a/n: This doesn't go to any particular chapter in City Sunsets, and it takes place before the story's timeline. Enjoy!
Sunday Afternoon Chaos Theory
s: Ace didn't ask for a dumb little brother, but he's got to deal with what he's got.
At age eight, Ace cannot stand his brother.
His friend from school, a gap-toothed blonde with eager eyes and a deep scowl looks at the other boy. Ace, with all his wiles and freckles, is an impatient trouble maker, and after he's finished kicking the stuffing out of some old teddy bear, Sabo decides to sigh and comment. "It's not that bad."
The brunette turns around to glare at Sabo, who throws up his hands. "I thought you hated your real family."
The other boy pouts, folding his arms across his chest. "And I live with my other family instead of them, don't I?" After a pause, he hops off of the stool he's been sitting on and puts his hands in his pockets. "Why are you so mad anyways?"
Ace finally throws the mess of a stuffed animal into the distance before flopping on the floor. "He's just so stupid! Coming in, slobbering all over me, tripping over my stuff, breaking my games!"
"Ace, he's five. He might not be the best kid in class, but you can't expect him to act like us." Sabo offers before tugging at his friend's shoulders. "Have you even tried being nice to him?"
"I'm always nice," Ace huffs. Sabo raises an eyebrow and Ace grows defensive. "What?!"
"Ace, I've only ever seen you make Luffy cry."
"That was only like - twice!" When the blonde gives him a look, the brunette growls. "Okay, maybe like, five times, but so what?! He's a crybaby! He'd cry if I looked at him wrong."
At that moment, Garp walks in with Luffy hanging off of his arms excitedly, trying to pull something out of the bag of groceries before Garp shoos him off and looks at Ace. Ace glares back at the old man before Sabo kicks his friend in the shins. "Sup, old fart."
Luffy, who turns around at his brother's voice, perks up and rushes over. "Ace! Ace!"
His hands are sticky and Ace scowls. "Ugh." Prying him off, Ace turns around to Sabo, who simply shrugs and properly greets Ace's grandfather. The blonde mouths be nice. Looking down at Luffy hesitantly, he grinds out his words. "Do you...want to play with us."
Luffy's jaw drops in surprise. "Really?" He turns to Garp, who shrugs and smiles encouragingly. "Of course I want to play! You never invite me!" While he clings and Ace fusses, Garp watches. The three of them scurry off to yell and throw dirt at each other in the yard, amongst other things, and when they come back, even if Ace still doesn't like his little brother, Sabo is sure that even he can't deny that they had a good time today.
That evening, when Luffy falls into a doze and Sabo and Ace decide to play video games, Garp pulls Ace aside for just a moment.
"I'm really proud of what you did today." Garp says in his gruff manner. "You know, ever since your mother died...I've been really worried about you. I'm not meant for this...kid thing." Ace knows. Garp sends them off to his friend's house every other weekend for babysitting duties, and sometimes even during the week without notice, because of his job. "But you're...you're a real strong kid, y'know. And I'm proud of you, being nice to Luffy like that for no reason. I think you're gonna be a great big brother some day, Ace."
Ace, embarrassed by the sudden praise, and filled with guilt because he hadn't been quite so selfless as his grandfather thought he was, simply swallowed and murmured, "Thanks, gramps," before scurrying off to the play room where Sabo was waiting. His friend had turned on the games and was waiting already, but his eyes trained on the brunette when he walked in. "What did he say?"
"Nothing too important." Ace resolved that maybe, the next time Luffy asked for something or wanted to play, he would try to be nice for real this time, instead of just pretending.