So. It's been... about 1 1/2 months since the last update. I'm sorry T_T I didn't forget about this fic (okay, I MIGHT have forgotten about it for a little bit) but I was trying to update all my other fics first before getting back to this one... so... yeah. But! As the poll from before has dictated, we'll be having longer chapters! All the chapters will be 3,000-5,000 words :D Anyways, sorry for the delay and I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: Nobody even reads these...
Saying that the silence stretching between them was unsettling was an understatement; it was almost disturbing. Ace hadn't been able to keep eye contact with the boy for more than a few seconds, opting to instead focus on his hands. He could feel Luffy watching him, confused yet contemplative, but did his best to ignore it.
Sabo had a very different reaction. Turning around in his seat, one arm over the back of his chair, he smiled at the trio. "It's been a while."
At first Luffy didn't reply. Then as the gears in his head turned he broke out into the widest of grins. "Sabo!" he shouted, jumping up from his seat and rushing the table, wrapping his arms around the blond's neck. "You're really here!"
The elder laughed, patting him on the back as he clung to his collar. "Yes, Luffy, I'm here."
"But—but I…"
"I know." Eventually the boy pulled away, eyes glossy with tears not yet ready to fall. In a way, Ace was a bit jealous. Sabo was greeted with such excitement whereas Luffy bolted the other way when he first saw him. Can't blame him, though…
"When did you get back? Are you staying this time? Can I see your place? Can I?" The boy was talking so fast it was a wonder he found time to breathe.
Again a low, bemused chuckle escaped Sabo's throat. "One at a time. I got back two weeks ago. And yes, I'm staying. Probably."
Luffy's face scrunched up in disapproval. "Probably?" he echoed, his tone far less enthusiastic.
In response the blond simply shrugged. "There are some things I need to think about first."
What did he mean by that? Ace didn't have time to ponder, finding his young servant's eyes on him once more. He froze under the gaze, muscles rigid with nervousness. He was coming to hate those eyes, always forcing overwhelming guilt to rise from the pit of his stomach.
Luffy blinked, his eyes lingering over his boss before returning to the blond. "You're… you're with Ace…" His voice faded, rising in a hint of confusion.
If Ace hadn't have known that he and his brother were on bad terms before, that befuddled statement proved it. The look he was getting proved the scenario didn't look right. In a way, Ace was curious about what he'd done to ruin their relationship—because he knew it was his fault, not Sabo's. In the furthest reaches of his mind he knew that what he remembered, the injury that gave Luffy his scar, hadn't pushed his brother over the edge. He stayed with him after that. Whatever he did must have been horrible.
Unforgivable.
A soft smile crossed Sabo's features and he closed his eyes, reaching for his drink. "Is it wrong of me to spend time with my little brother?"
Luffy's owlish eyes doubled in size and he shook his head furiously. "No! It's just…" Once more he glanced at Ace, apprehensive. "…You know, right?"
"That my brother forgot about me?" came the rhetorical response. "That he doesn't have a clue who any of us are? That he's completely unaware of—"
"Can you stop rubbing it in?" Ace asked from across the table, dropping his head into his palms and releasing an airy breath.
A teasing, amused laugh passed his sibling's lips. "I'm well aware." Luffy's question apparently wasn't answered, as he continued to look expectantly at the other. "It doesn't bother me, if that's what you're wondering."
Ace's ears perked up at that and he lowered his hands, watching his sibling. He didn't mind? He didn't care that the heir was practically a blank slate—that he was unaware of every wrong he'd committed? Any other person might have been grateful for that, but not Ace; a part of him wanted Sabo to hate him, to yell and scream and never forgive him. At least then he would feel less guilty, more deserving of the treatment.
"…I always wanted a little brother."
Do you regret saying that now? A part of him wanted to ask, but the other part didn't want to hear the answer.
He was pulled away from his thoughts when he felt something nudge him in the side. Looking up, he spotted Luffy grinning at him, gesturing for him to move. He allowed his eyes to widen, just a little, as he watched the scarred teen motion his green-haired friend over. Did… did he actually intend to sit there? Next to him—to the one who hurt him?
"You should stay away from him, you shitty brat," stated the waiter from earlier, heading over from the other table. Ace wasn't sure what to make of him. He seemed to care about Luffy yet only minutes ago he was hitting him. That hardly seemed like a healthy relationship. Not that he could say anything without being hypocritical since he'd hurt Luffy more than anyone…
Turning to the blond—Sanji, was it?—Luffy's face sagged into a pout. "I don't wanna."
"Idiot, you—"
"Zoro said it was okay," the teen stated in a tone that made it sound like the whole issue was null and void.
"Who cares what the marimo says? He's a moron."
"Watch it, ero-cook," the green-haired man warned as he stepped over, arms folded.
The two began bickering and amidst it all Ace noticed the eyes of most of the costumers were glued to the scene. He felt bad, being the underlying cause of the commotion. Clenching his fist beneath the table, Ace pulled his mouth taut. "He's right, Luffy." The voices of the two quieted, listening carefully. "Go back to your table."
If he was the cause of the scar on the boy's cheek, what other damage had he inflicted? He'd been wondering that since the night before, going over it again and again, wondering if allowing Luffy to work for him was a bad idea. Maybe—
Ace gaped as the boy sat down on his lap.
"L-Luffy, what are you—"
"You wouldn't move," the boy declared, turning his big, puppy-dog eyes to face the heir. Ace sputtered, unsure of what to say to that. It didn't seem like the teen was looking for a reply, though, as he turned away to gawk at the tabletop, his face falling back to that serious contemplation from earlier. "…It's okay, isn't it?"
He swallowed. "Lu…" He wanted to say 'no'. More than anything, at that point he just wanted to be alone—to wallow in self-loathing, isolated from the world. Somehow he doubted the smaller person on his lap would allow that. Something about him had changed since they last met, but what? What happened during their short time apart?
"I like Ace."
The heir blinked. Did he… really just say that? His voice was so quiet that he doubted it made it across the table.
"You're nice. It's not fair that I'm scared of you; you don't remember why."
Ace bit his lip. "But—"
"I'm stronger, you know," the boy stated with a grin, turning to face the youth once more. "And even if you hurt me, I'll be okay. I'm not alone anymore."
His eyes widened.
"Sanji! FOOD!"
The waiter closed his eyes in resigned defeat, waving his friend off as he headed to the back. "Yeah, yeah. Stop your whining." With that, he slipped back into the kitchen.
Zoro took his place beside Sabo and the two introduced themselves, apparently having never met before. Unlike his other friend, the green-haired man didn't seem to have any qualms with Luffy getting close to his employer, having no reaction at all to the boy placing himself on the heir's lap. Actually, the youth wondered if that guy was the reason for Luffy's sudden character change—his newfound openness around his boss. He could see the teen glancing at his friend every now and then, seeing him as a source of comfort and security.
Speaking of, Ace could feel the flush rise to his cheeks as Luffy squirmed about, animatedly flailing his arms around as he told their blond associate a dramatic tale of a movie he saw about a criminal mastermind named Crocodile and a kingdom of sand. He was having enough trouble trying to adjust to Luffy's sudden friendliness without the boy using him as a chair, thank you.
"Oi, Luffy… Mind getting off me?"
Immediately his limbs froze, face sagging into a pout as he turned to his makeshift seat.
"I'll move over," he assured.
Suddenly the dread vanished just as quickly as it came, a firm grin taking its place. "Okay! Shishishi!"
Really, Lu… Why are you acting like this?
"Stop moving!" Ace groaned, his servant's bony backside digging into his legs.
"Shishishi, sorry Ace." Still the boy continued fidgeting in place, watching the entranceway with uncontainable excitement. He bounced up and down, ignoring the elder's moans of pain as he did so.
"Can't you at least take off your hat?" the heir asked. "It keeps poking me in the eye!"
Luffy shifted himself around, ignoring complaints from the one he was using as a chair, brown eyes meeting gray. "But it's Shanks's hat!"
"It was my dad's first, you know," he grumbled lowly, his words falling on deaf ears, completely disregarded by his company. They continued gawking at one another before begrudgingly he lost, heaving a sigh. "Just stop squirming so much, alright?"
The child beamed at him, wrapping his tiny limbs around the elder's torso. "Thanks, Ace!"
"Yeah, yeah…"
Once again he was ignored, the boy unable to stay still for more than five seconds. Attempting to keep him from falling over, Ace snaked his arms around the boy's waist, holding him still. His grip only tightened when he spotted Sabo running in, taking his place at the chair closest to them, a toothy grin firmly in place. Following after the short blond was a large, burly man. Roger grinned, as always, causing Ace to scowl. Still, he remained quiet as a large cake was set down in front of the boy.
Luffy looked about ready to jump out of his seat, mouth drooling as he struggled to keep from stuffing himself right then and there. Rouge stepped in from behind her husband, reaching out to run a small, pale hand through the youngest boy's thick strands. A maid approached, lighting the eight candles on the cake.
"Happy birthday, Luffy," she congratulated, rubbing his cheek lightly with her thumb.
"Shishishi! Thanks, Ace's mom."
The woman paused, pulling her hand away as she turned to her husband, a contemplative look on her face. Ace seemed to be the only one to notice.
"What are you going to wish for, Lu?" Sabo asked, head resting on his palm as he looked to the boy with amusement. Meanwhile the maid flipped off the light switch, leaving the candles to burn brighter in the darkness of the room.
"I can wish for something?" He waited for the blond's confirmatory nod before laughing in excitement. "That's so cool! I wish—"
"Don't tell him, idiot," Ace chastised, trying to ignore the elbow digging into his ribs. "Keep it a secret."
The younger blinked. "Why?"
"Because that's how it works," the freckled boy answered with a shrug.
"Oh. Okay!" He sat there, waiting for something.
"Blow out the candles," Ace instructed.
"Oh, right." He hadn't believed the child when he said he never had a birthday party but now he couldn't deny it. No wonder he was so excited. Inhaling as much oxygen as he could, Luffy puffed out his cheeks and blew each flame into extinction, leaving them in complete blackness until the maid flipped the lights on once more. Everyone clapped for the boy, Ace moving to ruffle his hair.
Before he was able to devour the sugary sweetness before him, small wrapped bundles made their way over, stopping him. He squealed, tearing into the first. The wrapping paper dropped to the floor in a heap and brown eyes roved over a silver frame, in it a picture of the five of them together. His smile grew weak and everything fell into silence. Ace was the only one who caught his trembling but said not a word.
Rouge took one more look at her partner before stepping forward. The boy's eyes lingered over the photo for a long while before finally making their way to the blonde's face. She smiled. "We were wondering…" Her voice faded as she knelt beside the boys, looking up at Luffy fondly. "Do you want to be a part of the family, Luffy? We could adopt you."
Ace's grip around his waist tightened slightly, anticipating the answer. He could hear his brother-to-be sniffle, his lip quivering as he held back his emotions. Eventually he shook his head.
…Wait, what?
"You don't?" she questioned.
Again, the boy shook his head. "I already h-have a mom and dad…"
Listening to the boy sob quietly on his lap, Ace narrowed his eyes. If he had parents, where were they now?
"Ace?"
The voice snapped him back to reality and he blinked, finding himself once more at Baratie. His three companions were staring at him, waiting for something. "Hm?"
"I can't get up if you don't let me go," Luffy stated.
Looking down, Ace found his arms wrapped slightly around the boy's waist. He startled, releasing him immediately with a blush. "S-sorry…" Despite his apology, he was curious; Luffy hadn't pulled away.
Could the day get any more bizarre?
The teen stood, waiting for Ace to shift over before he sat back down in the booth. At least now he had room to breathe. Luffy was really light though… was he eating properly? As he thought more, he remembered the boy's black-hole-like eating habits, as though each meal was his last. That worried him.
Everyone was staring at him, eerily so. "W-what?"
Sabo was the first to speak, leaning forward on the table with narrowed eyes. "You remembered something," he stated rather than asked.
"No—"
"You did the same thing last night," the blond continued, ignoring his younger brother. "Care to explain?"
They continued gawking at him, a little surprised. He could see that nostalgic look of restrained fear creeping into Luffy's eyes.
"It's nothing, really."
No one said anything, no one demanded answers, but through it all he could see them holding back the urge. Still, he didn't explain, fearing what those memory flashes meant.
How long could he remain blissfully unaware?
Ace leant against the outer wall of Baratie, waiting for Luffy and Sabo to pull up with the car. Zoro stood beside him, staring out at the city streets, barely registering his existence. He wasn't like the others—didn't constantly glare at him or send repulsed looks his way. The only people who were that relaxed when they first saw him were Marco and Thatch. Actually, it'd been a while since he last saw Thatch. Wasn't he a cook or something? He'd have to pay him a visit.
Curiously he glanced at the swordsman—he'd learned about his skills over dinner. Apparently he was skilled in various martial arts and swordplay. Recently he had returned from a kendo tournament; he'd lost in the finals to a man named Dracule Mihawk. Luffy sure made interesting friends.
"So," he started, looking away from the man as he tried to think of a conversation starter. He hated the silence between them. "How long have you known Luffy?"
Arms crossed, Zoro thought. "I met him a few nights after he ran away from your place."
He ran away? Well, it wasn't that surprising.
"He's really trying," the man continued, his voice husky and deep. His dark eyes locked onto Ace's. "Luffy's trying to move on. He may be an idiot, but he's an honest idiot; if he hated you, he'd say it."
The youth's eyes widened.
"Don't make him regret it."
Marco stretched, releasing the pent-up stress he accumulated over the past twenty-four hours as he waited for the water to boil. Earlier in the morning he'd stayed at the mansion, explaining the very limited knowledge he had on where Ace was and what he was doing to his rather distraught parents. Yes, he understood why they were nervous, but he also understood that Ace needed his space. No matter how much they wanted to deny it, their son wasn't the same as he was before. He might never be as they remembered him and he might never care for them the way a child would care for their parents.
He might never see any of them as family. They had to learn to deal with that.
But Marco wasn't going to dwell on that. Oh no, he was going to eat. The sun was barely visible on the horizon, hiding behind the curve of the earth. Soon darkness would envelope the world and by that time, he was going to have a full stomach. For once he had a chance to have a relaxing meal by himself and he wasn't about to waste it.
And then the doorbell rang. Damn it.
Heaving a sigh, the blond glance once more at the pot of water on the stove, assuring it hadn't reached a boil, before getting to his feet and heading into the living room. With his luck, it was probably Thatch looking for someone to bother after getting piss-ass drunk with their brothers. That was so typical of him. And while he'd rather ignore the redhead and continue cooking in peace, he'd prefer his brother stay there where it was safe than go somewhere that, in his drunken stupor, he could get hurt.
Releasing yet another breath of air, he opened the door. "You better not—" He paused, faced not with the brother he expected.
Ace looked up at him, face coloured red by the evening chill. "…Can I come in?"
For a moment the blond continued blocking the doorway, eyes narrowing as he took in the boy's appearance. The clothes he was wearing didn't look like anything his parents would have for him, nor did he recognise them from the outfits he'd brought over. Cheeks and nose flushed with cold, he looked at him with hesitation, very unlike usual.
Rather than answering his question, he asked one of his own. "How'd you get here?"
"Sabo dropped me off."
It wasn't like Ace to lie so blatantly. Pushing aside the fact that Sabo had no idea where he lived, the chill on his skin spoke of a long walk. He'd found the house himself.
But he shouldn't have remembered where it was.
Deciding to keep quiet about his false truths, Marco stepped aside, granting the youth entry into what was once his home. Immediately he looked around, mouth slightly ajar as he studied the furniture, the bookshelves. He removed his shoes and placed them on the left side of the mat at the door, just as he used to. Then he stood up straight and stepped further into the room, looking around once more.
"I used to live here?" he asked, running a hand over the back of the sofa, feeling the material beneath his fingertips.
"Yeah," the blond noised in reply, standing in place as he allowed his former roommate to search and study the front room, finding his way over to the case of DvDs, pulling them out at random. "Those are yours."
A small grin crossed the boy's lips as he glanced over, continuing to read the titles in his collection. "I thought so," he stated, "Doesn't seem like the stuff you'd like."
Folding his arms, Marco leaned against the wall, watching as Ace made his way across the room. "So," he started, "what brings you here yoi?"
Ace tensed, turning away, trying to pass it off as him looking at the bookshelf. "I wanted to see it." Removing a photo album from the shelf, his hand traced the titled, hesitant to open it. "I wanted to see my home."
Marco's eyes softened. Well, it wasn't a complete lie. Something told him that it wasn't the honest truth, though. He was worried about something. He was worried and need a place to escape to—somewhere to go to relieve his fear and anxiety and just relax. Somehow his blank mind was able to pull up the memory of his address and there he was.
Well, couldn't push him away after that, could he? "I'm making dinner yoi," he announced. "Hurry up."
At first Ace looked confused. It wasn't long before the freckled youth was following him into the kitchen, seating himself at the table. For a moment it felt like his roommate had never left; it was all too nostalgic.
At least, until he noticed the pot boiling over.
Quickly he lunged for it, turning the stove off as boiling water splashed onto his forearm. He winced, "Shit."
Ace was at his side in a second. "Oi, you alright?" he questioned, reaching out to aid the blond.
Marco shoved him away lightly, covering the burn with his palm. Shit. He was careless. He should have paid better attention. "It's fine."
"Let me see," the heir insisted, grabbing his wrist and pulling it close. Marco wasn't having any of that, shoving his grip aside. Ace scowled. "I'm trying to help you."
"I said it's fine yoi."
Anger faded from Ace's face, replaced with disappointment. Pulling his mouth into a thin line, he broke eye contact, looking worriedly at the blond's covered injury.
Damn brat. How could he say 'no' to that?
With the heave of his umpteenth sigh that day, Marco looked away, allowing his friend to reach for his limb once more. He removed his hand, revealing untouched, unmarred skin.
"…What?" Ace questioned, tugging it closer, studying with narrowed eyes. "But I saw you get hit…"
Marco couldn't say anything—couldn't confirm or deny what Ace thought he saw. But it seemed he didn't have to; before he knew it, the boy was gasping, spotting a tiny blue flame before it fizzled out. He jumped back, releasing the blond's wrist. Wide eyes moved from his arm to his face and back again.
"What… what was that?"
So much for a relaxing meal.
A/N: So. Devil fruits. Seems random, right? Well it's not, I've been planning it from the beginning and even put in subtle hints throughout (remember Marco hitting Ace with a shoe and it not hurting him?). But since we've been so many chapters without them (because I stretched out the beginning of the fic more than I should have) I was starting to wonder if I should just not put them in since you guys might not like me adding them in :( I thought about it for a few months and finally decided that I'd rather not change my original plans for the story. There are still other things that haven't been mentioned that'll be added in later and the abilities hold significance to the plot, so I decided to stick to my original plan. Hope you guys don't mind :( Also, I'll be sure to make the wait for the next chapter much shorter than the wait for this one!
To my lovelies~
maybe143: Glad you like!
Diclonious57: Surprisingly, his head was not kicked :P
samettikettu: Lol I got some reviews that were so shocked about the bagged milk XD You too~
94Insane: He doesn't have a bad temper in EVERY story... just all of mine and any related to canon :P No! Hints are bad! Don't compare me to Agatha... she blows me out of the water XD
Kitsune Foxfire: Yep, I'm pretty predictable :P Yeah, Sabo's wallet's going to be hurting after he sees the fridge. They're officially Canadian XD
Labyrinth-chan: Sorry, I don't mean to depress anyone ^^; Nope, Luffy's not blood related to Ace or Sabo in this. Glad you like!
Sachiel Angelo: Lol I drink bagged milk daily so... XD Yeah, they have bagged milk quite a few places.
DianaLea: The rotten food... there's a reason for that. Just keep it in mind, alright? ;) That was a minor cliffy. I could do far worse if I wanted to but I'm not that mean :P
TheAnalei: Yay, we have a Canada fan! :D Don't see too many of those. We can thank Zoro for Luffy's sudden mood change.
Bluebird42: More people who like them being Canadian! Yay! :D Luffy needs a babysitter to keep an eye on him XD
MysteriousEyez: Yes, bagged milk is a think. And toques are winter hats :P Both can be googled. Sabo will ask questions, but he's more understanding than most other people, fortunately enough. Zoro's going to be a big factor in this story, as I'm sure you're aware.
Animezpeps: Here's an update! If you want to know, you'll have to wait and read.
Kei-kei Yuki: Here's more! Really? Your first time reading AceLu? Well you've come to the right place :D I have a few more AceLu fics if you're interested ;)
spoons-are-evil: Zoro is indeed amazing. Because readign would be no fun if you didn't have questions :P Yeah, the Blue Gentleman was kinda seeping into the story at that part of the chapter XD My bad. Yep, Canada! My home! :D I've noticed that too, it's always the US or Japan. But actually quite a few of my fics take place in Canada, I just don't say it outright. Like the country Ace and Rouge visited in Born in Fire where he met Marco was Canada. Yes, we have bagged milk. In fact, there's bagged milk in my fridge right now. You can google if if you're curious :P Yep, we celebrate Thanksgiving in October.
azab: Glad you like!
Shirani-Chan: Glad you like the long chapters because they're here to stay :)
TheRoseJr: Why would you want to not read fanfiction for a year? o.o You're welcome?
Angelic Fluffle: We'll just have to wait and see ;)
(And that's the update. What do you guys think? Hope you had fun reading! Adieu~)