The crisp, cool air was refreshing on his skin. Chopper had finally cleared him earlier after the multiple injuries he'd sustained fighting for Robin and the others. Suffocating bandages that bound him to his failure and guilt were finally removed. He was free.

Something was bothering him though, something that kept him from falling asleep and led him to sneak out of the men's quarters. Something that had him repeatedly checking his location against the view of the new observation deck, making sure he couldn't be seen from the windows by the man currently on watch.

The Thousand Sunny still felt weird to him. From the way the rocking of the ship on the waves was more gentle than Merry, to the silence of the floorboards under his heavy boots. A blessing in this case however, as the creaking of boards would have alerted the man on watch.

He reached the door to the galley, turning the knob slowly, just opening the door wide enough to squeeze through. Gently easing the door closed, he released a shaky breath. Safe. Time to get to work.

He quickly gathered the necessary pots and pans, he needed to get this done within the hour. He knew Sanji would immediately come to the galley to start on breakfast the second his watch ended. Taking the fish he caught earlier out of the fridge (silently thanking Nami for the lock combination) he set about cleaning it while the water for the pasta warmed to boiling.

While he prepared the meal Usopp thought back to when he had first felt that something for the cook. Back on the Baratie there was something about Sanji that drew Usopp to him. He remembered feeling jealous of the attention Nami got, almost picking a fight with the blonde just to gain his attention. It wasn't until Skypiea that he started to realize what that feeling was. He had developed a crush on Sanji.

Usopp started setting the table and preparing the dish to be served. Taking a quick glance at the clock, he knew Sanji would be coming in any minute now. The sound of the doorknob turning confirmed it. It was time.

"Usopp? What are you doing?" Sanji's voice sounded confused, and maybe a little angry?

Um, I just—" Usopp stuttered, he felt he'd rehearsed this enough in his head, to be suave and confident. Nope. Not happening , he thought. "I wanted to make something for you!" Usopp pulled the chair back, but just a little too hard. The legs scraping loudly on the new wooden floor, he cringed at the noise.

Sanji looked from the chair back to Usopp, eyebrow raised. Usopp bit his lip, waiting for Sanji to decide. Shrugging, the cook sat down and allowed the sniper to push the chair closer to the table.

"I wanted to make something for you. As a thank you for helping me realize my purpose. What you said back at Enies Lobby, it meant a lot to me." Grabbing the plate, he willed his legs to stop shaking. Stop it! It's not like I'm actually confessing here, he chastised himself, it's just a meal!

"Well I meant every word, you don't have to be as strong as me, Luffy, or Marimo to be needed. Without you we might not have been able to save Robin, that makes you irreplaceable." Usopp felt his heart burst with love for this man before him.

"Seafood pasta?" Sanji asked as Usopp placed the dish down in front of him. Sanji leaned in, gesturing with his hand to get a better whiff of the smell.

"Yeah," Usopp wrung his hands, "I know it's your favorite." When Sanji looked up at him in surprise, Usopp answered his unspoken question. "I remember you telling Robin while the two of you were talking about favorite dishes."

"That was right after Alabasta," Sanji gave him a contemplative look that made Usopp want to squirm. Turning back to the plate, Sanji grabbed his fork, moving the food around to further examine the dish.

Usopp felt his anxiety mix with anticipation as Sanji finally lifted some food on the fork, making sure he got a little bit of everything to taste in one bite before lifting it to his mouth.

"Mmm," Sanji had his eyes closed, savoring the flavors. Usopp worried he over seasoned it, he loved spicy food so he had added a bit more than the recipe called for, but now he was regretting it. What if it was too hot for the blonde? Sanji opened his eyes, looking down at the dish briefly before looking back at Usopp.

"Stop looking like I'm about to kill you." Sanji's eyes were bright, a grin on his face. "This is pretty good! I even like the added spice." He took another bite before adding, "I take it you found the recipe on my bookshelf?"

"Yeah, it took me a while to find it though," Usopp sighed, relieved that he'd done well, especially by Sanji's standards.

"Here," Usopp's eyes widened as Sanji held out the loaded fork. He felt his face heat up, his heart beating so loud he was sure Sanji could hear it. "Well, you gonna take a bite?" The cook's voice had a teasing lilt to it that made Usopp feel the heat spread from his cheeks to his ears.

Usopp leaned forward, bracing himself on the table as he opened his mouth, eyes automatically closing the moment the food touched his tongue. Usopp had of course tasted everything while cooking, but somehow it tasted so much better now coming off of Sanji's fork. The same fork that had previously touched the blonde's own lips. Lips that were now brushing against his own.

Usopp's eyes snapped open, blonde hair filling his vision. Was this real? Sanji's lips felt so warm and smooth against his own. His tongue teasing his lips. Usopp moaned, allowing Sanji to deepen the kiss. Sanji's hand cupped his cheek while the other brushed away a rogue strand of hair that poked out from under his bandana. Usopp hadn't realized he'd closed his eyes again until he felt Sanji's lips leave his own.

"You taste pretty good too," Sanji whispered, his voice dropping low, sending a shiver down Usopp's spine.

"Why? How?" Usopp couldn't find a better way to ask, his mind foggy from the kiss. Why did Sanji kiss him? Did he know Usopp's feelings? How did he know?

"Food is the way I express my feelings," Sanji took another bite from the food, chewing slowly before smiling, "Did you think I wouldn't taste the love you put into this dish?"

"So does this mean you..." Usopp trailed off, daring to hope.

"Yeah, I like you too. I guess I never realized it until you left, but the crew would never feel the same without you." Sanji leaned forward, his warm breath caressing his lips, "I'm so glad you came back Usopp," he said breathily before closing the distance again with another kiss. Usopp returned it eagerly, nothing tasted better than this.

Got my copy of the Sanji Pirate Cookbook in the mail and was inspired, hope you enjoyed it! :D Please let me know what you think!