Operation Reconcile
AN: I own nothing in this story. This is for Lady Emzebel so enjoy! Please R&R.
The sound of food striking the dining room floor rang out, Usopp having been the one responsible. He had suddenly stood up, grabbed his bowl, and dumped it on the wooden floor.
Glaring at Sanji, the sharpshooter left.
"What was that about?" Nami asked.
Sanji sighed and told the crew what had transpired that day.
Sanji was shopping for food supplies and Usopp, being his boyfriend, had tagged along. At first things had gone just fine, the sniper even wrapping a slightly trembling arm around Sanji's waist though the cook stiffened a little. It wasn't until they were passing by a crowd of people that trouble had started.
"Ugh, look at that long nosed uggo," a woman gossiped among her friends.
"That blond guy must be blind if he doesn't realize how ugly that other dude is."
Similar comments kept popping up until they had made their way back to the ship, Usopp putting space between the cook and himself.
Once Sanji had finished talking, he left, a newly lit cigarette dangling from his lips and his shoulders slumped.
"Are they going to have sex and be friends again?" Luffy's voice cut into the silence. He didn't quite get exactly how Usopp and Sanji's situation was any different from a normal lover's quarrel, assuming sex usually helped fights like this. That naivete failed to protect him from the punch headed his way courtesy of his navigator however.
"Robin, can you see where they are?" Nami asked, ignoring the bruised and rapidly swelling bumps on Luffy's head. Robin nodded and closed her eyes. A few moments later she opened them again.
"Long Nose-kun is in his room and Cook-san is near the bow watching the sea."
"Alright, I'll handle Usopp. Robin, take Zoro and deal with Sanji."
"What about the rest of us? I would be glad to watch over your panties," Brook said with his familiar laugh. The skeleton soon joined Luffy on the floor, a bump somehow poking out from his afro.
"Chopper you deal with these injured idiots and Franky-" but Nami's order was cut short as she looked at the cyborg. The shipwright was now rocking back and forth with a blanket on his legs.
Apparently Sanji had accidentally served him tea instead of cola.
"Why do I have to deal with the ero-cook? It's not my problem," Zoro protested. Nami turned her attention to the swordsmen, eyes glinting mischievously.
"Because if you don't I'll raise your debt to me so high you'll never be able to pay me back in over a million lifetimes, got it?" Zoro nodded, muttering under his breath about money grubbing navigators and stupid cooks.
After the three left, Chopper carefully lifted Luffy, blood spurting out instantly from one of the bruises. Startled, the doctor almost dropped his captain.
"Somebody call a doctor!"
Sanji exhaled deeply as he stared out at the sea before turning his head at the sound of footsteps behind him.
"Cook-san, you need to talk with Long Nose-kun," Robin said.
"I don't know what to say."
Zoro snorted at that. Sanji's eyebrow twitched and he glared at the swordsman.
"What was that Marimo?"
"I said you're pathetic. Normally you'd have started hounding after Usopp, going on about how you'll never leave him and all that bullshit you do when you're acting more idiotic than usual. Maybe Usopp's better off with someone like me who wouldn't let people talk that way about him to my face."
"You shut up!"
The next thing Robin knew there was a miniature dust cloud in front of her with swords and legs going in every direction. Eventually the cloud dissipated leaving Sanji blocking Zoro's strike with his right leg.
"Prove me wrong then ero-cook. Go apologize to Usopp or you'll be beating yourself up for the rest of your life." Sanji continued glaring for a few more moments before lowering his leg and striding towards the direction of Usopp's cabin.
"That was nice of you Swordsman-san," Robin commented. Zoro merely grunted.
"Don't get any ideas. I just said that so I wouldn't be in debt to that witch, that's all."
"Whatever you say," Robin replied with her mysterious grin.
Nami knocked gently on Usopp's door.
"Ne, Usopp, it's Nami. Can I come in?" She heard the lock being slid back several moments later. Pushing the door open, she went inside to find Usopp staring into the mirror by the back wall.
"I really am hideous, aren't I?" Usopp said quietly.
"No, you're not. You are terribly self-conscious though." She moved beside Usopp until both their reflections were staring out at them from the mirror. "You know what I see right now?"
"What?" Here Nami put her hand on Usopp's shoulder.
"I see my truest friend. Someone who understands what it's like to want to be stronger. Someone who has made me stronger. Someone I've laughed with, cried with, and who I'm proud to call my nakama. You're not ugly Usopp but you need to forgive Sanji. He forgave you for leaving just like you forgave me when I rejoined with Arlong."
Usopp didn't respond right away, instead staring at the mirror.
"I did kind of overreact, didn't I?" Nami nodded.
"Yes you did but Sanji should have stood up for you as well. Relationships are all about compromise and equality." Usopp finally turned and looked into her eyes, offering a warm smile.
"Thanks Nami, for everything."
"Don't mention it. And by the way I need some repairs done on the Perfect Clima Tract."
"Those are expensive you-" but Nami cut him off with a wink and tweaked his nose.
"Thanks Usopp! You're the best!" And before another word could be spoken the navigator left leaving an exasperated, though grinning, sharpshooter.
Sanji saw Nami coming out of Usopp's cabin, the woman offering him a pat on the shoulder along with a 'you better apologize' glare before leaving. Knocking on Usopp's door, the cook entered.
Both young men stared at each other, silence reigning after their eyes met.
"Sanji..."
"Usopp..."
"I'm sorry-"
"No, I shouldn't have-"
Usopp finally decided to let Sanji go first.
"I let you down. I should have stood up for you. It's just...I'm not quite used to this whole relationship we have. It's fine when we're alone or among the crew but when we're around strangers I lose my nerve."
"I understand. It's kind of hard for me as well. What do you say we put this behind us?"
Sanji nodded before moving closer, pulling his sniper in for a deep kiss.
After several more of these, Sanji smirked.
"Actually, there's one more thing I want to do."
Later that night, as the sun was sinking, Usopp made his way towards the town square.
"Hey it's that ugly guy from earlier. What happened to your friend gruesome? Get dumped or somethin-" but the man who had said this was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, his chin soon made contact with a black shoe, the impact sending the man flying through seven stalls to crash against the wall of a house.
"Anyone else wanna say something about my boyfriend?!"
The town was effectively silenced.
Dinnertime was the usual chaos with Luffy snatching unguarded meat off of his nakama's plates with abandon until Sanji stood up.
"Usopp, you wasted food earlier today." The sniper swallowed his current piece of bread and started sweating.
"Um...forgive me?" The rest of the Strawhat's looked at the cook.
"Alright, but only because you're cute."
Dinner then resumed, Luffy and Brook soon standing up, arm in arm, apparently joyous at their friend's mended relationship.
"MEAT!"
"PANTIES!"
"DOCTOR!" Chopper cried a moment later after witnessing Nami once again knocking out her crew mates with one mighty punch.
The rest of the crew started laughing, Sanji and Usopp's eyes meeting. Both smiled.
Everything was going to be okay.
At least as okay as they could be with this crazy crew.