I wanted to update Flame and Phoenix and Amidst the Heat before posting this but my wisdom teeth are bothering me and the pain's making it hard to focus on writing so progress is going really slow and... I figured I should give you guys SOMETHING since I'm off hiatus for like 2 weeks. Let's hope I can get some nice, extra-strength painkillers to get me through until the end of finals in December so that I can get the damn things removed and return to writing properly! ...I hate live so, so much sometimes.

This chapter... is long. Just under 5,000 words. That's over double the chapter before it. As promised, you guys are getting length. If anyone has a problem with reading this chapter because of said length, tell me in a review. If enough people don't like it then I can go back to 2,000 words like before. Otherwise chapters are going to be 3,500 minimum. Probably.

ALSO! I have a poll on my profile where you can vote on what stories you'd like to see with longer chapters so please check it out if you haven't already :)

ONWARDS, LOVELIES!

The landscape was dyed a pure, shimmering white. Blinding snow coated every tree, every rooftop—even park benches. He could hear adults grumble about the cold as they passed, bundled up tightly in their winter jackets and toques, gloved hands folded over to retain heat. The cold never bothered him much, which was probably why he was fine sitting on the wet wooden bench wearing only a light jacket. He wasn't completely alright, his fingers turning red and numb as he gripped tightly to the hem of his coat, his cheeks and nose rosy from the frigid wind's abuse, but he barely noticed.

The boy caught a glimpse of some children his age across the park. They skidded about the icy terrain, rolling up balls of snow. Each child worked with another, making the clumps as big as their tiny bodies could, before piling them on top of one another with the help of their parents. Satisfied with the snowman's body, they quickly got to work scouring the ground for any viable materials for their new creation's features and limbs. The adults, laughing amongst themselves, returned to sitting on the bench, watching their children play.

Ace averted his gaze, opting instead to stare at his soaked boots, watching the clumps of snow stuck to them slowly melt and drip to the ground. He shivered, releasing a hot breath and watching as the cloud danced in front of his face before dispersing.

"There you are!" a small voice exclaimed, hurried footsteps rushing over. A dark figure obstructed his light, casting a shadow over him. He glanced up briefly, met with a slightly taller blond with his hands on his hips, scolding expression on his face, before turning away and clenching his fists tighter around the fabric of his coat. "You shouldn't run off like that. Everyone's looking for you, you know."

The boy turned his head to the side to erase the other from his peripheral vision, acknowledging him as little as possible. He shivered once more as the winter air finally started to get to him but did his best to ignore it. It wasn't hard, either, with his mind wandering as much as it was.

The blond exhaled noisily, shuffling about. Ace didn't see what he was doing, still set on ignoring his existence, until he felt sudden warmth wrap around him. He blinked, lifting his partially numb hands to his neck where they brushed against soft, woolen fabric. Finally he looked up, unable to fight his curiosity, and watched as the other child removed his toque, leaving his blond strands a frazzled mess. He sat there blankly, wordless as the hat was then gently placed atop his head. Reaching up to feel it, to prove it was there, he stared at the other.

"…What are you doing?" he asked.

The blond blinked before breaking out into the widest of grins. "Warming you up," he stated simply. "It's my job to look after my little brother!"

At the word 'brother' Ace scrunched up his face and turned away, lowering his arms to his lap once more. He heard the other sit beside him but tried to push it out of mind, failing miserably. The boy couldn't help but be consciously aware of his so-called sibling.

"Your face will get stuck that way if you're not careful," the other stated, voice light and cheery despite the circumstances. Despite his warning, Ace continued to brood. "Mama didn't tell you about me, did she?"

Finally Ace responded with a slight shake of his head.

"We played together when you were little, but I guess you don't remember," he continued with a sigh. "Don't be mad."

"I'm not," the freckled boy stated, clearly sulking.

"You could have fooled me," he replied teasingly.

For a short while the only sounds were the muffled voices of the children across the park as they worked together to reach the snowman's face, dotting the eyes with dark rocks and shoving acorns into the body as buttons. Two others carried over long, narrow sticks with branching ends, poking their creation in the sides to make arms.

Before he had time to react, he found his bare hands wrapped in the other's, pulled up close to his mouth as he blew hot air on them, rubbing the appendages to keep them warm. He tried tugging them away but his strength was no match for the other boy's. "Let go!" he whined, pulling back further to no avail.

"Only if you come with me," his brother stated. "It's too cold to be out here like this."

"I'm fine."

"Sure you are." His dull glare and sarcastic voice made it obvious enough that he didn't believe the boy. Finally the blond deflated, lowering their hands but never letting his sibling's go. "Look, Ace, I'm sorry for upsetting you. I was just excited to meet you… Maybe coming on your birthday wasn't the best idea."

Ace couldn't help the few short glimpses he gave the blond, something welling in his chest that he wasn't quite sure about.

"…I always wanted a little brother."

When Ace glanced at him that time, he spotted the soft smile on his lips. It felt like, in an instant, whatever worry he had vanished and he thought maybe, just maybe, the older boy wasn't as bad as he thought. He didn't look bad, and Ace was more upset with his parents for not warning him than anything. Besides, having an older sibling… maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Hesitantly he wrapped a hand around the other's, looking up at him with big, wondering eyes. "Let's go home," he said.

The blond blinked down at him as he registered those words, breaking out into a large grin. "Alright," he began, tightening his hold on his little brother's hand, "let's go."

All things considered, Sabo was in a pretty good mood. His interview went well and his future boss asked to see him for a follow-up interview. Things were looking up.

He stretched as he exited his car, making his way up the driveway to his small, cozy home. To be perfectly honest, it didn't feel like home quite yet. He only just settled in—just bought the place about three weeks ago. Yes, bought—he'd saved up enough for a house before he moved back into town, fortunately enough. It proved to be a difficult task. In fact, it'd taken most of his adult life to do so, but he did it! Though it helped that he was the sole proprietor to his father's will, he supposed.

Stepping up to the front door, he dug into his pocket for the key and unlocked it, pushing the slab of wood open as he said "I'm home." That'd been the first time in two years that he said that—the first time someone was waiting for him when he got back. It felt nice.

Sabo kicked off his shoes and shuffled into the living room on autopilot, slipping his coat from his shoulders as he yawned. "Have you eaten yet? If not I'll—" He came to an abrupt stop when he looked up, met with a heated glare he knew all too well. For a moment he forgot the situation, forgot about Ace's condition and why he was in his house, and returned the look evenly, freezing in place. Their eyes locked and they unflinchingly stared, waiting for the other to give.

Ace was sitting on the couch, hunched forward with his elbows on his knees, looking up with a very unpleasant expression. Finally, he spoke. "Got something to say?" he asked.

The blond took that as a cue to move, fully removing his jacket and placing it on the back of the nearest chair, not quite ready to sit yet. "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about, Portgas."

"Oh yeah?" Ace began, the question rhetorical as he raised his hand, placing something on the coffee table. "What about this?"

Sabo studied his brother's face, seeing something other than anger in those eyes, before inquisitively turning to the laminate paper he set down. Nostalgia washed over him as he took in the image, his mind bringing him back to a time long ago. He remembered that day well—it was the day he was reunited with his baby brother, after all. How could he forget? It was also the day he chipped his tooth. On their way back home, Ace slipped, bringing the older down with him. Cement was hard and, well… that was the end of that story. But why was he showing him that? What did he—

…Oh.

His face softened, realization washing over him. "Right—you don't remember." He exhaled, feeling a little guilty about the way he was acting. One thing was certain: memories or no, Ace had mastered the don't-fuck-with-me glare, though Sabo highly doubted he intended that look right then, what with being an amnesiac and all.

"No shit I don't remember," Ace retorted, folding his arms as he leaned against the back of the couch. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Honestly? I forgot," the blond declared, seating himself across from his brother before grabbing the photo and examining it. Over the years it'd gone through quite a beating. There were stains along the edges of unknown origin, frayed corners and, of course, that large tear going through the center. It was dog-eared and worn… he really didn't take very good care of his belongings when he was younger. The image showed better days—for all of them, not just him. Looking back to the youth, he sighed. "Don't give me that look—it's not like I meant to keep it from you. Things just happened that way."

Ace snorted. "You just happened to leave out the fact that we're related?"

"Have I divulged any information without your inquiry?" he asked. Ace pulled his mouth taut, a clear show of the answer. "You never asked so I never bothered with it; it's as simple as that. Besides, would it have mattered?"

"What?"

"Does knowing you have a brother change anything?"

For a while the heir sat in silence, staring across to his brother. Eventually his scowl dropped and he heaved a sigh, pushing further back onto the couch. "Would've been nice," he stated with a shrug, staring at the ceiling. "But… no, I guess it doesn't."

"See?" Sabo started, placing the photo back on the table. "It just complicates things."

Ace glanced his way, a ghost of a smirk crossing his face. "You're just saying that because you forgot."

"Quite possibly," the elder acknowledged with a nod, "but I'm mainly trying to end the conversation. Care to do me the honour?"

The freckled youth turned amused eyes to the other before snorting. "Sure," he said before going quiet.

"Good!" Sabo stood then, stretching his aching muscles. He'd skipped breakfast and could feel the effect on his body, his stomach contracting with hunger. "I'm feeling generous. Tell you what: accompany me to lunch and I'll tell you whatever you wish to know. Fair deal?"

Ace grinned, as Sabo knew he would. "Are you kidding? A meal and answers? What's the catch?"

"The catch, dear brother, is that if you don't hurry up and get changed I'm going to leave you behind." Instead of the hurried movements he expected to see as the younger scrambled to get dressed, it was almost like the room froze. Ace had a stunned look on his face and said not a word, just staring at him with wide eyes. "What's wrong?"

Quickly the youth snapped out of his daze, pulling his gaze to the floor. "Sorry, it's just… it felt weird."

"What?"

"…Being called 'brother.' It just… I don't know."

"Just get dressed, Portgas."

"Yeah, yeah," he replied, hurrying about the house in search of clothes. Sabo watched him, uncertainty on his face. To be honest, he never realized he'd said 'brother.' As he thought about it, though, it did feel bizarre. How many years had it been since he last called Ace that?

The afternoon found Zoro and Luffy in the latter's apartment. Luffy sat at the table as the swordsman raided his fridge, looking for something that wasn't rancid or growing mold. The teen zoned out as the other threw away rotten food, wondering how he would explain what had been going on. While Zoro was one of the more relaxed members of his group of friends, he was also very protective. Luffy was thankful for that but, at the same time, wasn't sure how he would react. He was working for his old tormentor, after all; anyone would be worried.

"Geez, Luffy, it's like you haven't been here in weeks," Zoro stated with a grimace as he threw some meat of questionable origin into a garbage bag he'd received from the pantry.

"Shishishi," the teen laughed nervously, snapped away from his internal debate. "I've been gone a lot lately."

The man raised an eyebrow, turning from a bag of spoiled milk to his friend, silently asking his question.

And then came the hard part: Luffy had to explain. It wasn't so bad. Zoro was Zoro—he backed him up no matter what the circumstances! But with all of his other friends objecting to his decision of returning to the mansion, he couldn't help but worry. He was tired of getting lectured.

"I found a job," he stated simply, staring at the wood grain of the table.

"Oh yeah?" Zoro inquired as he retrieved a bottle of beer from the fridge, eyeing it with suspicion. It wasn't long before he shrugged and opened it, taking his first gulp. Luffy never liked that stuff—tasted nasty. He always made sure he had a few bottles, though, for when his closest friend visited.

The teen swallowed, phrasing it in his head. He knew what the green-haired man was going to ask next.

"Doing what?"

There it was.

"Working… for Ace."

About to take a drink, Zoro lowered the bottle and faced his young friend, eyeing him. Luffy could see him staring from his peripheral vision and knew he had to explain himself. He locked gazes with the other, fully determined to explain himself.

"He's different," he declared. "Ace… he's been really nice to me! Like, even though I was scared of him, he gave me money—a lot of money! I had enough to pay back my tab at Baratie and everything! Isn't that great?"

"And?" Zoro pressed. When the younger simply blinked obliviously, he sighed. "What's with the sudden change?"

"It's…" Luffy's voice faded. So far the swordsman didn't seem upset by what he said. That was good. "Ace hit his head. He said something about running into traffic, I think, and now... he doesn't remember anything."

When Zoro remained quiet, the teen wasn't sure what he was thinking. Did he think that wasn't a good enough reason? Was he going to get mad at Ace? It wasn't his fault; Luffy was the one who approached him, though he didn't know he would be at the mansion when he applied for a job there… but that was beside the point!

"He's really not so bad anymore," Luffy continued, returning to staring at the table. He felt an incessant urge to prove his case—to back up Ace's side. "He smiles a lot now. And there's this Marco guy who has a pineapple head and Ace listens to everything he says and doesn't get mad at him, even when he throws shoes at his face! It's so weird! And—"

"You're rambling."

"Oops, shishishi." He had a bad habit of getting carried away. Back on topic! "I guess I just… like him like this." Even though he was still cautious around him, he didn't dislike being there. In fact, he was almost disappointed to find that he was gone earlier that morning.

Again, silence passed. Luffy didn't like how still everything got as the swordsman crossed his arms and contemplated. Maybe it was a good thing, though; at least he was putting some thought into his response. He might have actually been considering it. "Do you want to keep working there?"

Luffy blinked before nodding his head furiously. "The pay is great! And…"

"And?" he pressed.

"Thanks for worrying."

"…And I think he's lonely. I know I'd feel lonely if I didn't remember you guys." Added to that was the fact that so many people were wary around Ace—hated him, even—and he didn't have the faintest idea why. Luffy was terrified of him yet he didn't remember. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if that was the real reason his parents were keeping him at the mansion—to shelter him from all the crap he'd have to deal with on his own, living up to his own name. Ace didn't seem as strong as he was before. Luffy saw how sad the heir looked whenever he pulled away. It almost made him feel like he was the bad guy.

"Then do what you want," the man said, downing half of the bottle.

"Hm?" the teen noised, turning owlish eyes to him.

"If he's nice then keep the job," the older replied plainly.

Was it really that simple? Wasn't he going to question him like all the others had before? There were certain things that they asked that, well, even Luffy was worried about. One thing in particular served as the only reserve he had to keeping the job. "What if he… you know…"

"Hm?" Zoro noised, raising an eyebrow as he placed his bottle on the counter and resumed his never-ending voyage of finding something edible in the younger's fridge.

"What if he remembers?"

"Then he remembers," he shrugged, poking his finger into an apple, cringing when the appendage slipped into the half-rotted fruit.

"But when if he starts acting like he used to?"

"Then you leave."

Zoro had this way about him that made it feel like he was always right. Luffy would've been inclined to trust his words, had it not been for the time his hand got caught in handcuffs and his solution had been to cut if off. He was a very… simple man—painfully so.

"I'll back you up, whatever you decide," Zoro continued, "so just think about it."

Luffy blinked before grinning his widest. He always knew what to say. "Shishishi, alright!"

Ace felt out of place—very much so.

Yes, his family was wealthy. Yes, he'd been staying at their mansion since he lost his memories. Those were both true. Even still, being in places like that felt… awkward. Maybe it was because he lived with Marco before the accident, but he didn't feel comfortable being there. Sabo mentioned that it wasn't actually as prestigious as it came off as—that the food was affordable even for the lower middle class, but that didn't really help his nerves.

Baratie was big. Baratie was formal. Baratie was everything Ace hated about the world. He didn't voice his complaints, though, because of the free food. If the blond was paying then Ace had no right to voice his opinions. He just had to try to tune it all out.

That proved to be the real challenge.

After a few minutes of awkward silence between them, the waiter arrived. He was a tall, lean man with blond hair and a fringe covering one eye. Ace could tell with one look that the teen was exuding his hatred of him. Did they know each other? He didn't have a chance to ask—not that he wanted to—as the waiter dropped two menus onto to table, turned sharply and left.

Unfazed by the rather uncomfortable encounter, Sabo picked up a menu and started scanning it. Then again, he was probably used to that reaction, seeing as Ace likely hadn't been the greatest of people before… Being brothers, the blond probably received that kind of treatment as well on occasion. And the guilt increased.

"What do you want?" Sabo asked, breaking him away from his internal reverie.

"Oh, uh…" He didn't really know, honestly. The menu was extensive and after that encounter just now he didn't feel as hungry as before. "It doesn't matter."

Sabo gave him an incredulous look, as though he had three eyes, before shrugging it off and putting down the menu, interlocking his fingers as he stared across at the younger. "So, you have questions, I assume. Fire away."

To be honest, Ace was having trouble thinking of anything to ask. He decided last night that he was better off remaining oblivious to some matters, like what the hell he did to Luffy to make him so terrified—he hated himself enough without that knowledge, thank you—but there were some things he wanted to know. He wanted to learn about the people around him, his friends and family. That was as good a chance as any. But what could he ask while still remaining in the 'safe' zone?

"So you're the older one, right?" he finally settled on, "Rouge and Roger's first child?"

"Sort of," came the aloof reply. "Roger isn't my father, though. Our mother was married before—it was an arranged sort of thing—but then divorced to be with your father. I stayed with her ex-husband."

Ace furrowed his brow, deep in thought. That didn't sound like her. Then again, he didn't know much about the woman, so he assumed it possible. "She just left you with him? Abandoned you?"

The blond laughed, confusing the heir further. He really didn't understand him sometimes. "They had joint custody at first, but around your second birthday my father moved out of the country, and I went with him. I didn't get to see any of you again until about five years later."

"When I was seven?"

"Exactly," he confirmed with a nod. The waiter approached once more, placing their drinks rather irately on the tabletop. The brothers decidedly ignored him, preferring to continue the conversation with or without his presence. "You weren't too happy to see me, though."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Rouge never told you about me and you didn't remember. You took off on your birthday—had everyone freaking out. But I, being the intuitive older sibling that I was, located you less than an hour later," he stated in a teasing voice before taking a sip from his glass.

The youth rolled his eyes. "I'm so sure."

Once more, the waiter returned after shortly leaving for another table, removing a notepad and pen from his pocket. "What can I get ya?" he spat through his teeth, clearly forcing back a slew of colourful words. Ace must have done something really bad to incur his wrath. On the plus side, at least he was angry, not terrified like Luffy. That was a good sign, right?

Sabo ordered for both of them, seeing that Ace didn't really care about what he had, so long as it was edible. With a curt nod, the waiter retreated to the kitchen once more, leaving them to continue their conversation. Before they could, though, a soft chime sounded. Sabo didn't seem to notice while Ace glanced to the entrance, watching blankly as a head of unruly black hair partially covered by a straw hat passed through the door. The teen stepped over to a booth nearby, followed closely by a tall, muscular man with—did he have green hair?

Ace turned away, trying to pretend they weren't there. After remembering that night—the blood and tears and the look in Sabo's eyes asking what did you do—he'd prefer not to see the boy. That's why he was immensely grateful to his brother for letting him stay the night, to keep away from the kid. Didn't he have enough guilt?

So, looking back into the dark eyes of his brother, Ace thought of what to ask next. There was one thing nagging at him, but he knew he'd probably regret asking it. Still…

"When I was in the accident," he began, instinctively clenching his fists in preparation for whatever his reply turned out to be, "when I was in the hospital, why weren't you there?"

An apologetic smile rose to the other's lips as he took his glass between his hands, absently running his thumb along its rim. "I didn't know," he answered simply. "When it happened, I was just settling into my new place. I spent the past two years studying abroad and no one really knew that I was coming back; it was a spontaneous decision."

"Oh." Come to think of it, didn't Marco explain to Sabo what happened back at the bar? He'd forgotten about that.

"But even if I'd have known, I doubt I would have visited you."

Ace never had a chance to ask what he meant by that.

"Sanji, meat!" exclaimed a very loud, very familiar voice.

Both brothers turned to see a grinning teen staring towards the back of the restaurant. Honestly, Ace was shocked. He'd never seen Luffy look so carefree or heard him be so loud. It was a nice sight, though it made him wonder: what could he do to make him act like that when they were together? What would it take to make up for all of the terrible things he did?

Could he ever be forgiven?

"Oh, Lu—" Ace reached over the table to cover his brother's mouth, shaking his head profusely before removing it. "Why not?"

"I don't really… just not now, okay?"

The look in Sabo's eyes said that he had questions, but remained quiet, simply watching from afar. What Ace liked most about him was that he never demanded answers, unlike so many others. He just accepted things and understood that sometimes there were things he didn't want to say. He's always been like that.

…Always?

The irate blond from earlier stormed to the front, delivering a swift blow to the boy's skull. Did he just hit Luffy? He hit the kid who was so scared of contact that he trembled when Ace so much as patted him on the head? Any reserved he had about going over there fled, replaced with an overwhelming urge to protect him. He almost got out of his seat.

Then he laughed. Luffy laughed. And Ace was reminded that he was the only one the boy was scared of.

…Damn it.

"Keep your voice down, you shitty brat!" he heard the waiter exclaim, contrasting his own words. When Luffy proceeded to laugh once more, the blond groaned and crossed his arms. "Let me guess: three course meal, all meat, right? And for the marimo…" his eyes scrolled to the taller man and he stared contemplatively, "beer and ramen or something equally as vulgar?"

"Shut up, Love-Cook."

"You first, Marimo."

"Shishishi!"

"Why are you here, anyways?" the man asked, shoving his hands in his pockets as he leaned back against the wall. "I thought you wanted to save your money."

"I did, but Zoro said we needed food and we didn't want to cook," Luffy explained with a pout.

When the blond gave him a quizzical look, the green-haired one sighed. "There was nothing edible at his place. Everything was rotten. If you saw it, you'd probably have a heart attack."

A swift kick was dealt to the youngest youth's head. "I told you to keep your damn fridge clean, idiot!"

Again, Luffy pouted, rubbing the sore spot on his skull. "But I haven't been home much. And I eat a lot at Ace's since I'm there all day. They have really awesome food!"

…Crap. He had a bad feeling about that. Turning to his sibling who had a questioning look on his face, he whispered, "Can we leave now?"

But Sabo, being the ever-loving brother he was, chose to ignore him. The bastard. "What's this about him staying at your place?" he questioned, crossing his arms.

"Can we not do this right now? I'd like to—"

"Speaking of that shitty bastard," the waiter began.

Shit. He wasn't going to get away like he hoped, was he? Ace really didn't want to talk to that kid. On the bright side, at least now he knew why the blond one was so pissed with him. That was one mystery solved. Still, he wanted to keep away from Luffy for the moment. Every time he looked at his face all he could see was that scar—fresh and bloodied and painful as tears streamed down a small boy's face.

"Go away!"

"He's right over there."

…Asshole. Just had to tell him, didn't you? As he turned away from the three sets of eyes now on him, he whispered to his brother, "I blame you for this."

Sabo simply rolled his eyes.

"…Ace?"

The small, confused voice felt nostalgic. It made him flinch as he slowly looked back, met with large, deep brown eyes. Scared eyes. Happy, too. Just a little. Wondering eyes. Curious eyes. The kind of eyes that he couldn't look away from. The ones that encompassed all of the past he was able to recall. The ones that made him remember how much he hated himself. Those eyes—Luffy's eyes.

He forced a smile.

"Hey, Lu."

A/N: This chapter made it official: this story takes place in Canada. And I didn't even mean it. Why? Because my Canadian-ness shone through waaaay too much. Bagged milk, toques... I just can't deny it anymore. Forgive me, my lovelies, but they are now Canadians. I've infected them... eh.

To my lovelies~

shadowmarialove: Yes, I meant blood brothers :P

Sully-van: Yes, yes they are. Glad you like!

Diclonious57: It most certainly is XD

mrsfirefist: Awe that's sweet~ Here's the next chapter!

Bluebird42: Blood brothers :)

94Insane: Lol I think crazy was an overstatement. Luffy fits into the picture which I've partially explained already but the rest won't be for a while. All of your questions will be answered! ...Eventually XD

Frostheart D. Blaise: HERE YOU GO!

MysteriousEyez: Yup, they are. Yeah, he was kinda cranky, but he got over it :P

maybe143: Out of Luffy's friends he'll play a big role, but overall he's not so important. He's necessary and he DOES have a role in the plot, but it's not as big as, let's say, Marco or Rouge or Sabo. He'll be in future chapters, though :)

spoons-are-evil: This chapter probably answered your questions :D Also, don't worry about the short review, it's still the longest I got :P Nope, not because of Ace.

Sachiel Angelo: Zoro's awesome, isn't he? XD

azab: Glad you like!

(And that concludes this update... eh e_e Okay, done with mocking my lineage, I'ma go study. BECAUSE THAT'S ALL I EVER SEEM TO DO! Or sleep. Because why not? Adieu~)