I am not entirely happy with this one but I post this as proof that I am still alive. This is set after Arong Arc, during the party they have at the end, meaning not so long after Sanji became a crew member. Usopp is a scaredy-cat but has a big heart, Sanji is still a little too street-smart and realistic. Zoro's subconscious still hasn't learned to relax. However, all of them are learning.
Usopp poked his head inside. "What are you all doing here?"
With his chin, Sanji motioned in the general direction of his two crew mates. Sanji was only here because his captain had suddenly dragged him inside telling him to 'keep watch.' Not surprisingly, when Luffy returned, it was with his arms full of meat bones for himself and a single jug of beer for his unconscious friend. Luffy was now happily stuffing his mouth with enough food that death by asphyxiation seemed more like immediate reality than a possibility. On the bed was the swordsman who, after surviving over a hundred stitches without anesthesia, had finally nodded off.
"Oh," Usopp carefully inched towards the sleeping figure. "Wow, he doesn't look so good."
The sniper was probably right; if his furrowed brow and twitching were any indication, Zoro wasn't in his happy place at the moment.
"D-do you think we should wake h-him up?" Usopp wondered.
"'Ephmn'p," Luffy answered, which could mean anything.
"I don't care," Sanji answered, which meant he didn't care.
Sanji had heard about the reputation of Demon Hunter Roronoa Zoro before. Baratie was to the oceans what scuttlebutt was to the Navy; names were whispered and deeds were ridiculously exaggerated. The smart cooks quickly learned to never trust anything they hadn't seen for themselves and Sanji was no idiot. However, having seen the truly demon-like endurance the ex-pirate hunter had, Sanji figured a single nightmare wouldn't kill the man. Besides, Sanji glanced at the tense lines in the swordsman. Zeff had enough bad nights for Sanji to have learned when to keep a distance.
Apparently, Usopp hadn't had those lessons enough for worry won over caution and he reached for the swordsman's shoulder. "Z-zo—"
Sanji was out of his chair and shouting a warning because he saw the dangerous way the swordsman stilled along with the flash of a steel gaze. What Sanji didn't notice was the blur of movement from beside him and the plates of food.
"OW!" Usopp was knocked clean off his feet. Sanji's breath caught and the cigarette he was chewing on dropped towards the ground. Rubbing his sore back, Usopp looked up to the figure who had appeared between himself and the swordsman. "…Luffy?"
"Huh?" Luffy answered easily, still munching away on his piece of meat. The boy's oblivious ease was almost comical but Sanji wasn't fooled.
"Luffy?" Zoro blinked blearily and slowly released the grip he had on his captain. "What…"
By then, Usopp had learned his lesson; picking himself up, he backed away and allowed Luffy to handle things. Out of the corner of his eye, Sanji saw Usopp nervously rub his wrist and quelled the urge to do the same.
Luffy, mouth still filled with whatever he was eating, answered with a grin so wide Sanji could hear it. "I got you beer."
The swordsman's attention flickered to the beer settled by the table and the grimace was probably meant as thanks. "Gonna…" He slowly settled back. "M'gonna.. sleep s'more.."
"Okay," Luffy said and as easy as that, he padded back to his food. After a moment, Sanji also dropped back into his seat. He lit another cigarette and breathed in; he got the feeling he'd be doing that a lot in the future.
"…Luffy," When Sanji called his captain over Usopp's grumbles, the pirate looked up in question. The gaze was perfectly guileless, without worry or resentment and Sanji wondered if the idiot even understood that the grip the swordsman had on him, the grip he saved Usopp from, would have broken three separate places in any non-rubber wrist.
"Sanji?" Luffy tilted his head when the silence persisted. The rapid movements from his plate to his mouth began to slow.
Then Sanji thought of the way Luffy didn't hesitate before slamming his fist into an armor of spikes-just like how Zoro refused to flinch when a black sword came swinging down.
"Never mind," He muttered, realizing the answer wouldn't matter.