"Usopp?"

Usopp looked up from his dutiful reading of the daily comics. It was Saturday, and Sanji was taking the day off, so he had stayed at the apartment, taking his time making a lovely breakfast for them both.

"What?" Usopp said when Sanji didn't continue. "Whoa, this looks really good, thanks!"

Sanji sat at the table after placing out the food. He and Usopp served themselves, and when they were both settled, he took a breath and went on.

"Why don't you want to get married?"

Usopp dropped his fork. "What?"

"I mean—" Sanji shifted. "Every time I—I've hinted at it, you changed the subject, and you never brought it up, either—so if there's some reason, could you tell me?"

Usopp stared at the table, hesitating.

"It's fine that you don't want to," Sanji added, placing his hand on Usopp's in a comforting manner. "I'm just wondering."

"It's not that I don't want to!"

Usopp looked up again, blinking hard. "I do wanna get married. I love you so much, more than—um—okay, improv poetry isn't my forte, I only tell stories—but I really do love you!"

"I know," Sanji exclaimed, holding his hand now. "I know. I love you, too."

"It's just—!" Usopp flexed his fingers in Sanji's hand. "We—I dunno if we can afford a wedding."

Sanji stared at him.

"Weddings are supposed to be big and happy, and have lots of food and—" Usopp waved his other hand about. "And they can get expensive, even if you hire someone to take care of stuff like that. Plus there's the honeymoon—where the hell would we go? What would that cost?"

"Oh, my god," Sanji said. "Usopp. If you really want to get married, we don't have to have a huge wedding."

Usopp looked at him. "I—what?"

"Getting married just—the wedding's just a tradition," Sanji exclaimed, holding back laughter of disbelief. "A lot of people just get married with a license in a courtroom—sure, it costs a little, but it's cheaper than what you're thinking of."

Usopp blinked. "I always thought . . ."

"And the honeymoon can wait," Sanji added, bringing Usopp's hand up and kissing the back. "If we find somewhere we really wanna go, we can bide our time, save up for a trip—and in the meantime, we can treat ourselves here with homemade drinks and cake."

He paused, looking at Usopp, whose eyes had begun to water.

"So . . . if you still wanna wait, I unders—"

Usopp stood, knocking his chair over, and ran around the table, jumping on Sanji in a hug.

"Sanji," he said into the back of his neck, "will you marry me?"

"Nothing would make me happier," Sanji said, holding Usopp in his lap now.

Usopp sniffled, which set Sanji's nose stinging, and soon enough both were crying and hugging, smiling through happy tears.

"What about rings?" Usopp exclaimed when they'd calmed down a bit, pulling back. "I forgot about rings—"

"We can worry about that later," Sanji said. "Do you wanna celebrate somehow?"

Usopp looked around. "How about . . . we go out to dinner tonight?"

"Sounds good," Sanji agreed.

"And we can invite Zoro!"

Sanji frowned. "Why?"

"Well, we have to tell him somehow," Usopp said. "And come on, you've known him even longer than me, don't 'why' me!"

Sanji rolled his eyes. "Well, if you insist, I'll call him this afternoon. Where do you wanna go eat?"

"The Italian place—"

"It's called Palla's," Sanji corrected, leaning against the counter and tapping the surface. Usopp sat nearby, playing with his paint-stained overalls.

"Right, whatever—that place at six-thirty," Zoro said over the phone.

"Correct." Sanji grinned at Usopp. "I'll make reservations for three, unless you secretly got a girlfriend."

Usopp snorted.

"I know, right?" Sanji said in response to Zoro's laughter.

"Well, I won't bring a girlfriend. Hold for a second, will you?"

"What—?" Sanji glanced at Usopp, who looked at him curiously. Sanji shrugged and resumed tapping the counter, waiting for Zoro to return.

Finally—

"Still there, curly?"

"Yes," Sanji said in irritation. "Now, did you want to say anything else?"

"Yeah. Like I said, I won't bring a girlfriend, but can I bring my boyfriend?"

Sanji promptly dropped the phone, his mouth falling open in shock.

"What is it?" Usopp exclaimed as Sanji hastily got off the counter to grab the phone from the floor.

"Since when do you have a boyfriend?!" Sanji yelled into the phone, leaning on the counter.

"Drama queen much? I'll explain at the restaurant, so make reservations for four."

"I will, don't worry—you better not be fucking with me, moss—"

"Yeah, see you tonight."

Zoro promptly hung up the phone before Sanji could yell at him again.

"Did you say he has a boyfriend?" Usopp said incredulously.

"That's what he said!" Sanji exclaimed. "Since when—?! Oh, I can't wait until tonight, I'd love to see what kind of guy could put up with that grass-head!"

"And what kind of guy Zoro could fall in love with," Usopp added in wonder. "Wow. He has a boyfriend."

Sanji took a deep breath. "The world is full of mystery. Let's try walking on the ceiling. If he can date someone successfully, anything's possible!"

"You're being dramatic!"

"Maybe we could invite Robin, too," Sanji said suddenly in the middle of their fourth game of Old Maid.

"I think she's working today," Usopp said.

"I win," Sanji said, laying his cards out. "That makes it a tie."

"Oh!" Usopp exclaimed. "I mean, congratulations on that, but what if we invite those two—Nami and Vivi?"

"Yeah!" Sanji exclaimed, eyes widening. "We haven't had a chance to meet with them together yet—let's do it!"

Usopp jumped to his feet and ran to the phone. "Where's the number—? Never mind, found it!"

He quickly dialed and leaned against the counter, waiting.

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is—Usopp," Usopp said quickly. "Um, is this Nami?"

"Yes? Oh, it's you! What is it?"

"Me n' Sanji and another friend and his partner are all going out to dinner, and we wanted to invite you and Vivi."

A pause.

"Who are the other two?"

"One's Zoro, he was the cop with green hair from the robbery," Usopp explained. "And . . . we haven't met his boyfriend yet. We're going to tonight."

Nami sighed, creating static over the line. "Just a second."

Usopp grinned at Sanji while he waited, giving a thumbs-up.

"Sure, we'll come. What time and where?"

"Six-thirty at Palla's!"

"Got it. See you then!"

She abruptly hung up the phone.

"Your turn," Usopp said, tossing the phone to Sanji.

"Huh?"

"Call Zoro and tell him," Usopp said impatiently.

"Right." Sanji hastily dialed the number and waited, leaning against the couch cushions.

"Hey," he said when Zoro picked up. "So, dinner's going to be six people instead of four."

"What do you mean, six people?"

"You, your boyfriend, me, Usopp, Nami, and—"

"Who the hell is Nami?!"

"The teller from the bank where the robbery was. Redhead, freckles. I met her a while ago and Usopp met her girlfriend, so she and her girlfriend are coming, too. You okay with that?"

"Do I have a choice here?!"

"It was Usopp's idea, don't yell at me, blame him!"

"No, I'm not blaming Usopp," Zoro yelled while Usopp gave Sanji a look, "because you're the one I'm talking to!"

"See you tonight."

Zoro slammed the phone, making Sanji wince.

"He seemed high-strung," he remarked, tossing it back to Usopp. "Maybe that boyfriend was giving him trouble."

"You're pretty hung-up on that," Usopp said, putting the phone back in the cradle.

"Twelve years! Twelve years, and he's never shown any kind of interest to romance, and now this?!"

Usopp frowned. "Do you need a nap?"

"I don't need a goddamn nap!"

Usopp made sure to wake Sanji up from his nap about half an hour before they had to go.