The Hurting Liar

If Usopp would have to honestly describe himself, he would say that he was a coward and a liar, and probably more of a liability than actual help.

However, because he was a liar, he'd never say that.

But, even if he was a liar, he would always say that he was the born storyteller.

Granted, most of the time he was lying and the stories he told were never really true, tweaked here and there to make himself look better. It wasn't the most honorable thing to do, but a liar wasn't honorable and lying was too deeply ingrained into his being for him to actually say the truth without consciously making the effort.

"You know, when Ace and I were younger, we used to fish near the rocks by the cliff. Ace was really bad at it because he fell asleep all the time, though, shishishishi!"

Usopp heard Zoro's weights fall to the floor, followed by his barely-restrained swearing (because Chopper was there). Usopp saw in the corner of his eye how Franky stopped hammering mid-swing and how Robin actually dropped her book, along with Sanji's cigarette falling to the floor.

Everything just seemed to stop on the ship, before realization seemed to settle in. And then there was panic, because nobody knew what to say to that and they had to answer something because if not—

"Really?! Did you ever catch anything?"

But Usopp, being the liar that he was, knew how to handle it. And although he didn't have to lie over the last two years (lying did nothing against gigantic monsters and plants trying to eat you up), the fake smile came easily to his face and the enthusiasm is just the right mixture of false excitement and genuine curiosity.

It was easy to ignore the baffled looks of his crew mates, and just for good measure, he pumped his fist in the air to show his interest.

The grin of his captain is jovial and bright at his answer. "Nope! Ace really sucks at fishing, because he always got too angry after a while."

Usopp did not point out that Luffy wasn't much better, that he couldn't sit still for long. Instead, he pouted falsely and sighed disappointingly. "Really? I thought Ace would have the patience for that."

"When we were small, Ace had no patience at all! You see—"

Usopp was a storyteller. It wasn't so much that he liked listening to himself, just that he enjoyed talking and make other people happy with it, even if his stories were lies. And as a lying storyteller, he usually didn't listen to other people's stories because he could invent his own.

But Usopp was also Luffy's friend and as such, he would listen even if his heart was practically breaking in two. As Luffy's friend, he would laugh and smile even if he felt like crying because he knew that there was no Ace to fish with anymore, or to hug him anymore, or to laugh with him anymore.

And so, Usopp listened because it was all he could do.

Usopp lied and lied and lied with every minute he wasn't bawling on the floor. He deceived his captain with each cheer and each grin, and perhaps he should feel bad; he felt bad, somewhere, but lying was too deeply ingrained into his being for him to stop without making conscious effort.

It was bittersweet seeing his captain's eyes lightening up some more with each story he told. Usopp wanted to cry but he didn't because, after a while, it wasn't so bad if he lied to himself that everything over the last two years was fake.

The smiles became easier and the laughs became genuine after a while.

Later, when their captain went to bed laughing and smiling, Nami pulled him to the side and looked at him with worriedly with her brown eyes. Usopp looked at her and he felt his shoulders sag, because he stopped lying to himself and all the pain and desperation and worry came back full force like a tidal wave.

Nami's eyes looked pleadingly into his own, as if to make him understand. "You're going to destroy yourself if you keep up like that."

The answer is immediate and, for once, truthful and unafraid. "I know."

Usopp was a storyteller and liar, and he was afraid of anything that could hurt him. All of it was justified but unforgivable in his eyes, and he always did try to change it.

And if his captain needed a listener instead of a storyteller, then Usopp would do that. If Luffy needed a liar to make him feel happy and alive, then yeah, Usopp would do it in less than a heartbeat. If his captain needed somebody to cheer him up even if it hurt and nearly ripped his soul apart then...

Usopp would do it.

Because above everything else, he was Luffy's friend and sniper.

Usopp may be a liability, but he could do that much, at least.

And if Usopp ate less the next few days and got worried looks from everyone—minus his captain, oblivious as ever—then Usopp would smile and say he was fine.

And it'd be the truth because as long as his captain was happy, he was.

(There was a little self-punishment in there, for a time where he let his captain down and for a time where his captain was broken and bleeding while he'd done nothing. And if hurting himself meant redeeming himself for his sins against his captain, then that was fine, too.)

Because along with being a liar, being a friend was just as deeply ingrained into his being.

.–.–.–.–.–.–.–.

Author Note:

Usopp was easy but difficult at the same time, if that makes sense. It's because Franky and Usopp resemble each other a lot, in my opinion. At least, when it comes to their captain or—ugh, I'm not making any sense.

I think Usopp would be like some sort of distraction for Luffy when he was thinking, but Franky would be the same. I repeat the same concept two times with two different characters, so I had to think of something else for Usopp since I know him better than Franky.

Although Usopp doesn't like pain, I think he'd be more than willing to put himself into a painful position for Luffy, because Usopp seems the kind of character to always feel guilty for past mistakes, even if he is forgiven. As such, he will always think it's a kind of punishment for his sins.

I'm sorry if this is too OOC, please tell me if it is or isn't.

Hope you enjoyed and please review!