Hook, Line, and Sinker
Usopp and Aries Nakamaship Oneshot
Aries sat on the railing of the Going Merry, happily taking in the sunshine. Her pale blonde hair shone bright with the glare of the sun. Her blue eyes concentrated on the sea's surface, watching the red and white bobber floating a few feet away from the ship. A soft sigh passed her lips as she tilted her head back. It had only been a few days since she joined the Straw Hat pirate crew, but she felt like she'd been with them forever. A smile stretched across her face at the thought of the five members that had single handedly changed her life.
A sudden tug at her line pulled her out of her thoughts. She gritted her teeth as she tried to reel in whatever was biting at her baited hook. She quickly stood on the railing, her body leaning back, away from the sea below. Her arms pulled harder at the thin fishing pole, the fishing line becoming taunt.
"Guys! Could use a little help here!" she shouted through her clenched teeth. She could feel how far her back was bent as she pulled even harder against the constant tugging coming from under the water's surface. Hurried footsteps approached her, and right as she started to fall forward, two thin arms wrapped around her waist, the extra weight keeping her up on the railing.
"What do you think you're doing, Aries?!" the nasally voice of the crew's sharp-shooter, Usopp, shouted loudly against her back.
"Shut up and help me pull in dinner!" she cheered, her tense expression relaxing to a gleeful smile.
The pair pulled and tugged at the line for what felt like forever, until, finally, a gigantic dark-colored fish breached the ocean and landed on the wooden deck of the Merry. As the fish flopped around, the two pirates, who had ended up sprawled out on their backs, looked at each other and shared a loud laugh. Aries laughed so hard her sides ached. She couldn't remember the last time she was able to laugh like that. Usopp flailed his limbs wildly in his hysterics. Their merriment drew the attention of the other four members.
The comments of the other members were lost to the laughing pair until they calmed down several moments later. Aries and Usopp shared another grin before they got to their feet and answered their friend's various questions.
"Did you catch this for me, Aries-swan?" Sanji swooned, kneeling on one knee before the blonde girl.
She laughed and replied that Usopp had helped. Nami gave her a pat on the back and a smile before she walked back to her tangerine grove. Luffy was bouncing around the large fish, yelling to Sanji about how he should cook it. Zoro just opened one of his eyes to see what was going on, and then returned to his nap. The commotion calmed down after Sanji and Luffy carried the fish into the kitchen.
"Thanks for your help, Usopp," she told him gratefully, "If you hadn't grabbed me, I'd probably be at the bottom of the sea right now." She sheepishly scratched behind her curled horns.
He smiled back at her and rubbed his finger under his long nose. "It wasn't a big deal. That's what nakama do right? Help each other?"
Aries felt shocked for a second, her body paralyzed by her crew mate's words. Then she felt like she was engulfed in warmth from her head to her toes. Her navy blue eyes grew glassy as her smile widened. She latched onto him for a quick hug, then turned to pick up her fallen fishing gear.
Usopp was speechless for a few seconds, but he chuckled to himself. He helped her gather her things and set them against the side of the railing. "Hey," he paused, "do you think you can teach me how to be a better fisherman?"
The sheep girl giggled happily. "Isn't that what nakama do? Help each other?" she repeated.