Sanji knocked on the door with some hesitation. He felt out-of-place. With himself, his feelings, or the situation he wasn't entirely sure of. It would do some good to talk it out with someone that wasn't emotionally constipated.

His heart jumped as he heard someone inside the room. He'd been half-hoping that she wasn't in her and Nami's room just then, that he could put off dealing with it for another however-long.

The door opened.

"Oh? Sanji, what brings you here?" Robin asked, a book in her hand.

He took a moment to look her over.

She was in one of her nicely revealing tops. A skirt that showed off her hourglass figure, with bangles that accented the colors of her clothes nicely. But, beyond that, Sanji now saw the signs of mostly-healed bruises, freshly removed stitches, and what looked to have been quite the black eye.

Robin hadn't come through that fight entirely in one piece. And somehow Sanji had such intense tunnel vision that he hadn't even noticed.

He felt prickles of heat on his heart. Normally he would be so lovestruck that he would simply goggle at her. Her and Nami both.

...It was a smudge compared to his...attachment to Usopp.

"I need…" He stopped. What, exactly, did he need? Why was he bothering her with his problem?

Sanji turned to leave, but found his path blocked by a net of arms.

"You obviously need something. Don't run when you're finally prepared to face it," Robin murmured. "Running from your feelings doesn't do anyone any good."

"Feelings?" A streak of anger, hot as an iron, went through him. Damned Zoro…!

"It wasn't Zoro," Robin said, apparently reading his mind. She ushered him into her room. "Please, come in and get comfortable."

Sanji hadn't dared venture into the women's quarters due to the intense respect he had for them. It would've just been lecherous to sneak into their rooms and do something stupid like rifle through their lockers for underwear or something. Women deserved to be treated better than that, especially Nami and Robin.

Also, he didn't think he would be able to get away with it.

Now that he was seeing it for the first time, it felt decidedly...plain. Sanji had expected that Nami and Robin would've decorated more thoroughly. Instead, the only real sign it was a woman's dorm was the vanity mirror with the flower motif. Other than that and the king-size bed, there wasn't even that much furniture.

...Why did Nami and Robin only have a king-size bed? Where was the other bed?

Before he could ask, Robin started as she directed him to the chair in the corner, "You assume that you can't feel like that for Usopp?"

That completely redirected his attention. He replied as he sat down, "I...never really thought about it. I always...liked women ." Sanji shook his head. "It's always been women."

"What changed? Did anything change?" Robin asked as she sat on the bed.

"I don't-" Sanji cut himself off at Robin's non-judgmental gaze. He took a minute to think. Finally he thought… "I didn't...really notice. Not until he...this last time, with the cat pirate guys."

Robin nodded. "I see." She leaned forward. "Do you think it would have been different, if it had been any of the rest of us? Myself, or Nami?"

Sanji closed his eyes. He reluctantly admitted, "Yes, I think it would have."

Again she nodded, seeming to expect that response. "Good. I'm glad you acknowledge that. You shouldn't feel bad about it. We know you love all of us as we love you, but that there's something with you and Usopp that's just-"

"Wait. Does everyone know ?!" Sanji said, boggled.

Robin tried and failed to fully withhold a chuckle. "I'm afraid you two aren't very good at keeping feelings secret."

Sanji felt like sinking into the ground. Great.

"Don't be like that." An arm popped out of his leg and gently nudged his head up to look at her again. He couldn't help the burn of shame in his gut. Robin shook her head. "You shouldn't feel ashamed. Feeling things, especially love, is normal." Her hand cradled his face. "Do you really wish you didn't feel the way you do about Usopp, or any of us?"

"...No." And it was true. Alongside the worry and the hurt of Usopp being close to death were the memories of the good times, where Usopp and Sanji would fish for dinner. When Usopp and Sanji experimented with spices for cockamamy inventions. Even when Usopp had watch and Sanji brought him coffee. Each moment meant something.

"Now, what do you want to do next, now that you accept that you have feelings for Usopp?"

Sanji thought.

Sanji knocked on the door to the infirmary with his free hand. It took a moment before Chopper opened the door.

"Oh! Sanji!" Stars danced in his eyes as he took in what Sanji was holding. "It's time!?"

Sanji cleared his throat and nodded.

"Oh boy!" The reindeer vibrated in excitement. "Can I watch?"

Sanji coughed and mumbled, "I think Usopp and I need to be alone for this."

"Oh. Oh! Okay." Chopper traipsed out of the room. "I'll get the party stuff started!"

Sanji blinked. Before he could say anything Chopper had already zipped down the hallway.

Usopp, who must have been listening even from behind the curtain, asked loudly, "Watch what? What time is it?"

Sanji resisted grabbing a cigarette. It was an urge that he couldn't indulge in at the moment. There were more important things to do. Instead, he took the too-few steps to the curtain blocking their view of each other.

This was it. The last barrier to opening himself up to...what? Happiness? Rejection? Robin had said she wasn't worried, that she had an inkling that things would work out. How, Sanji didn't know.

He closed his eyes before he opened the curtain up.

Things were quiet for a few moments.

"Are those...flowers?" Usopp asked, his confusion palpable.

"And chocolates," Sanji said seriously.

"Choco-Where in the world did you hide chocolate that Luffy didn't get to it already?!" Usopp blustered.

This was not the reaction Sanji had been hoping for. "Oy! I brought these for you . Aren't you gonna say anything?"

"Oh! Uhm, thanks?" Usopp reached out with his good arm, his prototype mechanical arm not hooked up at the moment. Sanji felt disappointed as he handed the flowers over to Usopp. As Sanji set the chocolates on the table, Usopp examined the flowers. As he took in the smell of them, he exclaimed, "How did you know I like daisies like this?"

"I pay attention." Sanji shook his head before huffing, "This was a bad idea."

"Huh? What was a bad idea?" He chuckled, some of his false bravado leaking through. "If I didn't know any better, I would've thought you were flirting what with the chocolates and flowers!"

"I am," Sanji said bitterly, disappointed. He turned to leave but found himself stopped by something grabbing his wrist. It made him look back at Usopp who looked absolutely floored.

"Are-are you serious? You're…" He worked his mouth for a second. Then he, too, shook his head, letting Sanji go before slapping his face. "Yosh! Okay, I can do this then!"

"Do what?" Sanji asked wearily.

Instead of answering, Usopp hopped up and grabbed Sanji by the lapels. Before Sanji could ask what in the world Usopp was doing, the sharpshooter pulled him into a kiss.

Usopp's inexperience was obvious. He was pressing too hard and slobbering a little. Sanji took it in stride, angling his mouth to better capture Usopp's lips.

It felt...like coming home. A warm fire, a meal just waiting to be cooked. And Usopp was there, just as necessary as everything else.

After a moment, they parted. Both of their faces were red from what Sanji could tell. A flurry of emotions gripped him, none of them wanting to settle. From the looks of it, the same was happening to Usopp.

"I, uhm…" Usopp coughed. He turned even redder as he said, "That was…"

"Great," Sanji breathed.

Usopp nervously chuckled, looking self-conscious. Instead of applying some of his fake facade, he said the bald truth. "I really, really like you. Like, a lot. Love, in fact." He looked more steady as he looked solidly into Sanji's eyes. "I love you."

Sanji stared, trying to absorb it. "You do?"

Usopp nodded. "Yeah."

Sanji knew his eyes were sparkling with excitement as he replied, "I do too!"

"Well, yeah, of course you love yourself," Usopp said with a wave of his hand.

"No, not that." Sanji gripped Usopp's shoulders. " I love you !"

Usopp froze. Then a crooked smile played across his lips. "Really?"

" Yes !" Sanji took Usopp into his arms and spun him around, laughing. It took a moment before Usopp wrapped his arm around him in return. They were both laughing like the fools they were.

Being fools didn't matter. What mattered was each other.

After an innumerable amount of minutes, Sanji set Usopp down and kissed him. Again, it made his heart race and melt in the heat. It made him so happy …!

Usopp pulled away before pressing his forehead into Sanji's. They stood there simply enjoying each other.

Usopp was the one to break the silence. "Sanji?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you want to...go watch the stars?"

Sanji chuckled. "Sure. Did you want something to eat or drink while we do?"

Usopp said, "No. Just you."

"Alright!" Sanji took a surprised Usopp into his arms in a bridal carry before running, skipping a few times, onto the deck of the ship.

Once they broke onto the lawn, they stopped and stared.

"Took you long enough!" Zoro complained. He looked ridiculous, wearing a party hat that was staying on with a thin piece of rubber. He grumbled, "I lost…"

Everyone was wearing one. And waving in the wind was a banner that said 'Congratulations!'.

Luffy was sitting, eyes closed and a bright smile on his face; Robin was looking on with an all-knowing, pleased smile; Nami was suddenly harassing Zoro about something or another; Jimbei and Brook were laughing to each other; Chopper was staring at them, eyes dancing with stars; Franky was posed, shouting about it being ~SUPER~

And the two of them stood, both surprised by the celebration. They looked at each other and laughed.

"Here!" Luffy stretched out and put a hat on each of them. "This is about you! So you gotta join in, okay?"

"Right!" Usopp said as he gingerly hopped out of Sanji's arms. He winced before waving off Sanji's concern. He claimed, "I'll be fine for this!"

Sanji gave a gentle smile as Brook got his violin going. Nami and Zoro got mugs of booze and simply sat back to watch. As he started a lively tune to which Jimbei, Robin, Franky, Chopper, and Luffy started dancing to, the latter two somewhat wildly, Sanji offered his hand to Usopp.

"You up for this?" Sanji felt he didn't need to elaborate.

Usopp looked at his hand for a moment before taking it with his good hand. "Sure. Let's give it a shot!"

With that, they started a celebration that lasted until sun-up the next day.

"Here." Sanji held out a plate of simple, plain eggs and rice. He couldn't help himself and seasoned them lightly for taste. It should have been fine. They were simple spices that wouldn't irritate Usopp's still-weak - and now very upset - stomach.

Usopp looked up at him groggily. After they had finished dancing, Usopp had gotten into an ill-advised drinking contest with Zoro. Even after already having had three beers, Zoro wiped the floor with him. Usopp was several sheets to the wind when the shitty swordsman had barely gotten a reddened face.

The sharpshooter had been hoisted into his normal bed in the men's dorm. It was partly because he was well enough and cleared by Chopper. The other part was selfish.

Sanji wanted to be able to sleep in the same room as him.

He'd woken up ahead of practically everyone save for Nami and Jimbei, the two of them discussing the upcoming rough current that they would have to navigate. Sanji had given them a basic hello with only a little simpering towards Nami. Old habits died hard once his heart was settled.

It hadn't taken long to whip something up. He'd left quite the pile of more seasoned specialized dumplings and rice for everyone else. Nami and Jimbei had headed in that direction when he'd finished and there had been noises that let him know that Robin had woken up.

After that he'd kicked the rest of his crewmates out of the men's dorm so it was just him and Usopp. Zoro couldn't help but to make an asshole comment while the rest of them booed the swordsman as they went. Sanji waited until they were gone to wake Usopp up.

Usopp was squinting, trying to drown out the light in the room. "I feel like I went ten rounds with Big Mom."

Sanji laughed. "That wasn't too long ago, you know."

"Don't remind me," Usopp said, holding his head. He stopped suddenly as he shot up in bed. He steadied himself against the bedpost, having nearly tipped over from the movement. At some point last night he'd slipped on his arm that Franky had made him. "Sanji! Last night! Did...we…?" He seemed afraid to ask.

"Yeah. We did," Sanji confirmed. As Usopp lit up like a candle, Sanji clarified, "Confessed and kissed. Not...that."

Yet .

Usopp jumped up. "And we danced! And partied! And-" He suddenly bent over, gagging. "Ohhhhh…"

"What were you expecting to happen, challenging Zoro to a drinking contest," Sanji tsked though he rubbed Usopp's back. "You're lucky Nami didn't join in."

"She said Zoro didn't have any Beli to bet," Usopp explained. "He complained that she'd fleeced him earlier."

"...How can you remember that clearly and not us kissing?" Sanji asked.

"Hey! Give me a break! Only one of those things is a dream come true!" Usopp defended.

"True." Sanji finally handed off the breakfast to Usopp as the sharpshooter stood back up. "Eat up. Hopefully it'll settle your stomach." Usopp sat back into his bed. Sanji made to leave when Usopp grabbed his jacket. "Hm?"

"Sanji. Do you know when I fell in love with you? The exact moment?"

Sanji blinked, then replied, "I have no idea."

"Enies Lobby, when I was Sogeking." It took a few tears dripping for Sanji to realize Usopp was crying. "You said 'I'll do whatever you can't do, and you do whatever I can't do'. Do you remember that?"

Sanji nodded, vaguely remembering it. When they were trying to get the keys for Robin's handcuffs. Usopp had been so overwhelmed, trying to keep up in a capacity he wasn't built for. He'd found his niche after that.

"That...it meant so much to me." He looked up with shining eyes. "You had confidence in me. You valued me ."

"We all do," Sanji noted.

Usopp shook his head. "You don't get it. Even after everything that happened, everything I did , you still believed in me. That was more precious to me than anything, even the Going Merry."

Sanji didn't know what else to do besides get on his haunches and wipe Usopp's tears away with a handkerchief. "You're more valuable than you give yourself credit for."

Usopp laughed and said, "Maybe you're right!"

"You don't need false bravado." Sanji smiled. "You're plenty brave all by yourself."

It was quiet for a minute. Eventually Usopp picked up his chopsticks and tried to work them with his prosthetic arm. It took a few tries, but eventually he got it. He took a few bites, only gagging once.

Sanji couldn't resist leaning over and kissing Usopp on the cheek. "Go ahead and rest up. It won't be too long before we get to the next island."

Before Sanji could even blink, Usopp leaned over to give him a kiss back. Sanji leaned into it, trying to memorize the shape of Usopp's lips. He was sure he would get plenty of opportunities to figure it out.