How Zoro's still conscious, let alone managing to continue sitting upright while he laughs uproariously over some taunting quip Nami's just made about Sanji's lack of alcohol tolerance, Usopp has no idea. The swordsman and navigator have been slamming down tankard after tankard with no signs of slowing, each apparently determined to drink the other under the metaphorical table, but Zoro's also finished off Chopper's barely-touched drink as well as the contents of a few other mugs abandoned after the initial toast. Namely those of the sniper himself and- to no one's great surprise- the rubber man now sprawled on his back on the lawn deck beside him.

Luffy's lying with his head tipped to one side to watch his green-haired boyfriend upside-down through half-closed eyes, a soft and rather dopey smile curling his lips. Upon announcing the celebration marking Usopp's and Robin's return and the addition of Franky to the crew as their new shipwright, he'd taken a small obligatory gulp from each of the two mugs he'd snatched up, grimaced at the taste, and immediately held out both to Zoro- who'd responded by grinning and leaning in between his outstretched arms to kiss him soundly on the mouth.

It hadn't taken long for Luffy's enthusiastic response to spur a deeper, more passionate lip-lock - there'd been a truly alarming amount of tongue action involved, Usopp's still flustered to recall - but when Zoro's free hand had strayed from Luffy's hip to slip down past his waistband into the seat of his shorts and seize him firmly by one ass-cheek in order to pull him closer, nearly spilling their drinks in the process, the heated exchange had been interrupted by the nearby and greatly exaggerated clearing of several throats. The two men had broken apart with obvious reluctance, breathing ragged and their flushed faces radiating sheepish chagrin.

It seems as though there's been some basic ground rules laid down during Usopp's absence with regards to the sort of behavior the rest of the crew's willing to tolerate from their captain and first mate in a public setting. While kisses, handholding and snuggling are permissible, heavy petting and dry humping- along with other actions deemed too lewd for polite company, presumably- have been declared off-limits, allowed only when they're occurring behind closed doors and therefore out of sight. There'd also been some offhand remark from Sanji, about a tie?

I have no idea what's supposed to be so important about a tie, but I bet Nami threatened to fine them for public indecency or indecent exposure or something, Usopp thinks and tries very hard not to snort out loud. If she charged 'em for all the stuff they've ALREADY done, they'd probably be in debt for life. What the heck- for all I know, they ARE already in debt for life.

Honestly, the sniper's not sure whether he's relieved or disappointed by the new regulations. The thought of seeing his friends strip down and go at each other right in front of him YET AGAIN- just like that evening in the palace bathhouse back in Arabasta, or the night they'd invited Wyper to join them for an impromptu threesome in the bonfire square during the victory celebration in Skypiea, OR that morning he'd woken to find them having sex on the floor only a few feet away in the meeting hall- well, it makes him feel sort of-

"Zoro's really messy…" Luffy sighs abruptly in a husky, somewhat strained tone of voice, interrupting his thoughts. "He's spillin' booze all over himself…"

The rubber man's right, Usopp realizes; although Zoro's not truly drunk - it's kind of debatable whether or not the man CAN get drunk - he's obviously inebriated enough that the hand with which he's clutching his tankard isn't particularly steady, tipping precariously to slosh its contents whenever he laughs forcefully enough. And there's alcohol trickling freely down his chin whenever he raises it for another swig. Dripping onto his chest to soak the front of his black Galley-La tee, already damp enough to cling to the curves of his pectorals. And, Usopp can't help noticing, to lay stretched between the protruding points of nipples rubbed stiff by the taut, moist fabric.

He can feel his face heating at the sight, prompting him to pluck anxiously at the blades of crumpled grass within the triangle of his crossed legs, but despite his best efforts to look away, he's soon staring without being fully conscious of it.

When Luffy's index finger jabs abruptly at his thigh just above the knee, it startles him so badly, he almost yelps.

"It's okay if you looooook- just don't forget he's MIIINE," the captain teases, offering him a playful smirk, although there's also a slight hint of genuine rebuke in the reprimand. A tiny thread of almost bitter possessiveness that makes Usopp's cheeks flare even hotter.

"I wasn't- I- I mean, I d-didn't-" He falters as Luffy continues peering up at him, gaze uncomfortably keen as it roams his face in search of- exactly what, he doesn't know. Does Luffy really think he wants to steal Zoro's affections, attempt to claim Luffy's boyfriend for his own? "I'm not trying to-"

"Oi…"

This time Usopp's not alone; Luffy jumps too, caught off-guard by Zoro's throaty rumble.

Tankard lowered, the swordsman's abandoned his conversation with Nami to eye the pair of them with undisguised suspicion as he rises to approach them with only the slightest hint of unsteadiness evident in his stride. "You guys better not be fighting again already, right after we got all that shit settled."

"No," Luffy protests. "No, we were just-" He squawks when Zoro bends low to curl an arm around his middle and then scoops him up with ease, noises of protest dissolving into bemused giggles when it dawns on him that his partner's moved within easy range of his touch. He raises a hand to stroke and massage one thick pectoral through the soggy shirt covering it, licking his lips and biting the lower one with obvious exhilaration when Zoro exhales a soft curse, body visibly shuddering.

Embarrassed, Usopp drops his gaze to the travel bag he's yet to stow in his locker and still wearing slung over one shoulder with it resting on the ground beside him, fiddling with the flap while he waits for them to wander off in search of a private spot- only to utter a screech of surprise as he's seized by an overall strap and dragged to his feet.

"C'mon," Zoro tells him, giving an insistent tug. "We're straightening this- this shit out once 'n for a-" The last word emerges as a strangled, wavering "ahhh" as the fingers caressing his chest close into a fist, securing a generous handful of tit. "D-Damn it, Sencho," he scolds, eyeing the broad smile continuing to spread across Luffy's face as the captain gives another appreciative squeeze. "… o-oi… oi, tell me you're not- you're not really drunk off a few measly mouthfuls of booze."

"It wouldn't surprise me," Nami remarks with a tipsy giggle as they move past her. "You- you know he's even more of a lightweight than Sanji-kun." She casts a skeptical but curious look towards Usopp, who's too stunned to do anything but let himself be steered by one shoulder towards the mens' quarter's door. "Zoro- Zoro, I hope you know what- wh-what the hell you're doing…"

"It's not- not what you're pro'ly thinkin'," Zoro snorts, trying to ignore Luffy's limbs coiling eagerly multiple times around his torso to cling to him while he walks. "I m-might be a little loaded, but- I'm not stupid." He gives a half-hearted little growl at Luffy for laughing out loud obnoxiously at this remark. "Shut up, you- you dumbass. You started this whole thing."

"O-Oi, what- what're you guys t-talking about?" Usopp asks timidly as he opens the door with shaking hands, very much aware of Zoro's fingers gripping his shoulder as he's followed closely through the entryway and uncertain whether to feel excited or scared as hell about the implications of being alone with his friends when they're both liquored up- and presumably horny as hell.

He hesitates when he reaches the room's center, nearly tripping over his own feet, uncertain if he's about to find himself stripped naked and tumbled onto the sofa and- and- and thoroughly ravaged to within an inch of his life… only to have Zoro release his shoulder and stroll right past him to flop heavily onto his back on the cushions and stretch out full-length, pulling Luffy down with him.

"Nobody- 'n I mean NOBODY s'walkin' outta here 'til this thing's finally settled, okay?" The swordsman inclines his head towards the empty seats on the other side of the table, his expression making it clear that he expects Usopp to sit. "Not just 'cause I don't want my boyfriend fightin' with his best friend but also 'cause-" He turns his gaze on Luffy, who's begun nuzzling amorously his collarbone while half-sprawled astride him, and reaches up to grip the younger pirate's chin and shake it gently to claim his attention. "It's kinda my job to make sure my captain's not- mmn, not f-fightin' with our marksman, y'know?"

Heart thundering in his ears too hard for him to hear Luffy's response, Usopp wobbles his way to the unclaimed sofa and plops down in the middle of it, still tightly clutching his bag. His stomach's flopping wildly, like a fish caught and struggling on a line. He swallows, unable to tear his gaze from the way Zoro's cradling Luffy's face with increasingly unsteady fingers and beginning to breathe harder because Luffy's bunched the front of his wet t-shirt up to expose the smooth, well-muscled length of his midriff while the opposite hand roams beneath the hem to firmly knead whichever pectoral it's presently grasping.

Within moments, the green-haired man's face is slack and flushed beneath a light sheen of sweat, his exposed abdominals jumping each time he's squeezed a bit too roughly.

-or maybe just roughly enough, Usopp finds himself thinking. He's seen his crew mates fool around often enough to know how Zoro reacts to being played with like that. To his pectorals being not just touched or stroked but clawed and wrenched and manhandled. Bitten too, probably; even if he hasn't personally witnessed it, Usopp doesn't doubt the odds are in favor of Zoro getting a serious rise out of THAT, given how often the swordsman's yanked off a shirt to reveal bruises, scratches, and other peculiar marks scattered across his torso.

Watching as the hand fondling Zoro's tits moves back and forth between them, relentlessly teasing the damp, rosy areola and erect nipple of first one curved mound of muscle and then the other until their owner's panting softly from eagerness and mounting sensitivity, Usopp's unable to prevent his own fingers from twitching, tightening involuntarily on the bag balanced on his thighs.

It's not a great deal of movement, but the sniper's obvious agitation- and the direction of his wide-eyed gaze- don't go unnoticed. Eyeing Usopp sidelong, Luffy makes a small noise of triumph and gives his current handful of flesh an extra vigorous twist. "See, Zoro? I TOLD you."

Zoro's head tips back momentarily as he's squeezed, his hips squirming slightly as his body arches off the cushions and then slowly sags back down against them. When he's able to speak again, his voice is low and rough and on the verge of breaking. "Uh- uh-huh. 'N I t-told YOU- I told you it doesn't matter, didn't I?" He clears his throat. "Usopp, our captain thinks- LUFFY thinks you wanna bang me." Taking a long, shuddering breath, he lets his hand drop from Luffy's jaw to settle comfortably on his hip, where it shortly begins to caress him with familiar carelessness through the thick weave of his shorts. "He noticed you- ah, lookin' at me- like you're interested. In fuckin' around with me, if not outright fuckin' me."

Usopp's mouth has fallen open. He can feel it working soundlessly, helplessly, trying to produce words he doesn't have, while his brain races. Making connections. Finally comprehending the reason behind Luffy's highly provocative behavior and what's also been responsible for a great deal of the on-again, off-again awkwardness that's existed between them going all the way back to Arabasta, if not earlier.

"I noticed too. 'Cause- well, you've been doin' it an awful lot. 'N not just lookin' either, but straight-up staring at me like you wanna know how I taste," Zoro continues. "-'n I'm not pissed about it or anything, but I think it's probably better for everybody if we don't actually d-"

"That- that's not it, not- not at all!" Usopp interrupts in a rush. Unsure whether to bury his face in his hands and laugh until he cries or simply crawl under the table in absolute mortification. He'd been well-aware they'd noticed at least a few of his appreciative glances, but he hadn't realized he'd been caught staring quite that often or that his interest had been so obvious- or so easily misunderstood. "I mean, I wasn't- I didn't- well, okay, I did- I HAVE been looking, b-but not because-" He's sputtering, flustered because they're both peering at him in confusion, Zoro blinking and Luffy beginning to frown, no longer pawing at his lover's chest but shifting upright in his arms to sit straddling his midsection. "I- I like you, Zoro, I like you a lot, but not like tha-"

"You got a boner!" Luffy accuses. "You got a big ol' boner watchin' Zoro do stuff with me that one time- I KNOW you did! 'Cause I saw you yankin' at it! So don't try'n say you don't wanna-"

"I needed to pee! I woke up 'cause I needed to pee and- and you were both naked with the covers kicked off and r-rubbing all over each other and-!" He's attempting to strangle his bag's shoulder strap, blushing so hard he can feel the heat all the way to the tips of his ears. The tip of his nose. "Y-You were making these- these NOISES and-" He drops his gaze, too embarrassed to meet their eyes. "I didn't mean to watch- I wasn't trying to, like, g-get off spying on you or anything. I just- I saw naked people rolling around together, D-DOING IT, right there in front of me, and before I knew what was happening- umm, well, my- my dick just sort of-"

Luffy looks a lot more skeptical than reassured by his disjointed rambling, but Zoro's expression has softened with what Usopp's hoping- PRAYING- is understanding.

"I guess you haven't- or least you hadn't- seen much of this kinda stuff before," the swordsman says, his hand absentmindedly caressing Luffy's lower back. "Other than your girl-" He grins at Usopp's renewed blush. "-other than Kaya, there wasn't really anybody close to your age in your village, right? 'N maybe I'm wrong, but… you don't seem like somebody who goes around peeking in people's bedroom windows to catch a glimpse of dudes dickin' down their girlfriends or wives." An unexpectedly shy smile up at Luffy. "-or boyfriends or husbands, huh?"

The rubber man casts another dubious glance in Usopp's direction but at last he returns Zoro's smile and settles down against his chest to listen.

"I mean, I could see the cook at least THINKING about that kinda shit- tryna get an eyeful of bouncin' titties or whatever. But you?" Zoro makes a dismissive snorting noise. "Nah, man, you're not that kinda guy." He slips a hand beneath the back of Luffy's vest to rub slowly up and down his spine. "I didn't know a whole lot about sex either, not 'til I met Johnny 'n Yosaku. Jerkin' off- sure- I knew all about THAT, 'n I was curious as hell about the other stuff, but-" Snorting, then outright barking laughter. "Well, before I actually hooked up with Johnny 'n Yosaku 'n the three of us started screwin' around in bed- 'n everywhere else- I had pretty much the same thing happen to me that happened to Usopp the other morning." He grins at their perplexed expressions. "I got an unexpected earful. Of them bangin' each other, I mean."

"Wh-What?" the sniper asks, just as Luffy demands "REALLY?" with such undisguised delight that the two younger men look at each other and burst into incredulous giggles.

"Yeah, only I didn't just wake up 'n catch 'em messin' around, I woke up 'n heard 'em moaning. MY. GOD. DAMN. NAME. while they did it." Zoro grins at his friends' screeches of astonishment and mock horror. "Back then I was a real pansy when it came to sex though, 'cause while this really desperate, horny part of me wanted to go climb in bed with them 'n see if they really meant any of what they were saying-" He shrugs, still grinning. "I chickened out. I just laid there pretending I was asleep 'til they got done 'n conked out. But holy fucking shit did I get hard, listening to all the noises they made…"

"Did you- did you jerk off?" Luffy asks, audibly breathless, and Usopp feels the heat rising in his face again as he watches the captain give an eager wiggle of his hips in response to Zoro's hands sliding down to cup and squeeze his buttocks through the fabric of his shorts. "While Zoro listened to them, did he-"

"Barely got a hand on my dick before I came, right in my freakin' pants too. I was afraid they'd notice but- let's just say they were pretty noisy 'n pretty into whatever they were doing. I never actually SAW 'em at it- that time or any of the other ones- 'cause they were worried about gettin' their asses kicked if they got caught, so they either waited 'til I was asleep or 'til I- 'til I l-left." The swordsman's been kneading his partner's ass with growing vigor while he speaks, and his voice has started catching in his throat, courtesy of Luffy beginning to sway more enthusiastically against him. "The point- the point is- I know what it's like- how you can get t-turned on 'n get hard just-" He inhales sharply. "Shit, L-Luffy, if you're- if you're gonna keep that up- I'm not- gonna be able t-to talk."

Shooting an extremely smug look at Usopp, Luffy gives one last slow, grinding thrust, his eyelids falling half-closed and his gaze dropping to Zoro's upturned face when the green-haired pirate arches beneath him with what's clearly an involuntary groan given the heavy flush of bemused embarrassment that darkens his cheeks as he registers the sound escaping his own mouth.

The sniper swallows, fighting the urge to squirm in his seat. He can't look away and he knows now they're both fully conscious of him watching- although they still don't understand WHY he's watching- and he'll be damned if he has the slightest idea how to explain himself. Or if they'll even believe him, should he miraculously find the right words.

"If you don't want Zoro, then why can't you stop starin' at him, huh, Usopp?" Luffy challenges, as though reading his mind. "It's like your eyes bug out of your head every time his clothes start comin' off…"

"I don't mean to, but-" Usopp's been wringing the fabric of his shoulder bag between white-knuckled fingers again, once more overwhelmed by agitation and frustration, and one fidgeting hand's encountered the corner of the sketchbook tucked inside. He hesitates. Could it really be that easy?

Listening to Zoro gently scold their disgruntled captain, he pushes back the bag's flap to rummage through its contents, pushing aside assorted dials and other junk he's collected to peer at the worn, dog-eared cover of the book inside. If he shows them, will they understand? Or will they just get mad? He raises his gaze.

"I told you, Sencho, you're the only guy I want as my boyfriend," Zoro's murmuring, fingertips stroking one side of Luffy's face from temple to jaw and back again with surprising delicacy. "You don't gotta be jealous of Usopp or any other guy- not even the ones who've fucked me- 'cause I'm nobody's but yours…"

Watching Luffy reluctantly allow Zoro to draw him down for a kiss that's just as thorough as the one they exchanged earlier tonight but far less frantic and a lot more tender, Usopp can't help feeling completely bewildered by those words. The idea that Luffy could somehow be jealous of HIM, of all people- and that he's not only jealous but he's apparently BEEN jealous for some time- is a thought he finds utterly perplexing. It seems absurd, considering Usopp's always been so jealous of HIM. Of EVERYONE ELSE on the crew- of their strength and skills and bravery and-

No longer reluctant but now pressing forward with considerable aplomb, Luffy's melting into Zoro's embrace, making little contented noises in the back of his throat as his fingers curl around handfuls of the older pirate's soggy shirt to try to pull him closer. When he presses forward to deepen the kiss, Zoro immediately tilts his head to accommodate him, uttering a deep humming chuckle of laughter at his impatience, and at the sight of the muscles in Zoro's neck flexing, pulled taut beneath his sweat-dampened skin, the sniper can't resist anymore.

Digging farther into his bag without looking away, he locates a stub of graphite and yanks his sketchbook free. Flips it open to the next unused sheet of parchment. Begins sketching, his hand flying across the page while his gaze darts back and forth between his subjects and the bold strokes emerging beneath his fingers.

Luffy's the first to register what he's doing and breaks away from happily plundering Zoro's mouth to peer across the table, flushed face filled with curiosity. "Are you- are you DRAWING us? KISSING?"

"I- umm-" Usopp can feel heat climbing the nape of his neck, his cheeks, the edges of his ears, but he doesn't stop. He's pretty sure he CAN'T at this point; his urge to capture the curve of Zoro's throat on paper while it's still fresh in his mind has become a compulsion too strong to resist. "M-Maybe."

Fascinated, Luffy tilts his head to watch, clearly having forgotten he was in the middle of a rather intense make-out session, and Usopp can't help shooting a nervous glance towards Zoro to gauge how he's taking all of this. To his relief, the first mate appears more amused than annoyed at being upstaged and is watching him sketch with obvious interest.

"S-Sorry," he stammers anyway, unable to prevent himself from offering the apology.

"Don't be," Zoro says, voice husky with lingering ardor, then clears his throat. "It's good. Your drawing, I mean- it's really good."

The compliment surprises Usopp so much, he doesn't know whether to say "thank you" or rattle off the standard declaration that "of course- and not just really good but FANTASTIC, because the Great Captain Usopp's incapable of producing anything but a masterpiece" OR protest that honestly it's not THAT good because he can already tell he's botched the proportions of the older pirate's hand where he's drawn it cradling the curve of Luffy's cheek and jaw. Instead, he mumbles, "I know I probably should've- uh- asked first. Especially-" His fingers twitch, causing the graphite pinched between them to lay down a line that's far less smooth than those surrounding it. He knows he should shut his mouth, stop while they're appreciative and not angry with him, but he's flustered and helpless to prevent himself from babbling. "Especially that- that other time. When you were, uh, d-doing a lot more. Than- than kissing."

As the confession leaves his mouth, he sees Zoro's pupils immediately dilate in that same absolutely terrifying way they do shortly before the swordsman throws himself into battle, and his hand jerks so violently, he nearly tears the graphite's tip right through the parchment.

"What?" A single word, harsh with demand and- is that outrage or-?

Luffy's gone unnaturally still in Zoro's lap, body tense, staring at the sniper with an expression that's largely unreadable.

"On the- on the sk-sky island," Usopp admits reluctantly, convinced he's about to find himself on the damage-dealing ends of BOTH their fists, possibly simultaneously, but- also horribly relieved because it's no longer a secret. Maybe they'll be furious, but at least he can finally stop worrying about what'll happen if somebody gets their hands on his sketchbook. "When you were with-" Oh god, he's probably about to sign his own death warrant. "… with, uh, the- the guy with the t-tattoos..." And, as though there's really a need for clarification at this point, "-and the wings."

Zoro's mouth opens as though he's about to say something, but instead of speaking, he hesitates for a few moments before his tongue slips out to moisten his lips. "You drew us with-" He swallows audibly, throat producing a weird sort of click. "You drew me getting fucked by Wyper."

It's not a question so much as a statement, spoken in a tone so gruff that Usopp cringes involuntarily. He's no longer attempting to continue drawing but clutching the graphite stub discoloring his trembling fingertips as though he might be able to wave it like a magic wand and whisk himself away to safety the moment one of his nakama makes a threatening move towards him. "I-"

"I wanna see," Luffy interrupts. "Usopp, lemme see. Now."

Fear and anxiety make Usopp clumsy; the sniper nearly drops his sketchbook twice trying to find the proper page. Finally he gives up and simply shoves the entire pad of parchment across the tabletop at them, barely noticing when it sends the graphite rolling away off the edge and clattering to the bare boards at his feet. He's too busy studying the insides of his eyelids and praying he doesn't suffer for too long.

But even with his eyes closed, he's painfully conscious of the soft rustling of turning pages- punctuated by occasional, agonizingly noncommittal noises and quiet muttering- as they flip through his work searching for the sketches he did when the crew was back on Skypiea. The seconds crawl on, until nearly a minute's passed and he's thinking maybe I wished the stuff right out of existence and but oh god, are they really actually looking at EVERY SINGLE PAGE and maybe I should just run for it while they're looking at THAT instead of ME when there's a sudden, ragged inhalation from the direction of the sofa opposite him.

Usopp's eyes pop open automatically in response to the sound, which sends invisible cold fingers skittering down his spine from the nape of his neck.

Clutching the sketchbook in both hands, Zoro's staring down at the page to which he's holding it open, his visage pale save for a vivid blaze of color standing out like a sunburn across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. As Usopp watches nervously, the swordsman sucks his lower lip in between his teeth, adam's apple bobbing as he swallows forcefully before asking in a choked voice, "Do- do I really look like that, when…" He trails off, leaving the question unfinished.

Luffy's staring at the sketches with awe and what's unmistakably lust, the two emotions battling for dominance on his face. He reaches out to touch one drawing, fingertip tracing a bold stroke that serves as the curve of Zoro's lower back, arched as the first mate pushes his buttocks upwards to meet a rough thrust delivered by Wyper's hips, and Usopp nearly blurts out a warning not to smear the graphite but his throat's too tight and dry to deliver anything beyond a strangled croak.

The low, wavering sigh that emerges from Zoro's chest at the sight of their captain caressing the figures depicted locked in coitus on the parchment drowns him out anyway.

Grinning sidelong at his lover, Luffy shifts to take a closer look at the sketchbook- and his eyes widen, his mouth forming a brief, silent "o" of surprise.

WHAT, WHAT IS IT? Usopp wants to demand aloud, panic-stricken, but before he can force the words out, Zoro jolts, gasping, as Luffy slips a hand between his thighs to cup his groin through the fabric of his trousers. No longer looking surprised but positively beaming as his fingers close around the shaft of the hardening erection he's discovered there.

"S-Sench-" The green-haired pirate's head drops back, baring his throat, when the hand grasping his cock squeezes a little tighter and makes an experimental pumping motion. The sketchbook's abruptly left dangling from one hand by its spine as the other darts down to grip the edge of the cushion beside him, and Usopp lunges across the table to rescue it before he can think about what he's doing.

Zoro relinquishes the book without a fight, his now free hand immediately seeking the back of Luffy's neck to draw his face close enough to kiss. His hips abandon their furtive twitching and settle into a firm, steady roll that grinds him against the heel of the rubber man's hand when it slides lower to cradle and roll his balls in its palm, fingertips massaging the area below with rough, circling movements.

Luffy's shifted to straddle Zoro's thigh, his own hips rocking fast and hard as he rubs himself shamelessly against it. The hand not already occupied between Zoro's legs finds the swordsman's torso, exposed by the wet t-shirt still rucked up just below his armpits. Caressing the taut muscles of his abdomen, thumb circling several times around his navel, before rising to seize one of his pectorals in a grip so ferociously tight that Usopp sees the flesh go red then white from the pressure where it's bulging from between the captain's straining fingers.

Zoro writhes in place, hips bucking then briefly freezing in place midair- once, twice- and then a third time- and finally a fourth- as the crotch of his trousers slowly darkens above where the palm's pressed against it with unrelenting force. He's panting into Luffy's mouth, groaning breathlessly yet making determined efforts to continue kissing his partner despite the intensity of his release.

Eyes locked on Zoro's pleasure-flushed face and the satisfied smirk playing on Luffy's lips even as he licks and nips and nibbles at their dazed first mate's chin and jaw, Usopp's rummaging in his bag in search of another piece of graphite with one shaking hand even while the other's struggling to flip to a clean sheet in his sketchbook, desperate to capture the way Zoro's mouth is gaping helplessly as Luffy keeps rubbing and squeezing and tugging at him in hopes of prolonging his orgasm, of coaxing just one more spurt from his quivering body.

It's over before the sniper can lay down anything beyond the roughest sketch, Zoro sagging back against the sofa cushions with beads of sweat glittering on his overheated skin, the beginnings of a bruise resembling an enormous rose-shaped tattoo blooming across the heaving pectoral from which his lover's finally loosened his crushing hold.

Luffy's exertions, however, have only become more frantic, his pelvis jerking in rough snapping motions as he ruts against Zoro's thigh and hip, his breath escaping in ragged gasps.

Zoro's eyes flicker in Usopp's direction, and then he raises his gaze to their captain's effort-contorted face, fingers leaving the base of his skull to caress his jaw. "L-Luffy, are you- are you sure? Or do- do you want him to leave?"

Groaning, brow furrowing in helpless frustration, Luffy turns his head to lean his cheek into the palm of the swordsman's hand, panting. "Don't c-care. Zoro- Z-Zoro! I need-" He tilts his head slightly, closing his mouth over Zoro's index and middle finger to suck hungrily at them, swirling his tongue around the digits and between them.

That's evidently the end of the conversation so far as they're both concerned; Zoro concludes the matter by shooting another glance in Usopp's direction, followed by a slight shrug and bemused quirk of the mouth that's severe enough to flash one dimple, and then his attention returns to Luffy.

Usopp slowly relaxes. He'd frozen in place, hand halting mid-sketch the moment he'd seen Zoro's gaze dart his way and realized his crew mates have remained very much aware of his continued presence despite their pretense otherwise, but since it's been left to him to decide whether he stays or goes-

He adds a tentative line to the parchment while wavering between staying and going, wracked with indecision. And another line. And another. Until all at once it dawns on him that he's once again drawing without hesitation, and- yes. Yes, he's staying.

Murmuring encouragement to Luffy, Zoro allows him to continue lathing his fingers, moving them teasingly back and forth inside the sucking pucker formed by the younger man's lips until thin, wet streams of saliva are escaping the corners of his mouth to drip from his chin. His other hand's found the small of Luffy's back, stroking the bare skin beneath his vest and periodically delving into the seat of his shorts to squeeze his ass and control the movement of his hips, reducing their speed until he's no longer plunging wildly but rocking at a nearly agonizing pace, each slow, lengthy thrust dragging the bulging tent formed by his erection forward along the leg pressed tight into the juncture of his thighs.

Every time his groin collides with Zoro's hip, the captain moans around the fingers in his mouth and grinds their lower bodies together until his partner's persistent tugging on his waistband persuades him to reluctantly break away again.

When moisture's beginning to trickle freely down his wrist, Zoro withdraws his fingers with a wet pop, the sound causing Usopp to make a small involuntary noise of his own that's mercifully covered by the rippling of parchment as he flips to a fresh page.

The swordsman's saliva-slickened fingers leave a broad, damp path down Luffy's lower spine before they disappear into the seat of his shorts, the curve of Zoro's hand sliding lower and lower- until Luffy cries out, falling forward to cling to him with trembling arms even while his rump's pressing backwards to meet the fingers breaching his rear, trying to push them deeper. "Zoro!"

"Fuck… Sencho, you're so, sooo tight. Tight 'n- 'n all h-hot 'n slick in here…"

Usopp's grip on his graphite stub falters and he nearly drops it. He supposes he should've known better, but- somehow he hadn't anticipated them talking dirty to each other like that while doing this sort of stuff. Making noises, sure, but- he never expected to find himself listening to them actually t-

"C'mon, ease up a little, alright?" Zoro's growling. "-before I lose a damn finger." The rumble in his voice is evidently for show, however, because he immediately softens the rebuke by kissing Luffy's open, panting mouth, and the next time he speaks, his tone is far gentler and full of infinite patience. "Oi oi… relax…" Pressing his lips to Luffy's chin, nosing beneath it to plant reverent kisses on his flushed neck and in the hollow of his throat. All but crooning when he murmurs, "Relax, Sencho- I got you…"

"Zoro- Zoro, I'm-"

Breath caught in his throat, Usopp's sketching as fast as he can, filling the page with rough thumbnails he can later examine at his leisure. Bust portraits of the captain clutching the first mate's shoulders, head thrown back to give the green-haired man better access to his throat. Of the first mate pressing a line of kisses along the captain's jaw until he reaches his ear and pauses there, sighing not his title this time but his name, and Usopp nearly drops the graphite again, because he's unsure if the whisper that follows is merely "I got you, mmm, I got you" or if one of those times Zoro actually said "I LOVE you" because whichever word came out of the swordsman's mouth, it was muffled by Luffy's skin beneath his lips and-

The graphite tumbles from the sniper's motionless fingers. Because, he's abruptly understood, it doesn't MATTER which word he heard. Because regardless of what Zoro might've said, he's already been showing his love for their captain with every kiss, every caress, every smile. Showing his love TO their captain, and-

Does Luffy know? he wonders as he retrieves the fallen graphite from where the drawing implement's rolled off his sketchbook and landed on the tabletop beside it. Has he figured it out yet?

On the opposite sofa, Luffy's now got both arms wrapped around Zoro's shoulders, his hands locked on fistfuls of the swordsman's badly rumpled shirt and dragging it farther askew and his face pressed against the side of Zoro's neck, smothering helpless cries of completion while his climaxing body jerks and shudders within the muscular arms encircling him. Laughing low in his throat, murmuring teasingly into Luffy's ear, Zoro's holding him close, swaying their bodies together, and Usopp stares at them in silent wonder for several moments before he resumes sketching.

It doesn't take long for Luffy to recover and begin squirming in Zoro's embrace until his lover reluctantly but obediently loosens his grip, easing back enough for him regain his balance and sit up- whereupon he promptly drops one hand into the older pirate's lap to caress the damp crotch of his trousers, then seize the waistband to give it a firm tug. "Off. I wanna cum again-" His voice is a husky, dangerous purr. "-but this time I wanna do it inside Zoro."

A smirk immediately surfaces on Zoro's face, growing in magnitude until he's baring his teeth in a grin so menacing and downright lusty that Usopp's nearly compelled to scramble over the back of his sofa to cower behind its bulk. "Aye aye, Captain…"

H-How do they DO that? Ten seconds ago they were CUDDLING, but now they're-

"Oi- nah, leave that on," Luffy's ordering, halting Zoro's attempt to remove his alcohol-soaked shirt along with his pants. Chewing thoughtfully on his lower lip, the rubber man takes the garment's crumpled, rucked up hem between his hands to roll and squeeze it, eyes gleaming with mischief at the sight of liquid emerging from the fabric to run down Zoro's chest, trickling over his pectorals and down his abdominals and lower belly to drip slowly from the semi-flaccid cock dangling between his parted thighs.

The first mate mutters something about a waste of good booze, but his complaints end quickly when his lover closes the distance between them to lap tentatively over one of his wet nipples, and he gives an appreciative shiver. "Oho? You gonna lick me clean?" He closes a hand around his shaft to begin stroking it slowly back to full firmness, angling the head suggestively in Luffy's direction.

Usopp's no longer watching them but staring fixedly at his sketchbook, determined to ignore the temptation to peek and hoping his face isn't giving away how embarrassed and flustered he's getting over the sight of Zoro stimulating himself so casually in front of both of them.

It's not the swordsman's nudity that bothers him. Not even the fact that he's jerking off, necessarily. Thanks to sharing the same cramped living quarters during their time with Merry, the three of them have seen each other naked plenty of times, and Usopp's certainly no stranger to masturbation, although he seriously doubts he gets the urge for that sort of thing anywhere near as often as his nakama.

No, it's less about being naked or jerking off and more about the idea of having somebody- anybody- sitting there looking on while he goes through the whole ordeal from start to finish. Not just glimpsing him with a boner - like they discussed earlier, sometimes bodies have minds of their own - or getting a brief glimpse of him playing with himself, but having someone sit there watching him yank on his dick, steadily pumping it over and over, fist sliding from base to tip and back again while his fingertips linger on the most sensitive spots, all in an active attempt to make himself cum. Being all horny and red-faced and shaking and, well, just really kinda gross-looking to be honest.

ZORO doesn't look gross when HE'S doing it- or doing any of the other stuff- but Zoro's also ridiculously fit. Zoro's buff. Zoro's got muscles for days. And even Luffy's got a sturdier build than most people realize at first glance.

Usopp, on the other hand-

Usopp has no illusions about what prospective partners might think of him. He's not only got the physical integrity of a weed but he stammers horribly when he's nervous, and since even the PROSPECT of sexual intimacy scares the absolute hell out of him quite frankly, he's pretty sure he'd be a panic-stricken, blubbering mess long before he ever got around to the, erm, sticking point.

His crew mates, on the other hand, make having sex look incredibly easy. In fact, they make sex look sort of FUN instead of just embarrassing and weird and gross, especially in moments like now when they're smiling and laughing and exchanging playful quips and teasing observations about each other's bodies and libidos and the anticipation they're both too eager- and confident- to hide.

But while he can't help feeling a little envious seeing their undeniable delight in pleasuring one another, he can't imagine actually doing any of the stuff he's watched them do together. Not with either of them or any of his other nakama. Not even with Kaya. Actually- ESPECIALLY not with Kaya, because while Usopp's fantasized about putting an arm around her and possibly- POSSIBLY- daring to kiss her cheek, and while he thinks it's possible he might love her not just as a friend but might actually love-her-love-her in the romantic sense, the idea of sex and Kaya and sex with Kaya is just- entirely too strange and makes him feel more uncomfortable than anything else.

Maybe I'M the weird one, he thinks as he stares down at his open sketchbook, where the tip of his graphite's halted on the page's surface. 'Cause aren't- aren't guys supposed to WANNA have sex, as often as they can get it?

Just as Zoro speculated, Usopp's never had anybody to talk to about this kind of stuff. His male friends back home had still been a few years from hitting puberty, speaking to Kaya had certainly been out of the question, and- well, there hadn't been ANYONE available to answer his questions about sex and romance, not to mention address his concerns with all the really bizarre things his body had started doing shortly after he turned thirteen.

Maybe- maybe I could just ask Zoro himself? He doesn't seem to mind talking about this stuff and- and I don't think he'd laugh at me for asking, either. Not like Sanji. A thought that makes Usopp wince internally, because it's entirely too easy to imagine the cook expressing incredulity the moment he admits sex scares him. Yeah, he'd definitely much rather address his questions to Zoro- although he supposes he'd better wait until some other time.

Because right now Zoro's clearly preoccupied, having begun squabbling amicably with their captain as they face each other on the sofa opposite Usopp. It's clear the swordsman's eager to feel his lover's lips wrapped around his cock and, judging from the way Luffy's eyeing the turgid flesh, he wants to get his mouth on it rather badly- but he's also pretty put off by the taste of the alcohol glistening on Zoro's renewed erection and glittering like tiny diamonds suspended in the wiry curls at its base.

I can't believe his pubes are green, Usopp thinks for what's quite possibly the hundredth time. Green- and they're NOT DYED either.

"Look- I'd lick it off myself, but I can't reach 'n I sure as hell don't stretch like you."

Frustrated, Luffy surveys their surroundings for a moment before snatching up Zoro's discarded trousers and attempting to scrub the offending liquid off his partner's body, prompting a stifled curse as the first mate rears backwards into the sofa cushions, splayed fingers intervening to protect his groin. "Oi, Zoro, hold still!"

"Then don't be so rough! Jeez!"

Usopp winces, resisting the sympathetic urge to cross his own legs and musing privately that Zoro must have nerves of steel and balls of brass, daring to let Luffy lay hands on his dick, let alone use his mouth. I'd be afraid I'd end up LOSING it.

For a moment Zoro looks as though he's prepared to continue grumbling at Luffy, whose hasty apology sounded anything but genuinely contrite, and then his eyes go half-lidded as his hips twitch forward and a breathy sigh escapes his parted lips.

Usopp blinks. What just-

"Shishishi… does that feel better?"

Zoro makes a semi-coherent noise in response and allows his head drop back, adam's apple bobbing along the line of his throat when he swallows. His bare thighs loll farther apart and now Usopp can see where Luffy's free hand is cupping the swordsman's perineum, fingers angled to spread his buttocks wide enough to grant access to the single digit that's buried to the first knuckle within the pucker between them and flexing slowly as it strokes over and over against some place just inside him.

Whatever Luffy's doing, it obviously feels amazing; when the pair of pants the captain's been using as an impromptu towel slither out of Zoro's lap and drop to the floor, they reveal his erection's jutting out from his shuddering pelvis with a rigidity that suggests it's as capable of cleaving steel as efficiently as any of his katana.

As the sniper watches, gaping, Luffy makes a slight twisting motion with his wrist, fingertip now beginning to rotate back and forth while it continues to wiggle in Zoro's bottom- and Zoro inhales sharply, his cock giving a forceful jerk that causes it to bob mid-air. A bead of clear fluid wells from the tip, growing steadily larger until gravity intervenes and it oozes down the underside of the head and then drips free to form a dangling, wet strand that sways with each subsequent twitch of the swordsman's shaft.

Luffy laughs aloud again, sounding delighted. "Wow, Zoro's sure leaking a lot!"

"H-Hurry up 'n-" Zoro lifts his head to stare down the line of his own body at his neglected, straining cock and their captain's hand as it continues moving between his legs with relentless, maddening leisure. He takes a shaky breath, licks his lips. "-e-either- either blow me or f-fuck me or jerk me off, but don't- uhn, don't just k-keep TEASING me."

"… mmm, I wonder… if I could suck Zoro 'n go inside him at the same time…"

Usopp can feel his face burning. The room's abruptly too warm and far, far too small.

On previous occasions he's witnessed his nakama having sex, their interactions had been relatively indistinct. Either distance or darkness or both had reduced their bodies to little more than silhouettes; on the sky island, the more intimate details had been masked by flickering shadows created by the numerous campfires. In the cramped quarters of Merry's combined meeting room, kitchen and helm, it'd been the small size of the porthole windows and the early hour responsible for the reduced visibility. And while the palace bathhouse in Arabasta hadn't been particularly dark, most of whatever they'd been doing had been hidden from view by the position of their bodies.

Here and now, however, in the brightly lit men's quarters of the crew's new ship with Luffy and Zoro facing each other in profile on the sofa only a few feet away, EVERYTHING is visible, and it's a lot more overwhelming than he expected. Or at least it's gotten a lot more overwhelming since his friends' clothing started coming off, anyway.

Luffy's in the process of struggling out of his shorts, doing it one-handed so he's able to keep fingering Zoro, and when he shoves his waistband down, his dick literally springs free- hard and dribbling pre-cum- to slap against his lower belly before swinging back down to wobble wildly in the air before him.

Usopp wheezes nervous, hysterical-sounding laughter- and just as abruptly chokes on it because the noise has drawn Zoro's gaze, and the swordsman's studying him through half-closed eyes even as he reaches out to seize one flap of his lover's open vest with trembling fingers that close into a fist on the handful of fabric, pulling him down for a kiss.

"Zor-" The captain's voice drops into a groan that's muffled by the first mate's mouth. His shorts drop around his ankles, forgotten, as he presses his pelvis more firmly against Zoro's groin, sliding their erections together. His hand's fumbling between their bodies, shifting to sink a second fingertip into Zoro's bottom beside the first, wriggling to work both digits inside, and Zoro's pushing back, spine arching, sphincter visibly clenching and relaxing as he helps drive them deeper.

Oh. Usopp swallows thickly. Oh, they're really- they really are going to do it, aren't they. When he's done using his fingers there, Luffy's going to- he's actually going to put his dick insi-

He's on his feet and out from behind his side of the table before he realizes he's moving, shaking hands slamming his sketchbook shut and shoving it into his bag.

"U-Usopp?" Luffy breaks away from Zoro's lips to ask, his voice husky and breathless.

"I don't- I don't know if- if I-" Usopp hates how much he's stammering, but he's too flustered to prevent it. "I mean, I- I don't think I-" He bites his lip, hoping they won't tease him for chickening out. Or worse, be angry with him for suddenly wanting to leave after they've not only humored his interest in drawing them but essentially welcomed his presence. "This was o-okay at first, but now it's just- just a little-" He trails off, unsure of how to continue.

"T-Too much?" Zoro finishes hoarsely, sounding neither amused nor annoyed but so understanding that the sniper finds himself almost weak-kneed with relief. "Oi- oi, Usopp, it's okay. Nobody- nobody's gonna make you stay if you don't wanna."

Luffy's nodding in agreement, although despite his best efforts to hold still, he's also squirming quite a bit, obviously desperate to resume rocking against his lover's partially prone body.

"I th-think-" The pitch of Usopp's voice rises to a squeak and he's forced to clear his throat, heat flaring across his cheeks. "I- I like the- the, uhm, aesthetic of-" He makes an awkward sort of shuffling gesture with both hands, not exactly sure what he's trying to convey. "-but I'm- uh- I'm not too crazy about the- the messy stuff or the-" His face blazes hotter. "…the whole, uhm, seeing things g-going in h-h-holes part…"

"But those are the best parts!" Luffy protests- and squawks in dismayed surprise when Zoro smacks him. "Well, they ARE."

"To you 'n me, sure, but obviously not to HIM," the swordsman retorts. "I mean, maybe WE get off hardcore on the thought of you squirting cum all over my tits or unloading in my ass 'til my guts are swimming, but-"

Usopp makes a strangled choking noise.

"-if he's not into watchin' us do that sorta shit, well, he's just not into watchin' us do that sorta shit." And then, with a trace of chagrin, as he registers the horrified expression he's caused by using such blatantly graphic language. "Uh. Sorry."

"It's- it's okay," Usopp weakly assures him. "And you guys can do- keep doing- wh-whatever you want. Don't mind me, I'm just- uh-" He motions towards the door behind him while taking a couple of stumbling steps in reverse. "I'll g-give you some space. So you can- y'know- keep going."

"Oh, okay. See you later!"

"Oi, you mind askin' Nami to save me a bottle or two, if she didn't drink the rest of i-?" Zoro manages before he's interrupted by Luffy's questing lips and tongue, although his lover's enthusiastic kisses aren't quite able to muffle the way his words abruptly dissolve into a low moan.

Even while he's backing away and telling himself that he doesn't need to see the cause for the note of plaintive desperation in Zoro's voice, Usopp finds his gaze automatically dropping, drawn to where the fingers buried in the green-haired man's ass have not only resumed pumping but they've also begun to scissor inside him. Slowly coaxing the ring of muscle between his buttocks to stretch wider.

It's like staring at a sea train wreck. With his heart pounding wildly in his chest, he watches Zoro squirm and writhe under Luffy's touch, hips moving in little jerky thrusts that make his erect cock prod repeatedly against the captain's lower belly, its seeping tip leaving behind small streaks of pre-cum. He's making inarticulate noises, trying to gasp something aloud despite their interlocked mouths.

Usopp doesn't realize he's been holding his breath until his shoulders bump the door at his back and the air escapes his lungs in a sharp rush.

"Lube-" Luffy groans when he draws back to take both their dicks in his free hand and stroke them together, his thumb flicking across the heads to collect the escaping moisture and smear it down the shafts. He's leaking even more heavily than Zoro, producing a thin but steady trickle of clear fluid. "Z-Zoro, we need- we don't have- have any-"

"-'m gonna- g-gonna cum," the swordsman pants back. "Use- use that, o-okay, but just-" His fingers are spasming, curling themselves into claws around the edges of the cushions, where he's clutching the sofa beneath him more and more tightly. "Get- inside me, Sencho, I- oh god, OH F-FUCK, I need y-" His voice abruptly breaks, rising into a helpless "uh-UH-UH!" that's an unmistakable sign of orgasm.

Hearing this, Usopp immediately spins away to slam his palms against the door and shove it open- only to utter a short scream of surprise when it unexpectedly opens on its own and he finds himself colliding bodily with the crew's newest recruit.

"Oi, Nose-bro," Franky begins, evidently unperturbed by the sniper's dramatic reaction to his sudden appearance. "I'm lookin' for Haramaki-bro. You seen-?"

Zoro, Usopp thinks after a moment of intense, profound confusion. He's looking for Zoro. A thought that's quickly followed by the notion that maybe it's best if the shipwright doesn't FIND Zoro, at least not right now.

He starts to say no, that he hasn't seen Zoro, but then he realizes he can HEAR Zoro, crying out "yeah-yeah-yeah-FUCK-YEAH-FUCK ME! FUCK ME, SENCHO, FUCK ME!" from the sofa behind him, loudly enough that Franky can surely hear it too. Along with anybody else currently outside on the lawn deck.

Interspersed with the swordsman's demands, he can also hear Luffy's ragged panting, punctuated by grunted "uh-uh-uh-UH"s whenever the captain responds to Zoro's occasional cries of "H-HARDER!" with another burst of speed and force, along with the solid slap of sweaty flesh meeting repeatedly.

Given Franky's height, he's got an unobscured view of the action over Usopp's shoulder, but the shipwright's expression doesn't falter, although he does raise one large hand to lift his shades for a moment or two as though verifying there's nothing wrong with the lenses. "Huh. Gotta say, I was kinda wondering, so that sure answers that." His gaze drops to Usopp, and now his brow does quirk in silent question.

"Wha-" the sniper begins, then flushes as he catches on. "OH- oh. No. I'm not, uh- I was- I mean, I just-"

"O-O-Oi… OI."

When Franky glances up, Usopp- caught entirely off-guard by his exchange with the older man- turns automatically to find out where he's looking.

He nearly drops his bag, sketchbook and all, at the sight of Zoro attempting to scowl in their direction while lying close to prone on the sofa, knees hooked over Luffy's shoulders to raise his rump high enough for the rubber man to penetrate him without hunkering down into an awkward crouch. His body's shuddering with the intensity of each thrust driving into it, his pectorals rippling beneath Luffy's squeezing, squeezing fingers and his spent cock flopping.

"In or- mmh! In or- out- but- p-pick one 'n-" Zoro pauses to pant "uhn-uhn-uhn-uhn" through clenched teeth as his partner suddenly speeds up again, jolting his entire frame with a series of vigorous pistoning movements. "-uhn-uhn, hhh hahhh- c-c-close the- damn d-door-" He tilts his head back, licking his lips and swallowing hard, adam's apple bobbing in the taut muscle of his neck. "-before the- c-cook gets- uhn-uhn- pissed off enough to- to try'n- start some shit. 'Cause right now I- I wanna- mmm- I wanna get f-fucked, not- not fight his- c-c-curly ass."

Luffy utters a breathless wheeze that sounds suspiciously like a giggle as he continues to buck his hips, then ducks his head to nuzzle the inner thigh of one of the legs anchoring him in place between them, biting and licking and sucking the quivering flesh. His grip shifts on Zoro's tits to take already distended nipples between the thumb and forefinger of each hand and pull until the swordsman cries out.

"Alright, I'll come back later when you're not busy, Haramaki-bro," Franky calls past Usopp cheerfully, as though they're carrying on a normal, casual conversation and Zoro's not in the process of getting his ass thoroughly pounded into next week by their captain. "Just wanna letcha know 'bout a few of the features I put in the crow's nest, in the gym!"

"Cool. Th-Thanks, Fr- uhn- F-Franky. Catch y' later."

"Oi," Luffy pulls his mouth away from his lover's thigh to protest. "Less- uhn-uhn-uhn- less talk 'n more sex!" He's grinning, though, as he gives both of Zoro's flushed nipples a rough, warning yank and utters a devious "sh-shi-shi-shi" when the other pirate curses brokenly in response, spine arching and hooked fingers raking at the sofa cushions.

"F-Fuck! Is that- is that an order, C- ahhh- C-Captain?"

"Yeah, mmm, y-yeah. Yeah, it- uhn, ah, Z-Zoro- Zoro feels so- sooo good- makin' himself all t-tight- on- on my d-dick like that…"

Frankly claps a hand down on Usopp's shoulder and the sniper jumps, tearing his gaze away from his nakama's joined, rapidly rocking bodies to peer apprehensively up at the shipwright. He can't help feeling a little wary; the big cyborg might be part of the crew now- and presumably a friend- but he also hasn't forgotten the severe beating he received from the blue-haired man and his gang.

His apprehension must show in his eyes because Franky raises the hand again slightly, not pulling away but ensuring it's not resting quite so heavily on him. "Nose-bro, how 'bout we let Mugiwara 'n Haramaki-bro do their thing 'n we go take a look at the ship's work rooms. Nico- ah- Robin? She says you're pretty darn good at designin' weapons 'n stuff?"

"Oh. I- uh-" Usopp can't think with half his attention still focused on the grunting and panting and gasping accompanying the captain and first mate's increasingly frantic coupling. Feeling slightly dazed, the sniper allows Franky to guide him outside and let the door swing closed behind them. It doesn't shut out ALL the noise, but at least he's no longer hearing that wet slapping noise made every time Luffy drives home another thrust and his groin and thighs connect with Zoro's buttocks. "Y-Yeah. I made the Clima-Tact for Nami and-"

"The blue staff she uses?" Franky asks. "You designed that yourself?"

He sounds so delighted and intrigued that Usopp's head jerks up so he can study the older man with stunned contemplation, realizing as he peers past those ridiculous shades that he's probably truly seeing the shipwright not just as a crew mate but as actual nakama for the first time since boarding the Thousand Sunny. Maybe, he muses, it'll be easier to forgive Franky than he initially thought.

His questions about sex and his own puzzling sexual orientation can wait for another day. In the meantime, he's got work rooms to explore, along with the entire rest of the brig sloop on which they're sailing, including the new soldier dock system thing Franky's now excitedly promising to demonstrate for him.

He's also got dozens of new sketches and thumbnails to page through later, and his friends not only didn't tear his head off his shoulders for drawing them performing some incredibly intimate acts- publicly performed as those acts might've been- but they seemed pretty pleased, especially when he takes into account the sounds of pleasure mixed with occasional outbursts of laughter that continue to escape the men's quarters as he and Franky walk away.

And who knows? If he agrees to let them see his work- and assuming, of course, he can work up the courage to ask- maybe they'll even be willing to pose for him again.