"We're walking home together today?"
"Luffy nodded as he sat beside Sabo."
Sabo consigned himself to spending all of his time in the library, even his lunches. Luffy watched him quietly, not even trying to hide his stare.
"What?" He asked him when he finally couldn't take it anymore, "you're creeping me out kid."
Luffy blinked at him in response, shrinking away.
Sabo frowned as he put the book down, unable to continue reading. "Seriously, whats your deal, you can't talk or you just don't?"
Without saying a word Luffy glided as close to the kid as he dared and put down a wrinkly piece of paper in front of him.
It was Sabo's turn to blink dumbly as he picked it up. It was a drawing, a very crude one at that. But in messy letters at the top it read thank you.
"Thank you for what?"
Luffy pointed to the scribbles drawing of Sabo and Ace carrying him inside that mourning. It was hard to make out but he recognized Ace's angry frowney face. He couldn't help but break out into laughter at that. Holding his side until the librarian shushed him for the first time in his life.
"You wanted to say thank you for saving you this morning?" Sabo asked.
Luffy nodded enthusiastically, encouraged by his mood shift.
Sabo smiled despite himself as he ruffled the kids hair that poked out of his cap.
"Don't mention it," he told him standing up, "now let's go home."
The gesture had honestly surprised him, but for whatever reason it had come almost naturally. Luffy oblivious to Sabo's surprise shot up as well as he followed Sabo out of the room. The two of them walked in silence for a little while. But it wasn't an uncomfortable silence like the ones Sabo had grown used to, instead it was kind of nice.
About halfway home he felt a tug on his hand and looked down. Luffy had slipped his tiny hand in Sabo's. His first instinct was to jerk away but he managed at least stop himself from flinching.
Sensing the tension in the older boy Luffy looked up, his dark eyes big with curiosity. In his own silent way of asking Sabo 'what's wrong?'
Sabo bit his lip, not use to the contact, but at the same time it was kind of nice.
"Nothing," he said turning away as his cheeks tinted red. "But if we see anyone you have to let go okay?" It would be bad if anyone saw the two of them and got the wrong idea that Sabo had gone soft. That would definitely damage his street credibility.
Luffy nodded a small smile on his face, the first Sabo had seen of the kid. Apparently it was infectious as a cautious grin creeped up on his own lips.
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"Thanks you guys"
Ace and Sabo stopped what they were doing to look at Luffy. Over the past weeks the three had grown closer. Sabo and Ace had less hatred for each other and both felt protective of the youngest one. He wasn't as strong as them and he was a crybaby so they had to protect him from the surrounding bullies. Still they hardly seemed to mind anymore.
It was true that Luffy had opened up to them much more now, but he had yet to say a single word, until now that that is.
"Urrm…" Sabo began unsurely, "Your welcome." He finished lamely.
Ace reached down and pulled Luffy off the hard concrete ground. The two of them had just finished chasing bullies away from the little one.
"They shouldn't have been picking on you anyway," Ace told him as he brushed the dirt off his clothes. "Like they need that many people to take on a kid three years younger than them."
Luffy smiled up at them brightly. So much so that both Ace and Sabo turned away flustered.
"Don't mention it," Ace muttered.
From that day onwards the three grew closer and closer until they were practically inseparable. In a strange turn of events Luffy was quite the chatterbox. From the second he began talking again his voice got stronger and bolder. He began to speak more and more often until nobody could get him to be quiet. For the first time in their life the three of them had what they always wanted, a family. And nothing could take that away from them.
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Luffy moaned sleepily as Sabo shook his shoulder. He pulled the blanket over his head trying to block them out. He had recently turned seven and was going through what Ace and Sabo called 'the sassy disobedient stage.' Which was a harsh way of saying he didn't listen to them as well as he used to. For Ace and Sabo this meant something completely different then what it meant for Luffy. When the two of them were lighting trashcans on fire Luffy was sleeping in. In the past he listened to both of them like their word was law, but as of late he had discovered this little thing called free will. This irked Ace and amused Sabo, as he was honestly surprised it took Luffy so long to start telling them 'no.' it was also what led to tonight. Now that Luffy could make his own decisions they had a very important one for him to make. And whether he was getting out of bed right now was definitely not it.
Running out of patience Ace pulled the thin blanket off him and picked him up, dumping him unceremoniously on the floor.
"Ace," Luffy whined rubbing his eyes with a tiny fist. "It's like two in the morning, what are you guys doing?"
"Come on Luffy," Sabo told him grabbing his wrist and pulling him to his feet, "We will show you."
Luffy followed him complacently, still too tired to protest any further. The three of them opened the broken window silently as they snuck out into the early morning air. On a crate in the backyard was a large bottle of some form of alcohol. Three mismatched cups lay scattered around it.
Luffy turned to look at them confused, the sleep quickly leaving his eyes, "you want to get drunk?"
"No," Ace shook his head, "we want to become brothers, the three of us. But we're only going to do it if you agree."
Luffy's eyes grew wide as he looked between the two of them. "Are you serious?"
Sabo nodded. Luffy had proved himself capable of making his own decisions now, that's why they had waited so long to ask him.
He looked between the two of them before launching himself into their arms. Tears shining in his bright eyes.
"Youhhhh Lovvvvvmrrrrenou!"
Ace and Sabo shared another glance, this time of confusion.
"What?"
"You guys want to be my brothers?"
Sabo smiled and ruffled his hair, "yea,"
Ace nodded, "that's why we offered stupid."
"So what do you say?"
"And I won't have to be alone anymore?"
"Or ever again," Sabo promise him with a soft smile. He knew Luffy feared being alone more than anything else in the world.
"I love you."
Ace coughed in surprise as Sabo's jaw dropped. That was the first time anyone had ever told them that. It might very well be the last as well. Up until this point they were just seen as troubled nuisances.
"I love you too," Sabo said getting over his initial shock long enough to stutter it out.
"mmm-me to," Ace stuttered, the show of emotions clearly making him extremely uncomfortable. "Now shut up and drink this." He said pushing the cups at the two of them.
"Aww," Sabo said turning to Luffy, his voice full of mocking. "Look he's turning all red."
"Don't worry Ace, I love you too." He said slurring his words like a cheek-pinching in-law would do. He found it much easier to get over his embarrassment at such an open show of emotions when it was to make fun of Ace.
The three stayed out there all night, only going to bed when the sun rose. On that day they became a real family.
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The punches had stopped, Luffy barley even noticed. His eyes were open but they were glassy and everything was blurry. He couldn't feel much of anything anymore, his entire body felt numb.
Someone was shouting above him. When the noise finally stopped he saw a blurry shape lean over him blocking the dim light of the room out. He felt two strong hands slid under him and lift him up.
"Luffy?" The voice asked urgently.
Luffy ignored it as he blinked fighting to stay awake. He couldn't breathe, why couldn't he breathe?
"Luffy, hold on, just a little bit longer okay?"
The voices urgency increased as he didn't answer, his eyes once again sliding closed.
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Okay so this is making me really sad so I think this would be greatly appreciated:
BTW: This is not real in any way I just really want it to happen.
The door burst open from the force of Ace's kick. He then proceeded to ninja kick the man in the mouth along with Sabo as then the two of them beat the mean adults down.
"Don't worry Luffy, we will never leave you." Sabo promised as he pulled Luffy up.
The three of them then walked away into the sunset.