Work Text:
Surfacing from the water, Usopp takes a deep gulp of air. Swimming to shore is a little awkward with the crab trap, but he makes it, dragging the trap onto the sand.
“You were down there a pretty long time, I was about to go after you,” Sanji says, taking the trap from him.
Usopp waves the concern away. “I’m actually the best at diving. I can hold my breath far longer than the average human. Only fishman and mermaids can stay under for longer,” he boasts. No one on the crew can challenge him on it either, since he can hold his breath the longest of them. Jinbei not counting for obvious unfair advantages.
It does help that almost half the crew can’t swim. But that doesn’t lessen the fact that he can hold his breath longer than Sanji or Zoro. Though he will never admit it’s because of his tendency to hold his breath when scared.
“Right, right, how could I forget?” Sanji asks, shaking the trap to see how many they caught. Usopp set it two hours ago, and already it has a good 15 to 20 large crabs.
They both turn at the sound of splashing to see Jinbei also making his way onto the beach, holding a net filled with deep sea lobsters. Much bigger than the crabs Usopp caught.
Jinbei hands the net over, and Sanji thanks him. Usopp pouts. “Unfair advantage,” he says, making the other two laugh.
“I didn’t expect you both to gather this many so soon, I won’t be starting dinner for a few hours,” Sanji says, carrying both catches to the outdoor cooking station he set up before lunch. He dumps them into separate barrels of sea water.
“So does that mean you can come swim?” Usopp asks. He’d asked earlier, but Sanji put it off, saying he was busy with food and would tomorrow.
Sanji hums in thought, looking at his workstation. “I do already have everything prepped,” he says. “Alright, let me go get ready.” He grabs his bag and heads into the forest.
“Yes!” Usopp throws his hands in the air and cheers. Now that he’s done getting crabs, he can swim for fun too.
It’s a lovely day for it, bright and hot with only a few clouds in the sky. The beach is scenic, soft beige sand stretching all around the island, meeting a dense tropical forest. And they have it all to themselves. The island small and uninhabited.
Usopp wants to look for some cool plants later, but it’s too nice to not soak up the sun. He’s not the only one that thinks so. Robin and Brook are tanning on lawn chairs. Brook says the sun feels great on his bones, and he doesn’t have to worry about burning. Luffy and Chopper have been splashing in the shallow water under the careful eye of Zoro. Jinbei makes his way over to help keep them out of trouble.
They look like they’re having a great time, trying and failing to drag Zoro down so they can bury him in sand. Normally Usopp would be right there with them, but there’s someone else he’d rather bother this time.
He waits, watching the tree line until Sanji walks out, wearing light blue swim trunks, covered in a cartoony wave design. Usopp was the one who picked them out. He’s rifling through his bag as he walks down the beach.
“I put sunscreen in here right? You watched me?” Usopp totally forgot he took the sunscreen out of Sanji’s bag the second he wasn’t looking. But oh, how he loves when an idea comes together.
He shrugs. “Could have fell out, I have some in my bag though,” he points at his bag laying in the sand a little further from the others.
“Thanks, I didn’t want to have to ask Chopper and get another lecture about the importance of sunscreen.”
Usopp nods, walking to his bag. He’s heard that same lecture too many times. He never wore sunscreen before, but Chopper drilled into him that he may be safer from sunburns due to his dark skin, but could still get cancer. Ever since, Chopper has been on his case about it, everyone’s really. Except Brook. Even Franky isn’t spared, having real skin on his back.
He picks up his bag, shuffling through the many things he brought, until his hand brushes the sunscreen. He also takes out a blow up beach ball, because who doesn’t love beach balls?
“Will you blow that up?” he asks, handing it to Sanji, who rolls his eyes, but complies. Usopp moves to his back and pours a thick glob of sunscreen into his hand.
“Oh, you’re helping me put it on?” Sanji asks, voice dipping lower as he pauses inflating the ball to look over his shoulder. Usopp will never admit that that was his plan all along.
“Would you rather do your back yourself?”
“And miss out on having your hands on me?” Sanji asks. Usopp can’t help his smile, as he presses the sunscreen to Sanji’s back.
Sanji flinches. “That’s cold!” Usopp snickers.
“Sorry.” He pecks Sanji’s shoulder in apology.
He makes sure to warm it up quickly, spreading it across Sanji’s pail skin. He runs his hands down Sanji’s sides, then back up to rub it in. Making sure to get an even coverage over his whole back. Even dipping his fingers just under the waste band of Sanji’s swim trunks for when they inevitably slide around.
Grabbing the bottle, he pours a smaller glob into his hand, warming it up this time before running them over Sanji’s shoulders and upper arms. His hands come up, circling the sides of Sanji’s neck, making sure to cover the back extra well, knowing Sanji burns there the worst.
Sanji sighs, leaning into his touch. Usopp goes over his shoulders again, pressing harder just to get another groan out of his boyfriend, the sunscreen long rubbed in.
If he wasn’t already excited to swim, and they were alone, he’d stay like this. Perhaps he should make some time to give Sanji a real massage again soon. For now though, he taps Sanji’s back, indicating he’s done.
“Thank you,” Sanji says, turning around. He takes the offered bottle and covers his front and legs as well, not nearly as methodical as Usopp was. He drops the bottle, white splotches decorating his face and neck.
Usopp lifts a hand to finish rubbing them in.
“Do you need to reapply?” Sanji asks, bottle cap open and ready to squeeze more out.
“Nope, I just did before checking the crab trap.” Not that he would have minded Sanji helping him. His hair is already up in a thick bun and everything.
He grabs the half-inflated ball, blowing it up the rest of the way as they walk to the ocean’s lapping edge.
It’s so hot out that the water is a relief. Once they’re in to their knees, Usopp kicks water at Sanji and dashes deeper. Sanji gives chase, and Usopp may be able to hold his breath longer, but Sanji is still faster, so he turns around and bops the chef in the face with the ball. Stalling for just enough time to get away.
“You beg me to swim with you then assault me the second we’re in the water?” Sanji asks, still following him into the deeper area.
“Assault? You probably didn’t even feel it,” he argues, trying to splash his boyfriend again. Sanji uses the ball to block the water from hitting his face, then smirks, and throws the ball out into the sea. “Noo!” Usopp paddles after it, if it gets left in the ocean Chopper and Jinbei will be unhappy with him. Sanji threw it a good distance, not nearly as far as he could have, and the gentle waves help push it back towards them.
By the time he catches the ball and looks back, Sanji is gone. He scans the surface of the water, but there’s nothing in the area between him and the others.
“Sanji?” he asks the sea breeze, spinning in a circle. Still, he doesn’t catch sight of blond hair, and he realizes he’s actually out farther than normal. What if there are sea beasts? Jinbei was way deeper, but he’s a fishman, and strong enough that almost nothing can hurt him in the water. Did something grab Sanji? Are there even bigger lobsters under him?
Something wraps around Usopp’s ankle. He screams, but it’s cut off as he’s yanked under. He thrashes, kicking wildly until he spots Sanji’s grinning puffed out cheeks. Usopp kicks him in the leg again, before surfacing. Sanji joins him not a second later and begins laughing. Usopp slashes him again, but it doesn’t deter the laughs.
“You should have seen your face,” Sanji says, chuckles dying down.
“I wasn’t scared!” Usopp retorts. He crosses his arms, even though it forces him to kick harder to stay afloat.
“Sure.”
Usopp sniffs disdainfully, before lunging at Sanji, pressing his shoulders down to dunk him.
Sanji surfaces, grin still on his face and pushes his wet hair out of his eyes, giving Usopp a full view of both.
A warm blush creeps over his cheeks, as it always does when he sees Sanji’s full face.
He sets his hands on Sanji’s shoulders, not to dunk him again, and leans in. Pressing a kiss between his eyebrows to assure Sanji he loves them.
He tries to pull back, but Sanji doesn’t let him. Wrapping arms around his waist and keeping him close to pepper his face in light kisses. He laughs as their legs tangle, both working to keep them above the surface.
“Thanks for dragging me into the water,” Sanji says, when his kiss assault is over. Usopp leans in and captures his lips. Kissing languidly as the sun beats down on them.
He pulls back. “I can’t believe you were going to wait until tomorrow,” he says. “It’s literally perfect out here.”
Sanji shrugs. “Well I’m gong to make the most of it before Luffy starts demanding dinner.”
“Then we better actually use the time to have fun in the water,” Usopp says.
Sanji leans in again, lips barely brushing Usopp’s. “What, you don’t like what we were doing now?”
Usopp really strongly contemplates just spending the time kissing. Sanji’s beard scratches nicely against his skin, making it even more tempting. But he shakes his head. “We can always get back in tonight,” he says. “Right now I wanna swim, dive for shells.”
Sanji’s smile softens, “Sounds like a plan to me.” He looks around, voice losing its carefree quality. “Where is the ball?” he asks. Usopp looks around too, no multicolored ball in sight.
If anyone asks about it, he’ll deny having ever had such a toy.