Full Summary:
AU 15-year old Portgas D. Ace was left with a newborn little brother after his parents' deaths. While he first contemplates abandoning Luffy, upon seeing his brother's smile, he vows to protect him at all costs. Ace struggles to adapt to parenthood and keeping to himself as to not draw any suspicious eyes. But upon making a powerful enemy from a neighborhood gang, the feared gang leader Whitebeards makes him an offer. Now Ace must balance the difficult road ahead of him while keeping his brother safe. Thankfully, he makes some good friends and Luffy who cheers him on all the way.
Chapter 1: Sweet Smiling Face
Ace was half-dozing in his seat as he absent-mindedly stirred his coffee while its scent filled the small kitchen. He had trouble sleeping last night and dreaded the fact that he would be forced to watch for any narcolepsy episodes throughout the rest of the day. The fact that the sky outside was gloomy and full of clouds didn't help matters and only made him feel even more tired.
He frowned as he kept his eyes closed, making a mental list of the things he needed to do today. Just minor chores such as doing the dishes, laundry, and plan something out for lunch and dinner since he was feeling lazy and the last thing he wanted to do was cook. Maybe they could order some take out…? If only it wasn't so expensive these days…?
He contemplated going to Makino's bar and seeing if she could work her magic for lunch, but he didn't want to have to do that since it would feel like he was taking advantage of her kindness. Honestly, he didn't know what they would do without her help… probably have starved to death or something a long time ago…?
Ace came out of his musings and glanced at the clock on the kitchen stove that showed that it was already passed nine. He blinked in shock, had he really been thinking aimlessly for over an hour? He glanced down into his coffee and realized that the steam had long-since faded and the cup was cold, causing him to grunt from annoyance.
Kicking himself, he stood up and sighed as he dumped out coffee, not in the mood to try and make another. He washed the cup and put it into a cup-board before running a hand through his unkempt hair and flopped down on the couch in his living room, fighting the urge to fall asleep right there.
If it had been any other day, he may have been tempted to just cancel all plans and just zone out watching TV… but he glanced at the calendar where today was circled with a bright red circle and the word 'zoo' filled in it.
Him and his promises…? He told Luffy that he'd take him to the zoo today and he knew that his little brother would be devastated if he ended up not doing it. And the last thing he wanted to do was break a promise to his four-year-old baby brother when he had been so excited all week?
He set his feet up on the coffee table as he closed his eyes, getting comfortable as he tried to work up the energy to face that adventure. Though as the image of the calendar came to his mind's eye, he could see the date again and that ended up triggering some memories that he thought he long-since buried. Maybe that's why he was so tired today since it was exactly four years ago did he first bring Luffy home after their parents' deaths…?
He had only been fifteen-years-old when he lost everything but his little brother.
He still remembered that part of his life all too clearly…?
For the first half of Ace's life, he couldn't remember having any kind of male role model. He never met his biological father, for the man died before Ace was even born. That thought always angered Ace, for though his mother always spoke of him fondly, he couldn't say he held any kind of affection for a dead man.
It was just him and his mother against the world for the first ten years of his life. He remembered how his mother went to work at the Party Bar to earn money for her to raise a child, it was there that she first met with Makino, who had become something like a big sister for Ace, always making sure to stop by with new clothes for him or bring leftover food from the bar when she knew they were struggling…? She was practically an angel with how kind she was towards them.
When he got older, he would help out at the bar by washing dishes or some other tasks as a way to thank her. Makino said that it was good for him since it kept him from getting into fights at school—where he was often made fun of for not having a dad. Life continued like that, at least until his mother introduced him to the man who would become his step-father.
"Dragon?" Ace in the memory asked, folding his arms as he judged the rather intimidating-looking man before him. "I can't tell if that name's badass or just stupid."
Dragon just smirked back and replied in a slightly hoarse voice, "You can ask my father that. The man's insane though, so that might explain a few things."
Ace got along with Dragon for the most part. Dragon was a rather vague character that Ace didn't know much about, but he seemed decent enough. At least, he treated his mother well, which was all that mattered so he approved of their relationship. Still, he wasn't sure how he felt about having a 'father' when he never experienced that before now. Thankfully, Dragon never forced any kind of relationship with him if Ace wasn't comfortable about it, which worked out for them both. Ace respected him as his mother's husband and maybe something like a distant uncle that he knew had his back if he needed him. That was how things worked for them for the next few years and Ace grew content with his life in that small house with his mother's favorite flowers growing out front.
Until just before Ace's fourteenth birthday when they came to him with news he didn't expect.
His mother was pregnant with a little brother or sister.
Ace put on a smile for her sake, but he honestly wasn't sure how he felt about that as he took a long, hot bath that night. A little brother or sister around? What were you supposed to do with a younger sibling? He had been an only child his entire life till now, so he had no idea how one was supposed to interact with a sibling…? Let alone one with such a big age gap! By the time the kid was born he'd be fifteen years older than them!
It wasn't like he had a lot of friends to discuss matters like this with either, save for a few kids that he talked to in-between classes, though even that was rare since he had a tendency to skip classes whenever he felt like it.
His parents encouraged him to try his best in school, but the thing was that Ace struggled to keep his attention focused in the classroom. Though he had tried, his mind was constantly wondering and he felt suffocated by being forced to sit still for hours on end while a teacher up front would ramble on about this or that which held no interest for him. At least until it came to sports and gym where Ace excelled in. He was naturally stronger than all the other kids, crushing them in just about any kind of outdoor activity and was often made into team captain for competitions.
"You could get a sports scholarship at this rate," his mother once said proudly as she ran her fingers through his hair.
Ace could only force a smile before looking away, not sure how to break the news to his mom that he had no plans to attend college, though he wasn't sure what he wanted to do otherwise. He wasn't the studious type and was only making the effort in going to high school for the sake of his mother. Ace was still dealing with the effects of his anger issues from when he was younger, so getting into fights wasn't unusual for him.
Ace didn't know why he was like this, nor why whenever he heard someone trash-talking his family, the blood would go straight to his head and he would go charging in without a second thought. He soon earned a reputation for being as rough and violent as any gang member, which only made Ace even angrier.
One such incident came clearly to mind when he was fifteen, and if not for the quick-thinking of one of his teachers, who knows what would have happened to him? In those days, whenever he would get in trouble at school, they would call up his mother to come and get him, but with her pregnant, she was struggling a bit more than usual so during the later months of her pregnancy, it was his step-father coming to get him before they would drive home in an awkward silence.
"Do I want to know the reason why you knocked out that kid's teeth?" was all he asked after they got into the car on that foggy day.
"That Charlos idiot deserved to get his face flattened," Ace retorted, refusing to go into details.
"That boy comes from a very wealthy family," Dragon warned, "You're lucky that he didn't remember you knocking him out thanks to that concussion you gave him. If he did remember, his father would have brought hell down on you and I rather not see you get sent to Juvie."
"I have an alibi," Ace answered back as he thought to the music teacher, Brook, who stepped in when he did.
"Even so, you need to learn to control your temper," Dragon warned again, "You're young for now, but that excuse won't fly when you're an adult. Powerful people like him are difficult to deal with."
"Is that why you hate dealing with High Town?" Ace asked, thinking of the most expensive, extravagant part of the city where those high-born brats come from.
He knew his step-father had to deal with them from time-to-time, but it was no secret that he loathed having to go there when the two halves of the city were divided by a mountain of trash that the high-borns created by throwing out literally anything that wasn't wanted.
Ace didn't really understand what his step-dad did, but he could see the thought of having to interact with them, even if it was an act, was like a punch to the mouth for him.
"In a matter of speaking," Dragon said with a roll of his eyes, "I just don't want to see you make your life harder than it has to be because you couldn't control your anger. There are times where you need to fight and times where you must wait. What did he say that made you that angry anyway?"
Ace growled, thinking about how that idiot Charlos came through the school while claiming to be here because his father was 'kind' enough to be donating such a large portion of money to their 'poor' school. Anyone with brains could see that he was just doing this to try and get some good publicity since there were a lot rumors that Charlos's family were secretly involved with several 'unsavory'.
Something that Ace, nor anyone else, had no doubts over.
It seemed the plan to improve his standing was for Charlos's father to show up to one of the high schools that weren't well off, give a good portion of money to help with funding, posing for pictures for the headlines, before leaving again. Such a donation was a small drop in the bucket for him anyway, so this was nothing but trying to try and dispel any bad rumors about him.
This was all stuff that Charlos bragged about as he walked the school halls, earning more than a few nasty looks, while he boasted how he was only there so his father could show him how fortunate he was not to have to deal with the 'dirt' of society. But at one point, he wandered down another hallway and up some stairs where Ace was just coming down from the roof. He had skipped his first class that day to catch up on some sleep since the last thing he wanted to do so early in the morning was Geometry. The two had the misfortune of running into each other on the stairs, with Ace almost knocking him down before reaching out and grabbing his arm to prevent him from tumbling back.
"Sorry," Ace apologized, moving past him, just wondering what they were to have for lunch, before Charlos barked back at him.
"Hey! Asshole! You almost knocked me down! Worse yet, you touched my clothes! Now I'll have to have them cleaned and disinfected!"
Oh, Ace could tell that this was going to be a satisfying day when he was already mentally picturing breaking this lard's fat face.
He tried to ignore him at first as he descended the stairs and into a hallway, all the while with Charlos going on and on about his station and how one as low-born as Ace should be on his knees to beg for mercy.
"Look, that may work for someone desperate enough to suck up to your daddy, but that won't fly with me!" Ace warned, growing angrier with every passing second, "I don't give a damn who your dad is but if you want to fight, I'll be happy to show you my fist!"
In a matter of seconds, they got into a heated argument where Ace barked at him to just grow up since he just bumped into him before pointing out that he probably had enough clothes that he doubted he ever wore the same thing twice. Charlos didn't seem to realize the danger he was in until he finally snapped that Ace clearly had a poor upbringing if his parents couldn't teach him manners. Afterwards Charlos made the big mistake of calling Ace's mother something so terrible that Ace couldn't let that fly. Ace just saw red and the next thing he knew, a good punch to the face was enough to knock the idiot's head through the nearby lockers before he rolled and went tumbling down the flight of stairs to the floor below. It all happened out of instinct and Ace didn't even realize what he had done until the music teacher, Brook, came out of his classroom at the commotion. The moment he saw the mess, putting two-and-two together, he took charge as Ace was panting as hard as a wild buffalo to calm down. Brook helped with that by splashing his bottle of water over Ace's head to snap him out of his rage before he pulled him into the music room, telling him to hide out here while he took care of things.
Ace had always enjoyed the eccentric teacher's personality and loved to hang out near the classroom just so he could listen to him play. Perhaps Brook knew Ace would be in serious trouble this time, and was why he chose to help him.
Thankfully for him, Brook was able to get help for Charlos and was so convincing in explaining to everyone that he saw Charlos on the stairs before he slipped and smashed his head into the lockers on his way down, that no one questioned him for long. To be safe, Brook kept Ace hidden in his classroom until he was able to slip away from the commotion long enough to call Ace's parents to come and get him while everyone was fussing over Charlos. Since Ace had skipped his earlier class, no one was even aware that he was at school that day, so there was nothing to pin the blame on with Ace anyway.
"You need to thank Brook when you next see him," Dragon informed him as Ace nodded, promising to stop by the music teacher's classroom when he next had the chance to thank him for his quick-thinking.
It was another few minutes of awkward silence as Ace mulled over everything that happened. He knew that Dragon was right, and that his temper was going to get him in serious trouble one day if he wasn't careful. Ace didn't know why he was like this… he wasn't sure why he was so angry at the world.
"I know it's rough," Dragon spoke up, breaking the silence at last, "But please try to keep yourself from getting into too much trouble for now. The last thing we want is to stress your mother out."
Ace glanced at Dragon from the corner of his eye, remembering how his mother was so excited for the birth of her second baby and he didn't want to do anything that could upset her now. So, he nodded, promising that he would try to do better.
"Good, you're gonna have to start setting a good example for your little brother or sister," Dragon smirked. "That will be interesting to see. Hopefully, you won't corrupt them too much."
"Oh, I'm sure I'll corrupt them plenty," Ace countered with a wave of his hand, also grinning, "I'm planning on teaching them all the best swear words, how to pick locks… and maybe how to throw a good punch. I mean, just the important life skills we all need, right?"
The two laughed, where both were now curious to see what kind of big brother Ace would become to this little one.
It would be less than two months later when everything changed forever…?
Ace thought back to that terrible night where he saw his parents for the final time.
*Four Years Prior*
Why did this happen? His mom was alive and healthy just this morning! And now…?
Ace sat in the waiting room, dripping wet from the rain outside, all while wringing his hands together as he wondered if he should call up Miss Makino and ask for her to come here just so that he didn't have to be alone.
But there was no hiding the fact that he was all on his own now.
His stepfather and mother were both dead… dead because of… that thing.
He had been pretty indifferent to the thought of having a little brother or sister around, but now, he found out that they both ended up in a car accident on their way to the hospital just so she could give birth to that creature?
He had been at home only hours ago, watching TV, when his mother asked if he knew where her raincoat was because she needed to go to the hospital.
"What's the matter, mom? Is something wrong?" he asked, trying not to sound worried but failing miserably as she smiled back.
"It seems that your little brother or sister is just eager to come into the world," she reassured him, stroking her belly lovingly. "They've hardly stopped kicking for a while now so I think its best we head to the hospital now. I think the time is coming soon."
"I thought that they weren't coming for another few days," Ace asked, startled at the news, dropping the pen he had been using to try and complete his homework—important word here is tried.
"The due date is only a guess, sweetheart… it's not a reservation," she chuckled, wincing slightly as the baby was kicking again, "I'm pretty sure they're ready."
"What? Right now?" Ace demanded, looking out the window to see the rain splattering upon the glass. "It's dark outside?!"
"If a baby wants to go through the trouble of being born, then it's only natural they want to make sure they have the whole family's attention," Dragon answered back, having found her coat and draped it over her shoulders before they headed to the door. "What better way than making sure to get the entire family up so late? Ace, you're the man of the house until we get back."
"We'll contact you once everything's settled down, sweetheart," Rouge promised, running her fingers through Ace's hair lovingly before leaving, "I can't wait for you to meet your new sister or brother. I know you'll be the best big brother ever."
The moment that they walked out that door was the last time Ace ever saw them both alive.
A few hours later, he got a call from the hospital, relaying the news that there had been a bad accident on their way and they were hit with a car. His step-father managed to get his mother to the hospital before he ended up bleeding to death from his injuries… and his mother was left both in labor and in critical condition. They weren't even sure she was going to make it through the rest of the night. Ace couldn't even remember clearly how he got there after that… he only remembered running as if the devil was after him as he was drenched with rain.
He didn't stop running until he got to the hospital, soaked to the bone, and filled with panic as he looked around for his mother, desperate for news.
He didn't care what anyone said to him when he heard his mother's cries of pain from down the hall and he bolted—even knocking a few doctors out of his way as he raced towards his mother's voice.
He had to get there. He had to protect her!
But even as he burst into the room, all by hyperventilating when he saw the blood that covered his mother's front and the bed. Her complexion was sickly as she breathed hard, as if struggling for air and she seemed to be hanging on by the faintest of willpower as a doctor and nurse were attaching blood bags to her arm.
"Mom? Mom!?" he begged, trying so hard to keep it together as his mother's pale face could only smile down at the little bundle in her arms. Upon hearing his voice, she raised her head, and she smiled a little brighter at the sight of him there.
"A-Ace," she whispered weakly, "Oh, thank goodness… I was… I wanted to see you again."
"Mom? Are you ok? Please don't push yourself," he said, rushing to her side, staring at the blood that stained her dress. But his mother didn't answer his questions as she moved the bundle so that she could see it more clearly.
"I was so worried… I'm so glad to see you both safe," she whispered softly, stroking the baby's face with a finger as he was forced to watch, not even glancing at the baby as his mother grew paler by the second.
"Mom?" he asked in a trembling voice as her breathing seemed to catch in her throat and the doctor was calling the panic button for more help as he tried to take the baby from her. But she held on long enough finish by saying, "His name… will be Monkey D. Luffy. That was the name that he liked."
Luffy… his little brother.
Suddenly, her arms gave out and she no longer had the strength to hold the baby before the doctor took him and passed him off to a nurse, trying to save the dying mother. Ace was pushed back as he stared on, his mother's eyes finding his own as she smiled one last time and her heartbeats stilled to become a thin line.
Ace was forced out of the room after that as two more nurses rushed in and one took the baby away for observation, concerned that there were no cries coming from him, but Ace found he couldn't care less about that brat now.
That was how he found himself sitting in the waiting room, trying to come to terms with what just happened.
He had lost his mother… his family…? He really liked Dragon, and he suddenly wished he said that a little more often. But now he would never have another chance. He lost everything in one night.
And it was all because of that… thing!
That brat… if he didn't choose tonight to want to be born then his family wouldn't have been in that car accident!
His mother and step-father never would have died!
Ace just wanted to hate that thing for taking his family from him.
It was all its fault! He wouldn't be so worried about his future and he wouldn't have been left all alone. He wanted to leave without even looking back, but he wanted to see this monster's face just once to tell it how much he hated it.
That was the only reason he waited around as long as he did, trying to find out information about the baby, waiting to see if it would even survive. If it didn't, serves it right. It was to blame for all this!
He sat there, stewing in his anger, wanting to break something—anything—as he kept his ears open for news. It wasn't until a few hours later when he overheard a couple nurses talking about a baby and his head perked up slightly as he strained his ears to listen. He listened as one of them expressed how relieved she was that the baby survived and she was looking for another blanket for him before bringing a bottle. He knew right away it was the brat before he set off to find the right room.
Ace's steps took him to the third floor where the maternity ward was and waited to see the nurse return. Like he hoped, she soon appeared in the elevator and he silently tailed after her, already making up some excuse if she noticed him. She didn't, however, and she soon entered one of the rooms, forcing him to hide in a shadowy part of the hallway as he waited.
He didn't know what he planned on doing, only that he needed to see that monster's face before he would leave forever. So he waited for a bit longer, anger thundering through his body like blood as an aura of malice seemed to radiate off him as his mind continued to head down ever darker thoughts. A few minutes later, the nurse left the room and walked right by without noticing him, giving him his chance.
Without bothering to knock, he entered the room that held nothing save for a hospital bassinet and a couple armchair set up around it. He could see a tiny form in the bassinet and he made straight for it. Hatred burned his insides with a fury so great that it was painful, as painful as if someone had punched a fist of lava through his chest.
He wasn't sure where he came up with that analogy, but it seemed to fit as he stamped towards the cradle, ready to all but spit in the baby's face for what it had done.
He glared down at the infant for the first time to see that he had hair as dark and messy as his own, features that were pale and sickly, all bundled up like a burrito as he remained fast asleep. Upon seeing it, fury that he never knew before held him in a vice-like grip and his hands reached out on either side of the cradle.
Before he did something unthinkable though, the baby seemed to sense someone there and by some miracle, upon seeing the baby's eyes open, all the hatred and rage Ace felt evaporated like smoke in the wind. Because the eyes that looked back were the exact same as his mother's brown ones, filled with the same warmth whenever she looked at him.
The baby blinked, with Ace completely unaware that this was the first time that Luffy was able to open his eyes and his big brother's face was the very first thing that he saw.
Suddenly… the baby smile. A big smile, completely unaware of how he was left without a mother or father, but was smiling as if nothing in the world made him happier than to see Ace there with him. Ace could only stare with a dumbfounded expression, not really sure what to do as his entire insides were turned on its head. All of his emotions were in turmoil as he tried to rationalize how he felt.
He didn't expect this… he was fully intending to hate and curse the baby for being responsible for this nightmare… and yet…?
He didn't know how long he stood there like an idiot, only that it was long enough that someone else entered the room.
"You're not supposed to be… oh, are you family?" asked a voice and Ace jumped, spinning around to see who it was. It was the nurse from before, and she was smiling kindly at the sight of him there as she held a bottle full of formula.
It took Ace a few quick breaths to realize she had asked him a question.
"Oh, I ah…? He's… my little… brother…" was all he could stammer out, still taken aback by all this.
"Oh, I see, you're the one they told me about," she said, looking on with a kind and sympathetic look. "I'm so sorry about your parents. It was a terrible thing that happened to them. Did you want to see your brother?"
"I… I did but… I just…?" Ace said, completely tongue-tied, not sure what to think. He didn't know what was wrong, only that these foreign feelings were overriding everything else…? He didn't know how to even put them into words…?
But the nurse seemed to understand as she smiled back.
"It's alright," she reassured him as she came over to stand with him. She gently pushed him to one of the squishy armchairs before reaching into the cradle and picked Luffy up carefully—as if he were made of glass. She turned back to Ace, telling him, "It's alright to pick him up, you just have to be careful on how you hold his head until he's able to hold it up on his own."
Ace all but panicked, having never held a baby before and terrified that he would drop him, but the nurse gently pushed his brother into his arms, which curled around him instinctually as he stared at the baby's face.
The moment that this tiny baby fit into his arms, he was captivated by the sweet, smiling face that looked back up. His mother's eyes full of love and trust as the baby's hand, tiny and perfect, reached out to grab hold of his shirt before giving out a tiny yawn as if he felt safe and comfortable where he was.
"Awww, he is just a little ball of sunshine, isn't he?" the nurse asked kindly as Ace stared on. "We were quite worried about him since he didn't cry when he was born, that's very unusual for a baby, you see. But luckily a couple hours on oxygen and he seems to be right as rain. I was just coming in to feed him. Would you like to…?"
Ace didn't know how to reply, but it seemed that she wasn't taking no for an answer as she held up the bottle and showed him how to pass it onto Luffy.
Ace was hardly breathing as he tilted the bottle, silently praying that he didn't do something stupid here as the warm milk touched Luffy's lips and tongue. At that, the baby latched onto the bottle eagerly and began to drink like there was no tomorrow. It was honestly adorable as he all but inhaled the food until every drop of it was gone.
For the first time that evening, Ace smiled, enjoying watching how Luffy's tiny hand reached out to hold the bottle, as if making sure that it didn't go anywhere. After a few minutes though, Luffy began to stir and cry, taking him by surprise.
"What's wrong?" Ace asked, taken aback and fearful he did something wrong.
"Oh nothing… he's just… still hungry," the nurse chuckled as Luffy was still trying to get even just one more drop from it even though it was empty.
At that, Ace just laughed, unable to stop himself as he felt warm tears burning his eyes as the nurse disappeared and reappeared a few minutes later with another. As Ace gave Luffy the second bottle, he felt himself being taken over with a strange calm as he watched Luffy happily drink.
The nurse's smile faded slightly as she repeated, "I truly am sorry about your parents. I wish there was more I could say to you, but I honestly don't know how to help."
Ace was silent for a moment as he watched Luffy drain his second meal and seemed satisfied as his eyes drooped tiredly. As the nurse took the bottle from him, he settled back against Ace, closing his eyes as he began to drift off.
"What… will happen to us now?" Ace asked suddenly, unable to keep that thought from coming out.
"Do you have any other family who could take you in?" she asked and he shook his head honestly. His mother didn't have any other family, and Dragon was estranged from his own—not that he had a large family anyway.
"My… my step-father told me once that his father is still alive, I think, but I never met him…?" he offered, still unable to tear his eyes away from his little brother.
"Then, most likely you will go into Foster Care," she confessed, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I'm so sorry."
"And… my little brother…?" he whispered as the nurse sighed again.
"If your brother still has possible family members, we could try reaching out to them about the situation," she answered, "If not, then most likely, he'll go into Foster Care as well. Who can say where he'll end up?"
Upon hearing that, Ace's head shot up, terror griping his heart as he realized what she was saying.
"We'll… we'll be split up?" he asked as a feeling of cold rushed through him and she looked on sympathetically.
"I'm sorry, but unless you have a family member who can take you both in, it's extremely difficult to find households who are willing or able to take in two children at once," she informed him.
"But I'm not a child," he retorted, not caring if he sounded like one at that moment.
"Not according to the law," she answered back, looking like she truly felt sorry for him. "You are a teenager but still a child in the eyes of the law. I'm sorry."
Ace felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on his head. He heard the many horror stories of children who had been sent to bad foster homes and the thought that Luffy would be stuck in a place like that…? She was right… who knows what kind of environment he could end up in? He needed to be there! He had to protect him! Wait, when did he start thinking like that?
As his mind struggled with such thoughts, the nurse reached over, trying to take Luffy from him, but Ace moved back, positioning himself between her and Luffy before demanding, "You're taking him?" His voice was etching towards panic, and he clutched his brother closer to his chest, half a mind to make a run for it.
"I'm just going to make sure he has all his necessary injections and double-check that he's healthy before we contact CPS," she reassured him in a soft voice.
"Can I…? Can I have a moment with him?" he asked weakly, his head down so that his bangs covered his face. He must have looked real pathetic here for the nurse touched his shoulder in a sympathetic way, telling him to take all the time that he needed while she made her rounds before leaving the room.
He was left alone with his little brother and a million thoughts inside his head.
He sat there with Luffy slumbering on in his arms the entire time, never once doubting that he was safe as he was able to sleep so peacefully. Ace wished he could feel the same as he gently rocked him, his mind racing as he tried to come to terms with all that happened.
What was he going to do?
It really hit him in that moment that this baby was all he had left. This was his family. And as a big brother, it was his duty to look after and protect him in his parents place. He couldn't let them take him away. He knew his mother and step-dad would have wanted them to stay together!
He felt tears in his eyes as he cuddled his brother close, breathing hard to keep himself from losing his mind as he felt overwhelmed by it all.
Little did he know that he wasn't alone for long.
As he tried to think of what his options were, the door opened to reveal another doctor who worked here, and a rather witchy cackle filled the room, causing his head to jerk up. His eyes become sharp as he wondered who would dare to intrude this time.
In the doorway was a slender woman whose exceptionally advanced age shows in her well-wrinkled face. She was dressed in a shirt that bared her midriff, a purple blazer and purple low-riding pants, complete with a navel ring. She also had a pair of small sunglasses along with a regular pair of glasses upon her forehead as she watched the two sitting there with interest.
"Well, this is where you are?" the old woman cackled, "You caused a bit of a panic when you up and disappeared, young man. I figured that you'd be here though."
"Who are you, old lady?" he demanded rudely before being forced to duck when she threw a scalpel at him. Ace felt his entire face turning blue as he looked at how the sharp instrument was now embedded in the wall behind him and gulped.
"The only reason your face isn't in the wall right now is because you have the kid," she warned, "No reason to make him suffer for your stupidity. But don't you dare call me old if you know what's good for you."
Ace just blinked stupidly at her as his brother slept on, completely oblivious to what just happened.
The old hag just laughed at the sight of the two.
"Isn't that sweet?" she asked, tilting up her sunglasses to look at them. "You sure don't look very happy. Though, to be fair, you are a bit young to be a father."
"What? No! He's my little brother!" he snapped back heatedly, but still trying to keep his voice down as to not wake Luffy up.
"Kid, if you could see the look on your face when you thought no one was watching, you wouldn't be saying things like that," she countered wickedly. "The names Dr. Kureha, but you can call me Doctorine. I was just asked to look in on the kid, but you seemed like you're doing a fair job of that on your own. He's your brother, you say?"
Ace looked away, thinking of his mom and step-dad was suddenly painful, while he continued rocking Luffy.
"I heard about what happened," she said, and she sounded a touch sadder than before as she stepped inside. "My condolences. But there's only so much that even doctors can do. I tried my best to save your father, but he was already far gone by the time we got him into surgery. From what we were told, he was able to pull your mother from the wreckage and carried her the rest of the way here. If he didn't, we probably would have lost all three of them tonight."
"What about the one who caused the accident?" Ace asked suddenly, feeling a sense of exhaustion as tears burned in his eyes once more as he thought of his step-dad's actions.
"It was a hit and run from what we were told," she answered, "The police are still investigating the crash site, but apart from the wreckage of your parent's car, there wasn't anything there to tell us what happened. According to some surveillance cameras though, they were able to see that the driver went through a red light and hit them… before driving off."
Ace glared up, fury pounding in his body once more and he held Luffy instinctively closer as he fought to control his breathing.
"He just… left them?" he demanded, furious tears falling down his face.
"I guess he knew he was looking at possible jail time and made a break for it," she sighed as she began looking through some cabinets for something, "That's what the police said, anyway. The rain made it difficult to get a clear picture. I'm not sure we'll know for sure who they are but the police are looking for them."
Ace was inwardly screaming at the injustice of this all! His parents were dead while he and his brother were left orphaned and the coward didn't even have the guts to face them for what he did? He wanted to go running out and hunt this bastard down… to break every bone in his body…?
As if she guessed what he was thinking, she asked, "I'd give it up, kid. There was little evidence to be left behind in the first place and your parent's car is wrecked beyond repair. Unless you have a clear idea who it was who did it, you'd just be running around in the dark. You got bigger problems right now."
Ace was startled out of his thoughts at that before she added, "The hospital will be doing a more thorough investigation to see if there's anyone else they can contact about what happened. If not, then they'll have no choice but to call Child Protective Services to find a place for you both to stay."
"Will… will we be split up?" Ace asked, fear gripping his heart like a hand had reached out and had it in a death grip.
The old lady just sighed at that as she sat down opposite him in one of the spare chairs, with what she pulled out of the cabinet—which looked suspiciously like a bottle of booze. Upon seeing it, he stared at her, not sure what to think, before she held up a finger to her lips to silence him.
"I hide little stashes like this all over the hospital," she confessed with an evil grin, "You tell another soul about this and I'll make sure that you'll wish you were impaled with that scalpel. Now then…?"
She took a long swig of her drink before observing the two of them again and answered, "As for you both, to tell you the truth, I don't know what'll happen to you. It's impossible to say where the two of you will end up. I do know they try their best to keep siblings together but there's only so much they can do. Most likely, you two will be sent to different homes."
At those words, Ace felt his spirits sink as his mind raced once more.
"Could… could it be possible if I just kept him?" Ace asked, stunned by the words that were coming out of his mouth.
The old lady raised her eyebrows at that before repeating, "You want to keep him? Well, it's not uncommon for an older sibling to adopt their younger siblings if there's truly no one else willing or able… but the minimum requirements typically include being at least eighteen years old, pass a criminal background check, have a stable job with financial stability, and prove that you are able to provide a safe and nurturing environment for the child."
Ace bit his lower lip as his heart continued to sink with everything he heard. While he was never good at schoolwork, he was smart enough to know he was in way over his head. He was fifteen for god's sake! There was no way he could look after a baby on his own! But the longer that he held Luffy, the more convinced he was that this was what he wanted to do. He wanted to take him, to be his big brother and protect him! He knew that he could do it, it would be tricky, but he was not the type to give in without a fight. But if the stupid authorities got involved…?
"So what do I do?" he asked, almost desperately, pressing his own face against Luffy's as he fought the wave of sadness that rose up inside him, "I can't… I don't know what to do! But I can't just let them take him from me."
Dr. Kureha observed him for a moment, seeing the young teenager's body shake as he was almost hyperventilating with desperation.
"So you wish to keep him that much?" she asked him in a surprisingly gentle voice and Ace could only nod, his body shaking with unshed tears as he felt himself sinking deeper into hopelessness.
"Well, what if I told you there was a way you could keep him?" she asked, "Would that make you happy?"
She grinned slightly as his head looked back up, his eyes bloodshot, but a wild kind of hope was shining in those dark eyes at the faint promise as she answered thoughtfully, "You're happy. Good. If you're that desperate to keep him, then I know someone who might be able to help."
"Okay, what do I do?" Ace asked hurriedly, standing up, but still keeping his arms stiff so as not to disturb Luffy.
"There's a doctor who works here who has ties to some rather… infamous organizations," she answered back as she leaned back in her chair. "I shouldn't be saying this, and if you tell anyone else then I'll deny it, but what can I say? I'm a sucker for the hopeless fools. Anyway, this doctor knows his stuff and is able to… shall we say… embellish certain documents so in case anyone were to come asking after patients that shouldn't be here…? Then they were never here. If you know what I mean."
Ace frowned slightly, not sure if he liked hearing about this, but he asked, "What sort of organizations?"
"You hear of Whitebeard's Gang?" she asked and his eyes widened slightly as she answered, "He's gang is just one of many that he's affiliated with. More than once the police come sniffing around, hoping to find some kind of lead with Whitebeard that could throw him in prison once and for all, but this doctor is very good at forging certain documents that leave the police with no other option but to look the other way."
"What are you saying? You saying that there's a doctor here who works with the city's underworld?" Ace asked, feeling a rise of bile in his throat at the thought. He heard the rumors, knew how dangerous and powerful that the gangs in this city could be, and Whitebeard just happened to be at the very top of them all.
Still…?
"But… you think he can help me keep my little brother?" Ace asked, a cautious hope rising inside him at the thought.
"I'm not making any promises since you're pretty much a nobody," she cackled. "But it doesn't hurt to ask, does it? It's either that, or you say bye-bye to the baby. You're right, the authorities will never let a child like you take him. You'll have to wait till you're a legal adult to even try to get rights to him and even then… that could take months before you'll be allowed to see him again."
Ace bit his lower lip. This sounded both too good to be true, but also felt like he was making a deal with the devil so to speak. Why would some random doctor stick his neck out for him?
Upon seeing the conflicting expressions on Ace's face, she added, "You would do well to always remember there's no such thing as a free meal in this world. There's always a chance that he may charge you a favor to two in the future. Yet, the truth is, he's got a soft spot for kids, though he may deny it. I'd at least ask. The worse he'll say is that he won't help and you'll be no worse off than you are now. Oh, and don't bother trying to threaten this guy, he's not the type who can be easily cowed. Your best hope is to just be straightforward and hope he's in a generous mood tonight."
"Where can I find him?" Ace asked, still unsure of what to do as Doctorine stood up.
"His office is on the top floor, first door on the right once you leave the elevator," Dr. Kureha answered as she took another long swig of her drink before stuffing it back in the cabinet and headed to the door. "Just tell him that Doctorine sent you and he'll know that you'll be there for a favor. Good luck, kid."
"Thank you," Ace said as he sat back down, watching the old lady go with a wave, while still a conflicted mess to what he should do.
He spent the next hour just staring at his brother's face, to glancing at the clock on the wall, and back again, his mind racing with the many possibilities and risks that doing this would involve. He thought of his mother and step-father and knew that they would want the two of them to stay together, but if that meant making deals with the criminal underworld or the black market…? The last thing that he wanted was to get mixed up with them, especially since he would be responsible for a baby. And that was another can of worms that he would have to figure out.
Even if this doctor would help him… could he really do it?
Raise his little brother on his own like this?
The thought scared him to death, and he was in half a mind to turn and run…? But as he carefully brushed some of Luffy's messy hair back from his face, the baby nuzzled closer to his chest, his fingers gripping his shirt but was so weak that the cloth kept slipping from his fingers.
Upon seeing that, a new blaze of determination roared to life inside him and he knew what it was that he wanted. He stood up and held Luffy close to his chest for a second longer before gently kissing his forehead and setting him back down in the bassinet.
"I'll be back soon," he promised quietly, the baby's hand was so small that it could barely wrap around Ace's finger, "You leave everything to your big brother. I'll figure it all out. Promise. So you just sleep until then."
He held on for a fraction longer as the hand that held onto his finger slowly slipped away from him and he sank back into deep dreams. Ace watched on with a soft expression before he readied himself. Taking a deep breath, he left the room, heading towards the elevator at the end of the hall.
…
This wasn't what he was expecting.
He was kinda picturing some sort of mad scientist or a mafia-looking doctor to be the one to answer the door when he knocked.
Instead, a slim, young man covered in tattoos with short dark hair and small goatee stood there when it opened. He looked at Ace in irritation, as though he was annoyed that Ace used up the precious few seconds it took for him to get his thoughts together. His mind only able to register the name tag on the man's coat: Dr. Trafalgar Law.
"I'm here to talk to you about my little brother who was born a few hours ago and…?" he began before the doctor interrupted.
"If you're looking for maternity ward, it's on level 3," the doctor said briskly. "I'm afraid I'm quite busy and don't have time for…?"
"Doctorine sent me," Ace added, hoping that the old lady's name would help out. To his surprise, he saw how the doctor's eyes twitched slightly, but any annoyance seemed to have left him as he glanced up and down the hall for a moment before standing back and allowing him into the room.
"I swear that old lady keeps herself alive out of spite just to make my life more complicated," he sighed as Ace took a seat in front of his desk. The doctor took a seat as he pulled his keyboard towards him and began typing upon it, asking him his name and his little brother
"Ah, yes… the kid that was born from the car accident victims," he said bluntly as he seemed to have pulled up the file. As he typed, Ace looked and realized that both of his hands are letters spelled a tattooed in black on each of the back of his fingers.
"Alright, let's make this quick," the doctor said, barely turning back to look at him as he asked, "Tell me, are you connected to anyone I should know about?"
"No, no one," Ace answered back, his hands curled up into fists on his knees as he felt more nervous than he had in a long time.
"What? She sends some random person she felt sorry for up to me?" he demanded with a roll of his eyes.
"Hey, I just wanted to talk to you because I need help," Ace countered.
"Then spit it out, what do you need, kid?" he demanded.
"Look Doc, I'm trying here, I'm just trying to figure out what to do," Ace snapped back.
"Don't call me Doc. Just Law is fine," Law answered coldly. "Trafalgar Law. I'm the head doctor here at this hospital. Now I'm only going to ask one more time. What do you need?"
"I'm the son of the Portgas D. Rouge," he answered, "The son of the woman who… who died earlier."
"The one who died after having the baby?" he asked with an eyebrow raised. "Wow, you grew up fast."
"I'm her first son," he snapped, not in the mood for jokes. "And I'm here cause I wanted to talk to you about my little brother! I was told that he would go into Foster Care if he doesn't have any other legal adults to take him in?"
"That's the usual protocol in situations like this," Law confirmed. "In cases where the child doesn't have immediate family, they can be placed inside an emergency foster home until a more permanent solution is found or the family is able to find someone to take the child in. Finding someone willing to adopt a newborn can be tricky. It's even harder for teenagers like yourself."
Ace gulped, knowing there was no point in dancing around the favor and so he got straight to the point by saying bluntly, "Well, I want to adopt my brother."
Law just looked at him, a single eyebrow arching at the request and Ace clenched his hands so tightly that he felt his nails digging into his skin as he waited for what felt like an agonizingly long time as Law took his time to answer.
"How old are you?" he finally asked.
"Eighteen," Ace lied.
"Kid, you don't even look old enough to shave yet," Law countered with a roll of his eyes. "If you're gonna lie, at least make it a believable one. You know we can very easily check that. If you want me to help you then you best explain everything truthfully."
Ace bit his lower lip at being called out, but he slumped his shoulders, knowing that he had no other choice. So he explained the situation to Law, explaining that he was on his own and that all he had left was his little brother and that he was desperate to keep him. He then explained his quick encounter with Dr. Kureha, who directed him here, and he was all but begging to find some way to be granted mercy.
Law was silent the entire time that Ace talked, giving him all the time needed to express his desire in being allowed to take his brother home. When Ace finally fell silent, Law sat there, twirling a pen around in his hands as he thought it all over.
"You're asking to adopt and be responsible for another human being?" he summed up slowly as Ace stared down at his knees. "A newborn, at that. How do you intend to look after him?"
"I still have my parents' house," he answered back, having given this some thought before coming up here. "I remember them saying once they finished paying it off, and it should all go to me, right? My mother has some money, and I get that I'm gonna have to get a job soon enough, but that money she left should be enough for me to live at home and look after Luffy until he's a little bit older. I… I know that it's not going to be easy but…?"
"What about school? What about your future?" Law questioned, interrupting again. "You can't do all that while looking after a baby. If you had other family members then we might be able to work something out, but you admitted you're on your own."
"I know! But I have to do this!" Ace begged, tears of desperation filled his eyes. He never felt more useless in his life and he was just desperately trying to hold onto whatever he had left as he cried, "I hate school! I was planning on dropping out soon anyway and getting a job. Better that than wasting my time there! But… Luffy's all I have left! And… he needs me! I'm the only one who can protect him. I'll do whatever it takes to take care of him and provide everything he needs."
"You're still a child yourself," Law pointed out, leaning back in his chair and observing him through those sharp eyes. "I'm not sure you realize just how much work this will be?"
"I know it's not gonna be a walk in the park! But I can learn! I have to! Please… I can't… I can do this," he said firmly. "Just… give me a chance to prove it."
Law looked long and hard at him, his expression completely emotionless as Ace felt his hopes slipping away like trying to hold onto water in his bare hands. He looked down as hot tears fell and he didn't care if the doctor laughed at him for it. He was just at the end of his rope and he was struggling to keep himself from sinking ever deeper into the pit of despair that threatened to consume him.
Law, however, just watched him, feeling a stab of pity when he saw how lost and alone this kid looked. He knew the feeling—the desperation to hold onto family—and the face of his little sister flashed in his mind's eye. He sighed at that, now getting why the old hag sent this kid to him… because it hadn't been that long ago where he had been in a similar situation.
Still, the circumstances were very different and he knew nothing about this kid so giving him his wish was a risky gamble. Rather than answer right away, he turned back to the computer to pull up the records of his family, looking over them critically for the next few minutes as a plan formed in his mind.
"Your date of birth is in our records so we can't really change that. You are fifteen as of now, correct?" Law asked and Ace could only nod dully before he went on, "But you did say that your brother has a grandfather?"
"All I know is his name, Monkey D. Garp," Ace said, wondering where he was going with that. "But he and my step-dad had a bit of a falling out years ago so I don't know how much help he'll be. Hell, I don't even know how to contact him…?"
"Well, we can forge some documents saying that he'll be the legal guardian until you're eighteen, where we can officially switch it all to your name instead," Law went on, going through the files. "You're right in that it won't be easy. You're going to have to be careful and try to avoid speaking about the matter to as few people as possible. If you think that you can realistically look after him for the time being, then I suppose it won't be that much trouble to fix a few records here and there. Only those who know specifically what to look for will be able to find these documents and we can just claim that they fell through the cracks—it happens. But your brother is still going to need a doctor for checkups, so you'll have to bring him to me until everything is officially in your name. I don't like dealing with kids that often, but I can handle it so long as it's only for checkups."
Ace slowly raised his head, staring at Law, unable to believe what he was hearing as Law looked back with a very serious expression.
"Don't make me regret this, Ace-ya…" Law warned. "I'll be checking in on you from time to time and if I find anything that shows that you aren't capable of looking after your brother, then all it will take is one anonymous call to CPS to make sure you lose him. If you try to blame any of this onto me, trust me, I have my ways of silencing people up for good. But if you are certain of this, I'll take care of things on this end and reach out to a few police friends of mine. You go home tonight and get everything ready… you're sure to have a lot on your plate with funeral arrangements and everything else. When the time is right though, we will talk about the best time to get Luffy-ya out of here without drawing attention."
Ace went home in a daze that night, completely lost in his own head as what was happening fully sank in.
Ace didn't sleep at all that night, which was probably what led to his first case of narcolepsy episodes, but he did what he was told and took care of things as best he could. The first thing he did was drop out of school, making sure to thank Brook again for all his help that day, before returning home and got everything else ready for his brother's arrival.
Law wasn't one who wasted time nor was he one to come up with half-hearted plans. He was also a big help to him, along with Makino, in arranging a small funeral for his parents and settling things with insurance and the bank.
Law was able to work from the shadows to make the process move as quickly as possible, helping him out with making sure that the ownership of the house was passed onto him, as well as making sure that the money in his parents accounts were accessible to him. According to Law, who had a look at their finances, as long as Ace budgeted carefully, he should have enough to last about two years, though that was thinking rather optimistically at best.
"It's a blessing that the house has already been paid off so you don't need to worry about any mortgage payments or rent. Just the basic maintenance so you do well not to break anything because you'll be responsible for paying to get it fixed on your own. But it would be good for you to find some kind of part-time work in-between when you can," Law warned over the phone as Ace sat at the kitchen making a list of everything else that needed to be done. "For now though, you'd do your best to stay out of everyone's sight. It might look suspicious if a teenager was seen with a baby without a parent around all the time. If you can keep quiet about this until you're a legal adult, then we can switch your name to the legal parent so the less trouble you cause, the better."
"How's Luffy doing?" Ace asked, wanting to see his brother's face now more than ever.
"He's doing well," Law answered, "I had some police friends speak with some of the staff and convinced them that they think they found someone to take him in but just need a little more time. It would be best to get this all finished as soon as possible though, so if we can get everything done as planned, then Luffy-ya should be able to go home with you by the end of the week."
Law was as good as his word. With his many connections, he was able to get everything in the system changed so that Luffy was considered to be somewhere 'safe' for the time being. Law assured Ace that even the most skilled hackers would be hard pressed to discover that the documents were false, so he should be safe for the time being. He created a fake identity in the system that said that both he and Luffy were taken in by a distant family member for the time being.
At the end of the week, with Law distracting some of the nurses, Ace was able to tuck Luffy under his coat and left the hospital with Law promising to fill out the discharge papers in his stead so as not to draw any more attention. It seemed that Luffy had become very popular with the nurses during the couple weeks while he was there, and they were constantly cooing over him whenever they had spare time.
"Honestly, you're doing me a favor by taking him since they don't seem to be able to get anything else done," Law said in annoyance.
"I can't thank you enough for this," Ace said, making sure his brother was wrapped to his chest and safe under his coat before leaving, "I swear… if there's anything I can do to repay you…?"
"Just don't make me regret doing this," Law cut him off, as brisk as ever. "I meant what I said. I'll be checking in on you both whenever I deem fit. If I see anything that looks like neglect, I will make sure you never see him again. Now go before I change my mind."
Ace just gave him a bright smile as he left the room, Luffy sleeping sounding against him, as he silently slipped out of the hospital. He was able to take a taxi home, and to his relief, his brother slept peacefully with him. He didn't cry once so the driver never realized that there were two of them in the back seat when he was dropped off in front of his house.
The whole time he had been here since his parents deaths, it no longer felt like home to him. It felt cold and empty… with the quiet the worst part. No more sounds of music coming from his room, no more of his mother humming to herself as she set about doing chores, nor of his step-father stepping out to work on whatever projects that caught his fancy. It felt… like he was living in a mausoleum.
But the moment that he returned that night with Luffy, he felt some of that happiness return as Luffy snored slightly. He didn't dare relax though until he tucked Luffy into the crib in his room, with Ace falling asleep with his head against the railing, holding his brother's hand in case he needed him.
*Present Day*
Ace leaned against the cushions, still resting his eyes so that he could enjoy the rare moment of silence as he braced himself for another day of parenting.
He was always going to be grateful for Law for doing this for him.
Looking back, the first couple years were the hardest. Though his parents did leave him some money, it wasn't much in the grand scheme of things and he knew that he would have to figure out something sooner rather than later. But his parents had already stocked up on all manner of baby things for his little brother including a crib, toys, baby food, clothes… pretty much everything he needed to help him get started.
Not that he had a clear idea of what to do after he got his brother home.
The first day when Luffy started crying, he felt that he was going to lose his mind with panic since he had no idea what was wrong.
Thankfully for him, Makino there to help. She was the only person he confided in about Luffy and what Law did for him, knowing that she was to be the first to question him and he didn't want to lie. It took Law a little while to be on board with her knowing, but agreed that Ace would be needing all the help he could get.
Though Makino wasn't happy about the situation, she respected his wishes and kept quiet as she spent a vast majority of her time over the next few months at his house teaching him everything he needed to know about taking care of a baby. How to change a diaper, how to mix a bottle of formula, how to make sure not to make a bath too hot or too cold…? These were some of the many things that he had to learn fast if he wanted to get by when she wasn't here.
He was honestly terrified most of the time, convinced that he wasn't capable of anything remotely gentle or kind and that he would accidently hurt Luffy in the process.
Makino would just smile at him as she watched how he would wipe Luffy's chin free of milk with a shaking hand, as though frightened he would accidently leave a bruise if pressing down too hard.
"You don't give yourself enough credit, Ace," she reassured him kindly as she showed him the best way burp the child after his feeding. "I don't think that you'd ever intentionally hurt Luffy. Now, let's try and get him ready for a bath? He's such a messy eater."
All that time, Ace had done his best to follow Law's advice and pretty much cut the two of them off from the rest of the world as to not draw too much attention. Since he couldn't take Luffy to a regular doctor for checkups, he made sure to call Law, who would stop by on his way home from work to have a look at him. Fortunately, Luffy was a very healthy kid, and rarely got so much as the sniffles, which made Ace's life a hair easier since he didn't have to stress out about constant hospital visits.
In the meantime, Makino would do a lot of grocery shopping for him and would accompany them out with Luffy in the stroller so that his brother could get some fresh air. She was honestly a godsend during those first six months and that's not counting teaching him things like cooking, cleaning, doing the laundry…? He was convinced she had the patience of a saint to put up with the many mistakes he made while slowly got into the swing of being a single parent.
For the next three years, it was mostly just him and Luffy on their own and the two grew extremely close as he would care for and play with him. Luffy just seemed to adore his big brother, and was always happiest whenever he could just be with him. That big, goofy grin of his was something that never failed to cheer Ace up as he would roll onto his back and Luffy would plop onto his chest with giggles.
It was like the two of them lived in a little bubble during that time, where it was just them and nothing could get inside. He cherished those times as he would play with Luffy, all the while teaching him things like how to walk and speak. The fact that Luffy's first word happened to be his big brother's name had Ace smiling for days.
"Ace!" Luffy chirped up, rolling on the floor as Ace tickled him, "Ace! Ace! ACE!"
He would shriek and giggle as Ace laughed and asked, "What? What is it? What you want? You have no right being this cute!"
Time moved on, the years slowly rolling by until the day came that he turned eighteen. Finally, Ace returned to the hospital with Luffy in tow, to speak with Law again. When he saw how Law seemed satisfied with how well Luffy was being taken care of things, Ace held his head up a little higher as he waited for Law to work his magic. Ace had no idea how he did it, but he wasn't going to question it as soon as he got the official documents with their names on it.
"It's too late to back down now," Law informed him as Ace took the papers with a big grin, "He's your responsibility so you're stuck with him."
Ace just laughed as he scooped up a three-year-old Luffy, who was coloring on the floor while they waited, and held him high before hugging him tightly.
"It's official!" he said joyfully to Luffy, "You're mine!"
Luffy just giggled and sang out Ace's name, clearly not understanding what was going on, but was just happy to see his big brother so happy.
With that taken care of, Ace felt more comfortable taking Luffy out with him without fear of being judged or someone calling CPS on him. Luffy was all for this, having grown tired and cramped inside their tiny house and needed room to roam free. Though Ace would take him out whenever he had the chance, his paranoia of being discovered overrode any rational thought for the most part. But after that day, he made sure to take Luffy outside whenever he had free time with him, such as walking to the park where he was allowed to run and get as dirty as he wanted.
That had all been about a year ago and Luffy was now a happy and healthy four-year-old. Always happy and smiling with a ravenous appetite that often made it hard for Ace to keep up with the food bills since they were both heavy eaters. It shouldn't be a surprise thought, seeing how much he ate that first night in the hospital was where he knew that this was his little brother. Still, he had to do something to save them money whenever possible so that was when he would start to leave Luffy with Makino for a few hours every few days as he would look for some kind of day jobs to earn some spending money.
He was able to do small tasks around the city to earn some beris, but he soon found that he was able to make some decent money by sneaking off to Trash Mountain to try his luck there. For through the mounds of garbage, one would usually find pretty decent things that could be sold off. It was where Ace could find some good furniture that only needed some minor repairs before being able to take home for them to use. Or maybe good wood that could be used for some projects around the house such as how he was able to build a small treehouse for Luffy in their backyard for him to play in. But every once in a while, he would find something truly valuable to sell off that could earn them a few hundred or even a couple thousand beris in one go. That would get them through the next month or so without worry.
The only down side was that fights often broke out in that area between gang members when such objects could be found. Every day the mountains of trash on the outskirts of High Town seemed to grow bigger and bigger, so the potential to find something valuable only seemed to make people more tempted to try their luck. Just the other day, he found out that a fight between gangs belonging to Don Krieg's and Wapol broke out as they fought over some pieces of treasure that had been accidently thrown out.
Ace could handle himself in a fight, but he hated the idea of returning home covered in blood or injuries when Luffy was waiting for him. So he did his best to be in and out of the junkyard as soon as possible to avoid being spotted. But just last week, he ended up finding a real piece of treasure in the form of a little bell made of pure gold that sold for a surprising amount. With that, he decided he would celebrate by treating Luffy with a trip to the zoo.
Speaking of which…?
"Ace!" yelled a familiar voice and suddenly a tiny figure, dressed in red pajamas, came flying from behind the couch and landed on his chest, causing Ace's eyes to snap open as he let out a grunt of pain.
"Oi, Luffy! Warn a brother before you go jumping on them!" Ace scolded with a grin as Luffy laughed and said 'woops' before sliding off his brother's chest to plop onto the soft pillows next to him, still giggling the whole way.
"You're extra happy this morning," Ace commented as he rubbed his chest and watched how Luffy's eyes seemed to be brighter than usual when he asked, "What is it?"
Luffy pointed to the calendar on the wall and chirped, "Ace said we're going to the zoo today!"
"The zoo? Did I say that? Are you sure that isn't for next week instead?" he asked with mock seriousness, enjoying nothing more than teasing Luffy until his little cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk in frustration.
"Ace promised!" Luffy told him with a pout as Ace laughed again.
"Well, if you say so, then I guess it must be true," he commented, "But don't you want to wait until later…?"
At hearing that, Luffy leapt onto Ace's chest again, laughing as he reached up with to play with his big brother's face and tugged playfully at his hair as he begged, "Shishishi, let's go, Ace! I wanna see the monkeys!"
Ace only laughed as Luffy's smile seemed to brighten up the entire gloomy sky outside before admitting defeat and said, "Alright, we'll go now. You go get your shoes and change and we'll head out."
Luffy cheered and leapt down from the couch, forcing Ace to chase after him, doubtful that even something as small as a trip to the zoo was going to end without some kind of incident. His instincts were screaming at him to not let Luffy out of his sights and he was even contemplating in investing in one of those child leashes…?
Not that Luffy would ever take to being on a leash willingly. However, it was clear to anyone who watched them that Luffy cherished his big brother more than anything, and often did what he was told if the order came from Ace. Not that it stopped him from getting excited and jumping into trouble…?
Ace just smiled in apprehension as he helped Luffy to dress and put on his shoes before heading out the door.
…
As usual, his instincts turned out to be right, for barely a few hours after leaving the house, a soaked Ace and Luffy were escorted from the local zoo to the parking lot.
"Now that we're out of there, tell me what gave you the idea that jumping into the dolphin exhibit was a good idea? What if something happened to you?" Ace snapped as he carried his little brother piggy-back down the road to the bus stop.
"Shishishi, they looked like they were having fun, splashing around and stuff, so I thought I'd join em!" Luffy smiled, a hand on his brand new straw hat that he begged Ace for from the souvenir stand before leaving. The little boy rested his chin on Ace's shoulder as he continued giggling which Ace could only sigh and shifted Luffy higher on his back so he wouldn't fall off.
"You do remember you can't swim to save your life?" he reminded him, remembering the moment of panic when he looked away from his brother for a brief moment as he looked around at the stalls for inspiration for lunch. This turned out to be a mistake for the little boy was so captivated by the cheerful dolphins that he went jumping over the wall that separated them and into the water below.
Ace barely heard the splash before he knew what Luffy had done and went diving in after him. Which was where the zoo keepers came running in when they heard the commotion. Thankfully, after a lot of apologizing on his part, the manager turned out to be a curly-haired woman name Dadan, who seemed taken with how cute Luffy was and gave them only a slap on the wrist before allowing them to leave. Which was a good thing because Ace didn't think that they could afford to be banned anywhere else.
"That's ok, I knew you would be there if something bad happened," Luffy chirped, so open and trusting as always which touched Ace's heart. The kid was like a puppy, just happy and content with someone around—a little too trusting for his own good.
"What will I ever do with you?" he asked fondly as Luffy giggled and laughed with glee as he hung off Ace's shoulders.
Even to this day, Ace could remember the blaze of determination that rose up inside him the moment he decided to speak to Law for help. Upon seeing that tiny hand struggling to hold onto him, he vowed to give his brother everything he could. He wanted to give him a support system, someone who loved and cared for him. He felt true shame for thinking such dark thoughts towards an innocent baby and blamed him for something that wasn't his fault.
It was the bastard who caused the car accident who was to blame for his parents' deaths.
He never went into details about what happened to them to Luffy, only showing him pictures so he knew what they looked like and explained that they were in heaven watching over him. Luffy was sad that he couldn't met them, since he thought his dad looked super cool and mom looked really nice.
"That's them in a nutshell," Ace laughed at him. "I know they would have loved you though. Sadly, you're stuck with just me for now."
Luffy blinked at that before saying, "Why's that a sad thing? I have the best big brother in the world to protect me!"
That caused Ace's heart to melt and he promised he was going to make sure Luffy's next birthday was going to be the best one yet.
He wasn't a saint, not even close, but Luffy never cared or judged him for it. That little boy loved him unconditionally from the moment he smiled at him in the hospital.
Ace knew he didn't deserve it… he didn't deserve having someone like Luffy in his life. It was his job as his big brother to take care of him because… because he was the only one who could.
So that was how any anger he had for Luffy always seemed to just melt away, such as in this case as Luffy just talked about how hungry he was and where they were going for some food. Ace just smiled back, telling him that they would stop by Makino's if he was hungry as his little brother shouted out with glee, and held on tighter. Luffy might be a handful, as well as annoying at times, but he was his little brother, and Ace wouldn't imagine life without him.
(So how is it starting off? Wanted to start off the New Year with a new story. This story was in my head for a long time and I just had to type it out. Needed some loving big brother moments here so I hope you all enjoy the fluff. As for Sabo, he will be appearing in this story later on so please look forward to that as well as more bonding moments like this. And yes, I do think that Law would totally be doing something like this in the real world if he was here.)