A/N: I have the plague. I have like ten plagues. I'm so sorry D: But everyone has been very kind to me, and the reviews/messages have been absolutely lovely. (I know I didn't reply to everyone; I'll try to get to that as soon as my medicine kicks in)
Major huge absolute thanks to Beyond Kailani for her short-term notice beta'ing. Seriously guys, this story wouldn't be a Thing without her. I cannot express how much I appreciate her. As always, dedicated to her, and a huge congrats to her for her real life adventure! I am such a proud big sis :3
Thank you so much everyone for the reviews and messages. It means so much to me. I'm always happy to know people are enjoying reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. You guys keep me going, and you're amazing.
Bonds of Sea and Fire
Chapter 17: My Little Brother
"Why are you all the way over here?"
Ace nearly jumped out of his skin, tearing his eyes from the sea to look at Sabo. "What?"
"I said, why are you all the way over here?" Sabo repeated, a curious expression on his face.
It took Ace a moment to process the question before he looked to the larger crowd on deck. Luffy was sitting on Whitebeard's knee, telling a story. He waved his arms almost frantically, a move Ace recognized as Luffy trying to depict the size of something bigger than himself.
If he were being completely honest, he'd simply tell Sabo that he hadn't even realized he'd wandered off. Instead, he shrugged. "I've heard this story," he lied.
"Sure, since ya know, we were there," Sabo pointed out. "Ace, you just got up and left. You ignored Haruta asking where you were going. No one wanted to bother you."
"So why are you bothering me?" Ace snapped. His expression immediately faltered when Sabo took a step back. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just needed some space is all."
"Alright," Sabo murmured. He hesitated before leaving, but ultimately decided to leave Ace alone.
As soon as Sabo had rejoined the group, Ace turned away again. He could hear Luffy now, and a slight smile touched his lips when he realized exactly what story Luffy was telling. It had been fairly recent. They'd been hunting, stubbornly separate - another attempt to prove something to each other or themselves - and Luffy had managed to take down a tiger on his own. Sure, he'd come out of it looking banged up and bloody, but the important part was that he'd defeated it on his own. They'd taken Luffy and his quarry back to Dadan, the two of them brimming with pride and grinning like idiots while Dadan freaked out about the amount of blood on Luffy's face.
It had been his first hunt where he hadn't needed any help or lost his prey to a bigger predator, and he'd grinned from ear-to-ear all night, even after Dadan scrubbed his face clean and Magra patched him up with more bandages than strictly necessary. The memory of that day had Ace's expression softening, a warm feeling settling in his stomach.
The forest may not have been as fancy as the Moby Dick, but it had been home, and Ace had felt secure there - at least he had until Sabo had been taken away. He wasn't ready to think of the Moby Dick as home, not when the only people he truly knew he could trust were his brothers.
Even then…
He dared another glance to the group, watching them fawn over Luffy and the younger boy soak up the attention like a happy rubber sponge. His gut twisted sharply as he watched Sabo laugh along with something Haruta had said, and he had to turn away before anyone noticed the look on his face.
It was painfully obvious that his brothers had been accepted, that they were comfortable - that they liked this new prospective home. Marco's words from before haunted him. Mocked him.
Ace was the deciding factor. Sabo and Luffy would happily stay, but everyone knew if Ace wanted to leave, they'd leave. Whether they liked it or not.
If that were true, he could say the word and they'd leave as soon as the Moby Dick docked somewhere safe. Maybe they wouldn't mind as much given time - or maybe they'd never stop resenting him for it. Part of him was happy they'd show him so much loyalty.
The other part - the darker part - was afraid that wouldn't be the case. What if he told them he didn't want to stay and they realized they liked their lives with the Whitebeard Pirates more? It was easy to make promises in a secluded forest, and even though Ace knew, knew his brothers cared for him, he couldn't shake that fear. It was a part of himself that he couldn't explain - a part of himself he'd always hated.
Even after the story finished, after Luffy came barreling into his side like he hadn't seen him in months and nearly knocked him over the railing, he couldn't shake the awful feeling that Luffy could slip right out of his grasp if he wasn't careful enough. Ace could sense Sabo studying him, trying to figure out why his expression was so much softer than usual while he hugged Luffy to his chest.
He didn't hear a word Luffy said. The rubbery grip around his torso wiggled as Luffy got more and more animated, but the story didn't matter to Ace. All he could think about were the words Luffy had spoken after they'd saved him from Porchemy. If he didn't follow Ace, he'd be all alone, and being alone was worse than being hurt. He didn't have anyone else.
That wasn't the case anymore. There were plenty of people willing to spend time with Luffy, even spar with him, and if Ace pushed Luffy away, he wouldn't necessarily keep coming back.
You're brothers now, idiot. Your bond can't be broken, remember? Stop it, he swore inwardly, tightening his grip.
They want to be his brothers, too. You're not special just because you drank sake with him. You're not special at all. The only thing that makes you special is your father-
He silenced the voice in his head with a sharp flinch, then faked a grin when both Sabo and Luffy seemed to notice his discomfort. "Let's go get something to eat."
"Yay! Food!" Luffy perked right back up, and after a few moments of uncertainty, Sabo nodded as well.
"You feeling alright?" Sabo asked as Ace untangled Luffy enough to walk without falling all over each other. Sabo's eyes flickered to Ace's arm, which was still wrapped tightly around Luffy's shoulders.
"Yeah, just tired," Ace lied with a simple shrug. "Luffy kept kicking me last night, so I didn't sleep very well."
"Did not," Luffy protested. "It musta been Sabo."
"I assure you, I did not kick Ace last night," Sabo huffed.
"Had to be," Luffy argued. "I didn't kick Ace."
"How could Sabo kick me from the other side of the bed?" Ace challenged.
"It's a mystery," Luffy answered automatically, which had Ace and Sabo exchanging wry grins.
"Hey guys," Haruta came over, bumping shoulders with Sabo and falling into step alongside them. He'd hung back to chat with Whitebeard after Luffy had finished his story, but with the trio heading inside, he'd clearly decided he should join them. "Whatcha doing?"
"Going to get food," Luffy chirped, waving at Haruta. "Wanna come?"
"I'm supposed to get back to lessons with Vista," Haruta said. "He's still pretty ticked off about the sunglasses incident. I think he's taking it out on me."
"Sorry," Sabo grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Mind if I come watch? I'm not actually that hungry."
"I don't mind," Haruta answered. "Ace, Luffy, wanna come when you're done getting a snack?"
Ace struggled to maintain a neutral face. It wasn't Haruta's fault - logically, he knew that, but the offer still grated on his nerves. "I guess. We might be a while, though."
"I want food," Luffy added, bouncing and almost dislodging Ace's arm. He snuggled closer when Ace tightened his grip.
"Well, if you don't come find us, we can always come find you," Haruta offered. "Hey Sabo, wanna try using a sword? Vista could show you a few things."
"And give him an excuse to swing a weapon at me while he still has red marks on his face? I dunno," Sabo's wary voice faded as the two headed off. Ace didn't even hear Haruta's response, though he watched as the laughing forms retreated out of sight.
"Meat, meat, meat," Luffy chanted in a singsong voice.
Ace's eyes flickered back to the hyper boy at his side and instinct took over before he could think about the ramifications of his actions. He pulled Luffy to the side in the hall and glanced around, then knelt down when he was sure the coast was clear. "Luffy, listen to me."
"Eh? What about the meat?" Luffy asked, blinking up at him with wide, owlish eyes.
"We'll go get the meat in a second," Ace promised. "I need to talk to you about something serious."
"Well, hurry up," Luffy prodded, nudging at him. "I want to go get the meat."
"Okay," Ace put both of his hands on Luffy's shoulders, looking him in the eye. "Listen very carefully."
...
Sabo wiped the sweat from his brow, a sheepish and somewhat proud grin on his face. What had started as a few practice swings while Vista coached Haruta had escalated to a full on match between the two trainees. It had been difficult to adjust for the weight of a real sword after they'd broken their first set of practice swords, but he'd managed to block most of Haruta's swings. Vista had promised things wouldn't get out of hand as he'd given them sharpened blades despite many protests, and he'd upheld that promise. Sure, both boys had their fair share of knicks and cuts, but when Haruta had caught Sabo off guard and nearly sliced into his shoulder on the left side, Vista had appeared to block the strike.
Ultimately, Vista had ruled Sabo promising, but not fit for exclusive swordplay. Sabo had eagerly accepted an offer to take up lessons on Haruta's off days on the grounds that any fighting skills would help him improve overall.
"So you and Ace only used pipes back in Goa?" Haruta asked, grabbing a towel to wipe the sweat from his face.
"For the most part," Sabo answered. "I've used knives and even planks of wood before too. We kinda scrounged around the Gray Terminal for whatever worked until we settled on pipes. They're more reliable."
"For fighting thugs, maybe," Vista huffed. "We'll find a weapon more suited to your style."
"We could just get him a pipe specifically for fighting," Haruta offered. "Something stronger than the ones Fossa supplied."
"How barbaric," Vista commented.
"I'm okay with barbaric," Sabo cut in, grinning. "I just don't want to use pistols or anything like that."
"Fair play. Now go on, you two have had enough excitement for today," Vista griped. "Leave before I change my mind. These red marks on my face aren't going away any time soon."
"Yes sir," both boys chorused in unison, taking off before Vista had a chance to change his mind. Thatch had been moping around all week since Vista had taken his revenge, and neither boy particularly wanted their hair chopped off.
They came to a stop inside the galley, both snickering and winding down from the adrenaline - even if Vista claimed he wouldn't pursue them, the thought that he might be right behind them had fueled their flight. When Sabo finally collected his wits and looked around, his smile faded. There was still considerable time before dinner, but Ace and Luffy had never joined them in the training room.
They should have been in the galley, Luffy stuffing his face while Ace boredly waited for him to finish.
"Where are they?" Haruta asked.
"I dunno… this place is practically empty," Sabo commented, frowning. "Except Thatch."
Haruta followed Sabo's gaze to the serving area, where Thatch was slumped over the counter, face pressed into the shiny surface. His short hair was unruly and disheveled - Izo really had done his best to fix the damage after Vista had crudely severed the pompadour, but it wasn't the same.
"Hey Thatch," Haruta called, heading over. "You becoming one with the counter or can you talk?"
"This counter is my only friend," Thatch moaned. "This counter loves me for who I am."
"Sure. Were Ace and Luffy here?" Sabo asked, giving him a consoling pat on the head.
"Left a while ago. Ate all the meat. Luffy promised I'm still pretty."
Haruta sighed, adding to the consoling patting. "You're still pretty, Thatch. Izo fixed your hair, didn't he?"
"Izo made it presentable," Thatch whined. "He said I looked like a buffoon."
"It'll grow back," Sabo tried offering his condolences. They'd been through the same song and dance multiple times over the past two weeks, but nothing seemed to drag Thatch out of his depression. Marco had told them Thatch would eventually snap out of it - implying this wasn't the first time such an event had happened - but it was still a bit disconcerting to see him so listless.
"Ace took Luffy to go climb the mast," Thatch supplied, not even bothering to lift his head.
"Thanks," Haruta said before looking to Sabo. "Climb the mast?" he echoed.
"That has to have been Luffy's idea," Sabo surmised, a frown marring his features. "It bothers me that Ace not only went along with it, but took him to go do it without coming to tell me."
"Is it that big a deal?" Haruta asked.
"Maybe," Sabo mumbled, turning to look at him. "It might be nothing…"
"But no one knows Ace as well as you do, and you look worried," Haruta stated bluntly. "So…?"
"So it's just not like him. Something's been off with him for days. I probably shouldn't talk about it, though. He'll think I'm talking behind his back or something," Sabo sighed.
"Ace is a good kid," Thatch mumbled, face still very much embedded in the counter. "He'll come around eventually, won't he?"
Sabo sighed again, giving Thatch one more pat on the head before he and Haruta left him to his own devices. Neither one spoke as they made their way to the deck.
...
Ace opened his eyes through a groggy haze, blinking into awareness at the sound of a seagull trilling in his ear. It took him a moment to remember where he was and what he was doing there, but the protesting mumble of a sleepy Luffy stopped him from trying to do more than sit up.
They were in the highest of the crow's nests, and the warmth they'd fallen asleep under was retreating with the sun as evening descended on them. It had only been midday when they'd started their climb; had they really been asleep for that long?
"Ace," Luffy mumbled again, a whiny timbre in his voice that had Ace sighing and leaning back against the wood so Luffy could get comfortable again. Luffy's arms were loosely wound around his torso, and his own arm was draped over Luffy's back.
He recalled his grip being tighter when they'd initially fallen asleep.
A sigh escaped. He knew Sabo would probably be irritated with him for taking off with Luffy, but he needed space. He was just so tired of having Haruta around all the time. He was tired of hearing about Thatch's ideas of pranks, tired of hearing about Izo's prowess with sewing and plans for new clothes once they docked. He was tired of Sabo telling him 'interesting' facts he'd learned about Namur, or odd things Blenheim said while trying to censor himself in front of Luffy.
He was just… tired.
It had only been three weeks - and unlike the time they'd spent searching for Luffy - it felt like barely any time at all had passed. Ace still didn't feel comfortable around the majority of the pirates he'd met, and he'd only faked what little comfort level he could around members like Haruta, Bay, or Vista because Sabo had wanted him to try. While Sabo and Luffy spent their time getting into mischief with Haruta or easily mingling with any curious crewmembers who came their way, Ace had hung back in the shadows, only participating when they dragged him into it.
He'd still only spoken maybe two sentences to Whitebeard himself.
The worst feeling was knowing he trusted three of them, but that it would never be enough. In order to truly call the Moby Dick 'home', he would have to trust every single member of the crew, and he didn't think it would ever happen.
He couldn't stop the guilt that came with that thought. It might not have shown - or maybe it had - but the day Marco had taken him to the infirmary and spoken to him about his character and how Marco perceived him… it had meant a lot to him. If there was anyone in the crew he didn't want to disappoint, whether it be by his actions, choices, or even his fighting ability, it was Marco.
Ace shoved all thoughts of Marco from his mind. He was in no mood to think about what he'd do if Marco found out what he'd told Luffy that afternoon.
"Hey, Luffy," Ace murmured, looking down at the worn straw atop his little brother's head. "You're not just following me because there's no one else, right? If I want to leave… you'll come along, right?" He heaved another sigh, closing his eyes. He only intended to keep them closed for a few moments, but the soothing sounds of the seagulls overhead and the soft thud of Luffy's heartbeat had him dozing back off before he could stop himself.
...
"Do you have any plans to stop your incessant heckling?"
Bay's grin widened. She sauntered a little closer and poked him in the chest, though she had to go on her tiptoes to do it. "Heckling? How am I heckling? Because I finally have something to tease my big, strong brothers about? Aw, Muscle-man, are you blushing?"
Kingdew sighed. "No. I am not blushing, Bay."
"Kingdew's blushing?" Haruta asked, approaching with Sabo.
Bay turned, flashing the boys a grin. "Yep. I'm so tired of the boys giving me crap. They think they can tease my maternal instincts, but newsflash, I don't have any."
"Your maternal instincts?" Sabo echoed. Realization dawned on his face as he looked to the mast, which Kingdew was standing in front of. "Are Ace and Luffy up there?"
"Mmhmm," Bay said with a nod. "But see, we have the Muscle-man here who stood by under strict orders from Birdy-boy in case they fell, even though we all know Marco would catch them faster. You have Sparkles-"
"She means Jozu," Haruta supplied for Sabo.
"-pretending he's not watching even though he's been sitting in the same spot so long the seagulls are trying to roost on that oddly-shaped head of his, and then if you look hard enough, you might spot the elusive mother hen himself, straying from his quarters where he said he'd be doing paperwork while Kingdew babysat," Bay finished. She jerked her thumb in the direction of one of the other crow's nests. "Marco's up there."
"If Luffy falls, he will bounce," Kingdew explained. "Ace will not."
"So this is what the Commanders do when we're taking a break from the New World," Bay chuckled, shaking her head.
Sabo couldn't explain the warm feeling spreading through him at their interaction. It may have seemed like needless worrying - because Sabo had no intention of telling them right then that a possible fall from the crow's nest was probably one of the safest situations they'd dealt with - but it showed how much they'd already come to care for the trio. Specifically, for Ace. For all his aloof encounters and keeping his distance, Sabo knew from experience that it was impossible to remain indifferent to Ace's presence.
"Bay's right. You guys are acting pretty pathetic," Haruta chimed in with a teasing smirk.
"I'll go check on them," Sabo spoke up before Kingdew could reprimand Haruta. "If we don't come down right away, don't send help. We won't miss dinner."
"You sure?" Haruta's smirk slipped a little. "I could come too."
"Don't crowd them, kiddo," Bay said, reaching out to tousle Haruta's hair and earning a scowl for her trouble.
"It is not very safe," Kingdew started, but Sabo was already stretching.
"Don't worry, I've fallen from higher than that before," Sabo explained. He couldn't help but enjoy the look of dismay on all of their faces. "Ace has too. We'll be fine." He didn't bother waiting to hear a lecture on safety precautions or any of their concerns as he began to scale the mast. While touching, it was still unnecessary, and he wanted to make sure that once the crew looked past the novelty of their ages, they'd see that the brothers were actually quite tough.
The familiar sensation of climbing, even if the wood was polished and maintained unlike the rough trees from the Goa Kingdom, had Sabo grinning with delight. The callouses on his hands had softened from his lack of rough activity and using his pipe. While a little painful, he was still able to find purchase where there were no ropes or footholds, and the light sting he began to feel was oddly comforting. It was reminiscent of the carefree days in the forest and the fact that no noble would purposely treat their hands so roughly, which put an automatic smile on his face.
In what felt like no time at all, Sabo reached the crow's nest and hauled himself over the polished wood, landing deftly next to the prone forms of his raven-haired brothers. There was no panic or worry in his gaze - instead he shook his head and grinned ruefully, berating himself for not guessing that they might have fallen asleep.
"Oi," he knelt, placing a hand on Ace's shoulder and giving it a firm shake. "Not planning to sleep in a bed like a person?" he teased.
"Nng," Ace groaned, batting at his hand and childishly hiding his face in Luffy's hair.
"Luffy, dinner soon," Sabo tried.
Luffy remained draped over Ace like a sack of potatoes for a few moments longer before suddenly jerking awake, eyes wide and drool already escaping. "Food?!"
"Ugh," Ace coughed and shoved Luffy off of him, wheezing a little from the force Luffy had used to push himself up. "Is it that late already?"
"You guys slept half the day away up here," Sabo admonished, though his words held no real bite to them. "Felt like having an adventure?"
"It was Luffy's idea," Ace muttered defensively.
"And he twisted your arm?" Sabo joked.
"I did not," Luffy protested, grabbing onto Sabo's arm to pull himself up. "Ace was the one who asked me if I wanted to do something fun!"
"Alright, alright," Ace griped, trying to ignore Sabo's stunned look. "It was my idea to go do something, just the two of us. He's the one who chose climbing the mast. I figured you'd get busy with training anyway."
"What if I wanted to climb the mast too?" Sabo asked.
"Well, you did," Ace retorted. He pulled himself up and motioned for Sabo to join him, which the blond did after a moment of hesitation. "Look at this view."
Sabo's breath caught. In his haste to check on his brothers, he hadn't exactly taken a leisurely look around. It was their first time being in the top crow's nest, and it felt like the view stretched on for miles. The setting sun cast a pale orange glow on the water, and each gentle wave that lapped against the ship caused it to shimmer. As silly as it sounded, Sabo felt like the clouds were within his reach, and there was no end to the freedom of the open sea. It was a much stronger version of the feeling they'd had at the top of their tree house or on the edge of the cliff. This was real.
He stumbled just a little as Luffy scrambled up his back and perched on his shoulders, pointing excitedly at a seagull that soared past them. "Sabo, look! Isn't it amazing? We can see the whole world!"
"We can't see the whole world, Luffy," Ace said, his tone indicating he'd repeated that sentiment multiple times. "But it really does feel like it, doesn't it?"
"Yeah," Sabo agreed, tightening his grip on Luffy's legs to help him keep his balance. "The view really is amazing. I can't believe we didn't do this earlier."
"It's nice, ya know?" Ace kept his gaze averted. "Doing stuff with just the three of us sometimes."
Sabo let those words sink in, vaguely aware that Luffy was chattering on about seagulls and dinner. He'd thought the three of them had been getting along pretty well with the commanders and the few various crew members who'd tried being friendly, but from the way Ace's shoulders scrunched and he kept darting looks at Sabo out of the corner of his eye, it was obvious Ace was struggling to adjust. There was just a hint of apprehension in his gaze, like he thought Sabo might be offended by the statement, which only drove home how isolated Ace had to be feeling.
He should have been paying more attention to Ace instead of just assuming his inclusion meant he was letting his guard down.
"Yeah," Sabo spoke up before Ace could regret his words and try to take them back. "I mean, it's fun hanging out with everyone, but I miss spending time with my brothers."
Ace turned and smiled at him, his entire face lighting up. It was a look very few of the Whitebeard Pirates had been privileged enough to see, and never directed at any of them. It was usually reserved for Luffy. The sight had Sabo grinning back, silently promising not to get carried away again.
"You know," Sabo continued. "Curiel said we should be docking at an island in a few days. Something about two other ships meeting up with us soon. Did you know they have three flagships, and they usually sail around in a group? Ah, but anyway," he quickly added, aware he'd gone off on a tangent and had started to lose Ace's interest again. "They said we're gonna be docked for about a week to get supplies and stuff. We should do something, just the three of us."
"What about Haruta?" Luffy piped up.
Sabo wanted to groan. At the mention of Haruta's name, Ace's guard slammed right back into place.
"Haruta has an entire ship full of brothers and sisters," Sabo reminded Luffy. "He'll want to spend time with them too."
"Oh, right," Luffy nodded sagely, like Sabo had spoken some sort of words of wisdom.
"Which one is Curiel, anyway?" Ace asked, relaxing again.
"The one that looks like he has a watermelon on his head," Sabo answered.
"Oh, him. Why does everyone here dress so… weird?"
"Watermelons are so tasty," Luffy interrupted, a glob of drool landing on Sabo's head.
"Ugh, Luffy!" Sabo complained. "Ace, can you get him down without pitching him over the side?"
"You know he'll just bounce," Ace teased. Despite the fact that Luffy was the only one of the three who'd come out perfectly unharmed from that kind of fall, Ace was still careful in pulling him down from Sabo's shoulders. "It looks like people are heading inside for dinner anyway. Should we go now?"
"Yeah. Although Kingdew is still standing sentry at the bottom of the mast in case we fall," Sabo added thoughtfully, peering down at the large form. "Huh. Bay was right - Jozu isn't going in either. I wonder if Marco's really in one of the other crow's nests…"
"What?" Ace asked, looking bewildered.
"Nothing," Sabo laughed, well aware of how strange the statement had sounded out of context. He grinned in response when he caught Ace scowling, climbing over the side of the crow's nest. "C'mon, let's go."
...
It was a subtle change.
Honestly, to anyone who didn't know Luffy, it didn't seem like a change at all. The crew had gotten used to Luffy's whims for the most part, so no one took it seriously when he spoke bluntly or declared something a mystery and moved on.
So when Luffy started shying away from various crew members and sticking close to Ace and Sabo, no one batted an eye. When he avoided eye contact with Bay when she came over to say hi, no one really noticed.
"Thatch still moping?" Namur asked, joining them at the table.
"Of course he is," Izo answered. "He brought this on himself, though."
"Vista hinted this wasn't the first time it's happened," Sabo added, looking to Izo. "How often does he get his hair cut?"
"Every few years or so," Izo said with a delicate snort. "You'd think he'd learn to stop antagonizing Vista when the end result is always a severed pompadour."
"Why break tradition, yoi?" Marco asked, bringing a tray over and sitting across from the boys as Izo automatically scooted to make room for him.
"Vista said it's been going on longer than I've been alive," Haruta added, reaching over to snag a roll from Marco's plate. When Marco shot him an unimpressed look, he motioned helplessly to Luffy, who'd stolen off multiple plates. All of Haruta's rolls were gone.
Marco sighed, grinning and shaking his head. "Well, I'm sure he'll perk up for his birthday this weekend."
"He also mentioned planning a kid's party sometime soon," Izo prompted, glancing to the boys. "He seemed like he was looking forward to it, especially since he missed Haruta's back in February."
"Whose?" Haruta asked, ignoring Izo's implication that his party had been a kid's party. He looked to Sabo. "Yours?"
"No, mine was yesterday - please don't ask why we didn't celebrate it, it's a long story - but Luffy's is in May," Sabo explained.
"We're celebrating it? Like… everyone?" Ace asked. More than a few people at the table noticed a wary note in his voice.
"I told Thatch we wanted to do something special for Luffy and he demanded answers." Sabo gave an apologetic grin. "Apparently they have a birthday party at the first of each month for all the crew members whose birthdays fall in that month, and then another party on each of the Commanders' birthdays. Thatch thought since Luffy's still a kid, it might be fun to have his party separately as well."
"He doesn't need to," Ace mumbled. "It's not like turning eight is some big deal." Sabo furrowed his brow in confusion, staring at Ace just long enough for the freckled boy to scowl and look away. "Whatever."
"Okay…" Sabo frowned, then shrugged helplessly at Marco and Izo. "He said he's gonna try to make a cake out of meat."
Luffy yanked his head up from the table where he'd been licking one of his plates clean. "A cake made out of meat?!"
"Ah, crap, I didn't think you were listening," Sabo laughed nervously. "Ace is gonna steal your food if you don't hurry up and eat it."
"Ace!" Luffy immediately shot Ace an accusatory glare and wrapped both arms around his next plate of food so he could haul it closer and begin inhaling it.
Ace rolled his eyes, having understood the necessity of distracting Luffy, but still annoyed that he had to fill the role of the antagonist.
"Zehahahaha!" The laugh came from right behind the boys. Ace immediately twisted in his seat, while Sabo glanced over his shoulder and Luffy went still. "So these are the kids everyone's been talking about."
"We're not kids," Ace snapped, narrowing his eyes.
"Hi, Teach," Haruta said pleasantly, interrupting before Ace could say anything else. "This is Ace, Luffy, and Sabo."
Luffy slowly turned, arms unwinding from his food and snapping back to his sides. His wide brown eyes seemed to go even wider at the sight of the man standing there. He was large - one of the larger people on the ship - although still not as daunting or imposing as several of the commanders.
At face value, he wasn't a handsome man. The fact that he wore clothes that left his hairy chest and large belly exposed didn't help, and his gap-toothed grin was stained with red. For a very brief moment, all three boys thought it was blood. When Teach brought his hand up, a few rings glinting in the light and drawing their attention, they noticed the large slice of cherry pie in his hand.
Ace took one look at the blood-red cherries, the sticky filling dripping from the pie like an open wound, and his stomach rolled. He opened his mouth to tell Teach to get it away from them before Luffy tried to swipe it - it wouldn't be the first time he'd done something like that - because he doubted he'd be able to stop from throwing up if he saw that happen.
"Go away," Luffy said abruptly, startling the entire table.
"Luffy?" Sabo murmured, darting a nervous glance to Teach. For the most part, the crew had taken Luffy's behavior in stride, but these men were pirates, and the memory of Bluejam and Porchemy's violence towards Luffy kept some of his defenses in place.
"He doesn't mean anything by it, yoi," Marco said, though his gaze had narrowed a touch.
"I don't like you," Luffy stated, completely ignoring everyone else at the table and keeping his focus on Teach. "Go away."
An uncomfortable silence followed, stretching just long enough for the rest of the galley to notice something odd going on. The tension was broken when Teach laughed again, taking a sloppy bite of his pie and then grinning at the trio. "Tough crowd," he chuckled, spraying bits of cherry filling on them. "See you around! Zehahahaha!"
Luffy watched Teach's retreating form until he'd left the galley completely, then turned back to his food like nothing was wrong - like he hadn't just behaved rudely to one of the crew members. It was Sabo who acted first, smacking Luffy upside the head and frowning at the wounded look Luffy shot him.
"What's wrong with you?" he scolded. "Why were you so rude to him?"
"I didn't like him," Luffy answered, scowling as if annoyed that Sabo hadn't heard him the first time. Then, as an afterthought, he quickly shoved the remainder of his food into his mouth in case someone tried to take his food away in retaliation.
"Luffy…" Sabo rubbed his temples.
"He won't take it personally," Marco said, studying Luffy - and more importantly, Ace. While Sabo was very open with his disappointment, Ace didn't seem bothered at all by Luffy's actions. "That doesn't make it okay though, yoi."
"Luffy," Izo said, grimacing when the rubber boy swallowed the entire mouthful of food - apparently without chewing any of it. "Despite everything you've seen while playing pranks, this crew respects each other."
"If he doesn't like someone, he doesn't like them," Ace interrupted, narrowing his eyes at Izo. "You can't force him to like your crew."
"Ace," Sabo's voice was hard as he tried to cut him off, but Haruta's temper spiked at Ace's insinuation.
"No one's forcing him to like anything," Haruta snapped. "Sabo gets it - why can't you?"
"Oh right, cause Sabo's so much smarter than I am," Ace muttered sarcastically, stabbing at his food with his fork.
"Ace, that's not what he said," Sabo argued.
"Ace knows that's not what I said." Haruta's voice was sharp, and when Marco tried to put a hand on his shoulder, he angrily brushed him off. "I just don't get it. You're not stupid, so why do you keep acting like it?!"
"I'm not acting stupid!" Ace practically shouted, effectively silencing those in the galley who hadn't been paying attention. He shoved his plate away and stood. "So, what, everything's just fine as long as we kiss everyone's asses, but the minute Luffy says he doesn't like someone it's a huge deal?"
"That's not what anyone's saying!" Sabo scrambled to his feet as well, and Luffy, who was looking back and forth between his brothers like he wasn't sure what had happened, followed suit.
Haruta stood as well, meeting Ace's defiant glare with one of his own. "You're acting like a spoiled kid," he accused. "Like you can't stand the idea of Sabo and Luffy making friends and not paying attention to you!"
"Shut up," Ace snarled, balling his fists like he might throw a punch if Haruta came any closer.
"That's enough, both of you," Izo commanded, but his words fell on deaf ears.
"Or what?" Haruta challenged. "You gonna make me, Ace? I can kick your ass, you know."
"Knock it off, guys!" Sabo ordered, grabbing Ace's arm.
"Don't threaten Ace!" Luffy practically growled, angrily turning his attention to Haruta. The mistrust on Luffy's face had Haruta's gut wrenching, but he forced himself to keep his attention on Ace and Ace alone.
"All three of you, take it outside, yoi," Marco snapped.
"Shouldn't you be trying to break up the fight?" Namur asked, shooting a wary glance at Marco.
"Not my fight to break up. It's theirs," Marco stated, motioning to Ace and Haruta. "We're not their babysitters."
"Marco, I appreciate the sentiment, but they really shouldn't be fighting," Sabo complained. He tried looking to Izo next, but the other Commander shook his head, clearly in agreement with Marco.
"What the hell is going on over here?" Thatch demanded, coming up behind the trio and looking at the entire group with concern. He had his chef's hat and apron on, implying he'd abandoned cooking at the sound of the shouting.
"Ace is acting like a spoiled child," Haruta snapped.
"Shut your mouth," Ace hissed, his eyes narrowing with hatred that sent a chill down Haruta's spine. "You don't know anything about me, so don't talk like you do!"
"You're the one who won't let me know anything about you!" Haruta cried in frustration. "If you really hate it here so much, why don't you just leave already?!"
'Fine!" Ace slammed his fist on the table, causing all of the dishes to clatter. "When we dock at the next island, I'm leaving!"
Luffy immediately latched onto Ace, eyes wide. "A-Ace…!"
"Yeah, fine, we get it," Haruta muttered bitterly. "You go, they go. Fine. All three of you should just stop wasting my-Oyaji's time, and just go!"
"Haruta!" Thatch reached out to catch him by the shoulder. "I know you're frustrated, but-"
"He's right," Ace interrupted. "And ya know what? I don't care. If Sabo or Luffy want to stay, they're more than welcome. I never said they had to go with me!"
"Damn it Ace, will you calm down for a second?!" Sabo cried in frustration. Ace shot him a cold look, yanking away and stalking from the room. Luffy - whose grip had become even tighter at Ace's declaration - lifted his legs to wrap around Ace's waist so the older boy simply carried him from the room as he left.
"Sabo," Haruta reached out and caught his arm as he tried to follow his brothers, but Sabo yanked his arm away like Haruta's touch burned.
"Don't touch me right now," Sabo said, and his voice was oddly calm given the obvious distress on his face. "I know you're frustrated with Ace, but he's my brother. We have a bond that can never be broken, no matter how stubborn or unfairly it looks like he's acting. You shouldn't have said that to him."
Haruta's eyes narrowed as he slowly withdrew his hand. "Whatever. Better go catch up with your brothers, then."
There was no time to school his expression or try to hide the flash of hurt at Haruta's cold attitude, but Sabo didn't care who saw it. He shook his head, shooting one last apologetic glance towards Marco, before hurrying out of the galley to catch up with Ace and Luffy. No one spoke to him or tried to stop him.
"Haruta-" Thatch started, but Marco cut him off.
"It's only fair, yoi," Marco remarked, shaking his head. "This is something they can sort out on their own."
Haruta crossed his arms over his chest, suddenly aware that several pairs of eyes were focused on him due to his outbursts. "I'm gonna go talk to Oyaji," he huffed, struggling to hide his obvious distress at the exchange he'd just had with the trio.
"Should I follow him?" Namur asked once Haruta had fled the room and the other crew members reluctantly went back to eating. Fights were commonplace, but it always set them on edge when the younger members fought with words rather than fists. So many of them knew exactly how it felt to be alone and unwanted, simple outcasts and misfits to society. Throwing a punch or two was a way to vent or work things out. Even an insult or barb could be traded with no hard feelings at the end of the day.
What they'd just witnessed had cut far deeper than a couple of kids brushing each other the wrong way - and it left them all feeling a little subdued.
"No," Marco answered. "He's probably ashamed enough that we all saw what just happened, yoi. Give him some space."
"And Ace?" Izo prompted, looking thoroughly displeased.
"Give him even more space, yoi," Marco answered, casting a troubled glance to the galley doors. He ignored Thatch's keening whine of protest. Ace had the only comfort he would accept, even if it wasn't the only comfort he needed, and if their ultimate decision after Haruta's outburst was to leave, then the Whitebeard Pirates would bid them farewell at the next island.
...
"Ace! Aaaaaaaaace," Luffy whined, tugging backwards. Since his entire body was currently wrapped around Ace's torso, the tugging did little more than mess with Ace's balance. "Don't go! I don't wanna leave without Sabo!"
"We're not getting off the ship right now," Ace grumbled. "Chill out."
"But you said you were leaving, and-"
"And it's not like there's anywhere to go right now," Sabo's voice cut in, halting Luffy's panic.
Ace spared a glance over his shoulder as Sabo sprinted towards them, but otherwise didn't slow his pace or acknowledge Sabo's presence. They were almost back to their room.
"Sabo!" Luffy's face lit up with relief, his struggles dying down.
"Idiot," Sabo teased affectionately, masking his worry and grinning. "Did you think I wasn't gonna follow?"
Luffy sucked his lower lip in. "No?"
"We're brothers," Sabo reminded him. Despite Ace's refusal to look at him, he didn't slam the door in his face when they entered their room, which Sabo was grateful for.
In the safety of their own private room, Ace let the tension drain from his shoulders and Luffy hopped back to the ground, though he made no move to actually let go of Ace. Sabo opened his mouth, ready to lay into the freckled boy for the altercation with Haruta, but froze before a sound could escape. Instead of exaggerating annoyance to mask affection while prying Luffy off - a typical response when Ace was in a bad mood - Ace had wrapped both arms around Luffy and pulled him into a tight hug. For a moment so brief Sabo had to wonder if he'd imagined it, he saw a flash of vulnerability and shame in his brother's eyes.
"I'll beat up anyone who threatens to hurt you, Ace," Luffy declared.
"Yeah, sure," Ace mumbled. "I can beat them up myself, you know." He slowly drew back, and the moment Sabo saw the warm look on his face when Luffy continued to cling, everything clicked into place.
"Ace," he said, holding back a wince when guarded gray eyes met his. He hated when Ace felt the need to keep his guard up around him. It wasn't like he took it personally, though. "I'd kick their ass, too."
The amount of uncertainty and surprise in Ace's eyes made Sabo's chest tighten. He should have known. He should have known there had been more to their talk in the crow's nest that afternoon, but he'd gotten far too complacent. He'd thought he'd done enough to ease Ace's tension - that his suggestion of doing something with just the three of them had been enough of an indication that he wouldn't run off with the Whitebeard Pirates. He'd forgotten how difficult the whole situation had to be for Ace, and the very notion that he'd done something to further Ace's fears of abandonment or being thrown away like garbage made him feel physically ill.
"I know you're stronger than me right now," Luffy piped up, breaking both older boys out of their thoughts and returning their attention to him. "But that doesn't mean you have to fight anyone alone. You have me and Sabo with you. You'll never be alone ever again, okay?"
"Luffy," Ace murmured, voice cracking. He coughed, trying to disguise the crack as dryness or something caught in his throat.
A smile touched Sabo's lips. Even though Luffy had no way of knowing exactly what Ace was feeling - or maybe on some subconscious level, he did - he'd apparently said exactly what Ace had needed to hear. In that moment, Sabo recalled the words Ace had spoken the evening they'd rescued Luffy from Porchemy. Of course, Luffy had only reacted to being questioned, unaware of how much his claims might have meant to someone who'd grown up believing he didn't deserve to live.
That was part of what made Luffy special. He didn't need to know the reasons. He didn't need the story. He could go his whole life never knowing about the awful fights in Edge Town, or the way Ace would resign himself after being subjected to the malice and cruelty of people who'd probably never even met Roger. Completely blind to how deep the scars ran, Luffy would somehow say exactly what needed to be said to soothe those wounds. He would never need the 'why' or the 'how'.
For someone like Ace, who believed himself to be completely empty-handed with nothing to give in return for the love and acceptance he craved, Luffy was an irreplaceable treasure. Sabo had seen him at his lowest, at a time when he'd believed Luffy was dead and his own life should be spent trying to get revenge. Now he was seeing Ace at a new low - he was seeing an Ace who believed he could be abandoned by the same boy who'd risked death to be his friend. The same boy who chased after their backs, calling their names and looking at them with wonder the moment he caught up. The same boy who freely shared his laughter and smiles like all it took to make him happy was knowing they were there.
It wasn't even like Sabo could be upset with Ace for acting that way, either. He knew the way Ace's mind worked - sometimes - and he knew no matter how many times they reassured him, all it would take was one more moment of doubt to creep in and poison his mind. Their past reassurances would fade into uncertainty and his rational thoughts would be obscured by the fear that his darkest feelings were somehow coming true - that they'd been the truth all along and he'd only tricked himself into believing otherwise.
"Luffy's right," he said before Ace could start to feel self-conscious over his emotional reaction. "You're not alone in any of this. So talk to us, okay?" Sabo shot him a very pointed look. They would be discussing everything that had happened, but Sabo wasn't going to make him do it in front of Luffy. It could wait until Luffy fell asleep.
"Yeah," Ace agreed. He averted his eyes again, shame creeping into his voice. "I'll explain everything."
"What are you explaining?" Luffy asked.
"Nothing important," Ace lied. "We'll talk in the morning."
"You're gonna talk to Sabo after I fall asleep," Luffy accused, puffing up his cheeks. "That's not fair! I should get to hear what you guys are talking about!"
"It's official Big Brother business," Sabo teased, falling back on the old excuse they'd given Luffy after he'd caught on that they'd saved their serious discussions for after he'd fallen asleep back on Mt. Colubo.
"That's not fair!" Luffy whined. "How old do I hafta be before I can join?"
"You have to be a big brother," Ace joined in on the teasing. "So you can't."
"When I'm older than you, I'll be a big brother," Luffy argued.
"When you're older, we'll both be older. That means you're the little brother forever," Ace reminded him, sticking his tongue out.
"What? What?!" Luffy finally let go of Ace, grabbing his own head. "Sabo, is that true?"
"Afraid so," Sabo chuckled. "You're stuck being our little brother forever. Even when you're a hundred years old, Ace and I will be a hundred and three."
"Damn it!" Luffy cried.
"Now c'mon, your arms are filthy from hugging your food earlier - and you got it all over Ace, too," Sabo admonished lightly, moving closer to assist. "You don't have to go take a bath, but we should clean your arms so you don't get the blankets all sticky."
"Yes, Mom," Ace snickered.
"I thought Dadan was our mom?" Luffy asked.
Sabo rolled his eyes. The joking helped them forget all about the scene they'd caused in the galley, and after an impromptu training session just like old times with the bandits, Luffy flopped on the bed and passed out with a giant smile on his face.
Rather than climb into bed, Ace sat on the edge, waiting for Sabo to join him. They were both down to their pajama pants, but as tempting as hiding under the blankets and giving into exhaustion sounded, they both knew they wouldn't actually fall asleep until they worked through what had happened earlier.
It was Ace who spoke first, head bowed and shoulders slumped. "It's my fault Luffy acted the way he did with Teach…"
...
A/N: Yes, yes, the moment many were waiting for. Teach's introduction. And I know a lot of time has been glossed over in skips, which might make the timeline seem confusing, but several chapters happened over the course of one day earlier so I'll make a quick note of it here for anyone who lost it in the gloss:
Luffy was kidnapped mid January.
He was reunited with his brothers mid February.
They reached the Moby Dick at the beginning of March, after the giant birthday party for the March crewmates.
Vista's sunglasses were glued to his face the morning after Bay's Party, and Bay's party took place the same day the trio first arrived on the Moby Dick.
Vista's sunglasses were glued there for a week before they were removed; he severed Thatch's pompadour that night.
It has been roughly two weeks since the severing of the pompadour.
It's March 21st.
Bwahaha! So yeah that's the basic timeline . I figured I should put that somewhere for a recap.
Thank you so much, everyone! I'm going to go take another medicine of some kind. I'm convinced I have ten plagues. I counted! (Ayns has informed me plagues do not stack like that, but I'm pretty positive they do and I have them.)
~Mithril