had asked him, unsure of how to answer. 

“It’s okay if you don’t want to answer, I was just wondering is all. Y’know how it is ri—” 

“Yeah.” 

Usopp paused for a second at the answer. He had expected it in all truthfulness, but hearing the confirmation come from Sanji shocked him. He always seemed so put together, like nothing could make him lose his balance in life. 

“... How do you deal with them?” 

Sanji took another drag of the cigarette, knowing that his habit had developed as a response to both trauma and working with food. The nicotine helped calm the brain down when he was stressed over something and kept him from feeling hungry in the kitchen. 

“Cooking, I suppose.” That was the easier answer. 

“Could you maybe show me how to cook? I… 

“I... had a nightmare.” 

--- 

Sanji paused at Usopp’s confession. He had also suspected that Usopp hadn’t been sleeping well. He was more irritable in the morning than normal and seemed spaced out more often than not. But he wasn’t a doctor so he didn’t want to ask him directly, although he had told Chopper that he thought Usopp might not be getting enough sleep. Turns out he was right. 

Sanji pulled out a mini ashtray, stubbed out the rest of the cigarette in it, and put it away before answering. 

“Can’t hurt to try. Come on.” He said, turning and waving for Usopp to follow him. He, too, had been having nightmares recently and maybe cooking with someone else would help distract him enough to get a few more hours of sleep tonight. Just enough so he wouldn’t fall asleep standing at the stove again. 

--- 

They agreed on making a carrot cake, since that was Usopp’s favorite dessert and there was really no better way to help calm down than eating a little comfort food. 

He tried to recall the recipe his mom used when she had made the cake for him as a child, but he quickly realized that he could only remember small parts of it; helping shred the carrots and mix in the nuts and spices. 

Sanji took the information Usopp gave him and used his own knowledge of carrot cakes to make the batter. Sanji would mix the dry ingredients together and Usopp the wet ingredients. They both shredded carrots and portioned out the various nuts and mixed them all together with the rest of the batter and poured it into a cake pan. 

Once the cake was in the oven, Sanji began to work on a cream cheese frosting while Usopp worked on cleaning the dishes. He would rather do them now than after they had already decorated and eaten the cake he said. 

Sanji pulled the cake out of the oven and gently took it out of the pan and onto a wire cooling rack. Usopp took a deep breath, enjoying the smell of the carrot cake fresh from the oven. He felt like a kid again in Syrup village running around the kitchen while his mom made dinner. It was a nice feeling. 

Sanji and Usopp both sat down, wanting to take a little bit of rest while the cake was cooling enough to frost it. Usopp closed his eyes and leaned his head back, feeling a little more relaxed than he had earlier, and let his mind wander to his mom, the Usopp Pirates he left behind, his home. 

And they stayed like that, in peaceful silence, for a minute. 

Sanji took a drag of another cigarette now that the cake was baked and cooling, letting the nicotine calm his senses again. He really needed that, joking with Usopp in the dead of night while they made a cake together, allowing him to forget why he woke up in the first place. It felt nice, he thought. 

“Feeling better Usopp?” he said. 

“Yeah, a bit. Thanks.” 

--- 

Sanji put out his cigarette in the ashtray on the table and stood up again. 

“We should frost the cake and see if we can catch a few more hours of sleep.” He said, already moving towards the bowl of cream cheese frosting he had made. 

“Oh, yeah.” Usopp responded, feeling a little disappointed that the moment was over so soon. He could stay like that, just him and Sanji in the soft glow of the kitchen for hours. Maybe they should do that more often. 

He also stood up, moving to the fridge to see if there was anything he could maybe use to decorate the cake with. 

Meat, milk, meat, cheese, more meat, some fresh fruits and vegetables, carrots maybe? No, that’s just too much carrot. Hmm… 

He scanned through the shelves when something bright purple caught his eye and he pulled it out. They looked like flowers, but why were they in the fridge? 

“Hey Sanji, what are these?” He said, holding the bag of purple and white flowers up for him to see. 

“Hmm? Oh, those. Just some edible flowers I picked up at the last island. Thought they might bring a bit of color for desserts. Did you want to try them with the cake?” 

Usopp’s eyes lit up at that. He had tried a few flowers while he was at Greenstone, including some that looked similar to the ones in the bag. Orchids, he thought they were. 

“Yeah!” 

He placed the flowers in a circle on top of the cake, carefully trying to space them evenly so everyone would get to try one. He pulled out one more after all the ones he wanted were placed on the cake and plucked a petal off it. 

“Do you want to try it together?” Usopp asked, holding out the rest of the flower to Sanji. 

Sanji nodded and took the flower from Usopp’s hand and plucked out another petal. 

“I had a lot of fun tonight and it really helped calm me down. Thanks, for real,” Usopp said, holding his petal up. “Cheers?” 

Sanji chuckled a bit at the gesture but raised his own petal nonetheless. “Cheers.” 

---

“Not as much flavor as I was hoping for,” Usopp said, swallowing the petal. 

“Most flowers don’t have much of a taste, they are garnishes after all.”

Bonus gift: A playlist I decided to make last week on impulse after hearing one whole song that I thought fit Sanji and Usopp 

[julissart]

It's Usopp sad hours again, sorry in advance 😬

I just feel that after they leave egghead and arrive to Elbaf, probably the crew will meet Shanks and Usopp finally sees Yasopp again, I know how canon managed Usopp whole backstory with his f- Yasopp (doesn't even have the right to be called like that); but I really want a scene where Usopp realizes he was abandoned by Yasopp and was left alone, I want something like they expect a perfect reunion, where Usopp can tell Yasopp about his real adventures but instead, the moment Usopp sees him, he just feel sad and empty and the idealization breaks completely.

[dabblesofacollegestudent]

Pirouette Part 3

Pairing: Sanuso

Word Count:  3634

Part 1: http://dabblesofacollegestudent.tumblr.com/post/137590239142/pirouette

Part 2: http://dabblesofacollegestudent.tumblr.com/post/140537773287/pirouette-part-2

Usopp was feeling increasingly awkward as he watched Sanji cook dinner. Not that watching Sanji cook was bad, it was actually amazing to see how skillfully he could chop up onions and dice tomatoes. However, as Sanji stayed eerily silent, wielding his kitchen knives like he wanted to stab somebody in the throat, Usopp felt increasingly uncomfortable staring at him. “So, uh… you do ballet?” Was the first thing out of Usopp’s mouth. As soon as he uttered the words he knew it was a mistake and the murderous aura around Sanji intensified. Sanji turned slightly and glared at Usopp. Just as Usopp was about to run for his life though, Sanji’s eyes softened somewhat as he turned back to what he was doing. “I used to.” He replied, as he added parsley and basil into the sauce he was preparing.

“Oh, ah well… why don’t you anymore?” Usopp wanted to slap his hand over his stupid mouth. Why was he asking questions about something Sanji clearly didn't want to talk about?! Probably because he was curious, but his intrigue wasn’t worth his life! Sanji sighed and gave him a weary look. “Just let me finish this and I’ll explain.” He told him, as he turned away again and began stirring the pasta. “I owe you some explanation I guess, for you bringing back my boombox and… keeping my secret.” Sanji’s voice trailed off at the end and Usopp could swear that Sanji’s ears appeared a bit redder than before. Usopp took the hint this time and kept his mouth shut. Instead he glanced around the kitchen. As his eyes scanned the counter, cupboards and table he noticed how clean it all was. However, it was more than that, everything here felt, untouched. Of course, it suddenly hit Usopp that Sanji had only moved here at the beginning of the school year. Maybe the move had something to do with him quitting? But it had to be more than that, Sanji was in tears last night when he found out, there had to be more… right? The thought of Sanji being so upset made Usopp have a weird feeling at the bottom of his gut that he just couldn’t place. Usopp was so lost in thought, that he didn't notice the plate of food being placed in front of him until the smell of garlic and tomato sauce hit his nose. He looked down to see a plate of some of the most delicious looking spaghetti that he’d ever seen, accompanied by some heavenly scented garlic bread. “Wow Sanji, this looks really good!” Usopp exclaimed, his stomach rumbling in anticipation. “It tastes better than it looks, so dig in longnose.” Sanji grinned and pulled up a seat across from Usopp. “Uh, by the way, my name’s Usopp, so you can stop calling me long nose.” Usopp remarked, before digging into his spaghetti. “I know what your name is, and I’ll call you whatever I want to call you.” Sanji huffed, gathering noodles on his fork. “Huh? How do you know my name?” Usopp asked, looking up from his food. “Nami told me about you. And wipe your damn face, you’re getting sauce everywhere.” Sanji motioned to the red sauce sticking around Usopp’s mouth. “Nami?” Usopp thought for a second. “Oh! That’s right! You’re friends with her, right? I think she mentioned to me that one of her friends had started school here.” “Nami was talking about me?” Sanji asked, sounding wary. “What did she… what did she say about me?” “Not much. Just that the two of you were great friends and she met you through Vivi. I always wondered why you never hung out with the rest of us.” Usopp watched as Sanji’s shoulders relaxed. “Why are you worried about what she would say?” Usopp asked, giving Sanji a scrutinizing look. “I wasn’t worried!” Sanji scoffed. “I was just curious is all. Of course Nami would only say good things about me. She’s a wonderful, beautiful, perfect human being.” “Uh huh.” Usopp wasn’t convinced in the slightest. “She did tell me you were a complete idiot around girls.” Usopp watched in amusement as Sanji sputtered, clearly being torn between disagreeing with that assessment and not wanting to insult Nami. Sanji was super cute when he blushed, Usopp realized. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Usopp’s wanted to slap himself. Sanji was way out of his league and clearly completely straight anyway. Thinking about how adorable Sanji looked as he blushed across his nose and cheeks would only lead to disaster. “A-anyway, you still didn't tell me why you quit doing ballet?” Usopp asked, before shoveling another fork full of pasta into his mouth. Sanji frowned as he twirled pasta on his fork. “I quit a while ago Usopp. It really isn’t as big of a deal, like you’re trying to make it out to be.” “But you looked so happy when you were practicing in the auditorium. Why would you want to quit doing something you love so much?” Usopp pressed. “It was fun… while it lasted.” Sanji took a bit of pasta and chewed for a moment, his eyes far away as if he was imagining he was somewhere else. “I quit because… there were these assholes at my last school.” Sanji set down his fork, his eyes clouded with repressed emotion. “They found out about it and… they were always giving me a hard time. It just… it wasn’t worth it anymore.” Usopp stared wide eyed at Sanji as the dancer continued eating, avoiding Usopp’s shocked gaze. Usopp knew what Sanji’s hunched shoulders, downcast eyes and shaky voice meant. Sanji felt defeated. It was a feeling Usopp was all too familiar with. This clearly meant more to Sanji then he was letting on, and there was certainly more to the story then what he had said. But Usopp didn't want to press him. He had never seen Sanji look this upset before. When Usopp would sneak peeks at Sanji in the hallways at school, the cook had always looked confident. Now though, Sanji looked like he was struggling to hold himself together. “Umm… hey Sanji?” Usopp’s voice quivered. “I’m going to be working late nights on the props for the school play for a couple weeks now. If you want, you can use the stage to practice. I-I’ll make sure nobody disturbs us or anything. I mean… if you want to…” Usopp finished lamely, rubbing the back of his head. Sanji looked shocked for a couple seconds, before his mouth melted into the most genuine smile Usopp had seen all evening. “I might take you up on that offer, long nose.” “Y-yeah, sounds good Sanji.” Usopp returned the smile, overcome with joy that he got Sanji out of whatever sadness he had been wallowing in.. “So, why don’t you tell me about this play you’re working on?” Sanji asked politely, before taking a bite of garlic bread. “Oh man, it’s going to be amazing. It’s about this-” Usopp went on and on about the play for the rest of the night. Sanji didn't seem to mind though, as he continued to smile and ask him questions about it. Despite his better judgement, by the time he had to leave, Usopp may have been just a little bit in love with Sanji. --- Although the two of them had gotten off on the wrong foot, as Sanji kept coming to practice in the auditorium, he and Usopp continued to become closer. Even after the play ran it’s course, Usopp learned how to pick locks from Nami (which raised her suspicions but Usopp managed to convince her that it was because he kept locking himself out of the house. He’s pretty sure she bought his lie for once), and he let Sanji into the auditorium almost every night. Even without the play props to work on, Usopp was fully entertained watching Sanji dance. And even though Sanji was nervous about people knowing about his talent, he wasn’t shy about performing for Usopp. In fact, Sanji loved nothing more then to show off to him, much to Usopp’s delight. It didn't help his steadily growing crush on Sanji though, that was starting to reach dangerous levels.

This was especially evident by how much space Sanji was taking up in his sketchbook. While Usopp didn't draw nearly as much as he used to, becoming friends with Sanji seemed to rekindle some of his creative spark. While Usopp normally busied himself with homework while he watched Sanji practice, he found himself pulling out his sketch book more often than not to try to capture the essence of the boy he had fallen far too hard for. Usopp desperately tried to capture the grace and the elegance of Sanji dancing but he felt his drawings always fell short. That didn't stop him from trying though, as the lead from his pencil coated his fingers while he concentrated on yet another drawing of his friend.

“What’cha drawing Usopp?” The long nosed teen let out a high pitched scream and nearly jumped out of his skin when he suddenly heard Sanji behind him. He hadn’t even noticed that he had stopped dancing, much less that he had snuck up on him.

“Geez Sanji, don’t scare me like that!” Usopp yelped as Sanji grinned down at him looking completely unapologetic.

“Yeah yeah, so what are you working on?”

“Nothing!” Usopp slammed his sketchbook closed. There was no way he could admit that almost the entirety of this book was filled with drawings of Sanji. “J-just doodling, ya know? I ran out of homework to do, so…”

“Then you should have told me, long nose.” Sanji replied. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to stick around just because of me.”

“No no it’s fine,” Usopp quickly waved off Sanji’s concern. “I like spending time with you and it’s incredible to watch you dance.” Usopp couldn’t stop the compliment as it fell out of his mouth, but he didn't regret it when he saw Sanji’s face turn pink as he tried to hide a small smile. Damnit, why did Sanji have to be so cute? Someone who swears as much as he does and smokes like a chimney shouldn’t be this adorable.

“Glad you were enjoying the show.” Sanji chuckled as he shyly turned away from Usopp and went to shut off his boombox.

“Hey Sanji,” Usopp called out as he packed up his stuff. “Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.” Sanji said as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. For once Sanji hadn’t hesitated to let Usopp ask him a question and Usopp felt honored that the dancer had grown to trust him so much.

“Well as I was watching you dance, it looked like a lot of the moves you were doing needed a partner. Did you use to have a dance partner?” Usopp asked.

“Of course!” Sanji turned and grinned at Usopp. “I had the most amazing and beautiful dance partner in the world!”

“Oh really?” Usopp tried his best to sound curious but hearing Sanji talk about his dance partner like that made Usopp wonder if she was more than just a ‘dance’ partner. He really shouldn’t be depressed that Sanji might like someone else, considering that he swooned for almost any girl who walked by, but Usopp couldn’t stop himself from feeling as though the floor had collapsed beneath him.

“Yeah, you probably already know her though. It’s Vivi, Nami’s girlfriend.” Sanji replied happily. “I’ve actually been friends with Vivi since we were in elementary school and I couldn’t possibly ask for a better dance partner. She’s just so elegant and graceful and was one of the best damn dancers at that studio. Ah, you should have seen her dance, she was immaculate! I remember this one time she-”

Usopp could feel his entire body relax as Sanji went on and on about how great of a dancer Vivi was. Usopp could tell now that, despite the praises Sanji was lavishing on her, he wasn’t interested in her romantically and even if he was, Vivi was already in a loving relationship with Nami.

“Wow, I had no idea that Vivi did ballet.” Usopp said, cutting off Sanji’s rambling. “I wish I could have seen the two of you perform. I bet it would be amazing.”

“Yeah…” Sanji’s shoulders suddenly dropped as he glanced downwards.

“Crap, I didn't mean to bring up painful memories. I’m sorry!” Usopp quickly apologized. He was such an idiot, talking about wanting to see Sanji perform with Vivi when Sanji had reluctantly given up doing ballet (outside of his secret practice sessions in the auditorium).

“No no, it’s fine.” Sanji waved off his concerns, although his expression still looked a little distant. “I just remembered something, that’s all. There’s no point dwelling on the past. I’m sure Vivi is going to get a new dance partner at some point. She deserves one after I quit on her so suddenly…”

“Oh…” Usopp felt at a lost for words for a moment as he stared at his friend, who was clearly troubled by the idea that Vivi would find a new partner. “Well I’m sure any partner she gets will pale in comparison to you.” Usopp offered, unsure if his compliment would improve Sanji’s mood or just further remind him of what he gave up.

“Heh, you’re damn right he won’t be as good as me.” Sanji flashed him a cocky grin. “I may be rusty from not practicing as much lately but I could still out dance almost all the guys at that dance studio.”

“I bet you could.” Usopp grinned back at his friend. “Still, we should see if we could convince Vivi to come one night and practice with you.”

“That’s a pretty good idea, longnose.” Sanji replied as they made their way out of the auditorium.

---

Unfortunately, their plans to have Vivi come practice fell to the way side as their school work began piling up. And despite how close they were becoming, Sanji and Usopp never seemed to hang out outside of these practices, much to Usopp’s disappointment. He’d even invited him to come hang out with Luffy and the rest but Sanji declined. Usopp couldn’t seem to figure out why though. The only friend Sanji seemed to have at school was Nami, so why didn't he want to join their group of friends? Even Nami had invited him but he politely turned her down. Usopp was flabbergasted that Sanji could refuse anything Nami asked.

Usopp was mulling over this as he searched through his locker for his math textbook. The more he rummaged through his stuff though, the less he worried about Sanji as he realized that he couldn’t find it anyway.

“I swore I brought it with me, didn't I?” Usopp rubbed his chin in thought. “Oh, I probably left it back in my car like an idiot.” He smacked his forehead before slamming his locker shut and running off down the stairs to the parking lot.

As he jogged past the multitude of cars though, Usopp could tell that there was something wrong with his car.

“Oh no.” Usopp whispered. “Oh no oh no oh no.” He ran as fast as he could and skidded to a halt when he saw what had happened.

Someone had keyed his car. A jagged line cut across his car from his license plate to his headlights. Usopp’s backpack slipped from his shoulder with a thud as he stared unblinkingly at the damage. He slowly knelt down and ran his hand along the scratch. It looked really bad, especially up close. The worst part of all of this though, was this wasn’t truly HIS car… it’s his mom’s. She’d leant it to him today since she was too sick to go to work and Usopp had been running late. He remembered thanking his bedridden mother profusely as he hurried out the door that morning. How on earth was he going to explain this to her? Usopp knew his mom most likely wouldn’t be mad at him, as she so seldom lost her temper, but he dreaded seeing the look of disappointment in her eyes when she saw the damage that had been done to her car. And it wasn’t like they had the money to fix it, with all of the income going to pay for his mom’s medical bills. The car may still be drive-able with the scar, but Usopp was already not looking forward to the humiliation of driving the scratched up car back home. And once his mom got better who knows how long she’d be stuck driving that car for all her coworkers to see.

Is it still drive-able? Usopp felt the blood rushing from his face when he realized someone could have slashed the tires as well. He quickly knelt down and started checking the tires to make sure they were still inflated when he heard the sound of a group of students walking past. The blood that had vacated his face quickly returned as he glanced to the side he could see a group of seniors, who had been previously chatting happily, were staring at his car.

“Holy shit, look at that-”

“Man that looks brutal-”

“I’m so glad that didn't happen to me, I mean could you imagine the-”

“Wonder what he did to to have someone do that to his-”

Even though he could only catch half of what they were saying, Usopp was praying for the ground to just open and and save him for this horrible humiliation. Why did someone do this? Why did they do it to him? Was it something he-

“Hey! Watch where you’re going!”

“What the fuck?”

“Oi, watch it!”

“Well then, why don’t you stop blocking the fucking way.” Usopp’s head finally perked up when he heard a familiar voice behind him. His head whipped around to see Sanji walking towards him while the group of seniors were all glaring at him as they finally moved away from Usopp’s car.

“S-sanji?” Usopp’s voice quivered, probably making him sound more pathetic than he already looked. “W-what are you..”

“Hey Usopp,” Sanji knelt down beside him and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. “Don’t listen to those shitty assholes, okay?”

Usopp could only weakly nod in reply as he desperately rubbed at his eyes to try to keep himself from crying. He shouldn’t be this worked up over this and crying in front of the guy he was head over heels for wasn’t an option.

Sanji turned to look at the car and ran his other hand along the scratch. “This looks pretty bad.” He told him honestly. “Is there any other damage to the car?”

“I-I-I don’t think so.” Dammit, Usopp squeezed his eyes shut. Why couldn’t he keep it together? Sanji was going to realize how much of a wimp he is if he keeps this up.

“Do you have any idea who could have done this?” Usopp opened his eyes to see Sanji glaring at the damaged car with rage dripping from his voice.

“No, I have no idea who did this. Or why someone w-would-” Usopp’s breath hitched as he felt the tears he had desperately tried to stop slide down his face. “What am I going to tell my mom? It’s her car and I… I just don’t understand! Why would someone do this? What did I do that-”

“Usopp, look at me.” Sanji grabbed both of Usopp’s shoulders firmly and turned him to face the other boy. “Listen to me Usopp, you did absolutely nothing to deserve this. You hear me Usopp? Absolutely nothing.”

Usopp looked up at Sanji with wide eyes for a moment, before overcoming all of his inhibitions as he threw his arms around Sanji. The cook wobbled for a moment, almost falling backwards by the force of Usopp’s hug, but managed to maintain his balance and wrap his arms around Usopp. And despite feeling like shit and feeling even more embarrassed that he was having a breakdown in the arms of the person he had a massive crush on, Usopp felt an unbelievable amount of security and warmth being wrapped up in Sanji’s arms.

Sanji let Usopp cry into his shirt for a while, before Usopp pulled away and wiped his face, hoping that there was some possible way he could salvage his dignity from this. Sanji stared at Usopp for a bit as he tried to pull himself together, before getting up and extending his hand to Usopp.

“Come on long nose, let’s get out of here.”

“Huh?” Usopp tilted his head at him. “What do you mean? I gotta get to class and HOLY SHIT I AM SO LATE, I HAVE TO-” Usopp scrambled up but before he could book it back into the building, Sanji grabbed him by the shoulder.

“Forget about class Usopp. You’re already late, so we might as well just leave.”

“Leave? You mean like playing hooky? B-but I’ve never skipped class before! What if we get caught?”

“We won’t get caught long nose.” Sanji smirked. “I’ve done this hundreds of times before. So come on,” Sanji took his keys out of his pocket and began twirling them around his finger. “I’ll drive. And I’ll even treat you to lunch if you want.”

Usopp stared at the spinning keys for a moment, that promised freedom, food, spending time with his crush and a way out of going to class looking like a guy who’s grandmother just died. Even though the thought of getting in trouble made Usopp’s knees shake a little, there really wasn’t much of a choice.

“Sure I guess. First time for everything, right?”

---

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update this story. Life’s been busy and I’m struggling to find the time to write. I’m not planning on abandoning this story though so stay tuned! Hopefully it won’t take me as long for the next chapter (although you probably shouldn’t hold your breath).

[beanghostprincess]

Usopp storms into the girls' room all panicked and anxious and once he closes the door behind him he stares at Nami for a few seconds before saying "I think I'm in love with Sanji" and suddenly there's a "YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH SANJI????!!!!" coming out of a Den Den Mushi that's definitely Vivi's and Usopp just stares at Nami with deadpanned eyes until she says "She's my girlfriend, dipshit, she was going to find out either way and what the fuck do you mean you're in love with Sanji?!"

[camels-pen]

playing pretend

sanusoweek Day 3 - Childhood Friends

Summary: Usopp runs away and finds a new friend and home. Merry is more than a little concerned about it.

Ao3 Link | sanuso week series | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 5 | Day 6

“C’mon, c’mon! Hurry up, Usopp!”

“I’m coming as fast as I can!” Usopp bent over, panting. “I’m taller than you, how come you’re so much faster?”

Sanji laughed. “I’m not that fast; lots of kids are faster than me.” 

“Yeah, well,”—Usopp puffed out his chest—“I was the fastest on my island. I won every race, even against the adults! So that makes you the super fastest.”

“Super fastest isn’t even a real word.”

“It is at my house!” 

“Well, you’re not at your house right now.” Sanji grinned. “And I say it’s not a word.”

“Sanji!”

“It isn’t! We can check the dictionary!”

Usopp puffed up his cheeks. “You probably have a cook’s dictionary. There won’t be any regular words in there.”

“A dictionary’s a dictionary!” Sanji laughed. “Now c’mon, we gotta get ready for bed before the geezer catches us.”

Usopp jumped and took off past Sanji. “I don’t wanna be breakfast!” he shrieked.

As the boys disappeared down the hallway, their loud chattering echoing off the walls, Zeff huffed. He pulled back from where he was peeking around the corner and turned to the butler. “See? Doing just fine, like I told you.”

The butler raised an eyebrow.

Zeff rolled his eyes, leaning back against the wall. “Just a little fib; Parsnip would stay up all night if I let him.” The butler thinned his lips. “Relax, the Eggplant—Sanji figured it out pretty quick.”

“Yes, well, Mr. Red Leg, I appreciate the… hospitality you’ve shown him,” the butler said, “But on my good name, I have promised my young mistress to bring back her friend soon as I am able.”

“Right. Jolly, was it?”

He frowned. “Merry, Mr. Red Leg.”

He nodded. “Merry. First off, cut the ‘Mister’ shit; the Eggplant’s the only one allowed to call me decrepit. And the Parsnip, if he ever gets ‘round to it. Second,”—he glared, leaning in close until their noses were practically touching—“I ain’t stupid. I know that boy’s got no one looking after him. If he wants to stay here, he’ll stay here. That clear?”

Merry harrumphed, glaring right back. “While no one has yet stepped up as his primary guardian, the villagers, including myself, still check in and care for him. As for your second point, I still have yet to determine if you’re capable of caring for a child in this… rough and tumble establishment.”

“Ha!” Zeff threw his head back to laugh. “Just call it a filthy pirate’s restaurant like you want. I don’t give a shit.” He smirked. “But if I prove I won’t kill the kid, you’ll fuck off? Awfully, generous of you.”

“That is not what I said—”

Zeff slapped Merry on the back, sending him stumbling. “Great, how ‘bout I make something quick, pop a cork, and tell you some stories?”

—

Usopp appeared at the worst possible time.

It was lunch rush on a weekend, more than a few of their most annoying customers decided to show up on the same day, and the Eggplant was having one of his hissy fits about being treated like the little kid that he was. 

It was during one of said hissy fits, while he was waving his arms about yelling at Zeff, that he smacked his hand into Usopp’s face. 

Sanji jumped, turning and stumbling back towards Zeff before coming to some kind of realization and straightening up. “Who’re you?! You wanna fight or something?!” Zeff sighed. This kid and his tough guy phase. Hopefully, he’d grow out of it soon.

Zeff flicked the back of his head. “Mind your fucking manners.”

Sanji whirled on him. “Shut up! I don’t have to listen to you!” Slowly, he turned back around. “Sorry. Are you okay?”

Usopp, who’d been watching with a fish-in-a-net look in his eyes, stayed silent.

“Hey kid, your ears working?” Zeff leaned down, the length of his hat and upper body casting Usopp in near total shadow. “Say something.”

Usopp burst into tears.

—

“I don’t see how this helps your case.”

“Shut up, I’m setting the stage.”

—

“—and there was this goldfish and it was huge!” Usopp stretched his arms out wide over the table, knocking into his juice. Zeff caught it before it spilled. “It was thiiiiiis big and it was made of real gold!”

“Woah,” Sanji leaned over the table, his shirt falling into his half-eaten plate of carbonara, staining his uniform orange. “Did you catch it? Did you eat it? What does a goldfish made of gold taste like?!”

Usopp grinned wide, “Before I could catch it, I had to sing it a lullaby!”

“A lullaby?”

He nodded. “Yeah, it was too big for a fishing pole, so—”

“Don’t stay up too late,” Zeff interrupted as he walked through the doorway. “Or I’ll serve you up for breakfast.”

—

“You can’t just jump to weeks later—”

“Not weeks. Next day. And I’ve got one more.”

—

“A-Are you sure this is okay?” Usopp asked, head swivelling around with his hands twisted in the hem of Sanji’s shirt. “I mean what if your dad finds us—?”

Sanji frowned. “I keep telling you he’s not my dad. He’s…” He hummed, putting a hand on his chin. With a nod, he said, “He’s Zeff.”

“Okay, if Zeff finds us then won’t we get in trouble?” Usopp shivered. “I don’t want him to cover the sun again.”

“What? That’s dumb, he can’t—oh,” Sanji turned and pulled one of Usopp’s hands between his own. “It’s okay, Usopp, he looks scary, but that old geezer’s a softie.” He made a noise of surprise and rubbed Usopp’s hand roughly. “Woah, your hands are really cold! Did you stick ‘em in the freezer or something?”

“They’re not cold, yours are just too hot!” He pulled his hands away. “Look, see? There’s steam, that’s how hot your hands are!”

“There isn’t any steam.”

“Is too!” 

“Is not.” Sanji pouted. “Whatever, let’s get going so you can show me your weird game.”

“It’s not weird, it’s dressup.” Usopp puffed out his chest and marched ahead of Sanji, worries forgotten. “I used to do it with my mom all the time, so I’m great at it. Just follow my mead.”

“You mean ‘follow my lead’.”

“That’s what I said.”

The two shuffled their way to Zeff’s room, side-by-side with their backs against the wall, at Usopp’s insistence. The heavy wooden door creaked as Sanji opened it just enough for him and Usopp to slip in.

Usopp started poking around the room while Sanji watched. “You still didn’t tell me what dressup is—”

“I’ll tell you, but you gotta help me find reeeeaaally big clothes first.”

Sanji rolled his eyes. “The big door on the wall.”

Usopp pulled open the closet door. He was met with a wall of clean and nicely pressed uniforms. “Ugh, not this boring stuff—where are his fun clothes?”

Sanji hummed. He walked over to the chest at the end of Zeff’s bed and kicked at the lock until it popped open. Inside there were weathered pirate clothes and an extra chef’s hat.

“Woah, these are perfect!” Usopp pushed past Sanji to dig around the chest. He pulled out a tattered off-white coat and a dusty green sash, fumbling to put them on. The coat was so big on him he was practically swimming in the fabric.

“They won’t fit,” Sanji said. He giggled quietly as Usopp kept trying and failing to tie the sash around his waist.

“They’re not—” Usopp made a noise of frustration as he failed again. “They’re not supposed to fit, that’s the fun part! You put on a bunch of way too big clothes and make up a story about who you are.” He yanked the chef’s hat from the pile and held it out. “Here, you try.”

Sanji took the hat in both hands, his grip gentle. His head was bowed as he stared at it. Tentatively, he tugged it on, his head swaying back and forth as he tried to keep it upright. 

When he finally had it, and noticed Usopp’s expectant stare, he stuttered out a quick. “I-I don’t know. I’m the sous chef, I guess.”

“What’s a Sue chef? Is that what Zeff does?”

“No, he’s the head chef and owner.”

“Then you should be that!” Usopp grinned. “Being the big boss is way cooler.”

Sanji sputtered, a blush coming to his face. “I can’t just be the head chef, I’m not good enough yet!”

Usopp tilted his head. “Who cares if you’re good enough? It’s just pretend. I mean look at me.” He waved his arms, the long sleeves flapping in the air. “My boat broke and I washed up at the Baratie a couple days after I started my journey.”

Sanji nodded. “Yeah, that was pretty sad.”

“Shut up, what do you know!”

“You said so yourself!”

Usopp puffed up his cheeks. 

Sanji huffed. “Why’d you start talking about your bad pirating skills in the first place?”

“Oh right.” Usopp grinned. “Playing dressup means you can be whatever you want to be and do whatever you want to do.” 

He pointed at Sanji, the sleeve dangling down over his hand.

“So, Sanji, what do you want to be?”

Sanji stiffened. “I-I don’t—”

“C’mon Sanji, I’ll even keep it a secret if you want!”

Sanji pulled the hat down over his eyes, his blush returning. “Promise?”

Usopp nodded vigorously. “Promise!”

Sanji took a deep breath.

Zeff quietly closed the door.

—

Merry’s eyes softened. “That does sound rather adorable. However,”—he pushed himself up from the table—“getting along with your charge doesn’t mean this environment is suitable for him. You’re welcome to bring Sanji to the Gecko Islands for a visit, but Usopp will be coming back with me—”

“Mr. Zeff!” Usopp yelled as he ran down the staircase, Sanji close behind. They both stopped by Zeff’s side of the table. “I finished first so I get to pick the story today!”

“He cheated!” Sanji said. “He—”

Usopp slapped his hands over Sanji’s mouth. “Nuh-uh! Sanji’s just a poor loser!”

“I think you mean sore loser.”

“That’s what I—” Usopp jolted, rushing to hide behind Sanji. “Mr. Merry, w-what are you doing here?” Sanji looked between Usopp and Merry and balled his fists, glaring at Merry. 

“Sorry to drag you away when you got all ready for bed, but I’m here to take you home.”

“He is home,” Sanji said. “So why don’t you beat it before I make you.”

“Eggplant, cool it.” Sanji continued to glare. Zeff picked him up by the back of his sleep shirt.

“Put me down you—!” His words got quieter as Zeff took him through the kitchen doors. He reappeared a moment later, leaning against the doors. Sanji’s muffled shouts and banging could be heard through the wood.

Merry knelt down and Usopp’s shoulders hunched up. “Usopp, Miss Kaya has been deeply worried about you.”

Usopp looked away. 

“The other villagers and myself have also been concerned when we stopped hearing from you.”

His shoulders started to shake.

“Your friend can visit, of course, but you have your own home—”

Usopp burst into tears. “Mr. Merry, I don’t wanna go!”

Merry was taken aback. He’d expected some complaining and grumbling, but not this.

“Mr. Zeff and Sanji and the other cooks are really nice and fun and they’re around all the time and I’m never lonely and I don’t want Kaya to worry, but I wanna stay here forever and ever!” 

“I—”

“Please please please, Mr. Merry, don’t make me leave,” he blubbered. “I don’t wanna go back to my house, it’s empty and scary and it has a whole bunch of mama’s stuff, but not mama and—”

“If you’re close by, at your house, then we can come visit you,” Merry said, his voice softer. Fatigue and self doubt warred in his mind, but still he persisted. “What if you get hurt? Or eat something you’re not supposed to?”

Usopp shook his head violently. “I won’t! Mr. Zeff and Sanji are really strong and they know a lot about food—they know the good mushrooms from the ones that make you sick.”

“And seeing Miss Kaya?”

He paused a moment and then quietly said, “I’ll make another boat and come visit her. It’ll be bigger than last time, and sturdier too.”

“It would be safer to only have to traverse a few grassy hills rather than a few hundred miles of open sea.” Usopp’s lip started to wobble. Merry squeezed his shoulder. “I know you like it here, but Usopp you would be better off…” at home, Merry wanted to say. He couldn’t muster the words. 

Usopp got various scrapes, bruises, and nasty cuts quite frequently after his mother died, traipsing around the forest and the shore. He had gotten sick from toxic food he had foraged for himself. He left on a shabby raft in the middle of the day, for god’s sake!

And the only reason Merry had even come, had even known he had left, was Miss Kaya’s worry for her friend and a retired fisherman that happened to spot the boy as he was leaving. The fisherman hadn’t said a thing. He thought Usopp was playing some sort of game.

Merry looked Usopp up and down. Took in the clean pajamas and unblemished dark skin. Touched his cheek and rubbed his thumb across it. It had been so long since he saw them looking so round and full.

He would be better off…

Merry sighed, pulling a paper from his coat. Usopp made a questioning noise.

“Whenever you want to visit, just call. I’ll come pick you up.”

Usopp positively lit up, a grin growing wide on his face. He jumped forward pulling Merry into a hug. “I promise to call soon—oh! And maybe Kaya can visit here sometimes too! She’d love all the nice food and I can show her around.” He puffed out his chest. “I’m an expert about this place by now.”

“Yeah right, you don’t even know about the battle fins!” Sanji said, running up and grabbing Usopp’s hand. Zeff was slowly following behind him.

“This ship can fight?!” Usopp exclaimed as Sanji led him away.

Merry watched on, a smile on his face. He heard the thud of wood on wood stop next to him. “You knew I would let him stay?”

“I knew you were a decent man.”

Merry laughed. “And so are you, Zeff.”

[julissart]

Crisis and avoiding Sanji

More context in the first image Alt text 👆

My OP Fanart Masterlist here

[julissart]

In that moment Sanji knew he fell in love 💙💛

Credits to Marsad Aurangzeb (@marsadist on X) for that beautiful poem

My OP Fanart Masterlist here