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dodgedriftdietrying · 9 months

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(Ain't No) Burden in my Hand

Chapter 1 - Follow me Into the Desert - (A/B/O Zosopp)

As Luffy pulled Usopp from the Water 7 docks onto the deck of the Thousand Sunny, a smell seemed to rejoin the crew as well, although slightly altered. That of a sad and nervous, but clean, freshly presented male omega. The color drained from the three youngest Strawhat alpha's faces and as Usopp tried to wrap him in a hug, Luffy froze in his grasp. An anxious pit formed in the Omega’s stomach, and he tried to fight the tears that pricked his eyes. Before he could pull away in embarrassment, Nami grabbed his shoulder and dragged him out of the tense grasp of his captain and into one of the unmarked rooms of the new ship and slammed the door behind them.

The distinct, comfortable burn of doubt and dread burned hotter in Usopp’s stomach at the lingering combined scent of the three Alphas’ distress, "W-what's wrong Nami? Why did you… why did they…" Usopp started, but trailed off as his friend stepped away from him to stand by a small trash can and peel off her scent patches. Oh. He shuffled his feet, slapped his hands against his face to soothe the humiliated prickles under it quickly, then twisted his hands in front of him as he waited and tried to ignore all the sounds coming from the deck. Being able to hear through doors is so weird. Is this how everyone always knew where I was on the Sunny? Leave it to Luffy to cheat at hide and seek.

The thought left a small, affectionate smile on his face as Usopp looked up at Nami when she winced and grunted as she pulled the last of the small moleskine-like patches off. “No matter how well you shave, your neck hair always grows back in before you have to take them off” That reminded him of something he heard his mom say. Her scent began to fill his nose, sunshine on wet boards and a sort of cherry-orange ice cream, so much more noticeable than it was just a week prior. "It's gonna be hard finding patches for you, you know," Her voice was steady with an undertone of tired nerves.

"What? Why?" Words that would have usually come out shrill and nervous were quietly concerned because of the comfort his best friend's scent was bringing him.

Nami turned to face him and stepped over to him, still half in front of the door, sunlight from the large but sturdy windows next to it made Usopp’s half-silhouette on the floor between them. "For your skin tone, the ones they sell are too light even for me, I have to darken them with makeup. If people can see them from far away it kinda defeats the purpose"

Realization ignited in his eyes and he dropped his hands to gesture emphatically as ideas formed in his mind, "I could probably make those! I could make ones that don't give you a rash or hurt too!"

Nami smiled at him sadly “I can’t wait”, Usopp furrowed his brow at her response but before he could speak, she raised her hands softly to his shoulders, "I'm gonna scent you now, okay?"

He gulped, nodded, and closed his eyes, allowing her manicured hand to guide his head to the nook between her shoulder and neck as she rubbed the corner of her jaw across his forehead and hair. Orange and sugar were cloying and strong, and the drying wood reminded him of long lazy days on deck. Tears threatened his eyes and he balled his hands into fists awkwardly at his sides. His first heat was long and awful, and he yearned the first few days for the way it felt keeping Nami company during her heats. As the only non-alpha human on the crew it was his duty to keep her from strangling everyone to death for making noise or smelling bad. Usopp knew he was never a great heat companion, always a little too loud, mouthy and self conscious, but the physical closeness was reassuring for both of them. Her hand left the back of his head to pull off his bandana and goggles, placing them on the bookshelf beside them before returning to hold him in place.

“Post Heat showers fucking rule, right?”

Usopp let out a slightly wet laugh, tears he hadn’t even noticed wetting his cheeks and dripping onto Nami’s collarbone. He sniffled before agreeing, “No kidding. I felt like I was being reborn.”

He felt Nami smile into his hairline, before returning to scenting him. "...And I just wanted to say, Usopp. I'm really sorry. I think we all are but…" Her fingers froze where they carded through the hair at the nape of his neck "I should have known. You're my best friend and you left and I was more focused on everything else and didn't even think why you would want someplace safe right then and…"

Calloused fingers twitched, the urge to hug or comfort her strong, but he didn’t want to risk upsetting her further. "I did insult Luffy and leave you guys," He argued, adding an awkward half laugh.

Nami sighed sadly, nodded and after a moment, she leaned back and lightly pushed Usopp's head off her shoulder, letting him steady himself against the wall. "Yeah but so did I, and none of you ever turned your back on me for a second. From now on, we're both Omegas, we tell each other when we think something is wrong, deal? Plus, the crew kinda lost it without you. Luffy was smiling through it but I heard him crying every time I got off watch. We NEED you, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise,"

Usopp nodded and smiled, although strained and still concerned, a little disoriented from the source of total comfort being taken away. After quickly returning it, she peered through the window behind Usopp who followed her eyeline. The scene was chaos. Sanji was squatted on the deck, face buried in his hands, cigarette ash dangling dangerously through his fingers. Luffy was super-hugging the mast, arms wrapped around it at least a dozen times, a distressed look on his face as Chopper tried to talk him down. Ominously, Zoro was staring out over the ocean back towards Water 7, one foot up on the edge of the boat, hands on the hilts of his swords. Seemingly not nearly as concerned as the other two. Robin stood next to him, glancing between the swordsman and the other young alphas in amusement. It made the pit in Usopp’s stomach double and he tried to breathe deeply, but only one thing could fill his mind-

What's Zoro thinking about?

Nami rolled her eyes and opened the door, exiting the room and closing it again behind her before immediately starting to yell at the Alphas. Usopp laughed quietly to himself, turning towards the desk. He knew Sanji and Luffy would probably feel Alpha responsibility for him more now and feel guilty for letting him leave, but Zoro definitely wouldn’t feel guilty. His reasons were valid. The swordsman’s undying loyalty and strict morals would not have allowed for any other solution. You can’t disrespect his God and continue on like nothing happened. Testing his legs, he took a few wobbly steps towards the desk and successfully landed himself in the leather chair. As he sat down, he realized that this must be Nami's office, based on the map papers neatly organized into levels of completion on the desktop. He wondered if he'd get his own room now that he's presented, and realized belatedly that maybe Franky knew before any of his friends did.

A hotel clerk was the first to make it apparent to him, asking if he'd like a smell proof room instead of a regular for the night. He had just flushed and traded a few of his trinkets to pay for the rest of the week.

Interrupting his reminiscing, Luffy burst into the office and Usopp scrambled to his feet before his rubbery captain could drag him over Nami's desk, incurring her wrath.

"WAAAA USOPP I'm sorry, I didn't know!" He said, arms wrapped around the sniper's waist, pulling them together. Cute but predictable. Usopp smiled and pet his hair,

"It's okay Luffy, I didn't know either"

A smile shone across Luffy's face and he removed his arms from Usopp’s waist, instead wrapping them around his narrow shoulders and enthusiastically scenting him, rubbery face rubbing aggressively against his hairline.

Despite the uncomfortable tugging of rubbery skin on clean hair, Usopp's knees felt weak, the stress of the last week leaving his body at the overwhelming smell of his pack leader’s scent. Being so close to the source of the scent, water over rocks and a beach campfire, was like coming home after a long journey. It… IS coming home after a long journey. He grabbed handfuls of Luffy's shirt, trying to ground his reality in anything solid. After a moment, Luffy pulled back easily and beamed at him, seemingly unaware of his newfound affect on the sniper "I'm glad you're back Usopp!"

…

"Usopp-san, of course I forgive you. I barely forgave Luffy for letting you leave, and that was before you presented" Sanji's comforting words rang in his head as he climbed the ladder toward the crows nest.

Zoro was why you left in the first place, why would he forgive you? Plus, he can smell you now, if he hasn't figured out about your crush yet, he definitely will today. A small, anxious part of him whispered. He’ll just get weirded out and throw me in the ocean again. Unfortunately for Usopp's physical health and body temperature, his new Omega brain couldn't function properly in a pack where he feels unsure about his packmates' feelings about him. Open hatred was better than uncertainty. Hence why he had spent the entire day going to each of his packmates and trying to make amends and gauge his situation.

In his own fashion, of course, as he brought little trinkets he made for all of them. The final of which sits in the chest pouch of his overalls even now. Zoro's. Usopp recognized the feeling of himself backing out as his hand hovered over the trap door and he forced himself to push it open. He pulled himself up into the room and quickly located Zoro, sitting on the window seat next to a pile of weights and bars, lanterns in the rooms leaving shadows over his face as he stared at him with steady, vague interest. For most other people it would just look like every other blank stare Zoro wore, but Usopp had spent so much time focusing on him from afar and trying to decode the alpha he could tell the subtle differences even in the low light. The room was heavy with Zoro’s blacksmith’s shop scent, but Usopp still couldn’t tell the swordsman's moods through scents and it worried him. That was a skill that came with age and training, both of which he severely lacked.

Usopp allowed a moment of silence as he shakily got to his feet and flapped the trapdoor shut in a bang that echoed around the silent, cavernous room.

"Z-zoro. I wanted to apologize for everything that happened at Enies Lobby and Water 7. It was a moment of weakness and it won't happen again. I made you this," Attempting to still the shaking in his hand, he pulled the trinket out of his pocket and crossed the room to hold it out in offering, not noticing the way Zoro inhaled deeply as Usopp got closer "It's a sharpener for your swords"

Zoro furrowed his brow as he reached up to take it out of his hand, his warm hands brushing Usopp’s quivering one ever so slightly.

"I-I saw how you find rocks every once in a while to sharpen them, so I made something you can just slide your swords through to sharpen, that way it’s at the same angle everytime"

Gold earrings jingle as Zoro nods, standing up to put the sharpener in his pants pocket. He looked down at Usopp, from his mild height advantage, silver eyes boring into Usopp’s dark brown, and Usopp realized that was the deciding moment. He stopped the urge to twist his fingers together and shoved them into his pockets instead. Zoro’s voice was scratchy, like he hadn’t spoken in a while. "You disrespected our Captain. That's why I wanted you to leave. Thank you, for this" He tapped the pocket holding the gift, "But your skills were never in question to me. You're good at what you do." Zoro took a few steps forward, his broad, bare chest only a few inches from Usopp's. His scent was rolling off of him in powerful waves.

Nami has once told Usopp that Zoro smelled like a black smith's forge full of wood and he couldn't agree more. Heat, metal, pine, smoke and char fill his nose and leave a funny feeling in Usopp's stomach and he inhales sluggishly. "Oh" Usopp replied quietly, struggling to maintain eye contact.

"And," Zoro turned his face away and gnashed his teeth, almost wincing before continuing, fighting down a growl, "I'm sorry you had to go through your first heat alone"

Oh.

Neither Sanji nor Luffy mentioned that during their conversations, due to being too proper and not caring respectively. Although, their other Alpha, Robin, made a joke about his poor timing. But Zoro didn't tell jokes. Not like this, "Uh, Thank you. For forgiving me,"

Zoro’s eyes snapped back to Usopp’s, an unreadable look in his eyes as he closed his lips carefully around his fangs. Usopp continued quickly

"A-and thanks for your worrying but it really wasn't an issue."

Zoro rolled his eyes as a growl built in his throat and Usopp jumped to defend,

"It wasn't! I just sold some of the stuff from the Merry to pay for a room and it was fine!"

"THAT’S NOT THE ISSUE"

Usopp's mouth snapped shut as he stared at the swordsman. Said swordsman grabbed him by the shoulders, a movement the sniper'd gotten more than comfortable with in the past days as scenting became an everyday occurance. His body seemed too shocked to react, just staring in confusion as Zoro pinned him with a determined look.

"Everybody here always has people around during their stuff. Luffy has you and Chopper for his ruts, Sanji and Robin have each other, and Nami and I both have you,"

Which Usopp nodded at. He made sure to spend good time with both the Alphas and the now fellow Omega during their cycles. And while Nami would hang out with basically anyone except Sanji and Zoro, Zoro's ruts were spent in solitary save for the sniper's visits. He had always forbade himself from scrutinizing that. No point in getting my hopes up.

"But you went through your first heat alone in a new place in ruin. And…" Zoro trailed off, teeth grinding almost audibly again, but his intense gaze didn't leave Usopp's. After a long, tense moment, Zoro sighed and tried again, rolling his eyes irritably and shifting on his feet "You know why I sleep in between you and the door during my ruts? Because… I want you to spend them with me. I… need you to be safe. All the time. I want to spend yours with you now. I want to… take care of you. How I can."

Usopp's heart couldn't be any louder if it tried. That was… a courting proposal. Plain and simple. Zoro's own emotionally stunted twist on it, but a proposal nonetheless. The swordsman looked tired out by the confession, but steadfast in waiting for a response. Whatever part of his brain that was not currently leaking out his ears registered just how strong Zoro’s scent had gotten. It was making his head swim and his mouth water. Do I smell that strongly? I hope not. He swallowed, voice coming out quieter than he meant it to "I want that too."

The words, the ones he had imagined saying to another person over and over again since he was a child, and to Zoro over and over again for the past week, actually left his mouth. A slow grin, tired but happy, spread across Usopp’s face, eliciting a cocky one from the Alpha. Bluntly, he asked "Can I scent you now? Uh. Please?"

The question startled a laugh out of Usopp, who nodded shyly, and as Zoro's strong arms pulled him in, the sniper wrapped his arms around Zoro's midsection and buried his face in his neck. From his new vantage point, He could feel the other sigh, one arm wrapped tightly around his shoulders, the other grabbing a fistful of his overalls. In his own way. Usopp smiled into Zoro’s scent glands, inhaling until his breath hitched.

…

After a while, Usopp was sitting on one of the plush window benches, with his sketchbook propped up on his knees, pretending to not watch Zoro weightlift across the room. Three 800 pound weights were attached to either side of the bar where it lay in Zoro’s hands as he lay on the bench. The latter was 100% posturing, but there were no complaints to be heard. He cleared his throat and glanced at Usopp before stating matter-of-factly, "Uh, we shouldn’t tell people we’re datin’. Pirating and all that don't end well for anyone."

Ouch. It stung to hear but the reasoning was sound. Love’s got no place on the seas. After a moment, Usopp nodded in agreement, looking back down at his half finished sketch of Zoro’s bicep and swiping off eraser crumbs. "Yeah, that makes sense. Especially with the greatest swordsman thing. I'd hate to be a liability for your dream."

He could almost hear Zoro rolling his eyes irritatedly, "You're not a goddamn liability. You're just someone they'll know I won't want to lose. It’s a disadvantage in a fight, and I don’t like those. Or people going after you to get to me anymore than they normally do."

On any normal day, in any normal situation, Usopp would have died. Plain and simple. Only Zoro could make me leave the crew then say he doesn’t want to lose me a week later. But here, in a closed room, full of their combined scent, he just blushed and smiled brightly at his Alpha over the top of his sketchbook. His alpha. God. Zoro responded with a small smirk before focussing back on his workout.

The smell that perfumed the air was strong, and difficult to describe. Usopp's own scent was new, and he could not smell it the same way others could, but Nami had described it as, "Wildflowers. It's like that strong flower scent, but stronger and un-manicured, like a field of them that used to be wild grass, or something."

That, mixed with Zoro's scent created a comforting smell, like a home that didn't exist yet. Something with a strong forge and big open windows. Which he supposed, is what he wanted to build with Zoro. A plan for after piracy. After Luffy. Luffy! Usopp winced. He heaved a long sigh before speaking up. "Luffy's gonna tell everyone we meet though. What should we do about that?"

Zoro stopped mid-rep, show off, and stared up at the ceiling. Then, after a second, he racked his bar and sighed tiredly, “So we’d have to hide it from everyone.”

Usopp nodded, closing his sketchbook and curling in on himself as Zoro let out another long sigh and sat up, slumping with his knees against his elbows. The stronger scent in the room changed, more smoke, less pine. It made something deep inside Usopp sad in a way he didn’t expect, and didn’t really know how to deal with. A thick feeling gathered in his throat, and he tried to swallow with a wince that he saw mirrored on Zoro’s face. I should… try and fix that. Right?

He unfurled himself and stood, awkwardly crossing the room to stand before the hunched swordsman, who peered up at him questioningly. Raising his hands, he lightly placed them against the Alpha’s shoulders, praying he got the idea. Surprisingly, he did, and after a long moment of Zoro staring up at him in a way that made him want to both twirl his hair like a schoolgirl and drown himself in the kitchen sink, wrapped his arms around the Omega’s waist, pulling him to stand between his knees with his head pressed against his stomach. Usopp did his best to gently scratch his Alpha’s scalp with his bandaged fingers and calluses, and he smelled Zoro start to scent him again. The scent coming off him was much lighter this time, and he seemed conflicted between pressing forward against Usopp's soft stomach and back against his gentle hands. Good sign.

"W-we could… not tell him? Is that stupid?"

Zoro pulled out the all-too-real moral scale system in his head. On one side, Usopp. He just got him back, just found out they wanted each other in the same way. His safety and comfort were at risk. On the other side, as usual, Luffy. His captain, his savior, his pack leader. His trust, easily won but no less valuable, might be hurt by them keeping this from him. What would keep them all the most safe? Maybe Usopp would know. Usopp was smart.

Leaning back slightly, he rested his chin against Usopp’s chest before answering, "I'm weighing something,"

Usopp nodded, used to being Zoro's sounding board for his moral dilemmas. Although, I am a pretty biased jury here, he thought bemusedly.

"With you, if we tell him your safety is at risk. What's the bad part of not telling him?"

Usopp looked forward and tapped his pointer finger against his lips in thought. "I suppose it's mainly him being mad that we didn't tell him when he finds out, or… I don't know, some life threatening dilemma that requires he knows we're dating?" He offers, looking back down to meet Zoro's eyes as they gaze up at him, the unreadable, contemplative look on his face. After another long pause said Alpha spoke,

"So let's just not tell him. Or anyone, I guess."

Usopp sucked air in through his clenched teeth, and Zoro frowned. "I'm sorry, but I promised Nami I would tell her everything now, after everything that happened."

"Okay, then just Nami will know. As much as I hate her, she's the kind of person we want on our side when it comes to secrets. Deal?" Zoro raised a hand to grip Usopp's where it rested against his chin. Usopp threaded their fingers together and kissed Zoro's scarred knuckles quickly, his cheeks darkening.

"Deal."

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