Usopp Makes a Mistake (Law x Usopp)

Usopp Makes a Mistake

It was only when Usopp was standing in the doorway of his factory that he allowed himself the silent admission that he may have, in fact, made a terrible mistake.

He had fiddled with his suppressants formula about a fortnight ago. The first week and a half had been unremarkable, and Usopp breathed a sigh of relief that what he had done had worked.

However, he could no longer deny the flush and agitation that was steadily overcoming his body. His sense of smell and touch have been subtly enhanced; scents and sensations suddenly become more complex and detailed. It's been surprisingly marvellous for him as it offered new streams of data that he never had access to before. Data that helped him perfect his sharpshooting to a level that he never thought possible, even with Observation Haki.

He felt undeniably more alive, deliciously present within his body in a way he's never felt before. It's not at all an unpleasant feeling, similar to a mild high or being tipsy. He'd been enjoying it if he allowed himself to be completely honest.

He could have done without the intermittent cramping in his abdomen, all truth be told. Likewise, with the incessant, low-level hum of arousal that's come to permeate his every waking moment. But both were mild enough not to outweigh the more pleasant effects. It's nothing he couldn't ignore. Nothing like the constant, itchy, all-consuming discomfort he vaguely recalls from his early teenage years.

He'd never have started on suppressants if he'd felt like this.

All in all, it'd been perfectly fine, interesting even, if not for how that previously marvellous effect on his sniping and chemistry skills rapidly devolved into something decidedly less so.

He'd spent the morning with Franky, helping him with a new mechanism for the ship and fixing things that had gotten roughed up in the latest storm. But, as the hours passed, he'd found it increasingly difficult to focus; the scents and noises of the ship rapidly grew overwhelming to his senses. It wasn't until he shifted from kneeling to standing and felt the tell-tale dampness within his pants that he realised exactly what was happening. It may have been years, but he still recognised the precursor to heat.

He'd attempted to brush it aside, as he regularly did with other various bodily needs when focused on the various experiments and projects under his supervision. Still, it had been astonishingly persistent until he'd finally grown agitated enough that even Luffy- oblivious though he usually was- had noticed.

When Luffy had peered at him from where he hung from the ropes leading up to the crow's nest, asking him if he was sick with a concerned frown on his face, Usopp had accepted defeat. He had no desire to elaborate on his current condition, so he hastily made excuses and fled to his factory.

His factory is blessedly cool and quiet, a far cry from the bustling floors above. Precisely the balm to soothe his agitated nerves. He rubbed his sweaty hands on his pants and looked around the room, wondering what he should work on first.

He could try to continue working on the prototype pills he and Law were working on. The ones that would counteract the adverse effects of salt water on the devil fruit users who were plunged into it. No, he needed the notes Law had for that.

He could work on the Amanita Virosa specimens he's been growing in his factory's moistest, darkest corner. He could start mixing them with some of his plants and see what new kinds he could create. Or maybe...

Usopp growled and scrubbed at his head, causing his curls to fly around his head. Damn it all, he felt unusually fatigued, and his brain refused to run normally. Maybe he should just take a nap.

He collapsed gracelessly down on the rug and kicked off his shoes, stretching out onto the carpet below him. He closed his eyes and breathed heavily through his nose, allowing himself to empty his mind. He was out in minutes.