Welcome back to the monster mash... october is on her way folks
Sabo's hands were tight around his pipe. He hadn't looked up from his feet since Ryū had stopped them for the night even to watch the sunrise over the treetops. For a long moment, Ryū paused in the clearing before the treehouse and just looked at his new little brother. Sabo was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice he had stopped until he walked straight into Ryū's legs. Startled, he stumbled back with eyes wide and looked up, face scrunched up in confusion.
"Hey." Sabo finally met his eyes and Ryū smiled reassuringly. "You're gonna kick his ass. Chin up."
A beat passed. Right before his eyes, Sabo's face changed. Every conflicting hesitation cleared up like smoke in the wind until all that was left was the same fire and coal that fueled them all. His blue eyes burned so familiarly that Ryū was nearly breathless with it. Ryū's smile stretched until all his teeth were bared, something primal thrumming through them both despite the context. "Win him over, Kiddo," he hissed in excitement, and stepped back into the edge of the clearing with a single smooth movement until all Sabo could make out of his figure was a dark outline and a cheshire grin.
Sabo set his shoulders. There is no turning back. There never was– I have to do this.
"Ace!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, "Luffy!"
A loud crash immediately came from the treehouse up above and Ryū snickered to himself when Ace nearly rocketed himself out of the tree, grip denting the pipe clumsily held in his hand. "Wha–" He started, still half asleep, and shouted when Luffy slammed into his back with enough force to catapult him to the forest floor. They landed in an awkward heap, bouncing once over a tree root and tumbling through the dirt until they smacked into another root. Ace hastily shoved Luffy off with a grumbled curse before shooting to his feet. His eyes frantically darted around, searching for whatever he assumed Sabo screamed for– but when he only managed to see Sabo and Ryū he straightened, face scrunched in confusion.
Sabo looked on, expression dead serious.
"Sabo?" Ace said, brow furrowing, "What's wrong?" He couldn't see anything immediately wrong with his brother– nothing marking him beyond the usual wear and tear of his clothes and the dirt on his hands to prove he needed help– but he knew his heart wouldn't stop racing. Not until he was sure. Confused, he stepped closer, intent on searching his brother for injuries only to freeze when Sabo stepped further out of reach.
Ace's stare sharpened to attention. The confusion didn't fade– but his back straightened, his focus centered. "Sabo," He said again, only to trail off abruptly. Both boys were utterly still. Luffy, still struggling to his feet, was more silently attentive to his brothers than Ryū had seen since Sabo first came home.
"Fight me, Ace." Sabo's voice brokered no arguments. Ace could easily recognize his own determination mirrored on his brother's face. He knew Sabo would not back down, knew the grip he had on his pipe was something final.
Still, he hesitated.
It was an answer, and not one Sabo appreciated. "Fight me, Ace," he hissed venomously. Tense like a viper coiling to strike, Sabo planted his feet firmly in the dirt. The blond swung his pipe outward and Ace tensed, eyes following the weapon diligently. Both boys fell into a fighting stance seemingly without breathing, without blinking. "You don't think I can take care of myself," Sabo said, with such unparalleled certainty that Ace's mouth snapped shut before he could even begin to speak. "You think what happened to me made me weak." His older brother's eyes widened and something dark and satisfying curling into Sabo's gut when he flung his pipe to the side hard enough to embed it firmly into a tree. He watched grey eyes flicker to it, briefly stunned, confused, before being forced to refocus as he stepped closer– all resolve and violent intent.
Seeing it gave him confidence. Strengthened his will into something solid as steadfast as bedrock. "Then fight me!" Sabo challenged. He knew his eyes were pleading– only Ryū could hope to stop any hint of the desperation he felt from leaking out. It was unavoidable, as was this fight. Sabo wasn't going to allow the world to keep pressing him down, even in the form of his own brother.
"Come at me with everything you got!"
Ryū, standing in the sidelines, split the shadows he stood under with a smile.
"Woah! Ace, Sabo!" Luffy shouted in alarm as his brother rocketed towards Sabo. All traces of Ace's earlier hesitation had dissolved from his expression as if salt into water. Eyes huge in distress, their smallest brother scrambled over to Ryū and latched tightly onto his coat. "Ryū-nii–!" He started, cutting himself off as if surprised to see him, as if having fixated on his oldest brother subconsciously was something confusing– (and it would be, Ryū knew, because Luffy didn't know what haki was yet, wouldn't know how amazing and special he is just yet and Ryū couldn't be prouder but this was not the time) "Why are they fighting?!"
His eldest brother grinned at him, every tooth bared with unashamed excitement. "Your brothers aren't fighting, Lu," he said, and Luffy couldn't help but relax when the familiar weight of a gloved hand playfully pressed his hat down over his eyes. "They're making up!"
What would no sense to any onlooker made Luffy smile so wide his face stretched to accommodate it, sunny and bright. "Oh— Okay!" He said. Just accepted it as easily as he did everything to do with his brothers, and Ryū cackled gleefully when their youngest little brother promptly spun on his heels and threw his arms up, cheering "Go Ace! Go Sabo!" At the top of his lungs.
Neither of the boys reacted to the cheering, tunnel-vision fixated on each other. Ace charged in the brief lull, pipe held low to the ground. His eyes flashed with a complex mix of confusion and frustrated fear when Sabo didn't immediately make to dodge and he instinctively jerked to the side just before he would have dented his brother's skull in. It was only a millisecond of hesitation, of impulse, and yet the slip made it easy for Sabo to get in close and left Ace cursing.
Sabo stilled back into a crouch when Ace leaped backward, both watching the other warily. Ace's face was pallid but quickly flushed with anger. "Are you stupid?!" Ace yelled, "Why didn't you dodge!?"
If Ace's expression was heated, Sabo's was glacial. "Because I knew you'd be too scared to just hit me," he snarled in response.
Ace grit his teeth as the blond again shot towards him, hand drawn back, and swung his pipe out in front of himself defensively. It didn't manage to do a thing. Sabo's hand bled black, shiny as solid steel, and Ace only had time to jerk in surprise before Sabo's hand hit his pipe and snapped it before continuing right past Ace's block. He was pinned before he could even think past his shock– a knee jabbed into his ribs, another dug into the dirt for a lithe ankle to hook his thigh to the ground. Twisted into his tank top, his brother's hand was recognizably black, shiny and infuriatingly strong.
"That's—"
Sabo's eyes were like chunks of ice, as cold and distant as when he talked about High Town. Ace could barely comprehend that look being meant for him. "It's haki," he said calmly. "Ryū taught me." He released his grip on Ace's tank top without even blinking away from his face, every blank sweep of his eyes a frigid challenge. "That's one win for me." He didn't allow Ace a word in edgewise before immediately lunging again.
Luffy cheered from where he was now sitting cross-legged by Ryū's side, gripping his hat tightly in uncontained excitement. "You taught Sabo that?!" He practically squealed. "Are you gonna teach us that?!" Ryū cackled like a maniac with delight instead of responding and Luffy nearly exploded out of his spot with glee. They both snickered when Ace got thrown right past them to smash into a tree trunk hard enough to rip the roots straight out of the dirt.
Sabo was beginning to pant heavily, sweat running down his face. Ryū didn't like how his little brother was beginning to pale from exertion. He had to be careful Sabo didn't overtax himself or else the entire exercise would be pointless– they'd all be right back at square one. The nightly training had helped to rebuild the majority of stamina lost from the months recuperating, but it would take more than a measly handful of weeks with haki lessons to completely erase the impact of the Celestial Dragon's incident just yet. All of the boys were able to heal quickly, to rebound quickly– but not even monsters could hope to bounce back so quickly.
Ace pushed himself up from the dirt on trembling limbs. Teeth grit tightly, he struggled back onto his feet for the nth time. "Cheater," He hissed. "You could never have down this if Ryū didn't tell you how!" He had lost what was left of his pipe an indiscernible number of matches ago, leaving his hands subconsciously opening and closing as if looking for something to grip. "If you didn't know haki, you wouldn't be able to beat me!" He was forced to scramble backward as Sabo charged him, haki infused fist slamming down where he had been standing with enough force to crack a crater into the forest floor.
"But I do know haki!" Sabo yelled, chest heaving with the effort of it. His legs nearly folded holding him up but he managed all the same, glaring his brother down with a stubbornness Ace knew better than to hope for him to give in. "I do know haki, and I can beat you. You haven't won a single round, Ace!" Sabo grinned as if baring his teeth to bite. So far it had been Ace forced to resort to dirtier tactics, but he still wouldn't put it past his brother. Neither of them were above using everything they had. "I'm not weak. I can take care of myself!"
"You––" Ace faltered, and Sabo snarled something nasty and pounced, pulling back a fist already bleeding black.
There was a telling tremble to Sabo's arms. Ryū abruptly stepped back into the clearing and swept between the boys.
Sabo's eyes widened and he pulled back at the last second, but his legs finally gave out and he flew full force into Ryū, trying in vain to catch himself the whole way. His fist shook where it had landed right in Ryū's gut. "Oh–– Shit, I–" He jerked back and only managed to stumble over his own feet, all his balance turned to deadweight and useless muscle. Ryū swiftly snagging him by the shoulder was all that stopped him from toppling backward into the dirt. "T-thanks– did-did I–" His throat closed.
Ryū seemed completely unaffected, not a single sign of strain in his face. He hadn't been in the right mind to pay attention, but there had been no give when Sabo had hit him. Sabo almost wondered if it had made a clear noise he had missed– like slamming a sledgehammer into a brick wall rather than flesh. Regardless, Sabo traced his features carefully, searching in a near panic for a single hint of pain on his most elusive brother's face. "Are you– okay–?"
"No harm done," Ryū chirped. Sabo's legs felt like jelly. He wasn't entirely sure he'd be able to stand up again if he sat. As it was, the steel grip on his arm was all that currently kept him standing. Ryū carefully lowered him down, allowing him to sit before Ace could see him do something embarrassing like collapse.
Reaching behind him, Ryū dragged Ace to sit beside Sabo. the boy's pulse still raced under Ryū's hand, his skin burning hot even through the thin fabric of his gloves. Luffy zoomed up from behind him and Ryū caught the boy without even glancing, smoothly depositing him at his heels like a cowed puppy.
"Playtime's over," He declared firmly. Luffy groaned loudly, but both Ace and Sabo huffed, arms crossed. Neither allowed themselves to meet each other's eyes. "That's enough, don't you two think? I know you're both smart enough to know what this means." Ace only scowled harder and Sabo shot a scrutinizing look at him that made his shoulders square stiffly. Ryū did not doubt that Sabo was still completely raring to go, overexerted or not. Was I really this bad? Were we all–? Was Ace still like this, before he….? He fought the urge to scrub a hand through his hair in frustration. "Ace?" He tried.
The second eldest squirmed uncomfortably, fingers digging into his arms. Grey eyed flickered briefly to Ryū, then to Sabo, before darting right back onto the dirt. "I…" His jaw clamped shut, teeth clicking audibly. Beside him, Sabo was practically bristling. Ryū could almost see his blood pressure shooting right back up and over any reasonable threshold for a healing amnesiac.
"What?" He taunted, tone poisonous, "Can't admit when you've lost?" He didn't even flinch when Ace spun on him, expression thunderous. Sabo refused to back down and only got further in Ace's face. "Why don't you just say it!"
Ryū sighed loudly, completely ignored.
I really need a nap.
Beside him, Luffy's eyes switched between his brothers, wide and alarmed.
If Ace still had the Mera-Mera, Ryū had no doubt he would be spitting flames right then. "Say what?!" He snapped, "What do you want me to say Sabo?!" His hands clenched into fists, digging into the dirt. His tone was almost desperate. "What do you want from me?!"
"I want you to tell me the truth!"
"I don't even know what that is!"
Sabo's eyes pricked with tears and Ace jerked back, eyes wide. "Just admit that– that you think I'm weak, Ace," His voice cracked on the word and he slumped back, leaving Ace dumbstruck.
"W-what?"
Sabo didn't reply, eyes shut in pain. Ryū pushed his hat down over his eyes. I feel like I shouldn't be seeing this… even if it is me.
It hurt to watch. Ached somewhere fiercely, ached as strong as it always did when he visited Ace's grave, or held his poster.
It ached knowing he never had this.
Ace slowly reached out, nearly flinching back when he touched Sabo's shoulder. "Sabo," He tried. "Sabo." His expression bled into panic when Sabo wouldn't respond and Ryū pulled Luffy back into his arms, stepping a pace out of their space when Ace hesitantly nudged at his brother until he uncurled enough to let him in.
"I don't think you're weak!" He ducked low, trying to meet Sabo's eyes, but the blond pulled away and he was left clutching empty air uselessly. "Sabo, please…"
"You're scared," Sabo whispered hoarsely. For all that the words were quiet Ace still flinched as if Sabo had screamed them. His hands scrubbed at his face, smearing dirt and tears over his nose and cheek. "You're scared of me now. You won't let me do anything."
Ace shook his head violently but Sabo still wouldn't look at him. His eyes stayed firmly pinned to the ground. Every last bit of anger evaporated into defeat so quickly that Ace was visibly reeling from it, hands frozen midair as if unsure what to do with them. "You an' Lu' treat me like glass. It's like… it's like I never left home," he admitted. The following quiet, stunned and silent, had his shoulders squaring as if he realized he said a secret he hadn't meant to let out.
Ace shuddered like the very words were disgusting.
"No," He murmured, "No, no, no." His nails dug into his palms so hard Ryū could see them trembling even from where he had stepped away. Luffy whimpered quietly into his coattails but Ryū wouldn't risk moving away– not just yet.
"No!" Ace snarled, and the absolute vehemence in the word made Sabo start. His head snapped up to look at him with wide eyes. "You're- you're not weak, Sabo," Ace said quickly, as if all the air was leaving his lungs with one sentence; "You're our brother. You're a monster, like us– you– you can't be–" He looked right into Sabo's eyes and all the fight drained straight out of him, vanishing without a trace.
"...weak," He finally choked out.
For a moment, none of them found the words to say anything. None of them even moved. Ryū wasn't entirely sure either of the boys were breathing, too fixated on staring each other down.
Then Ace cursed, the sound filled with endless awkward frustration, and he sat back on his butt to throw his arms out wide, legs spread out straight in front of him. Sabo watched, visibly more confused than he had been in days. "Look," He snapped, and pointed at one of his new bruises blooming dark and purple on his forearm. "You gave me these." He wiped the dirt off his knee to uncover another huge bruise, and then another on his calf, "Look how many I have! You practically spilled paint on me–" another set of bruises, as if Sabo had pelted his ribs with a cluster of plums– "I'm covered in them."
Sabo blinked. "Wh-Wha–" Ace was on him in half a second, hands tight on his shoulders. His eyes bore into his little brother's with a frantic energy almost uncomfortable to watch.
"You beat the shit out of me, Sabo," Ace declared, without a trace of shame. All Ryū could see on him, under the motley of bruises and dirt, was pride. It was an almost jarring expression on the second eldest's face. "You're a manipulative asshole, and you hate your parents, and you're as stubborn as me, or Lu, or Ryū, because you're our brother and you're not weak."
Ryū couldn't possibly be more proud.
Sabo gaped at Ace, too shocked to do more than stare at his brother. Both boys jolted when a hand clapped onto their shoulders and they snapped to attention, looking up to see Ryū grinning at them sunnily. Luffy beamed around their oldest brother's hip. He had calmed down the moment Ace had sat down, and it took a good portion of Ryū's attention to keep him from charging into the conversation they all knew Sabo and Ace desperately needed to have.
"Good job, boys!" Ryū said, and he and Luffy cackled gleefully when both middle brothers flushed a violent red all the way down their necks. He wished he had a recording den-den so, so badly. Maybe Garp would send one, if it meant a tidal wave of pictures of his grandkids. (He immediately shut down that thought before it could lead to things more treacherous, like talking to Garp, or willing keeping in contact with him. Maybe whatever brain damage he got in Vegapunk's lab really was translating into his dreams.) "Glad to see you two come to your senses!"
"Lu! Ryū!" The boys screeched, struggling to leap to their feet and chase down their now deviously sniggering littlest and biggest brother as they predictably scampered off into the undergrowth. Ace in particular looked murderous– thought Ryū knew, with a backward glance, that the pseudo-eldest was just as happy to see Sabo laughing again.
"GET BACK HERE!"
Ryū was in the middle of skinning his second crocodile for lunch when Ace trotted up beside him.
Ace hesitated, eyes briefly flickering away when Ryū immediately turned to smile at him. It wasn't a long wait, luckily, just a moment for Ace to awkwardly shift his weight and gather whatever composure he needed. "Are you going to teach all of us haki?" He blurted out. Ryū stopped working. Looking up, Ace shrank back a little when he saw Ryū staring blankly at him.
Ryū finally reacted, face scrunching in confusion. "Of course I am," he said, openly aghast. Ace froze and Ryū frowned. Haven't I been transparent about this? They need to know haki, it was never an option not to teach it to them! "Haki is the best offense and defense— It'd be stupid for me not to teach you and Lu."
Ace just shifted uneasily.
Sighing, Ryū set the knife and hide down to turn and face his brother properly, eyes serious. He had a sinking feeling he knew why Ace felt the need to ask and he didn't like it.
Always looking for an explanation for the inherent. Always so ready to doubt the people who love him. Did he ever manage to stop, before he died? Ryū felt his face twitch and immediately smoothed it over before Ace could catch anything wrong.
"Sabo got a head start because he needed to prove himself, but I always planned to teach all three of you haki." He flicked Ace in the forehead with a tiny push of haki and grinned playfully when the boy yelped. "Plus, it's what good ol' Gramps uses. You're gonna learn the Fist of Love," he teased. Ace blanched at the thought and violently shook his head, making Ryū snicker. "Okay, maybe no fist of love. It will be good for you three to know armament haki before we head for Grand Line waters though— it's the only way to do some actual damage to some devil fruit users."
Ace's gaze sharpened and Ryū's back instinctively straightened, shoulders squaring without a thought. "The only way?" He repeated, tone just slightly off. Ryū just looked at him for a moment. If any suspicion showed on his face, it didn't register to Ace. The boy only looked more and more intense the longer Ryū hesitated, as if Ryū's silence was all the answer he needed.
Why does he keep looking at me like that?
Like I've just flashed the key to a cage.
"...yeah," he eventually continued. The unease, the anticipation, was all shoved down and muffled under a hundred mental blankets. Ace just likes to pick fights. It makes sense he'd be interested in how best to do that. I shouldn't be so worried... at least until he gets caught up somewhere he needs me to help him out of.
Resolve set, Ryū shook off the dregs of his reaction and nodded. "Yeah. Some devil fruit users, especially logia, can't even be touched without haki." He let his eyes shifted past Ace, back towards the treehouse. "Luffy isn't a logia, but punching won't hurt him, does it?" Ace didn't nod, but Ryū continued anyway. He didn't doubt the boy already caught exactly what he was implying. "If you used haki, it definitely would." Ace visibly glowered at the thought and Ryū chuckled warmly. He had to burn away the growing impulsive affection to ruffle his hair, knowing his little brother wouldn't be fond of having blood and crocodile guts smeared into his locks.
"Okay," Ace said.
Ryū smiled at him and reached to pick up his knife.
"Then fight me tomorrow, without it."
Ryūs hand slipped. He barely jerked his hand back in time to avoid his knife slashing a line of fire along his fingers. When he looked back up at Ace, grey eyes were watching him intently. Trained on him, as if a glance away was a missed opportunity— and yet Ryū didn't know for what.
"Why would you want that?" Ryū managed, honestly confused. He kept Ace's eyes pinned to his face, to the movement of his features as he discreetly set the knife back down sat from his hands. It would do no good to have an accident and risk giving himself away a second time. "You want to learn how to use haki, don't you?"
"Yes." There was no hesitation. It only made Ryū more confused. Ace barrelled right on without a blink. "You can use it to shield yourself right? You said it's a defense too." Blinking, Ryū only nodded. Apprehension twisted in his gut, quiet and unignorable.
Ace's eyes burned into his with all the resolve of a hunter finding a track in the snow. "Then fight me without it," he challenged, "I want to see if I can beat you otherwise."
For a moment, Ryū stared at him, absolutely befuddled. Ace stared back unblinkingly.
He's completely serious, Ryū realized. Does he really want to fight me that bad? What rides so strongly on this for him? Ace was completely unwavering— the longer Ryū paid attention, the more questions he had. "You can't," he finally admitted. "Fighting me without even the basics of haki— you won't win, Ace." He expected Ace to glare, to argue, but instead, the boy just rocked back on his heels and grinned. It was so jarringly dissonant from what he knew that Ryū was almost anxious.
"You admit it then–" He said, and the victory heard in the statement made Ryū wonder where he messed up and how. Was my brother always this weird?
"–You have a Devil Fruit!"
Ryū's heart plummeted straight through the dirt, and then kept going.
Unable to do much else, he went as still as stone. His expression didn't so much as twitch on his face. Nothing got past his defenses, no panic, no fear—
Ace paused, slowly lowering his arms from where he had excitedly thrown them up into the air. "...Ryū?" When he got no response he frowned and stepped closer, a hand instinctively grabbing onto Ryū's vest. "Ryū-nii?" Even though the layers of clothing, Ryū was coiled so tightly under Ace's hand. It was as if his brother had turned to stone right in front of him, not breathing, not moving. His heart pounded under Ace's touch. Alarmed, he grabbed Ryū's collar and violently shook him. "Hey! Say something!"
He jerked back in shock when Ryū startled, blue eyes wide.
"Ace," he finally managed, and Ace's heart stuttered wildly in his throat when two gloved hands firmly gripped onto his arms, pinning him before he could impulsively step back. Ryū's eyes were slightly filmed over in panic. "Why do you think that?" He asked, and for the life of him, Ace couldn't grasp what the hell was going on.
"T-think what?" Squirming didn't even budge a single finger. Ryū didn't seem to even be aware he was moving. His hands were so solid it was more like having manacles shackled tightly to him. They didn't loosen even when he stilled, even when he carefully tried to breathe in and calm down. He wasn't entirely sure Ryū was even breathing– it seemed like his older brother had shut down the moment Ace had brought up his powers. What's going on? Why is he so upset?!
Ace froze as he was dragged the tiniest bit closer. Fire flashed in his eyes and he bit a gasp down before it could do more than clog up his throat, nearly choking himself with the effort. Ryū's hands burned where they branded themselves into his biceps. "I don't have a devil fruit, Ace. It stopped working when I woke up here, remember?" He smiled, and it made Ace want to look away, to close his eyes. It hurts, it hurts, why does he still smile like that? I hate it when Sabo smiles like that and he never will grow out of it because Ryū still does it and— "I don't have a devil fruit, Ace."
(The denial tasted as bitter as it always did.)
Why do I have to have such a stubborn family? There was no real way to keep dodging the subject– Ace hadn't started this with that intention regardless of circumstance; Ryū kept trying to pretend things weren't as they were, and one day it was going to get them all hurt, or killed, or– "Yes you do," Ace snapped, and when he reached for Ryū's hands his brother lurched away from him as if dodging a swipe. "We saw you! In the fire— no human could do that, and what you taught Sabo can't do that—"
Ryū's grip tightened and Ace winced. He wasn't entirely sure if he was glad or annoyed that Ryū wasn't even aware enough to notice. The moment he started speaking again, though, Ace decided he was annoyed. "I don't have a devil fruit—"
"Yes, you DO!" Ace shouted. Ryū started, eyes widening, but Ace continued to push. There was no longer any other option, not if Ryū insisted on doing this every time he couldn't accept reality.
Ace was done letting his brother keep lying, even to himself.
"You were fire! We saw you! You— you stepped out of it and your legs weren't— you didn't—" Ryū's hands were solid. His vest was cool. Not a flicker of flame in sight, in touch. But Ace wouldn't forget– he doubted he was able to.
"You didn't come from the fire," he said, with a conviction that made Ryū's heart pound, "You didn't just walk through, did you? You were— are fire. You're fire, like Luffy is rubber." His expression was set in stone, barely a flicker of fear to be found. "You're a liar, Ryū-nii." It wasn't new. It wasn't special. Sabo was always the one of them who could keep a straight face, an even tone. It seemed he never lost that trait. But he didn't get lost in it, the way Ryū did. He didn't fall so far into his own webs that he couldn't get out. Whatever happened, in the future, it left Ryū a little more unhinged than his brother seemed to recognize.
Whatever happened, Ace vowed quietly, I will never let it happen to Sabo. not this time.
He'll pry it out of Ryū one day, and he'll never let it go. No one was going to hurt his family again.
Ryū snapped his mouth shut. After a moment, he slowly breathed in, and out, and Ace nearly stumbled into the dirt when the older man slowly released him, every finger lifting as if prying iron open. "Ace," Ryū began, voice rough. No amount of swallowing was making his mouth any less dry. He wasn't even entirely sure what he was asking for, no what Ace could see on his face during his little breakdown. Ace wasn't about to let him keep shoving all his emotions into whatever dark corner of his mind he could– wasn't okay with how Ryū kept hurting himself, ignoring himself– and Ryū decided he hated it.
Whatever Ace saw on his face, he didn't even pause in stepping closer. Ryū was taller than him even kneeling, but he still awkwardly reached up until his older brother was forced to bend down to accommodate him, shoulders curled back as if waiting for a blow. When Ace only held him, carefully leaning against him, he all but melted. "It's okay that you're fire, shitty nii-Chan," he blurted out.
"You were all traumatized by fire," Ryū bit out quietly. "I can't risk it, Ace."
Small arms tightened around his neck. "Then we'll just get stronger until you can." His fingers pressed into Ryū's back, and there was no give. It was all stiff cloth and firm, unyielding muscles. No semi-solid warmth of fire, no starving heat. It was just Ryū, his older brother, who was here and real and alive to protect them. Who would never hurt them, even if he was hurting himself.
Ace refused to let go, even as his shoulders cramped from the awkward angle. "You're our brother, too. They'll never be scared if it's you."
I'll never be scared if it's you.
Ryū snorted humorlessly and Ace drew back, slamming a fist into Ryū's shoulder hard enough that his knuckles stung. He couldn't see the haki bleeding out from under his brother's clothes but he didn't doubt for a second his hands would be bruised later. "Besides," he said, and was only a little vindicated by how Ryū blinked when he abruptly switched to glowering at him, "if you're not giving your all in our spars then you're not taking us seriously either!" Ryū blinked and Ace huffed, trotting back towards the treehouse. "All that talk about me coddling Sabo... you're even worse, you shitty older brother."
Straightening, Ace pointed accusingly at Ryū with as much dramatics as possible. "So get it together jerk! We can't be great pirates if you won't even be serious when we're on the Grand Line because you're too worried about us being scared!" He huffed loudly and hid a self-satisfied grin when Ryū nodded sharply, seeming to shake himself out of his thoughts.
"Yeah," he said, and Ace turned away. His work was finished; Ryū's words didn't sound like they were for him anymore. "You're... right."
Of course I am. I'm your big brother, even if you're taller than me now.
You're still just as stupid— a stupid, self-sacrificing, idiot little brother.
Ace grinned to himself, carefully climbing back up to the treehouse on limbs still only a little weak.
An' once I get haki right, I'll finally beat you. Then you'll have to admit we're all real. All of us, even you.
A couple days ago, like two I think? one of my favorite OP comic artists on tumblr made fanart for this fic and I am so unbelievably Over The Moon About It so here's the link if ya'll wanna see it!
Tumblr post: post/187543880874/this-is-funny-with-or-without-context-honestly
Twitter Post: /ghost_moss/status/1170135006330507264
