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It had been twelve years.
Twelve years that she had waited for him to come back to her. She always had a feeling that he wasn’t actually dead, but from what Luffy and Ace- she choked back a cry at his name- had told her when they were kids, she had sobbed with them at having lost their dear brother and friend.
She had been in love with him. Even as a child, she had known it. Makino had held her close as she cried. She told the little girl that even though it hurt so much, her love for Sabo was so more than that. That was the first time (y/n) realized that she didn’t think Sabo was actually dead.
She held tight to the feeling that she would one day see him again. That she would get to hold him again and tell him, finally, how she truly felt about him. About the feelings she had held on to even after the time that passed. No amount of time could destroy the love she had.
But as the years went by, it hurt more. Waiting so long with that hope that Sabo might not be dead. That she would get to be reunited with him one day. She would wait every single day of her life if it meant that she could see him, even for just a second.
Then it happened.
This wasn’t like Sabo’s death. She was there. She saw Ace die. She was with Shanks when they buried him and Pops. She cried into the yonko’s shirt and tried to hold back the way her hands trembled as they gripped onto his jacket. He grabbed her hands and squeezed them affectionately before pulling her closer.
It felt so much more real than Sabo’s had. Maybe it was because she got older. Maybe it was because she got to physically see the light leave his eyes. She wasn’t sure. All she knew was that she never wanted to go through it again. She made it her job to join up with Luffy and make sure to keep him safe. Even if she lost her own life. She would live out Ace and Sabo’s wishes.
She had stayed beside him at Dressrosa, in the Colisseum. She had wanted to fight as well, to help him get Ace’s fruit. But she saw the look in his eyes. This was his way of holding onto his brother’s memory. She had her own way. Luffy needed his. So she respected his wishes and stood back.
Unable to watch the fight, she had stalked off down the corridors, ashamed and afraid of letting Luffy fight. If he got hurt, she would burn all of Dressrosa to the ground, something the Hearts pirate captain had been ecstatic to hear. Though his face didn’t quite give it away.
She stopped in one of the corridors and sighed, slumping against the wall and waiting for Luffy to get done with his fight and come find her. She hoped that he would come back in one piece, with his brother’s fruit in his hands, but she had this nagging feeling that something wasn’t right.
“(Y/n)?”
Her head snapped up. Her (h/c) bangs fell in her face for but a second, but she brushed them away to see a man standing before her. She didn’t recognize him right away. He made her nervous for a second, having met someone that knew her but she didn’t know them.
And then she saw the hat.
His hat. His goggles.
She didn’t even stand a chance, thankful for the wall holding her up as she pressed her hand to her mouth to cover the shock and hide the sobs that tried to escape. But tears were cascading down her cheeks and she knew that she couldn’t hide it from him.
He stepped up to her quickly, takinng off his hat that had been hiding his face. She took in how much older he looked. He had grown his hair out, he didn’t look like the little boy she knew anymore. The missing tooth grin was replaced by a full grin and he had a scar over his left eye. She felt more tears coming at just being able to see him.
“I take it you recognize me?”
He was being cheeky and cocky, trying to help the tense atmosphere. Had she been any less shocked, she wouldn’t pushed off the wall and tackled him to the floor, but Luffy beat her to it.
“Who are you? Get away from my sister!”
It took Luffy a second. Seeing his face, seeing the boy they had lost all grown up. Seeing the hat tipped him off and he jumped forward, hugging Sabo tightly and crying as the two brothers were reunited.
She couldn’t figure out if the tears were joy or hurt but after crying over him for so long, she knew it didn’t matter and let the smile appear on her face. Even though she wanted to be mad, or at least feel something other than pure elation, but seeing him. Actually seeing him before her? Nothing short of getting Ace and Pops back could make (y/n) this happy. So for once in her life, she let herself be happy.
Luffy pulled back from his brother, wiping desperately at his face as he just took in Sabo when (y/n) stepped up beside him and placed a gentle hand on his back.
“Is it my turn to hug him yet?”
She had asked teasingly, though the way her (e/c) eyes shone with unshed tears and her voice wavered took away the teasing. Instead, it sounded melancholy and hurt. It was how she felt though. Behind the smile and the happiness her heart felt, she was still hurt beyond repair.
Luffy sniffled and rubbed his nose, pulling (Y/n) into his side and into Sabo’s chest. She was squished between the two boys and they couldn’t help but smile at the way she blushed as she tried to wiggle away.
“This isn’t fair! I didn’t want to be-”
Sabo cut her off, wrapping his arms around both (y/n) and Luffy. He pulled them as close as possible, Luffy doing the same. They laughed as she giggled and tried pushing them away. WIth a hand on Luffy’s chest and the other on Sabo’s jaw, she tried getting space when both boys suddenly gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“I think… We broke her…” Sabo whispered to Luffy. (Y/n) had gone slackjawed and she wasn’t pushing at them anymore. She wasn’t even looking at them, just staring at the floor with a dark blush settling on her cheeks.
“Shishi, she doesn’t mind! Ace and I gave her kisses all the time.” They saw her wince and Sabo felt his heart break at the tears building in her eyes again before she fully turned to Sabo and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Luffy let go of her, stepping back as Sabo hesitantly wrapped one arm around her waist and let the other run through her hair, holding her against his chest protectively. Luffy smiled brightly, hands behind his head as he saw the two most important people to him standing before him.
‘I hope you’re seeing this Ace.’
“I really missed you Sabo.” Sabo looked down at her, smiling sheepishly as he brushed her (h/c) hair back from her face so he could look her in the eye.
“I really missed you, too.” She chuckled, burying her face back in his shoulder. Luffy saw that their moment was a bit different than his own, but he couldn’t help but pull the both of them in with his rubber arms.
“Nooooo, Lu! You’re suffocating me!”
“WIth love!”
The three of them laughed and held each other close, thankful that they even have this kind of moment together. If only Ace had been there…
Seeing the look on her face, Sabo had been thinking along the same lines. He pulled back a bit, Luffy reluctantly letting them go.
“I’m sorry that I couldn’t be there when you needed me.”
Luffy looked at him with his head tilted in confusion and was already shaking his head when (y/n) spoke up.
“There’s nothing to forgive. You’re here now.” She whispered, reaching her shaking hand up gently. She cupped his cheek, rubbing her thumb along his cheek bone and smiled wide.
“We have you here with us now. That is more than enough. I thought I’d never see you again.”
Now, Luffy knew that this was a big moment. A very special moment. He was dense, not stupid. He knew that his sister loved Sabo in a way that she had never loved himself of Ace. Sabo had been her one. Makino helped him understand it and Ace really made him see it.
Ace had been a bit jealous when they were kids, but he had been so happy that (y/n) had fallen in love with any of the three boys. That meant one day she really would be their sister.
“She can marry one of us! That way she’ll always be with us and we’ll never have to lose her to someone else. Could you imaginne her marrying someone like Shanks?”
All three boys had shuddered and looked between themselves.
“Then… Who should she marry?” Sabo had asked shyly, trying to hide his blush with his hat, but both boys had seen it.
“You, of course! She likes you more than us anyways.”
Watching the two of them now, he saw how much had changed, but how much had really stayed the same. They still cared so much for each other. It made Luffy smile and turn away a bit, glancing at them in hopes of seeing that love that he hadn’t seen in her eyes since they thought he had died.
Since Ace died.
Sabo looked down at the girl he had left behind, the life he had missed out on and couldn’t help the tears that pricked at his eyes.
(Y/n) pulled her hands back in shock, a little scared she had said the wrong thing. But Sabo pulled her against his chest and held her tight. He kissed her hair before he pulled back and kissed her for real. She had been waiting so long for this that it shocked her so she didn’t even think to kiss back.
Sabo pulled back, almost too scared that he had screwed everything up after all these years but she surprised him by pulling him back into the kiss and smiling against his lips.
“You didn’t think you’d get away that easy did you?”
“Shishishi, you guys kissed!” Sabo and (y/n) turned to Luffy, forgetting for a moment that he had been there. But it was hard to miss when he wrapped his rubber arms around them again and brought all three of them to the ground with the force of his hug.
“Ace was right! You two are going to get married!”
Both (y/n) and Sabo blushed brightly and looked away from each other, but Luffy, who was lying on top of them, squished his face between both of theirs.
“Luffy!”
The three laughed together like old times. It was the most that either of them had laughed in a while.
(Y/n) couldn’t stop smiling and her smile grew as Sabo’s hand slipped into hers. She glanced at him, seeing that smile she fell in love with. Then she noticed the dark blush as he stammered.
“I- I- I mean, I wouldn’t mind getting m-m-married to you.” She understood the nervousness now. She felt just as nervous but leaned over and kissed him on the nose.
“You’e got twelve years to make up for. I’m not getting married until then!”
He blushed, but couldn’t help laughing. She was still the girl he fell in love with.
“I’ll start planning the wedding! Sanji told me I can marry people because I’m a captain!”
“LUFFY!!”