Someone prompted this on tumblr and I thought it was a good idea~

http : / pwnyta . tumblr . com / post / 12148494828 /sanuso-so-obvious-ovo

Protect

"You did great," Sanji said, looking over at Usopp's bunk. "At Enies Lobby."

Usopp pulled his covers up around his shoulders and looked away.

"That wasn't me," he said, and his voice held just a trace of the deep, calm tone of his alter ego. "That was Sogeking."

"Then tell Sogeking thanks for me," Sanji answered, smiling slightly as he stubbed out his cigarette.

Usopp shifted in his bed.

"Yeah. I will."

...

"Nami-swan~ Robin-chwan~ I brought desserts~" Sanji called, twirling his way across the grassy deck of the new ship.

Nami barely glanced at the cook as he set down a platter of delicate chocolates and pastries. Robin didn't even look up from her book.

"I'll get drinks too-" He was interrupted by a loud, booming crash from somewhere in the lower decks of the ship.

Sanji swore loudly, then turned a sheepish gaze towards the girls who weren't entirely ignoring him.

"I'm so sorry, my lovely ladies~ I'll be right back," he called, dashing away.

...

"What the hell are you doing, you shitty shipwright?" Sanji shouted, storming into Franky's workshop.

Usopp and Franky froze, staring up at Sanji. They sat on the workshop floor, a tangled mess of awkward limbs and scrap metal, faces black with soot.

Sanji's eyes widened. He unfroze before his crewmates did, though, and his foot connected sharply with Franky's face. The cyborg was sent flying across the room and crashed into the workshop wall.

"Whoa, what was that for, cook-bro?" Franky asked, getting to his feet. He adjusted his sunglasses and gave Sanji a dark scowl.

"What were you doing with Usopp?" Sanji's voice held the alarming calmness that came before the worst of furies.

Franky looked taken aback. He was saved from answering by a flustered Usopp, who got to his feet and waved his hands frantically.

"We were just experimenting with gunpowder and- well, Franky had some scrap metal and we thought that maybe if we-"

"Look, sorry if we disturbed you, but that was totally uncalled for," Franky grumbled, rubbing his back where he'd crashed into the wall.

"Don't kill us!" Usopp added, shielding his face.

Sanji stared at the two pirates for a moment, then spun around and stalked out of the room.

"Just don't make any more noises like that- you're upsetting the ladies," he growled. Then he hurried away before they noticed the slight red flush that had crept into his cheeks.

...

Sanji finished drying off the last few plates before setting down his dishcloth. He pulled off his apron and threw it over the back of a chair, then sat down with a heavy sigh. His eyes drifted shut as he took a long drag on his cigarette.

"Shit," he grumbled as he breathed out a cloud of bluish smoke.

He'd felt strangely on edge since he'd burst in on Usopp and Franky earlier that day. In fact, he hadn't felt completely at ease since they'd left Water 7. Maybe even earlier than that.

He figured it was just the newness of it all- a new ship, a new crewmate. Franky was a nice enough guy, but whenever the shipwright was alone with Usopp, Sanji's heart would pound a little harder. After what Franky had done to Usopp in Water 7... how could the sniper ever be comfortable with the older pirate? And yet Usopp had forgiven their newest crewmate faster than any of them.

And maybe that was what bothered Sanji the most, although he couldn't exactly put his finger on why. He didn't want to.

He stubbed out the butt of his cigarette and pulled out another one. He put it to his lips, but before he could light it, he was suddenly striding across the kitchen, his legs making up their own mind.

...

Sanji strode purposefully into Usopp's workshop, startling the sniper.

"I wasn't making any noise!" was the first thing he said, ducking low.

"I didn't say you did," Sanji answered. He closed the workshop door and leaned against it.

"S-so I'm not in trouble?"

Sanji didn't answer. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a pack of matches.

"I'm sorry about freaking out at you guys earlier," he said finally, lighting his cigarette.

Usopp stared at him with wide eyes, mouth hanging open in shock.

"Did you just apologize?" he asked. "You never apologize to anyone that doesn't have boobs!"

Sanji fumbled slightly with his cigarette and swore softly.

"Whatever," he grumbled. "Never mind."

"Shouldn't you say sorry to Franky, then? After all, you kicked him, not me," Usopp pointed out. He stood up and came out from behind his worktable.

When Sanji didn't answer, Usopp tentatively stepped closer to the cook.

"You don't like Franky much, do you?"

"He's nothing but an overly-muscled brute. He could almost make the marimo seem normal."

"Nah, Franky's great!" Usopp answered excitedly.

"You seem to think so."

"What?"

"Just… after what he did in Water 7..."

Usopp frowned.

"He's more than made up for what he did. It's… I'd rather not think about that, okay?" Usopp said, and he seemed to shrink away from Sanji slightly, folding in on himself. "He's our nakama now, though. You forgave Robin for what she did, right?"

Sanji bristled.

"Robin's a delicate lady, not a muscled brute who beat you to a bloody pulp and left us feeling like crap for not stopping him."

Usopp stared up at Sanji, mouth slightly open.

And then the cook's hands were on his shoulders, and their faces were inches apart. Sanji's breath was warm on Usopp's face, smelling strongly of tobacco.

"S-Sanji?" Usopp asked softly.

Sanji's single blue eye stared down into Usopp's dark, confused eyes. He breathed deeply, then pulled away from the younger pirate slowly.

"Just… tell me if he ever does anything. If Franky ever does anything bad," he said before he left the room, shutting the workshop door firmly behind him. Hand still gripping the door handle, he added softly, "I'll protect you."