#opexchange

“Ah damn, ran out of paint.” Franky stood from the makeshift workbench. “I’ll grab more from the storehouse.”

“Sure thing,” Usopp said, still fiddling with something… complicated. Zoro had overheard him mention it was something for Nami. “I’m running low on steel tubes so bring back any you find.”

Franky made a noise of agreement and ran off not long after.

Zoro subtly looked around. 

Chopper was talking with those squirrel and goat Minks, Robin was with Chopper, and Brook was still being chased by those dog Minks. He could hear Luffy’s distant laughter and Nami shrieking at him. The Heart Pirates were off doing who knows what and the other Minks were busy with rebuilding.

It was as close to private as he was going to get without tipping anyone off. Without tipping a certain someone off.

Zoro pushed off the tree he was leaning against and walked up behind Usopp. He leaned down a bit, cheek brushing lightly against Usopp’s. “Garchu,” he said.

Usopp startled. “What?” He turned his face up, putting more pressure into the touch. “Oh, Zoro! Trying out Mink culture, huh?” He threw an arm around Zoro’s neck and dragged him down closer before Zoro could answer, practically crushing their faces together. He rubbed his cheek against Zoro’s, chin hair scratching pleasantly against Zoro’s skin. “Garchu to you too!”

There was an ominous explosion from the direction Franky left in. Luffy and Nami’s voices followed. Usopp sighed heavily. He said something before he patted Zoro’s shoulder and ran off. Not that Zoro heard a word of it.

He watched Usopp leave, frozen in place where he had pulled Zoro down.

He put a hand to his cheek. “Garchu to you too…” he said, trying to bring back the feeling of Usopp’s lips—just the corner, but still much more than he’d expected—shifting and moving with the shape of his words, brushing against his cheek. 

He felt his blush with his fingertips before realizing he was completely flushed.

God, Usopp was going to be the death of him.

—

The distant sounds of sizzling bacon greeted Usopp as he shuffled his way closer to the table.

“Morning,” Usopp said around a yawn. He accepted the cup of coffee Robin pushed towards him, the feel of the warm steam making him slump down into his chair. “Is there any—?” A plate of sugar cubes was passed to him. “Ah, thank you.”

Usopp shivered from a cool breeze blowing past. He huddled over his coffee, sighing pleasantly at the steam warming the underside of his jaw. Looking around, he noted that the others present looked completely unaffected. Usopp pulled the sleeves of his wool sweater over his hands and tried not to grumble over open shirts and short-as-hell rompers. Monsters, the lot of them.

His eyes drifted, and he spotted Zoro further down the table, one arm behind his head and one tucked in his robe. His eye was closed and he breathed deeply, his chest slowly rising and falling in an even rhythm. Usopp’s gaze drew to his own handiwork, the reminder of Zoro’s first reckoning with his goal.

The diagonal scar was faded now, just an uneven line of lighter skin right across vital organs. It was jagged, marked by now-invisible holes too far from the edges, and Usopp could still remember the first time Chopper had seen Zoro without his shirt off. The way he’d shrieked and dragged Usopp and Zoro to Merry’s galley to learn how to sew a proper medical stitch. 

The scar wasn’t perfect, but it was like a painter’s first brushstroke. Or the beginnings of a sketch when trying to come up with an idea. Usopp always found it best to draw some simple lines or shapes before sketching out a drawing. He could trace the scar with his finger, take his time to go over it lightly again and again and again. He couldn’t risk leaving marks on the page, of course. 

And once he'd finished warming up, he could go over it with his brush. A long, slow, trail of his tongue along the—

“FUCK!” Usopp jerked his head back, rubbing at the burning feeling on the underside of his chin and neck. He closed his eyes and hissed through his teeth. 

“You alright?” Zoro said, voice right next to Usopp’s ear.

Usopp jumped, his knee banging into and shaking the whole table. “O-Oh yeah, I’m f—” Scalding hot coffee tipped over the edge directly onto his lap. Usopp screamed.

—

“Garchu.” Zoro rubbed his cheek to Usopp’s before settling down next to him. “How’s Nami’s Climatact going?”

Usopp shushed him. “Not so loud, it’s supposed to be a surprise.”

Zoro leaned forward, his face still pressed to Usopp’s as he looked over his shoulder. “Looks pretty good so far. Nice of you to upgrade it for free.”

“You kidding? I’m getting her to pay this time.”

Zoro huffed a laugh. “Right.”

“I am!” He pointed the end of his screwdriver at Zoro, only inches from his nose. “Mark my words, I’m gonna get every berri I’m owed.”

“If the famed God Usopp says so, then it must be true.”

“Ugh,” Usopp dropped his head in his hands. Zoro almost thought he’d upset him when he noticed the wobbly smile peeking out through his fingers. “Did you really have to say that?”

“Yes.”

Usopp groaned. “Just let me finish this and we can hang out, okay?”

“Sure.”

It was rather rhythmic, the way Usopp worked. Screwing, adjusting, gluing, readjusting. Zoro found himself captivated, watching his scarred hands move in such precise and practiced motions. 

Warm skin brushed against warm skin.

Abruptly, the hands stopped. 

“Y-You’re too close.” The whisper was almost inaudible. Zoro likely wouldn’t have heard it if he didn’t have his chin hooked over Usopp’s shoulder.

“Didn’t mind before.”

“That was just a friendly greeting! This is—I’m practically in your l-lap!” 

Zoro made a confused noise before looking further down and—ah, yes those were certainly his arms wrapped around Usopp’s waist. Shit.

“It’s…” Think Zoro, think; just make something up, anything. “A greeting for best friends.” 

All at once, Usopp relaxed. “I didn’t know they had one like that.” He laughed. “Maybe I should do that to Luffy—”

“Do not do this with anyone else.”

Zoro froze. The words had come from his mouth without pause, without hesitation. While it was true he would rather eat razors and poison for every meal than for Usopp to get handsy with anyone else, he hadn’t expected to voice it aloud.

Usopp was quiet. His breaths were coming in short and his body trembled.

Fuck.

Zoro pulled away and Usopp made a sort of strangled noise. “I’m not going to kill you,” he started, going for reassuring. “It was just… a joke.” Belatedly, he added a laugh. It sounded stilted.

Usopp nodded and went back to his work. All without giving Zoro a second glance.

Great work moron, Zoro thought to himself. He’s terrified.

“So,” Zoro started. Stopped. “What have you… been up to today?”

“Just—” Usopp cleared his throat, dispelling the sudden higher pitch. “Just working on Nami’s Climatact.” 

“The whole day?”

“Well yeah, we’ve gotta get it done before they head out to pick up Sanji.” Usopp held up a semi-translucent marble up to the fading sunlight, his trembling fading slowly as he spoke. “It’s been a lot of trial and error to try and mix Weatheria technology with my pop greens, but I think she’ll appreciate it.”

Zoro’s brows furrowed. “Franky isn’t here.”

“He’s taking a break since we’ve kinda been at it nonstop. I think he went to hang out with Robin if you’re looking for—woah!” Usopp flailed as Zoro picked him up under his armpits. “Um, Zoro. What are you doing?”

Zoro started to walk. “You’re taking a break.”

“As nice as it is for you to worry about me, no, I am not taking a break!” Usopp started struggling in his arms. “They could leave tomorrow morning for all I know and we already gutted the old Climatact! I can’t just leave Nami unprepared!”

Zoro stopped for a moment. Well, this is inconvenient. 

He tossed Usopp in the air, which led to screaming, and then caught him in his arms, which led to stuttering. 

Better. Zoro resumed walking.

“Y-You can’t just carry me like a princess! It’s embarrassing!” Usopp wiggled in his arms. “Let me down, I need to work—”

“An important part of training is rest,” Zoro said firmly. “You can’t just work yourself to the bone like this.”

“Oh you goddamn hypocrite—”

Zoro stopped. “Usopp,” he said, staring into Usopp’s hardly blinking, bloodshot eyes. The fact that he hadn’t managed to pull himself out of Zoro’s loose grip spoke louder than any protest. “You’re exhausted. Take a nap and come back well rested.”

Usopp opened his mouth, his brows furrowed with defiance, and suddenly Zoro didn’t give a shit about shame or pride or anything else.

He just wanted Usopp to rest.

“Please,” he asked, voice soft. 

And that must’ve been the right choice, because Usopp just deflated in his arms. “Only because you’re asking so nicely,” he mumbled. “Now put me down so I can lead us back to the house.”

—

Again and again, Zoro sought him out. Every morning, afternoon, and night. Hell, sometimes he’d walk off to the toilet or something and come back a few minutes later, quick to give another of those soft little cheek nuzzles that sent Usopp’s heart all a flutter. The resting butterflies in his gut quickly flittering around their cage each time, almost as if his very core was shaken with each press of skin. 

It was simultaneously absolute heaven and the worst kind of hell.

“Franky, just go ahead and strangle me.”

“Eh?” Franky looked up from his welding. “I’m not strangling you so you don’t have to deal with Zoro.”

With a monotone voice, Usopp said, “Ah, as expected of someone not even worth 100 million—”

“SHUT UP!” Franky said, waving his wrench at him. “And anyway what’s the problem? He’s the one coming to you. If you like ‘em, accept ‘em. If you don’t, then don’t!”

“But it’s not that simple,” Usopp whined. “And I don’t want to take advantage of him!”

Franky stared at him blankly for a moment. He then picked up Usopp by the back of his shirt and started to carry him away. “Wh—Franky! Lemme go, I gotta finish—!”

“Hey there, Nami-sis!” Franky loudly spoke over him. “Brought you a present.” Franky plopped him on the bench next to Nami. 

“Franky,” Usopp whined.

She raised a brow as she took a sip of her tea. Franky whispered something in her ear and she lit up, berri signs in her eyes. “Oh? I will happily take that deal. And distract him for the rest of the evening.” She made a shooing motion. “Now go get back to what you were doing.”

“Deal? Franky, what did you—” Franky gave a brief thanks before jogging off. “No, wait! Don’t leave me with her!”

“I’m hurt, Usopp. Do you really hate me that much?”

“Try saying that without that smug look on your face.”

The smug look continued. “So, Zoro troubles again?”

Usopp gave a long, drawn out groan. “He’s just being friendly and I’m being the worst about it.”

“What, flustered?”

Usopp put his head in his hands. “Enjoying it.”

“Well, obviously.” She paused for a moment. He peeked between his fingers to see her staring at him with a deadpan stare. “That’s it?”

“It’s a very serious problem!”

Nami put a hand on his shoulder. “You’re very sweet. And so very stupid.”

“Hey!”

“He chooses to do it everyday and you just admitted you enjoy it. Why not just leave it be?” 

“Look, he’s not the one being a stupid horndog about it! That’s all me!” Usopp let his head fall to the table. “You know, he showed me a different form of Garchu and all I could think about was how much I wanted him to rail me? And then he growled in my ear and I started trembling, Nami. Trembling!” he hissed. “I almost lost my mind and asked him to fuck me right then and there!”

Usopp whined. “And then he said he wouldn’t kill me, so he knows, Nami, he knows that I’m in love with him and he was trying to tell me to forget it and move on.”

Nami hummed. “What do you mean, new form of Garchu?”

Usopp felt his cheeks warm. “That part’s not important.” Nami raised a brow. “Okay, so it’s a little important, but not really because it’s a totally normal and platonic part of Mink culture and I twisted it up!”

“So? You’re a pirate, you can do what you want.”

“Nami,” he whined. “I told you to stop saying that!”

“I’ll stop saying it when it stops working.” He whined again, giving his best pout. She rolled her eyes, a fond smile on her face. “Alright, alright. C’mere.” She threw an arm over him and tugged him into a side hug. Usopp sighed and relaxed into the embrace, leaning his head against her shoulder. 

Nami rested her cheek on his hair. “He’d be lucky to have you, you know?”

Usopp didn’t answer.

—

Zoro had fallen into a bit of a routine. 

Wake up, find and rub cheeks with Usopp, get breakfast, train, rub cheeks with Usopp, lunch, train, cheeks with Usopp, nap, Usopp, dinner, Usopp, bath, Usopp Usopp Usopp—

At times, he would forgo napping for a while just to stick around and watch Usopp work. And work Usopp did. Zoro didn’t know the first thing about mechanics and inventing things, but Usopp looked completely in his element. He worked with a sort of grace that Zoro had come to love over their time as crewmates. 

There wasn’t a single hint of his usual worries plaguing his features, not a tremble to his hands, his sharp eyes laser focused on the tools and materials set out before him. Loud, unexpected sounds did nothing to startle him. It was as if nothing could distract him from his work.

Zoro loved seeing him like that. He also hated it.

He put a hand over Usopp’s, covering the complicated piece of metal and screws. “Usopp, did you go to sleep last night?”

Usopp blinked a couple times. He pulled his goggles off and rubbed at his eyes. “No, but it’s fine. I’ll have plenty of time to catch up on it when I’m done Zo—RO!”

Zoro didn’t bother letting him finish his excuses. Usopp squirmed where he was thrown over Zoro’s shoulder, but hardly put any effort in it. 

Zoro tightened his grip.

“Hey, hey! I know what you’re thinking! Don’t compare my normal people muscles to your freakish level of strength!” Usopp slapped the back of Zoro’s shoulder for emphasis. “This thing is like a brick wall! I couldn’t get out of this even if I wasn’t tired to hell and back!”

Zoro narrowed his eyes. “So you are tired.”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t, but—”

“Then we’re taking a nap,” Zoro said, nodding. “No arguing, you’re not getting out of this until you’ve slept half a day.”

“HALF—” Usopp cleared his throat. “Zoro, dear friend, be reasonable about this. Franky can only work on so much on his own, I need to be there to—wait, did you say we?” 

“Yeah, we. How else am I supposed to make sure you actually get any shut-eye?”

“But—!”

“Just give it up, Usopp.” Zoro patted the small of his back. “I’m not letting you go until you’re good and well rested.”

There was a long silence. Zoro peered over his shoulder to see Usopp covering his face in his hands. A growing warmth spread out from under Zoro’s arm and Usopp’s skin started to take on a red undertone.

“...Fine, alright? I’ll take a nap,” Usopp mumbled. Good. “Also turn around, you’re going the wrong way.” Fuck.

—

After a long and very nerve-wracking trip around the forest, they finally reached their sleeping quarters. Usopp had the time to think and rethink and overthink everything Zoro said and he, hopefully, came to the right conclusion.

Zoro was just being his typical Zoro self, trying to look out for Usopp and make sure he took care of himself, and Usopp’s silly little crush blew pretty much everything he said out of proportion.

Of course Zoro wasn’t going to actually sleep cuddled up to him! That’d be absurd considering all the space and extra beds in the room. He probably just meant he’d pick a wall or a corner to nap against and act like a guard dog in case anyone came to disturb them—or in case Usopp tried to escape. 

He sighed as Zoro passed through the entryway, the door closing behind him. It was really all so simple, why hadn’t he thought of it before? It was such a nice thing for his friend to do and, really, Usopp should thank him by at least trying to rest for a while before attempting any escapes. A couple minutes of laying down didn’t seem so bad, if it was for Zoro—

Zoro unceremoniously dropped him atop the covers. Usopp was about to complain when Zoro dropped himself atop Usopp.

Oh god.

Oh god.

Had he lost it? Somehow got knocked out along the way and already dreaming? Yeah. Yeah. That was it. Good things like this just didn’t happen to Usopp out of the blue. He should just accept that it was a dream and just skip to enjoying it.

Usopp put his arms around Zoro, holding his head to his chest with a content sigh. “This is a lot better than I’ve imagined it before.”

Zoro made a noise of surprise. “You’ve imagined this before?”

“Of course, who wouldn’t? It’s a dream come true to get smothered in your big burly arms.”

A hint of red painted Zoro’s cheeks. He grinned, smug. “You think my arms are burly?”

“Obviously. You should know that by now.”

Zoro made a noise, but it was muffled when Usopp pressed him further into his pecs. “Wait wait, before you say ‘I want to ruin you’ or anything like that let me just get this off my chest. Real Zoro is so damn frustrating!”

“Uso—” 

“Nope! I love dreams about stuff that’ll never happen, but I need to talk about this again.” Usopp took a big breath. “You are the hottest guy ever and I love that we’re friends, but sometimes I look at you and wish I was brave enough to grab your face and kiss you senseless.

“I wish I could take you by the hand and show off every plant in my garden, go over every single fact and detail about them. I wish I could rail you like you’ve never been railed before and make you putty in my arms. I wish I could curl up in your lap whenever you’re asleep on deck and use you as a big comfy pillow. 

“But most of all,”—he sighed, loosening his arms as he started to lose steam—“I wish you were really here so I could fall asleep in your arms, breathe the air you breathe, and wake up so tangled together I don’t know where you end and I begin.”

Zoro stayed silent. Usopp let himself bask in utter relief. “Ah, that was nice. Okay, we can get back to…”

Something pinched his chest. It was kind of uncomfortable and getting sharper, like little rocks pushing into his skin—

Usopp shrieked. “Did you bite me?!”

“Only a little,” Zoro said, licking over the shallow mark.

“You can’t just do that without a warning—!” Usopp paused. Gears turned in his head. 

Zoro lifted his head, a smirk on his pink-tinged face. “So if I give you a heads up, I can do it again?”

Usopp sputtered. “I—you—this is real?!”

“I don’t know, does this feel real?”

At once too slow and too fast, Zoro pushed himself up and kissed him.

Not a peck or just lips, no, Zoro was pressing him down into the mattress, licking all over Usopp’s lips, almost demanding entrance. 

No, not demanding, that wasn’t quite right. The insistent, crushing affection made him dizzy, almost as if trying to convince him of something. 

As if desperate to—

Usopp suddenly moaned, loud and open, and Zoro pulled back, eye wide. 

“Did I—?”

“It’s real.” Usopp cut him off. “It’s so very real and—holy crap.”

He cupped one of Zoro’s cheeks. “You really—you really want this? Want me?”

Zoro raised a brow, pointedly looked down at Usopp’s mouth. 

“Humour me,” Usopp said. Zoro stared, and in a quieter voice, Usopp added, “Please?”

Zoro’s eye softened. “Yes. I want you, Usopp.”

Usopp’s lips stretched into a wobbly smile. He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes as he said, “You know, I’m pretty high strung.”

His eyes fluttered closed as Zoro kissed below each lid. “I’ve noticed.”

“And I need a lot of reassurance.”

A few kisses down the side of his nose. “You do.”

“And I’m a pretty big coward.”

Zoro kissed his lips again, less pressured, less desperate. All the same warmth and conviction.

“Not when it counts.”

And what was Usopp to do except meet his expectations?

It was the work of a few seconds to slip his hand around Zoro’s back, slow and unhurried, and quickly flip their positions.

Surprise and a darker blush painted Zoro’s face. Usopp took a breath to steady himself. To prepare. With a steady voice he said, “Yeah, not when it counts.”

Usopp's eyes were drawn to the bob of Zoro’s throat as he swallowed. “I’m supposed to—”

“Zoro.” Usopp cupped his cheek. “There’s no one here. It’s just us.”

He dragged a hand down Zoro’s chest, fingers brushing lightly over his collarbone, his sternum, his scar. Zoro shivered as he closed his eye. 

Usopp gently pressed against Zoro’s abs, pressing him further into the mattress. “Let me take care of you.”

A breath. A single nod.

“Good boy.”

—

The best sleep of his life—no, the best night of his life. Zoro didn’t know if he’d ever felt so relaxed and content before. The ache in his backside pulsed with each shift in his seat, a welcome reminder of how well he was cared for last night. He sipped his coffee quietly, a pleasant emptiness and buzzing in his mind.

His partner walked by the table moments later, evidence of Zoro’s handiwork peeking out of the rumpled green button-up and trailing all the way up his neck and down each arm.

“Usopp, did you get attacked by a bear or something?” Luffy asked.

“Or something,” Usopp mumbled, slipping into the spot beside him. Zoro slid him a mug and a stack of pancakes. Their fingers touched and stayed a moment before Usopp pulled away for a drink. 

“New boyfriend?”

Usopp spat out his coffee all over his plate. Nami smiled a smug grin as Usopp coughed and hacked. She held out a hand and several groans resounded around the table. Zoro watched with a mild curiousity as Robin, Franky, and Brook each handed Nami a handful of bills.

“You bet on us getting together?!” Usopp shrieked.

“Eh? You weren’t already?” Luffy and Chopper asked.

“No! We—”

Nami loudly cleared her throat and held her hand a little higher. 

A blue sheen covered their table. A pouch of money floated through the air to land in Nami's hand. “Thank you for the business.”

Usopp whined and pulled his cap down over his face, turning his face into Zoro’s shoulder. “Even Traffy?”

Zoro patted the top of his head. A grin spread across his face as he made a realization. “Hey, Usopp.” Usopp looked up with a confused hum. Zoro pressed a soft, lingering kiss to his lips. “Garchu.” 

Zoro ignored the hollers and the fufufu’s and yohoho’s, enjoying the red undertone that bloomed across Usopp’s skin and the higher pitched, “Zoro, you can’t just do that in front of everybody!” as he hid his flushed face in Zoro’s shoulder once more.

Across the table, Nami grimaced. “Ugh, yeah I deserve that.”

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“Soulmarks: a way of finding your perfect romantic match. Depending on where it’s placed, the meaning changes—”

“So?” Usopp said, colouring the mane of his fish-lion drawing.

“So,”—Ms. Okra ripped the paper away and he made a noise of protest—“yours is very important, Usopp.”

Usopp sighed, slumping forward on the table. Ms. Okra kept talking about more dumb soulmate facts while Usopp tried to remember her real name. She always bragged that she got the nickname ‘Ms. Okra’ because she sold the best okra in the village, but Usopp’s heard the other adults make fun of her hairdo plenty of times to know the truth.

“Are you even listening?!”

Usopp groaned. “Who cares about soulmates?”

“This is serious, Usopp,” she said, wagging a finger at him. “You have to make sure to find yours soon—”

“Because you don’t wanna come up the hill anymore?”

Ms. Okra stuttered, “Well—I—”

“I didn’t ask you to babysit me,” he grumbled, rolling his broken crayon across the table. “I was doing just fine before the mayor made you guys check up on me. I’m 7 and a half; I’m basically an adult!”

Ms. Okra rolled her eyes. “I’m just saying, you could stand to make a few friends. There are some nice boys and girls who visit on passing ships sometimes—”

Usopp blew raspberries. “You just wanna get rid o’ me. Prolly to steal all the legendary gold I’ve got hidden away.” He grinned. “Did I ever tell you? I went to a famous island made of cheese and—”

“Son of a pirate, indeed,” she whispered, rubbing the bridge of her nose. It sounded like any other curse she’d yelled at him from her shop window.

Usopp gripped his crayon tightly. “He’s gonna come back.” He glared at her. “And he’s not gonna be happy when I tell him what you said.”

“Oh please, if that coward was going to come back, he would’ve done it before Banchina—”

Usopp snatched his drawing and ran out the door. 

“Usopp! Usopp, get back here; we haven’t finished the lesson!” Ms. Okra shouted. “What would your mother say?!”

His mom would be proud of him for sticking up for himself and his dad. And she wouldn’t be so pushy about soulmates. Her mark was in the same spot as Usopp’s, after all, and look what happened.

Usopp spent the night holed up in a cave by the beach, his fish-lion crushed to his chest. The breeze whistled a lonely tune through the stone and sand. He buried his face in his knees and tried to ignore it.

—

Vinsmokes aren’t supposed to get soulmarks, his father sneered.

It’s like an ugly tattoo, his brothers jeered.

Make sure no one sees it, Reiju warned.

“Sanji,” his mother said, a warm look in her eyes, “it’s beautiful.”

“Really?” he asked, curled up next to her in bed. “Everyone else hates it.”

“Really, baby.” She tucked a stray hair behind his ear. “Don’t worry about everyone else; how does it make you feel?”

“Hmm.” Sanji traced each line of his mark with his finger. He smiled. “It makes me feel really warm and good! Like when I eat soup!”

His mom pressed a kiss to his temple and he giggled. “Then, mon chouchou, that’s all that matters.”

“But—But what if they don’t like me, maman?” He sniffled, tears welling up in his eyes. “I’m really bad at everything and I’m whiny and—”

His mom shushed him and pulled him closer. “Don’t listen to Judge and your brothers, okay? You are perfect just as you are. Your soulmate is going to love you.”

“Can you come with me when I meet them?” Sanji hastily added, “W-When you get better, I mean! And—And when I’m older and not as much of a baby!”

His mom took a sharp breath. She buried her face in his hair, the sheets rustling as she tugged him to her chest. “Of course, mon coeur,” she said, her voice sounding odd and muffled. “I’d love to be with you when you meet them.”

—

Usopp’s soulmark was a tiny little thing. Blue waves and a chef’s hat with a spiral pattern all inside a glass bottle. It was barely the size of his fingernail.

Mrs. Barb’s soulmark stretched across her whole back. A big green boar with curly white tusks and yellow flowers for eyes. Mrs. Barb’s tanktop couldn’t even cover it all.

“Rue!” Ms. Okra yelled, her voice easily louder than the sound of Mrs. Barb’s hammering. “You better not be fixing the display stand when I told you to rest!”

“Nope! No fixing here!” Ms. Okra stomped down the street as Mrs. Barb hastily put away her tools and kicked the box under the porch. She and Mrs. Barb whispered something to each other. Mrs. Barb said something that made Ms. Okra burst into laughter and smack her shoulder. Mrs. Barb put an arm around her waist and leaned in to kiss her cheek.

“Don’t get too close, Captain, or they might spot you.” Pepper pulled on the back of  Usopp’s shirt. “C’mon, let’s find Onion and Carrot, they’re still hiding!”

“R-Right! I was just trying to test my limits today.” He grinned. “Gotta practice my famous stealth techniques or I might get rusty!” 

“But I found you first…?” Pepper said, confused.

Usopp turned Pepper around and ushered him further down the alley towards the mouth of the forest. “Of course, of course, but that’s just because I was going easy on you, just wait until next time when I—”

—

“I almost had it!”

“Sure you did, kid!” Patty laughed around the cigarette in his mouth. “Maybe next time you’ll hit the target!” He laughed again, slapping the railing.

Sanji whirled on him. “Fuck off!”

“Hey! Watch your fucking language!”

“You need to bend your knees more,” Zeff called from the kitchen, his voice drifting out from the open door.

“You didn’t even see it!” Sanji yelled back.

“Didn’t have to. I could hear your dainty little steps from here.”

“They aren’t dainty.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

Sanji scoffed. “Whatever.” He swiped Patty’s cigarette and ran back inside, giggling while the man chased after him.

“Give that back you brat!” Patty knocked into a rolling cart piled with dirty plates. Carne scrambled to catch them with a curse. 

“Patty!” Zeff shouted. “Quit fucking around and harassing the Eggplant. Either finish your shitty break or get to work!”

“Ugh, dad to the rescue.”

Sanji flushed. “He’s—I mean—he’s okay, but he’s still just a shitty geezer.” There was a smarting pain to his head and Sanji squatted down with a hiss. “What’d you kick me for?!”

“I may be a geezer, but I ain’t shitty.” There was another thud, followed by a deeper hiss. Louder, Zeff said, “And I ain’t your dad, Patty, so get to fucking work.”

“Aye aye, Owner Zeff,” he grumbled.

With the sound of running water, Sanji looked up. Patty was at the sink, washing dishes and sporting a lump on top of his head. He snickered quietly to himself and took a celebratory drag of his stolen prize.

“You gotta stop picking fights like that,” Carne said, frowning down at Sanji. “Also, quit smoking. It’s bad for you.”

“Everybody else does it!”

Carne took the cigarette from Sanji and held it out of reach. “Well, you’re not everybody else, are you?”

“Hey!”

“Sanji, let it go.”

“But Pére!” Sanji whined.

Silence.

Carne had a hand over his mouth. Patty’s shoulders were shaking.

“What?” Sanji said, shoulders rising. “Don’t laugh! You guys said it earlier!”

Before he realized, Zeff leaned down and scooped him into a hug. Sanji stiffened. “W-What the hell are you doing, shitty geezer?”

“Nothing special.” He paused a moment. Sanji grew more tense with each passing second. “Thank you, mon fils.”

Sanji gasped. “You—what—when—?!”

“I wanted to read books from the North, so I learned,” he said. It sounded like that time he told Sanji he’d grow watermelons in his stomach if he ate the seeds. Zeff gave him a hard pat on the back and went back to cooking like nothing had happened.

“When you meet your soulmate, you better bring her ‘round to meet all of us, okay?” Carne said, wiping his eyes. Patty was trying and failing to subtly wipe his nose on his sleeve. “You can’t just run off without telling us!”

“As if I could ever run off.” Sanji leaned back against the counter, trying for smug, but ending up with a wobbly smile. “You guys would never survive without me.”

—

“Alright Zoro, hit me!”

Zoro wound up and punched Luffy in the face. Luffy bounced all across the deck, knocking over anything that wasn’t tied down until he ended up tangled in the railing. 

“Wow, seven bounces; that’s a new record!” Usopp said. “I need to step up my game.” 

“Hey bastards, you’re disturbing Nami!” Sanji shouted, bursting out of the galley.

“Sanji! When’s lunch?” 

“We just had breakfast.”

“And?” 

“And if I let you eat whenever you wanted you’d clear out every speck of food we have!”

Luffy whined. “But lunch is so far away. A little snack wouldn’t hurt.”

“Listen here you shitty rubberman—” Sanji picked Luffy up by the front of his vest. Anything else he said after that was completely lost to Usopp as he got a good look at his wrist.

Now, Sanji had been sailing with them for a couple weeks at this point, and he didn’t particularly put any effort in hiding the obvious mark stretching along the width of his wrist. Usopp could’ve probably named the basic colours and shapes of it based on the glimpses he’d seen. So really, it was no surprise that there was a yellow-orange target with a brown eye in the centre, framed by a green slingshot. 

What surprised him was the fact that it was only now, after seeing the whole picture at once, did he recognize that slingshot.

Holy fuck, Sanji was his soulmate!

Holy fuck, Sanji was his soulmate.

Mr. if-I-don’t-flirt-with-every-woman-around-I’ll-die was Usopp’s soulmate. Dear god.

What was he supposed to do with that? It was proper etiquette to make the soulmate bond known once one person had figured it out, but…

“Radiant Nami, would you like a refill of your tea?” 

“I picked some flowers just for you, my love!” 

“You’re the only girl for me, Nami baby!”

Well, what did Ms. Okra know anyway? She was wrong about a lot of things and all that soulmark junk was stupid anyway. Usopp’s curiousity had been sated, Sanji could keep flirting with girls guilt-free—it was a win-win!

And besides, compared to Sanji’s, Usopp’s soulmark was—fuck, he felt like crying.

“At least have the decency to wait a couple hours before asking for a snack!” Sanji growled, shaking Luffy and unintentionally bringing Usopp out of his head. Luffy simply laughed.

Usopp took a breath. He clenched his fists tight before letting them fall limp. “Hey, Sanji, you mind letting us have Luffy back? We were kinda in the middle of something.” He carefully kept his gaze away from Sanji’s wrist.

“Sure just give me a second, I need to beat some sense into this shitty captain of ours.”

“Give it up,” Zoro said. “That’s impossible with your puny kicks.”

“Puny?!” Sanji let go of Luffy and jumped the railing, butting heads with Zoro. “I’ll show you puny you third-rate swordsman!”

The force of Sanji letting go sent Luffy snapping back through the railing and around the deck before eventually flying through the galley door. There was a crashing noise and Nami screeched, followed closely by Luffy’s apologies between laughter.

“Eight bounces,” Usopp mumbled to himself.

Zoro and Sanji were fighting, Sanji’s sleeves riding up as he twisted around. 

Usopp quietly made his way below deck to the boys’ dorm, wedged himself in one of the corners, and buried his head in his knees with a groan.

—

“How come you’re so…” Nami waved a hand.

“You just gestured to all of me, my dear.”

“I mean, you flirt with pretty much any lady you meet.”

Sanji nodded frantically. “Of course! I can’t just let a lady go about her day without complimenting her!”

“Right.” Nami tapped the edge of her teacup. “Now, I don’t want to be rude, Sanji, but it really seems like you don’t care much about soulmates.”

“Ah, so that’s what this is about.” He smiled. “It’s the opposite, actually. And a little silly, I suppose, but when I was a kid, I didn’t want to miss the chance that one of the customers might be my soulmate. Some only visited the restaurant a few times a year and others only came once while passing through on their travels.”

“So you… decided to flirt with every woman who visited?”

Sanji’s cheeks warmed. “Well, yes, in a sense.” 

Nami raised an eyebrow. “What’s there to be embarrassed about? You certainly don’t have any shame about it now.”

He coughed into his hand. “I… started doing it rather young. And I hadn’t really been able to discern which customers were with their soulmates or otherwise in relationships already.”

Nami laughed. “Aww, Sanji, that’s so cute. I wish I could’ve seen that.”

“Trust me you really, really don’t,” he said, refilling her tea.

She took a sip and let out a satisfied sigh. The galley was silent for a long moment.

“If…” Nami paused. “If you’re waiting for your soulmate, then does that mean you know who they are?”

Sanji shook his head. “Nope, I’m just as much in the dark about her as you are with yours.”

Nami touched a finger to the spot just under her ear, a light blue heart outlining a well-loved crown atop a sandcastle, a single peacock’s feather sticking out of it. Sanji had never seen that style of crown before—none of them had—but then, that wasn’t uncommon when it came to soulmates from different places.

“Sanji,” Nami said softly, her eyes drawn to the table. “You really don’t recognize it?”

Sanji tilted his head. “No, not at all.”

Nami sighed again, this one more tired than satisfied. “Maybe we should get your eyes checked before we cross the Red Line.”

Sanji made a noise of confusion, but Nami refused to elaborate. When she asked about lunch plans, it didn’t take long for him to forget all about it.

—

Bath times were… harrowing to say the least. The guys didn’t have to wash up at the same time, but Luffy—and now Chopper, too—needed a buddy so he didn’t slip under the water and drown. Zoro needed a little persuading sometimes, which was always easiest with company around, and Nami forbade Usopp and Luffy from taking baths on their own, on account of wasting all the hot water messing around. Ever at Nami’s beck and call, Sanji would join bath time to keep order, followed by Chopper who came more for the comradery than anything.  

It wasn’t too hard for Usopp to hide his mark before. It was far smaller than his hand so he could easily cover it with a well placed towel or carrying Luffy to the tub in a particular way. Before, it was out of embarrassment of the size, but ever since recognizing his own mark on Sanji’s wrist, things had become a lot more stressful.

“Alright you idiots,”—Sanji clapped his hands and everyone turned to him—“Nami dearest is still recovering so we’re gonna get this done in no time and leave her, and our precious Vivi, plenty of hot water to soak in.”

Usopp kept one hand on his towel, saluting Sanji with the other. “Aye aye, bath captain!” Chopper and Carue rushed to mimic him, determined looks on their faces.

“But guys, I’m the captain…” Luffy said, pouting.

“Yes, but Sanji’s the bath captain. That means he’s no fun—”

“Watch it, Longnose.”

“Don’t forget afraid of a little dirt,” Zoro piped up from across the room, already having washed himself off and sitting in the back of the tub.

“Wow, I’m impressed,” Sanji said, brow raised. “You actually used your brain for once and insulted me when I won’t fight back. Maybe your head isn’t full of algae.” He smirked. “Though I guess it’s expected that you’re afraid of retaliation.”

“Who’s afraid?!” Zoro yelled, jumping to his feet. “You wanna go, Curly?”

Sanji wagged a finger. “Ah ah ah, what’s the rule?” 

He turned to Usopp and Luffy who both said, in a bored tone, “No fighting in the bath.”

“That’s right.” He started to unbutton his shirt as he added, “So finish up first and I’ll kick your ass later.”

Zoro sat himself back down, mumbling, “I’ll kick your ass later.”

If Sanji heard him, he didn’t show it, and man was Usopp glad for it. The days Sanji wasn’t just tearing out of his clothes as fast as possible to try and splash Zoro were always a treasure. Watching him leisurely expose the skin of his belly, a fine black happy trail dragging Usopp’s eyes down down down, just as he started to unbutton his pants—

“Usopp, hurry up!” He startled at Luffy’s voice, only just realizing he was still wearing his boxers. He quickly shoved them off and grabbed another towel for his waist before dumping a basin of water over Luffy’s head, clearing the suds all over him. Luffy gave a cheer and jumped into the bath, soaking Zoro completely. 

Ugh, what was Usopp doing? He couldn’t just check out Sanji like that! They were friends, crewmates! And Sanji didn’t even like guys, so it wasn’t like there was any chance. Besides, soulmarks didn’t really mean anything: you could be smitten lovers or barely acquaintences just like a relationship with any other person.

Yeah. Yeah! Usopp was probably just… going sea crazy. That’s a thing, right? Where being at sea so long makes you… fall in love with your best friend. Ugh.

“Sorry—I said I’m sorry, Zoro!” Luffy said as Zoro shook him back and forth. “I won’t do it again!”

“Won’t do it again my ass,” Regardless, Zoro let him slip from his grip and flop against the edge of the tub. 

“Usopp! Me too, me too!” Chopper said, covered in soap and holding out the basin. 

“Of course! The great Captain Usopp would never leave you hanging!” Usopp shifted in his stool. “Close your eyes and hold your breath.” Chopper did as instructed and Usopp poured the basin over him, slower than he did for Luffy. 

Chopper shook from head to toe, sending water flying everywhere. Usopp made a noise of surprise as he was soaked right back. “Thanks Usopp!” Chopper said, running for the bath. 

“Geez, give me a warning next time!” Usopp sighed, twirling some of his wet locks around his finger. “Man, I wasn’t even planning on washing my hair today.”

“No use complaining about it now.” Sanji said, pulling up a stool next to him. He held up Usopp’s shampoo bottle and shook it a little. “Want some help with it?”

“Please.”

—

Sanji laughed, the sound followed by a loud squirt of shampoo in his hand and a faint floral smell. Usopp turned his back to him and sighed happily at the first touch. They sat in relative silence—

“Chopper, do not turn into Walk Point—”

“Zoro, you don’t have to be jealous, we can take turns! You take the duck and—”

“I’m not gonna ride either of them!”

—as Sanji scrubbed shampoo into Usopp’s scalp. Usopp leaned back at bit more, his head tilting up. Like a cat wanting to be pet, Sanji thought fondly.

He took his time lathering up the suds and rubbing thoroughly at differents bits of sea salt and grit; he did the same for his own hair and he’d be damned if he didn’t do the same for his friend.

He combed his fingers through Usopp’s hair, taking his time to start from the ends and work his way up to the root, like Usopp taught him. Eventually, he ran his nails from the top of his scalp to the back of his nape in one smooth motion. Usopp had a full body tremble and sighed contentedly, the sound deep and satisfied. Something warm pooled in Sanji’s gut and he suddenly wanted to do anything to hear it again.

He repeated the motion, but Sanji only saw the curve of Usopp’s smile. A sight he held close to his heart, but not what he was hoping for. He ran his nails along the sides of his hair, scratching good and hard. Usopp huffed through his nose. Following the thread, Sanji put his fingers behind Usopp’s ear and scratched again; this time he had to rush to catch Usopp before he hit Sanji’s chest.

“Falling asleep?” Sanji asked with a laugh.

“Mmmno,” Usopp said, voice slow and drawn out. He tilted his ear towards Sanji and Sanji could see both his eyes were closed. “Keep going?”

Ah, maybe a dog would’ve been a better comparison. Sanji could almost imagine a little tail wagging against the floor. “‘Course. Can’t leave a job half done.” He grabbed a little more shampoo and got back to it, being sure to keep one hand right where Usopp wanted it.

To Sanji’s delight, Usopp sighed far deeper than before and pratically melted into his lap with hardly a thought; his arms lay limp over Sanji’s thighs and the back of his head pressed into Sanji’s stomach. The poor guy must’ve been tired from doing repairs on Merry earlier if all it took was a little head scratch or two to have him fighting sleep like that. Maybe Sanji should rinse off the shampoo and usher him off to bed—

Usopp sighed again, the sound closer to a pleased moan.

Well, this was benefitting both of them, really, so Sanji couldn’t just stop out of the blue. He had to be thorough in helping Usopp—he offered, afterall, and it’d be rude not to see it through. 

Usopp slid down a bit more, head turning to rest on Sanji’s thigh as Sanji scratched behind the other ear. His movement jostled the towel over his shoulder and it slipped to the ground.

Sanji noted it, absentmindedly, and glanced at the newly exposed part of Usopp’s chest without a second thought.

His hands stilled.

“Mmm? Why’d you stop?” Usopp asked. Sanji hardly heard him over the roaring in his ears. “Sanji?”

Blue waves. A chef’s hat. A distinct pattern of spirals. All encased in a small glass bottle.

There was a sharp inhale and suddenly the warmth across his thighs and stomach were gone.

Usopp stuttered some excuse as he left. Sanji was frozen, his eyes glued to the spot where his matching soulmark stared back at him.

His matching soulmark.

His matching soulmark.

And Usopp hadn’t said a word.