#inspired by the fact that i have a plushie of the cutest shark and i always watch one piece with it

[beanghostprincess]

The Strawhats go to an amusement park and Sanji sees the most adorable, softest, cutest, plushie of a fish as a prize in one of those Shooting Games. He loves it. It's so cute. And he has always been fond of soft things, even if the only one who has ever known this is his mom. Usopp stops next to him and asks "What? Did you see something you like?" and Sanji blushes furiously and brings a cigarette to his lips, looking away and muttering "No- No. It's stupid. Let's keep walking, I saw some food trucks right this way". But Usopp won't have that. And so he lets the crew walk away and do whatever while he stays in that Shooting Booth for a long, long while. Usually, he would just finish the game and win whatever he wants in no time because, well, he's the best sniper ever. But apparently, he just can't win this fucking game no matter how good his aim is. And he knows he's not doing it wrong. He knows it's not him.

The dude working there says that maybe he's overconfident because the game is perfectly fair. But you know, Usopp is also the best liar in the world and he just knows when somebody isn't telling the truth.

--

After a long while, Usopp finds the crew eating together at one of the tables close to the food stands, but he can't spot Sanji anywhere. Not until he looks around and he sees him obviously talking to one of the cooks in what seems to be his break. Of course he would ask about recipes instead of eating. Well, Usopp just waits there until Sanji finishes talking and he turns around, their eyes meeting for the first time in a few hours. Sanji's immediate reaction is to grin at him, but then he tones it down a bit and clears his throat, looking away for a few seconds. "Did you get lost on the way to here? That's more of a marimo thing to do, huh? What were you doing?"

Usopp is excited to give him the gift. Or afraid he won't like it. Or maybe just anxious. Maybe it's too much. Maybe he realizes that he has a crush on him and every effort he's made to hide it will go to waste. But it's more important to see Sanji smile, he thinks, so Usopp breathes in and shows him the stuffed animal. "I was just getting back something you forgot on the way. Nothing much."

Sanji's face is indescribable. He gasps and drops the cigarette he's been holding to take the fish from the sniper's hands. He looks at it with so much love and fondness that Usopp is extremely glad he did this. "You're an idiot." But there's no malice in his eyes when he looks up at him. "Why did-"

"A sharpshooter cannot back down in front of a challenge like this!" But he leaves his cocky speech aside to shrug and smile at Sanji back. "And you seemed to like this cutie, so I thought it'd be nice for you to have it."

Sanji stares at him deadpanned for a few seconds. "I'm buying you food."

He can't help but roll his eyes. "Shut up. You're not." Sanji always does these things.

"It's true. I'm not." He holds the plushie close to his chest with one hand while he starts pushing Usopp, his other hand on his back. "We're going back to the ship and I'm cooking you something."

Usopp wants to stop walking, but the other keeps making them move. "Sanji." He sighs. "Accept a gift like a normal person."

The only thing Usopp can see right now is the back of Sanji's head because he's walking faster than him now, impatiently leading the way to Sunny. "You're my sniper and you got me this. And I'm your cook and I will make you something to eat." He turns around for a second and grins, brighter than the fireworks around them. Brighter than any light from this festival Usopp has seen. "That's how we work. Shut up and follow me."

So Usopp follows.

When they see that same Shooting Game again, completely in ruins and a bunch of kids taking the prizes and having fun around the chaos, Usopp tries to walk faster. And faster. But Sanji stops walking, so he has to stop too. "Usopp."

The sniper looks around anxiously. "Yeah? What's up?"

"No." Sanji frowns. "You tell me what's up."

Usopp is about to lie or confess, one or the other, but full of fear of rejection anyway. Until he sees Sanji's amused expression, about to burst out laughing, and it brings his confidence back. "You know. I guess some liars just don't deserve to get away with their schemes. That's all."

And when he sees Sanji giggling and rolling his eyes, holding the fish closer, Usopp thinks he would set a thousand booths like this on fire if it meant seeing him smile.