Author's Note: Welcome! I decided to post some of my older works in hopes that a comment, fave or review might spark an interest in continuing the stories. Please enjoy, and feel free to comment, fave or review! :D

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It was Usopp's turn for the midnight watch, so he was mildly surprised when he heard someone else climbing up to the crows nest just a few minutes after his shift started. He turned to see who it was.

'Zoro?' The sharpshooter frowned slightly. 'His watch isn't until dawn. Why is he here- did I do something wrong..?'

"Hey, uh... I thought your shift was dawn tomorrow?" Usopp said nervously, pulling at the strap of his overall. His mind drifted to all the incidents involving Zoro that he had been a part of...

"Usopp... I need to speak to you." Zoro said softly.

"The sponges in your shoes last week were not my fault!" Usopp yelled in a panic. 'Maybe if I explain quickly enough, he won't be as angry', Usopp thought.

"Usopp...", Zoro said calmly, hoping to get the other man's attention with little luck. When he got worked up like this, it could be all but impossible to calm him down.

"I-It was all Luffy's idea..! And the time your hand was glued to the deck? -"

"Usopp- "

"Total accident! I tripped while taking the glue down to my workshop, I swear! By the time I got a cloth to wipe it up, it had already set! And the penguins-"

"Usopp", Zoro said firmly, trying to get him to snap out of it.

"-they were just friends with Chopper, they didn't know they were hiding their fish in your bed! And the time your shirt turned pink-"

Zoro sighed and gripped the sharpshooter's chin, silencing him with a kiss. 'Well that shut him up!', Zoro thought.

Usopp's eyes shot open, then closed with a wince as Zoro brushed the knuckles of his other hand across his cheek. The kiss was gentle, but he didn't dare break away from it. 'So this is how he wants it...', Usopp thought, feeling a slight pang of hurt.

Zoro pulled back, looking at Usopp, who blushed and looked away, his expression unreadable. Not seeing any sign that Usopp was rejecting him, the swordsman wrapped his arms tentatively around Usopp's shoulders, pulling him close for a gentle hug. 'How did I know it was going to be like this..? That eventually, it would all end up the same?', Usopp thought, not returning the hug but letting his head lean against Zoro's chest, 'Maybe, for now, that will be enough... Maybe he won't want more just yet.'

Zoro smiled down at Usopp, looking at Usopp's curly black hair. 'He's not pulling away... This went better than I thought it would.', Zoro thought. He had planned to tell Usopp how he felt and ask him out for a date at the next island they land on, but when Usopp started panicking, he panicked too and kissed him just to get him to shut up. Now it seemed like this had gone better than his carefully laid out plan would have.

Finally Zoro pulled away, sliding his fingers into the curls above Usopp's ear. He put a slight amount of pressure onto Usopp's forehead, tilting his head back so that their eyes would meet. 'Stupid... If I had my bandanna on, he wouldn't be able to get such a good hold on me...', Usopp berated himself.

"Goodnight," Zoro said quietly. He kissed Usopp's forehead gently, then left, heading off to bed so that he could be awake for his early shift. Usopp sighed in relief once he heard the cabin door close.

'Why does it always end up like this?', Usopp thought, feeling hurt. He thought back to his previous home, Syrup Island. He had been quite happy to leave, but had it been the right decision? He thought back to his former life.

'Heh, kid... You're nothing but a hot piece of ass. It's all you're good for. No sense in hoping to leave- There's always gonna be somebody like me, someone who realizes your talents and wants to put them to good use.'

Usopp shuddered. Jin and his gang had been brutal- they were the main reason he wanted to leave. Of course, he didn't tell anyone this. His little followers were way too young to be told about any of it, and the adults never believed a word he said. Jin had everyone convinced that him and his gang had taken Usopp under their wing to try and straighten him out- after all, if his dad was a no-good pirate piece-of-scum, then the kid couldn't be far behind, right?

Jin had forced him to service him and his gang whenever they wanted. He had tried fighting back, but they managed to beat any will to fight out of him. He still had nightmares about their 'playtime'. Most times they chained him up in an old abandoned house and 'played' with him for days on end. They had even rented him out to some of the more shady townsmen for minor cash. Usopp's only escape from their torment had been to visit Kaya, since Klahadore's strict overprotectiveness meant there would be no violence on her property, or else. He had considered telling Kaya about these incidents, but was too nervous to risk losing his only friend.

Looking back, he had been glad to get away with no chance of his newfound friends ever finding out his past. But from the first time he had set eyes on Zoro, he knew the man was trouble. He had this itching feeling that it was Zoro that really decided how things were run, and that he might pay a little too much attention to Usopp, and that he might figure out that Usopp was truly only good for one thing, and that he might... He might...

Usopp felt his stomach churn at the thought. He had preferred not to dwell on these ideas because they had had no solid fact behind them. Until now. He couldn't help how nervous the swordsman had made him, though, and had tried to tell himself that there was no way Zoro could figure it out.

But he had.

Usopp had been looking forward to not having to do anything sexual- unless he wanted to, that is- but it seemed his luck had run out. He had thought that maybe down the road he might have to use his body as a bargaining chip, or even that he might try renting it out for extra cash if he needed it- that Nami was really stingy with the money!- but he never thought he would be forced into the same situation that caused him to leave Syrup Island.

Yet again, Usopp had caught someone's eye, and gotten himself stuck in the role of sex slave.

He sighed. 'Man, what a lousy day!', he thought, dreading tomorrow.