ZoSopp Challenge #40
Aug. 28th, 2007 06:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dethoratsPrompt: Magic
Rating: G
Pairing: Zoro and Usopp
Word Count: 496
The faintest brush of skin on skin made the corners of Usopp’s generous mouth twitch upward, had his warm brown eyes flickering down to catch sight of a rough, tanned pinky finger skimming delicately along the side of his palm. It sent tingles out to his own fingers, easy shocks of warmth up his arm like a spark traveling down a taper until happiness and pleasure exploded behind his eyes and in his mind. His gaze flitted up to take in the strong profile, shadows from the setting sun highlighting the planes of the other man’s face. Jaw set, tension was just barely visible in the beginning of a furrow on an otherwise smooth brow. Something about it made Usopp’s heart soften, melt a little in his breast, and, although he wanted to laugh a little too, he held it in and sidled a few inches closer.
It was hard work that had gotten him here. Hard work and hardship and heartache that sometimes seemed too much to bear. It was always hard work with this man. Training, strength found in repetition and a stubborn refusal to deviate from a decided course, and breaking that routine – or rather changing it to include something new – had been more difficult that Usopp liked to recall sometimes. But he’d done it and he hadn’t, ultimately, had to cross the entire distance between them by himself. A bridge had been built from the other side and they’d met somewhere in the middle. This man gave him courage, MADE him find hidden depths of strength he never knew existed within himself, caused him to become a better man. And in turn he had softened coarse edges, smoothed harsh angles, and taken off blinders to reveal the existence of multiple roads.
The journey to this point, long and arduous as it had been, made them better people and sometimes Usopp looked back on it all and wondered just how he was still standing, more hale than he’d ever been. It sounded fantastic when he recounted bits and pieces, a story that for once needed no helpful embellishments although he always tossed in a few just to keep the flavor right. Giant lizards, talking reindeer, a princess saved, a kingdom in the sky, and a battle against impossible odds…even in his head, with all his memories crowded round, it sounded surreal, magical even. But it was all true and it was all thanks to effort, force of will, and plain old work that had seen him, them, everyone on the Sunny, through to the present. And along the way he’d taken a separate journey, one of the heart rather than of the body, with the person standing next to him.
The sunset painted the clouds and gilded the ocean and the fingertip gently stroked against his hand. Usopp spared another peek at the man beside him and this time let himself smile as he gently turned his palm, entwined his fingers with Zoro’s.
Rating: G
Pairing: Zoro and Usopp
Word Count: 496
The faintest brush of skin on skin made the corners of Usopp’s generous mouth twitch upward, had his warm brown eyes flickering down to catch sight of a rough, tanned pinky finger skimming delicately along the side of his palm. It sent tingles out to his own fingers, easy shocks of warmth up his arm like a spark traveling down a taper until happiness and pleasure exploded behind his eyes and in his mind. His gaze flitted up to take in the strong profile, shadows from the setting sun highlighting the planes of the other man’s face. Jaw set, tension was just barely visible in the beginning of a furrow on an otherwise smooth brow. Something about it made Usopp’s heart soften, melt a little in his breast, and, although he wanted to laugh a little too, he held it in and sidled a few inches closer.
It was hard work that had gotten him here. Hard work and hardship and heartache that sometimes seemed too much to bear. It was always hard work with this man. Training, strength found in repetition and a stubborn refusal to deviate from a decided course, and breaking that routine – or rather changing it to include something new – had been more difficult that Usopp liked to recall sometimes. But he’d done it and he hadn’t, ultimately, had to cross the entire distance between them by himself. A bridge had been built from the other side and they’d met somewhere in the middle. This man gave him courage, MADE him find hidden depths of strength he never knew existed within himself, caused him to become a better man. And in turn he had softened coarse edges, smoothed harsh angles, and taken off blinders to reveal the existence of multiple roads.
The journey to this point, long and arduous as it had been, made them better people and sometimes Usopp looked back on it all and wondered just how he was still standing, more hale than he’d ever been. It sounded fantastic when he recounted bits and pieces, a story that for once needed no helpful embellishments although he always tossed in a few just to keep the flavor right. Giant lizards, talking reindeer, a princess saved, a kingdom in the sky, and a battle against impossible odds…even in his head, with all his memories crowded round, it sounded surreal, magical even. But it was all true and it was all thanks to effort, force of will, and plain old work that had seen him, them, everyone on the Sunny, through to the present. And along the way he’d taken a separate journey, one of the heart rather than of the body, with the person standing next to him.
The sunset painted the clouds and gilded the ocean and the fingertip gently stroked against his hand. Usopp spared another peek at the man beside him and this time let himself smile as he gently turned his palm, entwined his fingers with Zoro’s.
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no subject
Date: 2007-08-28 04:52 pm (UTC)Re: Random 2: Yay!
Re: Random 4: Aww, a snake. X33
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Date: 2007-08-29 06:42 am (UTC)2: XD We'll throw down if they so much as have a video game room at Y!Con although I have a feeling you'll kick my ass.
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Date: 2007-08-29 04:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-28 05:28 pm (UTC)Yay for cute little snake!
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Date: 2007-08-28 07:46 pm (UTC)First you get a blushy face, a squee, and a hug for the drabble of happy sweetness (not sappy...sweet).
And now that I have my arms around you, we can move on to the next thing...
The part where I shake you like a British nanny.
I read one of your old fics, gah what was it called, it was LuSopp and I think it was a lyric wheel thing you did with SherryMarie...I'm at work, and I know I shouldn't be reading at work but nyeh.
So anyway I read it, and it moved me so much I burst into tears AT MY DESK, had to log off, run to the bathroom and SOB. And then I lied to my supervisor, telling her this sad country song came on my internet radio that reminded me of my recent ex (carefully leaving off a gender...lol) and I just had a moment, really I was fine, just needed a second.
ALL YOUR FAULT. Retroactively. BUT STILL! ::point and glare::
no subject
Date: 2007-08-28 09:09 pm (UTC)I just saw the first eps where Usopp appears last night. I'll be hiding!
"That's him, it's the straw hat oni-chan!" "It's his butt."
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Date: 2007-08-29 06:48 am (UTC)Speaking of which, someone should suggest a lyric wheel challenge again. That was hella fun. And, just so you know, you either need to write more or less Ace stories and it's a DAMN good thing I work at night all alone because...unf.