Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.
Rating: K+
Summary: Sanji knew something was up with Usopp and those looks he was giving everyone's plates at the dinner table. He needed to know what caused them or else he'd never be at ease.
Warnings: Post-time skip spoilers and language.
This idea came to me in a state of being half-asleep and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it. Enjoy please!
He was worried.
No. Worrying was for Nami-Swan and Robin-Chwan, when they were in danger or needed a refill when they entered a summer island atmosphere. Worry was not suited for the shitty male bastards around here.
No, Sanji supposed what he was really feeling was… unease.
His job on the ship was first and foremost a cook; it was his duty to prepare meals that where nutritious, invigorating and delicious. So it had become a habit of his to watch the expressions of his crewmates when they ate, to gauge their reactions to his dishes and determine their preferences from them. But now, with his new ninety-nine Newkama Kenpo recipes, he found this habit to be like it was when he first joined the crew or they found a new Nakama to join them – it was in complete overdrive, intense as he tried to catch every detail of every person's features as they tried his dishes (except Luffy's, because he could probably give Luffy meat with dirt on it and he'd love it).
And that was how he didn't miss it, that look.
The one that came over Usopp's face as he looked around at the others plates could only be described as hungry. Not the kind that came with a slightly grumbling stomach or a craving on the tongue – but the kind of hunger that Sanji knew intimately. The dry-mouthed, empty gut, sunken flesh-to-the-bones body kind. And the idea that one of his own crewmates had gone through a similar experience to what he had as a child… well that worri- that uneased him and he knew the feeling wasn't going to go away until he got the answer.
Since reuniting, none of them had had much time to talk, what with being sucked into a new adventure instantly and then getting used to their ocean of the New World, which, had it not been for Nami-Swan's beautiful navigating skills, they would have died on in about three seconds. But now as they sailed to the next island, there was finally a chance to relax and catch up. But when it came to be his turn, all Usopp mentioned about, in his extravagant, boastful way, were intense training sessions with a shitty bug-dressed man on an island that wanted to eat him, literally, and his new arsenal. He never said a word about starving and maybe Sanji could understand that, since the sniper seemed obsessed with making himself look stronger then he really was in his stories and probably was purposely omitting it. Which was why Sanji decided this conversation would be best done in private – n-not because he really cared about humiliating that shitty sniper or anything! Just, because he knew he'd be most receptive and less likely to lie to him if he approached him in a less tense situation!
Getting Usopp alone, however, was tricky. Right now, no one really wanted to be alone for long periods of times, all of them still feeling the two-year separation and instinctively searching for comfort in one another. Which was probably why when Sanji made his usual mid-morning, mid-afternoon, after-evening snacks it wasn't just for the girls anymore – at least, for the time being. Usopp was no different – once the crew was up, he was with someone all the time and, unfortunately, the few times he had been with him had been with another of their Nakama. And catching him on watch wouldn't work either, because it was ridiculous to the point that they were even doing watches in pairs! Not that he had minded that too much, since his first pair watch had been with Robin-Chwan and her radiant form made his heart sore all night and not a wink of sleepiness overcame him. His second had been with Chopper, the little reindeer eager to learn about and incorporate Sanji's new dishes into his new doctoring methods.
But, thanks to his job – and their Captain's insatiable appetite, which always made him start their meals extra early to make sure it was done on time – he discovered there was one time when Usopp was always alone. The first time he saw it, he had to do a double take and wonder if he was still dreaming, because that could not be Usopp doing push-ups on the lawn deck at the break of dawn.
Well, where the hell did you think those muscles came from? He didn't shitty fairytale them on himself. Sanji had to remind himself and of course if the sniper was going to keep those muscles, he'd have to continue training them. But… But this was Usopp – slim, lanky, can't even lift a damn two-ton hammer Usopp! Training was such a… a… a Marimo thing – a brainless, meat-headed, can't even shitty wait for wounds to heal Marimo thing!
They all really have changed after two-years, huh?
But, he should probably be thankful for it, for Sanji now knew the perfect time to catch Usopp. And so, one morning Usopp rolled out of bed, carefully dodging one of Franky's now oversized arms dangling between the bunks, and got ready for the day. And Sanji waited patiently until he heard the door shut, before rolling out of bed himself and doing the same. He emerged from the boy's cabin just in time to catch the long-nosed marksman doing some warm-up stretches. He hesitated for just a moment, wondering if this possibly – no, scratch that – definitely awkward conversation was worth it. But would he rather it plague him instead?
Then again, would knowing for sure even make a difference to how he felt?
Ugh, shitty mind needed to make itself up.
"Oi, Usopp!"
The sniper paused, one arm behind his head as he held the elbow at an angle above his head with the opposite hand, glancing backwards. "Oh, hey Sanji!" He relaxed, offering the cook a smile. "You're up early today. Got something special planned?"
Was he asking that just for conversation or was he hoping the meal was going to be so huge that he could beat Luffy to at least getting thirds and filling his belly until he couldn't even imagine what starving felt like just like Sanji himself used to do when-
Okay, he really couldn't live like this.
"Not really." Sanji said, unable to help himself from lighting a cigarette, trying to appear calm and casual as he added, "I actually needed to speak with you."
"Huh, with me?" Usopp asked.
The blonde nodded, taking a drag and blowing out the smoke, before gesturing to the bench around the tree, "Let's sit down."
"Uh… alright." Usopp tilted his head curiously, one eyebrow raised, but followed all the same, albeit a bit cautiously. The sky above them was turning lighter by the minute, what was once a rich navy was now a stunning sapphire. The sun would be breaking the horizon soon. And in the observation tower, giving them a cursory glance, were Brook and Robin. Usopp and he waved back. "I swear if there is something missing in the kitchen," Usopp said as he lowered his hand, "Check Luffy's bed first."
Was he saying that –
Brain shut the shitty hell up.
"No," Sanji half-heartedly chuckled some, "No, nothings missing." Yet. Luffy was pretty notorious for getting into places he shouldn't be. Could he Haki the lock open?
"Sooo?"
"Usopp, what did you leave out of your story?"
There it was said. It was done. Now Usopp just had to say-
"What do you mean left out?"
Ugh, he should of known it wouldn't be that easy, damn it. "I mean I want to know what you didn't tell the rest of those shitheads – and the beautiful ladies – about when you told us about your time on that shitty carnivorous island."
Wide, round eyes blinked a few times, before he tried to act affronted, "What do you mean? I did tell you the whole story! It was all true and I didn't embellish it at all." He scooted a little to the left when Sanji shot him a glare. "Okay, much. The hundred foot caterpillars were really only ninety and I whined a LOT when Heracles'n and I first started training, okay? But that's it!"
"Yeah I figured all that." Sanji clipped, "I mean what happened before that?"
"Huuuuh?" Now Usopp looked confused. "What do you mean before? There was no 'before'. I got sent away by that Kuma guy, floated around for three days like everyone else, landed on the island, ran for my life from some giant snapping beetle and Heracles saved me."
Sanji frowned, eyeing Usopp critically but he couldn't detect a lie. But that didn't make sense! Unless… it happened after? "Then did you get lost?"
The black-haired male frowned, shaking his head once, and then stood, considering the conversation over. "Of course not. I'm not Zoro you know. I dunno what's up with you Sanji but I'm fine so don't worry so much."
"I'M NOT WORRIED." He yelled almost automatically, racking his brain around while Usopp continued with his stretches. He wasn't just imaging those looks! There had to be something, something he was missing, something painfully obvious but what was it? How could he get Usopp to tell him?
His eyes widened and the answer was so damn simple he couldn't believe he didn't think of it before. "Then… what did you eat?"
Usopp froze, arm still half-raised in the air where he was about to draw it along his chest. And it made Sanji grin around his cigarette. Bingo. The sniper recovered after a few short moments and laughed, but it was nervous now. "Eat? Oh you know we ate… food. What else would we eat? I mean Heracles was always trying to get me to eat the bugs we killed but I thought that was too disgusting and-"
He was rambling just like he used to when he was getting backed into a corner. He was caught. Sanji stood up, smoke fluttering around his face as he stepped forward, able to see how Usopp visibly tensed at his approach his chatter running off as he looked over his shoulder at him. There was sweat on his face. "Usopp, what did you eat?" He repeated, more firmly now.
"All kinds of stuff!" The sniper spluttered. "All these weird kinds of fruits and these – EEP!"
Sanji grabbed the younger, tugging him around to face him finally, holding him by his upper arms, which really weren't scrawny at all anymore, and shook him, "Damn it Usopp, don't lie to me! You starved at some point, didn't you?!"
Wide eyes got wider. "W-What?!"
"You don't have to hide it from me. While it's fine if you never tell the rest of those shitheads and you better NOT tell the ladies, their delicate ears don't need to hear such gruesome things, but you can at least tell me. You know what happened to me!"
Usopp's jaw fell open, the younger staring back, and in his eyes he could see the memory replaying there, the words that shitty old man broadcasted for the entire world to hear like he was some damn reporting Den Den Mushi.
"Can you imagine how horrible it is? Having no food or water on this vast ocean? The difference between all of you and Sanji is that he knows that feeling!"
The moment only lasted for just that, before Usopp snapped out of it, raising his hands and waving them pacifyingly, "W-W-W-Wait a minute Sanji! You've got it all wrong! I didn't starve!" He felt a tremble under his fingers as he aimed another fierce glare down at the dark-skinned male. "I swear! What in the hell makes you think I did?"
Relief washed over him like a tidal wave brought on by a cyclone. He didn't, he really didn't? But Sanji still frowned even as he let the other go, not ready to fully believe him. "The way you stare at your shitty food is what! You look like you haven't seen food in years or something."
"O-Oh… that." The sniper said, his cheeks turning a little red as he averted his eyes
The cook's eyes narrowed. "So there is something you're hiding!"
"Well, yeah, kind of…" Usopp gnawed on his bottom lip for a moment as he glanced around to make sure no one was in sight, deciding on something, and then spoke tentatively. "If… If I tell you, will you promise not to tell the others?"
"Why the sudden change of heart?" Sanji asked suspiciously, flicking his cigarette over the side of the boat with practiced ease.
The toe of one boot twisted in the grass, the black-haired male sighing in defeat. "Well, if it's bothering you this much I guess it's okay if you know… it's just… embarrassing alright?"
Embarrassing? What embarrassing thing could possibly happen to make Usopp act like he wanted to eat anything within sight? Instead of commenting, Sanji just nodded to let the other know he was listening.
"Okay well… Um, there was something about that island I uh, forgot to mention. See I was getting hungry so Heracles brought me to this spot deep in the forest... and I couldn't believe it. There was already prepared food everywhere! A ramen river and spaghetti grass and chocolate flowers! It was like… like I was walking into one of Luffy's dreams or something. And the smell of it all…" Usopp looked like he was about to start drooling as he remembered it. "And the taste. It was… well, never mind that."
Sanji blinked at the aversion, and then shrugged, if anything just feeling comforted by this knowledge. Was Usopp worried about insulting him or something? Two years ago, he might have been but he had learned something during their time apart as well. He was a pirate ship's cook not a chef in restaurant anymore; there were probably a hundred chefs who could make a dish tastier then he could, but he'd made it his goal that no one could make a dish better than he can, where the nutrients blended to perfection and gave the body strength, invigorating it to heal faster and perform better. "Okay so you had a lot of food. Why keep that a secret?"
"Ah…" He paused, rocking on his heels some, then said, "Well, the thing about that food is, it's a trap. If you're not careful with how much you eat there… pretty soon, you won't be able to stop eating. It's how the island gets animals and unsuspecting or stupid people to, er, fatten up before it eats you." He hung his head in shame. "I was one of those stupid people."
Still not seeing the problem, Sanji shrugged again. "Well you got out of it right? I'm sure that Heracles guy helped you. What happened, you gained a little weight?"
Now Usopp was flushed all the way down his neck, his lips like a wavy line, "It wasn't a little weight Sanji." He paused then admitted, "It was about six-hundred pounds."
Utter silence.
And then…
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH AHAHA!" Sanji practically doubled over on himself at the mental image provided to him, pounding his fist on the railing as he held his stomach. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"O-O-Oi! SHUT UP BASTARD! STOP LAUGHING." Usopp cried, flailing his arms and looking around all panicky, as if he expected the entire crew to pop out next and start mocking him too.
It took a full on minute for the elder to gather himself back together, rubbing at his watery eyes and shaking his head. "I'm sorry… hehe, I'm sorry."
"Hmph," The marksman crossed his arms and looked away, pouting some and he grumbled, "Now you see why I didn't want to tell anyone, jerk."
"Oh come on it's not that ba-pfffhahahaha!"
"YOU CAN'T EVEN REASSURE ME?!" Usopp groaned, running a hand over the top of his head, probably wishing for his hat so he could hide his eyes but it was back in the men's cabin. So he just blushed and endured it and when the cook got his bearings again, he tapped his foot and asked, "You done?"
"Yes, I'm fine." He pulled out another cigarette and lit it but didn't miss the gleam in Usopp's eyes when he did. Eh?
"I suppose it's good I lost all that weight though. If I still had it by the time we got back together, I'd probably fall through Sunny and sink us all."
Sanji almost laughed again but because he had been inhaling, instead choked on his cigarette smoke. He coughed, eyes tearing up. "Bastard, you said that on purpose!"
"Who me?" Usopp said with a sly grin, looking quite pleased at himself. Shitty sniper.
He let it go though, getting them back on track, "So you didn't say anything because you'd know we'd laugh?"
The other male shrugged a bit, then said consideringly, "It's not just that…" He frowned.
"Heh, worried Luffy'd turn us around and make us all go there?"
"If we did, we'd never get him back." Usopp groaned at the thought, shaking his head but became quickly solemn. "But no, that's not it. Sanji, I know you've noticed this, that when it comes to my stories I always, errrm… cleverly omit the parts that make me sound like a total weakling. That's how that… incident made me feel." He turned his head, squinting as he saw the sun rising and said honestly, "I'm so angry how weak-minded I am. It wasn't even getting fat that bothers me that much… it's the fact I couldn't stop myself. If it hadn't of been for the Newscoo bringing news about Luffy's brother dying… I probably never would have snapped out of it. After that, all I could think about was getting back to Luffy."
Sanji grimaced at the reminder of that tragic incident and though he wanted to bring up the question on exactly how Usopp gained that much weight in only a few days, he decided he'd seen stranger things on the Grand Line. His eyes flickered to the end of the burning red tip of the cigarette he had in his mouth and silently he understood. "I dunno, I think I like this version better."
"Yeah, yeah I know it's great for a good laugh." Usopp said with a roll of his eyes.
"Not that idiot." Sanji blew out another cloud of smoke, "It's just the whole 'hero' overcoming a weakness to become stronger than ever before for the sake of his nakama makes for a good story, you know." Usopp stared back at him in utter surprise, unable to come up with a response to that. He smirked, walking past him and patting his shoulder, "I'm going to get breakfast started." He headed up to the kitchen. When he next looked out the window he saw Usopp running laps across deck.
By lunch, Usopp was already in story-teller mode, entertaining the others about his battle with the Food of Gluttony, sending a small smile Sanji's way when no one was looking. At dinner, while Sanji was tidying up the kitchen some while the others ate, he caught that look again. But that was all that happened. Sanji smiled, glad it no longer filled him with that worr- UNEASE anymore and reached for his cigarettes.
His fingers paused just short of touching the rectangle box and he wondered if he could-
No, no good. He could already feel that tingling need crawl up his arm, scuttle up his throat and nip tantalizing suggestions at his brain. He gave in and grabbed the box as he joined the table of rambunctious crewmates and consented to the plain, true fact:
There were always things Usopp could do that he couldn't.