This chapter was late since I had exams all week plus the end of summer harvest haha... Chapter 10's draft is now done, I finished it just last night, luckily– but it was long as hell and ive barely touched 11, so ill probably take an extra week for that one as well.
thanks for all the patience! I know its hard as a reader to watch a story you're following go from updating regularly to going off schedule, so I appreciate the comments I get in the downtime. It really helps keep my encouragement up!
The sand was wet under his boots. He sank a good inch with every step, cool through the leather in a way that made Ryū both relaxed and hyper-aware of the tiny waves lapping at his heels. "Alright," he said, and immediately trailed off awkwardly. Was his coat always so heavy, his chest always so tight? Even just damp with morning dew and salt spray, Ryū felt more than bogged down. The boys shifted nervously in front of him. "Well… I guess you know why we're here today?"
They stared at him blankly. Ryū felt sweat prickle at his forehead. Ace rolled his eyes at him and for a brief moment, Ryū wanted to just shake his brother furiously for being utterly unhelpful.
"I have a devil fruit," he eventually just blurted out, and sighed inwardly at the boys' absolute lack of reaction to the statement. Luffy was already picking his nose, bouncing in place.
"Duh," he said, and Ryū needed a nap. "It doesn't work though, so what 'bout it?"
There really is no way to skirt the issue, is there? Ace looked ready to maul him. He wasn't sure how his little brother even knew he was considering it; he was completely sure his expression hadn't even twitched. "About that..."
"...Ryū-nii…"
"I have a real reason, Sabo, put that eyebrow away." Sabo did not put the eyebrow away. He raised it even higher. Ryū was trapped between being proud of his brother's affinity for hard-hitting sass or cuffing them for attitude.
"No he doesn't," Ace piped up, "he just thinks he does, 'cause he's stupid."
"...Ace, please, my poor feelings..." Ryū yelped dramatically as a tiny foot lodged itself determinedly into his leg. Ace only managed to look more offended at his reaction, which didn't bode well for his calves. "Ok, so maybe it wasn't well thought out, but I really do have a real reason," Ryū defended. He shot a look at Ace but the boy didn't argue this time, instead just crossing his arms with a begrudging huff. He took that as a sign to go on.
Regardless, he didn't drop his guard. The boys were too engrossed in watching his hands as if waiting for something to spring out of them to notice him watching them just as intensely.
The first sign of discomfort, and it's over. I don't care if it makes Ace mad, I won't risk it. It's still too soon.
"I ate the Mera-Mera, Ryū began, and very carefully did not demonstrate. The mere mention of the fruit made him all too aware of how his blood boiled under his skin, how heat radiated from his core to every tip of his body. Like a star brimming to explode, constantly roiling right under his skin. Luffy narrowed his eyes, leaning in and eyes darting as if trying to catch a flicker of his power.
"It turned me into fire," he tacked on, as if an afterthought, and bit down on a wince when Sabo visibly twitched.
"Like how I'm rubber," Luffy said, and it wasn't a question. Their youngest was scrutinizing him closely, still. When nothing happened, he rocked back on his heels and sat down in the sand, frowning. "Why'd ya hide it? Is it bad?" He asked confusedly. "Is it 'cause Sabo doesn' like fire now?" Sabo stilled, darting a look between his youngest and oldest brother. Completely oblivious, Luffy clenched the brim of his hat, shadowing his face from Ryū. "Or do… does Ryū not like fire either, because Sabo never likes fire, and– and–" He cut himself off when Ace knocked a hand into his back hard enough to topple him into the sand, tension lost as he spit out salt and gravel.
"That ain't it, Lu," Ace said, and only halfway managed to hide his flinch when Sabo turned on him, expression wiped blank.
"You knew." It wasn't a question. Ace refused to back down, but still nervously cast a look back at Ryū. Sabo stepped closer. "How long have you known."
"Uh," Ace blanched.
Sabo took another step forward, and Ryū quickly realized he needed to get this over with before Ace lost something important, like his dignity. Or an eye. "Not long," He admitted, just loud enough to catch all three boys' attention back to him. "He wanted me to tell you myself, Sabo, not lie to you with me." Sabo's expression chilled and Ryū internally winced. "...Not that I wanted to lie either," He amended uselessly.
"Okay," Sabo said casually, eyeing him with a look distinctly disbelieving, and Ryū, not for the first time, wished Koala was there. I am terrible at this. If I wake up I'm going to make her promise not to let me ever do something like become a dad.
Not that he was entirely sure that was a possibility anymore. Dreams always felt longer than they were, but he was starting to wonder if something was wrong. He had never been able to sleep so long for so much to happen without someone barging into his room with papers to organize or information to gather. Hell, he had never had a dream where he fell asleep— much less one where he woke up again, while still in the dream.
At least a coma would mean Koala might take mercy on me.
He paused, reconsidered.
No, she wouldn't.
Ryū shook out of his thoughts when someone tugged on his coat, looking down to find Luffy staring with a worried crease to his brow. How long have I just been standing here? Ace and Sabo both looked ready to either force him to sit down or smack him. "R-right, I was— uh—" they inched closer. Ryū was starting to wonder whether he was facing attempted murder or therapy. "—the fruit! My powers," he got out, hoping impossibly that the boys didn't pick up his change in mood, "I just— it's been a couple months now, since we've all been home," he said instead. Ace shot him a look clearly saying "this isn't over," but when Ryū quickly sat down, trying to hide his shaking hands in his lap, both he and Sabo begrudgingly stepped back and sat as well. Luffy remained firmly attached to Ryū's coat. He didn't even blink when their youngest simply sat next to him, visibly still sulking.
Ryū took a moment to breathe in and out once, twice. It wasn't enough. "You only just came home," He explained quietly. "And right before that, you had a traumatic experience– with fire." Sabo fidgetted, expression slipping into something uncomfortable. Ryū hoped he wouldn't fight him on this. He knew better than to do more than hope. "Do you understand why I didn't want to see my powers in front of you, before you're ready?"
And Sabo wasn't ready. Ryū knew very well how much he wasn't ready.
But Sabo didn't, yet.
"It's not fair," Sabo bit out. His fingers dug into the sand. "I– I shouldn't be what is stopping you!" Despite his clear anger, Ryū could easily recognize the tension lining his frame for the fear and shame it really was. He had seen it too many times in his own posture to miss it.
"It's not only you," Ryū admitted reassuringly. It didn't make Sabo any more relaxed, but he at least met his eyes still. Ryū glanced over his boys, hand absentmindedly landing on Luffy's back without even thinking and the other twitching towards where Ace sat, eyes pointedly turned away from him and posture defensive. "None of you have had great luck with fire. Grey terminal likely gave you more than some burns," His eyes caught on the quick flash of uncertainty that clouded Ace's eyes. Luffy curled in tight under his hand and pressed the barest hair closer.
Still, Sabo didn't relax. His eyes remained clouded, his body remained tense.
He froze up, hands instinctively raising when Ryū gently tugged on his coat, but he immediately lowered them the moment he made eye contact with Ryū. He stumbled over Ryū's legs, his own too cold and stuff to do much more than be guided by Ryū. A hand smoothed over the short locks his fuzz had grown into. "You're not weak," Ryū murmured. "Don't mistake trauma for weakness. You are anything but." Sabo squirmed But Ryū held him fast. Piercing blue eyes told him to stay put. "Do you understand?"
Sabo nodded jerkily.
When Ryū let him go, it was Ace who caught him; his hands uncharacteristically careful. Slowly, they eased him back onto the sand. Sabo buried his hands before either could see them shaking. He knew by how Ace looked at him that it was pointless.
"It's true I've been lying, and it's true I won't always be able to afford not to use my powers," Ryū started. "But anything we do regarding them has to be slow. Do you hear me?" He shot a look at Ace. "That means no more trying to surprise maul me, Ace. It won't do a thing but turn me into flames, and that's not something any of you are likely ready for."
Luffy's muttered "I'm ready for anything" went largely ignored.
"Can we at least start?" Sabo asked. His voice was quiet, eyes downcast. Ryū knew it was too much to expect him to bounce back from the new insecurities he was amassing, but seeing it in action always managed to make him wish mental health– or the lack thereof– was a physical entity he could burn to death.
Even Luffy looked a little uncertain about facing fire right then and there. "Maybe just a flame." Ace looked up at Ryū for confirmation, relaxing when Ryū shrugged. "Jus' a small one," he murmured, half to himself.
Ryū looked them all over critically. I have no idea what I'm doing. I only know it won't go well. Do I look like a doctor? I am the farthest thing from a doctor!
Sabo breathed in deeply, hands carefully loosening out of their fists. He finally met Ryū's eyes. Pale, unable to hide the minuscule tremble of his hands. Yet he met him stare for stare. Ryū knew steely determination when he saw it– knew there was no chance of any of them backing out by that point. Squandering their time now could cripple them later and they all knew it.
Sabo is nearly healed. We have enough saved up from what we sold in High Town to get us some better supplies on a different island now, one that doesn't recognize us. We have to leave soon, or we will lose our chances– either to the nobles, or marines, or Garp himself. It's already been too many months to risk any more.
Ryū couldn't hope to fool himself.
I am the closest thing they have to a responsible adult, not to mention a doctor.
For a lucid dream, I haven't been able to do anything other than what I can naturally– this is all I can do. This is all I can give them.
Is it enough?
Heat rose in his throat. It bubbled from deep in his chest, in his stomach, roiling just under his skin. (Ace woke up inside him, flickering white-hot.)
It will have to be enough.
The boys all leaned in, eyes zeroing in on Ryū's hand as he raised it slowly. Ace and Luffy both attentively stared it down, tensely anticipating Ryū to combust– but Ryū wasn't about to just throw them into their traumas headfirst. Instead, he just heated his hand, carefully keeping any visible flames below the surface. The boys' eyes widened when the seawater still dampening his gloves began to steam. Even with just that, Sabo unconsciously leaned away. When no physical fire appeared, however, he slowly leaned back in and joined his brothers in frowning at Ryū's hand.
"What are you doing? I thought you were gonna show us your power," Sabo asked quietly.
He flinched violently when Luffy reached out to poke at Ryū's palm only to immediately yank it back. Ace scrambled over and grabbed his hand, carefully turning it over only to look up in confusion when he couldn't find a burn. "It's hot," Luffy whined, but there were stars in his eyes. Ryū quickly stilled when his littlest brother leaped back to his feet, scampering close again in order to grab his hand. Both Ace and Sabo froze midstep, eyes huge.
Luffy spun around, hands still clasped around Ryū's, and gave them a beaming smile. "It's tingly! Com'ere!"
Ryū carefully let out a quiet sigh, smiling in relief as tiny rubbery fingers poked and prodded at his superheated hands without being burnt. He had far better control than to ever burn his brothers, but he couldn't help the anxiety that had strangled him regardless.
Ace hesitantly inched forward, hand hovering just above Ryū's. "It's warm," he whispered, as if surprised. He eyed Luffy, who was now happily clambering up into Ryū's lap in order to reach his shoulders, waving at the steam rising off his clothing. His expression steeled. Ryū had to fight back a laugh when Ace just violently slapped his hand into Ryū's, eyes squeezed shut tightly. When nothing happened, he peeked open one eye and gently grabbed it, leaning back as far as possible as if he was holding a hornet instead of his brother's hand. Ryū just calmly watched him rotate his hand over and back, squeezing tighter when he still saw no flickers of flame.
Cute.
"Having fun?" Ace jumped, flushing all the way down his shirt. Ryū snickered when he jerked away, hissing insults under his breath. "What, too good to hold your brother's hand?" He teased. In the corner of his eye, Sabo's shoulders finally fell an inch. "How heartless, Ace."
Whatever Ace might have said was instantly bitten off the moment Sabo edged closer. slow but unfaltering, he only hesitated a moment, eyes flickering over his unharmed brothers before he reached out for Ryū's hand. Ryū held perfectly, absolutely still. He would not risk a twitch, a breath, if it meant losing Sabo's courage right then and there.
I won't move for hours if this works. For as long as he needs me to.
Sabo's hand carefully tapped his.
For a brief moment, Ryū saw resignation cross his face. Anticipating a burn he knew Ryū would not give him.
Ryū carefully swallowed every flame that crawled up his throat, hissing and hideous.
"...It's warm," Sabo eventually said, and when Ace and Luffy both grinned at him Ryū tried his best to slap something resembling a smile onto his face. Sabo didn't even notice. He blinked with eyes wide, his second hand joining the first to slide up Ryū's palm and even pull back his glove, looking for any sign of fire. "It's warm," He repeated, quieter, and then, "It feels nice."
The relief that visibly swept the boys over nearly knocked them off their feet. Sabo's posture finally relaxed, his expression loosened. He gripped Ryū's hand in a mirror of Ace's and Ryū gently squeezed, smiling when his doppelgänger squeezed back after a pause. "Glad you like it," Ryū said, and he didn't even bother to mask how absolutely gooey he was certain his face was. He had no idea what he was doing. He wasn't a doctor. He wasn't a therapist or a parent. But he was successful.
Small steps, he reminded himself. Tiny, microscopic. Atomic, if I have to.
Three tiny hands layered over his, giggling when he carefully pulsed heat through his palm. Sabo didn't even flinch.
I will do anything, if it means I can give you this, here.
It had been a little hard, shaking them all out of the mood they had inexplicably fallen into. Ryū wasn't even sure he wanted to– no one was hurt, bleeding or otherwise– a little quiet was okay, once in a while.
That wasn't in Luffy's nature, of course. He should have known better the moment their youngest got inevitably distracted by something shiny. Or strong. Or dangerous looking.
Luffy squirmed, whining loudly when Ryū snatched him off his heels by the back of his shirt. "Don't give me that look," Ryū said, visibly offended. He gestured accusingly at the ocean as if personally insulted by the little wave that lapped at his toes. "You know you can't swim, Lu!"
"I saw a cool shell!"
"Oh yeah? What's cooler, then, a shell, or the prospect of drowning?"
"Wha' 'sa po—pross—"
"Prospect," Ryū corrected automatically, only to sigh dramatically as Luffy proceeded to completely ignore him in favor of a seagull overhead. "Lu..." Ryū said, smiling despite his exhaustion at his squirming little brother. He plopped their youngest down into Sabo's reach, allowing the blond to latch onto Luffy with an equally exasperated but fond look on his face.
"Wait," Ace said, with a dawning expression that made Ryū instinctively expect the worst, "you ate a devil fruit too— so you can't swim either right?"
Ryū paused, boots still wet with the surf, and give his brother a critical look. "...yes," he answered slowly. "Why?"
Ace launched himself at Ryū, and Ryū honest to god could not be bothered to react more than to sigh loudly. Which was a terrible move, because half a second later he was drowning in water four inches high and absolutely waterlogged.
Shoving past the nausea and weakness, Ryū wobbly sat up. His everything was wet. Beyond wet. He couldn't see past how wet he was— literally, considering his hair alone had just poured a waterfall of seawater down his front. He stared vaguely at where Ace stood. "Ace."
"Yeah?"
The audacity.
"Why."
Luffy was giggling and if Ryū was a less patient man he would dunk his sibling himself.
"Sabo, Ace dunked Ryū-nii!" A sporadic burst of giggles followed the statement. He could hear Sabo laughing between Luffy's pauses for air.
Ryū was not as patient a man as he thought.
"Look at that, you nearly drowned." It was said so casually. There was no anger, or even laughter, from Ace. Nothing that could clue Ryū into the mood Ace keeps falling into with him. It was more a blank statement than anything else, pointedly matter of fact— and for the life of him, Ryū didn't know what for. Ace just kept staring him down as if looking for something. Frozen, waiting for a reaction Ryū didn't understand.
The exchange was cut off as Luffy bounded over to them, forcing Ryū to stand up and stumble out of the waves before his tiniest brother could trip headfirst into them and give him a conniption. Thankfully, he hadn't been wearing his coat, but his boots were basically an aquarium and his vest desperately needed to be wrung out. Every step sloshed and squeaked loudly. Water was dripping off him without any sign of stopping. Frankly, Ryū was ready to just call this his new life. One constantly half-drowned. What's new? Koala would find it funny– anything at my expense is funny to her.
"Woah," Luffy said, shoving his hands into Ryū's hair when he leaned down to remove his boots, "it's so long now!" Small fingers tugged at the waterlogged curtain Ryū currently had draped on his face. Immediately, Luffy sagged and dropped into the sand and Ryū just gestured at him, turned towards where he could feel Ace standing with a look he hoped was adequately accusatory through his extremely soggy appearance. All he got was a loud snort for his efforts. Luffy giggled sleepily from where he had splayed in the sand.
"It's been a few months," Sabo commented innocently, "maybe we should try cutting our hair?" Frowning, he paused. "Actually, I don't think we have any scissors in the treehouse."
Ace scoffed, finally giving up his unrelenting stare at Ryū to instead turn and point back into the undergrowth. "The bandits just used a dull knife on mine."
"Makino cut mine," Luffy mumbled into the sand. "Back 'n Foosha."
Shrugging off his vest, Ryū shook his hair out of his face uselessly. It just flopped right back into place, sticking uncomfortably to his cheeks and forehead. "Makino will have a pair we can borrow," he grumbled. "We can visit her once I dry off." Ace didn't even look apologetic, the brat.
Makino wouldn't recognize me, would she? She's closer to Luffy than I was... does it really matter at this point?
The boys were starting to look a little shaggy.
Ryū paused. Looked again.
The boys were starting to look a little shaggier.
...We'll go see her later today.
"Are you sure I should bother?" Ryū looked down at his doppelgänger, confused. Sabo shifted hesitantly under his gaze and self consciously brushed a hand through his hair. "I mean… if you're me, should I just grow it out too? It'll happen eventually anyway, wouldn't it?"
Ryū cocked his head. "Would it?" He repeated, and for all that he was casual, he really wasn't sure anymore. Were things like long hair or clothing choices inevitable anymore? Everything had changed here, why wouldn't Sabo as well? This has been a very straight-forward dream, he supposed, Everything that has happened so far has made an almost alarming amount of sense. I wouldn't be surprised anymore, if this would too– it may as well happen. "It's true that we're biologically identical, but could you really say we're the same anymore?" They were the same person, in the past. When Ryū was who Sabo was– before Ryū grew up, before everything was changed from reality.
Even in the real world, I think I would be hard-pressed to call us the "same" anymore. We haven't really been the same person since I started dreaming. "Our experiences have been entirely different. Who am I to say you should grow out your hair? Do whatever you want."
Sabo just nodded, hands absentmindedly buried in his hair. "Yeah… Yeah, okay."
Ace kicked at the sand, a conflicted look on his face. "Who cares?" He asked, too perfectly casual to be sincere, "It's just hair."
"Hair is annoying," Luffy moaned, draping himself over Ryū's back. He got a faceful of wet hair for his dramatics. Sputtering, he reared back and declared: "Long hair is terrible!" loud enough for Sabo and Ace to snicker in Ryū's direction. They only laughed harder when their eldest brother just muttered "hey," offensively. Luffy stretched up to pat at Ryū's cheek, grimacing as the seawater still dripping down his face made his palm wet but refusing to pull away. "Your hair is cool though, Ryū-nii," he reassured.
"Thanks, Lu. Means a lot."
Luffy beamed, completely ignorant of how Ryū sighed and his brothers sniggered behind their hands. "Yer welcome!" He crowed. Sufficiently convinced he hadn't hurt his brother's feelings, he bounded back into the shore with a whoop, spraying sand everywhere possible.
"Luffy!" Ace and Sabo sputtered, struggling to spit out grit.
Ryū just laughed at them. They deserved it.
"Hey Makino!"
Makino looked up, nearly dropping her rag in surprise as a familiar little boy swung open the door to her bar, waving frantically at her. "Oh–! Luffy?" She just watched, blinking and confused, as the child practically launched himself at her. He was yelling in excitement as he wrapped himself firmly around her legs in a hug. She knelt, forcing Luffy to let go and instead cling to her skirts, instinctively running her hand through his hair. Despite no obvious cuts or bruises on him, she unable to relax just yet. A happy child was still a child she hadn't seen in months with no warning or explanation. "Luffy, what's wrong? I haven't seen you for your brothers in months–"
"Lu! Don't run ahead like that!"
Makino looked up and relaxed slightly the moment Sabo walked through the door still swinging off its hinges. "Good morning, Makino-san." He waved at Makino in a quiet mirror of Luffy's hello and this time Makino managed to smile and wave back.
"Hello boys," She finally greeted warmly. "I haven't seen you two in a while, now– finally decided you wanted more manners lessons?" Luffy groaned loudly into her skirts and she chuckled fondly before pausing. "Where is Ace? I'm surprised he let you two come down from Mt. Colubo without him!" She frowned from both boys just snickered, exchanging a look she couldn't decipher before they both glanced back towards the door.
"Ace got the short stick," He declared cryptically.
Makino turned to Sabo, hoping for an actual explanation. The boy looked beyond amused. "He's busy try'na get Ryū to come in," He said, and despite the extra information Makino was still completely lost. She looked between the boys with both eyebrows high and neither did anything more than snigger behind their hands.
"Who," She eventually began, only to get cut off by a muffled shout outside. If Luffy and Sabo hadn't immediately exploded into giggles, she might have been alarmed– but she could clearly recognize the voice as Ace's, voice filtering through the door. The boys burst out laughing as their third wayward sibling kicked the door back open, slamming it into the wall with force Makino really should have done more than just stare at. Ace barely looked up before freezing at the sight of her. Without a word from her, he bowed at the waist, grumbling an embarrassed "Sorry about the door, Makino-san" before stomping further into the bar. He was visibly straining, dragging something heavy behind him, and Makino hoped it wasn't another large boar or crocodile Luffy decided to gift her like a cat giving her dead mice–
Ace grit his teeth hard enough to audibly crack his jaw and exclaimed, loudly, "Goddammit," before forcefully yanking hard enough to force it– he, Makino realized with a start, catching a wide blue eye and unruly blond curls buried under a tophat– to stumble into the bar awkwardly.
"Oh," She managed.
Immediately, the stranger– is this "Ryū"?– flushed, pulling away from Ace to tidy himself up. After a moment to regain his composure, Ryū tipped her his tophat with a neat flourish that had her chuckling. "Hello," He said, embarrassment all but hidden under polite mannerisms and fabric; but Makino could still see the tips of his ears were flushed red where they poked out from his curls. "My name is Ryū. I'm the boys' oldest brother, and now in charge," He paused to nonchalantly nudge Ace away from where the raven-haired aimed to kick him in the ankle, "of keeping my idiots safe." He held out a hand, smiling charmingly, and Makino took it with a grin. "Nice to meet you."
Mischievousness sparked in her chest, warm and playful, and Makino knew Ace caught it when he stiffened under her gaze. "It's good to see the boys now have someone else to teach them manners," She teased. Luffy whined loudly, pouting at Sabo when the boy just laughed outright at his brothers.
"This idiot?" Ace scoffed, still trying (half-heartedly, she noticed fondly,) to kick Ryū. "No way."
"Maybe he can teach them manners," Sabo chirped, innocently pretending not to hear Ace's betrayed hiss, "But he can't cut hair, apparently." Makino turned in time to catch Ryū's brow twitch. The boys pointedly ignored his quiet grumble of "It's not that easy" to turn equally pleading eyes to Makino.
Luffy bounced in place, tugging on her skirt to get her attention and she nearly cooed at him staring up at her with his huge brown eyes and tousled black hair. "Please," He asked politely, and she was struck with the sudden need to sit down. "Sabo said if it gets any longer it'll blind me!" the little boy looked distraught by the thought. Said brother was barely hiding his laughter from the youngest. Makino could barely contain it herself. "I don't wanna lose my eyes," He whispered, as if it was a terrible secret.
She smiled reassuringly. I've missed these three more than I thought. "Of course, Lu, we wouldn't want that," She said affectionately. "Come sit up on one of the stools and I'll get my scissors." She gently pat his hat for him, winking conspiratorially. "I bet if you asked really nicely, Ryū might even hold onto your hat for you while I work."
Sabo frowned at his reflection, gingerly touching his head as if confused by the hair under his hands.
"What's wrong?" Makino glanced her work over but couldn't find any patches she had missed or overcut. She wasn't at all a hairdresser, but she was fairly confident with a pair of scissors in hand. "Do you not like it?"
Sabo quickly snatched his hand away. His eyes darting to the floor, and Makino giggled despite herself. He didn't seem to have realized his own reaction. "N-no! It's good..." Regardless of what he said, Makino could see his hands tightening over his shorts as if preventing them from moving back to his head. All of his brothers stared and Sabo shifted uncomfortably. "There's nothing wrong with it. It's just... I can't help but feel like something is missing—" he looked up, brows furrowed, and shot an uncertain look at his eldest brother "—I just. Guess I know now that it wasn't hair?" Ace crossed his arms, huffing, and Sabo flushed darkly. "Don't give me that look! It's not as if I could remember if I'm missing something, and none of you have said anything!"
Luffy bobbed in place, popping off the barstool he was sitting on to hold up his hat to Sabo. Sabo hesitantly took it, holding it in his lap awkwardly. "That's 'cause Sabo doesn't have his hat anymore," he said matter of factually. Sabo raised an eyebrow at his little brother but indulgently plopped the straw hat on his head when Luffy pouted at him.
Ace tilted his head, frowning in contemplation where he remained cross-legged next to Ryū. "Yeah, actually," he said, sounding calmly surprised. "You probably lost it in the wreck... we didn't see it at Luffy's dad's ship?" He shot a questioning look up at Ryū, who just shrugged. "I guess there wasn't anything left of it," he finished helplessly. Sabo just continued to frown. His fingers rubbed the fraying brim of the straw hat with a conflicted expression.
"Well," he started eventually, handing Luffy his hat back despite the younger's protests, "I guess it doesn't matter, right? It's not as if I remember ever owning a hat." Ryū closed his eyes, nodding once before grinning mischievously. Sabo wasn't able to react faster than to blink when his older brother hopped off his stool, right in front of Sabo with a single stroll. "Ryū-nii—?"
"What do you mean?" Ryū said, with all the innocence of a wolf in a farmer's field, "I see a hat right here." In an instant, Sabo was blinded— something soft and black pushed down onto his head.
"Wha-hey!"
It was too big, the brim sagging into his eyes, and he had to lean back away from Ryū's hands in order to prop it up. Ryū smiled brightly at him and Sabo practically sweltered with embarrassment. "I can't take this," he protested, "it's yours! It doesn't even fit me—"
Ace glanced him over pointedly, the same teasing delight sparkling in his eyes, and Sabo felt his cheeks somehow heat more as he casually commented, "neither did your first hat" without missing a beat. Luffy had the audacity to snicker at him, the gremlin—
"You can't prove a thing," Ryū sang, already prancing out of sabo's reach. "How will we know if it's yours or not? You have amnesia, after all, maybe you just don't remember it's yours!"
"That— my— My amnesia doesn't work like that! What the hell!"
Despite his sputtering, Sabo's hands were tight around the tophat's brim. He made no move to pull it off.
Luffy frowned up at Ryū, turning his ire to his oldest brother. "Now Ryū-nii lost his hat," he said accusatorially. Sabo watched his doppelgänger for any hint of discomfort or irritation, but Ryū just shrugged noncommittally.
"It's time I had a change, don't you think?" He shook his head out and sputtered as his hair, now down to his shoulders, smacked him in the face. "Now that I have so much hair, having a hat was becoming slightly annoying," he admitted.
He went carefully still when Makino stepped up to him, balancing on her tip-toes in order to brush his curls back. "It is rather long," she commented. She smiled gratefully when Luffy tugged at Ryū's sleeve until he sat back down, allowing her to better reach. It wasn't too thick, but the way it fell into his eyes was definitely going to be a problem if it wasn't already– and judging by how the boys lived, she had no doubts it was. "If you really don't want me to cut it for you, I could just lend you a hair tie?" Ryū was already shaking his head, hands raised, but Makino huffed and tugged gently on one of his curls to quiet him. "Listen here, I have plenty to spare, and the experience to tell you that long hair is annoying enough when you don't live in a forest fighting large animals and raising three boys!" She paused, turning to smile at Luffy and Ace when both boys immediately protested that they were strong and raising themselves, giving Ryū time to think.
Sabo finally let go of the hat and trotted over to Ryū's side, climbing up into his lap to critically eye his older brothers mop of blond curls himself. "It may be a good idea," he said carefully. "If you don't keep it back somehow, it's gonna get in the way when we spar, wouldn't it?" Makino beamed at him and he ducked away from her gaze, ears pink.
Ryū hummed quietly. He twirled a lock around his fingers for a few long seconds before eventually sighing in surrender. Immediately, Makino snapped to attention. "Great!" She said cheerfully, already pulling multiple bands out of her apron and pockets. "Then I'll give these to you, Luffy, since you're a big strong man who will keep an eye on your older brother—" Luffy cheered, thrusting a fist in the air, and Ace immediately started arguing until he got a handful of bands to shove into his pockets as well, holding some out for Sabo to split with him. Sabo pocketed Ace's without even looking up.
Ryū felt distinctly like he was being ganged up on without anyone even saying a thing. Makino didn't even try to pretend she wasn't watching them with amusement.
Still, he indulgently leaned down for Makino to gently pull his hair back, looping her tie around it firmly until he could feel the neat little ponytail brushing against the base of his neck. He didn't even have to ask her to leave his bangs alone, thankfully; after a single aborted motion to cover his scarred eye, she had let them be without saying a word. Cool air chilled his neck nicely. It was suddenly much cooler, without the weight of all of his hair resting against his neck.
Ryū shook his head out. The new ponytail bounced and tickled, but didn't slap him in the face or get in his eyes. His free bangs still brushed his jawline. It was becoming easier, peering through the breaks in the locks over his scar.
"Not bad," he finally conceded, and only pouted a little when all three of his boys including Makino cheered.
Still, the meaning wasn't lost on him. Even with the boys distracted by the hair scattered all over the floor, and Luffy's disastrous attempts to help Makino sweep, it wasn't lost on him.
We've been here long enough. It's time to leave.
see ya next time ;) when i finish more exams and get back on my bullshit for mental trauma and writing characters who dont know shit about it ;))
