RARR! Third installment, darlings! XD Thank you for giving all your lovely reviews! And please, keep them coming:3
Usopp: O.K, O.K, write the chapter already!
LPL: I'm just giving the people what they want!
Usopp: They don't want to hear about you! They want to hear about Sanji and me…but mostly me.
LPL: Right you are…chapter three, folks and folkettes!
Usopp: That's better.
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You Gotta Get It!
Chapter 3: A Little Revelation
"Guys! Guys! C'mon now, I have your clothes for tonight!"
The crew of the Going Merry gathered reluctantly on the main deck. Nami proudly brandished a collection of expensive looking suits. Zoro looked at them incredulously.
"You bought us suits? How much money do we have left over?"
Nami gave him a withering glare.
"What they cost doesn't matter. What does matter is that I'm not going to be seen at a high-class party with a bunch of hobos!"
Luffy was the first to pipe up.
"A suit? Wow, never wore one of those before! How d'ya put it on? Can I wear my vest over the top? Can I still wear my hat?"
He grabbed it off of Nami's arm, examining it with interest. The red-headed girl giggled, making Sanji grind his teeth. Nami placed the rest of the suits on top of a barrel, and steered Luffy towards the sleeping quarters.
" You guys can get changed somewhere else. I think Luffy might need some help—no, you don't put your head in there! Sheesh!"
The pair left, leaving the rest staring forlornly at the pile on the barrel. Usopp glanced at Sanji, who was almost physically green with envy at the site of the giggling Nami and her innocent companion. Usopp suddenly felt a strange pang. It wasn't a good feeling, like before- it hurt. It was painful, seeing Sanji stare, like a helpless puppy-dog, after the pretty young woman. His thoughts were interrupted by Zoro and Sanji taking up their suits, muttering audibly and bitterly. He picked up his own suit, examined it vaguely, and headed after the two men.
It was now sunset, and the sky was stained with great swathes of dazzling colour.
In the men's sleeping quarters, Usopp examined himself reproachfully in a cracked, full-length mirror. Well, Nami certainly had an eye for fashion, but Usopp didn't suit fashion. Period. Slipping off the bandana from around his head, Usopp watched his depressing amount of black curls tumble about his face. He found something to tie them up with, trying vainly to control them. Outside, Luffy could be heard thundering up and down the deck, yelling ecstatically about food, and Nami click clacking after him, trying to put on her earrings and yelling at Luffy to wear his shirt properly. Sighing heavily, Usopp pushed open the door and wandered reluctantly outside. The air was heavy and sweet smelling, the fiery sky casting a warm glow over the bay. He looked around for somebody else, and met Zoro, who looked uncharacteristically dashing in his sharp black suit and red shirt. He was fiddling with the buttons and cussing under his breath, and looked up at Usopp without really registering that he was there.
"Would you just look at this thing? I've never felt so damn uncomfortable in my life! And where the hell am I supposed to put my swords? Jeez!"
Usopp stared after him listlessly, not bothering to answer. Well, it wasn't like his opinion mattered anyway. He still felt he needed approval for the way he looked, and realized sadly that he probably shouldn't expect any. He waited around for a minute more, and soon saw Luffy and Nami clumping up the deck, Nami trying to comb his unruly hair, and Luffy fidgeting irritably as they walked.
"Hold still, Luffy! C'mon, if you just let me do this you'll look so cute!"
"But I don't wanna be cute! I want food! Food food food!"
Luffy jammed his straw hat defiantly on his head, and Nami threw up her arms in irritable surrender. Usopp followed them slowly as they joined Zoro, and thought, forlornly, how good everybody looked. He stared down at himself, pushing stray hairs out of his eyes. Yuck. Well, at least he had his dancing to fall back upon. A warm feeling crept through his chest, and a small smile played on the corners of his mouth. Sanji… he hadn't seen Sanji yet… A voice behind him almost made him yelp in surprise.
"Hey there, Crack-shot! Ready to pull off some moves tonight?"
A grinning Sanji appeared at his side, looking more sharp and immaculate then ever. His smile made Usopp's head feel like it was buzzing. However, his heart sank as he saw Sanji turn a lecherous gaze on Nami, who was stunningly attired in flowing red satin.
"Nami-swaaaaan…"
Sanji left Usopp's side, sidling up to the red-haired girl. She turned a cold stare on him.
"What."
Sanji smoothed his hair and straightened his tie laboriously, and then moved in closer.
"You gotta date for tonight?"
Nami looked down, pink in the face, a shy smile creeping across her lips. She leaned across to Luffy, slipping her arm into the crook of his. The black haired boy beamed innocently. Sanji's cigarette dropped from his gaping mouth, and he turned an unflatteringly incredulous gaze on the both of them.
"You are going with him? "
Nami composed herself, returning his stare defiantly.
"I explained how girls are usually seen with dates at parties, and well… he asked me."
She smiled curtly at him, turned on her heel, and made to alight off of the ship.
"Come on everyone! Party starts in 15 minutes! We can't be late!"
Zoro followed her, and then Usopp walked up to the gangplank, turning to Sanji.
"Well, I guess we should get moving."
He laughed nervously, but soon stopped when he saw the expression on Sanji's face. It was a look of murderous hate, usually put to use whenever he saw someone lay a finger on his beloved Nami. He stamped out his escaped cigarette savagely, and turned back.
"I'm not going." He hissed, and hurried briskly back onto the ship, shutting himself in the men's quarters with an ear splitting slam. Usopp spun round.
"Sanji --!"
Nami looked back exasperatedly.
"Come on!"
Usopp looked desperately back and forth.
"I'll… I'll be along in a minute! You go ahead!"
He found Sanji in his hammock, puffing angrily on his cigarette, a thin layer of smoke now drifting around the ceiling. Usopp choked slightly, making Sanji look round.
"Oh. It's you."
Usopp murmured something vaguely like 'it's me', but felt too nervous to say anything else, in case Sanji exploded at him. He looked at the curls of smoke gather thickly around the light.
"You know… it's the Going Merry's rule that you shouldn't smoke in the cabins."
He dodged a pillow flung violently at his head.
"Get bent."
Sanji rolled sulkily around in his hammock, his back now facing Usopp. The long nosed pirate shuffled uneasily on one spot, listening to the chef's fast and irritated breathing. He sighed.
"This sucks."
"Hn?"
"Nothing!"
Usopp stared at the hunched form of the cook for a while longer, and then made slowly for the door. As he reached for the handle, he heard a quite voice from behind him.
"Don't…"
Usopp turned round, and saw that Sanji had rolled onto his back, his head turned slightly towards him, eyes glittering and indistinct.
"Don't… don't leave."
Usopp's fingers slid from the door handle, and he turned round to face him. The cook closed his eyes, giving a long, drawn out sigh.
"I'm… sorry for being such a pain in the ass. But just seeing her staring after that little— it just felt like… like…"
Usopp smiled sadly.
"It hurt."
Sanji sighed again, and nodded slowly.
Usopp played with the hem of his jacket, watching more and more strands of hair fall from his ponytail and across his face. After standing for a moment in contemplative silence, he pulled out his ponytail, the black curls settling around his neck. Sanji watched him all this time, his anger and hatred subsiding, a calm settling over his body. Usopp cleared his throat quietly, and looked at the blonde man in the hammock.
"Well, you know… it's not the end of the world."
Sanji snorted. Hardening his resolve, Usopp pressed on.
"And… and one day you'll see that I'm right. And one day, you'll find someone better, someone who'll love you, just as much as you love them."
Usopp began to feel hot under the gaze of the cook. His heart was hammering, and he didn't know why, or rather- he didn't want to admit to himself why. Thoughts began to whirl around in Usopp's head, fueled by a strange intoxication that gripped him every time he looked at him, he talked to him, he touched him…
"So, uh… what I'm getting at is…"
Sanji rolled over onto his shoulder, still burning his curious stare into Usopp.
"Uh…um… I think, well I know… that I… I…"
Sanji stared at him with a nonplussed, almost innocent gaze.
"Sanji. Sanji, I… I lo…"
But before he could finish his sentence, he felt Sanji's fingers pressed against his own lips…
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Oooh! A cliffhanger! …of sorts. What dya think? Huh? Huh? I hope you enjoyed it! This chapter was pretty darn long, don't ya think? I need sleeeeeep… zzzzz. But I can't! Because I need to write the FOURTH installment! Gosh! I'd never thought it would go on for that long! XD Hmmm. Zoro… uncharacteristically dashing? I think I might need to disagree with myself there… X3! and sorry for using such a long word. Thank goodness for spell checks! …mya… PLEASE KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED FOR THE FOURTH INSTALLMENT OF 'YOU GOTTA GET IT!' COMING VEEEERY SOON! thankyou!