Ace was ready to tear his hair out. He trudged through the forest, firsts clenched as he followed the path up to the mountain with Sabo. The kid that had introduced himself as Luffy was following behind, clumsily tripping over gnarled roots and stray vines. He ran a hand through his hair and glanced at Sabo from the corner of his eye. Their gaze met and they both spun around, glaring daggers as they watched Luffy swipe the dirt from his knees. When he noticed their attention he sent them a beaming smile, eyes nearly closing from it.
"Oh thanks for waiting up for me!" Luffy tilted his stray hat up above his eyes and set his innocent gaze on them. Ace quickly looked away, hardening his heart from the sight. Just cause the kid was kinda adorable didn't mean he was any less annoying. He focused his attention back at Sabo and cringed when he saw his friend looking back at Luffy with widening, blue eyes. Ace smacked him on the back of the head and grabbed his arm, spinning into a full sprint and leaving Luffy behind.
When he was sure they lost him, he slowed and hid them behind a large jungle tree, panting and out of breath. He braced his hands on his knees and glanced back over to an equally tired Sabo, scowling as he spoke. "Didn't I tell you he was weird? I warned you not to look at him straight on."
Ace straightened and placed his hands on his hips, waiting. Sabo let out an exasperated sigh, fixing his top hat back on his head from where it had fallen and turning his gaze back on him.
"Well I didn't expect that." Sabo rolled his eyes and ran a hand down his face before pausing, as if thinking something over. "He… he's got a look to him. But I don't think it's bad?" His voice rose at the end in question and Ace didn't find himself convinced.
"If feeling like all your secrets can be read isn't bad, then I guess I don't know what is!" Ace snapped, anger flaring even as Sabo raised his hands in surrender.
"No wait, Ace that's not how I meant it." This time Sabo was the one to slap him on the arm and he hissed, ready to fight back.
"What I was referring to was that he's still just some kid."
Ace paused and raised a brow, not sure if he agreed with that. When he had first met him, before Ace knew not to look the kid in the eye, it was like he was looking through Luffy. Through him and into something vast, making the hairs on his body stand on end. Maybe it was because it felt like that something was watching him back. He swallowed harshly and shivered, noticing that Sabo was watching him closely.
"Okay maybe not just some kid," the blonde muttered under his breath and Ace found himself speaking before he could comprehend it.
"You felt that too?" He smacked a hand to his mouth and scowled, he didn't want to be told he was seeing things that weren't there-
"Yeah," Sabo's voice was quiet but still managed to cut through his thoughts. Ace's fears vanished into smoke now that he knew he wasn't imagining it. He leaned forward carefully, meeting blue eyes and staring intently. Even now he didn't get any feelings like that from Sabo, and he wondered if it only applied to the black-haired kid that insisted on following them around.
Sabo nodded to him, face pinched in concentration and spoke as if he read his thoughts. "Ace, he looked innocent and carefree and bright," Sabo hesitated at his glare but plowed on. "But there's something to him, something bigger. Like his presence was bigger than his body. I-" Sabo cut himself off and looked away from him, cheeks coloring in shame.
"It scared me, and I don't know why."
Ace leaned back against the tree, raising his gaze to the clear sky as he slid down. After a moment, Sabo joined him on the forest floor and twirled his top hat in a nervous gesture. Ace didn't want to admit it, but he had been scared too, and hated it, so he chose to be angry. Still, Sabo shouldn't have to feel that shame by himself, so he let out a sigh and nodded his head.
"Yeah, yeah I know what you mean." He wasn't going to admit it outright, but he at least wanted Sabo to know he wasn't alone. Not that it mattered either way, it wouldn't change anything, the boy was still annoying. As if one cue, a high-pitched voice sounded nearby and they both groaned in annoyance.
"Heyyy!" The call echoed from down the path and they stood, preparing to run. Ace debated on whether or not they should head out deeper towards their hideout or grey terminal. He cursed as the voice came closer and jogged away, ignoring the pleading tone following after them.
"Can I play too? I promise I can be a good friend!"
He saw Sabo slow slightly and glance back, but he gave him a pointed look and he turned away with a huff. Eventually the younger boy would go away. Even if he had to throw him into another ravine.
xxx
He did not go away. In face Ace was now physically trying to pry his hair from his head in frustration. Sabo gestured for him to hurry and to help move the treasure, but all Ace could think about was how annoyed he was that they had to do this at all. They had managed to lose the wannabe pirates that were hot on their tail, but Luffy had been captured. Normally Ace wouldn't have cared, and he still didn't, but now the loudmouth kid knew where their treasure was.
"Uhgf this is so stupid!" He hissed under his breath even as he grabbed a sack full of their gold and trudged down the mountain path. They decided to put it slightly closer to their hideout this time but far enough away that the treehouse wouldn't be noticed immediately. After the trek back to their old hiding place, Ace and Sabo settled down near some bushes and waited for the inevitable. Luffy would break and the pirates would come, then they'd have to beat them back before they could get a good night's sleep.
Hours passed and they began to get restless, wondering why no one had come. He glanced over at Sabo who was biting his lip and looking towards the dark forest in trepidation.
"I think I'm going to go check out what's happening." The blonde's voice was a hushed murmur, but it was still loud in the silent night. The only other thing Ace could hear besides his voice were crashing waves, which was odd since they were far off from the beach. Instead of answering and shattering the thin silence he nodded, showing he understood and made a show to settle back against a tree. Sabo tipped his hat and was gone with a rustle of leaves.
Now alone, Ace couldn't hide the feeling of something being utterly wrong. He grew up in the forest, so he was used to the sounds of wild animals and loud bugs. What he wasn't used to was the sheer silence that nearly made his ears ring. It seemed like even the trees didn't dare rustle their limbs in fear of making a sound. He was distinctly aware of his own breathing, slow and even and somehow so, so loud. Even then, it all seemed to be drowned out by the violently crashing waves that he knew he should not be hearing, and it was slowly beginning to drive him insane. It seemed like each crash grew more and more violent, and he was tempted to see if he was closer to the sea than he thought. Maybe a storm? He took a glance at the sky and saw the stars tinkling brightly against the black void, not a cloud in sight.
xxx
Sabo moved quietly through the trees, well as quietly as he could. Normally the forest was more alive with noise, making it easier for him to use the rustling of leaves to his advantage, but none of that happened now. He heard his own heartbeat in his chest, heard how each grain of dirt shifted under his foot and it unnerved him to no end. The one thing he could hear though, was the raging water of the ocean. He didn't bring it up to Ace earlier, but he knew he shouldn't have heard it so clearly from how far inland they were. He swallowed and tried to ignore the crawling sense of fear that clawed at his chest, listening to how the waves came in irregular patters and sharp slaps of water. Light up ahead made him duck lower into the bushes as he approached a worn down hut.
He glanced around, making sure no one else was near and approached the window, peeking in and feeling his breath catch. Luffy was hung up by rope, blood dripping down his tiny body and onto the shabby wooden floor in a pool. The pirate's knuckles were bloodied, silver spikes peeking out. Sabo turned away and ran back as fast and quiet as he could, ignoring Luffy's cries of pain as he denied knowing where their treasure was. That idiot.
xxx
Sabo wiped blood from his eye as he watched Ace hold Luffy and gently run a hand through his hair while lecturing the younger boy.
"Moron! Why didn't you just say something?" Ace's voice was full of anger, and if Sabo didn't know him as well as he did, he would have believed that he truly was angry. Instead, all he heard was worry. Luffy gave a little cough, his body trembling even as Sabo crouched in front of him to treat his wounds the best he could.
"I didn't want you- you guys to hate me." His voice was small and Sabo cringed, sharing a fleeting, guilty look with Ace.
"That's stupid! So what if we hate you? At least you wouldn't be in all this pain!" Ace's voice came out in a snarl, the concept of taking pain for strangers was surly something that the black-haired boy found idiotic. After all, he and Ace knew full well that no one could be that selfless, Luffy had to have wanted something from them. Maybe some of their treasure? Blue eyes peered at Luffy's face and his heart twisted as tears gathered in the boy's dark eyes. Somehow, Sabo knew that train of thought was utterly wrong.
"But I couldn't let you guys hate me," tears welled over and streamed down Luffy's face as he looked back up at both of them. Being alone is more painful than being hurt!"
Sabo's heart clenched and he looked away, unable to stare at Luffy any longer. He glanced at Ace and watched as the blood drained from his friend's face, eyes widening as he looked down at Luffy in shock. Sabo knew then that this was fate, because no other declaration could make Ace, who hated everyone, look at Luffy with such love in his eyes. It was like watching dawn break on an island that never had sun, and Sabo smiled as Ace leaned over and gently buried his head into Luffy's hair, pretending not to notice Ace asking Luffy if he wanted him to live. Luffy's weak nod was all Ace needed and he buried his head further into dark locks to hide the tears.
Sabo smiled at the scene before jolting, smacking Ace and ushering him away from Luffy. "Ace wait we can do this later! Luffy is losing a lot of blood!"
Ace jerked back as if burned, his eyes widening in horror at having forgotten the fact that Luffy was probably in a lot of pain. Carefully, he picked him up bridal style, his freakish strength coming in handy as they turned to rush up the mountain.
"W-wait. Just take me to the sea!"
"Are you an idiot? How's that going to help?" Ace yelled as he completely ignored Luffy's request. Sabo gave the boy a quizzical look and echoed Ace's words.
"Luffy, salt water would be bad for you. And you're a devil fruit user aren't you? You'll just infect your wounds and then drown." The blond tried to reason with the boy who began to weakly squirm in Ace's arms, eyes growing wide in alarm the further from the sea he was taken.
"N-no! Please! Trust me!"
Sabo and Ace slowed to a stop, glancing at each other then back to Luffy. It was a stupid idea to entertain, but Luffy looked so desperate as he glanced in the direction of the sea, his eyes pleading with them. A part of Sabo wondered if this had to do with how otherworldly Luffy always felt, that maybe he did know what he was asking for. Sabo glanced back at Ace and saw the same thoughts reflected in his dark eyes. They slowly nodded to each other and spun back around, now chasing the hill down to the sea where the ocean churned in violent fury.
Once sand crunched under their feet, Luffy began to wiggle more, staring at the water with a longing that made Sabo uncomfortable. He swallowed and decided to be the one to voice the question. "Luffy, are you sure?" There was more that he wanted to ask, but he couldn't ask just yet. The nod of affirmation that he received made him sigh as he and Ace both came closer to the water, watching the dark currents reach further and further towards the shores. Sabo squinted, almost sure he was seeing things until Ace paused beside him and spoke.
"Luffy…" Ace's voice was more subdued than he was used to, immediately catching his attention. "Why is the water following us?"
Sabo snapped his attention back to the water and his eyes widened when he understood what Ace was asking. The waves crashed against the shore oddly close to them, but they were still quite far away from the main shoreline. It was as if this section of the sea had reached out just for them while the other waves maintained their boundary.
"Mama is worried," Luffy's voice was low, so Sabo was positive he misheard to reason but-
"You're- What!?" Ace's exclamation made him swallow because yes, Sabo had heard Luffy right. Luffy who was now squirming more desperately and reaching to the water, face grimacing in pain.
"Put me in the water, I promise it'll be fine!" His voice sounded so sure and Sabo could only watch as Ace nodded numbly and trotted forward again, the waves now lapping at his ankles more gently than the rest of the sea. Sabo hesitantly followed, feeling his shoes get wet, then his shorts, shivering at the chilled water. He saw Ace's throat bob as he swallowed hard and kneeled, gently placing Luffy in the shallow shore. They gasped as a current ripped Luffy from them, both panicking and shouting his name and wading in until their new friend looked back at them, a reassuring smile on his face even as he was carried further out.
Sabo's mind was racing a mile a minute, knowing that as far out as Luffy was, he should be sinking, drowning. He was a fruit user after all, but all that happened was a gentle rocking motion that kept Luffy afloat.
"This is weird." Ace hissed, his eyes glued on Luffy and his mind likely coming to a similar conclusion as him. All Sabo could do was nod in agreement. A gust of wind nearly tipped his hat off his head and he grabbed at it absently, watching in fascination as Luffy was gently spun around in the water, a happy smile on his face. It was only when another breeze blew past him that Sabo realized that the air wasn't so still anymore. He paused, straining his ears and furrowing his brows at the distant sounds of trees rustling their limbs and forest critters chirping in the night. When had all the noise come back? His breathing wasn't so loud anymore though and for that he could only be thankful.
"Hey Ace," he waited for the boy to turn to him, almost reluctant to look away from Luffy. "I don't know if you noticed it before, but the sounds, they're back."
Ace furrowed his brows in confusion before realization dawned on him, his head snapping to the forest in surprise. "It was quiet," he murmured, almost to himself.
Sabo nodded in agreement, toeing off his wet shoes and socks, grimacing at all the sand he would have to clean off. "I think it happened just now." Sabo nodded towards the ocean and silently communicated: When we put Luffy in the sea.
Ace followed his gaze back to Luffy, trying to figure out what he was saying. Sabo sighed and shook his head deciding to tell him later. For some reason, it didn't feel like the best place to talk about how weird Luffy was.
"Hey!" Luffy's voice called out, stronger than what it was before. "I usually sleep here, I hope you don't mind!"
Sabo brought a hand to his face and furiously rubbed, because of course he shouldn't be surprised anymore-
"What!? Are you stupid, stupid?" Ace's shout was lost in Luffy's laugh and all Sabo could do was smile at his friends.
xxx
A few years later…
Ace and Sabo were sitting back against the wood of their treehouse watching Luffy sleep. He didn't always sleep there, sometimes preferring the sea, but that was okay with them. Luffy was a mystery, a boy too happy and wild to be kept to one place. Ace took in a deep breath, tearing his eyes away from his youngest brother to look at Sabo, his eyes trailing along the burn mark across his eye and the few that twisted down his neck to disappear behind his collar. Ace would forever be grateful to Luffy for saving their blonde brother, grateful for the mysterious power he held over the sea to bring Sabo back to them from that explosion.
"Ace," Sabo's voice was low, his eyes still on Luffy. "Our birthdays are soon."
Ace closed his eyes and took in a shuddering breath. It had weighed heavily on their minds, knowing that they had to leave Luffy behind. He clenched his fists on his lap, his shorts scrunching as he crossed his legs. The treehouse was a little too small for them now, but it was home, no matter how uncomfortable it could be sometimes.
Luffy murmured in his sleep, a happy smile on his face as he nuzzled his straw hat. "I know," Ace managed to choke out, blinking away tears. He took a stabilizing breath and turned to Sabo, a fire lighting his eyes when he met blue. "But we have to protect him." It was something they could both agree on, but their methods were completely different. Ace wanted Luffy to stay here and get stronger, but Sabo was weak under Luffy's pleading gazes and soft smiles. Hell, Ace was too, but he knew when to look away in time, before his will broke.
"He's not going to be any safer here," Sabo tried to reason, gesturing to the scrapes and bruises their baby brother still managed to get. Every time they had this argument, Ace's will slowly eroded away. It was chipped further when they would visit the town and people would stare at Luffy like he was some treasure to be had, it made him so fucking mad. He gladly beat anyone who dared to look at his brother like he was something to be owned, to be bought. Sabo must have noticed his mood because he grasped on to it, desperately hissing out his argument to take Luffy with them.
"If we aren't here to protect him, then someone could steal him. If those celestials find out about Luffy-" Sabo cut himself off, rage evident on his face at the mere thought. The blond shook his head, his knuckles white and jaw clenched. "Ace, I would never forgive myself!"
Luffy stirred slightly and rolled over, clutching Ace's leg and smiling into his calf as he used it as a pillow. And god fucking damnit, fate was against him. The last of his will shattered and rubbed a hand across his face, eyes defeated.
"I know, I know." He swallowed and looked towards his brother, sighing when he saw the hopeful expression on Sabo's face. "You're right. No matter what, we gotta protect Luffy."
The answering smile he received lifted some of the tension from his shoulders, even as he looked away from it to run a hand through his baby brother's dark hair. Smiling at the trust given to someone like him.
Ace glanced back at Sabo, seeing his own thoughts reflected in blue eyes. Luffy was their treasure, their family. They would burn the world down before anyone took their baby brother from them.
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Was a tough chapter, hope it came out ok. No beta, yell at me in the comments.
Also, I'm pretty glad ya'll like this. Thanks for the reviews and favs/follows
Adventure begins in the next chapter. I know I skipped quite a few scenes from childhood but I didn't feel the need to be super detailed. Hope that was okay.
Thanks for reading
