Author's Notes: Spoilers/setting: Takes place on the night after chapter 439, post Water 7/Enies Lobby, pre-Thriller Bark. Pairing: light Luffy/Usopp. Word count: 338.

Still There

The brand new ship rocked gently on the waves for its first night at sea. The sky was clear and bright with stars, and it would have made an excellent night for navigating, if only the crew had been large enough to handle night shifts as well. As it was, everyone but the look-out had gone to bed, and the ship was anchored to the sea bottom many hundreds of yards below. After a day full of excitement, the Thousand Sunny was taking its first bit of well-earned air of the men's cabin was full of many different kinds of snoring. One after the other, they'd finally all fallen asleep, most of them long after midnight. But even now some of them kept waking up from time to time.

"Hey, Usopp?" came a mumble from somewhere in the cosy darkness.

"..Mmyeah?" said a drowsy voice from somewhere else.

"You still there?"

"Yeah."

"...Okay. Just checking."

"Okay."

"Mhm."

"...Hey, Luffy?"

"Yeah?"

"This is your hand, isn't it?"

"Umm...yes?"

A small sigh. "Luffy, if you've got your hand right under my shoulder, then why do you need to ask if I'm here?"

"Heh heh...Just checking." His grin was practically audible in the darkness.

"Yeah, okay. Good." There was the warmth of an answering smile that one also couldn't see. "I'm just checking, too."

"Okay."

Usopp turned in his wooden hammock, shifting position, but didn't loose his hold of Luffy's hand. He put it under his cheek like one might do with one's own hand, trying to sleep.

"Not letting you go," he murmured, very very quietly.

"Huh? Whaddya say?"

"Ah, nothing. G'night, Luffy."

"G'night, Usopp." Luffy rolled over in his bunk as well, not trying to pull his hand back. The room soon had even more snores in it.

Tomorrow they'd haul the anchor and unfurl the sails and keep moving forward. And there would be lots of things to do. But tonight, they'd make do with the adventures in their dreams, where another ship was already waiting.