#winter collab

"Remind me what we're doing again?" Usopp groaned, rubbing his eyes as he trailed behind his partner. A hand absentmindedly scratched his chest as he attempted to wake himself.

"I'm just trying to do something nice for the crew, and I need you to be my lookout," (Name) replied, testing wooden steps for unruly squeakiness. They carefully made their way up to the main deck and signaled for Usopp to follow.

He hummed and trod up the stairs. Usopp lazily pulled his curls back into a low ponytail with a colorful scrunchie. "You're not going to get in trouble with Sanji," he sighed, "I think I'm allergic to waking up early."

(Name) scoffed, barely containing their smile. "I'll make you a latte," they offered, hoping such a peace offering would placate their grumpy boyfriend.

"Only if it's one of those tasty honey ones," Usopp replied before slapping his cheeks, putting life back into his body.

The kitchen door jerked open as (Name) reached for the doorknob. They stumbled back, bumping into Usopp, who gave out a little yelp.

(Name)' s hand shot up and covered his mouth. Several moments passed (Name), and Usopp stood on the deck, staring at their captain inside the kitchen. Both parties looked somewhat guilty.

They must've been a sight for Luffy. The lovers, standing in the cool early morning hours, wore the same set of pajamas. Usopp was wearing comfy pants, and (Name) had stolen the matching t-shirt. Both missing either a shirt or pants.

"Don't tell Sanji," Luffy whispered, flashing a grin before pushing past them, seemingly not caring about their intentions.

"Go figure," Usopp grunted, pulling (Name) 's hands off his face. He let them pull him into the kitchen, “I think I hear the pillow calling my name.”

“But I can’t rely on anyone else to help me with the Cinnamon Roll Stake Out,” (Name) pouted a little, “You’re the best look out ever.”

He rolled his eyes. “I really think it’s calling me. If you listen closely you can hear my blanket; ‘oh Usopp I miss you~!” he feigned distress, as (Name) started to grind coffee beans.

“You’ll live,” (Name) smiled. They couldn’t help thinking about how cute Usopp was. Such a goofy sweet guy that was all for them. How lucky was (Name)?

"Here you go, bae," (Name) mused, setting the coffee mug in front of Usopp.

"You're the best," Usopp cooed before taking a long sip of his hot latte. He leaned against the counter, looking out of the small porthole window that decorated the kitchen door.

"Hm, yeah, I know," they replied. The scent of coffee flooding the kitchen convinced (Name) to make their own latte before digging around the pantry,

(Name) set out the dry ingredients before putting a small bowl of milk in the microwave. "Can you get the butter out for me?" (Name) asked, grabbing an apron.

"I thought I was just supposed to be the lookout," Usopp whined as he moved toward the fridge, "Just need me to set it out?"

"Yeah, and then tie this for me," (Name) said, turning their back toward him, holding the apron strings.

Usopp carefully tied the apron and then rested his head on her shoulder. "It's not too tight, is it?" he asked, his breath hot on (Name) 's neck. When they shivered, a smirk tugged on his lips.

"It's perfect," (Name) nearly squealed, jumping away from their partner. When they turned to stare at Usopp, he barely contained his laughter. "You snot," they grinned, punching him playfully in the shoulder.

"Come on, you know you love me," Usopp chuckled and returned to his post, sipping his coffee.

"More than anything," (Name) hummed, washing their hands before pouring active yeast into the bowl of milk they took from the microwave.

They set the bowl and whisk on the counter next to Usopp, asking him to whisk the contents. (Name) moved on to mixing the rest of the ingredients, carefully putting all the containers back where they found each item. They didn’t want to leave any evidence for Sanji to find. Then (Name) took the bowl from Usopp, combining the last of the ingredients.

"I need to let the dough rise for a bit. Then it'll be cinnamon roll time," (Name) sang before finally taking another sip from their coffee mug. They rested a cloth over the bowl before grabbing a washcloth to clean off the counter space.

Usopp rinsed out his mug and rested it in the sink. "So what do we do until then?" he asked as he began washing the extra dishes.

(Name) sat on the counter, where Usopp had been standing, to get a good view out of the kitchen doors window. Sipping their coffee, (Name) rubbed their eyes.

"I guess we're just going to hang out for a bit," (Name) shrugged, watching the melted whipped cream float at the top of their cup. Their eyelids began to feel heavy as the adrenaline of sneaking into the kitchen had worn away. They let out a great yawn.

Usopp failed to stave off an equally big yawn in reply, to which (Name) smiled.

"Oh~ you like me," (Name) teased, "How embarrassing."

Usopp dried his hands and grinned, "I do like you." He strolled to (Name) and took the coffee mug out of their hands. "I like you quite a lot, actually," he said, wrapping his well-built arms around his partner's waist, "You could say I'm infatuated with you." Usopp leaned in close, kissing (Name).

They melted into his touch, and one hand cupped Usopp's cheek. (Name) tried and failed not to smile.

Feeling the curve of their lips, Usopp broke off the kiss. He rested his forehead against theirs. "I think I might even love you," he murmured. The peace and privacy of the early morning kept him from feeling terribly embarrassed.

Hearing a noise outside, (Name) unhappily moved away from their partner. They peeked out the window, only to catch a glimpse of blond hair making its way toward the kitchen.

"Ah fuck, it's Sanji," (Name) swore, pushing Usopp away from the door.

"What do we do?" he gasped, "Sanji's going to kill us." The once sweet moment had descended into near-comical fright from both parties.

"Um-uh-let's- oh! The pantry," (Name) stumbled through thoughts, shoving Usopp toward the large pantry, "We can try to hide in there."

"Obviously, Sanji's going to look in there," Usopp protested. He moved toward it regardless.

(Name) huffed behind him, "Duh, but I don't have any better ideas."

The couple tumbled into the pantry, closing the door behind them. The two moved around encased in the darkness of a walk-in-pantry.

(Name) grabbed Usopp's hand and pulled him into a spot behind a few barrels of ale. They snuggled close to Usopp's side, trying to settle their thundering heart.

Usopp leaned his head against the wall and squeezed (Name) 's hands. When they squeezed back, the warmth of affection swept through him. All would be well. Sanji wouldn't kill them; at worst, Usopp would get kicked, and Sanji would scold them. The ridiculousness of them hiding in the pantry dawned on him. A little snort of laughter escaped him.

Usopp's laugh made (Name) giggle, making Usopp laugh more until the two of them were in hushed giggles. Both of them tried to shush the other between laughter.

A sudden light washed over them. Sanji had swung open the pantry door. He marched over to the barrel the two of them were hiding behind.

"Okay, lovebirds, stop being perverts and get out of my kitchen," Sanji ordered. The sharp sound of his shoes tapping the wood filled the entire area. He rested his hand firmly on his hip.

"We're not perverts," (Name) protested.

Sanji hummed in response, "Seems like the world's lamest seven minutes in heaven to me," Sanji said, pulling (Name) to their feet.

"It wasn't like that," Usopp remarked, following (Name) out of the pantry, "We were making cinnamon rolls and-"

Sanji clicked his tongue, cutting his crewmate off, "Save it, perv. I don't need the details."

The couple both wailed in unison, denying Sanji's allegations.

(Name) went back to the counter where the dough had been resting. "See? I was gonna make breakfast," they cried, pulling the cloth off the top of the bowl.

Sanji inspected the bowl and gave the dough a tentative poke. He huffed for a moment. "Oh, fine. You can finish it," He sighed, giving in, "Just no mushy stuff in front of me."

"Fair enough," Usopp nodded in agreement, "Mission Cinnamon-Roll-Stakeout has officially failed."

(Name) patted his shoulder sympathetically. "No worries, love," they comforted, "You can help me finish breakfast instead."

"Really?" Usopp perked up, "Mission Making Cinnamon-Buns-with-my-Honey-bun accepted."

————— ୨୧ —————

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Rosinante kicked the snow off his boots before he stepped inside his home. Closing the door behind him, he took off his uniform's winter jacket and hung it on the coat rack. Taking off his boots, he placed them on the side of the vent so they could dry off. His hands reached for the blue handkerchief tied around his neck, undoing the knot and he let out a sigh of relief as it came off. 

Rosinante glanced around the living room next to the entrance, humming to himself and wondering where you were. That's when a pleasant smell caught his attention. A strong peppermint scent danced in the air, drawing Rosinante toward the kitchen. He heard you humming Christmas jingles to yourself as he entered the kitchen and spotted you in front of the island. You hummed as your delicate hands kept busy, dicing red 'n' green striped candy canes, you hadn't noticed the silent man enter the room. Curious, Rosinante walked behind you and looked over your shoulder.

"Whatcha making?"

"Ah!" you jumped, slicing a big chunk of the candy cane. Glancing behind you, you saw Rosinante standing behind you. Setting down the knife, you placed a hand on your chest. "You scared me, Rosi."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." Rosi sheepishly smiled and scratched the back of his neck.

"It's fine, at least I didn't cut my finger," you say as you glance at the large chunk of candy. Surprise captured your emotions again when Rosinante took your hand and began inspecting it for any cuts. "I'm fine, really," you felt your cheeks flush as watching Rosi examine your hand, eyes narrowed as he carefully scanned.

"Seems like you cut your finger," Rosinante pointed out, bringing the small slice to your view.

"Oh, that must've been from earlier," you mumbled as you looked at it. "I had a tricky start cutting the candy canes, it's not as simple as slicing strawberries," you explain while Rosi goes through the cabinets.

"You need to be more careful, [Name]." Rosinante pulled out some disinfecting alcohol and a box of bandaids. He took some paper towel and dabbed the alcohol on the surface then gesture for you to let him see your hand again.

"I got the hang of it now," you tell him as you let him take your hand and disinfect your cut. 

"Hmm..." Setting the paper towel down, Rosinante grabbed one of the bandaids in the box. "Never answered my question earlier."

"Oh, I'm making candy cane ice cream," you chirped with a smile. "I thought since we'll be going to your father's house for Christmas, we could bring a dessert so Sengoku doesn't have to worry about everything-"

"Uh, [Name] could please help," Rosi asked, hands covered with wrinkled bandaids.

"How did this happen?" you giggled, your fingers moving to remove the bandaids. 

Rosi blushed and looked away, mumbling a small 'ow' as each bandaid came off. Once they were all gone, you kissed his hands to shoo the pain away, colouring Rosi's cheeks a deeper red. Taking his hands back, he grabbed the box and handed it to you. You gave him a small smile as you took out a bandaid and put it over the clean cut.

"There all better," you state, waving your fingers. You followed your actions with a kiss on your lover's cheek. "Thank you Rosi."

"Now then-" you clapped your hands together and finished dicing the candy canes, brushing them into the mix you had prepared prior and layering them in. "Could you pass the tin Rosi, please?"

"Of course," Rosi grabbed the tin that sat on the counter and placed it next to you.

You steadily poured the batter into the tin until it almost hit the brim, yet some batter remained in the bowl. You frown seeing that you over-measured the amount you needed. As you wrapped the current filled tin of unfrozen ice cream you wondered what to do with the leftovers.

"Mmm, this tastes good," Rosi complimented. You glanced over to see the blond licking the batter off the spatula.

"You're supposed to eat it once it's been frozen," you giggled.

"It may be but it's just as good as this, try it," Rosi held the spatula toward you, waiting for you to taste the creamy batter.

Leaning forward, you licked the part that seemed to have the most amount of candy cane. The sweetness melted in your mouth and you hummed pleasantly, savouring the taste in your mouth. It did taste delicious.

“Huh?” Said man’s elf hat jingled when he looked away from his display. His blue eyes beamed at the sight of you. Mirio chirped out your name as you rushed forward, nearly knocking him over. “Whoa, you alright?” 

“I need your help,” you blurted out, catching your breath at the same time; those pesky escalators were no use at all. Mirio offered to get water, but you waved him off. “No, no…no time for water. I need your help. It’s urgent!” 

“Uh, sure, what can I do?” 

“I need a toy, but not just any toy.” Mirio blinked when you suddenly inched closer to him. You scanned the area as though someone was lurking around to eavesdrop on your top-secret conversation. “It’s the Hippity Hop Cat, you know—” 

“The cat whose hops are out of this world?” 

“Yes, that one!” You clung to his shoulders like a desperate parent trying to find some shred of sanity in this chaotic store. Shaking the blonde man, you begged, “Please tell me you have one in stock?”

“Oh man,” Mirio scratched his forehead as he recalled the inventory from this morning. He glanced at your hopeless eyes and tight fists curling on his work uniform. There was no way Mirio could leave you hanging like this; it didn’t feel right. So he flashed you his famous smile that outshone the star twirling above you both. “Come with me. I’ll check in our system.”

“Gosh, you’re a lifesaver.” 

Mirio humbly rubbed his neck as he led the way to the backroom. You eyed the uproarious floor covered with thousands of toys that rivaled Santa’s Workshop in the North Pole. It was like walking through a child’s dream. Every toy imaginable—dolls, electric cars, robots, board games, you name it—was here. Hopefully, that stayed true with the Hippity Hop Cat. 

The door closed, muffling the sounds of frantic parents buzzing through the aisle. Mirio typed away on the keyboard as you paced behind him. You cursed yourself for procrastinating this long to buy the prized toy. Christmas was in less than two weeks!

“So who’s the gift for?” 

“Oh!” His deep voice pulled you back to the present. You walked forward with folded arms, anxiously hugging yourself. “It’s for Eri, a sweet little girl my next-door neighbor, Shouta, adopted earlier this year. She had a rough upbringing, but fortunately, she’s living with someone who cares for her deeply.” 

“I’m glad to hear that.” 

“Yeah,” you smiled softly at Mirio, making his fingers freeze above the keyboard. That smile of yours took his breath away; he nodded but secretly tried controlling his heart that beat like a bass drum. It was difficult since you were so close to him. “This will be Eri’s first Christmas, and she wants the Hippity Hop Cat; I told Shouta I would buy it for her, helping ease some pressure off his shoulders.”

“That’s really thoughtful of you.” Mirio admired everything about you. He was absolutely smitten with you ever since you started working in the perfume department. Mirio sometimes strolled through the floor during his breaks just to catch a glimpse of you. After scrolling through the computer, the blonde man frowned. “Hmm…looks like we’re out of stock. And the next shipment won’t come until the twenty-first.” 

You groaned. “Man, that’s cutting it close; you think you can hold one for me? I can buy it during my break or after work.” 

“I’ll try my best.”

“Thanks, Mirio.” You squeezed his shoulder, and he shuddered at the touch. Glancing at your watch, you said, “I gotta go before Nemuri wonders where I am. But thanks for helping out!” 

“Sure!” He saw you slip out the door in a hurry; you throw an apologetic smile for good measure. Pushing the elf hat further up, Mirio chuckled, “No problem.”

༛༛ ༛ ༛༺༻༛ ༛ ༛༛

Okay, so maybe there was a slight problem.

Santa Claus was still around town, and Mirio was placed on “elf duty” to help out with the pictures. Don’t get him wrong, the sunshine man adored children as much as the jolly old man who lived in the North Pole. However, Mirio realized he couldn’t guard the Hippity Hop Cat for you. All he could do was pray that one miraculously stayed on the shelf until you bought it. 

A flash went off, snapping Mirio back to his job. He smiled brightly, guiding the kid off Santa’s lap and ushering the next one to the chair. Nearly every parent in Japan was here today, the line looping around the store. Other customers, not visiting Santa, shopped as well, making the place extra crowded today. Yet, none of them were you, and that worried Mirio. 

“Ho, ho, ho, it was nice meeting you, sweetie!” 

Oh right! Mirio needed to focus, but it was hard knowing you weren’t here yet. All Mirio wanted to do was make people happy, especially you. After the sweet story you shared with him, he was more determined than ever to get you that toy. His blue eyes glanced at the bearded man in the red coat—could he help? Who knows. 

As Mirio waved goodbye to each kid, you stumbled off the escalator, face flushed as though you ran fifty flights of stairs. You glanced around the packed floor, dodging an airplane that whizzed by and brushing against the sea of customers to find Mirio. The blonde elf locked eyes with you and flashed a relieved grin; the grueling wait was over. 

And so was his duty with Santa Claus, what luck! Mirio marched over to you, placing a gentle hand on your back and guiding you to the aisle. “I was worried you wouldn’t come.” 

“I’m sorry,” you blurted out, narrowly avoiding getting hit by a robot’s arm. “The perfume department was swamped with tourists and other people. I practically had to beg Nemuri to let me slip away for a few minutes so I could buy—” Turning the corner, you gasped in disbelief at the empty shelves before choking out, “—the toy.”

Mirio blew a low whistle; people were snatching these toys off the shelves like no tomorrow. Still, he wouldn’t give up just yet. “C’mon, maybe there’s some left in stock.” 

“You sure?” 

“Can’t hurt to try, right?” Mirio flashed you a boyish smile, blue eyes brimming with determination. You nodded and followed him through the elaborate maze of this chaotic toy store. 

However, just as you both passed by the cash register, someone bellowed out: “That’s the last Hippity Hop Cat, sir. Thank you for shopping at Toyland; have a nice day!” 

No! You screeched to a halt. Your eyes watched as the man grabbed his bag and left the store with an exhausted but relieved face. Without thinking, you slammed against the counter, scaring the young green-haired employee who clutched his uniform. Leaning forward, you desperately half-whispered, “Please tell me what you said wasn’t true!” 

“I-I’m sorry?”

“The toy!” You frantically gestured to the exit, the man now long gone. “Please tell me you have another Hippity Hop Cat for sale!” 

“U-Um, I, uhh, well,” Midoriya stammered until his eyes spotted a familiar face behind you. The nervous man sighed in relief, knowing he was saved. “Mirio!”

“Hey, Izuku, sorry about that,” Mirio bashfully chuckled and clasped your shoulder to calm you down. The blonde man quickly introduced you to his co-worker, adding, “They’re trying to buy the Hippity Hop Cat, but are you sure that was the last one in stock?” 

“Yeah, it was. I’m sorry.” 

“Oh…oh, okay…” Your shoulders drooped like a sad puppy; you were too late. After saying a quick apology, you numbly dragged your feet toward the exit as a gray cloud formed over your head. A warm hand stopped you from going any further, and you blinked up. “Huh, Mirio, what’s wrong?”

“You alright?”

“Oh, yeah, yeah,” you dismissed his concerns, but he wasn’t convinced; your eyes told a different story. Still, you mustered a brave face with a faint smile. “Listen, I appreciate everything you did. I knew it was a longshot getting the toy, so don’t sweat it, really.”  

“I know, I just,” he sucked in a breath, “I just wished I could have helped you out more. Especially since you wanted to make Eri happy.” 

“Don’t worry, I’ll get her something else.” You squeezed his bicep when Mirio opened his mouth to interject; he faltered slightly at the brief touch. “It’s fine, really. I’m sure Eri will love any toy for her gift; I promise.” 

Mirio nodded, watching you leave the store and disappearing within the crowd. You said everything was fine, but he knew that wasn’t true. That fake smile of yours spoke volumes. There has to be a way to get that toy, Mirio pondered, rubbing his chin and staring at the floor with furrowed eyes. 

Suddenly, an idea popped inside his head just as a jingle bell chimed behind him. A white smile stretched across Mirio’s face. The idea was crazy, maybe a longshot, too, but it wouldn’t hurt to try. Mirio whipped out his phone and searched through his contacts until he landed on a specific name. 

The line started ringing...and ringing...and ringing when—

“H-Hi, Mirio.”

“Hey, Tamaki!” The blonde man beamed like the sun. He lowered his voice, cupping the phone for secrecy while walking away. “Listen, buddy. I know you’re busy and all, but I got a huge favor to ask…” 

༛༛ ༛ ༛༺༻༛ ༛ ༛༛

“…you think you can do it?” A small puff of breath floated out of your lips as you stepped away from the revolving doors. You stood beside a colorful window display of tiny elves grinning from ear to ear, their eager hands holding toys for the good boys and girls. One elf balanced himself at the tippy top of Santa’s mountainous red bag, his green gloves clutching the pointy hat for dear life. 

You smiled, appreciating the creative design before saying, “I can close the following week...yeah...okay, awesome, thanks again!”

Crisis one averted. Crisis two was up for debate, mainly because you held a shopping bag with Eri’s gift. It wasn’t the Hippity Hop Cat, but a nice small plushy cat toy instead. You bought it just a few minutes ago after wandering through the aisles at Toyland. The plushy cat toy wasn’t a bad second choice; it was adorable and incredibly soft to the touch. But it wasn’t the toy you wanted to give for Eri’s first Christmas. 

Oh, well, you sadly thought, biting the inside of your cheek. You stared at the elves again, realizing that their costumes matched Mirio’s work uniform in Toyland, down to the funny little hat. Mirio somehow pulled it off well thanks to his bubbly personality and warm heart that could melt the North Pole's snow. 

At one point, you wondered if Mirio was even there since you didn’t see him at the store today. You assumed he was doing inventory, but Midoriya said Mirio took the day off after a last-minute “personal obligation” came up, and it was too important to ignore. Must have been serious, you sighed as the shopping bag rustled against the wind. 

You braced your coat, hissing as the cold air sliced across your cheeks. Yup, it was time to go unless you wanted to freeze out here. Shuffling away from the window display, you stopped when someone screamed your name. Glancing over, you saw Mirio running toward you with one arm waving high in the air. 

“Hey!” Mirio finally caught up to you, his face flushed and nose redder than Rudolph’s, yet he kept on smiling. “So glad I found you!” 

“Whoa, you alright?” Now it was your turn to be concerned, just like he was when you rushed into the store to ask about the Hippity Hop Cat toy. Mirio nodded enthusiastically, squashing your worries away. “Midoriya said you were busy with a ‘personal obligation’ today. Is everything okay?” 

“Oh yeah, everything is great!”

“Well, that’s, um, great.”

“So, listen, about the Hippity Hop Cat toy—” 

“Mirio, I told you not to worry about it,” you butted in, shaking your shopping bag with the plushy cat. “I went ahead and bought something else for Eri and—”

“Ta-da!” 

You went radio silent, staring in disbelief at the surprise. Sitting in Mirio’s hands was the one and only Hippity Hop Cat toy. The number one toy that was on every kid’s wish list, yet rarer to get than Willy Wonka’s Golden ticket. That toy was now only a few inches away from you. 

“B-But how?!” The words finally fumbled through your lips, flickering your gaze between the toy and Mirio while stumbling forward a bit. “It’s sold out everywhere!” 

“Let’s just say I pulled some strings with Santa’s workshop,” Mirio cheekily grinned like one of the elves from the window display. You choked out a laugh, dropping the shopping bag so you could hold the boxed toy; it felt wonderful in your hands.

You looked up with eyes softer than freshly fallen snow. Mirio continued talking up a storm, his arms flailing wildly like an excited kid who discovered something new. The delicate holiday lights flickered around you both, casting a lovely glow that was as bright as the joy twinkling inside Mirio’s eyes. 

They were always so welcoming that, without thinking, you gave him a crushing hug. Mirio froze, his arms hanging mid-air as he slowly processed what was happening. After a few seconds, his shoulders relaxed, and his strong arms eagerly wrapped around you, holding you in place. Even with that thick coat of yours, you felt very soft that his heart soared to new heights. 

“Thank you, Mirio,” you whispered near his ear, giving him another squeeze. But you didn’t stop there. A sudden urge came over you, and in a bold move, you planted a sweet kiss on his cheek. Pulling away, you bit back a laugh at his flustered face. “You really are the best Helpful Elf I know.” 

“Well, you know me,” he shot you a grin, “I’m always here to help.” 

“Is that so?” You tapped your cheek with your gloved finger. “Think you can help me gift wrap this toy, say tonight at my place?” 

“Luckily for you, I’m a whiz with wrapping paper.” 

Mirio’s hand wormed its way into yours, giving you a loving squeeze before joining you on your long walk home. The Hippity Hop Cat toy was the toy on every kid’s wish list this year, including Eri’s, whose first Christmas was officially saved. And it was all thanks to Mirio, the one and only Helpful Elf at Hazuki’s Toyland.

Thank you for reading!!