Disclaimer: Does having a room full of Usopps count as owning One Piece? No? Well darn, I still don't own it then.
Okay, not going to lie; I've been a little nervous over how well-liked this story is going to end up being and the more the plot develops the more I worry. Shout-outs go to Ichi-swan and Jeanette who kindly encouraged me out of my freak-outs; you guys are awesome. And again, thank you to all those who are enjoying this tale thus far!
Day 3, Thursday
To say he was looking forward to the next day was an understatement – but nearly all his hopes and dreams felt ready to crash when Hewitt, the manager, called and told him they needed him on the day shift. With no classes to attend that day, he didn't have an excuse to say no and soon found himself sourly working the early hours, certain he was the unluckiest single guy in the entire universe.
Just as he was beginning to consider bargaining some of his tip fare for his sweet Nami-san to leave Usopp a message letting him know why he wouldn't see him today, fate had other plans in mind for him when Hewitt called about Table 5 needing attending.
To his shock, there the African sat, sketchpad propped against the table as he drew.
Sanji practically whirled over to him. "So," He said with a smile, "How do you pronounce it? Oo-sopp or You-sopp?"
The other grinned up at him, chuckling some. "Neither. U-sop-pu. But Oo-sopp is fine too."
"I'll remember." Sanji vowed and then glanced down towards the notebook. "Another art project?"
"Ah well," Brown fingers drummed along the edge of the pages, saying, "No. Just drawing. And ignoring the English homework I should be doing."
"Wait," He was beginning to realize he was flirting. "You mean there's something the Great and Talented Usopp cannot do? I don't believe it."
He was apparently quite good at it because Usopp blushed, waving a hand. "Stop it. I'm terrible at plenty of things. Especially Shakespeare. And poetry. Of which, lucky me, it's a combo of both and that just makes the whole assignment impossible."
Sanji perked up. "You don't get Shakespearean sonnets? Come on now, that stuff is practically love on paper."
"Yeah, in a language no one has used in four hundred years." He wrinkled his nose some, grumbling, "Honestly, can't we just pick up Harry Potter instead?"
Sanji chuckled some, finding the other becoming more intriguing by the minute. And that's when an absolutely genius idea sparked off in his head. "Hey, I tell you what. I actually get off in about twenty minutes. If you have your assignment on you I could give you a hand with it?"
"O-Oh I… I couldn't ask you to do that." The chemistry student said, that innate trait of shyness returning as he looked away, turning his pencil in his hands. "I'm sure you have somewhere to be. And I'd keep you here for hours – I really, really don't get this kind of stuff."
"Trust me, I have nowhere to be." He reassured. "And I bet you I can have you getting it in ten minutes."
"W-Well…" Usopp hesitated as he thought about it, his eyes running back and forth along the table before he finally looked up at him. "You're sure it won't be too much trouble?"
"Positive." He said with a nod. Say yes, say yes, sayyes!
"Well… Alright then. Thank you!" He replied. "At this rate, I'm going to pass college all thanks to you!"
YES! Sanji mentally cheered as he shook his head and laughed, taking out his order book. "So what would you like today?"
"Mmm…. A vanilla milkshake."
He wrote it down, then peered down at him from over the top of it. "Do you ever eat actual food?"
"Of course I do! I just… like to spoil myself sometimes." Usopp rose an eyebrow, teasing, "That okay, mom?"
"As long as you don't rot out those pretty teeth of yours. I'll be back soon."
He never knew twenty minutes could take so long. Every time he glanced at his watch, he swore it was actually going backwards when he wasn't looking at it, because it really couldn't have been only fifteen seconds since the last time he checked – right?
It didn't help that he was also craving a cigarette; by the time he was off shift and able to clock out, he was dancing between flying out the back door for his routine smoke or galloping back out into the dining room to Usopp. It was wonderful Nami who shoved him out the door, telling him he'd better otherwise he'd act like nothing but a jittery fool and that would be incredibly unattractive.
Like usual, she was right because after the break he felt immensely better, the caged lions in his stomach calming down to nothing more than butterflies.
They kind of upped themselves to rabid dogs though when he passed through the kitchen and Nami called after him, "Have fun on your date!"
Come on, be cool. He self-coached as he came to the table, his voice doing a weird pitch jump when he sat down across from the other and asked, "You ready?"
Not cool at all.
But Usopp didn't seem to notice or if he did, blissfully didn't say anything about it, just flipped his sketchpad closed and nodded. "I really appreciate you helping me out."
Sanji just shrugged it off. "It's nothing. So what do you have to do?"
"Well," The other dug through his bag as he explained, "I have to read the sonnet then write a discussion on what it means and describe what theme is being used with the verses and imagery. I have to write like six-hundred words."
"Alright, sounds fairly easy." He was given a look that basically translated to 'You're kidding me, right?' It made him smile. "Which sonnet is it?"
"Ummm," Usopp dug through his bag a minute longer before finally pulling out a hardcover book. There was a piece of scrap paper stuck between the pages and he flipped it open to that spot. Sanji couldn't help but notice even the fake bookmark had little pencil doddles covering nearly every available white space. "Sonnet 52."
"Well you know," He began, looking at Usopp carefully as he said this, "That Shakespeare wrote the first hundred and twenty-one sonnets to a man, right?"
He was watching for a sign, any sign, of disgust or unease. Instead, Usopp said something that made his heart jump. "Yeah and that's pretty cool. But he could have written in English at least."
"It is in English!" He said, feeling relief coursing through him.
"No." He argued firmly. "English is 'You're as pretty as a day in summer' not 'Shall I compare thee to a summer's day' blah, blah blah, blah blah!'"
Sanji laughed. "That's not even what that sonnet says!"
"Well now you know just how much I suck at this!"
"Well then," He grinned. "Guess that's why I'm here."
They got to work right after. The sonnet was somewhat bittersweet, explaining about a lover who ("like a pirate" Usopp insisted) viewed his loved one like a piece of treasure: something precious and desired to be kept near but also rare and never seen while life around the two consumed them both.
"You're really good at this." Usopp complimented just as he was finishing up the last few sentences, the milkshake beside him long ago finished.
"Ha, I should be. I took a whole semester on Shakespearean works." Sanji said, chin in his hand as he admired the way the other's curls fell along his forehead.
"A whole semester?!" He looked up, surprised. Then after a moment of staring added, "You're a masochist."
"I'm a – what?"
"You must be to actually want to take a class like that!"
"Oi!" He argued, leaning back in his chair. "That's not true. I'm a refined guy who has a very sophisticated taste."
"Uh-huh. So tell me," Usopp began casually enough, "How many girls were in the class?"
"Seventeen." He answered, unsure where this was going.
"And how many students were in the class?" Usopp was beginning to smile.
"Uh…" This felt like a trap. "Eighteen."
"Yeah. 'Refined' my ass." He said, laughing hard and the sound of it sent tingles through Sanji even as he tried to defend himself.
"It wasn't like I planned to be the only guy in the class!"
"But everyone knows only girls take classes like that." He refuted. "Face it. You're nothing but a total ladies' man. And don't even try to deny it when you practically declare your love to that waiter every time she comes by."
Damn his inability to not flourish praises over his dear, sweet Nami-san. "Alright, so I'm a ladies' man but I really did like the class too." He gave in. Usopp smiled triumphantly, bending back over his work. Sanji watched him, licking his lips nervously and garnering his courage because it was now or never and a better opportunity probably wasn't going to come by again. "But… I wouldn't have minded a couple guys in the class either… seeing as I can be a man's man too."
The pencil froze, brown eyes wide as they looked up at him. "Wait. R…Really? You're…?"
"Bisexual, yeah." Sanji said. And it was more out of reflex then conscious thought that he defensively added in a rush to dispel some of the awkwardness, "And if you have a shitty problem with that, well I don't give a fuck because I'll kick your ass if you do."
Usopp flinched, paling a few shades and he shook his head. "O-Of course I don't have a problem with it! I-I'd be a hypocrite if I did."
Sanji relaxed then, those words giving him some hope. "Oh. Well good. So then you're…?"
"Yeah. Full-on."
"Oh well… cool." He replied lamely, unable to find anything better to say. Usopp smiled weakly, continuing with his paper, but something uncomfortable had settled between them. It wasn't until he noticed the art student's hand shaking that he wished he could kick himself. Did he really think he'd actually-? "Hey," He tried his best to keep his voice gentle. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go off on you like that. I… I just…."
"No. You don't need to explain." Usopp looked up at him, this time giving him a more honest smile. "I've been there too you know."
"I still shouldn't have overreacted like that. You were obviously cool with it. I'm just…" Such a fucking idiot!
But Usopp just laughed it off and when his pencil returned to his paper he wasn't trembling anymore. "And I've known people who are 'cool' with it but who also don't want friends who are. So, forget it. The important thing is we accept each other right?"
M…Melloriiiine… Sanji swooned internally, admiring the other's optimistic attitude. "Yeah, you're right."
"Hehe." Usopp chuckled, working out the last few words before tacking on the period and dropping the pencil, falling against the back of his chair. "Annnnnd done! Whew, that's one load off my mind. You're a real lifesaver you know that Sanji?" He reached for the milkshake, pouting when he found it quite empty. He ran his finger along the inner side of the glass catching up some remnants before licking it up.
Was he doing that on purpose?! Sanji swallowed hard, trying not to watch. "I told you it wasn't any trouble."
"Yeah well I-" Usopp started to say when a little ring played. He jerked in surprise, setting down the glass and digging through his pocket to pull out the slightly beat-up cellphone. He flipped open the top and it must have been a text because he seemed to read something then frowned. "And just in time because now I have to go."
Wait, what, now?! Sanji wanted to yell but couldn't find the breath to speak.
"Damn." Usopp cursed, writing something back before stuffing the phone in his pocket, gathering his things. "Sorry. You know, this was kind of fun though. I uh…" He paused as he was shoving his book into his bag, biting at his lip. "M-M-Maybe we could uh… do it tomorrow? Uh-!" His face brightened up as he realized just what he said, waving at the tabletop between them. "T-T-That is to say this! The talking and the-the-the uh…"
Sanji was blushing some too, but it had a lot less to do with embarrassment and more to do with his sudden overactive imagination getting away with him. But he decided to save the other from further humiliation by saying (and hopefully not sounding too eager), "Yeah that'd be awesome. I'm just covering a few hours tomorrow so I get off at seven."
"That's perfect! My class ends at six-forty-five." Usopp responded. "I could meet you here."
"That'll work but could we go to the park or something down the block? Unless you want to eat that is."
"Well no, but why?"
"Being anywhere I can't smoke drives me crazy after a while." Sanji answered.
"Oh you smoke? So that's what that smell was. Well that's-" Usopp started to say, only to get interrupted by another telltale ring and he seemed to cringe at the sound, grumbling to it, "Okay, okay." He latched his bag closed. "I really got to go, but promise me we can go to the candy story on the corner and you've got a deal."
"You must have a daily sugar intake you have to meet every day huh?" Sanji badgered good-naturedly.
"Shut up." He smiled, standing and shouldering his bag, but as he pulled out his wallet and reached for a bill his forehead wrinkled in confusion. "I uh, how do I leave a tip for you both?"
"It's fine. Just give it to Nami-darling." Sanji said.
"Are you sure? I know waiters don't make-"
He shook his head. "I'm not usually a waiter. Don't worry about it."
"You're not? But then-" Usopp was again interrupted by an irritating ring and he huffed, mumbling to himself. "God, Kuro enough."
The name was unfamiliar and instantly sent alarm bells through Sanji's head. "Who's Kuro?"
"My boyfriend." Usopp said, dropping the bill on the table hurriedly. "Listen I'll be right out the door around seven so I'll see you then, alright? Later Sanji!"
And then he rushed off, so fast he didn't catch Sanji's heartbroken expression.
YOUR WHAT?!