Sanji needed to do this.

He didn't know why. He didn't understand at all. There was something, though...it compelled him to.

So he walked into the infirmary with a plate of food. It was a delicate dish, one that would go down easy and keep a calm stomach.

Chopper had Usopp on IV fluids until yesterday. Now, Usopp was cleared to eat solid food. Sanji was determined to get him up to snuff with something that would ease him back into the swing of things.

"Sanji!" Chopper chirped. The lack of surprise at this point was expected. Sanji had come every day, after all. "Usopp just finished getting fitted by Franky. He'll be a bit tired." He sniffed the air, likely taking in the fragrant dish. "That will do just fine for him." The little reindeer hopped off the wooden stool that was set up at his desk. "I'll let you two have some alone time."

There was something about the way he said that that made Sanji's face heat up. Before he could say anything - not that he even knew what to say - Chopper skipped out of the room. Sanji took a moment to settle himself before he walked to the corner with Usopp's bed.

"Oy! I brought you something." Sanji didn't hesitate to open the curtain. Per the norm, Usopp was propped up in bed flexing his only hand. He'd been trying to keep the strength in his arm up was what he told Sanji. Sanji didn't quite believe it, but decided not to pry.

"Hey." Usopp seemed more somber than normal. Instead of the false bravado, he had an air of contemplation.

"Hungry?" Sanji took a seat, pulling the stool closer to Usopp as he did. His other hand balanced the dish perfectly. He set the dish on Usopp's lap, a fork instead of chopsticks for easier use. Usopp's face twitched as Sanji said, "It's a good dish for beginning solids. You shouldn't have a problem eating it."

Usopp looked at it, then at his hand. He squinted as he clumsily moved his hand to pick the fork up. Instead of grabbing the fork, his hand fell into the food. The squint turned into a grimace, a low groan of effort sputtering from his lips as he again tried to grab the fork. He only managed to smear his hand into the mush.

Sanji pulled out a handkerchief and almost off-handedly offered it to Usopp. He caught himself and, instead, looked at Usopp imploringly.

Usopp's face had twisted, tears building in his eyes, before he growled helplessly and limply held his dirty hand out to Sanji. The blond was careful in taking the hand and cleaning the sauce and rice off of it. He had a spark in his head of kissing his hand, which caused him to unceremoniously drop the hand instead.

What in the…?

"Thanks," Usopp mumbled, seeming to have trouble meeting Sanji's gaze. Instead, he was staring down at the food.

"...Here." Sanji dared to take the fork and fill it with some of the rice, making sure to put a generous layer of sauce on it. Usopp looked offended for a moment before it slid into more of a resigned expression. Sanji didn't patronize him in any way. He simply held the forkful of food out for Usopp to eat.

Usopp started crying as he took a bite of the food. His hand worked well enough to wipe some of the tears away. Sanji quietly offered another forkful that Usopp ate, tears dripping down his chin and wetting the bedding. It went on like that, a silent understanding, until Usopp suddenly began coughing. Some of the rice flew from his mouth and the plate as he doubled up.

Sanji's heart prickled as he swiftly took the plate off of Usopp and roughly set it down on the side table. Then he leaned in to lightly pat Usopp on the back.

"Don't eat so fast you choke," Sanji warned as he tried to not think of how he could feel the bandages under the thin frock that Usopp was in.

Usopp sputtered more before he shoved Sanji away. There was real anger in the move. Sanji was taken by surprise by both the move and that Usopp had pushed him with the stub of his other arm. The wince of pain made Sanji's chest tighten, as did the intense emotion on Usopp's face.

"Don't, don't do that!" Usopp shouted. "Don't just, act like I'm a kid or something!"

"I didn't-" Sanji was cut off by Usopp pointing hard in Sanji's face.

"You visit more often than anyone else. Why ? Do you pity me or, or what ?!" Usopp made like he was about to get out of the bed. Sanji frowned as he made space for him to stand. Slowly, painfully, Usopp climbed out of the bed to stand face-to-face with Sanji. "Do you know how much it hurts me, you visiting me so much when I know you don't-?"

His jaw shut so tightly that his teeth clicked. Usopp's eyes twisted, his expression something that Sanji hadn't ever seen before. It was almost...lovestruck? Something like it?

The fight seemed to drain out of Usopp. "Just, don't baby me. Please."

The plea in Usopp's voice only allowed one answer. "Yeah. I won't." Sanji drew from his forgotten cigarette, letting it distract him from the tense atmosphere. He turned his head to blow the smoke away from the sharpshooter.

Suddenly Usopp was swaying. Sanji dropped the cigarette as he swiftly grabbed Usopp. He carefully laid him back down on the bed. It was with a start that he realized Usopp was starting to burn up. It was too sudden; whatever it was had just happened.

"CHOPPER!" Sanji screamed, desperately hoping that their crewmate heard him. Usopp was breathing hard, sweat starting to pour down his face.

"M-my chest…" Usopp gasped, coughs punctuating his words.

Sanji wanted to split in two. One part stay with Usopp, the other go and desperately try to find Chopper.

He opted to run to the door and scream for all he was worth until he heard motion above them. Then he ran back to Usopp's side.

" Usopp …!" Sanji was again helpless as Usopp struggled. He grabbed Usopp's hand and squeezed it tightly, like that would help Usopp somehow.

"Sanji...I…" Usopp was struggling for every breath.

"Usopp, you'd better not die!" Sanji didn't know what was wrong. Whatever it was wouldn't, couldn't kill him. It couldn't!

Usopp weakly squeezed Sanji's hand back. It looked like he wanted to say something but wasn't able to do anything except wheeze.

Chopper along with Nami, Robin, and Luffy came rushing in.

"Back up!" Chopper barked in an uncharacteristic commanding tone. Sanji couldn't get himself to move, like letting go would be letting go .

"Sanji!" He felt arms grabbing him, tearing him away. He let out a squeak of panic as his hand was pulled free of Usopp's now-limp grip. Desperately, mindlessly, only thinking of Usopp, he fought as he was dragged away by a mob of arms, most growing out of the ground and a couple having wrapped around him to hold him tight.

"Sanji, snap out of it!" Nami yelled as he struggled against Robin and Luffy's grasp.

"Usopp…!" Sanji watched as Chopper listened to Usopp's chest before crying out "Embolism!"

Nami ducked by Sanji, who was now in the hallway, and pulled the curtain shut before she shut the door. She sternly turned to Sanji who was still fighting against Robin and Luffy. "What in the world is wrong with you? Freaking out like that? You know Chopper is doing his best to take care of Usopp!"

Sanji couldn't stop the tears from falling. Neither could he answer. He was so choked up, panicked, worried that Usopp might not -!

SLAP!

Nami's iron-hard slap snapped Sanji's mind. It grounded him, and he started to realize what he had been doing. His struggles slowed, then stopped as he simply let himself be held up by Robin and Luffy. He couldn't see through the tears.

"Sanji, you need to stop," the voice of his captain said from his left. "You aren't doing this right."

Sanji wiped at his eyes, trying to save some of his pride.

"It's okay, Sanji," Robin said, some of her arms reaching and wiping the rest of his tears away. "We understand."

At that, Sanji pulled himself away. This time Luffy and Robin let him. He stood beside the door, desperately wanting to open it and do something, anything to help Chopper save Usopp. But he knew he would be in the way.

So, instead, he very slowly, lifelessly, walked down the hall and away from his crewmates.

"Idiot."

Sanji looked up. He wasn't startled. To be startled, he would've had to have been paying attention. He was hanging out in the back of the ship, watching the waves as they broke away from the ship. Vaguely staring, breathing, and nothing else.

Zoro, the stupid bastard, was looking down at him with a strange look. It was somewhere between constipated and confused. It was like he was presented with something that he didn't understand and he didn't know how to deal with it. Why he was going to ask him about it Sanji didn't know. It was probably something more appropriate for Robin or Jimbei.

"What?" Sanji wasn't really up for their normal pissing contest. While he knew he could knock the chump out, it just...wasn't worth the effort.

"You missed the last two meals. It's your job to cook," Zoro grumbled. "Luffy already ate everything that didn't need cooked."

"You think it's so easy, why don't you throw on an apron and get to it? Being a lazy asshole isn't much of a job," Sanji sniped back, a spark of anger flaring.

Zoro hummed. "There's some of the life in you."

Sanji sneered. "You came to goad me into an argument?"

Zoro looked a little uncomfortable at that. "Not...exactly…"

"Then why the hell are you bugging me?"

"...Usopp."

Sanji's eyes shot open. He cautiously stood up. "Usopp…?"

"He's resting. Chopper had to do some magical medical nonsense to save him. But he'll be fine."

Sanji began to run for the infirmary when he was suddenly stopped by a solid hand on his shoulder. He wrenched his shoulder to throw Zoro's hand off and spit. "Oy! What do you think you're doing?"

Sanji didn't miss that Zoro had put a hand on a sword. "You can't go see him."

Sanji twisted, his leg out and ready to knock the bastard out. "Why not?"

"Usopp needs rest to recover. You being there and flitting about his head like a goddamned fly won't help him," Zoro growled.

"You're gonna stop me?" Sanji snarled right back.

"Dumbass." Zoro pulled out Wado Ichimonji. "You really want to fight over this?"

Usopp is worth it. Sanji didn't say it. He didn't think he had to. Instead, he lashed out, aiming to knock the shitty swordsman out with a solid kick.

As expected, Zoro easily caught it on his sword's edge. Zoro pulled out another sword and pushed Sanji away. "You aren't worth all three."

"Fucker!" Sanji lit up his legs with a quick spin. The flame licked up his leg, making his blood boil. Instead of having a witty retort, he simply zipped forward. A feint to the left took up one sword, the kick took up the second. Sanji lashed out with his head, knocking hard against Zoro's empty dome. If Zoro had had all his swords he wouldn't have dared.

As Zoro was dazed for that split-second, Sanji kicked out with his other flaming leg. He started, shocked, as Zoro had somehow spun his body to get a sword between himself and Sanji. Sanji pressed hard but knew it was pointless; even his kicks couldn't get through Enma, especially when Zoro had filled it with Armament Haki.

Instead, Sanji shot into the sky, trying to angle behind Zoro as he shot around and back into the fray.

Zoro pulled out his third sword, then hooked his swords together. "Oni…"

Sanji yelled, slamming his leg down, "Diable-"

"GIRI!"

"JAMBE!"

The light from the clash blinded Sanji. Still, he pressed hard. He had to beat Zoro. He had to beat Zoro for…!

Suddenly the pressure was gone. It was a second of realization that Zoro had dropped his swords , a second too long as Zoro's fist collided solidly with Sanji's face. Sanji was so shocked - when did Zoro ever just drop his swords !? - that he simply hopped back onto his feet.

"Got your attention now?" Zoro snorted. "You're so obsessed with Usopp that you aren't thinking straight."

Sanji bristled. "I'm not obsessed . Just…" He didn't know what it was if it wasn't obsessed, but he didn't want to give Zoro a win. "...Concerned."

"Concerned. Right." Zoro paused for a second before he picked his swords up. As he resheathed them, he said, "You're more concerned about Usopp than you were about Nami or Robin."

"They were fine," Sanji said dismissively.

"...You are such a dumbass." Zoro shook his head. "You must have noticed the bandages and the stitches. Right?"

Sanji paused, thinking back. Did they…?

Zoro caught his confusion. "You really didn't notice, did you?"

"Anything they had isn't as bad as what happened to Usopp," Sanji defended.

"Ugh." Zoro facepalmed. "Why do I have to deal with this? If it was something to stab, cut, or dismember it would be a lot easier."

Sanji's stomach turned at 'dismember'. Trying not to get distracted, he asked, "Deal with what ?"

"How many different ways do I have to call you dumb before your realize? Are you really not noticing everything about you and Usopp?"

"What about me and Usopp?" Sanji challenged. What could Zoro know that Sanji didn't?

"You're in love with him." Zoro stated it so plainly that Sanji actually felt offended.

"Me? And Usopp?" Sanji shook his head even as his heart pounded out of control. "No, I'm not."

"Really? Are you that emotionally stunted?" Zoro asked.

Sanji snorted. "Fuck off with your caring bullshit."

"Hey."

The word had a different tone to it. Sanji looked back over to Zoro to find a strangely serious expression. One that was heavy with duty. None of the shitty swordsman looking back at him. It was all the First Mate of the Strawhat Pirates.

Somehow, that put Sanji more at ease. Zoro wasn't letting their rivalry get in the way of his words.

"You need to come to terms with your feelings. There's nothing wrong with feeling the way you do," Zoro said, "but you're letting it get in the way of things. It won't do any good to love him if he dies from your stupid negligence."

Sanji opened his mouth, then closed it. He wanted to argue against it. The scene he made before haunted him at the moment, keeping him from doing just that.

"Let Chopper do his job. Wait until he gives the okay. Can you handle doing that? Let Chopper and Franky fix Usopp up before you go charging in like an idiot and wrestle him into another blood clot?"

"I didn't-!" Sanji choked. "I didn't wrestle him ! He stood up and-"

"Whatever. It doesn't matter. What does matter is that you leave him be for now." The stern tone let Sanji know it wasn't just Zoro saying it. "Do you understand?"

"...Yeah. I get it, bastard ," Sanji couldn't help but to throw in.

"Good." Zoro pretended to dust his shoulder off as he said, "You need to practice. I barely felt the heat from that kick."

Sanji could feel a vein sticking out of his head. "You volunteering?"

Zoro seemed to think about it before he pulled out Enma. "Sure. Loser cooks breakfast."

"I might let you win just so I don't have to eat your shitty cooking," Sanji countered, letting himself fall into the pre-workout routine he liked. Stretching his legs, straightening his clothes, taking his jacket off…

Then he charged, letting his mind go blank as Zoro dodged to the right of his kick.