Suki

Suki

Summary:
Disclaimer: I haven’t sailed the Grand Line, so there’s no way I could own One Piece.
Warning: None for now
Author’s Note: I dunno, I read someone else’s fic from another fandom and I was like…hm..fluffeh…

This happens during “Hot to Go” after the rainy day before they make it to port in the story the first time. Please read, I’m sure you’ll enjoy.


What do you want in a crew?

I wanted strength, loyalty, and determination, but most of all, I wanted friendship.

Ever since I was a boy I wanted to be a pirate, a warrior of the sea, but while I was here I didn’t think things would get so complicated. I didn’t think I’d feel this way.

Not about him.

****

“Damn it Luffy!” Sanji kicked at him absently, cigarette hanging from his mouth. “If I catch you raiding my fridge again I’m going to kick your ass all over the place!”

Luffy grinned, laughing as he ran from the kitchen. “Wouldn’t work! Gomu gomu no hito!”

He escaped and when he was gone, Sanji laughed.

“Ah…a rubber man…”


Once outside, Luffy hopped down on deck and leaned over Nami’s shoulder. “What ‘cha reading?”

“Just the news. Apparently the Marines are on our tail.”

“I haven’t seen any Marines…” he looked up at the crow’s nest and stretched his arms. “I’ll go look.”

With a cry of “Gomu gomu no rocketto” he was up there, staring behind the Going Merry into the vast ocean. He blinked once, his mouth becoming a thin line.

“hmmmm…”

He looked down and saw Zoro asleep on deck and grinned at this then turned to call down to Nami.

“NOPE! NO MARINES!”

The woman jumped, startled. She gripped the paper and craned her neck up, smiling crookedly.

“Thanks Luffy!”

The straw hat nodded, laughing jovially and climbed back down to the deck. “When will we reach land?”

“I told you Luffy, in about two days! Leave me alone!”

“Aw…” the youth scratched absently at his scar and went inside the cabin, passing up Nami’s room and going into the cabin. Usopp was in there, separating small piles of trinkets.

“What are those Usopp?!”

“Parts!” he said, without looking up. “You guys are always breaking things so I have to be ready…”

“I thought you’d be making one of your star bombs.”

The long nose shook his head and pointed over to what looked to be a full bag along the wall. “I’m pretty much done with that…” he stopped, frowning a little.

“It’s not like I really ever use them you know…”

Luffy shook his head. “Sure you do! I wouldn’t have invited you if I didn’t think you were needed! What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” He looked up at Luffy and smiled. “I’m gong to take this out on deck! It’s taking much too long here in the darkness.”

“Yeah, the sun does feel good!”

They looked at each other and gave the exact same smile, Usopp leading the way out on deck.

Usopp came into the sunlight and cheered up a bit, watching Sanji turn Nami down for a snack. It wasn’t fair that she got good things all the time anyway and he didn’t know what was going on between those two, but he was glad to see her treated like everyone else.

He plopped down on the other side of the mast in a sunny spot and dumped out what he was working on. It was only then he realized the error of his ways. He’d have to start sorting all over again.

“Aw…looks like you have to start over…”

Usopp looked up into smiling back eyes and an ever present grin. He smiled back.

“Yep!”

He began working, settling into a quiet rhythm that included the roll of the sea and the cry of the odd sea bird. He was vaguely aware of Luffy’s presence at his side and was comfortable with it. No one else seemed interested and it didn’t matter if they were or not. It was just nice to have company.

****

I’ve wanted to be close with him for a long time. I’m just not sure how. All I know is that I want. How could I tell him? There are many ways I could tell him, but I think in the end I’ll just let it stay the way it is. When the sun shines it’s like his smile and I can’t get enough of either.

****

“DAMN IT LUFFY! USOPP!”

The two seventeen year olds ran away from the cabin cracking up, Usopp holding his hand over his nose, blood leaking freely. They ran into the kitchen and calmed down, Usopp wetting a towel and holding it to his face to stop the bleeding.

They looked at each other again and cracked up, Luffy coming over to check on how the sharpshooter was.

“Alright?”

Usopp nodded. “Yeah…can you believe it?!”

“Dropping books, ne?”

They looked at each other, eyebrows rising and cracked up again. Sanji rolled his eyes and shooed them away from his precious counter space, muttering about dinner being ready soon and for them to go bother someone else.

Usopp looked offended and left, Luffy on his heels, still grinning like a madman.

They went to the back of the boat and sat facing the sunset, backs against the kitchen cabin walls.

Luffy smiled, looking over to Usopp and stopped. “Usopp?”

“Is that what they think? That I’m a bother?”

“No. We were in his way.” Luffy laughed. “Hee heeeee! I’m always doin’ that!”

Usopp shook his head. “No, seriously Luffy…Zoro…he fights, Sanji he cooks and Nami navigates…and you’re the captain. What about me?”

“Youre…” Luffy clapped him on the back. “You’re my best friend!”

Usopp looked at him as if he’d spoken the meaning of life. “Huh?”

The straw hat scratched his cheek and looked at Usopp, smiling gently. “You’re my best friend Usopp.”

“But Luffy I –”

“Sure I’m the Captain…but when I’m not killing Arlong or taking out the Black Cat pirates…they treat me like I’m in the way. You’re the only one.”

Usopp looked at Luffy then stared out to sea. “The only one hm?”

“You don’t send me away when you’re working and you don’t yell at me unless I’m being really crazy!”

The long nose gave him a look.

“Okay! Extremely crazy!” Luffy laughed again and brought his hand back to setlle on his knees. He stared out to sea with Usopp and nodded.

“Um hm!”

“What?”

He stared at Usopp unblinking. “I want meat!”

Usopp laughed and shook his head. “I’m hungry too.”

****

We both have our purpose and I’m content in knowing that. I wanted something to happen at that sunset, but it didn’t really matter. Besides, we were both hungry.

I had no idea Zoro and Nami were getting “personal” on the ship. I really thought they were dropping books until I saw what I saw!

****

Night had fallen and for once the Captain was on watch. He was no navigator like Nami, but they wouldn’t end up lost like if Zoro was on watch. He sat on the figure head of the Going Merry, staring out into the dark.

“You see anything Luffy?”

He turned, all his teeth showing. “Not a thing!”

They both laughed and Usopp handed Luffy a fishing rod. This would pass the time while they were on lookout.

“How long have we been on watch?”

“We just started Luffy.”

They sat there, Luffy casting his pole in the water.

“…how long have we been on watch?”

“FIVE MINUTES! Geez!”

A moment or so passed in silence and Usopp looked sidelong at Luffy who just smiled and put his hand on his hat.

“Six minutes.”

“Wow, this is gonna take all night huh?”

Usopp cracked up and Luffy hopped off the ram’s head to sit with Usopp on deck.

“Think we’ll catch a thing at night?”

“Well…Zoro said he almost caught something a few nights ago…but I dunno.”

Luffy began rigging his pole to fish on his own and went to go sit by the mast. Usopp did the same, bringing the lamp with him. He sat beside Luffy and whipped out a pad and a pencil.

“Wow! Is that us!?”

Usopp nodded, showing him pictures of Zoro and Sanji as they did dishes, Nami as she read or paid the Paper Bird, Luffy as he stretched to catch fish or napping and a few self portraits as well a scenes from his village.

Luffy whistled in appreciation as he regarded the pictures. “You really are a good artist.”

“Well, I am the great Captain Usopp after all.”

Luffy looked at him and Usopp grinned, rubbing the back of his head. Luffy smiled back and leaned back against the mast.

“All night huh…think Zoro and Nami’ll drop books till dawn?”

Usopp began to chuckle, sketching in the lamp light in the moonlight. “Anything’s possible. I thought they hated each other…”

“Yeah…but someone’s pretty jealous.”

“Who?”

“Me.”

“Eh?” Usopp stopped sketching. “What? You liked Nami?”

“Aw, I like everyone. But I was thinking it must be great to say how you feel.”

Usopp nodded, his caramel skin a glow in the lamp light. “To say how you truly feel…no lies.”

They nodded and Usopp offered his pad for Luffy’s inspection. The captain smiled. It was him, right next to Usopp, looking out at the sea.

“When’d you draw this?”

“Right now.”

“Are my eyes like that?”

“Large and expressive? Oh yeah.” He took the pad back and Luffy smiled at him.

“You think so?”

Usopp nodded. “Especially when you’re mad. When you’re mad, you’re mad. When you’re happy, your whole face shows it! You’re great to draw. People like Zoro and Sanji are hard. They should smile more. When Nami smiles, her whole face is happy too. I like that.”

“What? Nami?”

“No. Smiling faces. All the time.”

“Hm…”

Time passed and the night went on just a little. Usopp got up and retrieved the poles as nothing caught. He returned to the spot by the mast, Luffy still amazingly alert for someone who took random naps all over.

“How long have we been at it now?”

“Oh…about two, three hours.”

“Can I see your drawings again?”

Usopp shrugged and handed it over. Luffy looked through them again, smiling as he saw everyone and all the places they’d been since Usopp joined.

“So good.” He smiled at Usopp and the youth smiled back.

They sat there, lamp starting to bur low.

“I’ve got to replace –”

“Hey Usopp.”

“hm?”

“I smile…all the time. Usually.”

“Yeah.”

“Lots of pictures of me.”

“Hm. Yeah.”

They sat there for a time, Luffy stared down at the closed sketch pad.

“Usopp?”

“Hm?” the sharpshooter was staring out to sea, hand limp beside the lamp between them.

A hand grabbed his own, sea foam against lam p glow caramel. Luffy turned to him, grinning widely.

“I like you the most!”

Usopp blushed, unseen, but smiled. “I…so do I.”

A wind blew and the lamp went out, Luffy holding it up to his face in the dark. “Great!”

“I told you! Want me to go get a new one?”

“We’ll be fine. The sun will be up soon!”

“In like four hours! Luffy!”

The captain laughed. “Usopp?”

“Huh?”

“Shut up.” He said simply, leaning his head on the youth’s shoulder.

Usopp smiled and looked out onto the dark sea. “Hm. Yeah…”

****

You haven’t kissed me and I haven’t kissed you, but at this point, I don’t think either of us care. I watched the dawn and I got to hold your hand and that’s all I need right now. Because more than anything else, I do like you.

I love you, Luffy.


~OWARI~


****

*I will definitely feature Usopp and Luffy again but I have to definitely finish “Hot to Go”.
*Coming soon from me in one of my three on going stories: SMUT SMUT and MORE SMUT!
*Schwarzwald loves 4 a.m. It’s the magic hours Baby!