Zoro glares at Law, eye darkened with anger as he stares him down. They were all staring Law down. Usopp could practically see the holes they were glaring into his back as he walked past them, the click-click of his heels on the adam wood of the deck the only sound Usopp could hear in the sudden deafening silence that overtook the Straw Hat Crew at his arrival on the Thousand Sunny.

Usopp wants to tell them to knock it off. Repeat to them, for the millionth time, that he had known what he was getting into with Law, knew that their relationship was destined to end when their alliance with the Heart Pirates did, and yet...

He freezes when he meets Law's eyes, and his heart squeezes. Usopp tries to send him a reassuring smile but lacks its usual brightness, and it is closer to a grimace. "I've been working on a new experiment. Do you want to see it?" He offered.

There was no new experiment, but he just needed to get away from the calculating gazes of his crewmates.

Law gives him a long, measured look before wordlessly nodding his approval and following Usopp down to his factory. Usopp closes the door and leans heavily against it, eyes trained on the ceiling.

"This isn't how I wanted things to end."

Usopp's brows knitted together as he wordlessly repeated the words to himself. "Was there really another way this could end?" He said after a long moment.

"You could come with me."

Usopp rolled his eyes, "Say that louder so Luffy can hear you."

Law chuckled darkly, "I'm not joking, God-ya."

"No," Usopp agreed with a shake of his head. "But I need you to be." He rolled his head until he was looking Law in the eyes. "My place is with the future Pirate King."

"Do you love him?"

Usopp snorted inelegantly. "Of course I love him. There are very few people who don't." He paused, sighing heavily. "But I am not in love with him if that's what you are asking." He took a deep breath through his nose. "I just know that this is where I belong."

"And if I were to become the future Pirate King?"

"I am not dignifying that with a response."

"That in itself was a response."

Usopp scoffed and pushed off the door. He went for his desk— to tidy up, to look over his notes, to do something, but Law held out an arm to stop him. His long fingers curled into Usopp's waist and pulled him close. He could feel the small puff of Law's breath on his jaw, and from where he stood, he could smell his cologne. It made his head swim.

"These last few months," Law paused as if weighing his words. "They've been remarkable." He carefully tipped his head forward so their foreheads just met. His hair had gotten long, a haircut the last thing on their minds since arriving at Wano. It hung in his eyes and brushed Usopp's nose as he moved. "It's been a long time since I've felt… thank you." For loving me. For showing me that I'm not as broken as I feel. For being you.

"I love you." Usopp never felt so helpless before.

The silence hung heavily between them, pressing painfully on Usopp's ears. He watched as Law suppressed a wince before he nodded. "I know. I love you, too."

"But…"

"But," Law said with finality.

Just because they both saw it coming doesn't mean it didn't hurt now that the time has arrived. Usopp couldn't have been ready for the crushing feeling in his chest, no matter what he had done.

Usopp didn't know what else to do. He cupped Law's jaw and leaned in to kiss his chapped lips firmly.

"God-ya—" Law murmured into the kiss, then broke off. He pulled Usopp to the darkest corner of the factory where Usopp kept a small bed for those days he was too tired to make it up the stairs to the boys' cabin.

Law fell backwards onto the bed and drew Usopp down on top of him. Usopp settled against Law's hops and leaned down to press light kisses over his eyelids. Slowly, Usopp ran a path down Law's cheek to the soft path of skin behind his ear. Law pulled Usopp's hair out of its confines and ran his fingers through the curled locks admiring them as they flowed down Usopp's back and over his shoulders.

"You're so beautiful," Law whispered. His body shivered, andlet out a moan when Usopp gave a nip to the sensitive skin behind his ear.

Usopp dug his fingers into Law's waist, holding on as if Law would disappear if he didn't do so. Law pressed him down with a firm hand to his lower back, muscle memory slotting Usopp perfectly into the curves of his body.

"God-ya." Law's was more serious this time causing Usopp to still. He hummed, and kept his lips pressed against the ridge of Law's collarbone. "This… are you sure?"

Usopp breathed out a pained sigh against Law's skin. "I—." His hands clenched, gripping handfuls of Law's yellow button-down shirt. "I really am. I—" Usopp broke off as a sudden prickling heat threatened the back of his eyes. He burrowed his face deeper into Law's neck and breathed in, filling himself with Law's scent. He'd never get this again, never get to be here freely, never wake to this warmth around him again. "Please, just one last time" was all he could manage in the end.

Law wrapped around him, tugged him close and held him tight. He peppered kisses across the top of Usopp's head, and Usopp squeezed his eyes closed and wished fervently that he could stay in this moment forever.

But time marched on, and Law eventually eased him back. He hooked a finger under Usopp's chin and lifted until their gazes met.

"Stay tonight," Usopp begged softly. "Just one more night before…" Before we become rivals, facing each other on opposite sides of the battlefield. "Let's have one last memory before everything—" Usopp couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence.

"One last memory," Law agreed, and Usopp felt something in his heart snap. He pulled himself up until their lips met, and he devoured Law with a kiss, pouring everything that was cracking and burning and raging inside him. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair in the slightest, and they both knew it, and it didn't matter. They were over.

If it were any other time, Usopp would find amusement in the fact that their positions were reversed. That Usopp was acting more dominant this time around. It wouldn't last long. He longed to feel Law above him, inside him. He needed it like he needed air in his lungs to survive.

He worked his way down the buttons of Law's yellow shirt. Law let his arms fall to the side and sat up to let Usopp push the shirt off his shoulders. He pulled Usopp closer to him until Usopp's abdomen was pressed against his.

Usopp pulled back slightly to lay his palms to Law's chest. His fingers mapped out the familiar tattoos, allowing them to run down the black lines across Law's skin until they slid down to the waistband of his jeans. Law leaned back and lifted his hips to let Usopp wiggle his pants down, taking his boxers with them. Usopp giggled suddenly, causing Law to raise an eyebrow at him. "What?"

Usopp leaned his head down on Law's chest and snickered, hands squeezing against Law's thighs where his hands gripped the waistband of Law's jeans. He took a stuttering breath and sat up again, shaking his head as the grin on his face grew. "Remember when Franky walked in on us while you were taking off your pants? You were so shocked at the intrusion that you got tangled up in them and fell off the bed."

"Super ass, Bro." Law mimicked, deadpanned.

Usopp burst out into another round of giggles. "You hit your head so hard on the floor."

"I was fine," Law said with a wave of his hand.

"If I remember correctly, you wound up with a minor concussion, but you didn't want to stop because sex with me was more important."

"It was." And just like that, the switch flipped back, reality writhing in Usopp's stomach, threatening to crawl up his throat, rough and ragged. He leaned forward and pressed his face into Law's neck again. He stayed unmoving and allowed himself to take in Law's scent.

Law ran a strong hand over Usopp's back, fingers playing with the notches of his spine as he allowed Usopp to have a moment to compose himself. They stayed like that for several long minutes before Usopp swallowed heavily and worked up the courage to ask Law for what he wanted. "Law?"

"Hmm?"

"Make love to me?" He whispered the words into the dip of Law's throat.

Law wrapped his arms around Usopp and rolled them over, careful not to throw Usopp off the bed. Usopp giggled again with the sudden movement, memories of when they had both fallen off the bed with that particular movement suddenly playing in his mind.

Law pressed a smile into the side of Usopp's neck as he settled down, hips cradled between Usopp's thighs. Law worked Usopp out of his shirt and then leaned down to find every inch of his chest with his mouth— kissing, licking and nipping at the skin until it was reddened.

Usopp closed his eyes and catalogued every touch, every tiny, breathless sound, every brush of Law's lips. He filed them away securely in his mind. This might be lost, but it wouldn't be forgotten. He traced the curve of Law's ear, ruffled his fingertips along the prickly hairs at the nape of his neck, and breathed in the scent of sweat and sex that already filled the room.

Law worked Usopp out of his clothes carefully, torturously slowly, tasting and petting Usopp's skin as he revealed it. This was usually when Usopp started begging him to go faster, but this time, he couldn't bear to. Law brushed his lips across his pecs, down Usopp's ribs, and over the scars that marred Usopp's body, evidence of the many battles he had been in both with Law and without him.

Usopp's cock ached to be free, and, as if Law could read his mind, he moved on to his pants, popping the buttons open and tugging them down. Law's fingers brushed over Usopp's hips and thighs as he worked him out of his pants and boxers, leaving a shudder in their wake.

Usopp was torn; he wanted every inch of Law pressed against him, from head to foot, as if each atom in him could find its match in Law and memorise it. But Law between his legs was beautiful in another way, a way that made his cock jump and leak precum against his belly.

"Law," Usopp breathed, fingers finding his hair again. He wanted to tug, pull, guide, as well as stroke, pet, and soothe. There was too much input and too many possibilities. Why couldn't this last time be everything at once? "Law," he whined this time, and Law didn't hesitate to take Usopp's cock between his lips and swallow him down. Usopp whimpered and turned to press his head into the pillow below his head.

Law's mouth was hot, wet, and slick, and he knew Usopp well. His tongue rolled around the head of Usopp's cock, firm but smooth, and Law swallowed on every downstroke, taking Usopp as deep down his throat as he could. Usopp tried to pretend there wasn't anything different about this time, that it was just him and Law enjoying an evening together, but heat sprung up against the back of his eyes once again, and he couldn't let go of the fact that this was it.

Law picked up the pace, and his hands slid under Usopp's thighs, pushing his legs apart until they cupped his ass. One finger found Usopp's hole and teased the rim, dry save for the spit that dribbled down Law's chin onto his hands.

Usopp leaned over, one hand staying firm on the back of Law's head so he wouldn't stop, and he rummaged around in the box under his bed until he found their lube. It was almost empty. It was dumb to get sentimental over lube, but Usopp couldn't help but think about how fitting it was.

Just like Law would never step foot into his factory again, they would never need to use lube again. So it was better this way that it was almost finished. Time would pass, and they would both move on. Things would change in his factory as more experiments and models took up more space. Blueprints would replace the pictures of them that Usopp had hung around his desk until nothing left except memories of days long passed where Law would sit on his desk and watch Usopp work or listen to him ramble about whatever took his fancy that day.

But much like this near empty bottle of lube that would never bring pleasure again, Usopp would never excitedly share his findings or anything else with Law again after tonight.

Usopp handed Law the lube, and Law slicked his fingers. It gave a loud squelch, signalling its end. Law gave the bottle a glance that suggested he was thinking the same exact thing Usopp was, but neither said anything. Law went back to sucking Usopp off, his slicked fingers teasing at his hole, circling the rim, taking their time.

During their time together, they discovered that Usopp liked to come first and then have Law fuck him so that every thrust sent rivulets of near-overwhelming pleasure vibrating up his body.

Law swallowed around Usopp's cock again, sucking hard now, bobbing his head fast, and one finger pressed inside Usopp's hole, creating delicious friction. Law's thumb pressed lightly behind Usopp's rapidly-tightening balls while his finger worked in and out, slow but steady, and Law's lips hit the base of Usopp's cock over and over.

He didn't want to come; he wanted to come desperately. It would be an evening of contraries it seemed.

"Please," Usopp whined, not sure if he was begging Law to push him over the edge or pull him back from it, but Law's pace didn't change, maintaining the steady rhythm of his mouth and his finger, the solid pressure of his thumb against Usopp's perineum and the gentle squeeze of his hand around the underside of Usopp's thigh.

Law ran his hand from Usopp's thigh across his stomach and flank until he reached Usopp's chest. His hand groped, fingers brushing against a sensitive nipple before pulling at it, pinching and twisting until Usopp moaned, his cock jumping and dribbling more precum down the shining head.

Usopp twisted tight like a wind-up toy, and then, as if Law had somehow released the winder, he started to unravel. With a moan and a jerk of his legs, Usopp's orgasm washed over him, a strong wave at first, followed by several smaller ones. He pulsed into Law's mouth, and Law swallowed it down, humming with pleasure, and the vibration set Usopp off again, whimpering at the over-stimulation but revelling in it too.

Law kept his hand on Usopp's nipple and continued to play and abuse it, sending bright bolts of pleasure shooting through him down to the base of his spine.

When Usopp finally relaxed back into the bed, his soft cacophony of moans playing through the silent room, Law popped off Usopp's cock with an obscene noise, crawled up his body until he covered him, one hand still fingering Usopp open. His fingers were urgent now, a second one joining the first, pressing in deep, stretching wide, pumping in and out.

Usopp was in a haze of aftershocks, and every thrust of Law's fingers spun him deeper under. He wrapped both arms around Law's neck and pulled his face to his chest, moaning when Law attached his mouth to Usopp's abused nipple and sucked hard. The way Law was playing with it, Usopp's nipple would be sensitive for the next several days.

Law worked Usopp open too fast and too slow at the same time, pushing eagerly for more, deeper, wider, but keeping his pace slow, drawing it out. Too soon and far, far too late, Law pulled his fingers free. He stroked what little lube was left over his cock, then lined up and pressed inside in one slow, smooth slide. Usopp couldn't stop the litany of curses that fell from his lips as Law stretched him wide, no amount of prep enough to ready him for the hot press of Law's cock.

Law shivered as he bottomed out, folded over Usopp. Usopp knew that it meant that Law was holding back for Usopp's sake. Usopp brought his legs up to wrap lightly around Law's waist, and arched up to press against him. He sighed happily as the feeling of safety and security overcame him. He hid in it, pressed tightly against Law and refused to think about what would come in the morning.

Law took both of Usopp's hands and pinned them above his head, winding their fingers together and gripping tight. "You're perfect."

"I lo-" Usopp cut himself off. He didn't have the right to say that anymore.

But Law had heard, and maybe the cut-off words hurt worse if the look in Law's eyes were any indication. He squeezed his eyes closed as he rocked into Usopp and held onto Usopp like his hands were the last thing keeping him from falling off a cliff's edge. Usopp tipped his chin up, and Law bent to kiss him, a frantic devouring press of lips. Everything in that moment was Law. He was all Usopp could feel, taste, and smell, and he drowned in it, gulping in great lungfuls of him, then choking on them when they came at the price of oxygen.

Law's thrusts grew faster, his breathing changed, groans turned to tight, staccato gasps, and Usopp knew it was almost over. He pulled his hands from Law's and clung to his shoulders. He drew him in as tightly and as closely as he could, almost wishing they could merge into one being and avoid this inevitable, necessary, heart-breaking separation.

But Law cursed softly, hips jerking forward a few more times, then stilled. They stayed wrapped around each other for a long time, breathing fast, then shaky— as the realisation of what was happening overpowered the effect of the afterglow— then it slowed again as they managed to tamp it down.

Usopp traced aimless patterns over Law's shoulder blades and back with his fingers. He could feel Law's thoughts and feelings matching his own, humming at the pleasure of being close, then snapping into jagged shards again at the memory that it would be the last time.

Law eventually rolled over, drawing Usopp next to him, and they lay side by side in silence. Usopp reached out and traced along Law's cheek, swallowing against the rush of pain when Law fluttered his eyes shut and tipped his face to the side to press a soft kiss to the pad of Usopp's finger.

This was the last time he'd touch Law this intimately. The last time it would be his right to lean in and steal a kiss. He exercised that right now, drawing Law bodily against him, stroking his hand, palm flat, up Law's side as if he could memorise him one more time. Then he placed his hand over Law's heart and eased him back.

Usopp would later claim it was a trick of the light because Law would never cry, but Law's eyes were wet when he met them.

"I should go."

Usopp choked around the heavy lump in his throat. He knew it was probably the right thing to do. Neither of them would sleep. They'd lie there, Usopp mourning and grieving, making it that much harder for Usopp when Law walked away come morning.

"Yeah, okay," Law's hand squeezed Usopp's hip too hard, but he didn't ease off this time. Usopp wondered vaguely if he'd have bruises he wouldn't bear to look at tomorrow morning.

Law moved to slip out of the bed, and Usopp's body twitched to be near him again, but he forced himself to still. He watched as Law gathered his clothes and pulled them on, watching as Law hurried to pull them on.

He paused, and Usopp sat up in the bed, sheet pooling in his lap as Law sat on the edge. Which kiss should be their last? This slow, tender one they were sharing now? A passionate, heated one? A chaste peck?

Usopp finally pulled away, sucking in breath through his teeth. Nothing. No single kiss could carry that much weight. All he could hope was that the combined love of a hundred, of a thousand, kisses would carry him through this. His eyes burned again.

"It was a good memory," Law whispered in his ear, and Usopp's shoulders shook, but he didn't look away.

Law stood and walked to the door. He stood paused there, hand on the doorknob. He didn't move for a long time, and Usopp thought that he would turn around, but he opened the door and walked out, allowing the door to close with a final click behind him.

It was over.

When Usopp put his face in his hands. There was only silence and an empty factory that suddenly felt too large. He shuddered, taking in deep breaths of air until he felt some modicum of control return. Then he falls back into his pillows and tucks his face into the blankets that still smell like Law.

He didn't allow himself the strength of tears. Not until Luffy slipped into Usopp's bed several minutes later and hugged him close, pulling on Usopp's body until he was laying with his head on his chest. Zoro showed up a bit later, sliding into the too-small bed and sandwiching Usopp between the two of them.

While Usopp silently cries into Luffy's chest, Zoro's face is tucked into his neck and a strong arm wrapped around his waist, strong fingers rubbing circles into shaky muscles.

Zoro shifted, and the bed creaks in warning before it crashes to the floor. Usopp sits up and looks around, confused, before laughing softly, with Zoro and Luffy joining in after a beat.

There went his last material hold on Law. As Usopp untangled himself from his friends and pulled the sheet tightly around his body, he looked down at the broken bed.

It was for the best.