-x-

a world no one else has ever seen
a warmth slowly building

-x-

Luffy rolls over on top of Usopp sometime in the night, dragging Chopper with him as he skillfully bridges the space between the bunks. There's a lot of disgruntled shoving from both of them (bewildered on Usopp's part, and determined on Luffy's) before the captain finally settles at the foot of the bed, on his back between Usopp's knees. He practically wraps one of his legs around Usopp's, burying his cold toes wherever he pleases, his other leg outstretched over Usopp's stomach and chest with the heel of his foot resting against Usopp's shoulder. Chopper is cradled in his arms, still fast asleep with his nose pressed against Luffy's collar bone.

There is the biggest, dumbest smile on Luffy's face.

Usopp knows this without even looking. He can hear it in the happy exhale as Luffy moves his shoulders, throwing an arm over Usopp's free leg. Usopp doesn't mind the intrusion - how could he, when it's been so long? - but he pretends to. Clearing his throat, he kicks his foot a little, bouncing Luffy's arm. He gets an inquisitive hum from the captain and asks, "Who said you could come over here, huh?"

"I did," Luffy says, smug and grinning.

Luffy moves his heel, digging it playfully into the slope of Usopp's shoulder, touching Usopp's face with the ball of his foot. His big toe pokes the corner of Usopp's eye, and Usopp lifts his arm to grab Luffy's ankle, turning his face away.

"Come on, Luffy," he says, pushing Luffy's leg up and off of him, "There isn't enough room is this bunk for all of us."

He says it jokingly, but is surprised to realize he's made a valid point - he and Luffy fit comfortably in this same bunk two years ago, but now there's a little less space than there was before. Usopp knows his feet weren't always so close to the end of the bed, knows his elbows weren't so close to the sides.

The bunk obviously hasn't shrunk.

Usopp doesn't know what the feeling that comes over him is - a warmth slowly building in his chest like a storm. Whatever it is, Luffy dispels it with a swift, laughing kick to Usopp's jaw. The blow doesn't hurt. It's glancing, persistent and strong. Usopp yelps in surprise, anyway, hamming it up, "OW! Luffy, you got a lotta nerve!"

He grabs the flat of Luffy's foot in his hand, pushes him off. He feels the muscles in Luffy's leg tighten as he pushes his foot back into Usopp's palm. The playful gesture quickly becomes a subtle test of strength - both of them struggling against each other and neither giving an inch, muscles burning, the bunk wobbling.

Obviously, Luffy is going to win unless Usopp does something drastic. Holding on tight so he doesn't get kicked in the face for real, Usopp lifts his free hand and pokes Luffy behind the knee. Luffy yelps out a laugh, his whole body jerking to retreat. He tries to yank his leg free, but Usopp pins his ankle down under his arm and grabs his leg so he can't escape, still tickling furiously behind his knee, the back of his thigh.

"Nonononono - No fuh-fair! Quit it! Usopp!"

Luffy wheezes and laughs and writhes around, dislodging Chopper as he fights to untangle himself from Usopp - and Chopper rolls right out of the bunk as it sways sideways, falling on top of Sanji. The noise has woken the whole cabin, now (except for Zoro, who could sleep through a hurricane), so Usopp goes ahead and bellows, "Do you give!"

"I give, I give!"

"Come on, guys, it's a little late for wrestlin', ain't it?"

"What's going on…?"

"Usopp started it!"

"You started it, you big liar, you came over here! Uninvited! Kicking me!"

"I don't care who the hell started it, I'll finish it if you don't go the hell back to sleep!"

Sanji kicks the bottom of the bunk, throwing it so sharply upward that for one stomach-lurching second Usopp and Luffy both leave the mattress and hang in the air, suspended. It drops back down hard, the chains jerking, swinging. There's a hiss from below as Sanji maybe realizes that could have ended really badly for him and Chopper - his own damn fault, too - but Franky's craftsmanship holds without a fault.

The unexpected ride calms them down a little and dislodges Luffy from Usopp's relentless tickling. Luffy is breathless from laughing so hard, gripping the sides of the bunk with both his hands, his legs curled in the air and knees close to his chest. He exhales loudly as he relaxes, kicking his legs out again, and closes his eyes.

In the quiet that comes next, they're both tangled up again, legs and arms wrapped around each other from opposite ends of the bed. Luffy's leg is a warm weight across Usopp's chest, his calloused hands and fingertips brushing against Usopp's bare leg. Usopp jerks it once in warning, though not enough to actually get away.

"If you tickle me, Luffy, you'll regret it!"

Luffy giggles softly, "Would not."

His grip tightens, just a little, and Usopp holds his breath for a second, and then he puffs like he's still annoyed, because that's normal. And he knows. There are a lot of things Luffy doesn't regret - and a lot of things he probably does.

-x-

-BobTAC