Bah.

[ptps.livejournal.com]

Title: Men Overboard
Rating: PG
Pairing: Mainly Usopp/Luffy/Chopper, but if you squint, Zoro/Luffy and Sanji/Usopp
Word Count: 300
Topic: Exhaustion


Wave after volatile wave kept forcing him down, back into bone-numbing cold; Still, Usopp kept struggling back to the surface, blinking the salt and rain from his eyes as he forced his tired limbs to keep threading vigorously; continuously checking that the two dead weights in his grasp hadn't silently slipped back under the churn of black water.

Luffy's head lolled about on his chest with disturbing flexibility, arms draped limply around the sniper's neck. Chopper might as well have been a soggy mop of sea cucumber for his utter lack of mobility and response. The hands of the sea never stopped clawing at their ankles, screaming in fury as they failed to claim the lives of the Sinners.

They'll come for us after they've finished off the Marines, Usopp thought, for the umpteenth time in what seemed forever, they'll have noticed us gone. They'll come soon.

But the Merry only emerged from the shadows after what seemed like several hours. Usopp let Zoro and Sanji drag him and his passengers onboard, after which he could only slump in a corner, his stomach twisted cold.

“They're not breathing,” he stated.

Zoro tore off Luffy's vest, began fiercely pumping his ribcage. Futile minutes later, he tilted Luffy's head back, willed air into his lungs. The captain's eyes flew open, and he vomited seawater all over the swordsman's hands, gasping raggedly.

Some feet away Chopper began choking, crying like a frightened newborn. The two were bundled in thick towels and quickly whisked below deck, out of the storm.

Usopp remained staring out over the sea, shaking wordlessly.

“Oi...” Sanji began, crouching next to him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. “It's okay.”

Usopp covered his face with his hands. “Oh god, oh god oh god.”

And he started crying.

Comments

[fenm.livejournal.com]

Awwww... man, poor Usopp... {{{{Usopp}}}
Well done, ptps, this is really moving.

[fenm.livejournal.com]

Did you just add the "but if you squint, Zoro/Luffy and Sanji/Usopp"? Cuz when I was reading it, I thought that it was Luffy/Zoro-ish (though I admit Im baised, so...), but when I looked at the desription, I didn't see it mentioned. I agree, you can also see ZoLu and UsSan in there, as well. ^_^

[ptps.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I edited the fic a bit after posting it, and decided to throw that in. ^^ Thanks.

[fenm.livejournal.com]

Cool. Man... [sniff] At least you gave us a happy ending. ^_^

[vampire-otaku.livejournal.com]

;.; OMG, it was great to see that everybody survived in the end, but goodness... Wow. Usopp's despair and fear and everything just comes screaming from this piece and make me want to gather them all up for comfort. For all our sakes.

[orange-smaug.livejournal.com]

Why do you always make me cry. ;_;

[kotszok.livejournal.com]

@_@ Don't do that!!!!! OMGGGG My eyes practically popped out of their sockets. Jesus.

[morriwritestuff.livejournal.com]

Some feet away Chopper began choking, crying like a frightened newborn.

Why would you do that to me? Hmmmm? I need my heart, lady. *Sniffs*

And Sanji comforting Usopp...fuck...I'm going to go somewhere else for a little while.

[crystal-chan.livejournal.com]

Awww, poor Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper. ;_; And I could definitely see the ZoLu and SanUso, that I could...but I may be just a tiny bit biased towards that sort of thing. XD

Lovely job, this is so sad, yet so beautiful...

[hinas-otaku.livejournal.com]

Damn you, that was so moving! ;_; I had to leap off my chair and go and find my cat for a cuddle to stop me bursting into tears... I was close, I can tell you!

[harmonde.livejournal.com]

Oh....wow......

I think I need to go hug someone. Like Usopp.

[hypnosprostatis.livejournal.com]

;______; ::hugs self for lack of being able to hug Usopp::

[neo-queen157.livejournal.com]

Broke. My. Heart.