They breathe, and in each line of exhale departing from the corporeal presence of their lips, they felt each other; entangled in each other's grasps, their brief spirits danced in full view of the stars as they beamed above in brilliant bulbs.
Usopp smiles, and Sanji lets a sly silver of a smile creep up the joints in his jaw. They are alone, souls on the ship dead in sleep, the waves creating hummed notes of murmuring harmony as they crash aside the oak of the ship, coaxing the ship in a gentle movement along. In each hand lies each other's, and Sanji can feel each callouses toughened on the surface of Usopp's hand, and his fingers search inside of the concaves, fingers playing against each bubble of work, representing each merit earned.
This was their second night on the ship as a unified whole, and their shipmates remained uninformed of their attachment to one another. It had seemed better, that way, at least for a little while, Sanji had informed Usopp the night before. The words filtered out behind a line of ashen smoke, ember burning away as Usopp stood tucked against him, his hands nested in the sweet warmth of Sanji's coat. It was winter, and a shallow mass of snow had fallen on the ship, dusking all objects with a chilled frost.
This night, this blessed night, not a flake of cold could be found, and they rest on the floor as Sanji once more smoked, and Usopp lies against him. Sanji takes one last puff before pressing the burnt butt out, smothering it against the ground, and firmly pressing it to a dull and slowly fading smolder. His smile grows wider, and he presses a firmer hand against Usopp's shoulder, pressing him inwards towards the heat of his chest. Usopp lets out a chuckle, forming it within his throat, and it falls out without consent.
"Sshh," Sanji carefully squeezes him. He's not, and his adamant in this, not trying to keep the whole thing under a secured wrap, but there was a certain anticipation rising in his gut about spilling it out. It would be done in due to time, slowly let out, not stumbled on by some other shipmate in the dead of night. Christ, He lets the thought gather in his mind. Imagine Luffy walking in on this. Or, hell, Franky. The smile recently formed on his face drops to only a sullen smirk; he bites his lip, smelling his smoke in the air, and breathes out.
"I don't mind if we get found out," Usopp murmurs in a muffle from his place tucked up to Sanji's side. "It'd be better to get it over with, I guess." This was a new train of thought, Sanji recognizes, as he doubts two years ago the Usopp he had known would have said this. He'd be a nervous mass, more concerned than Sanji about their relationship spilling into the air. Although, two years ago, the two hadn't been in each other's fancy, at least to Sanji's limited knowledge. It had been that two year break, mulling over words spoken and being exposed to that seemingly inexhaustible absence- it had whittled an aperture away within Sanji's psyche, and only on exposure had he realized what entailed the means of fixing it.