The great Sogeking stood among the ruins of Enies Lobby facing the Straw Hat Pirates. Most of them were grievously wounded, as was he. A few seconds passed as they stared wordlessly at each other, then the great Sogeking shouldered his Kabuto and turned his back on them. "Farewell friends! Sogeking's work here is done! Though it was such a short time, alas, we must part now. Do not cry, friends! Perhaps we shall meet again some day!" He tried to speak jauntily, though his proud heart was breaking. He hesitated. No one spoke. He took one step forward.
"Usopp…" A pause. He began to take another step.
"Usopp! Stop this!" Zoro's voice. Not his usual voice, but a soft growl that was intended to, but did not quite, cover up the underlying tenderness. The great Sogeking dropped his kabuto. It was a voice he had heard before… though not as often as he would have liked.
Zoro stepped forward and put his hand on Sogeking's shoulder. Neither of them moved as the other Straw Hat Pirates were tactfully shepherded from the scene by a tearful Franky who sobbed several variations of "So touching! So romantic!" before being asked why he was crying. To which he would only respond, predictably: "I ain't cryin' ya bastard!"
"Usopp!" Zoro repeated, after another, seemingly endless, pause.
"I am Sogeking." He insisted, fighting his failing resolve.
"I'm not putting up with this," said Zoro, in a voice that was closer to his usual one, before neatly breaking the strings that passed around the back of Sogeking's head. The wooden mask fell to the ground and snapped neatly in two.
Gently, Zoro put his hands on Usopp's shoulders and turned him round to face him. His blood-smeared face was wet with tears and his eyes were downcast. Less gently, Zoro put his hand under his chin and jerked his face up so that he was looking at him. Usopp opened his mouth to speak, but Zoro covered it with his own…
They had done this before but, except while it was actually taking place, they had never acknowledged it; not even to each other, let alone to their nakama. Once after Arlong Park, once after Drum island, once after the Davy Back Fight… and other, less memorable times, when Zoro or both of them had been drunk. But always it had ended the same way. They parted, put back on any articles of clothing that had been removed, and carried on as before.
…eventually, even this kiss had to break. Breathing hard, and rather dazed, they stared at each other. This time Zoro was growling even more, trying in vain to hide the tremor in his voice: "Usopp, come back with me now, and this can be for good."
When they finally returned to their nakama, they were hand in hand. This time none of them asked Franky why he was crying, as they could barely see him through their own tears.
Well that turned out nothing like I expected…My first attempt at a drabble. Just a little something I thought up while at work, scraping crusty stilton off cheeseboards and sorting 4800 knives and forks into bundles of ten xx Hate it if you like. I'm not sure how happy I am with it myself. Hopefully more fics exploring the same pairing will follow.
