A/N: KYAAAAH! Oh my gosh, you guys. Thank you SO much! I had an awesome birthday, my flights were great, the airport wasn't too exhausting, and I'm loving the new place! Real food, real internet, and a real living arrangement! Also, I'm SO EXCITED! If you didn't see, Beyond Kailani posted A Brother's Dilemma, which is the one right before the birthday prompt fic she wrote for me, and I'm beta'ing that one now!
IT'S SO GOOD :D Go read it for your daily dose of ASL feels :3 :3 *pterodactyl screeching*
Thanks again for all the wonderful birthday wishes, reviews, faves, follows, and pokes on tumblr :3 I'm still on a hectic schedule of settling in and adjusting to a 3 hour time difference, but I should be good to reply and get back to updating Kyoudai soon too.
Dedicated to Beyond Kailani, the fabulous beta who makes this story possible. I will finish your super super late birthday fic eventually xD
Edit: omg xD I completely forgot there was a similar table scene in Immortality is What We Leave Behind! (Which is another awesome fic that I love) It was totally unintentional! :3 I recommend that fic as well, and shout out for the similarity! XD and Thank you That Random Guy for reminding me!
Bonds of Sea and Fire
Chapter 11: It Could Have Been Worse
"He's still pissed at me," Sabo explained, giving a wry grin. He was sitting at the bow with Thatch, the two of them enjoying a leisurely afternoon of fishing and lamenting Ace's sour mood.
"I don't see why I'm in trouble too," Thatch pouted, shoulders slumped. "How was I supposed to know there was something in the letter he didn't want seen?"
"That's just how he is," Sabo assured him, reaching over to pat Thatch on the arm.
Despite the fact that it had been several days since Sabo had revealed the contents he'd added to the letter, Ace's mood fluctuated from mildly irritated to so embarrassed he lashed out at everyone. When Sabo had reminded Ace that he was the one who'd initially made the claim, back when they'd been recovering on Dragon's ship, Ace had growled something unintelligible and stalked off to brood.
Luffy was the only one who'd had any sort of success in pulling Ace out of his slump, but the boy was so enthusiastic over being in the first half of the Grand Line that it was causing Ace to tire out earlier than usual while dealing with him.
All three boys were still a little disappointed they'd wound up sleeping through their arrival, especially after Thatch described the process of Reverse Mountain. In what was becoming a pattern, Luffy had just claimed he'd experience it later when he came through with his own crew.
"How long do you think he'll be upset with us?" Thatch asked in a sullen tone.
"Dunno," Sabo grinned. "But he can't stay mad forever. Besides, he's just embarrassed."
"What exactly did you add?" Thatch wondered, shooting Sabo a bewildered look.
"I'd like him to forgive me eventually, so if it's all the same to you, I think I'll keep that to myself," Sabo joked.
"Suit yourself," Thatch said with a shrug. "I'll find out sooner or later if Ace keeps yelling about it, anyway."
Sabo laughed, a carefree sound that had Thatch's mood lifting instantly.
"What's so funny?"
Thatch tilted his head back, grinning goofily when he saw Izo standing behind them, hands on his hips and hair a little disheveled. "Did you just get done wrangling Luffy?"
"Is it that obvious? Wipe that grin off your face or I'll do it for you," Izo griped, moving to sit next to Thatch, though he remained facing inward rather than facing the sea. "He's with Marco now. I have no idea why he likes climbing all over someone while he's talking to them, but I needed a break."
"Where's Ace?" Sabo asked curiously.
"Asleep," Izo reached up and began fixing his hair, expertly balancing on the railing and raising his eyebrow at Sabo. "Be careful not to fall in."
"Thatch already made me promise not to fall," Sabo assured him, absently kicking his feet. Next to him, Thatch crossed one leg over the other and gave his fishing rod a few tugs. "But he also said he'd jump in and get me if he needed to."
"He'd also be the one to have to tell your brothers if you got eaten by a sea king."
Thatch shuddered. "Don't even joke, Izo. I mean sure, the horrifying implication that I let Sabo get eaten by a sea king aside, could you imagine the look Luffy would give me? And if that doesn't kill me, Ace will."
"Exactly," Izo said. "So don't let it happen."
"I don't need a babysitter," Thatch huffed. "I'm perfectly capable of-"
"Ah!" Sabo yelped, causing Thatch to drop his fishing pole and prepare to dive, only to pause as he realized Sabo was still sitting beside him, a look of delight on his face.
"Don't scare me like that!" Thatch complained, reaching up to grip his shirt over his heart.
"Sorry!" Sabo gave him a wide grin, tugging on the fishing rod. "But I hooked something!"
Izo covered his mouth to hide a chuckle, pleased to see how easily Thatch had panicked. The novelty of teasing Marco over his protective instincts was beginning to wear off, and they still had plenty of time before they'd reach home. He needed entertainment somehow.
"The fish out here are probably a lot bigger than what you're used to on Dawn Island," Thatch said, hopping down and looking to Sabo. "Want me to give you a hand?"
"Tch," Sabo smirked - actually smirked - at Thatch, moving one of his legs to brace his foot on the railing. He pushed off of it, landing on deck and tugging on the fishing rod. Both Thatch and Izo watched, obviously impressed, as a tug-of-war began, and Sabo held his own.
"Sabo!" Luffy's delighted cry was the only warning before Thatch had to react on newly honed instincts to catch the projectile boy from whichever part of the ship he'd rocketed from. He slammed into Thatch's waiting hands with an 'oof', then simply dangled in his grip with a bright grin at Sabo. "Are you catching a fish?"
"Going to get gray hairs," Thatch mumbled to Izo, who nodded in sympathy. Luffy would have gone right over the railing if Thatch hadn't caught him.
"I'm working on it," Sabo replied, clenching his jaw in determination and pulling harder. His muscles were still sore on the left side, but he refused to give in and continue taking it easy.
"Luffy, what did I say about rocketing without warning me, yoi?"
"I dunno, something about not doing it, I think," Luffy answered cheekily, grinning. "Sabo's catching a fish!"
Marco came to a stop behind Sabo, placing a hand on his hip and watching the blond struggle. He didn't offer to help, nor did he bat an eye when Thatch tossed Luffy over. He easily caught Luffy by the back of his shirt.
With one last tug, Sabo stumbled backwards, eyes widening when a giant fish came flying out of the water, thrashing and chomping at the air. Before he had to question whether or not it was going to land on them, Thatch was jumping into the air with his sword drawn, slicing faster than his eyes could follow.
The fish landed in several portioned pieces on deck, with the head and tail falling last. At Luffy's excited cheering, Thatch gave a sweeping bow and grinned widely at him. "So, fish for lunch?"
"Yay!" Luffy cheered, half-tackling Sabo's right side the moment Marco set him down. "Sabo, that was awesome!"
Sabo grinned, setting the fishing rod down and reaching out to knock Luffy's hat off so he could tousle his hair. "Thanks, Luffy."
"Was I awesome too?" Thatch asked, grinning hopefully.
"Yeah!" Luffy flailed his arms, letting go of Sabo and turning to look at Thatch. "That was so cool! When I make my crew, I need someone who can do that!"
"You could just stay with us," Thatch teased. "Don't you like us?"
"Oh, I like you all," Luffy claimed with a bright smile. "But I'm going to be the Pirate King, so I have to be the captain. Unless your Oyaji will let me be captain…"
Marco laughed, walking over and patting Thatch on the shoulder. "You tried your best, Thatch. Now quit bugging them about joining us."
Sabo gave an apologetic smile, although the look on his face gave the three older pirates hope that despite Luffy's claims, they'd still be sticking around and considering the offer.
...
"OKASHIRA! OKASHIRA!"
Dadan jolted, snapping the broom cleanly in two at the sound of Dogra's frantic tone. For weeks, every single one of them had been on edge, all awaiting some kind of sign or some word from Ace to see if he'd recovered Luffy. Makino came by twice a week, but past initially breaking the news of Sabo's murder to her, they didn't discuss the boys.
Her teeth clenched on her cigarette, eyes narrowing at the door as Dogra burst in. The others all began to gather as he made his way straight to her, a large envelope clutched in his shaking hands.
"What's that?" Dadan asked, swiping it from him before he could answer. She'd hoped and expected to see to see Ace's messy handwriting, heart swelling in anticipation, but the front of the letter bore no such thing.
She went still, eyes widening at the familiar and impossible handwriting, addressed to 'The Bandits of Mt. Colubo'. Dogra's tone made a lot more sense, because every single one of them had seen the letter that had arrived after Ace had left, and Dadan herself had gazed at it with a bottle in hand more than once.
Her hand shook just slightly as she hurried to open the letter, heart racing faster than ever. She ignored as Magra crowded over one shoulder and Dogra tried to pull himself up to see better, pulling the contents out. There was a neatly folded piece of parchment on top of something that felt glossy, and she barely stopped herself from dropping everything as she shifted the glossy part out to see it better. Her cigarette fell from her mouth, jaw hanging open.
The photograph was high quality, and in the center, hovering several inches above the ground, was Luffy. He wore his straw hat and a few bandages, with obviously healing scrapes covering his arms. He was grinning, pure, unadulterated happiness in his eyes, as if he'd never even known pain. The grin took up more than half his face.
On his right, Ace was smiling as well, though it was more of an embarrassed grin, like he didn't want anyone to be seeing it but he couldn't help himself. He was wrapped multiple times in one of Luffy's stretchy arms, and despite a few visible bruises, he seemed completely healthy.
But it was the boy on Luffy's left that had Dadan's eyes stinging with tears and the others letting out shocked exclamations that were too muted for her to make out over the sound of her own heartbeat.
He was smiling almost as brightly as Luffy, wrapped in the same embrace as Ace and wearing the same style of clothing as his brothers. There were healing burns on his face and a few visible areas on the left side of his collarbone, but despite the scars, he looked perfectly healthy as well.
"IT'S SABO!" Dogra's cry snapped her out of it, and then Dadan was passing the picture to Magra to show the others while she shakily unfolded the letter. It was Sabo's handwriting, although the signatures at the bottom had clearly been made by each boy, with Luffy's being the sloppiest.
Dadan,
We're sorry it took so long to get word to you. We wanted to let you know we're all okay, but we can't come home. We have to set out and find freedom together. Bluejam is dead. Thank you for everything, but especially for giving us a place to call home while it lasted. Don't worry about us. We'll be alright.
Ace
Sabo
Luffy
P.S.
We think of you as our mother. Ace and Luffy don't know I wrote that, so please blame me if that pisses you off. :)
Dadan was silent for several moments, not moving and possibly not even breathing. As Magra came back over to take a look at the letter, she abruptly clutched it to her chest with a plaintive wail, bursting into messy tears.
"THOSE IDIOTS!" she cried. "WHO DO THEY THINK THEY ARE?! IF THEY EVER COME BACK HERE, I'LL KILL THEM! DAMN IT!"
Magra exchanged a bewildered glance with Dogra, both shrugging through their own happy tears, before watching Dadan throw herself to the ground and openly sob.
"ONE OF YOU MORONS GO GET MAKINO!" Dadan shouted, rolling to the nearest wall and hiding herself from their view as much as possible to continue sobbing. "AND STOP STARING AT ME! DAMN IT! THOSE DAMN BRATS!"
...
"Vice Admiral Garp!"
"Ah! It's Garp-san!"
"Everyone, Garp-san is here!"
"Oh thank heavens! Garp-san, have you found Luffy?!"
"Garp-san, has there been any word on the pirate who took Luffy?!"
The older man closed his eyes, clenching his jaw as each plea ended with a new one in its stead. It pained him to open his eyes and look at them, his expression answering better than any words could. He hadn't been able to find any clues to his grandson's whereabouts.
He forced his expression to become confident, promising he, and by association, the navy, wouldn't give up until Luffy was safely home. "Everyone," he said, gently parting the crowd so he could pass. "I need to speak with Makino and the mayor before I continue the search. Rest assured, the pirate who took Luffy will be brought to justice!"
Many of them looked relieved by his words, though a few still appeared nervous.
"Makino-san and the Mayor both went with a bandit," someone spoke up, frowning. "Makino-san said it was okay, but it's still suspicious…"
"I'll take care of it," Garp promised, immediately raising his hand to stay the other marines who had followed him into town and heading past the villagers. He wasn't sure why Dadan would have sent for Makino and Woop Slap, but he guessed it had to do with Ace or Sabo. It took a lot of discipline to stop from grimacing at the thought of what the boys were going through with Luffy gone.
Catching up was simple, even though it appeared Magra, Makino, and Woop Slap were all running. Dadan's house was just coming into view when they noticed him. Makino whirled around, tears in her eyes. "Garp-san!"
"Makino," Garp frowned at her expression. "What-"
"Now now," Magra interrupted, his eyes shining. "The boys are all okay! We got a letter!"
"And apparently a photograph," Woop Slap added, adjusting his glasses anxiously and looking to Garp. "Did you just get here?"
Garp nodded, unable to keep the shock off of his face. "What do you mean, 'the boys'?" he asked. "The message I received said Luffy was-"
"He was," Makino wiped at her eyes, smiling through her tears. "But we sent that message before Ace-kun and Sabo-kun went after him."
Garp's eyes widened. "Ace and Sabo did what?! Where is Dadan?!"
"Now now, Garp-san," Magra held his hands up to placate him. "We didn't want to, but Ace insisted! A lot happened…"
"Sabo and Luffy are both alive, and Ace is okay," Makino whispered, her tears coming faster. "That's all we should care about right now!"
"You two go on ahead," Woop Slap said, turning to Garp. "I'll speak to Garp-san."
Makino nodded, turning and rushing for the door. She was desperate to see the picture Magra had described.
"Garp-san," Woop Slap said once they were alone. "Before you go in there, you should know what happened right before Luffy was kidnapped… and what happened after."
Garp clenched his jaw, but his anger at Dadan subsided with Woop Slap's tone. As much grief as he gave Dadan for the way she was raising the boys, he knew her better than anyone, and it was clear she loved the boys in her own way. He wouldn't take out his anger on her when she'd likely been in as much turmoil, if not more, than he'd been in since receiving Makino's message.
...
"Thatch really likes kids, doesn't he?" Sabo asked, tilting his head to the side.
"It's more that he is a big kid," Izo answered, picking up his cup and taking a sip of tea.
Sabo tilted his head, then turned to watch Thatch and Luffy again. The older pirate was cooking with flourish, making a show of flipping meat and engaging in pointless theatrics to keep Luffy entertained. Luffy was sitting on Thatch's shoulders, holding onto his head and sometimes grabbing him by the pompadour if he thought he was falling.
Thatch, despite how annoying or painful it might have been, seemed to take Luffy's grip in stride, never once complaining or trying to throw him off. Every once in a while, he'd even flip a piece of cooked meat into the air for Luffy to catch in his mouth.
"WOW!" Luffy cried, throwing his arms into the air and wrapping his legs around Thatch's neck to keep his balance. "Thatchy, you're so cool!"
Thatch absolutely preened at the attention, flipping his hair without dislodging his clingy companion and flipping another chunk of meat into Luffy's mouth. He managed to get a chopped vegetable in at the same time. While it seemed Luffy was content to eat only meat as often as possible, Thatch was doing his best to get more nutritious meals into the boy whenever he could. Sometimes that simply meant wrapping vegetables in meat or adding them into any meat dish he prepared.
"I know," Thatch said with confidence, turning to flash his cheeky grin at Izo and Sabo. Izo rolled his eyes, while Sabo grinned brightly, waving to Luffy and eliciting another excited cry from the rubber boy.
"So this is where everyone's been," Ace's voice was agitated, and immediately commanded the attention of everyone in the room. His hair was still mussed from sleep, and the left side of his face was a little red, the line of a table edge indenting his skin. "Why didn't anyone wake me up?"
"To be fair, Luffy tried," Sabo explained. "And you decided you weren't talking to me today, remember?"
Ace opened his mouth, then shut it with a frown. He turned to Luffy and Thatch instead. "Oi, Luffy. Come sit with me."
"Kay," Luffy agreed, getting ready to untangle himself from Thatch's shoulders and missing the sullen look Thatch shot Ace in response.
"Thatch, watch the stove, yoi," Marco commented, coming in behind Ace.
It happened in an instant, too quickly for anyone to predict and something no one realized they needed to prepare for. Thatch turned back to the stove just as the oil began to burn, a sharp flare of heat that had both Luffy and Sabo's eyes widening with fear. Sabo jerked backwards out of his seat with a choked cry, while Luffy violently yanked away and fell off Thatch's shoulders, flailing his limbs and yelping in alarm.
"Luffy! Sabo!" Ace darted forward, not even thinking as he sensed Marco's movement and instinctively trusted him to catch Luffy. He rushed to Sabo, reaching him just in time to stop the blond from slamming into the ground.
Thatch had turned to catch Luffy as well, staring in confusion as the boy trembled in Marco's grip. Luffy's eyes were round and fixated on the fire, his skin alarmingly pale. A quick glance at Sabo showed the older boy was no better, sheer panic in his dark blue eyes.
"Oi, Sabo!" Ace gripped his shoulders, not even trying to be mindful of the tender areas where the burns were still healing. "Sabo!"
"Luffy?" Marco asked, tucking him against his chest and threading his fingers through Luffy's dark hair.
Luffy sucked in a breath, then twisted to look at Marco, his back to Thatch. "M-Mango," he said, eyes welling up with tears. "I-I wasn't scared at all!" he lied, hands curling into fists and clenching Marco's shirt hard enough to strain the fabric.
Ace hissed under his breath and turned to Thatch. "Put the damn fire out, you moron!"
Thatch jumped at Ace's tone, flinching slightly at the furious glare directed his way, before hurrying to smother the flames with the lid from a nearby pot. "It's just a grease fire…"
Sabo shivered, tearing his eyes from the stove and looking to Ace. He was still shaking, hands cold as he reached up to clutch at Ace's hands. "Sorry," he apologized, his voice coming out breathless and small. "Sorry, I-"
"Shut up," Ace ordered firmly, dropping one hand so he could pull Sabo to the door. "Luffy, come on."
Luffy didn't loosen his grip, and since it seemed like he wouldn't be letting go anytime soon, Marco followed Ace from the galley. Once they made it up to the deck, Luffy relaxed a little, leaning his head on Marco's shoulder and enjoying the feeling of his hair being stroked.
"I wasn't scared at all," he repeated, even though there was no real point in him denying it.
"I didn't expect… I mean, I didn't know I'd react that way," Sabo murmured, wringing his hands together to try and bring feeling back into them.
"Luffy, come here," Ace commanded. His tone was uncharacteristically soft, but just stern enough that Luffy didn't think to question him. He tugged Marco's shirt with one hand to signal he wanted to be put down, and the older man obliged immediately, watching the brothers congregate on Ace. Even Sabo, who held himself as Ace's equal, seemed to be gravitating towards Ace for reassurance and possibly protection. It was heartbreaking, and Marco was positive it was only because of the flashbacks he must have been suffering.
"The fire reminded you both, didn't it, yoi?" Marco asked, kneeling down to their level.
Sabo nodded, unable to fully banish the haunted look from his eyes. Ace was incredibly patient in guiding Sabo to sit down on the steps with him, tugging Luffy into his lap and folding the youngest into a tight embrace.
"You're both fine," Ace mumbled, struggling to come up with the right words to help them. "We're all here."
"Yeah," Luffy agreed, his voice still soft. He pushed his head under Ace's chin and wound one arm around his freckled brother, moving the other to wrap around Sabo and carefully pull him close. "Fire can't take my brothers away again."
"Right," Ace frowned, looking over Luffy's shoulder at Marco. Marco met his gaze, silently asking if the freckled boy wanted to handle the situation himself. He was already poised to rise and head back inside. Ace had no idea what compelled him to shake his head, tightening his grip on Luffy, but the moment he realized he had, his cheeks burned and he had to force himself to look away. It was finally starting to sink in that he had automatically trusted Marco to aid Luffy while he'd had his hands full with Sabo.
"I'll make sure Thatch is more considerate from now on, yoi," Marco promised. "He'll probably realize the problem and cook a lot of treats to make up for it."
"Like meat?" Luffy asked hopefully, twisting in Ace's arms.
"Yeah, like meat, yoi," Marco chuckled.
Sabo closed his eyes, leaning his head on Ace's shoulder. "It's stupid, isn't it?" he asked, his voice still quiet and tinged with shame. "Being afraid of a grease fire?"
"Shut up," Ace muttered. "It's not stupid. You were in an explosion. Me and Luffy almost died in a fire. Being scared of fire doesn't make you stupid."
"Yeah," Luffy agreed. No one was sure if he actually knew what he was agreeing to, or if he was only agreeing because it was something Ace was saying.
"You can't expect to get over something like that so quickly, yoi," Marco commented, moving to sit on a lower step rather than remain kneeling nearby. "No one would expect it of you. No one should."
"Will it ever go away?" Sabo asked, dejected.
"Maybe, maybe not," Marco shrugged, which had Ace bristling a little. "It's not something I can answer for you. Maybe it was just this time, maybe it'll get worse. None of us can say for sure, yoi."
Luffy twisted around so he could look at Marco again, his eyes perceptive beyond his years. "Mango?"
"Marco," Marco corrected absently. "What is it?"
"I don't want to be afraid of fire," Luffy told him. "And I don't want Sabo to be afraid of fire. Okay?"
"Okay," Marco agreed, glancing to Ace as the other boy's eyes flashed with determination.
Satisfied, Luffy resumed snuggling Ace and Sabo to the best of his ability, rambling about the kinds of treats he hoped Thatch would make them. Sabo made an offhand comment about making sure they let Thatch know it wasn't his fault, but otherwise remained quiet. Eventually, even Luffy relaxed and quieted down, until the four of them simply sat there in silence, listening to waves rocking against their ship and seagulls flying overhead.
...
Dadan and Makino were both composed when he came into the room, although it didn't look like Makino would be able to stop happy tears from escaping any time soon. She was wiping at her eyes and laughing with the older woman over a picture - the picture Garp knew from Magra's accounts to be of his three wayward grandsons - and a bottle of sake.
Dadan was red-faced and clearly struggling to maintain a calm air, especially when she caught sight of Garp. It looked as though she had a crumpled piece of parchment sticking out the side of her shirt, but there was no way Garp would go grabbing for it. The letter wasn't as important as the picture, and Magra had already indicated it was likely something sappy directed at the resident foster mother.
Garp took a seat in front of the two women, landing hard and causing the entire house to shake. He didn't reach for the sake or anything to eat, just looking to Dadan.
"I'm not gonna apologize," Dadan muttered, her voice gruff with false bravado and evidence of crying. "So if you're gonna be pissed at me, just get it over with."
"Tch," Garp shook his head. "The Mayor and Magra already told me everything. Let me see that."
Makino reached out to pick up the photograph, handing it to Garp with a kind smile. The tension in his shoulders eased at the sight of all three boys, apparently safe and sound, but he couldn't make out any landmarker to help him discern their location.
"They look so happy, don't they?" Makino asked, looking to Garp with a warm smile.
"You gonna bring the brats home?" Dadan asked, taking a swig of her drink.
Garp snorted again, examining the picture and taking in the expressions on his grandsons' faces. "That's the plan," he answered gruffly, knowing full well he didn't have the time to go chasing after them.
"I won't hold my breath," Dadan muttered. "Be nice to have peace and quiet around here." She set the bottle down and fixed Garp with a steely look, unlike any gaze she'd ever directed his way. Garp met her evenly, but even he understood he was staring down a mother and no amount of threats or menacing scowls would make her yield. "Oi, Garp."
When he continued to hold her gaze, she took a cigarette from her pocket and brought it to her lips, lighting it without letting herself break eye contact. "Remember I'm the one who lost Luffy and let Ace go after him. Don't you be taking it out on my brats, ya got it?"
He was barely able to keep the surprise from his eyes at both the admission of guilt and the threatening tone as she claimed the boys as her own. Garp may have been able to discern her attachment to the trio, but he'd never expected her to go around admitting to it out loud, especially not in front of everyone.
"Hmph," he closed his eyes and handed the picture back to Makino, then grabbed the bottle away from Dadan and chugged it in one gulp.
"What the hell?!" Dadan demanded, making a grab for it, only to wind up with an empty bottle and a sharp smack to the head as Garp stood.
"That's for losing the boys!" Garp snorted, tossing the bottle away and turning. "Consider yourself lucky you didn't get them killed!"
Makino pat Dadan's shoulder sympathetically, watching the older woman nurse the fresh lump and scowl after Garp's retreating form.
"It could have been worse," Dogra pointed out, still too happy to bother being alarmed by what he'd just seen. "At least your boys are safe, right?"
His intent had been to help Dadan relax and maybe soothe her pride, but the reminder that she'd called them her boys out loud, in front of everyone but especially Garp, had Dadan rolling back into the corner and shouting at the onlookers to shut their mouths.
Makino simply hid a smile and a laugh behind her hand, pressing the picture to her chest and happily closing her eyes as Woop Slap finally came over to join them.
...
With a sigh, Izo plopped into the chair with less grace than usual, crossing one leg over the other. His dark brown eyes narrowed when Thatch didn't even twitch, let alone lift his face from the table he was currently trying to fuse with or sink through. Izo wasn't sure which one.
"How long are you going to mope like this?" Izo asked after a few moments. "You didn't even make dessert for the rest of us."
Thatch's hand twitched, but he didn't move from the table.
Izo sighed again, louder this time. He waited a few more minutes, then pushed himself up and headed to the stove. "I'm going to cook something."
A feeble "don't" escaped from the vicinity of the table, but Izo ignored it, grabbing a pan and turning on the stove. He frowned for a moment, thinking of the usual treats Thatch made when he was showing off, then located a bar of unsweetened chocolate and dropped it in the pan.
"This is how I melt chocolate, right?" Izo asked. "Is it supposed to bubble?"
"nng…"
"Oh, I'm sorry, are you in pain?" Izo mocked. "When do I add milk? I'm making pudding. I think."
"Izo, why?" Thatch was up and out of his chair in an instant, firmly scooting Izo aside and taking the pan off the heat. "You can't put chocolate on direct heat like that, it'll burn! You have to use a pot of water to-"
"I don't care," Izo interrupted, grabbing Thatch's wrist and forcing him to turn. "Look at me."
Thatch met his gaze, then slumped, setting the pan on another burner and turning the stove back off.
"They'll get over it," Izo continued, slowly releasing his arm. "They're not upset with you, and you'll be careful from now on."
"I traumatized two out of three," Thatch moaned, slumping on the counter.
"Yes, and you cooked a ridiculous feast to placate them, tripped over yourself with apologies until Luffy had to tell you to stop apologizing, and then attempted to become one with a table."
"The table understands me," Thatch retorted.
"Could you be more childish?" Izo sighed. "You need to get a grip. May I remind you that we want them to come home with us? Become pirates under Oyaji's flag? They'll have to toughen up if they're going to make it."
"That doesn't mean I have to act like nothing's wrong when I screw up," Thatch argued.
"It doesn't mean you mope around and punish yourself needlessly, either," Izo crossed his arms over his chest. "Oyaji isn't just going to look at the boys to decide if they should stay with us. He's going to see how we act. How you act."
Thatch's shoulders slumped. "I know. You're right. You usually are-"
"Always," Izo corrected.
"-so let me get it out of my system now while we're alone," Thatch continued. He lifted his head to look at Izo, resembling a kicked puppy and making Izo's resolve falter.
"Well, they calmed down," Izo murmured. "And they warmed up to Marco some more."
"He really is a sucker for kids, isn't he?" Thatch managed a grin. The light was back in his eyes, his hands absently moving to pull out a double-boiler and sugar. "I was worried. He didn't seem happy when Haruta joined us."
"Marco's never happy at first though," Izo pointed out.
"He was when I joined," Thatch murmured wistfully.
Izo was silent for several moments, watching Thatch whip up a batch of chocolate pudding - or mousse, he wasn't sure - like it was nothing. Sometimes, he forgot there was a time when Whitebeard's forces weren't known across the world, when his only companion had been Marco. No one was sure of Marco's official age, or exactly how the aging process worked with his fruit. Thatch had been young when he'd joined - by his own accounts, a rowdy scoundrel with irresistible charm - and Marco's appearance hadn't changed since.
They didn't talk about it often, simply accepting given information without prying unless alcohol was involved, but it was no secret that Marco had become guarded over the years.
"Well, in any case, are you going to keep moping in front of the kids?" Izo asked, sensing Thatch wasn't in the mood to walk down memory lane with him.
"No," Thatch rolled his shoulders. "I'll stop apologizing. Kick me if you notice me slipping."
"Oh, I will," Izo promised with a wicked glint in his eyes.
"Lightly. Lightly kick me," Thatch corrected with a wary sideways glance.
"No promises, brother. No promises."
...
Haruta jerked awake with a sharp gasp, immediately looking around. They'd been preparing to leave while he'd been sulking, but the last thing he remembered was squishing Vista's top hat as a pillow to watch the water.
He knew they'd said they wouldn't leave without him, and he knew he could trust their word, even if he hadn't been with them very long, but the immediate response to realizing he'd fallen asleep and could have easily been left behind without any messy goodbyes had him panicking.
He was barely ten seconds into his panic before he heard familiar laughter, a unique mix of rumbling and affection that soothed his nerves.
"You look worried, my son," Whitebeard's voice was closer than usual, and with a burning feeling in his cheeks, Haruta twisted to look up at the man they called father.
He tried his hardest not to look petulant or show his surprise, but it was likely Whitebeard saw right through him. He always seemed to know when something was troubling one of his sons. Instead, Haruta quickly looked away, taking in the surroundings. It was noisy on deck, but not nearly as noisy as it would have been if Thatch had come home. He was seated on Whitebeard's leg, apparently sleeping in his lap the way a child might, and the shiny coating of the bubble around their ship told him they were underwater.
"I was asleep," Haruta mumbled, pushing a hand through his unruly hair. "I didn't even know we left."
"Vista brought you here," Whitebeard nodded, reaching one of his large hands to place on Haruta's shoulder. It covered his entire back and made Haruta feel smaller than normal, but it wasn't a bad feeling. Even when he wanted to appear strong and independant, nothing would ever make the fatherly gestures unwelcome. "You looked troubled then too."
Haruta's cheeks burned even more at that observation, and his shoulders sagged under the weight of Whitebeard's hand. "Oyaji… is it my fault we're going back to Paradise?"
The laugh came again after a mere moment of silence, which had Haruta relaxing further. He wasn't offended at all, knowing Whitebeard would never laugh at him when it had obviously been weighing on his mind for some time.
"I just don't want to be holding everyone back," Haruta continued in a rushed voice, fidgeting. "I promised I wouldn't be a burden if you let me join, but I'm the only one who got hurt, and now all of the sudden we're leaving the New World…"
"Haruta," Whitebeard's voice was gentle and understanding, perhaps even a little amused. "You shouldn't be worrying yourself with something like this. It's true that you are my youngest son-"
"I hate being the youngest," Haruta huffed.
"-but this decision isn't meant to coddle or belittle you," Whitebeard continued with a gruff chuckle at Haruta's expression. "I've been thinking about it for some time."
"Are we really staying for a couple years? I heard Fossa saying something about it being a couple years," Haruta mumbled, ducking his head. "Vista said he'd increase my lessons too."
"We'll see," Whitebeard chuckled. "More than a few of my sons have been restless these days. Restless and rash."
"Not me, right?" Haruta tilted his head to look up, cheeks burning when Whitebeard laughed again and gently pat him on the back.
Deep down, he knew getting injured hadn't entirely been his fault. If anything, it had been a combination of his arrogance and Jozu's carelessness, though the only one who would have scolded him over it would have been Marco.
Still, any other fighter on the flagship would have known to dodge, would have used one of the enemy pirates as a shield, something to stop from being hit by rebounded shrapnel. It had stunned him just enough to allow his enemy an opening, and if not for Namur's intervention, he wouldn't have walked away with just inconvenient gashes and bruising. He would have lost his arm and likely his head. He'd already been assured multiple times that Jozu had been showing off and hadn't needed to use his powers, and that everyone made mistakes, but he still felt like he should have done better, if only to prove that he wasn't a liability as the youngest.
He hated being the youngest, but after nearly losing his life and waking up to a room full of worried brothers and an announcement that they were heading back to Paradise, he doubted Whitebeard would take in anyone his age for a long time.
"Ya know," Haruta mumbled, making himself comfortable and leaning into Whitebeard's hand. It wasn't often he actually acted younger around his father, but he could always use the excuse of his injuries to milk the affection. "I took out like, five of those guys before I got hit."
Whitebeard laughed again, and Haruta was positive he wasn't imagining the note of pride in his voice.
...
As the third shooting star streaked across the dark sky, Sabo found himself contemplating waking his brothers for the fourth time that night. It was chilly outside, but they'd gotten more clothes at the most recent stop, preparing for scorching heat and unexpected winter. When Sabo had asked about the variety of clothes, Marco had chuckled something under his breath about the Grand Line, and Thatch had promised they'd get used to it.
He looked to the front of his pajamas, absently playing with the embroidery work. Izo constantly complained about being bored, and filled his spare time with embroidering Whitebeard's mark on all their shirts or jackets. Sabo found he didn't mind it. Even if they hadn't met Whitebeard or officially accepted the offer - one Whitebeard himself had yet to extend - it still gave him a sense of belonging. Ace griped about it more often than not, but Luffy seemed to enjoy it as long as Izo made his red.
"If you unravel my hard work, I won't be happy."
Sabo jumped, then laughed nervously and turned to greet his unexpected company, smiling. "Sorry. I couldn't sleep."
"Are you cold?" Izo motioned for him to follow, which Sabo did without complaint. "The view is better over here, and we have shelter from the wind," he explained at the change of location.
"Not really. The cold air feels better on my burns anyway," Sabo answered. "How come you're awake?"
"I'm restless," Izo said. "This is a small boat compared to home. Much too quiet, and much too peaceful. That sounds strange, doesn't it?"
"Not at all," Sabo chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Back home, before we moved out, it was always loud and crowded with the bandits. Sometimes, I miss the chaos." He tilted his head to the side. "Ne, Izo?"
"Hm?"
"What are your brothers like? The rest of them, I mean."
Izo chuckled behind one hand, then shook his head. "I don't think there are enough words to do them justice. It would be like trying to tell you Thatch is an idiot and a cook, or that Marco is too serious and has a pineapple head."
"I see," Sabo grinned. "Well, what about Haruta? I've heard that name a lot."
"That's easier," Izo relented. "Haruta's fourteen, just three years older than you and Ace. He joined us about a year ago."
"A year ago?" Sabo echoed.
"We all thought he was too young, but he was tenacious and promised he'd never need to be protected in a fight. He uses a sword," Izo grinned. "He's also a troublemaker, and constantly getting into mischief alongside Thatch. I think you brothers would get along with him easily."
"He wouldn't think we're weak?"
"I think he'd be thrilled not to be the youngest around. Besides, if you and Ace fight with pipes, you could spar with him," Izo pointed out.
"I never thought about a new weapon," Sabo admitted. "We used pipes back on the mountain because it was convenient. I wonder if I'd be better with a sword."
"I don't think swordfighting suits you."
"You're probably right. Luffy's not good with a pipe, though. He relies more on his devil fruit ability and punching."
Izo tilted his head to the side. "I'm guess he lacks restraint, and control."
"Is it that obvious?" Sabo grinned wryly, turning his gaze to the stars again. "Hey… is Thatch okay? He's been jumpy the past few days."
"He still feels guilty about the fire incident from the other day," Izo answered. "Which reminds me, are you doing alright?"
Sabo quieted, but there was no trace of unease in his expression or posture. "I wasn't expecting it, but I'll be okay. Thanks, Izo."
Izo reached out to tousle his hair, grinning. The moment was cut short by the sound of the door leading below deck being opened and a sleepy Luffy stumbling out with a blanket dragging behind him.
"Sabo?" Luffy called.
"Keep your voice down," Ace reprimanded in a hushed tone.
Sabo gave a wide smile. Izo chuckled and bid a silent farewell, making his way out of sight without alerting the other boys to his presence.
"Over here," Sabo called. "Sorry, I didn't want to wake you."
Luffy was at his side before he even finished speaking, winding rubber arms around his waist and pressing into his right side. Ace was there a moment later, looking slightly less exhausted and rubbing at his eyes.
"Did you have another nightmare?" Luffy questioned, trying to wrap the blanket around them both.
Ace took it from him and draped it over Sabo's shoulders, catching Luffy in it too.
"No, I just couldn't sleep," Sabo promised, tucking Luffy close. "I came out to watch the stars. You can't get a view like this in High Town."
"Better than the view from the mountain, too," Ace admitted, settling in on Sabo's left.
"Did you make a wish?" Luffy asked. "Shanks said you have to make a wish if you see shooting stars."
"I didn't," Sabo answered with a smile. "I don't have anything left to wish for."
"Don't be sappy," Ace teased.
"I like sappy," Luffy decided. "It sounds tasty."
Ace and Sabo exchanged a glance, then laughed, ushering Luffy back to the door so they could get him back in bed before he started asking for food. The last time they'd waited too long and Luffy had eaten an entire bowl of chocolate pudding out of the refrigerator. The resulting sugar rush had led to a sleepless night for the entire boat.
Oddly enough, Marco and Izo had both blamed Thatch for it.
...
A/N: We're getting close to the trio meeting Whitebeard! I'm sooooo excited!
Friendly reader: Thank you so much! *flail* You are adorable, and hopefully I will have some good luck and be able to keep updating asap :D
That Random Guy: I usually don't announce the new chapter on tumblr unless it's special or I said I wouldn't get it done on time lol! But I'm glad! (And Kailani-chan told me what you said on the review for Dilemma. You're too sweet! Absolutely right about her though lol!)
ghosst: Thankies! Hopefully the uhaul gets here soon with the rest of my stuff and the spiders don't invade my personal space or hair while we're moving it into storage :X
See ya guys next week! (I won't be replying to reviews very much within the story since long A/Ns can be a pain and I don't like jacking up the word count, but trust that if you did leave a guest/unrepliable review, I saw it, I love you, and you made me so happy!)
~Mithril