I really liked doing this chapter 'cause, like, I have this whole list of modern One Piece head canons, and I got to explore them a little in this chapter. Maybe one day, I'll write them all out and post them on tumblr or something, but I have a friggen' ton of head canons for this AU, okay. Also, in response to jgrl68's comment: oh, god, I really wanted to explore writing asexual Luffy. Like, Oda has already (unless this information was false) explicitly stated that Luffy is pretty much asexual, but asexuality is a broad, broad spectrum. Like usually, people think that asexuality is just having little to no sexual desire, and while that, yes, is the end-all definition, there are a lot more definitions for asexuality. In this story, the head canon is that Luffy is comfortable with feeling arousal and with masturbation, but he's never explicitly thought about another person sexually or had a desire to be with another person in such a way.

Okay, I should stop myself now, or I'll go on forever with my head canons for this story.

"Should you really have done that?" flowed from Luffy's tiers at the same time Sabo breathed out, "Mom is going to kill you."

In front of them, Ace is shirtless, and straining his arms behind his back to rub some more (of what Luffy assumed was) scentless lotion onto his obviously fresh tattoo. The un-inked skin around is puffy and an angry red that almost makes Luffy want to cringe—and Ace is having some trouble, only managing to slather the edges of his gargantuan back piece. "Shut the damn door and help me out, will you?"

Sabo lets out a whoosh of air, the sigh a little amazed and a little apprehensive, and then he's shoving Luffy inside the brother's joint bathroom, closing and locking the door. "How long have you even had that thing?" The blonde's voice is hushed and hissed.

Ace doesn't seem effected by the tone, shrugging before wincing from the movement and letting out a little noncommittal grunt. "I think I had my first session about three months ago. I just finished all of it—" He spares a look at the clock hung by their mirror, while also handing Luffy his half-way filled bottle of lotion. The boy helps immediately, slathering his hands—he's obviously much more willing to be a part of this endeavor than Sabo. "Two hours and forty-five minutes ago."

"Holy fuck, man," Sabo says, and Luffy just laughs, trying to keep the noise down, "How have you been hiding that thing for three months?" He stares at Luffy and Ace, watching Ace flinch slightly when Luffy rubs lotion in too hard. (Luffy just snickers, finding amusement in how tender his big, strong brother is at the moment.)

Another wince and wrinkle of a freckled nose. "It wasn't that hard. I just didn't change outside of my room or wear tanks."

"You won't be able to get away with that in summer," Luffy chimes in helpfully. He's tracing the lines of the skull inked across Ace's back, finding a weird sense of comfort and nostalgia in the act. Maybe, just maybe, he's thought about doing this to Law's tattoos, in the comfort of his room. Luffy switches that thought off, going back to the action of rubbing a copious amount of lotion into Ace's back.

"Shit, you're right." There's a trace of realization and dread in his voice. Ace hadn't thought about that. Makino would know right away that something was up, considering that he usually goes shirtless all summer long. "I'm dead. I'm so dead. I only have, like, seven more months to live before I meet my ultimate demise."

Luffy claps a lotion-slicked hand onto his older brother's shoulder before looking over at Sabo with a serious expression, saying staidly, "I call his room."

Sabo's laugh reverberates through the entire two-story house.

[SMS – 10:28 p.m.] my brother got a tattoo and when my mom sees it, she is going to kill him.

Of course, the first person Luffy tells is Law. The man is the only person with tattoos that Luffy knows, asides from Nami and Nojiko—and he's not cruel enough to damn Ace to such a fate. The girls aren't above blackmail, after all. He leans back, cracking his spine over the sofa arm, with his phone cradled between his palms as he waits for a reply. One of his feet is stuffed underneath Sabo's thigh, soaking up the other's warmth. The elder is scrutinizing his cellphone as well, more than likely talking with Koala. Ace is in the only recliner, guitar in his arms with an empty piece of sheet music resting on his thigh. There are some old cartoons playing on the television—just background noise.

[SMS RECEIVED –10:31 p.m.] Is it at least a good tattoo?

[SMS – 10:31 p.m.] yeah! it's pretty awesome. it's this giant ass skull that takes up most of his back.

Indiscreetly, Ace nudges Sabo's shoulder with his guitar, using his chin to gesture at their younger brother—who is biting down his smile, nerves fluttering, as he decides not to wait for Law's reply before asking:

[SMS – 10:32 p.m.] do you want to hang out tomorrow?

Luffy doesn't even notice the eyes lingering on him. Sabo squints, noticing with a slight start that there's a tinge of pink on the peaks of his younger brother's cheeks. If he would look closer, maybe he'd recognize the nervous and hesitant glint to Luffy's coal-black irises. The blond swivels back to Ace, sharing the same bewildered expression.

[SMS RECEIVED – 10:33 p.m.] That sounds cool. Are we going to get coffee?

Is that a yes? Luffy is going to take it as a yes. He swipes his tongue over his chapped lips—a reminder to buy chap stick.

[SMS – 10:34 p.m.] anything is fine. i just want to hang out with you.

Nor does he notice that Ace has stopped strumming or that Sabo isn't looking at his phone any longer. His incisors dig a little harder into his bottom lip, doing their best to stifle the smile threatening to take over his mouth.

[SMS RECEIVED – 10:35 p.m.] I have to run some errands tomorrow. You could come along with me and then we could decide what to do afterwards?

The lip falls free of teeth, a stream of almost soundless chuckles escaping his throat. Luffy doesn't even know why he's laughing. He just feels giddy.

[SMS – 10:35 p.m.] sounds good!

The morning sun creeps in along the edges of his curtains, bubbling in a shade of dull-rust colors behind his eyelids. His eyes clench shut even tighter, wanting to hang onto a few more moments of slumber; but Luffy can smell the bacon and eggs Makino is most certainly cooking and, well, Shanks is completely correct when he says that Luffy thinks with his stomach. He groans, pressing his face against his pillow for a lingering minute before forcing his body up and into start. He rubs his eyes hard enough for white glitters of light to burst and twists his torso to release the pressure in his spine. The sharp cracks are relieving and they help him wake up enough to stand on jelly legs.

Luffy is still rubbing his eyes when he reaches the bottom of the stairs. Usually, he's not this tired, but he stayed up later than normal, texting Law, discussing anything from their favorite episodes of Scrubs (Law is a huge fan) to the paper Luffy has yet to finish for his Creative Writing class.

Makino is the only one in the kitchen. They're always the first two up—and also (usually, but today isn't a great example for Luffy) the only morning people in the house. Sabo and Shanks are something of afternoon and early night people, while Ace is sometimes awake until six in the morning. His mother looks up from the eggs she's scrambling, looking over her youngest with a warm smile. "Good morning."

"Good mornin'," he croaks—albeit, as fondly as he can in his toad-dry voice—before drowsily stumbling over to the fridge for a bottle of water. Reusable, of course. Neither Luffy nor Makino agree with plastic water bottles. Green nuts, Shanks calls them dotingly. Makino laughs, the sound tinkering comfortingly in the air along with the sizzling of their stovetop. It makes the teenager smile—Luffy loves his mother's giggles. It's a fairytale laugh, and it reminds him how lucky he is that such kind-hearted people took him, Ace, and Sabo in.

"Didn't get a lot of sleep?" she questions knowingly. Luffy confirms this with a nod, taking a big gulp of water. It fills his cheeks up, puffing them out like a chipmunk. He sits down in front of their countertop, leaning forward in the barstool as Makino sets down a plate of food for him. "Extra bacon just for you. Don't let any of the other boys know."

He grins widely at her, a hand coming up in a mock salute as he says, "Aye, aye, Captain!" before digging into his meal.

"Are you going out today?" The answer will probably be yes. It's a weekend, and Luffy, their little social butterfly, almost always has plans.

With a mouthful of food, he hums as an affirmative, chewing loudly as Sabo saunters into the kitchen, half asleep. The blonde boy gives his mother a morning kiss on the cheek, sniffing away the drowsiness as he brews himself a cup of coffee. It's still too early for him. Luffy swallows. "Yeah, I'm hanging out with a friend today. We haven't figured out what we'll do yet, though."

Sabo, who is leaning heavily against the fridge, looks over at his brother, some of the curiosity from last night still in his eyes. "Are you hanging out with Usopp and them today?" he poses the question innocently.

"Nope!" Luffy shovels in another mouthful of scrambled eggs, continuing around them, "With my friend Law."

Huh. That's a new name to him. He's about to ask more but Makino cuts in with a gentle but reprimanding stare. "Don't talk with your mouth full. And don't stay out too late, okay? Tomorrow is Monday."

Luffy groans, letting his head flop dejectedly onto the marble countertop. "Yeah, I know," he mumbles.

He still hasn't finished his homework.