Neru

Neru*

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” during Oyasuminasai


Usopp stared out at the dark sea, catching Luffy’s shadow puppets out of the corner of his eye. They were amazing displays of hand artistry, but he suspected that it had more to do with Luffy’s devil fruit ability.

“Hey Usopp! Usopp watch! Wa~tch!”

He turned his eyes to the deck and smiled as he watched Luffy make rabbits jump and dogs bark.

“I’ve been working on it all day!”

“What? What did you do after lunch?”

The straw hat blinked. “I slept.”

Usopp groaned. “How could you! I thought I asked you to help me mend nets!”

The youth broke out into a smile and pointed to himself. “I forgot! Hee heeeee!”

The sharpshooter ran a hand over his face and collapsed against the mast. “Wish I could do that…Nami yells at me when I try to nap. How come no one ever yells at Zoro?”

“Zoro trains all the time.” The captain said, as if this explained the universe.

Usopp looked at him and blinked. Luffy blinked back.

“Say…I’ll bet he sleeps after the do it.”

“Augh!” Usopp laughed and clapped hands over his ears. “Enough of that already! You’re obsessed!”

The raven haired boy laughed as well and leaned forward to rest his forehead on Usopp’s shoulder. He gave a giggle and looked up a bit, his lips inches away from the other youth’s neck.*

“I’m not obsessed I just like thinking about you…”* he laughed again and gave a big grin, scooting closer and wrapping his arms around the long nose. “I’ll help you with the nets tomorrow.”

“They’re already done…” he absently, his arm coming up to take Luffy’s hat. He sat it in his lap and then reached up again to stroke his hair. He leaned over and laid his cheek on top of his head. “Loguetown…”

“It’s where Gold Roger died…I wanna be king of the pirates!”

“And I want to be a great warrior of the sea!”

The ship rocked gently as they made their way through the nighttime sea, the sea of stars above rocking the moon in a similar way. Luffy lifted his head and unwrapped his arms, coming around fully to sit in Usopp’s hold. He got between his arms and legs and leaned against him, his head on his shoulder again, his body against the sharpshooter’s chest.

“Did you hear Nami yelling?”

“At Zoro? When?”

“This after noon, a few hours ago.”

“Hm.”

Luffy lifted his head and looked the other boy in the eyes. “If you were angry at me what would you do?”

“Shoot you in the face with one of my patented Calming Stars!”

“Huh?”

“You’d have flour all over your face!” he declared, finger jabbed into the air. “And then we’d laugh so hard, we wouldn’t be mad anymore!”

“Even if I did something really crazy?”

Usopp nodded.

“Or…bad?”

Usopp nodded, then froze. “Like what?”

“Like…accidentally break one of the nets you fixed trying to catch the dolphins we saw before dinner.”

THUNK!

Usopp’s helmeted head hit the mast and he gave an exasperated sigh. “Luffy…”

“Hee! That’s why I wanted to help fix nets!”

The boy’s arms came around him and Luffy smiled again as he was brought against Usopp’s chest. “Yes, we can fix it together…but you’re doing all the hard work!”

“Hm…” Luffy stared toward the figurehead of the Going Merry, his eyes beginning to droop. “When’s dawn?”

“Never. You have to stay awake.”

YAWN.

“I can’t…Usopp, watch for me.”

“Luffy! No!” But he was too late. He recognized the even breathing and the look of peace. There was nothing he could do.

He ran his fingers through Luffy’s hair and kissed the top of his head. “Oyasuminasai Luffy-san…oyasuminasai…”

He watched the ocean, seeing the grey of dawn on the horizon.

Good night.


~OWARI~



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*Neru (Nemasu) – to sleep
*More in the spirit of Japanese Luffy as opposed to English dub.
*Ahhh, so fluffy….