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Usopp woke up because Sanji kicked him in the shin.
Not hard, barely a bump, but even a bump from a barefooted Sanji could leave a little bruise, and it pulled Usopp out of his dreams of beating a giant in an arm-wrestling match and into a bleary sort of wakefulness, trying to understand what was going on.
Sanji kicked him again, a smidge harder.
“Mm Sanji, knock it off,” he mumbled at the ceiling. It was really warm. Sleep dragged him back down, back to impressing the giants, and another kick from Sanji yanked him up again.
“Sanji,” he protested, a bit louder this time. Sanji mumbled something he couldn’t make out, but he replied with a, “Don’t care, stop kicking me!” anyway.
“Usopp.”
He rolled his head to the side and there was Nami, propped up on her elbow. Somehow Usopp had ended up in the middle that night, that was why it was so warm. He moved the arm he’d thrown over her up so his hand was fending off the look she was giving him.
“You’re being so noisy.”
“’S not my fault. Sanji keeps kicking me.”
And then, like a shot went off, he woke up fully, pulled himself half up in bed and looked over at his other lover, laying where he always did on the side nearest the door, as though to defend them from anyone who might intrude. He was twitching and mumbling in his sleep.
Nami draped herself onto Usopp’s shoulders, looking over him to get a good luck at Sanji. Her gaze softened, and a hint of concern knit her brows together.
“Wake him up.”
Usopp obeyed, his own worry driving his hand as he gripped Sanji’s shoulder and shook him a little, saying, “Sanji, hey. It’s us. Wake up.”
It took a moment, but then he was awake, gasping like a man submerged in water for hours. His eyes moved frantically around the room to find the threat, before they caught first Usopp’s brown ones, then Nami’s amber, and he calmed, pushing himself up on the mattress so he was also sitting up.
“What’s wrong?”
“You were mumbling in your sleep,” said Nami, and Usopp nodded. He decided not to mention the bruises on his legs. He didn’t have to know about them.
“Oh.” Sanji grimaced faintly, but turned it into a smile so quickly the first expression could have been imagined. “Sorry. I’ll be silent as the grave from now on.”
He started to lie back down, but before he could, Usopp said, “Why don’t you sleep in the middle tonight?”
Sanji stopped, blinked at the two of them. Nami nodded enthusiastically.
“You never sleep in the middle, Sanji-kun! How about it?”
The middle was special, after all. The middle was the most secure spot for any one of them – the spot where they could be surrounded on both sides by the ones they loved so much. Usually, Nami was in the middle, and sometimes Usopp claimed it, like he had tonight, but Sanji never took it. He was always guarding the door.
But from the look of things, Usopp thought, Sanji needed a little middle time. He needed a little security and warmth, to chase away whatever thing had haunted him in his sleep.
Nami must have been thinking similar. She pulled off Usopp’s back and leaned around him to take Sanji’s hand.
“Swap with Usopp, okay? Just this once.”
“I’m fine, really,” Sanji protested, as they knew he would, and he took Usopp’s shoulder in one hand and tried to push him back down. “You take the middle, long nose, or let Nami-swan take it.”
Usopp stayed upright against his hand. “It’ll be fine for one night.”
He moved up and clambered over Sanji to get out of the bed, then pushed on the still protesting man’s back. “Get in the middle, you stubborn dummy.”
Sanji grumbled something about mushrooms and breakfast but scooted over so Usopp would have enough room to climb in bed. Once under the covers again, he cuddled up against the cook, while Nami dutifully took the other side, curling against his arm.
“Was that so hard?” murmured Usopp in his ear, and was rewarded with a muttered, “Bastard,” and a quick kiss. Then he cooed a thank you to Nami, complete with platitudes about her astounding beauty and graciousness.
Once they were all settled in, Sanji said, “This is a one time thing, alright?”
“If you say so, Sanji-kun,” said Nami, kissing his cheek before going back to sleep. Usopp just kissed his head and grinned at Sanji’s thankful but exasperated expression.
Usopp didn’t get kicked any more that night.