Setting: right after the Water 7 saga. Be spoiled at your own risk.
Pairing: Sanji x Usopp, hint at ZoLu/LuZo
Rating: T-ish
Sanji knocked carefully a few times before entering the workshop. The sniper sat at the other end of the room with his back turned to the door. None of them said anything as the cook crouched next to him, platter in hand.
"Sheesh, you've been down here day and night since we left. What are you even doing?" he asked and peeked over Usopp's shoulder.
The younger man seemed focused, but wasn't actually concentrating. In fact he just stared into nothingness, occupied with his own thoughts. It took a moment for him to react to the cooks words.
"Oh, uhm, nothing really..." he answered and looked down at his smudged hands. "Just restocking my ammo."
"In the middle of the night?"
Sanji put down the platter and got into a more comfortable seating position.
"Figured you must be hungry" he stated and made a gesture towards the night snack before picking up his lighter.
"Thanks, you didn't ha- oi oi oi!" he shouted after turning towards the "Put that down!" His commanding voice quickly turned fainter. "I-it's just that there's explosives here and all..."
Sanji raised a curly eyebrow at his fellow's apologetic voice, yet put the lighter back into his pocket.
"Sorry" Usopp mumbled some seconds later.
"Why are you apologizing?" the cook chuckled back. "I was this close to blowing us both up, I'm the one who should be sorry."
His smile soon turned into a concerned face when the sniper looked down at the floor. Silence overtook the room.
A sting of shame was still deeply rooted inside of Usopp. He had left the crew, and even though they had taken him back he still felt... guilty. They were nakama, but he couldn't look them in the eyes. Not yet. So for the last three days he had tried to avoid being in anyone's way, which was easily done by telling the others he needed to work on his gadgets.
Sanji moved closer and wrapped his arms around Usopp, slowly pulling him into a tight embrace.
"Don't you dare leave us again, you shitty sniper." he said with a low voice.
Usopp's eyes widened in surprise, but soon he too put his arms around the other.
"I won't."