Sabo didn't like leaving his kid self in the treehouse.

He liked it decidedly less than leaving any of the boys on Dragon's ship. It didn't matter that the forest was home— it was stopped being 'home' since the fire. Even the boys were wary, looking over their shoulders every few paces. Straining for a hint that Bluejam's crew or the nobles themselves were waiting around every tree and bush. It was worse, with the revolutionaries— they clearly weren't comfortable and refused to leave the room even if Sabo was with them– but at least Sabo was secure in the thought that no noble or pirate would be capable or even willing enough to take a risky shot at them.

Too much had changed too quickly. Nowhere felt safe anymore.

It's safe enough, for now, Sabo reminded himself briskly. His palms stung and ached when he clenched into tight fists. I am here to protect them now. No one will get past me.

That didn't change, despite the fact that he had less and less options the more he thought about what to do next. The revolutionaries couldn't afford to stay in the same waters any longer, and the boys wouldn't afford staying with strangers more than they had to.

One option gone.

Grey terminal was not even considered— it barely existed anymore to be considered.

Another option gone.

The bandits hide out...

Dadan was never a gentle woman, nor any of her crew, but at least someone would be able to supervise while Sabo was making sure no one tried to take a lucky shot after his other brothers. For such burly a woman, she always did have a strong protective streak, he mused.

But leaving his counterpart with the bandits meant them seeing him, too, and frankly he felt he had fucked up the situation enough without letting even more people know about it. It was hard enough having to slink around the forest like a spy, hiding in his own home to avoid people who were by all intents and purposes part of his family–– hard enough sending Ace and Luffy down to visit, having to prowl the sidelines of the undergrowth to insure no one followed them. The scars alone would cause some questions, once Little Him healed enough to remove them.

Sabo fingered his bangs, brushing them experimentally over his face. Maybe I should grow my hair out some more.

At least now, they were all in clear eyesight. Even after hunting, with the wafting smell of roasting crocodile, Sabo's child self had not yet woken today. He wasn't surprised— it was fuzzy, but he could remember in part how rough those first days had been. Raw and dizzying, unfamiliar and confusing. Staying with the revolutionaries for the days they did only got the boy through the worst of the fatigue, when they didn't want to risk removing his IV or morphine. He still slept much more than the rest of them– But when Sabo wrapped new bandages onto the child the wound was clean and uninfected. They were clearly healing well; there was nothing to truly worry about just yet. Regardless, Neither of the boys had really been willing to stray from their injured brothers side even in the treehouse. They seemed fine when he took them out to hunt, but once they had all been fed and their missing brother still hadn't woken, Ace had all but perched over him and hadn't moved since.

That also didn't make it any less weird that he can hold himself like this, carefully curled into his side. Still, Sabo mused, lightly ruffling the fluffy mess of blonde fuzz his child self has, it's good to see all three of them happy. Even if none of it is real, and I'm probably dead... Koala is going to kill me.

Luffy carefully leaned over his brothers prone form to tug at Sabo's coat tails. "Ne, Big Sabo, what do we call you when Sabo wakes up?" Sabo blinked down at him in surprise but Ace crossed his arms and grumbled his agreement.

Sabo frowned. He hadn't honestly given much thought to it, considering he had just dubbed his tinier self as "small me" in his head. Would it really matter? This is all a Dream, and once I either wake up or die I'll have wasted my precious time with my brothers arguing over a name. "Well, i mean—"

"We can't call both of you Sabo, idiot."

"There's nothing really—"

"No, seriously, are you stupid?"

Sabo shut his mouth.

Both Ace and Luffy had stopped watching their sleeping brother to stare at him with respective looks of exasperation and confusion. Sabo sighed. There really is no getting past too stubborn little brothers are there? It's like Luffy times two now that I really am the only responsible one here. "Look, I honestly didn't really consider it— why don't you just call me Nii-Chan for now? I'll tell you if I think of something else. But that'll work until I wake up. We're wasting time arguing about it."

The boys give him a look he can't decipher. Even Luffy was frowning, watching him with an intensity he can't place in the moment. Ace opened his mouth, posture tense, but whatever he saw on Sabo's face has him quickly deflating. He stared back, befuddled, but eventually Ace looked away and just grunted out a "okay, whatever. Shitty Nii-Chan."

Luffy, scrutiny forgotten, cheered "well help you think of a name, don't worry Nii-Chan!"

Sabo couldn't help but laugh at the excitable way Luffy thrust his fist into the air. Warmth flooded his heart before being tempered by the reminder of how temporary this was. The boys shift and look up at him and he carefully twisted to lay Little Sabo down on top of some worn blankets and pull them both into his arms. Luffy immediately leapt onto him, but Ace surprised him when he calmly walked forward and allowed the embrace. His tiny fists immediately gravitated around Sabo's neck and squeeze tightly. "Dream or not," he promised against Luffy's hair, "I'm so happy I get to spend this time with you. I will protect you for as long as this world allows me— no matter what."

Eyes closed, he missed how Luffy and Ace trade another complex look. Sabo opened his eyes when Luffy began to squirm, releasing him enough to allow the little boy to lean back and catch Sabo's eyes firmly with his own. "When— when Sabo gets better, we're all going to train even harder. I'm going to get stronger," he promised. Sabo laughed, because what else can he do when his chest hurts so much— but Luffy latched onto his clothes, tightly clinging to his chest, and continued; "Stronger and stronger and stronger, and then even stronger."

His little brother finally smiled up at Sabo with the same determination he'd seen on him before the previously infamous pirate went into battle. "—Strong enough to beat even Sabo. And then you'll have to admit you're awake, because you can't get hurt in a dream!"

Sabo was silent for all of a few, absolutely shocked seconds before he burst out laughing. The two boys protested loudly but he scooped them up as he stood and squeezed them both tightly to him, something warm and tight clogged in his throat. "Okay, little brother," he teased, and Luffy wiggled until he landed back on his feet, pouting up at him. Ace was surprisingly quiet as he struggled free and glared at the floorboards. He did look up when Sabo next said "I'm going to train you after all— now that I'm here, I can help you three be even stronger than just from fighting each other and hunting." He grinned with all his teeth, eyes challenging. "You want to be a pirate? Want to be free?" The boys both stared at him with dawning hunger, hands digging into their beaten old blankets. Sabo felt adrenaline spike through him.

"Then I will teach you to fight, and no one will be able to keep you from it again."

Sabo swore he saw a spark flare to life in Ace's eyes. One that seared bright, burning hot into Sabo's own eyes.

He never said a word, but Sabo had the distinct feeling he's just started something he might regret later.

"I'm going to make you eat those words," Ace declared, and Sabo couldn't help the childishly feral grin he sent in reply. Excitement he hadn't felt since last sparring with Hack and Koala was beginning to boil under his skin, flickering along the nape of his neck. He was about to challenge Ace to a spar right then, falling into that old but familiar pattern that would inevitably lead to a tasteless wrestle in the dirt—

The body behind him groaned quietly.

Immediately, all activity froze. Sabo slammed down on his flames the moment he heard him. He whipped around, heart racing, and only relaxed when he saw his smaller self barely managing to squint his eyes open. That was so damn stupid, he scolded himself. If I had lit up right here—! For a long moment he found himself wishing Koala was here, if just to slap him upside the head. This never would have happened if she was here, dammit. I'm never gonna hear the end of it if she ever finds out.

The concept quickly lost its appeal and Sabo paled. Never mind, I hope I'm actually just dead.

"Wha..." his kid self— god, maybe Ace was right, I really do need to figure out a new name because this is exhausting— gasped and curled in on himself as he attempted to prop himself up, immediately starting a chain reaction of Ace and Luffy scrambling to push him back down and shouting. "Wh— what, what's going— hey!" Sabo scooped him off his makeshift bed with ease and carefully plopped him down into his lap. His brothers were immediately kneeling by him, Luffy bracing a hand on his thigh to closely inspect his brother's face.

"Does it hurt?" He asked quietly.

Sabo hummed and gently pulled his smaller version's hand away when it reached up instinctively rub at the bandages. "Dragon gave me some of the smaller dosage pain pills, to wean off from the stronger painkillers," he recalled, thinking back to the IV that had been connected to the boy. The aforementioned little bottle rattled in his inner pocket as he carefully pried it loose. "Now that we're off the ship, the old ones will eventually wear off– but right now all he should feel is tired and sore." He scrutinized his smaller self until the boy squirmed, eyes darting away. "If you do feel pain now, you need to tell me if it's too much. I won't be fooled by a fake smile, kiddo." Not when it was his.

Luffy laughed at his older brother and Ace smacked him over the head. Sabo grinned but didn't comment on how light the reprimand really was. "Shut up, idiot, this means we'll have to keep an eye on him too!"

"Stop talking like I'm not here," Sabo's kid self complained. He reached out to bat Sabo's hand off, grumbling all the while and Sabo couldn't help but smile down at him. "What?" the kid asked, frowning at him, and Sabo realized he was just grinning dopily at a child who is technically himself, with the face he used to have.

...I'm an idiot. Ace and Luffy are right, we need to hash out names. It's a mouthful calling him by "my younger self" even in my head. Shit, he doesn't even know who I am yet— not that I'm him— technically him— Shit—

Luffy reached out and tugged at Sabo's curls. Yelping, he reached up to untangle the boys fingers from his hair and huffed fondly at luffys "whoops sorry".

"Sabo," he started slowly. "Do you know who I am?" Immediately Ace shot him a look, shoulders tensing, but Sabo held up a hand. "I know you still don't have your memories. Do you know who I am?"

Slowly, the kid blinked. The treehouse was completely silent. Even Luffy just watched as both Sabo's stared each other down, one carefully blank and the other confused.

"...Are you related to me?" He eventually guessed. His uncovered blue eye slowly traced over Sabo's features. "We look very similar, don't we? And you knew who I was, on that ship. You came for me." A sudden wariness had him drawing back from the adult. "I...I don't want to go back to my parents."

Ace looked away, face darkening. Luffy quietly grabbed onto his shirt. Neither of them seemed to be able or willing to risk meeting either blond's eyes.

Sabo gently ruffled his counterparts hair, diligently avoiding any bandaging. "Right and wrong," he said. "I will not take you to your parents— not when your family is right here!" He smiled at the child and carefully suffocated the rising lump in his throat. "We will never make you go back there again; they will have to get to you through me." His kid self had not seen him fight, hadn't seen him in the fires, or even when he first went to bring him home from Dragon. Yet still, he relaxed in Sabo's arms until he once again sagged tiredly against him.

"That's good," he murmured, eyes dropping.

Sabo hesitated. He needed to get it over with sooner or later. He's only becoming increasingly aware of how important it is to be transparent about the frankly confusing situation they all were now shoved into— but his younger self was still so fragile. Too hurt, too cautious, too tired to really begin processing the present as it is before Sabo inevitably has to dump everything else on him.

It's just a dream, he reminded himself irritably. It's not real. What does it matter that they're not ready? He's you, and you never got to be ready—

Ace and Luffy cautiously inched closer. Sabo gazed at them, watching how the brothers only seemed to have eyes for their slumped and injured third sibling.

It's just a dream.

Slowly, he reached out his free arm. Ace's expression barely flickered before both he and Luffy readily collapsed against him. Sabo swallowed a quiet laugh and just tucked the two closer until they were curled comfortably against his side, angled in a way to allow them to still see where their third brother continued to breathe deeply against Sabo's shoulder. Ace was stiff in his arms, but slowly relaxed with every minute passing undisturbed.

Sabo exhaled slowly and shut his eyes. He had to fight back a sad smile when he felt Ace fully relax against him as soon as he thought Sabo was asleep. Luffy was already snoring, and his child self had been out seconds after his last words– but he doubted Ace would take his eyes off his brothers until sunrise.

None of this is real, and I'm either going to wake up or die. I'll have lost all of this without ever really having it in the first place. What does it matter if I wait a little longer to break the truth to... to myself?

Sighing again, silently, Sabo did his best to sleep.

Unbeknownst to him, Ace listened carefully as his breathing evened out. He missed when that small, freckled hand delicately touched his chest, plucking lightly at the fabric as if reminding himself it was real. He missed when Ace slowly, so slowly, shuffled until he was curled closer to him, with fingers twisted in the sleeve of the arm draped over himself and Luffy.

"You're real," Ace whispered, "we're all real."

The only one awake to hear it, he prepared to watch over all of his brothers— all three of them— until they were ready to take care of themselves again.