Work Text:
It was a day like any other on the going merry. The sun was shining on the deck, Zoro was taking a nap, Luffy was fishing with Chopper and Sanji was making lunch. The only thing that was different was Usopp.
The crews designated sniper and tinkerer had been holed up in his workshop all day which was starting to worry Nami. It wasn´t unusual for Usopp to seek his privacy but normally he´d come out to tell a new tale or play cards with Luffy but today was different.
Yesterday he had been in full spirit dancing and drinking as much as usual but then when the new day started he had excused himself in a quiet manner completely different from his usual loud and proud exits.
Nami thought that she´d done something wrong but couldn´t think of what. Of course she had teased him but that really wasn´t anything strange. When she had asked Sanji about it he assured her she did nothing wrong but that was to be expected.
She sighed and went towards his workshop which had been adorned with a small jolly roger with the words "Cabin of the great captain Usopp" written in bold letters underneath.
She knocked and waited for a good minute but received no answer. "Usopp are you alright in there?" she finally asked. After another minute or so she heard a rumbling and sounds of equipment being knocked over and then finally the door opened slightly.
"Who is it?" A voice said. "It´s Nami." Before she could continue speaking she was cut off "What do you want?" Said Usopp sounding very different from his usual easygoing and sunny demeanour. "Just checking in on you. Would you mind if I came in?" Nami said as softly as she could. She could tell something was up with Usopp and didn´t want to upset him.
Usopp didn´t answer but he pushed open the door and Nami thought that was enough. She waited for a few seconds and then went in. What she found in side shocked her. Usopp wasn´t the most organized person but even for his standards this was bad.
Hammers and screws scattered all over the place, boxes had been knocked over and there was an odd smell of chemicals hanging over the room. She found Usopp sitting on his usual spot with his back turned and decided to approach him since she was really getting worried by now.
"Usopp are you okay?" She asked him while tapping his back. "I´m fine leave me alone!" He almost shouted.
"You´re very clearly not. Please tell me what´s wrong." After hesitating for a few seconds Usopp stood up and went to one of the boxes. Out of it he took a letter which he threw towards Nami.
She opened it and started to read out loud "Dear Usopp (if that´s still your name) happy eighteenth birthday! I know you probably don´t even remember me but I´m your father. I know I kinda left you behind but I hope you can forgive me for that. I don´t know what you´re doing now but I´m sure it´s grand! I´m writing this from a small village so I don´t even know if you´ll get it. I met a kid the other day that reminded me off you and I just felt like it´d be better if I left something for when you finally become a man. I also want you to know that I love you and your mom very much and that I never intended to leave you but sometimes in a man´s life he must follow his instincts and that´s what I did. Anyway hope you´re doing good everyone says hi!
Yasopp
P.S. Tell your mom I love her.
P.P.S only if she´s single.
Nami looked at Usopp who had been listening closely this entire time. "Is this why you´re so upset?" She asked him and he nodded. "Wanna talk about it?" He stayed quiet and Nami moved to exit the room.
"I just think it´s unfair!" Usopp suddenly blurred out. His entire face was covered in tears. "That I get to read that letter! That mom doesn´t! That he left for some stupid dream!" He paused for a second and took a few deep breaths. "It´s okay Usopp I get it!" Nami said putting an arm around his shoulder. Then suddenly it dawned on her. "Wait if you opened the letter today does that mean it´s your birthday?" "Hm? I guess."
"Why didn´t you say so earlier we could have had a celebration! I mean Sanji could at least have baked a cake! God I didn´t even get you anything! I´m such a bad friend." "It´s not your fault at all! Sanji´s been so busy with preparing the cake for Zeff and it´s not like we stopped anywhere the past couple of days." Usopp wiped his face. "But thanks. I never really celebrated back in syrup though so I don´t really care about birthdays at all. But it´s nice that you care." "Of course I care Usopp we all do! And frankly I´m disappointed you´d think otherwise. Anyway do you wanna mope in here all day or try to have some fun?" Nami smiled a soft kind of smile that reminded Usopp of Kaya.
"Well I guess the great captain Usopp should celebrate at least a little bit!" He said while standing up
"Glad to hear it! Now c´mon we don´t have to tell the others about today if you don´t want to. We´ll just treat it like any other celebration."
"Sounds great Nami thank you." Nami and Usopp left the workshop like nothing ever happened but something had happened, at least to Usopp it did. Learning that his crew mates actually cared about him made him indescribably happy.