Ace was getting more irritated by the second.
It was getting late, why wasn't his dear little brother home yet! Ace knew he would be going out to eat with his group of friends, but it normally didn't take this long! Maybe something happened to him... Ace didn't like it, but maybe it had something to do with the person Luffy was seeing.
Stop it, Ace! Luffy didn't say he was dating, don't make things up! That's right, his little brother wouldn't date anyone. He wasn't that kind of person. Luffy would be his and his alone, forever!
He promise he would be with him forever, didn't he?
...surely Luffy wouldn't leave him for another person, would he?
Ace was getting so ticked off. This topic had been hovering over his mind for the past few weeks and it was killing him. But Luffy hadn't said anything, so maybe it was all in his head all along.
"Ace!"
Luffy's voice came from behind the front door, which Ace had been staring at while waiting for said brother's return. Ace instinctively got up and swung open the door.
"Forgot to bring your key again?" Ace snorted.
"Yep! Shishishi!" Luffy gave him his usual grin.
Ace moved to let his little brother in. After locking the door, he sat on the couch and invited Luffy to sit next to him.
"Luffy, I really need to talk to you about something..."
"Oh, I need to tell you something too!" Luffy chimed. Ace was slightly taken aback. Could it possibly be...?
"I'm going for a sleepover this Friday!"
Ace froze. He remembered the last time Luffy went for a sleepover... It was when this all started...
"With who?" Ace growled in a low voice. Please say it's just one of your friends...please say there's a group of you staying over together...please don't say...
"My boyfriend!"
Ace's world just came crashing around him. Luffy might have said something else, but Ace couldn't hear it. His head was throbbing. He felt energy being sapped from him, his body going limp. He collapsed, sinking into the couch. Just...
"What the fuck did you say?" Ace choked. His voice barely got out, but he had to make sure he wasn't hearing things. He was going crazy these days...
"I said, I'm sleeping over at my boyfriend's house!" Luffy repeated, rolling his eyes. He clearly didn't understand how grave this situation was.
"Since when...did you have a boyfriend?" This can't be it. This can't be happening. Someone, please wake me up from this nightmare!
"Since yesterday! Oh wait, I think I forgot to tell you. Oh, well!" Luffy laughed.
How could he be laughing! This wasn't... Ace wouldn't...
"I won't approve of this!" Ace snapped, anger suddenly welling up inside him.
Luffy pouted. "But he's a really good guy! And I love him!"
Nononono don't say that you're not supposed to love anyone else-
They can't protect you.
I'm the only one you need.
"I will never approve of it!" Ace yelled, louder than the voices that were trying to drown him.
"Well, I'm not a kid anymore and I don't need your approval!" Luffy retorted, getting up and storming back to his room.
Not a kid anymore.
What are you saying, Luffy! You're still a kid, still a crybaby, still unchanged from 12 years ago!
You just don't know what you're doing! You're just going to hurt yourself in the end, like how you do all the time!
You need me to keep you away from trouble! You need me to protect you!
"Luffy! Get back here!" Ace roared, following after Luffy. How dare he!
You need me to chase the monsters away! You need me to be with you forever and ever!
Luffy slammed his bedroom door shut in front of Ace's face. Ace's anger was about to break the records. He started knocking violently against the door, shouting his brother's name in attempt for him to open up.
Ace's fists grew sore, but Luffy still hadn't responded at all. Not a single sound. Ace fell to his knees, banging his fists against the door for the last time. The rage within him instantly vanished, and was replaced with something much more heavy.
I need you, Luffy...
A day passed without anything being solved. Luffy completely ignored Ace's presence in the morning and left without a single word.
This was bad. Luffy's stubborness was a class on its own. If Ace didn't do anything, Luffy would really leave him...
He felt his heart ache and his body growing weak. Ace couldn't stand it at all.
He would never approve of Luffy's relationship, but for now...he would pretend he did, get Luffy to introduce him the cocky fella and beat the hell out of him.
Okay, maybe Luffy would get angry at him for that. But Ace would make his 'boyfriend' go through hell and eventually they would break up! And then Ace can beat him up after that. How dare he trick pure Luffy into dating him, absolutely unforgivable!
But before that, Ace had to earn Luffy's forgiveness. That meant another trip to the stuffed toy store. This conflict was quite different from usual, but it worked every time, so this was no exception, right?
Ace decided to skip school for the day, because he was not in the mood for it and he also had to get the present for his little brother as soon as possible. Sabo can just cover his ass for him. After all, wasn't that what best friends do?
He sent a quick text to Sabo, telling him that he had an emergency to attend to. Sabo was smart, so he probably could understand what was happening.
Ace slipped on some casual clothing and grabbed his wallet. God, the things he do for his brother. Maybe he should get a part time job like Sabo.
He strolled into the mall which was a fifteen minute walk away from home. The mall had numerous stuffed toy shops, but Ace had to choose the absolute best for his brother. He wondered what kind of plushie Luffy would like to have this time.
Apparently there was a sale in one of the shops. Couldn't hurt to check it out, right? Ace walked in and browsed around, looking at the various plush toys displayed neatly on the shelves.
"Anything specific that you're looking for?" An employee came up to him and asked. She had short green hair, her name, Keimi, was it?
"Something cute and huggable," Ace replied. He knows exactly how much Luffy liked to hug things in his sleep.
"May I introduce you to our shop's best seller, Pappug the starfish! He's really adorable and popular with the girls! I think your girlfriend would like him too!" Keimi said as she pulled a starfish plushie from the shelf, showing it to Ace and looking pleased with herself.
"First of all, I don't have a girlfriend," Ace scowled. How could he have one when he already had his hands full with his cute little brother? "Second of all, it's not very adorable, no offense."
"I'm terribly sorry!" Keimi bowed hastily and put the starfish plushie back onto the shelf. She pulled out another plushie and tried to redeem herself. "How about a classic Disney! Flounder the fish! Does it suit your tastes, sir?"
This girl must've really liked the sea or something. "It's not quite what I'm looking for. And also, it's not for me."
The girl's face turned red when she realised she made another mistake. "T-then, do you have anything in mind?" She stuttered.
"A sheep."
Ace didn't even know why he said that. But at that instant he thought a sheep plushie would be a good idea.
"In that case..." Keimi ran off to the back and returned with a sheep plushie in her hands. If Ace had to say, it was way cuter than the previous two plushies.
"I'll have it, thank you," Ace said, lips forming a smile. He was sure Luffy would like it.
"Your boyfriend's really lucky!" Keimi laughed as Ace handed her the money.
"I don't have a boyfriend either." Ace smirked as he took the plastic bag with the stuffed toy. The look on the girl's face was just too amusing.