Author's Notes: This was originally posted years ago on the old One Piece anonmeme op-fanforall on Livejournal. Someone asked for fic that could "explain" the appeal of Zoro/Usopp as a pairing, and what would make it work as a relationship. I didn't quite know how to do that and felt rather presumptuous in trying but tried my best anyway by doing a wholly conversational fic. Afterwards I let it linger for a long time, unsure of whether it warranted re-posting.

But now that I remember it and I've finished polishing it up/revising it, I'm ready to repost the old thing in the open. The first part with Nami and Usopp is pretty much the same as before: the second with Zoro and Brook has been a bit more revised but in essence it's still very close to the original, I think.

Setting is after Thriller Bark and pre-Sabaody. Could have been post-timeskip, even, except that Brook refers to himself as a rookie in the crew, and therefore it's pre-timeskip (which means Brook has his violin instead of his guitar).

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of One Piece are owned by their creator Eiichiro Oda, who seriously needs to get a more human work schedule. They are used here without permission for entertainment purposes only. This work is not to be used for profit in any circumstances and should not be reposted anywhere without the author's approval.

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Tell Me This

A One Piece fanfic by Elin B

Part 1: Talking To Nami

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It feels like late in the night, though he's not quite sure of it. But it has been a long, eventful day at least, one that ended with a big party out on the deck, celebrating a victory. And since Usopp can't see anyone else right now that's conscious except him and Nami, sitting out on the lawn deck in the warm summer night, it's probably pretty late. Nami is alternating between chugging down gin and sipping from a dainty cocktail mix that looked deceitfully dangerous, while Usopp switched to plain soda water awhile ago but still feels pretty light-headed.

Somehow the subject of Lolonoa Zoro has entered the conversation. Maybe it was Nami that brought him up, or maybe Usopp did since he does feel just a bit too drunk to be properly embarrassed. He knows he hadn't planned to delve into their relationship, though; but it seems like Nami had.

"I know that guy pretty well, I'd say," she starts by saying. "I've known him for a real long time now, or at least it feels that way–"

"Longer than me– " he interjects, just in case she wants to point that out.

"Yeah – longer than you – but he still surprises me, even so. After all this time."

"Well, yeah. Me too," he agrees, looking over at her and wondering where this is going. Could… could Nami actually be jealous? She doesn't really look it. There's that warm light in her eyes like the shine of the sun on the waves early on a summer morning, and her smile is easy and relaxed. But she does look a little puzzled too.

She goes on, "And I didn't really see it – you two, you and him – it surprised me." She's lowered her voice now, and is moving the umbrella in her lethal-looking drink around in circles. "I hadn't expected that."

His cheeks grow warm, but not as much as they could have. It's late at night and nobody else can hear them. And some things are easier to talk about with Nami than with anyone else. At least, in some ways.

But he still takes a deep drink before answering, to give himself some time; and now Nami has already started to talk again.

"I mean...all right, don't take this the wrong way and maybe this will sound mean, but… I'm not all that sure what you might see in him. I'm awfully fond of him and I can't imagine him not being around, and I owe him a hell of a lot, but… as a boyfriend?" Her voice has sunk again, and as he glances at her he sees to his amazement that it's her face that's pink now, and she keeps spinning the paper umbrella around. Huh. Usopp wouldn't have imagined her talking so seriously about this, not teasing at all.

"Well," he mumbles, "it just… it just seems to work, y'know? I guess I wouldn't really have thought it would either, months ago," he admits. "I didn't think he was interested in that kinda thing. That he just wanted to focus on training and nothing else. Or even if he was, I'd've thought he woulda, well, be more likely to go for someone stronger."

"You're pretty strong," she mumbles.

"Strong-er," he specifies, though pleased with this uncharacteristic praise. Maybe Nami is a little drunk after all. "But I guess… I can't really compete with him, you know, the way Sanji can, I can't keep him on his toes like that. And I certainly can't decide things for him like Luffy. And I'm not as good at yelling at him when he's being an idiot as you are, although I can't say I don't try… and so on… but, I don't know... Maybe, I think maybe I can get him to relax now and then. A bit at least. To have fun and think of other things than training for a moment."

"And to do other things as well," says Nami slyly. Well, there's that teasing tone he'd expected, but it still makes him flush.

"I… I guess," he mutters, then coughs. "Anyway, I figure, well, maybe that's my job, when it comes to Zoro."

"All right, but… I wasn't asking what he might see in you," she points out. "But the other way around."

"Well, he's so strong, y'know?" Usopp finds himself gesturing, reaching for the right words to explain. He realises he's actually kinda glad that Nami has asked, that he gets the chance to expound on this out loud to someone. "Not just in muscles and techniques and all, but his will power, too. So determined. But… well, it's like he can let me be stronger, too. Or he trusts me to grow stronger, and then I really feel like I can." He's being rather vague and general about things, but he doesn't really want to get into concrete examples here: he's blushing enough already. It's only in some ways that Nami's easy to talk to. He buries his face in his tankard of soda. "Like… like I can feel how he respects me, y'know?" he adds. "It's like I get… more room that way."

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Nami looks at Usopp again. What he says seems to make sense, even though he's not being terribly specific. But there is an 'and yet' in her head she can't quite get past.

But he was prepared to leave you behind, she doesn't say. He even threatened to quit himself rather than let Luffy go ask you to come back.

She won't say that, of course. She can't ever say it.

Besides, for all she knows Zoro may have come clear about this to Usopp already, and they might have gotten past it on their own. But even if that's the case, Nami will not be the one to go around poking in old wounds. And no matter how much she drinks, Nami vows silently, she will never be drunk enough to forget that.

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Usopp blows bubbles into his glass, wondering if he made any sense at all to Nami. Maybe all those things he said didn't really add up enough as an explanation.

"Yeah, okay," says Nami now, her tone hesitant. "But…" She's looking at him in an oddly melancholy way, a more restrained curiosity in her face now. As if there's something more she'd like to ask about but can't bring herself to. He could just ignore that, but maybe he doesn't want to, not right here on the deck under the stars while he's comfortably tipsy.

So he adds, "And besides, even when he's being a complete blockhead or an insane maniac he can still be pretty sexy." That earns him a surprised smile, at least. Hey, maybe he'll get the hang of this kind of talk yet.

More seriously, he goes on to tell her, "He likes Luffy more than he likes me." Nami's eyebrows shoot up: she obviously hasn't expected him to say something like this, not so frankly. …She looks kinda concerned, too. "Sure, of course I know that," Usopp goes on, grinning at her in what he hopes is a reassuring fashion. "Not that way," he adds just to be clear. Nami just nods at that, waving at him to go on, so he does.

"Anyway, that's okay. It's Luffy. Besides, it's pretty much the same for me, so…" He shrugs and pours himself some gin, face only slightly red. His fingers are shaking a little, but maybe it's just because he's getting sleepy.

"Huh," says Nami, leaning back in her chair and for some reason looking rather relieved. "Well, normally I'd say that sounds pretty weird, except… well, we're a pretty weird crew, aren't we? So I guess in that way it fits."

He shrugs again. Then he grins really widely at her, "Of course, if you go ask Zoro why we're together, he'll probably say it's all due to my legendary powers of seduction! Why, I'm fabled all over East Blue and half the Grand Line as the Great Heartbreaker that no-one can resist, try as they might!"

That earns him a groan, a laugh and a smack on the arm. "Gah, I was just waiting to hear something like that," she grumbles. Then she snorts and starts giggling. "But I must say it would be quite glorious if anyone could get Zoro to say just that." She takes another deep swig from her tankard of gin. "Yeah. Okay."

He tilts his head towards her, now even sleepier. "Yeah, okay what?"

"Just, you know. Yeah. Okay."

"Okay."

"Yeah."

"I'm going to fall asleep now," he announces, putting his head down on his arms on the table.

"Be my guest," she mumbles, and he doesn't close his eyes after all, not yet, but watches her looking out towards the night, towards the dark waves. He feels there's something in his mind that he should say, that he should take this opportunity while he can, but now he can't think of what it might be.

"Sometimes I'm scared he might run into something that's just too much for him," she says, softly but suddenly. "He gets stronger all the time, but... he always tries so hard, and he doesn't really know how to bend, like you and I do, does he? I'm scared he'll break instead."

"Well..." he says slowly, "we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen, won't we?"

She looks at him, smiles, and nods. And that's about all he remembers before he slips into dreams.