Chapter Text
“Are you sure?” Sabo asked, for the seventh time that morning. “You've never lived alone before.”
Luffy laughed again, probably at Sabo's fretting, but possible just because he could laugh. Luffys just that kind of person. “I won't be alone! Sanji and Zoro and Nami and Usopp and Chopper and-.”
“Get off your ass and help us move this fucking thing,” Sanji Black yelled from his place practically under Luffys bed. It was just the mattress, but it was obscenely large for any one person and was a gift from one of Luffys many friends. Hopeful this friend was more along the line of the college students and young adults that he was moving in with, and less like the gang bosses that Ace and Sabo have had to occasionally save him from.
Sabo had good reason to worry.
Luckily, several of the younger mans roommates happen to be up and coming fighters. And there were quite a few of them. So hopefully that'll give them a leg up in handling Luffys special brand of trouble – aka, the kind that got Sabo that bullet wound in his arm.
“Coming!” Luffy yelled, jumping off the counter and going to try and help Zoro and Sanji get the bed through the doorway.
Sabo watched him go with worrying eyes. He knows Luffy can handle himself, he, Ace and Garp had all tried to make sure of that – in each their own ways, but this is the first time in years that it wouldn't just be the three of them. And yeah that's a big reason for his worry. Without Luffy there to fill the place with laughter and the occasional explosion, will the apartment start to feel empty? His and Ace relationship wasn't new, even if it's been very limited to in certain areas because of Sabo's dislike of anyone touching his scars and Ace's general disinterest, and they haven't been fighting anymore then they did before they made it 'official'. But, Luffy's been there every step of the way, from when Sabo showed up on Dadans door the day of his eighteenth birthday, to the day Dadan finally kicked them out. (With several thousand dollars and a holler to go get themselves lives.) They all chose this apartment together, and sure it's not in the best part of town, but that only serves to piss of Garp whenever he visits, and that's just a bonus. Anywhere nicer would be too expensive for them to pay for when Luffy ineptly broke something (or everything).
This was their home. That hole in the wall was Luffy's, and the one right next to it was Ace's. Whose going to bother the neighbors or get them free coffee at the Amazon Lily?
“You're not going to actually cry are you?” Ace slid next to him, shirtless as he often was, and honestly looked concerned. Which would be sweet, if he didn't already know it was just because crying people made Ace extremely uncomfortable. Especially when it's Sabo, because boyfriend rules state that you must comfort your crying boyfriend. Sabo should know, he's the one that wrote it in their boyfriend rule book. Or the BRB for short. It's hidden somewhere where Luffy couldn't get his hands on it, because he's tried to make weird changes to it in the past as a joke – but that won't be a problem now anymore will it?
“Maybe,” He was force to admit. He opened his mouth to defend his glossed over eyes, but the sound of yelling cut him off. Sabo wonders how Zoro and Sanji are going to manage to live together when they can't go five minuets without wanting to tear each others throats out.
“We should probably go help them before the brake one of Miss Tsusa's plants,”
Sabo groaned at the very thought. He does not need the kind of drama that would bring into his life. “Fine, come on.”
–
“We really don't need a new roommate,” Ace pointed out, which yeah it's not like Luffy had been paying much in the way of rent while he lived with them.
But.
“… It just feels a little empty,” A lie, kinda. And they both knew it. This is just Sabo worrying about things that he shouldn't be worrying about. It's different now, because before it was three brothers living together in the big city and now they're a couple living together and that type of shift kind of terrifies him.
So, new roommate!
Ace would feel insulted that his boyfriend doesn't want to live alone with him, but he's been a having a few of the same worries. It's not like Luffy gave them much warning before he moved out. Ace is not mentally prepared for this quite yet.
“Make sure they can cook,” Ace suggested, leaning over Sabos shoulder to get a look at the add he was filling out on his laptop. “And that they'll be okay with us… you know.”
“Yeah yeah,” Shrugging off Ace's chin so that he can lean closer to the screen. Hmm, better make sure they don't end up with some old man. Age 19-30.
“Thirty? Isn't that a little old?”
“Shut up and help me fill this out.”
–
“Come on Marco, you're getting old.”
“I'm thirty,”
“Old~.”
“Shut up Thatch, yoi.” Marco very maturely didn't push Thatch off his perch on the counter, even if he was being a little shit. It had nothing to do with the cast that was still encasing the cooks leg. Or their fathers watchful gaze from his place at the large table. Marco is just the better man here.
“You better hurry up before your life passes you by!” Thatched teased, leaning towards his older brother with a twinkle in his eye. Marco vows not to catch the asshole if he slips. (He knows that's a lie. Thatch – the bastard – also knows that.)
“He's right my son,”
Thatch crowes in triumph. His joy however is swiftly killed when their father continues with: “You should move out.”
There was a collective “What?!” from the Newgate sons currently present.
Edward Newgate didn't move from his seat, but he did put his bottle down on the table. “You've spent the whole of your twenties helping with the company, living and working here.”
“Hold on Pops!” Thatch jumps in, flailing his arms. “I didn't mean to kick him to the streets.”
“I would never do that,”
“Oh then-.”
“Marco will still have access to the accounts, he just won't be living here anymore.”
Marco was having a hard time breathing and prossessing what was happening here. He can already feel the headache coming on.
–
“I swear if we get another asshole I'm going to-.”
“Yes I know, you've said exactly what you'll do, several times in fact.” And at great length, he doesn't add. Sabo didn't look up from his laptop, even as Ace's paced in front of him.
They'd just kicked out the third asshole who'd gotten all weird when he caught them kissing. At least this bastard didn't try making bad jokes about their relationship. Even Sabo had to stop himself from punching that guy. 'Scratching the itch' his ass. Of course, this particular brand of shitstain tried to put down 'ground rules' about where Sabo and Ace were allowed to 'do that stuff'. That place consisted of their own room.
“What decade are these idiots coming from?!” Humming, Sabo opens an email from another interested party. Hopefully this one turns out better, he doesn't think Ace's temper could handle another dumbass. “Even Gramps wasn't that big of an asshole when he walked in on us that one time.”
True. They just got a rather intense training session for keeping it from him. And the less said about the awkward hug that fallowed the happier they'll all be.
“-And I'm almost positive that fucking stain is from that the second fucker,”
They both look down at the offended stain of dubious origins. Sabo snorts, “I wish, then we could get the guy to pay for it, but sadly that's been there since we moved in. Remember, the couch came with the apartment.”
Ace huffed before resuming his pacing. Probably now in part fueled by the large stain and Luffy refusal to take the damn couch with him when he moved out. Some little brothers are just so ungrateful.
Sabo watched Ace do another round of pacing before turning his attention back to the email. His eyes scanned each word carefully for any sign that this particular person was going to give them any trouble. His eyes catch on the name of the sender and he already feels his interest peak.
“Hmm, hey Ace, check this guy out,”
–
“You do know that Pops is one of the riches men in the country right? And as his second you fallow closely behind? And that you don't need to live in poverty to try and get Pops to change his mind?”
“I know,” Marco shifted the boxes in his arms so that they all rested on one side. “But this was the closest place to both work and the house, even if it isn't in the best part of town.”
“B-best part?! I'm pretty sure I saw police tape on our way up here!” Izou sidestepped what look to be the remains of a potted plant, trying to avoid getting dirt on his very expensive heels. The look of profound distaste at the whole building and everyone in it, including Marco, for choosing to live here instead of any of the many condos Izou tried to talk him into.
“I'm pretty sure those were just Halloween decorations, yoi.” 209, 210, 211, 212 and…213. There they go.
“Don't you think it's a little strange that they didn't even want to meet you in person first before they agreed to let you move in?” Izou sets his boxes down with a huff. Marco had tried to take several of them before they started up the stares but that had only earned him a glare. So Marco kept his three boxes while his brother went up the stares, in heels, with five. This is why they let Izou handle some of their tougher clients.
Marco sets his boxes down next to the door and then goes to ring the door bell. Only to be stopped by the tape that was layered on top of it. A small note was also taped right above it and in neat hand writing pleased asked people to knock, as the doorbell turns on the microwave.
“How…?” Izou asked from his place next to Marco, leaning in to read the note. Marco shrugged, then knocked.
It took a moment but he wasn't too worried, he could here someone shuffling around in the apartment. Marco silently hoped that this wouldn't turn into a giant flop and that he wouldn't end up having to rent one of those large, painfully empty condos.
Then the door opened and two figures fell through, and Marco's world changed.