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“Cut it out Zorooo, it’s not-fair!!”
“Maybe quit-being so weak!”
“Maybe quit being so…big!!”
Usopp had learned recently that Zoro only ever had fun anymore if he was drunk, and so he decided to take full advantage of it.
Two years ago he was perfectly capable of playing along with the others as much as he wanted to, and most notably whenever he wanted to. Truth be told, Usopp had truly thought he was hilarious back then. He was wonderful with situational humor, he carried on a joke fantastically, and as a bonus his deadpan expressions and monotone voice often made the crew cackle with some of the things he said, even when he didn’t really mean to make them do so. He goofed around with the other boys plenty enough, sometimes drunk, more often fully sober.
The two of them, Zoro and Usopp, used to play card games together on certain special nights. They’d play “never have I ever” and make up silly and stupid scenarios when they had to share night shifts. Under that annoyingly tough and inauthentically cold and calculating exterior, Zoro was just so… boisterous . What happened? Where did that go? It had only been two years, what had impacted him so terribly he had completely forgotten how to feel entertained?
Nowadays their night shifts and dinners and slow afternoons spent together were, more often than not, just miserably, disappointingly, depressingly silent. Their interactions felt superficial, like they were both trying to play characters rather than taking off the masks and speaking to each other authentically, face-to-face and heart-to-heart.
But, truth be told, Usopp was playing a character too. He had been playing a character since the very beginning but now was playing thirteen more. Ever since Water 7 he had been as fake as possible; fake smile, fake voice, fake friendliness. Everything between these two had become purely and wholly artificial. And it was a shame, because, truth be told, Usopp had been in love with Zoro before.
He had other options, of course. Luffy was a darling nowadays with no worry of relational boundaries and a lot of, well… enthusiasm in a lot of areas, and Sanji was as closeted as all hell but was at least bold enough to kiss him and a little bit more a few times in secret when nobody else was on board. But it was sad, losing his first little crush. Being lost in that silly little teenaged obsession had made him feel normal for once, like a real 17 year-old. Like a real human being.
And, truth be told, he still wanted Zoro so very badly.
So he slowly, and most fearfully, began to inch closer to Zoro, attempting to the best of his abilities to be as friendly and personal with him as he once was. However it was all to no avail. The swordsman was like a big, tough, emotionally constipated boulder, and he refused to budge at all costs.
He began trying to trick him. Pavlov’s Dogging him with his favorite treats everyday, trying to play games with him that could get him to open up a little and loosen his clench on that damn stick in his ass, luring him into deep and convoluted conversations in hopes of fooling him into divulging his internal thoughts and feelings.
He was trying so hard. He was so desperate to reclaim that silly little flustered feeling his former crush used to give him. What was he missing? What else could he do to try and crack that thick and stony veneer?
He’s given Zoro everything he could get him to admit to liking; from licorice, to meringue cookies, to candy cigarettes to mock Sanji with, so he’s not sure what he could be forgetting…
Ohhhh.
Alcohol!
How could he possibly forget alcohol?!
And so he had bribed Zoro into spending a night alone with him by using his favorite alcohol, and now here they were, tumbling and rolling across the floor of Usopp’s factory.
Usopp wasn’t as much drunk as he was tipsy, wanting to have the capacity to remember as much of this as he could, but he at least had enough alcohol in his system now to be more bold than that which is typical of his miserably neurotic self. Zoro, on the other hand, was considerably drunk, at least as drunk as he always was at this time of night, and his tough and unfeeling character was completely gone now, with his static expression replaced with a thrilled smile and a genuine glitter of enthralled excitement in his typically dull eyes.
Right now Zoro had Usopp pinned to the floor with both hands, and was panting and ignoring the sweat dripping down his stiff muscles hidden under his calloused olive skin. He had a wild look to his gaze, like a starving, rabid predator holding down its prey before it tears the pathetic animal apart. Usopp loved it. As fond of feeling in control and above all others as he was, to be below Zoro, to be put in his place…it did something to him. His heart was beating in his throat, and little tears were beading in the corners of his eyes. Dread was settled deep in his core, weighing him down and keeping him trapped to his place on the floor. He was so scared, he felt like he was in danger, and it felt so good .
Zoro’s hold suddenly loosens, and Usopp snaps out of his trances, releasing an arm from the hulking samurai’s hold and jolting his hand up to slam it into Zoro’s throat. Zoro gags, and coughs, and then he lets out a hard and heavy exhale at the impact of Usopp pinning him to the floor instead. And then they alternate who’s on top of who for a while until the sniper finally, finally manages to kick his crewmate off of him, stumbling to his feet desperately once he’s free, and wipes the blood rolling down his face from his nose. It’s then he notices that he has his opponent’s full attention, and so he makes the best choice he possibly can in this situation, and he chooses to take full advantage of it.
Blood is staining his wrist now, spilling down his dark skin like a waterfall. He had gotten nicked in the process of wrestling to escape his green-haired shackles earlier. Usopp locks eyes with Zoro and begins to lick the blood up. Zoro’s face immediately flushes red.
Usopp had always looked like a wounded animal, and yet, now, he somehow looks even less so. Maybe it’s the confidence, maybe it’s the purpose put into his movements. Whatever it is he can tell from the look the larger man was giving him now that it’s working on his object of brutish affection.
At least, it works for a moment. And then an expression of frustration crosses his face and he begins to stomp toward the shorter man.
Usopp whimpers, and shrinks back, losing his boldness within only a few pathetic seconds. He suddenly remembers who he’s up against, but unfortunately far too late, as Zoro takes a tight hold of his wrist and yanks it away from his face, causing him to wince and let out a soft whine in reaction. Zoro grins at the response.
If he was dumb enough he’d admit that he loved what Usopp was doing to him, but unfortunately he loves whatever this is much, much more. He presses his thumb into the bloody open cut the boy had been lapping at and watches him hiss at the sting before he opens his mouth to speak, his voice a low, threatening growl.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“I…I don’t know what you-just-let go of me-“
Zoro scowls, his grasp tightening as he drags Usopp closer to him, “Pffft-fuckin’ bullshit if I’ve ever heard it! You’re teasing me and you know it. You don’t make fuckin’ eye contact like that under the sunlight.”
“I’m not teasing you, I dunno what you’re talking about, why aren’t we wrestling anymore?!”
“Cause I gotta call you out on your shit! You’re messing with me an’ playin’ these weird harlot mind tricks on me, I’m not stupid!“
“Well what are you even gonna do about it, idiot, punish m-“
He isn’t even able to finish his sentence before Zoro quickly responds to his subtle challenge by giving him exactly what he wanted.
He raises his arm up, readying the hand not holding the teasing sniper in place, and slaps him across the face.
The crack had rung out through the room like a whip. It was a heavy hit, though completely unintentionally. Zoro was just too stupid and drunk to be able to mentally measure his strength to any correct degree. Intentional or not, though, he still hit harder than he should’ve, and as he lifts his palm from Usopp’s face he realizes he’s left a mean red mark on his soft chestnut skin. And he feels awful , watching Usopp slowly lift a hand up to the almost perfectly hand-shaped mark of shame now staining his cheek, watching the tears bud in his eyes, noticing the scared look to his widened gaze and the shocked way his mouth hangs open. He feels so horrible. He didn’t mean for this to happen at all.
However, Usopp proves himself to feel much differently.
He’s frozen for a moment in his place, stunned by what just happened, dumbfounded by the fact that really did just happen, that he made that happen, before he speaks, his voice soft and gentle and almost innocent, in a comically intense contrast to his words.
“…Do it again.”
Zoro freezes, his breath catching in his throat. Did he really just ask that?? He did, actually, and he proves so by repeating himself in a highly impatient tone.
“Do it again!”
He jolts to attention and does as told and he slaps the sniper again, same side, same angle, and then the sniper suddenly grabs his face, and pulls him close, and locks his soft lips around the other’s, quietly and quickly. With purpose.
Zoro supposes he has no choice other than to close his eyes and relax into the kiss. It’s not like he hasn’t been wishing for this to happen. It’s not like he’s been wanting a moment like this with him for years. It’s not like he wouldn’t rather be anywhere else right now.
It’s most certainly not like that at all…
Man, what a freak, though, who knew someone like him could get like this. Usopp’s always been so scared of getting hurt, he’d avoided it at all costs and at every turn, what is it in him that’s suddenly flipped around and drawn him to danger?
Usopp pulls away with a hitched breath, and then he leans forward to Zoro’s ear, nipping at his earrings before he whispers with his voice an uncharacteristically smooth purr.
“I like it when you play rough with me…”
Oh.
It’s him . That’s what’s drawn him to danger.
And now knowing this he’s seeing stars and blinded by searing white and his heart is pounding, all as if he just got hit over the head with a tire iron and is about to pass out.
“…Damn…” Zoro breathes after a moment, struggling to answer. He doesn’t want Usopp to get scared, to shrink away from him in that pathetic way he does. He moves quickly to humor, to make it clear he’s not rejecting him, nor does he want him to feel nervous, “can I at least get my pants off first?”
His friend tosses his head back and bursts out laughing (friend? Are they still friends? Is this what friends do?), and then he places his hands gently on Zoro’s chest, and he looks up at him with this darling look, this look that always makes Zoro weak. He’s just barely tough enough to not be wrapped around this boy’s finger, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult with each passing day. It’s hard not to give in when he’s this damn cute.
“That’s not-that’s not what I mean! I just…I like feeling like you have control over me.”
“Oh?” He smirks, raising a thick and dark green brow, “I thought you were all about being the one who’s in power, “God” Usopp?”
“Well-most of the time, sure, yeah! But…but not with you. Something about the way you get angry with me…you make me feel small and vulnerable in a way I adore. I just want you to tell me what to do and to…and to take care of me. Envelop me.”
Zoro’s self control is straining to maintain itself to such a severe degree that he swears on his one left ankle he’s about to have a fucking seizure. He’s struggling like he never has before.
“Why…Why haven’t you told me before?”
Usopp scoffs incredulously, “Are you kidding me?? If I told you this while you were sober you’d totally think I was a weirdo!!”
“Then why not tell it to me when I’m like…heavy drunk?”
“Uh, cause you’re not gonna remember it, dumbass, there’d be no point!”
Zoro first responds with a gently rasped chuckle, and his hands wander down to rest on Usopp’s hips as he continues, “Well I’m gonna remember this.”
“Ugh, man, this is gonna be a nightmare to tackle in the morning, isn’t it?”
“Maybe it will be…”
The swordsman’s palms gingerly slide up to perch above Usopp’s hips, rest in between the spaces where his body curves out so beautifully. He grips the younger man ever so softly and pulls him closer to his chest, leaning forward to rest his forehead on the other’s. Usopp can most certainly feel his heart beating through his chest at this point. It’s calming, and rhythmic, and it makes him feel safe.
Something about Zoro has changed suddenly, though. He’s gone from stern and harsh to incredibly gentle. It’s like he’s a whole different person now that he knows how Usopp feels about him.
It’s funny, though. Usopp admits to liking his ruthlessness and suddenly he becomes quiet and soft. It’s a bit torturous, maybe he knows so, maybe that’s the point, but still…it’s cute.
Maybe he understands, he understands what Usopp wanted, and he wants it too. To protect him, and hold him forever.
“My hands fit around you so perfectly,” he mutters in a low and warm tone, nuzzling into the crook of his neck as his thick arms wrap around the sniper’s middle. Usopp smiles, letting out a long and tired sigh of what seems to be much needed relief, and tosses his arms, loosely folded, over his shoulders.
So this is what changed over those two years. Zoro became softer, and he hated it. It must’ve been the loneliness, the curly-headed crewmate supposes. It must have gotten to him, made a soft spot inside of him even more severe, even more overpowering. It seems that he became softer, and became filled with more love, and he hated it. And he covered it up.
Usopp would make sure from now on that he would never cover it up again.
“Is that why you hit me then?” He croons, closing his eyes to simply savor their closeness before the chance for them to be close like this is once again lost to daylight and sobriety.
Zoro hums, thinking (if he truly knows how to think, it’s always something that’s been debated among the other crewmates), and then he answers, “I hit you because I know you wanted me too. You were messin’ with me to make me mad so I gave you whatcha wanted.”
“So I’m the one in control here in the end, huh? I call the shots around here?”
“Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever helps you sleep at night…”
He runs a hand up into the sharpshooter’s silky coils, unable to suppress a grin at the vibrations of his soft laugh in reaction to his reply. He lifts his head, and turns it. And he gives Usopp a kiss, in the middle of the burning hand-shaped mark he’s left behind. Then he goes lower, and nips at his throat gently before whispering into his ear.
“Why don’t we just control each other?”
“I think…”
Usopp pauses and bites his lip. He considers the proposition in more detail, trying to weigh the pros and cons in his brain, and then he gives Zoro a smile.
“…I think I’d like that.”
And just like that, Zoro’s officially wrapped around his finger, like the silver wedding ring he’ll be wearing one of these days.