Title: Chit-Chat

Theme: #25- Mermaid

Claim: SanjixUsopp

Words: 682

Rating: T

Warnings: Boyxboy, language, set after Thriller Bark

Disclaimer(s): I don't own One Piece.

"The snacks are ready. Let's go."

Usopp nodded, taking one of the plates Sanji insisted on carrying by reminding him that the ladder required both hands, and lead him up to the deck above. The sniper had watch duty tonight and Sanji wasn't willing to sleep alone, a habit he must have picked up from Usopp. Everyone else was in bed, giving them the perfect opportunity to have some alone time.

The two placed the snacks on the raised bench and sat down, curling next to each other to keep warm. "It's really cold out tonight," Usopp said.

"We must be approaching a winter island," Sanji muttered. His arm reached around to hold Usopp in place as the sniper shivered. "We can go get a blanket if you want."

"Nah, maybe later." Usopp reached for one of the chocolate candies on the plate in front of him. "How'd you find time to make this stuff?"

Sanji chuckled, grabbing one of the pieces Usopp offered him. "When you're a cook, you learn to do a lot of things, like finding time," he chuckled. "Or pleasing the people you love."

Usopp blushed, caught with his third piece of chocolate in his hand. "W-Well, you're good at what you do!" he exclaimed. "The great Capitan Usopp needs a good cook on the ship to give him delicious food!"

"You know I'll give you food as long as you're hungry."

The snacks didn't last long as they talked. Their conversations were something Usopp and Sanji looked forward to, usually because of the unique turns they took. Once, they started a conversation with Usopp's latest invention and ended by talking about Sanji's plans once he reached All Blue. Sometimes they were cryptic, other times they were unusual. But they were always interesting.

The mention of their latest discoveries, zombies, seemed to be the subject Usopp couldn't stop thinking about. "Hey Sanji, if you could be a mythical creature, what would you be?" he asked.

"How are we going from zombies to this? Zombies aren't mythical," Sanji laughed.

"Shut up, just answer the question," Usopp pouted. "What would you be?"

"Well…" Sanji started, closing his lips in a thin line as he thought. Usopp watched him and glanced at the plate, wishing more snacks would appear as he pressed his ear against Sanji's chest. The cook's arm tightened around his shoulder before he spoke again. "I'd be a merman."

The word merman instantly made Usopp think of his first real fight as a pirate, where the crew defeated Arlong and his men. The memory brought up bad memories and Usopp pulled back in confusion. "Merman? You mean like those jerks back in Nami's village?" he asked.

The cook grimaced. "No way, they were fishmen! I'd have a fish tail," he said. "The shitheads in Nami's village were just that. No way I'd wanna be one of them."

Usopp made a sound of acknowledgement and shifted to snuggle against Sanji again. "You'd look weird if you were like those mermen," he said.

"Oh, thanks. Makes me feel better," Sanji groaned, his shoulders slumping. Usopp quickly apologized and tried to distract him. "What about you? What would you be?"

"Me?" Usopp asked.

"Che, duh! Who else could I be referring to?" Sanji smirked, laughing at Usopp's blush. "What would you be?"

The sniper pushed against Sanji and wrapped both arms around his torso. "I'd be… I'd be a god! I'm close enough, seeing as how I'm captain and all," he grinned. He ignored Sanji's sarcasm, looking up and batting his eyelashes. "You can be a god with me."

Sanji opened his mouth to respond, but Usopp's words sunk in and he chuckled. "What are we gods of?" he asked.

"Everything."

"That's a hard job."

"Not if you're a god."

"How do you know?"

Usopp shrugged. "You can pick what you're a god of."

"Well, let's be gods of the ocean."

"Why the ocean?"

"Because we can be mermen and gods at the same time."

The words sunk in and both men laughed. "You'd make a nice looking merman," Sanji said.