Intently cooking dinner, Sanji could feel two eyes burning into his back. Looking around slowly, he found Usopp sitting at the table, watching the cook from where he sat. Usopp jumped when the two made eye contact, and he went back to tinkering with his bullets.
"What were you just staring at?"
"I wasn't staring at anything." The answer was way too quick to be true; Usopp obviously knew that Sanji would interrogate him. But Sanji was ready for any of the sniper's tactics.
"I caught you watching me."
"Then why'd you ask what I was staring at?" Ooh, Usopp was good; Sanji mentally slapped himself for falling into that. The cook turned back to his cooking, to rethink his strategy.
He started to turn again, seeing that Usopp's eyes were now glued to the bullets in case Sanji was to look back again.
"If you want the food, you're going to have to wait just like everyone else."
"I'm not Luffy." Usopp replied shortly, not missing a beat. "You're just…" That sounded so suspiciously like the start of a love confession, Sanji almost resorted to teasing the other boy, but decided against it.
"You're really good with your hands. It's weird because I've only really seen you use your feet." Well, not exactly a love confession, but a compliment nonetheless. He could vaguely hear Usopp trying to explain himself over his inner thoughts. "…your hands so I was watching that."
"Why are you explaining yourself?"
"Um, well, I just thought that…" Usopp could sound so self conscious sometimes; it was almost a nice change from the loud boasting.
"Well, what, do you want to try? You're good with your hands too." He hadn't really started anything yet, so Sanji didn't see the harm in Usopp making a little something.
"Here, fried rice isn't even a challenge; a man of your skill could make this no problem, right?" Usopp could hear the sarcasm dripping from the sentence but he played on it anyway.
"O-Of course! Back at home I cooked for my w-whole village! I-I once saved them from starva-"
"Save the story." Sanji said, handing Usopp the pan. The sniper took it with a shaky hand, feeling like he had to prove himself as a chef to Sanji, one of the most famous chefs on the blue seas.
Sanji, ever perceptive, caught the shaking right off the bat. "Usopp, what the hell, it's cooking. Steady your hand, and pull it together. I'll guide you."
Standing by Usopp's side, Sanji went to work, turning on the stove and mixing everything together.
"There, now all you have to do is put it in the pan, and make sure it doesn't burn to the bottom, got it?"
Usopp nodded nervously.
"Make sure you never stop moving the rice. If it burns, you're eating it nonetheless."
Another nod.
Sanji had to admit, Usopp was doing a pretty good job, even if it was just moving rice around in a pan. He smiled and leaned in to take the pan from Usopp. "See? Not so hard, now go wash your hands. You just made dinner."
Usopp's eyes widened when the words hit him. "M-made dinner?" But he could've sworn that Sanji had just given him a little, enough for only him to eat…when did he end up making enough for the whole crew? When he looked back the bowl was filled with steaming brown fried rice. Sanji must've slipped more on or something.
Sanji smirked to himself as Usopp walked away.
Stuffing his face full of rice, Luffy spewed half of his food across the table as he happily yelled "This is so good! I love fried rice, Sanji!" The others agreed, without quite so much mess.
"Well, I did have a little help." Sanji said, smiling softly up at Usopp as he placed the rest of the meal down, "Guess I'll just have to get help more often.