Bipalium: Prompt: SanUso, post Enies Lobby.
It was far too early in the morning for the galley light to be on. The sun hadn't even began to grey the horizon yet; Sanji would still be asleep if the stress from the last few days hadn't put him in the bad habit of not sleeping.
Sanji watched the light that filtered through the small windows while he took his morning cigarette against the railing. No shadows moved inside of his kitchen, but he knew he hadn't been the one to leave the light on.
It seemed he had a thief on his hands. After all, it was still too early for it to be Robin getting her morning coffee, and dim lantern light in the crow's nest told him Zoro was still up there on his watch. No, there was no justifiable reason for the lights in the galley to be on.
There were only two suspects that came immediately to Sanji's mind. One was a shitty gomu glutton, and the other a long nosed liar. Luffy often tried to raid the kitchen for food, while Usopp usually stole Sanji's best spices. Thanks to the generosity of Iceburg and the others of Water 7, Sanji had recently stocked up well in food stores and fresh herbs and spices, and therefore his galley was perfect pickings for grabby hands.
Sanji approached his kitchen as quietly as possible. It made for the best possible punishment if he could catch his victim off guard. He discarded the butt of his cigarette and peeked through the window of the galley's door.
Option two was the winner. Usopp sat at the dining table, his forehead creased and a pensive look on his face. The Sogeking mask spun between his fingers, one point resting against the tabletop. That mask was probably something Usopp both loved and hated. On the one hand it was the personification of his courage, on the other it was an example of his cowardice; used to hide from his friends and avoid facing the consequences of his actions.
Sanji wished he'd just throw the damn thing into the sea.
It was obvious enough Usopp hadn't come to the galley to steal Sanji's spices, so Sanji made his presence known when he pushed through the door. The sniper looked up, slightly startled by the presence of another person, but Sanji reacted casually.
"What are you doing in here, shitty long nose?" Sanji asked, moving into kitchen and shooting a look at the sniper as he passed.
"Not stealing," Usopp said quickly, fixing Sanji with big, innocent eyes as if they would convince the cook.
"I can see that, idiot," Sanji scoffed. He moved behind the counter, filling the kettle to boil and taking various items from the fridge. "What are you doing in here though?"
There was a silence after that. It wasn't one Sanji was rushing to end, he'd give Usopp his time to answer. It seemed the sniper had a lot on his mind, and Sanji was willing to give him time to sort it out.
"It's big in here," Usopp finally said. He looked around the galley.
Sanji did the same. The galley of the Thousand Sunny was much larger than the one on the Going Merry, and the cooking equipment was much better. There were eight of them now, and space would have been tight in the Merry's little galley, and meals much harder to cook on the tiny stove there. The Sunny was much more practical for their growing family, and perfect for them.
"It is," Sanji agreed, measuring tea into the strainers before pouring the hot water over them. He mixed a little honey into one of the mugs and, with a practiced ease earned from years of working in a restaurant, carried both mugs and a plate of small cakes over to the dining table. He set one mug in front of Usopp, and took the seat opposite of the young man.
"I miss the Merry too, you know," he said.
Usopp nodded, not making eye contact with Sanji. He'd set the stupid mask aside when Sanji had brought him his tea, but now he was staring at it where it sat on the table.
"What's on your mind?" Sanji asked him. He would wait for Usopp's answer as long as it took, but some prompting might be in order to get the sniper's head back on track.
Usopp looked to Sanji again, a look tinged with sadness. "Do you think I really belong on this crew, Sanji?"
Sanji opened his mouth to argue against the stupid question, but Usopp cut him off, continuing on the tirade of his thoughts.
"I went against my captain's orders. I fought with Luffy. When everything was falling apart, I failed to keep myself together. No crew needs a member like that. I'm a coward, weak and pathetic. I cause more harm than good. I can't be brave like you or Zoro. I'm not smart like Nami or Robin. I can't save lives like Chopper. I could never lead like Luffy does. Aside from my slingshot and that mask, I don't have any use."
Sanji sighed, taking a deep drag from the cigarette he'd lit himself while Usopp had been talking. He exhaled slowly, seeming to consider the young man's words before flicking his foot forward and aiming a sharp kick at Usopp's shin. The young man cried out in pain, his leg jerking in alarm and making his knee bang against the underside of the table.
Sanji used the quiet moment while Usopp was fighting tears of pain to speak.
"You're not brave like Zoro and I, but you do have courage. It takes a lot of guts to stand up for your friends. No one can save lives like Chopper, but we'd fall a lot faster without you there. Luffy leads us as our captain, but you help keep our captain going," Sanji took another drag of his cigarette. "But Nami-swan and Robin-chwan are heaven sent angels of course; no man can win against their magnificence."
Usopp snorted and rolled his eyes.
Sanji silenced him with a warning look and continued. "The point is, Usopp, you're important to us," he paused for a moment. "But you're the only one who can decide if you belong here or not."
Usopp sipped his tea, the thoughtful look settling back on to his features. Sanji left him to his thoughts, nibbling on one of the cakes he'd set out and drinking down his own tea.
The sun was just creeping over the horizon when Usopp spoke again. Somewhere beyond the galley, Sanji could hear a door open and close. That was probably Robin.
"Thanks for the tea, Sanji," Usopp said, standing from the table and depositing his dishes into the sink. He came back to collect the mask before making for the galley door. "And thanks for letting me belong."
He was gone before Sanji could reply, not that the cook had anything to say to that anyway. He smiled after the younger man. There were things about Usopp that would never cease to amaze him, no matter how long he knew the long nose.
"Did something good happen, Coo - Sanji?" Robin asked, entering the galley moments later.
Sanji pulled himself up from the table, warm smile still evident on his face, prepared to make his lady some coffee.
"Of course it did, Robin-chwan!" He cooed. "I was graced by your beauty at such an early hour, how could I not be happy!"