Hail's Wake

Part 2

Ace sniffed himself as the elevator ascended, recoiled, and added a quick shower to his list. On which the only other thing was sleep… well it should be sleep, it was three A.M. After all, and he hadn't slept in two days. He could have napped at the station barracks. But really it was just a need, deep in his bones.

He wanted Sabo's arms around him. Wanted to hold Luffy. Wanted to hear their sleepy welcome home's, and the soft kisses. And then he wanted to fall asleep, knowing that Sabo would deal with breakfast, and Luffy would sleep in with him. They spoiled him. He knew it. These lazy first day's home. And damn it he was excited.

The elevator dinged open, and he hefted his heavy pack in one hand, and fished his keys, walking to the door at the end of the hall. He stopped there, looking out the hall's window, overlooking a bit of the city. There had been a storm while he'd been gone. But he couldn't tell. Figured no one could, with how beautiful the streets and buildings looked, decorated in snow.

He broke away when the door opened. His heart filled, seeing them both there. Luffy was yawning, tugging him inside, and then silenced Ace's rising question with a kiss. Sabo closed the door, took his bag, and then took his own kiss while Luffy removed his coat.

"Welcome home." Sabo broke away.

"How'd you know?"

"Smoky man sent us a warning." Luffy answered, holding Ace's arms around himself and pulling him towards their bedroom.

Smoker… well he couldn't regret giving him their number if this is how he used it.

"I-" but he stepped into the room, saw the bathroom light on and caught the scent of roses. Luffy tugged him towards it. Candles, and a steaming bubble bath, rose petals scattered about. Sabo kissed his neck. Peeling away his shirt.

"Let's relax." Luffy said, undoing Ace's belt. He removed his pants while Sabo kissed along his neck.

The real seller on this apartment was neither the excellent top floor view, nor the convenient city location. For Ace it was the luxurious oval tub. Wide enough for the three of them to be comfortable. Ace stepped from his pants, sinking into the tub with a sigh of relief.

"I love you both." He said, his voice pitching odd as the water stung a few of his bruises. Luffy and Sabo kicked aside their bottoms at the same time, following after him, Luffy snuggling his chest tiredly, and Sabo set about rubbing his feet.

"We love you too." Luffy smiled out, and kissed him again.

…

"So you are recommending a hiring freeze?" Robin asked, and Kalifa nodded.

"We are losing money, flooding the market with niche work, and we're already over staffed as is to be a profitable business model."

"How long can we go at our current pace?" Luffy asked, still looking out the window.

"With the rate of infusions that you're gifting to our bottom line, about four years before we run you dry." Kalifa leaned back. Luffy didn't turn around. Robin went for her coffee, meeting Hachi's eyes across the table. Together they held seventy percent of Sunny's staff. Which was natural, as Romance and Erotica are the two biggest niches. "The fact is we have consistently lost money since we have opened. We need to-"

Luffy spun about, smile set, and came to the table, leaning on it, his hands splayed. He gave them all a grin and swept their eyes.

"We started Sunny with a winning lottery ticket. We've said every year that we didn't know if we'd be here next year. That's just how it is for us. But the one thing we have never done is turn away those who are drawn to us. When i hired you all, i told you there was no job security. And that's what we have told everyone who has come aboard since. And that's what we will keep on doing. Because if there is a way to do this, to make us profitable, it's not by turning away eager talent."

Kalifa gave a knowing sigh, switched which leg crossed over which, and adjusted her glasses.

"I didn't expect anything, as usual. But Mr. Monkey, without a significant boost in revenue, or any efforts to reduce expenditures, we could be gone sooner than four years."

"I understand." He sat in his seat at last, adjusting his red tie. "With a mind for that missing revenue, let's turn this over to our Chiefs, Robin wanna start us off?"

"Of Course." She passed around the copies of her analytics. "We are on track with every author now for the first Quarter, except one of Mr. Roronoa's Authors, Kuina. And her book 'The Greatest Swordsman."

"Well anyone would be distracted after beating cancer." Luffy said. "Zoro is a consistent performer, would you wager he makes it?"

"I believe the Author is eager to add the book to her list of accomplishments before the years out. As for the profit estimates, if we could turn to the page seven,-"

"And these will be your desks. Right behind you is Sanji, one of our top editors if you have any questions." Robin said, and the two men glanced at the Blonde who waved from around his phone.

"Fresh meat?" Nami asked, strolling by, fresh printed pages on her shoulder, and extended her free hand. "I'm Nami, the next Editor-in-chief."

"Gin," the man extended his hand, and the man behind him didn the same.

"Marco, glad to meet you."

"Same to you both." Nami said out.

"One day…" Robin chided. "For now she's the top team manager for our department. Feel free to bother her with questions as well." Robin said out. "Nami these two will be taking over the empty spots on our summer releases."

"About time." Nami beamed. "Shouldering that around this year was annoying. I hope you two are ready to work to the bone. Third quarter team doest have a manager right now, but that doesn't mean i'll let the time tables on any team slide." She was pointing at them both now with her chapters, glaring.

"Damn that's intimidating." Marco had laughed, rubbing his neck, "We'll do my best of course. Isn't that right?" he laid a hand on Gin's shoulder.

"Of course. I'm excited to get to work."

"Then I'll leave you to it. Nami can help get you settled in, I'm sure."

"And where are you off to?" Nami asked, turning on her. "I want details on the year out meeting."

"Find them something to read, and if you want details, I'm craving Baratie for lunch." Nami scoffed.

"Alright." she looked back at the two newbies. "I'll give you the submission email, let's get your computers set up."

With Nami diverted, and suddenly free of her new editors, Robin retreated to her office. She closed the blinds that Nami used to spy on her, and sank into her chair. Luffy had gone with the opposite of a hiring freeze. He okay'd more editors, and was encouraging the Chiefs to take initiatives. Which was a gamble. Always was, and Robin didn't like to bet. Publishers found stability in making a little bit of money from many works. Which was great, when you had a large potential revenue group.

Trilogies were as good as you got in the Niche house. Fans who were consistent for three years. After that who knew what would grab them back in. The readership was spotty even in their subgenres of the Queer umbrella. And there weren't many brick and mortar stores that bought more than a trivial 'participation' amount of their books in this city. They had the email list sure, and partnerships with Pride organizations. And their literature department had outreaches with several local schools… but those were free donations.

Four years. Less if Luffy kept ramping up. He wanted a fifth team in romance. Kalifa had been rather bald, announcing that she was going to be touching up her resume. Robin had thought about it too of course. But she was here. And she'd be here until the doors closed. Kalifa was just doing her job, trying to get Mr. Monkey to listen… which Luffy had a hard time doing.

However facts were facts, and she was still decades off from retiring. So they needed money. And for money they needed readers. A lot of them. She threw in her password, taking extra note of the old keyboard today. Fond memories playing over from when they'd first gotten the building. Everything they could get for cheap, workable but second hand. Her monitor, new to replace her old one that had died, was only a decade younger than her keyboard. She pulled out her smartphone, and set it standing against the monitor.

Aside from the unique and irreplaceable satisfaction that came with a keyboard's key clacking, the phone could do everything the computer could do. More, in fact, as desktops and even laptops were being excluded from accessing more and more websites. The same websites that housed hundreds of influencers with millions of fans a piece.

In a way she felt like the world's eye was turning away from them. From her. She supposed that it really was, it turned on time. And if you didn't keep up, then you would one day find yourself beyond the peripheral of relevance. Really Sunny's readership was a concern for the marketing team. Her's was to ensure that they had top of the line work for those readers. But Robin liked to keep her foot in every door. Something she and Nami shared. And it wasn't to be ignored, that Marketing had yet to find a solution to the readership, despite a website, and a three million dollar advertisement budget for a recent project. She was lucky to get thirty grand for her authors ad budget, and that was generosity of the founder and CEO more than any practicality.

What they needed was a way to catch up to the world's eye again. The community was growing, but Sunny was being stomped out by giants doing the minimum for inclusion. They needed to get out in front and do some peacocking for the larger public.

She grabbed her phone, opening one of the new apps. Scrolling through a stream of individuals that had been recommended to her. They all had more likes on one image, then Sunny had readers in a year. Why was it these people had so many fans? Some owed their fame to movies, which had been a goal of Sunny's since the outset. Others for fashion, or the myriad ways one gained internet fame, which Robin had boiled down to one key factor of 'Be entertaining'. They all seemed to be happy enough to rake in the ad revenue. Which meant that Robin could exploit that. But she had the phone for a week, and if she was already getting tired of the promotional stuff, then the fans were long exhausted of it. They'd need something that would pop.

The first idea was to publish an influencer's book. But unless she wanted to become a sell out editor, that would require talent, work, and an extra portion of luck that any of these people were aspiring authors looking to make their break in a tiny publishing house. Still, it had been better than her worst estimates of this new world. Many of these people were at the very least in support of the Queer community. Several were members, proclaiming such on their profiles. Something one would not see in the shadow of years gone. What a journey it must have been for some of these people, coming from the world of open abuse and hatred to one of acceptance. And not only that, but being such a front runner to push themselves into the eye of others contempt, only to stubbornly plant a flag on a field of bigot tears and declare victory. Supportive victory.

It'd make a good book…

A very good book. And to partner it with a Queer buissness whose singular focus was to bring the comminuity to the 'shelf' physical and electrical. That's a partnership. She rose. She'd need subjects to research. And the best way to do that was to find the people's heroes. She threw her door open and looked out at the rapt attention of her department.

"Extra homework today. Personal Queer heros you'd read a autobiography on. Due before works out. Alive preferably, and with some modicum of fame." She said, and marched off toward the CEO's office.

…

"You're late."

Zoro cracked an eye, seeing Saga there waving a clock in his face.

"M'not."

"You very well could be if you don't get up. Come on, i'm leaving soon."

That roused Zoro. He reached out, eager to pull him into the bed. To doze about a bit more. But they hadn't shared a bed the entire weekend, and Zoro had been remembering times long off. Before it all got complicated. He'd hesitated, frozen mid motion. Saga noticed, setting the clock back down. He smiled, taking his hand and pulled him up.

"Words Zoro, mankind's greatest invention." Saga teased.

"Aside from swords." Zoro grumbled, moving to his closet.

"The ones for war, or for love?"

Zoro flushed, throwing the first shirt he could grab at the man. It hit him squarely in the face, but did nothing to dampen the man's laugh.

"Pervert."

"Absolutely. But you know that, and this abashed side of you, it's cute."

"Saga…"

"I just meant that it keeps you looking young. The blush and all."

"Its embarrassing."

"Alright. I'm sorry." Zoro finished pulling his hoodie on, looking at Saga. He was still smiling, then the doorbell rang, and he looked over. "That'd be breakfast. We should have enough time before I have to catch my flight."

"That's why you woke me up." Zoro said, following the man into his living room.

"Forgive me. But it wasn't wholly selfish, you did sleep through your own alarm."

Zoro had been hungrier than he thought. Originally he had chastised Saga for getting so much. But the storm had broken the night prior, and the last wispy hail storms had been steadily burning themselves off throughout breakfast. A reward of hope in a sense. If he wanted to be poetic and spin metaphors about trials and struggles and equate them to nature. He'd rather read some poetry, then suffer through writing it on his own. But on days like this, anything was possible, including the second half of his extra large coffee.

"You'll hate me for saying this, but i like that about you." Saga said, the remains of his breakfast in the plastic it came in.

"What?" Zoro asked around another mouthful of his breakfast.

"How you sync with the world. You're steady, regular."

"You mean predictable." Zoro sniped back. Saga laughed.

"I told you you wouldn't like it. But really Zoro, if you're insistent we be old, then surely you're done with the wild need for unpredictability?"

"A need for stability, but predictability sits wrong with me."

"Isn't that just your adventurous spirit?"

"Probably."

"Well if coming through a hurricane wasn't enough to sait it, then what will be?" he was still playful, but Zoro hadn't considered it. He supposed Luffy had been making a deal out of coming here for a reason.

"I'm sure it would have been, but it was less an adventure and more saving you from yourself."

"Man braves nature to rescue fool from dangerous antics. That's a story, an adventure. Is it not?"

"When you say it like that then of course it is." Zoro finished the last of his coffee, and cast a disappointed eye at the lack of waiting food. Saga looked at his watch, frowning.

"My taxi will be here soon." He rose, setting his smile back in place. "Will you walk me out?"

"Already?"

Saga's brow rose, and his eyes softened. "I can come back. Every weekend, if you want."

That sounded expensive and exhausting. He didn't want Saga to have to go through that. "That'd be too much."

"Oh, of course."

"That came out wrong, i just meant, isn't that… wouldn't it be annoying? Doing all the work?" Saga was hefting his bag, looking Zoro over amusedly.

"Not at all. They could be my weekly adventures. I'd look forward to them. And Zoro," Saga stepped in closer, laying a hand on his shoulder. "We can go at your pace. I can't claim to understand everything you must feel about me… but i can accept the responsibility. I won't ask you for anything more than some of your time."

"Saga…" Zoro grabbed the man's arm, planning to push it off, fearing he might pull him in.

"I can never tell what that means." Saga's voice was soft, his hand slid in from Zoro's shoulder, moving to his neck, his chin and finally his cheek. Zoro's eyes closed, and he leaned into the gesture, desperate for the warmth. The contact. But he pulled away, because it hadn't been Saga that Zoro had heard in his sleepy morning daze. Itd been Sanji. Hurt flicked across Saga's face, and Zoro caught his hand as he pulled it away.

"I'm sorry… I just…"

"Don't be." Saga squeezed his hand. "More than anything I want you to take all the time you need. I want to do this right Zoro."

"Are you ready?" Zoro asked, swerving the wheelchair into Kuina's room, Doctor Law and a nurse behind him. Kuina was in some of her old clothes, drooping big on her, and she was endlessly excited.

"Yes please, get me out of here! No offense of course. You've been wonderful."

"Please, don't worry, it gives me no greater joy than telling patients to get out. So, get out." Law smiled.

"Jeez, and I was such a good patient for you." Kuina pouted, slipping into the wheelchair, and Zoro gave her a coat from home.

"That's a relative term. I remember several incidents involving bodily-"

"Yeah yeah so what, comparatively i was excellent."

"Well your humor was always well. Now come on, there is fresh snow." Law held the door open, and Zoro let the nurse, Bepo, take the wheel chair, following his sister out.

"I want to make snow angels!"

"You'll get sick." Zoro replied instantly. "You're cancer free, not invincible."

"Boo!" Kuina gave him two thumbs down from where she nearly drowned in her coat.

"If you compromise, you can get away with throwing snowballs at him without retaliation." Law said from her otherside.

"As if i didn't prepare for this." Zoro said smugly. "She'll have no time to throw snowballs."

"And what makes you so sure?" She asked, and Zoro didn't reply, just watched the floors descend on the elevator.

"I suspect it's something to do with the ride he has arranged."

"Oh? Who is it? Tell me tell me tell me!" She tried them both. Zoro shared a look with Law. "Come on!"

"Patience." Zoro called, and right then the doors opened. Zoro watched in delight as his sister went red. She had one weakness. One exploit Zoro had just the right friends for. She was weak for hosts.

"There you are lovely!" Ace called, his hair styled into lazy curls, combed to one side, in a fitted three piece, with a weather ready coat slung over one arm. Sabo to his side in a black suit with gold pinstripes. He had his top hat in one hand, a huge bouquet of flowers in the other. And then there was Luffy, a skinny red tie disappearing into a double breasted black suit, and he wasted no time scoping her up in his arms.

"Finally you are coming home. We've missed you."

Zoro swore he saw the start of a nosebleed on his sisters face, but he couldn't confirm it as the boys closed in on her, to the envy and open gawking of Merry general's lobby.

"This isn't fair!" Zoro caught her glare briefly, but he shrugged it off as she was carried towards the waiting limo Luffy had rented. Because of course he would.

"Those are the boys she talks about?" Law was gawking. To be fair there were very few who didn't do that when three power houses of beauty walked around together like the boys did.

"Careful Doc, flies will move in." Zoro teased and the doctor colored slightly, and adjusted his glasses to cover it up.

"Not what i was expecting. She talks of them warmly, but like they are buffoons."

"They are. Trust me. But for short amounts of time they are fine in the public." Law smirked, still looking after them and Zoro just shook his head.

"You know that they-"

"Kuina does overshare." Law said.

"Then you know that itd be-"

"I have no intention of stepping beyond a professional boundary Mr Roronoa. However I fully intend to daydream. And the longer you stay here the longer I have to enjoy my leering."

"And that's not stepping over the boundary?" Zoro asked sarcastically.

"I could leer at you, if you are so jealous?" Law said, running his eyes over Zoro.

"Not real picky are you?"

"I'm a manwhore with no shame." Law replied, a step closer. "She does overshare really, if you were needing a palette cleanser…"

"Gods i'm going to kill her." Zoro said, glaring at Law, who smiled back with a sarcastic grin. "No dammit. Fuck i'm leaving."

"Intresting word choice." Law called after him.

Zoro ignored it, blushing red and stormed out, the driver opening the door for him, and he slid in, finding Kuina under one of Sabo's arms, her feet on Ace's lap. He took a seat next to Luffy, who was hiding something behind his back.

"What?" Zoro asked with a glare. Luffy only smiled. Zoro cast his eyes at Ace and Sabo, and was met with the same sinister smile. Finally he meant Kuina's eyes. "What is so-" the snow ball was smacked against his neck, and Luffy made sure to get the snow down his shirt. "You son of a-!" Luffy had a second, and smashed it against his face with a laugh. Zoro was still for a moment, and wiped the snow off with one hand. "Traitors."

"So who was that cute doctor that wouldn't stop eyeing us?" Sabo asked, his hand rubbing at Kuina's shoulder with massage precision. Zoro would know, Sanji had forced him to frequent that one massage house back then.

"Doctor Law. A fan of my book, and a fan of yours." she replied.

"I hope you only told him flattering stories." Ace said, rubbing her feet. She looked like she was experiencing nirvana. Zoro leaned back, more confident that this had been the right move, despite the involuntary shivering.

"Oh no specifics, just enough to let his mind drive him crazy." She gave an evil glare and Luffy laughed.

"Poor guy…" Luffy spread his arms out, and looked over his shoulder out the back window. "He was kinda cute."

"Please don't clot up with my sister's doctor."

"Please do." Kuina shot back instantly. Zoro gave her a pointed glare.

"Don't fetisize my friends."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with wanting several people to be happy." she crossed her arms.

"You're shipping them."

"So am I." Luffy said from beside him, with a glassy eyed look.

"Luffy, just…" Zoro sighed. He looked around, saw everyone having a good time, and relaxed. He dug in his coat, and felt for the small case there with incense and offerings. Even now the limo headed for where their father's grave rested. Kuina was talking with Luffy, Sabo and Ace were making faces, having an entire conversation silently, and he watched the world go by. Wondering how he was going to explain to her Saga's visits. In fact, how was he going to explain it to any of the four people in the limo? At least Sabo should be happy that he wasn't chasing after Sanji.