Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ace crossed his arms, slumping in his seat. The sailboat he was in rocked against the gentle waves, but the soothing motion did nothing for his simmering temper.

“Cheer up, Ace!” Luffy said, swinging his feet and beaming. At seven years of age, he was too short for his feet to reach the floor of the boat. But he didn’t seem to mind one bit. “Gramps is taking us somewhere that has really yummy food! Shouldn’t you be happy about that?”

Ace scoffed, narrowing his eyes at Garp’s back. “Why would we want to go to a fancy ass restaurant when we could hunt for our dinner instead?”

Garp let go of the steering wheel to twist around in his seat, giving Ace a stern look. “You’re going to have dinner at Baratie and you’re going to like it!”

“Wanna bet?!” Ace challenged, hopping to his feet and balling his fists. At ten years old, he didn’t cut a very intimidating figure. But that didn’t stop him from trying. “This is a stupid idea! Taking me out in public will just let the world know I exist! Doesn’t that go against the whole reason you gave me to Dadan in the first place?!”

Across from Luffy, Sabo added, “He’s got a point, Gramps.”

Ace turned his attention to Sabo. “And for that matter, why are you going?! Aren’t you afraid someone will see you at Baratie and report to your parents?!”

Sabo shrugged. “I’m just here for the food.”

“For all anyone knows, you’re both my grandsons as much as Luffy is,” Garp interrupted, poking Ace in the chest. It wasn’t hard enough to hurt, but enough to knock Ace back onto his backside. “So sit down and shut up.”

Ace glared up at him, crossing his arms again. “I don’t even wanna go!”

“Too bad!” Garp said, mimicking Ace’s posture and crossing his arms. “Because I want to have some fond memories of my grandkids to look back on!”

“It’s always about what you want!” Ace grumbled, looking down at his feet. “I never get a say!”

“Oh, be quiet! You always get to do what you want at Dadan’s!” Garp snapped, his posture relaxing as he continued, “Besides, I promised to meet an old friend at Baratie. So we’re all going, and that’s final!”

“Uh, Gramps?” Sabo piped up, peering over the side of the boat. “We’re drifting off course.”

“Damn!” Garp exclaimed, hastily facing forward and correcting their course.

The boat jerked as Garp turned the wheel, sending all three boys flying onto the floor. Sabo landed on the floor, Ace landed on Sabo, and Luffy flopped onto Ace.

“Can’t - breathe-!” Sabo wheezed.

“Luffy, get your fat ass off of me!” Ace groaned.

“That was fun!” Luffy exclaimed, laughing and stretching a hand out to tug at Garp’s shirt. “Do it again, Gramps! Again!”

Ace shot up, lifting himself up on his hands and further crushing Sabo into the floor. “Do not do it again!”

That led to a quarrel between Ace and Luffy, which at least freed Sabo from being squashed. However, he wasn’t safe from getting pulled into the fight. By the time all four of them had reached Baratie, the trio were less than presentable. Ace had a bloody nose, Sabo had a nasty bruise forming on his cheek, and Luffy had lost one of his baby teeth. 

A fact which he would not stop lamenting.

“My tooth!” Luffy whined, fat tears tumbling down his cheeks. “How am I gonna eat now?!”

“Oh, shut up!” Ace snapped, swiping at his bloody nose and smearing it on his cheek. “You have a whole head full of more!”

“But I liked that one!” Luffy cried, balling his fists and rubbing his eyes. “I wanted to pull it out myself!”

“That’s nasty!” Ace replied, forming a fist and holding it to Luffy’s chin. “Now shut up before I knock the rest of your teeth out!”

Luffy obediently sucked his lips in, pressing his mouth into a thin line. Nodding, he could only mumble a response. “Mm-hm!”

Sabo intervened, shoving himself between the two of them. “Okay, calm down! We’re here now, so let’s just eat and we’ll all feel better!”

“You’re such a nice brother, Sabo!” Luffy said, hiccuping and clinging to Sabo’s jacket. Sticking his tongue out at Ace, Luffy added, “Not like Ace! He’s a jerk!”

“Why, you-!” Ace began, stopped by Garp turning around and bopping him on the head. Rubbing the bump on his head, Ace whirled around to glare at him. “What the hell, shitty old man?!”

“We’re here, so stop acting like wild animals!” Garp replied. “This is a fancy place, so I want you all on your best behavior!”

“Screw you!” Ace snapped, sticking his tongue out at him.

“I’ll try, but no promises!” Sabo answered, a grin on his lips that was a touch too mischievous to be innocent.

“Do I have to act any different than normal?” Luffy asked, sticking his pinkie in his nose.

With a heavy sigh, Garp ran a hand down his face. “Just don’t destroy the place, got it?”

As Garp got out of the boat to tie it to the docks, Ace grumbled, “Gramps is one to talk about manners! I saw him picking his nose earlier!” He glanced at Luffy and swatted his hand away from his face. “Like that! Don’t do that!”

“You do it, too!” Luffy argued, pausing when Sabo put a hand on his shoulder.

“Guys, c’mon! You can fight later!” Sabo said, gesturing to the floating restaurant. “For now, let’s just go eat with Gramps, okay?”

“Ugh, fine!” Ace muttered, hopping out of the sailboat. 

Sabo followed him but Luffy hesitated.

“C’mon, Loof!” Sabo encouraged, holding out a hand. 

Luffy glanced between him and the water below. His eyebrows tilted up, worry turning his lips down in a frown. After a moment, he finally mustered the courage to lean forward and take Sabo’s hand. But before he could, Garp clamped a big hand around the collar of Luffy’s shirt.

“C’mon, kiddo!” Garp said, hefting Luffy up by his shirt and plopping him onto the dock. “There. That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Luffy smiled from ear-to-ear. “Thanks, Gramps!”

Garp mirrored his grandson’s grin, then said, “Now, let’s get inside and-!” Luffy was on his feet and booking it for the entrance before Garp could even finish his sentence. Garp took off after him. “Hey! Wait a second, you brat!”

“Luffy, wait up!” Sabo called, dashing after him and Garp.

Ace paused, flicking his gaze at the sailboat, then the restaurant.

“I could sail back home and forget this stupid dinner plan,” Ace mumbled, shaking his head. “But then Luffy and Sabo would have no way to get home. And Gramps would kick my ass for leaving them behind.” He ran a hand through his hair, yanking it hard to vent at least a little bit of his frustration. “Fine! I can survive one stupid dinner, can’t I?”

Ace took his sweet time strolling into the place. 

When he reached the reservation podium, the waiter looked down his nose at him. “Let me guess, you’re with the two rowdy boys and their grandfather that just came in?”

“Yeah, and? Am I not fancy enough for your shitty restaurant?” Ace challenged, sticking his hands in his pockets and standing taller. “It’s not like I want to be here in the first place!”

The waiter sighed, closing his eyes as if the whole situation was simply not worth his time. “Just take a seat with them, young man.”

Ace scowled, spitting on the ground before stalking past.

It wasn’t hard to find his grandfather and brothers. They were at a corner table and being louder than any other customers. Luffy was banging on the table and demanding food. Garp was yelling at him to mind his manners (not that Luffy had any). Sabo was slumping with his head on the table, already given up on trying to stop the others from causing a scene.

When Ace reached the table, he caught something out of the corner of his eye and paused. Looking towards the spiral staircase leading to the floor above, Ace saw a little blond boy about his age staring back at him. 

“Who the hell is that?” Ace said, but his family didn’t hear him over their own ruckus. “What’s his problem?”

The boy was barely taller than the railing, yet was fixing Ace with a glare cold enough to freeze Hell over. The icy look suited his blue eyes; at least, Ace assumed both of them were blue. The boy’s hair was straight and parted to cover his left eye. The most striking thing about him was the curly eyebrow above his visible eye. Said brow furrowed as the boy caught Ace staring. Instead of breaking eye contact or running away, the boy held his gaze.

A voice on the floor above the dining room boomed, “Sanji! Get back to the kitchen, eggplant!”

The boy broke eye contact and glared up at the top of the stairs. He cast Ace one last chilly look before disappearing up the stairs.

“The hell was that about?!” Ace remarked, shaking his head and turning to his family. He yanked out a seat at the end of the table and climbed into it. The minute he got comfortable, Luffy started pestering him to switch seats. While he and Luffy bickered, Garp turned his attention to the spiral staircase.

Sabo followed his gaze, perking up and elbowing Ace in the ribs. 

“What?!” Ace snapped, turning his glare on Sabo. “Can’t you see I’m-?!” Sabo pointed at the staircase and Ace twisted around. Coming down the staircase was none other than the blond boy from before. “Oh, great. What does he want?”

Behind him, an older man followed at a slower pace. He leaned against the railing with each step, compensating for the peg leg that replaced the lower half of his right leg.

The boy came to a halt at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for the older man to catch up.

A sudden bang on the table caught the three boys by surprise, and they turned their attention to Garp. He had slammed a fist down, and now wore a serious expression. “Listen, you three. This man coming up to our table now is the owner of this place, and the friend I promised to meet. Remember what I said about being on your best behaviors?”

Sabo and Luffy nodded while Ace rolled his eyes.

“Don’t give me that attitude!” Garp snapped, pointing an accusing finger at Ace. “And don’t give him any of that attitude, either! Or his boy, for that matter!”

Ace raised an eyebrow. “That skinny blond brat is his son?” Glancing over at the approaching pair, Ace snorted. “They both look grouchy as fuck. I can see it.”

“Don’t be a brat!” Garp berated, knocking Ace on the head with his knuckles. 

“Go to hell,” Ace muttered, gritting his teeth and rubbing his head.

At last, the pair reached the table. 

The older man was also blond, looking to be in his midlife with wrinkles around piercing eyes. The most noticeable thing about his appearance - other than the towering chef’s hat he wore - was his impressive mustache. Twin, blond braids about a foot in length, tied off with blue bows.

When he spoke, his voice was gravelly. “So, you finally took up my offer to eat here? You got guts, you Marine dog!”

Sabo leaned forward, cupping a hand to his mouth and whispering, “Gramps? Is this guy your enemy?”

“Hold on, kid,” Garp replied, holding up a hand. Grinning, he kept his gaze fixed on the owner. “Zeff, you grizzled old codger! Wanna know why I never set foot in here before today?!”

The owner - Zeff - laughed and crossed his arms. “Because you’re afraid I could still kick your ass with only one leg?”

“I’d like to see you try it!” Garp exclaimed, getting to his feet. Stepping forward, he pulled Zeff into a crushing hug, which the other man returned with a firm pat on the back. “It’s good to see you’ve finally realized your dream, old friend!”

The boy beside him stepped back, looking up and down at the display with a curled lip. 

Even though Ace didn’t always see eye-to-eye with his grandfather, seeing someone show disgust at Garp set something off in him. His ever-simmering temper boiled and he snapped, “The hell is your problem, Blondie?!”

The boy startled, whipping his head in Ace’s direction. His expression pinched, brow furrowing and mouth becoming a hard line. For the first time since Ace and his family had walked in, the boy spoke. 

“‘Blondie’?!” he repeated, balling his fists. “I have a name, you shitty country bumpkin!”

Garp and Zeff had broken apart as soon as Ace opened his mouth. At the boy’s response, Zeff was swinging a leg up and knocking him in the back of the head with his peg leg.

“Sanji!” Zeff exclaimed, lowering his leg while the boy - Sanji - rubbed the bump on his head. “Don’t be rude to customers, shitty eggplant!”

“‘Eggplant’?” Sabo piped up, grinning. He leaned over to peer around Ace. “You don’t look like one to me!”

Ace snickered at the blush on Sanji’s cheeks. “What a stupid nickname!”

Luffy stretched his arm and punched Ace in the back of the head. “Ace, don’t be mean!”

Ace put a hand to the back of his head and whirled around, growling at his brother. When a snort reached his ears, he paused and turned back to Sanji.

“At least someone in your group has manners!” Sanji remarked, a mean little smile on his lips.

“‘Scuse me?” Ace asked, his voice getting eerily calm as his temper got worse.

“Oh, no.” Sabo tugged on Ace’s shoulder. “C’mon, Ace! Just ignore him so we can eat!”

“Yeah, I’m hungry!” Luffy added, banging his fists on the table for emphasis.

Garp sighed, turning to Zeff. “Should we let them have it out?”

“Not in my restaurant, they won’t!” Zeff replied, picking up Sanji by the collar of his shirt. 

Ace tried to scramble away but Garp stepped in and snatched him by the collar, as well. 

Luffy shot his hand in the air, standing in his seat. “Can we watch Ace kick Sanji’s ass while we eat?”

“This isn’t a dinner theater, Loof!” Sabo exclaimed, hesitating a moment before adding, “But really, can we watch Ace kick his ass?”

“Shut the hell up!” Sanji snapped, trying to wriggle free by kicking his legs. Squirming in Zeff’s grip did nothing for his dignity, but that didn’t stop him. “Why do you think I’d lose?! I’ll kick this country bumpkin’s ass in two minutes and then be back to work!”

“Stop callin’ me that!” Ace shouted, also trying in vain to squirm free. “I ain’t no country bumpkin! I live with a bunch of mountain bandits, you asshole!”

Garp laughed a little too loud and flung Ace over his shoulder like a sack of angry potatoes. “Alright, you two! Shut the hell up and let’s find you a place you can duke it out!”

“Let’s take ‘em out front to the dock,” Zeff said, already leading the way with Sanji in tow.

As Garp followed, he lowered his voice and said to Ace, “Don’t get too specific there, brat. In case anyone was listening too closely and figures out where you’re from.”

“Like you aren’t a big blabbermouth yourself!” Ace huffed, giving up on trying to get free and halfheartedly kicking Garp in the chest.

“Hey, wait up!” Luffy exclaimed, hopping out of his seat and chasing after them. “I wanna see Ace kick his ass!”

“Me, too!” Sabo added, jumping off his seat and following his little brother.

The waiter at the reservation podium just shook his head, burying his face in his palm as the group passed through the entrance.

Zeff plopped Sanji down on his backside as soon as they stepped onto the dock. Putting his hands on his hips, Zeff sent a stern look down at Sanji. “Well, shitty brat, the day has finally come when that damn attitude of yours has gotten you into trouble that I can’t bail you out of!”

“I’m not asking you to bail me out, old geezer!” Sanji replied, scrunching up his face in an annoyed expression. “I can fight my own battles!”

Garp laughed, hefting Ace onto the dock, who landed on his back with a thud. “It’s good that you’re so confident in yourself, because my grandson is one hell of a fighter!”

Ace sat up with a groan, one hand clutching the back of his neck. “After I kill this stuck-up brat, I’m gonna kill you, old man!”

“See what I mean?!” Garp remarked, guffawing as Ace jumped to his feet. “He’s a real spitfire!”

“I’ll show you-!” Ace snarled, curling his fists and bending his legs. 

Before he could pounce, Sanji interrupted him. “Hey! Your fight is with me, shithead!”

“Right.” Ace straightened, letting his fists fall to his sides and turning on his heel. “Ready when you are, Blondie.”

Sanji got to his feet, face turning red as he bared his teeth in a snarl. “Don’t call me that!”

“Make me stop, then!” Ace shouted, charging towards him at full speed. 

Sanji stood his ground. At the last second, he swiveled on the ball of his foot. With a spin, his heel smacked into the back of Ace’s head. 

Staggering forward, Ace touched his fingers to the afflicted area. His hand came away blood-free, but the hit still made his temper flare.

“Whoa!” Luffy exclaimed, peering around Garp’s leg. “Blondie landed a hit!”

Sanji turned his icy glare on Luffy. “That isn’t my name!”

Sabo leaned around Garp’s other leg and snickered. “Yeah, Loof! His name is, ‘eggplant’, remember?”

“That ain’t it, either!” Sanji snapped. “I swear, when I’m done with this shithead, you two are next!”

Taking advantage of his opponent being distracted, Ace rushed at Sanji’s back. He tackled him to the ground, sitting on his middle to keep him there. Lacing his fingers together, he clasped his hands and raised them above his head. 

Before he could strike, Garp cleared his throat. “Easy, brat! You aren’t allowed to kill him!”

That second of hesitation gave Sanji a chance to retaliate. His leg swung up, heel landing between Ace’s shoulder blades.

Ace’s back bent like a bow and he cried out. “Ow! You sneaky fuck!”

Sanji grasped the nearest plank of the dock and hauled himself out from under Ace. Twisting, his leg reared back. There was a spurt of blood as his heel connected with Ace’s nose. 

Dazed, Ace landed on his back with a thud. But in the few seconds it took for Sanji to get on his feet again, Ace had recovered.

“Nice hit, Blondie.” Ace thumbed away a trickle of blood down his chin. “Hope you enjoyed it, ‘cause I’m not holding back anymore.”

“Is that supposed to intimidate me?” Sanji retorted, tapping his foot on the dock a few times before assuming a fighting stance. “Bring it, bumpkin.”

Ace charged forward again, a fist reared back. 

Sanji dashed forward, too. 

Right before Ace let his fist fly, Sanji jumped into the air. Instinct kicked in just in time for Ace to bend backwards. He narrowly avoided Sanji’s kick, the blond’s heel scraping the tip of his nose.

Ace heard him hit the dock. Before he could react, the hard rubber heel of Sanji’s boot smacked him the back of the head. The impact made Ace’s vision go blurry and he stumbled to his knees. He fell forward onto his hands. In the midst of his dizziness, he found the strength to glance over his shoulder.

That blond brat had done a handstand and spun around! That was how he managed to strike him so quickly!

“Ace!” Luffy exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air. “C’mon, Ace! You can do it!”

“Yeah, Ace!” Sabo added, mimicking Luffy’s pose with his own fist in the air. “You’ve beaten stronger than this eggplant!”

Sanji righted himself and glared at the two of them. “Stop calling me that!”

Distracted again, he didn’t notice until it was too late that his opponent was on his feet again. 

Ace’s fist cracked across Sanji’s face. 

Then again as he twisted, sending his other fist flying.

Sanji staggered back, swaying on his feet.

Ace’s knuckles smashed underneath Sanji’s chin in a wicked uppercut. 

Sanji stumbled back further, landing on his ass hard. Dazed, he tried to stand on wobbly legs, but Ace was faster. His hands curled around Sanji’s collar, yanking the other boy to his feet. 

“Still think I’m nothing but a bumpkin, Blondie?” Ace snarled, rearing his head back to deal the finishing blow. With a grunt, Ace crashed their heads together in a headbutt.

Pain erupted through Ace’s skull. His grip on Sanji’s collar faltered and the blond slipped free. A thin trail of blood seeped down Ace’s forehead from a cut in his hairline. A giant bruise was already forming in the middle of Sanji’s forehead.

Equally dazed and beaten, the both of them stumbled backwards and landed on their backs. 

Garp burst into laughter while Zeff shook his head.

“Looks like no one won that one, huh?” Zeff observed, stroking his mustache. “That eggplant has a few more tricks to learn from me before he’s beating anyone in a fight.”

“I don’t know about that!” Garp replied, crossing his arms and puffing out his chest proudly. “Anyone that can go toe-to-toe with my grandson is pretty strong in their own right!”

Luffy tilted his head, frowning. “So...did Ace lose?”

Sabo shook his head. “Of course not!” 

“But he didn’t win?” Luffy continued, mimicking Zeff and stroking his non-existent mustache.

Sabo hesitated. “Uh, no. I guess he didn’t?”

“It was a draw, kid,” Zeff clarified, crossing to where Sanji lay passed out. Putting his hands on his hips, Zeff nudged him in the side with his peg leg. “Hey, eggplant. Wake up.” Sanji didn’t and Zeff jammed his peg leg into the boy’s gut. “I said wake up, shitty eggplant! We got customers to serve!”

Sanji wheezed, coming back to his senses. When Zeff removed his peg leg, Sanji sat up and clutched his belly. Coughing, he glared up at him. “Screw you, shitty old geezer!”

“Insults won’t fill our customers’ bellies!” Zeff replied, grabbing Sanji’s collar and hoisting him to his feet. “Now, c’mon! Let’s get back to work!”

“Whatever, old man,” Sanji muttered, looking down at his shoes. Tears budded in the corners of his eye, shame at the outcome of the fight painted all over his face.

Zeff sighed and gave the boy a firm pat on the head. “Save that for later. We’ve got work to do now.”

Sanji scrubbed at his eye with the back of his hand. “Right.”

“Wait!”

Ace sat up, wincing and putting a hand to his forehead. When he pulled his hand back, blood stained his fingertips. Scowling, he stood on wobbly legs.

“Wait,” he repeated, stomping over to Sanji. The other boy tensed as he got near, hands balling into fists. But Ace stopped a foot away, sticking a hand out between them. “That was a good fight. For a stuck-up brat like you.”

Sanji glanced from Ace’s face to his outstretched hand and back again. Slowly, he placed his hand in Ace’s.

A grin broke out on Ace’s lips as he shook Sanji’s hand. “I’ll kick your ass next time, for sure!”

That made a cocky little smirk appear on Sanji’s face and he squeezed Ace’s hand harder. “Yeah, right! Like a bumpkin like you could beat me!”

“I almost did!” Ace pointed out, squeezing Sanji’s hand in return. His grip was stronger, so Sanji dug his blunt nails into Ace’s skin in retaliation.

“Then I’ll get stronger until I can pulverize you!” Sanji promised, a competitive glint in his eyes that Ace shared.

“Alright, you two!” Garp interrupted, rapping his knuckles on top of Ace’s head. Ace let go of Sanji’s hand and sent a warning glare up at his grandfather. “Enough boasting for now! It’s time to order our dinner!”

“Yahoo!” Luffy exclaimed, making a break for the entrance. “First one there gets to order first!”

“No way! That’s not how it works!” Sabo shouted, starting after him, then pausing. Something rooted his feet to the spot, even after Garp and Zeff had brushed by him. 

Sabo glanced back at Sanji and Ace. 

His brother was back to grinning at Sanji, socking him in the arm with a fist. After knowing Ace for five years, Sabo knew this was how Ace showed affection. When Sanji returned the gesture - ramming his fist into Ace’s shoulder - Ace just laughed. 

A content smile spread across Sabo’s lips. As happy as he was for his brother though, he couldn’t resist teasing him a little. “Did ya make a friend, Ace?”

Ace and Sanji faced him, glancing at each other then turning pink.

“Shut up, Sabo!” Ace snapped, his usual angry mask slipping back on.

“Yeah, shut up!” Sanji added, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ace turned his attention back to Sanji, frowning. “Hey, don’t tell my brother to shut up!”

Sanji rounded on him. Ace was a smidgen taller, and Sanji stood on his tiptoes to knock his forehead against Ace’s. “You wanna fight again, shithead?!”

Sabo shook his head with a grin, crossing over to them. Grabbing Ace by the back of his shirt, he literally dragged his brother away. “C’mon, Ace. You can have a rematch later.”

Ace stuck his tongue out at Sanji as he let his brother tug him along, his heels trailing on the wooden planks. Sanji mimicked the expression, stomping along after them.

A half hour later, Ace and his family cheered as their dinner arrived at their table.

Zeff and Sanji delivered it themselves. Zeff carried one giant plate in each hand, depositing one in front of Garp and the other in front of Sabo. Sanji approached the table, carrying one plate with both his hands and the other perfectly balanced on top of his head. He placed the one in his hands in front of Ace, then deftly deposited the other one in front of Luffy.

“Enjoy, you damn Marine!” Zeff said to Garp, who laughed in response.

“I will, you salty old sea dog!” Garp promised, digging into his meal with less grace than a Vice Admiral should show in public.

“Hope your backwater taste buds can handle quality food,” Sanji quipped, grinning at Ace and hitting him in the shoulder.

“No matter how fancy you cook something, it always tastes better when you’ve hunted it yourself!” Ace replied, hitting Sanji in the shoulder in return with a playful grin. “You wouldn’t last a day in the jungle! I bet you couldn’t catch more than a mouse!”

“And I bet your food will be gone by the time you’re done boasting!” Sabo interjected, elbowing Ace in the ribs. Without moving his eyes from Ace, Sabo whacked the hand that Luffy was trying to sneak onto Ace’s plate. “Just eat already!”

Ace was about to start devouring his food when Sanji interrupted him.

“I cooked it myself, so you better enjoy it, bumpkin!”

Ace snorted and took a huge bite, then paused. 

It was delicious.  

Way, way better than the food he ate at Dadan’s! 

Sanji seemed to notice his reaction, but instead of a smug smirk, Sanji actually looked pleased. The smile on his lips was gentler and prouder than any expression he had worn so far.

“I gotta get back to the kitchen,” Sanji said, socking Ace in the shoulder one last time for good measure. “See you later, shitty bumpkin!”

Ace looked back at him but couldn’t respond, as his mouth was full. Instead, he watched quietly as Sanji tagged along behind Zeff, following the older man into the kitchen. 

A strange sinking feeling appeared in his chest as he watched Sanji leave. His chest tightened a little, suddenly not as hungry as he was a moment ago. A voice in the back of his mind told him that if Sanji came back out, this uncomfortable feeling would go away.

But there was no way he could voice this without sounding like he missed him! And Ace was much too bullheaded for that.

Still, while the rest of his family wolfed down their food like starved men, Ace took a little more time with his meal. Sanji had made it himself. Ace wanted to savor every bite; relish every burst of flavor that made the food he hunted for himself taste bland in comparison.

It was highly unusual for Ace to be the last to finish a meal. Yet, here he was; still gnawing on the meat he had ordered while his family was already finished with their meals. He didn’t even hear Luffy and Garp both croon about how yummy the food was. 

Sabo - in the middle of licking his plate clean - paused to cast a questioning look at Ace. “Hey, Ace. Do you not feel good or something?”

Straightening, Ace swallowed a mouthful of food and felt it go down his throat hard. His brow furrowed, his face assuming his usual standoffish mask. “What gives you that idea?”

Sabo shrugged. “I’ve never seen you be the last one to finish a meal!”

Luffy peered around Sabo, drool dripping down his chin and a greedy glint in his eyes. “Ace still has food left?!”

“Yeah, and it’s mine!” Ace snapped, taking another huge bite to emphasize his point. His meal was almost gone by now; just a few scraps of meat and a spoonful of rice was left. “It’s too damn good to share!”

Ace never thought he’d see the day that he’d be disappointed at finishing a meal. How could he ever go back to the bland bandit food he ate before? Sanji could cook better than the entire Dadan family combined!

Speaking of which, the sooner he finished his meal, the less chance he’d have to see Sanji again. Garp would return them back to Foosha Village the moment this forced family outing was over. Who knows when they’d return?

Well, at least Ace could sate his hunger for now.

Ace gulped down the rest of his food and stood in his chair. Slamming his hands down on the table, he looked Garp square in the eye. “I want seconds, shitty old man!”

“Excuse me?!” Garp exclaimed, banging a fist on the table in return. “What kinda way is that to talk to your grandfather?!”

“You took me to this fancy ass restaurant! The food is damn delicious, so it’s your fault I want more of it!” Ace explained, pointing an accusing finger at him. “If you’d have left me at home, I never would have had it and I wouldn’t be demanding seconds now!”

“In a roundabout way, that makes sense,” Sabo remarked, glancing at Luffy when his little brother tugged on his jacket. “Hm?”

“If Ace gets seconds, do you think we will, too?” Luffy asked, an excited grin on his face. Drool still clung to Luffy’s chin and Sabo threw a napkin in his face.

“Might want to hold your horses, Loof,” Sabo replied, chuckling. “And wipe your face! You’ve got enough spit there to polish a ballroom floor!”

“Who are you to give me orders, brat?!” Garp snapped, poking Ace in the sternum. Ace faltered as the air was knocked from his lungs. But he straightened his back, puffing out his chest. “Ha! What an attitude you’ve got for a scrappy little thing!”

“Shut the hell up, shitty old man!” Ace shot back, putting both hands on his hips. “Just get me seconds already!”

“Me, too!” Luffy interrupted, shooting up in his seat. Bouncing on the balls of his feet, he grinned from ear-to-ear. “I’m still hungry, too!”

Sabo chuckled, shaking his head. “Luffy, you have absolutely no sense of tension, huh?”

Luffy paused to glance at him. “Sense of what?”

“Order us all seconds, old man!” Ace demanded, crossing his arms over his chest. “And not anything that old geezer makes! I want Blondie’s cooking and nothin’ less!”

“Alright, alright!” Garp exclaimed, putting a large hand on top of Ace’s head and shoving him down into his seat. He reached over and did the same to Luffy, squishing him back into his chair. “I’ll order all of you seconds if it’ll get you to stop yelling so damn much!”

“But Gramps, you’ve been yelling this whole time, too,” Sabo pointed out, sinking into his chair when Garp turned his glare on him. “Well, it’s true!”

With a heavy sigh, Garp motioned to one of the waiters. While he ordered more food, Ace did nothing to hide the smug grin on his face.

Not only had Ace successfully gotten Garp to do what he wanted, but there was a chance he’d get to see Sanji again. If the food was going to be hand-delivered again, that is. In his mind, he had a right to feel smug.

Unbeknownst to them, Sanji had cracked one of the kitchen doors open the minute he heard shouting. Their conversation had drifted up the stairs. Something warm spread through his chest hearing Ace specifically demand his cooking again. He wasn’t even aware of the soft smile growing on his face until he heard one of his fellow cooks snickering.

Sanji whirled around, red-faced and glaring at Carne.

“Looks like you’ve got your first fan, little eggplant?” Carne teased, slicing up some ham at the counter.

“You don’t get to call me that, shithead!” Sanji exclaimed, stomping past him and back to his station. Sticking his nose in the air, he added, “Besides, I don’t hear anyone demanding your cooking!”

Carne sputtered, gripping the knife handle so tight that his knuckles turned white. 

Nearby, Patty burst into laughter. “Maybe we should add you to the menu, Carne? The little eggplant just burnt you to a crisp!” His laughter was cut off by Sanji’s foot slamming into the back of his knee. “Hey! You little-!”

“How many times do I have to tell you shitheads that you don’t get to call me that!” Sanji exclaimed, balling his fists and putting them on his hips. “Only that old geezer is allowed to do that! Now get the hell back to work!”

Patty growled, “Listen brat, you may technically outrank us-!”

“But that doesn’t mean you can order us around!” Carne finished, setting the knife down on the counter with a thump. “Don’t forget, we’re the adults here!”

The door to the stockroom at the back burst open and Zeff stalked out. “Oh, really?! Then you two damn shitheads better start actin’ like it!”

Carne and Patty almost jumped out of their skins.

“Y-Yes, sir!” Carne exclaimed, hurrying to resume slicing the ham. 

Patty dashed back to his station. “On it, sir!”

“I don’t pay you two to gossip and complain about my sous chef!” Zeff barked, his peg leg tapping on the floor as he came up behind Sanji. A hand reached down like he was going to pat Sanji on the head, but at the last second, he tugged on his ear instead. “And you, little eggplant!”

“Ow, ow, ow!” Sanji grumbled, slapping a hand at Zeff’s wrist in a vain attempt to make him let go. “What the hell, shitty old geezer?! What’d I do?!”

“Don’t listen when those two try to rile you up!” Zeff replied, showing mercy and releasing Sanji’s ear. “They’re looking for a reaction out of you! It’ll only waste time to give them one!”

Sanji frowned, clutching his stinging ear. With a huff, he turned his back to Zeff and marched to the stockroom. Pushing his annoyance aside, he focused on his current task: refilling the orders for table twenty-three, where Ace and his family were sitting.

As Sanji took his time picking out the ingredients, the warmth he felt in his chest earlier returned. A fluttering feeling appeared beneath his rib cage, like butterflies flapping to life. He couldn’t ignore the urge to grin as he replayed Ace’s words over and over in his head.

“I want Blondie’s cooking and nothin’ less!”

“That bumpkin really liked my cooking, huh?” Sanji said softly, loading his arms up with the freshest spices on the shelves. “Then I’ll do my best to keep impressing him!”

There was a spring in his step as he sauntered back into the kitchen.

About a half hour later, Sanji was pushing past the kitchen doors. Like the first time, he carried Ace’s dish with both hands and balanced Luffy’s on his head. 

A tired-looking Carne trailed behind him, carrying Garp and Sabo’s dishes. Zeff was busy preparing another table’s dish, so Carne was forced to carry the other two for table twenty-three. Carne had tried to get Sanji to let him carry all four giant plates, but Sanji’s snappish remarks (and a glare from Zeff) were enough to shut him up.

It took all Sanji’s willpower not to rush to table twenty-three, lest he get clumsy and spill anything. He held his head high as he deposited Ace’s dish in front of him.

“Here you go, bumpkin!” Sanji announced, the butterflies in his rib cage doing somersaults as Ace beamed. “Looks like you have a bit more taste than I originally thought?”

“Or I could just be extra hungry?” Ace suggested, taking a bite of the meat first. He made a noise of approval and swallowed. There was a pink tinge to his freckled cheeks as he said, “You’re uh, you - you cook good.”

Sanji blushed while Sabo and Luffy erupted in laughter, tears budding in their eyes.

“‘You cook good’?!” Sabo wheezed, wiping away a stray tear slipping down his cheek. 

Sanji rolled his eyes as he moved to Luffy’s seat, waiting until Luffy stopped banging a fist on the table to deposit his dish in front of him.

Carne sighed and placed his dishes down. “I’m too old for this shit.”

Ace bared his teeth in a snarl, sending warning glares at Luffy and Sabo. “Shut up!”

“Your face is turning redder!” Sabo remarked, pointing at the blush erupting on Ace’s face. Attacked with another round of giggles, Sabo actually fell out of his chair.

“Shut the hell up, you bastards!” Ace shouted, brandishing his steak knife at his brothers. “Or I’ll-!”

Sanji’s hand clamped around Ace’s wrist.

Luffy and Sabo’s laughter immediately ceased.

Ace paused, looking down. “Hm?”

Sanji met his curious look with an icy glare, any warmth in his expression gone. “Knives are not to be used as weapons. Not around me. They’re meant for cooking and eating only.”

Objections bubbled in Ace’s throat, but he gulped them back down. Something in his gut told him that this was a sore spot for Sanji. And Ace always trusted his gut. So he loosened his grip and the knife clattered onto his plate.

Sanji let go, standing straighter and letting his hand fall to his side. Rather than being placated by Ace’s actions, he still seemed upset. He was back to glaring at Ace like he had when they had first arrived; donning an expression as piercing as a winter wind.

“What?!” Ace remarked. “I let the knife go!”

“I take back what I said,” Sanji replied. “You don’t have any taste at all. You’re nothing but a shitty, no-class brute.”

“Excuse me?!” Ace exclaimed, his temper flaring. “What the hell do you mean by that?!”

“I don’t talk to brutish thugs like you!” Sanji shouted, shoving past Carne as he dashed for the spiral staircase.

“Oh, hell no!” Ace said, smacking his hands down on the table and jumping off his chair. He paused and twisted around long enough to say, “If anyone eats my food, I’m gonna beat them up!” 

With that, Ace chased after Sanji. 

Sanji raced up the stairs faster than Ace expected, but he could easily match the blond’s speed with stamina. Scrambling up a flight of stairs was nothing compared to the jungles Ace trekked through every day.

Sanji ran out of breath after running all the way to the third floor balcony. He crashed through the door and almost collapsed against the railing.

“Stop - following me - shithead!” Sanji panted, clutching the wooden railing and keeping his back to Ace. “I don’t - want to - see you!”

“Why not?!” Ace asked, breathing hard and leaning against the door frame. His anger settled in the pit of his stomach, twisting into a hard knot. “When you came out of the kitchen, everything was fine! Why did me picking up a knife set you off?!”

Sanji whirled around to face him, his visible eye brimming with tears. “Because you were aiming it at your brothers!” With a hitch in his breath, Sanji used the heel of his hand to scrub away the tears pooling in his eye. “You have no idea how lucky you are to have brothers that care about you and tease you a-and-!”

Sanji turned away. 

The knot of anger in Ace’s stomach morphed into guilt. He didn’t know what Sanji had been through to leave him with this kind of trauma, but he wasn’t so bullheaded that he would keep pressing the issue.

Ace’s footsteps thunked against the wooden planks as he came up beside Sanji. He stood there a moment, letting the wind blow his hair around as he stared out into the sea. Not looking at him made it easier to get out the words sitting heavy on his tongue.

“Uh, Blondie?” Ace began. Sanji sniffled and the sound was like a knife between the ribs. “S-Sanji? I didn’t mean to make you upset. I’m-” He swallowed hard. “-sorry.”

Sanji stayed silent a moment, then tucked his blond hair behind with his ear with a chuckle. “That sounded like it hurt. You don’t have much experience with apologizing, do you?”

Red tinged Ace’s cheeks and he puffed out his cheeks in embarrassment. “No.”

Sanji laughed softly, and the infectious sound had Ace laughing, too.

The sun was starting to set, bathing everything in a warm orange glow. The sky looked like a painter’s canvas; vibrant pink blended into soft saffron. The fading light danced on the gently rocking waves, glittering like gems in a treasure hoard.

Ace dared to glance over at Sanji. The sunset’s glow reflected in his blue eye, melting away the ice until his gaze was as warm as a tropical sea. When Sanji’s gaze drifted and caught him staring, Ace felt his heart beat faster.

“Maybe you aren’t a total shithead after all?” Sanji remarked, smiling as he socked Ace in the arm. “You’re not bad for a bumpkin.”

“Gee, thanks.” Ace returned the gesture, punching Sanji in the shoulder. “And you’re not bad for a stuck-up brat!” Sanji laughed softly as he rubbed his shoulder. Ace felt his heart rate pick up again, though he had no idea why. “Uh, c’mon. We should head back downstairs before my grandpa or your old man comes looking for us.”

“I’ll race you there, bumpkin!” Sanji exclaimed before taking off like a bullet for the stairs.

“Prepare to lose, Blondie!” Ace shouted back, chasing after him.

Their footsteps thundered down the spiral staircase, only the sound of their laughter being louder. They both tripped down the last few steps, crashing in a pile with no clear winner.

“That was totally a tie!” Sanji exclaimed beneath the weight of Ace flung over his back. “Now get off me, shithead!”

“It was not! I definitely won!” Ace objected, rolling off Sanji and getting to his feet. He offered his hand to Sanji, who smirked and stood without help.

“There you two are!” Garp barked, marching over to the two of them. Ace jumped in front of Sanji before Garp got too close. “I thought I was gonna have to come looking for you!”

“I see you still didn’t!” Ace remarked, glowering at him.

“Don’t give me that attitude, brat!” Garp replied, sticking his hands in his pockets. “We’re leaving now. I’ll give you a couple minutes to say goodbye and if you aren’t out on the dock by then, I’ll come drag you there myself, got it?”

“What if I don’t wanna go?!” Ace challenged, putting his hands on his hips.

Garp sighed and dragged a hand down his face. “First, you don’t wanna come here! Now, you don’t wanna leave!” 

“I’m allowed to change my mind, old geezer!” Ace snapped, stumbling when Sanji grabbed his shoulder. The blond boy physically turned his attention back to him. “Hm?”

“You probably shouldn’t cause a ruckus in here, or my old man will kick everyone’s asses,” Sanji warned, sending Ace a grin. The crinkle in the corners of Sanji’s eye made Ace’s stomach do a somersault. “You sound like you’re gonna miss me? Is that true, bumpkin?”

“Tch, no!” Ace averted his gaze, the flush rising to his cheeks betraying him. “Shut the hell up!”

Sanji laughed, genuine enough that his eyes squeezed shut. 

Ace’s heart started doing that damn thing again where it beat faster. Not only that, but his palms were warmer than usual and his ears were burning. What the actual hell was going on with him?! 

Once Sanji’s laughter had died down, he gave Ace’s shoulder a pat and said, “Wait right here, bumpkin.”

With that, Sanji disappeared up the stairs and into the kitchen.

Sabo peeked around Garp’s legs as soon as Sanji was out of sight. On his lips sat a knowing grin. “Aw, I knew you and that eggplant had become friends!”

On Garp’s other side, Luffy also peered around his legs. “Does this mean Blondie’s gonna give us free food every time we come here?”

“Shut up!” Ace replied. “His name is, ‘Sanji’! And I doubt we’ll get free food just because we’re friends!”

“Oh, you three think coming here will be a regular occurrence?” Garp interjected, sending a quizzical look down at them. Luffy looked up at him with pleading eyes, which Sabo mirrored. Only Ace kept his usual stony expression. Sighing, Garp added, “We can come here every time I have vacation time.” He rapped Sabo and Luffy on the heads with his knuckles. “But don’t think I’m spoiling you, got it?!”

“Got it,” Sabo winced, rubbing his head.

“Owie,” Luffy mumbled, sticking out his lower lip in a pout. “Don’t be mean to me! I lost a tooth earlier!”

“Hey, don’t hit them, shitty old man!” Ace exclaimed, darting forward to kick Garp in the shin.

“That hurt, you little-”! Garp grabbed Ace’s by the shirt collar before the latter could dash out of his reach. Hoisting him in the air, Garp shook his head. “What am I going to do with you, brat?”

“You can let go so I can kick your ass!” Ace snapped, wriggling in his grandfather’s grip. Ace froze - still as a statue - when familiar snickering reached his ears.

“I thought I told you not to cause a ruckus in here?” Sanji chided, a hand tucked in his pants pocket. He looked over at Garp and tilted his head. “Hey, shitty geezer, mind letting him down for a minute?”

Garp let go and Ace landed on his ass on the hard floor.

“You bastard! I oughta-!” Ace started, hopping onto his feet. Sanji’s hand on his forearm stopped him and his anger was extinguished like a flame. The faintest blush dusted his cheeks as he turned his attention back to the blond. “What?”

Sanji took his hand from his pocket, revealing a scrap of paper clutched in his hand. “Here. This is the restaurant’s number. That way, we can keep in touch!” A competitive grin lit up his features. “And we can schedule that rematch!”

“That’s no good, Blondie!” Ace huffed, shaking his head. “We don’t have a transponder snail back home.”

“You don’t?” Sanji asked, surprise coloring his features. He tapped his chin with his free hand, then suggested, “What about writing letters?”

Ace flushed again, crossing his arms. Embarrassment bubbled inside him and he averted his gaze. “I don’t want to!”

Before Sanji could ask why, Luffy piped up, “We don’t go to school!”

Ace flicked Luffy in the side of the head. “Thanks, Loof! Not like I was trying to avoid admitting that!”

“That’s nothing to be ashamed of!” Sanji replied, shrugging. “So you don’t know how to read and write? So what?” 

“I can read!” Ace objected, rubbing the nape of his neck. “And write, a little.” A scowl weighed down the corners of his mouth. “Screw off with that pity, though! Reading and writing doesn’t matter much when you’re living with bandits!”

“I wasn’t pitying you!” Sanji said, shoving the scrap of paper against Ace’s chest. “Just take the damn number!”

“I can help them, don’t worry!” Sabo interjected, fully coming out from behind Garp’s legs. “I have some schooling under my belt.” Sabo pinched Ace’s cheek with one hand and Luffy’s with the other. “But I’ll only help if they promise to be good students!”

“Screw off, Sabo!” Ace grumbled, slapping his hand away and rubbing his cheek.

“Will learning to read and write be hard?” Luffy asked, giggling as Sabo stretched his cheek extra wide. When Sabo let go, it snapped back in place like a rubber band. Instead of exclaiming in pain, Luffy just laughed. 

“Fine! I guess writing letters wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world?” Ace said, stuffing Sanji’s scrap of paper in his pocket. “You better not be expecting anything fancy, Blondie!”

“I’m sure you’ll use your best stationary,” Sanji teased, tucking his hands in his pants pockets. “Now get out of here, bumpkin. We’ve got other customers, y’know?”

Ace nodded, though his feet wouldn’t budge. Part of him really didn’t want to go now; he and Sanji were just starting to understand one another! And as much as he disliked Sabo’s teasing, Ace didn’t dislike the idea of calling Sanji a ‘friend’ one day.

Fortunately, Ace was pulled out of his stupor before he could linger too long; Garp grabbed him by the shirt collar again.

“What the hell?!” Ace exclaimed, the wind knocked from lungs as Garp hefted him over his shoulder. Sanji’s giggles reached Ace’s ears and his stomach churned. Had he ever been so embarrassed in his life?! “Put me down, fucking geezer!”

“I will when we get to the boat!” Garp replied, looking down at Sanji. “Tell your old man that the food was damn good!”

With that, Garp turned on his heel and headed for the door. Behind him, Sabo and Luffy followed. The two of them openly laughed at Ace’s current position, only furthering his embarrassment.

When Garp plopped Ace down in the boat, the boy looked just as grumpy leaving as he did coming in.

“You made me look stupid in front of Sanji!” Ace barked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“So what? If he gives you shit for it, you can duke it out like you did before!” Garp reasoned, picking Luffy up and chucking him into the boat. Sabo hopped in all on his own, then helped Luffy sit up. “Now stop complaining and let’s get you three back to Dadan’s!”

“Excuse me for not jumping for joy,” Ace remarked dryly, leaning back against the side of the boat. 

Garp unhitched the boat from the dock and the waves started carrying them away. Every second that ticked by had the distance between them and Baratie growing. Pangs of discomfort seized Ace’s chest, like something was gnawing at his insides with the intent to leave him hollow.

A sharp pain in his ribs snapped him back to reality and he slapped at Sabo’s arm. “Stop elbowing me, dammit!”

“Then don’t complain to me when you miss a last look at your new friend!” Sabo replied, pointing towards Baratie.

Ace stumbled over himself in his hurry to the back end of the boat. Just as Sabo had said, Sanji was standing on the edge of the dock. The wind tangled up his blond hair as he stood on tiptoes, waving both his arms in goodbye. 

A rush of elation crashed over Ace, and he got to his feet. He waved an arm in the air, shouting at the top of his lungs, “Goodbye, Blondie!”

Luffy laughed as he hopped to his feet, throwing both hands in the air and waving with all his might. “Bye-bye, Blondie!” He faltered, then corrected, “Bye, Sanji!”

Sabo joined them, yelling his farewell with an arm in the air. “Bye, eggplant! See you again someday!”

Ace kept staring long after Baratie had disappeared into the horizon. 

“Hey, old man,” Ace said, unable to wipe the smile off his face, energy buzzing through him like an electric wire. “When are you gonna have vacation time again?”

“A few months,” Garp replied, relaxing and tucking his hands behind his head. “Why do you care all of a sudden?”

“I can’t wait to see that stuck-up brat again!” Ace answered, grinning and smacking a fist into his palm. “I’m gonna get stronger so that next time we meet, that rematch is as good as mine!” He turned to Sabo. “I want to start writing that brat a letter as soon as we get back to Dadan’s! And you’re gonna help me, got it?”

Sabo chuckled and cracked his knuckles. “I always like a challenge!”

It took Ace a moment to uncover the subtle jab and when he did, he punched Sabo in the arm.

Laughing, Sabo rubbed his arm and smiled. “Okay, I deserve that! Don’t worry, I’ll help you write him a letter!”

“Good! You better keep helping me, too!” Ace glared down at the floor of the boat. “I don’t want that brat to think I’m nothing more than a clueless bumpkin!”

“I’m sure he doesn’t, even if he teases you,” Sabo said, putting a hand on Ace’s shoulder. “Relax, Ace. I’d be happy to help you write him letters, for as long as you want!” 

“Yeah, we can all write him letters!” Luffy added, yawning and curling up against Ace’s side. “And he can send us free food when he writes back to us…”

“That’s not how the mail system works, Loof,” Sabo chuckled. A yawn overtook him, the night sky twinkling above them. Sabo leaned against Ace, already starting to nod off as he rested his head on his shoulder. “Maybe we could write him a letter in the morning?”

“But-” A yawn interrupted Ace, whose eyelids were feeling heavy. “-I wanna write a letter tonight…”

“I’ll still be here,” Sabo promised, looping an arm around Ace as sleep pulled him deeper and deeper into its clutches. “I’m not going anywhere…”

Chapter Text

Loud banging on his bedroom door startled Sanji out of the chair he was sitting in.

“Shitty eggplant!” Zeff boomed, giving the door one last bang for good measure. “News coo brought you a letter! Open the damn door already!”

“I’m coming, shitty geezer!” Sanji exclaimed, stomping over to the door and yanking it open. Zeff shoved the letter in the face and Sanji curled a fist around it. “The hell was that for, old man?!”

“For not opening the door fast enough!” Zeff groused, carrying a package up under his arm. “Don’t hold it like that unless you wanna crush it! It’s from your new friends, y’know?”

“It is?!” Sanji hurried to loosen his grip and smooth out the envelope. Scanning the return address, a wide grin broke out on his lips. “It is!”

Zeff’s usual grumpy expression softened into a smile. “Hurry up and read it before your shift starts.”

“Right! Thanks, Da-- uhhh,” Sanji began, the word getting caught in his throat. “Damn geezer!”

With that, Sanji slammed the door shut.

When the tap, step, tap of Zeff’s gait faded down the hall, Sanji rushed to his desk on the other side of the room. On his way, his foot slipped out from under him. Pain erupted through his skull as he landed face-first. The letter tumbled out of his grip and he shot back up.

“Oh, no!” he said, scrambling after it. It fluttered beneath the bed, settling on the dusty wooden floor. “Oh, dammit.”

Pain throbbed in Sanji’s nose as he laid down, pulling himself under the bed. As soon as his fingers touched the crinkled envelope, Zeff’s booming voice startled Sanji. The top of his head smacked the underside of the bed frame.

“Ow!” Sanji crawled backwards until he was out from under the bed, then sat up. His hands flew to his head, gingerly touching the afflicted area. “That hurt! What does that damn geezer want?!”

Sanji leaned down long enough to grab the letter, then slapped it on his mattress in a huff. When he stood up, lightheadedness seized him and he swayed. Pressing his hands onto the mattress, he slouched until the dark spots swirling in his vision disappeared.

“Little eggplant!” Zeff barked, his voice on the other side of the bedroom door snapping Sanji back to reality. “Your shift is about to start! Hurry up!”

Sanji cursed under his breath and dashed to the door, wrenching it open with a glare. “You barely gave me any time to read my damn letter!”

Zeff’s perpetual frown deepened as he looked him up and down. “Your nose is bleeding, brat. Did ya fall on your face again?”

“No!” Standing taller, Sanji scrubbed his nose with the back of his hand. Out of his peripheral vision, he noticed a streak of red on his skin, but he ignored it. “What do you think I am, a clumsy little kid?!”

“Just wipe your damn face off and get to work already!” Zeff groused. “You can read your letter on your lunch break!”

With that, he turned on his heel and stalked off to the staircase.

Frowning, Sanji pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and closed the door. A little mirror sat on his desk, and he used it to make sure there was no lingering blood on his face. Once he was presentable, he cast the letter on his bed a conflicted look.

He started forward, then came to a halt.

“If I take the time to read the letter, I’ll be late for work,” he muttered, pocketing his stained handkerchief. “And that geezer will be pissed. But I wanna know what Ace wrote!”

After a few more seconds of deliberation, Sanji sighed.

“Guess I’ll have to wait until my lunch hour to read it?” he said, crossing to the door. He glanced over his shoulder one last time before shutting the door behind him. Every step he took echoed in the hall. The urge to run back grew stronger and stronger.

But Sanji was nothing if not stubborn. Forcing himself down the stairs, he barged through the kitchen doors and threw himself into work. With Baratie’s fame and steady stream of customers, it wasn’t hard to get lost in the daily grind.

Until about ten minutes before his lunch break started.

Most of the staff took their breaks after the lunch rush had ended. It was nearing one in the afternoon, but the minute hand had spitefully slowed down. Every tick closer to the one took an eternity. 

“C’mon, c’mon,” Sanji mumbled, sneaking glances at the clock as he cleaned up his station. Adrenaline was already making him jittery. He was much too excited at the idea that in a few moments, he would be reading the letter Ace and his brothers had sent. “Hurry up, shitty clock!”

“Got ants in your pants, kiddo?” Carne remarked, watching Sanji bounce lightly on the balls of his feet. “Why are you in such a rush?”

“None of your business, shithead!” Sanji replied, glaring at the minute hand, as if that would make it speed up. “I got a letter from my friends and I wanna read it!”

“Oh, the new friends you made earlier this week?” Carne asked, washing his hands one last time before his break started. After drying them with a towel, he threw the towel over his shoulder. His grin turned into a teasing smirk as he added, “That’s so cute that they sent you a letter!”

Sanji whipped his head away from the clock, his glare settling on Carne. “Shut up, bastard! It’s not ‘cute’! Don’t-!”

A thwack sounded in the kitchen as Zeff smacked Sanji upside the head with his peg leg.

“Stop yellin’ in my kitchen, little brat!” Zeff huffed, then fixed Carne with a narrow-eyed look. With a grunt, he swung his leg up and struck Carne in the side of the head. “And you, stop antagonizin’ him! Or I’ll make you peel potatoes for a week!”

Hissing in pain, Sanji rubbed the back of his head. “Shitty geezer…”

Zeff turned his attention back to Sanji, and the stern expression etched on his face softened the slightest bit. “Go take your break a little early, eggplant.”

“Really?” Sanji paused, meeting his gaze with a questioning raise of his eyebrow. “But it’s not time yet?”

“I don’t give a shit!” Zeff said, putting his hands on his hips. “Last time I checked, I was the head chef in this damn restaurant! And when I say to go on your break early, you go on your damn break early!”

“Ugh, fine!” Sanji snapped, stomping off to the kitchen doors and bursting through them. 

The second they flapped closed behind him, however, he broke into a sprint. He climbed the stairs two at a time. When he skittered to a halt in front of his bedroom door, his heart was pounding and he was panting for air. 

After he stepped into his room, he flopped face-down on the mattress. His hand reached out to feel for the letter with his fingers. When they found the envelope, a broad grin lit up his face. Sitting up, breathless giggles fell from his lips as he opened the envelope. He was careful not to tear up the top flap too much.

The first thing to catch his eye was the little doodles in the corners. They were sloppy little scribbles, done by an inexperienced hand. A tiny note beside them (written in much neater handwriting) said, “Luffy drew these for you!”

“This must be Sabo’s writing?” Sanji surmised. It wasn’t hard to match the wobbly drawings with the even shakier snippets of writing scattered on the edges of the paper. “And that illegible mess must be Luffy’s?”

That left the only other distinct style of handwriting to be Ace’s. It was somewhere between a scribble and something almost legible. Certain letters had obviously been practiced beforehand, coming out neater than others. 

“Looks like that bumpkin really tried to make it look nice?” Sanji remarked, a warmth blooming in his chest. The idea that Ace had put effort into something as mundane as his handwriting just to impress Sanji made the blond giddy in a way he couldn’t quite explain. “I can’t wait to see his stupid face again!”

Sanji settled in, pushing his bangs out of his face so he could read it properly.

Hey Blondie,

You better apresiate appreciate this letter. Sabo and Luffy keep trying to steal my pen and paper to-

HI BLONDIE SANJI!!

Ignore that. Luffy took my damn paper again. Anyway, I’ve never written somebody a letter before. Sabo says I should ask how your you’re doing. So...how are you doing?

Sanji paused to giggle, picturing Ace writing the letter and blushing at how awkward this whole thing was for him.

I’m fine. So is are Luffy and Sabo. You should visit sometime and I’ll show you how to hunt! And then you can cook dinner for us! Luffy hasn’t stopped whining for your food since we left Bart Barata Baratie.

The smile on Sanji’s lips deepened, dimpling his cheeks. Pride swelled in his chest that his cooking was so good that Luffy wouldn’t stop talking about it. But the fact that Ace wanted him to cook for them again made the strange giddiness inside him blossom further. Sanji had to put the letter down for a moment to bury his face in his hands.

“That stupid, shitty bumpkin!” Sanji exclaimed, his giggles muffled against his palms. The giddy feeling in his chest gave him a boost of energy, causing him to excitedly drum his feet on his bed. “I can’t wait to see him again!”

When he felt a little calmer, he picked up the letter again.

By the way, I’ve been training for that rematch! Every day, I’m getting stronger and stronger! Next time we meet, I’m gonna kick your ass!

“Pfft, I’d like to see you try!” Sanji remarked, rolling his eyes at Ace’s confidence. “I’m gonna pulverize him next time I see him!”

I’m running out of ink, so this is all your getting for your first letter. Crybaby Luffy keeps spilling it everywhere. 

As if to emphasize his point, there was a big black splotch on the paper that vaguely resembled a hand shape.

Until next time, Blondie.

-Ace

Underneath Ace’s signature were giant, messy letters that matched Luffy’s earlier handwriting.

SEND ME FOOD IN YOUR NEKST NEXT LETTER BLONDIE SANJI!!!

Sanji snickered, “That’s not how the mail system works, shithead!”

He reread the letter a few times before folding it with care. When he opened the envelope to put it back, a separate little card fell out. A postscript note on it got Sanji’s attention. The neater handwriting clued him in as to who wrote it before he even scanned the words.

P.S. This is Sabo writing now. I’m excited to see you again, eggplant! I’ve never had a lot of friends my own age before! Neither has Ace, although he likes to act like he’s too cool for friends. 

Also, I had to stick this note in the envelope when Ace wasn’t looking. He kept scribbling out everything I wrote about him that he thought made him look bad. I’ve known him for five years and I’ve never seen him care so much about what someone else thinks! You must be really special, eggplant?

“Ace cares what I think that much, huh?” Sanji asked himself, blushing as his smile softened. There was an ache in his cheeks at smiling too much but he definitely wasn’t about to stop now. Not when it felt like a thousand butterflies had been released inside his stomach. “Well, he did run after me and apologize about the knife. So he obviously gives a damn.” 

He pressed his hands to his cheeks, feeling how warm they were under his palms. His heart was beating faster as he pictured what their reunion would be like. Even just imagining Ace smiling at him made him stomach flip and his face burn hotter.

In a softer voice, Sanji wondered aloud, “Does this mean Ace is feeling this way, too? Is he as excited to see me again as I am to see him?”

Sanji took a peek at Sabo’s note.

Ace is trying to act like he doesn’t care, but I can tell he’s antsy to see you again. For one thing, he’s been a lot grouchier lately, which is saying something!  

Sanji laughed, his heart doing a little skip. “Well, that answers that!”

I would write more but Ace is starting to get suspicious about what I’m writing. Gotta go, eggplant! Hope to see you soon!

A fuzzy, warm feeling had taken root beneath his rib cage and refused to leave. Now it wasn’t just Ace that made his heart flutter, but the thought of seeing all three of them again. Ace, Sabo, and Luffy were all excited to see him again! They wanted to see him again!

“I can’t wait to see my friends,” Sanji mumbled, a loud laugh bursting from his lips. Tumbling backwards, he landed on his back on the mattress, pressing the letter to his chest. “Ha, ha! I can’t wait to see my friends!”

A bout of giggles overtook him, his elation too great to contain. By the time they subsided, his throat was sore and the ache in his cheeks had settled in from too much smiling. Still, Sanji was hard-pressed to find it in him to care.

The rumble in his stomach brought him back to reality.

“Oh, right!” he exclaimed, sitting bolt upright. “I’m on lunch break!” Glancing at the clock, he gasped and hopped off the bed. “Shit, it’s half over by now!”

In his haste, the letter had fallen to the floor. He grabbed it and attempted to smooth it out before deciding he didn’t have time. Instead, he shoved the letter and envelope underneath his pillow for safekeeping.

He was yanking open the bedroom door when a thought hit him with enough force to make him pause.

“Wait a minute, that idiot didn’t tell me where they live!” Sanji exclaimed, ignoring the soft grumble in his belly. “How am I supposed to visit if I don’t know where they’re at?” Sighing, he shook his head. “Guess I’ll have to ask? Not surprised that dumb bumpkin forgot to mention that important little detail!”

Despite his exasperation, Sanji couldn’t stop his smile from returning to his sore cheeks. Giving in to the hunger in his stomach, he closed the door and headed back to the kitchen. He really did try to wipe the grin off his face, but nothing could make it falter for the rest of the day.

A month passed. Baratie operated as usual. The only difference being that every couple of days, Sanji would get a letter from his friends. And right after the restaurant closed up for the night, he would set about writing a responding letter.

As the new month began, Sanji felt it was finally time to take Ace up on his offer and visit.

“C’mon, geezer!” Sanji whined, trailing after Zeff as the latter limped down the hall. “Let me visit them! I’ll never ask for another thing again!”

Zeff harrumphed, coming to a halt at his bedroom door. Turning a stern eye on him, he said, “Really, now? Don’t make promises you can’t keep, brat. It’ll make a dishonest man outta you.”

“What if I earn my day off?” Sanji suggested. “Work overtime until I can do enough to earn a free day?”

“As if I’d let you work yourself to exhaustion for a day off!” Zeff scoffed, putting his hands on his hips. “A real man would just outright ask for it!”

“But I did ask you outright!” Sanji protested, throwing his hands in the air. “What do I gotta do to convince you to let me go?!”

Zeff stroked his mustache with a thoughtful hum. “You wanna visit them that bad, huh? Well, let’s see. Your birthday is next month, right? If you work hard between now and your birthday, I might consider it.”

“Then I’ll work twice as hard!” Sanji promised. “I’ll prove to you I’m not some whiny little brat and show you that I deserve to visit my friends!”

“You do that, shitty brat,” Zeff said, angling back towards his bedroom door. “Now go clean your workstation! We open in less than half an hour!”

“It’ll be so spotless that you can see your grumpy old face in it, shitty geezer!” Sanji replied before turning on his heel and making a break for the staircase. 

Zeff watched his blond head disappear down the stairs before opening his door. The hinges creaked as it shut behind him, and he sat down on his bed with a grunt.

Before opening the doors of Baratie every morning, he liked to have a moment of quiet before an inevitably hectic day. Usually, he let his thoughts wander until he felt relaxed enough to face the day.

But today, he reached for the framed photo on his nightstand.

Sanji’s face stared back at him, a broad smile stretched from one ear to the other. Sitting on a chair beside the boy was Zeff himself, a rare smile gracing his lips. It was the grand opening of Baratie, and Zeff had made sure to get the moment immortalized in a photo. Sanji had one copy, and Zeff had the other.

“The only time I see him smile like that is when he talks about the All Blue,” Zeff remarked softly. “And now, when he talks about his friends.”

His fingertips drifted to the glass, gently resting just below Sanji’s beaming face.

“That little brat is growing up so fast. He’s already made friends, even after going through a hell that no kid should have to go through.” Zeff shook his head with a sigh. “That dumb little brat doesn’t realize I’m gonna let him go regardless of how hard he works. What am I going to do with him?”

On the day of his birthday, Sanji stuck to his routine like he always did.

He woke up at five in the morning, showered and got dressed. Then, he headed down to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat before he would have to start work.

But when he walked through the kitchen doors, he was immediately escorted back out by a large hand.

“What the hell?!” Sanji exclaimed, wriggling in vain; the grip on the back of his collar was far too strong. He couldn’t tell who was tugging him along until he heard the all-too-familiar step, tap, step of his father’s gait. “Hey geezer, what’s the meaning of this?!”

Zeff plopped him down in a nearby chair, then pulled one out for himself. Sitting down, he looked Sanji in the eye and said, “You’re not needed here today, brat.”

“W-What?!” Sanji snapped, jumping to his feet. “Are you kicking me out, shitty geezer?!”

“Hell, no!” Zeff barked. “You think I’d be stupid enough to fire you after all the trouble I went to?! I saved your ass and then taught you everything you know about being a chef! Don’t insult me, shitty brat!”

“Then don’t say things like that!” Sanji replied, a hint of hurt creeping into the anger on his face. “I thought you didn’t want me anymore!”

“Don’t be so candid,” Zeff gruffed, reaching a hand out. Sanji flinched, expecting a sharp yank on his ear. But instead, a warm palm landed on top of his head. There was a rare gentleness to his father’s voice. “You may be a shitty, skinny little brat, but you’re my shitty little brat, got it?”

Sanji’s lower lip wobbled suddenly and he sank his teeth into it until he tasted blood. He nodded, and Zeff let his hand fall to his lap.

“I meant it, though,” Zeff said, leaning back in his chair. “You’re not needed here today because you’ve got the day off.”

Sanji stood up straighter, hope creeping into his expression. “I do?!”

“What kind of father would make his son work on his birthday?” Zeff asked. “Besides, I seem to recall a snot-nosed little brat I know wanting to visit a couple other snot-nosed little brats!”

“You mean it?!” Sanji exclaimed, not waiting for an answer before rushing forward. He threw his arms around Zeff’s neck. “Thank you!” A second passed and Sanji realized how awkward a hug might be. Tensing, he started to pull back. “Uh - I didn’t mean-”

“It’s okay, brat,” Zeff said, putting a hand on Sanji’s back. He tugged him into a hug that lasted a few seconds, then let him go. “Now go get packed! You’re staying all night with those brats, so you better be prepared!”

“‘All night’?” Sanji repeated, an excited gleam in his eye. “You mean it?!”

Zeff nodded. “Why would I lie about that?”

Instead of answering, Sanji turned and dashed for the stairs. “Thanks, shitty geezer!”

Zeff watched his son run up the stairs, trip halfway up, then get back on his feet and keep running. “Tch. Too excited to even run properly. What a clumsy little kid.”

His smile was marred slightly by the anxiety knotting in his gut. This would be Sanji’s first time away from Baratie - and away from Zeff - since Zeff had saved him. Questions reared their heads in Zeff’s mind; questions laced with a paternal worry that he never thought he’d experience. Not until that fateful day when he lost his leg but gained a brat of a son.

A brat of a son that he’d be devastated if anything happened to.

“Those three brats of Garp’s better treat ‘im well!” Zeff grumbled to himself as he got up. “Or they’ll answer to me.”

There was a thunk from above - something falling onto the floor in the vicinity of Sanji’s bedroom - then the brat’s muffled voice exclaiming, “I’m okay!”

Zeff couldn’t help but laugh softly at that. “My clumsy little brat of a son.” As he limped back to the kitchen, he added, “I hope he has a good time.”

About an hour later, Sanji came back downstairs carrying a giant backpack slung on his shoulders. The pack was bigger than he was, stuffed to the brim with all sorts of things. When he walked, he had to lean forward to avoid tipping over.

Waiting by the front doors, Zeff raised an eyebrow at Sanji. “Are you sure you need all of that?”

“Mhm!” Sanji nodded, smiling from ear-to-ear. “I’ve got books and games and cards and-”

“You’ve been planning this for a while now, haven’t ya?” Zeff guessed, and Sanji turned a light shade of pink. “Ha! Let’s go, eggplant! Time’s a-wastin’!”

As they crossed the dock to their boat - the sailboat that they used to make supply runs - Zeff noticed that Sanji’s appearance had changed. He had changed out of his work clothes, now sporting a much more casual outfit; a pale blue button-up shirt and shorts. 

“You’re a little gussied up to visit your friends, ain’t you?” Zeff remarked, chuckling when Sanji’s cheeks turned red.

“There’s nothing wrong with wanting to look nice, old geezer!” Sanji snapped, shrugging off his backpack as soon as they reached the sailboat. He heaved the pack onboard, then hopped in. “Hurry up, old man! Time’s a-wastin’!” 

Just to annoy Sanji further, Zeff took his sweet time getting into the boat and prepping it to sail.

“C’mon!” Sanji whined, shooting Zeff a sharp glare. “You’re being slow on purpose! I’ve seen you move faster then this when Patty tries to sneak food back to his room!”

“Don’t be so candid, shitty eggplant!” Zeff groused, unfurling the sail and then grabbing the helm. He gave the wheel a hard swing, angling them away from the dock. “Here we go! Next stop: Foosha Village!”

It took an hour to reach their destination. The whole time, Sanji kept pacing back and forth. When he wasn’t doing that, he would double check his backpack. 

After the third time Sanji rummaged through his pack, Zeff gave a tired sigh. “Are you gonna keep doing that until we reach the shore?”

“There isn’t much else to do until then, shitty geezer,” Sanji explained, taking out a book and opening it. His fingertips traced the crisp pages, idly turning a few before deeming the book adequate. Shoving it back into his pack, he added, “I thought they only lived an hour away? It sure feels like longer!”

“We’re nearing the village now,” Zeff announced. “So ya might wanna make sure you’ve got everything before heading out-” He glanced over his shoulder at him with a frown. “-because I ain’t makin’ another trip there and back just ‘cause you forgot somethin’!”

“I didn’t forget anything, geezer!” Sanji insisted, getting to his feet and hoisting his pack onto his shoulders. The boat slid right up next to the dock, bumping it a little and making Sanji wobble. The weight of his pack dragged him down until he was landing on his ass hard. “Ow. Maybe I should have forgotten a few things?”

“Too late to change that now!” Zeff replied, grabbing the handle on Sanji’s pack. With a grunt, he lifted Sanji and his pack with one hand, then plopped him onto the dock. “You’re gonna hurt your spine carrying that much shit!”

Sanji opened his mouth to snap a reply, then broke into a grin. “Is that your way of saying you care?”

Zeff harrumphed, coughing loudly and crossing his arms over his chest. “The nerve you youngins have today! That attitude will only get you into trouble!”

“I’m not hearing a ‘no’!” Sanji jabbed, getting to his feet and dusting himself off. “Whatever, shitty old man. Thanks for the ride!”

Turning, Sanji started to head for the town.

“Wait a second, brat!” Zeff snapped, and Sanji heard him clamber onto the dock. Glancing behind him, Sanji watched Zeff cross over to him. “Like hell I’m gonna let you wander all alone through an area you don’t know!”

Sanji scoffed. “As if I’d get lost! Ace gave me very clear directions!”

“And what if that little snot-nosed brat can’t tell North from South? Fat lot of good his directions will be then!”

Without waiting for Sanji to respond, Zeff took off towards the town square. Sanji had no choice but to follow. The whole way through the village, the two of them bickered about whether the directions were any good or not. 

Eventually, they found themselves at the edge of the town, facing the bottom of Mount Colubo.

“This is where Ace said he would meet us,” Sanji said, craning his neck to take in the enormity of the mountain range. “It’s so damn tall! Don’t tell me Ace is gonna climb down it to meet up with us?!”

“I’ve only ever heard stories about Mount Colubo,” Zeff remarked. “Never thought I’d see it in person. They say the beasts that live here are all savage and bloodthirsty.”

“Do they also say what the best way is to cook ‘em up?” Sanji joked, glancing at Zeff. “Blackened or medium rare?”

Zeff gave a soft snort, a small smile cracking his usual stern expression. “Ain’t even a little afraid, huh? Good.”

Sanji opened his mouth to reply, but three dots in his peripheral vision caught his attention. Whipping his head towards them, his eyes widened as he recognized three kids around his age coming down the mountainside. One of them was ahead of the others, hopping down the rocky terrain much faster than the other two.

As soon as the kid in the lead landed on the flatter ground between the village and the mountain’s base, recognition sparked in Sanji’s eyes. 

He’d know that wavy dark hair and freckled face anywhere.

“Ace?!” Sanji exclaimed, a broad grin breaking out on his lips as Ace started sprinting towards him. Laughing, Sanji dropped his pack and dashed forward. “Ace!”

“Blondie!” Ace cried, tossing his metal pipe to the side. He flung out his arms right before they collided, knocking the both of them to the ground. If the impact hadn’t left Sanji out of breath, the force of Ace hugging his middle would have.

“Ow!” Sanji shouted, laughing despite himself. “You shithead, you’re gonna crack my ribs! Can’t you control your strength?!”

“Shut up!” Ace exclaimed, his words muffled as he pressed his face into Sanji’s shoulder. “I missed you, okay?!”

Sanji beamed, burying his smile in Ace’s mop of hair as he hugged him back. It only lasted a few more seconds, and then Ace was letting go. A small part of Sanji was disappointed at the loss of contact. But it quickly vanished when Ace grabbed his hands.

“C’mon Blondie, up ya go!” Ace said, pulling Sanji to his feet. Once the other boy was standing, Ace held his hands a couple of seconds longer than he needed to. Sanji felt his face heat up a little, and swore he saw a tinge of pink on Ace’s cheeks, too. “I take it that you guys got here okay?”

“Yeah! The directions you gave me worked out fine!” Sanji replied, his smile turning into a scowl as he glanced over at Zeff. “Just like I knew they would, shitty old geezer!”

“Don’t give me that attitude, shitty brat!” Zeff snapped. “There’s nothin’ wrong with a father wanting to make sure his stupid son doesn’t get himself lost!”

While Sanji stuck his tongue out at Zeff (and then promptly dodged a kick aimed at him), the other two kids joined Ace at the foot of the mountain. Sabo came to a halt next to his brother. Two seconds later, Luffy tried and failed to skid to a stop. He crashed into Sabo’s back, falling on his ass while the latter remained upright.

“You gotta learn to slow down before you stop, Loof!” Sabo teased, bending down to lift his little brother up. Once he was on his feet, Sabo let go and pinched his cheek. “There ya go!”

“Sabo, stop that!” Luffy whined, wincing as Sabo stretched his cheek, then let it snap back into place like a rubber band. “Oof!”

“Will you two cut it out?” Ace interrupted, punching Sabo in the arm. “You’re making a bad impression!”

Sabo rubbed his upper arm with a scoff. “I think it’s a little late for that, seeing as how your friendship with eggplant over here started off with an ass-kickin’!” Ace flushed bright red and grit his teeth. Undeterred, Sabo grinned. “Combing your hair and putting on new clothes isn’t gonna change that fact, Ace!”

Sanji watched as Ace dusted himself off, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground.

Ace was indeed wearing new clothes - a red button-up (that was buttoned all the way to the collar) and a pair of khaki shorts. If Ace had combed his hair, Sanji couldn’t tell; it was as wild as ever, with leaves stuck in it from his trek through the jungle.

“You combed your hair, too?” Sanji asked, reaching up and plucking a leaf from Ace’s locks. Giggling, Sanji teased, “Was this part of your plan for dressing up?”

“Shut up,” Ace grumbled, yanking the leaf from Sanji’s fingers and crushing it. “I tried, okay?!”

“I appreciate it, bumpkin,” Sanji replied, patting his cheek before tugging on Ace’s collar. “By the way, why are you wearing it like this? Your collar’s so high, it looks like it’s choking you.”

Ace’s blush didn’t fade at Sanji’s close proximity; if anything, it got worse. “Makino um, got it for me. And she said that this is how you wear it properly-”

“Well, no offense to Miss Makino, but it doesn’t suit you,” Sanji remarked, undoing the button underneath Ace’s Adam’s apple. “There, much better! Now you look like the idiot bumpkin I know and-!” He caught himself just before he could finish the phrase. Clearing his throat, he retracted his hands and rubbed the nape of his neck. “A-Anyway, we should get going! Time’s a-wastin’!”

“Are you sure you don’t want a minute alone, eggplant?” Sabo teased, snickering as both Sanji and Ace shot him warning looks. 

Luffy tugged on Sabo’s coat. “I don’t get it! What’s so funny?”

Sabo waved a hand. “Eh, you’ll figure it out when you’re older!”

Luffy frowned, his eyebrows pinching together. “But I wanna know now!”

A loud, gruff cough caught everyone’s attention. The four of them looked towards the source and Zeff crossed his arms. He had been watching the entire thing play out with a raised eyebrow and a half-smile.

“Well, it seems I’m no longer needed here! So I’ll be going, but-” He eyed Sabo, Ace, and Luffy. “-you three better not get my brat of son into too much trouble! Or I might not let you back into my restaurant ever again!”

“Never again?!” Luffy gasped, shoving himself between Ace and Sanji. Using his powers, he stretched his arms around Sanji’s middle multiple times. With a determined frown set on his mouth, he exclaimed, “We’ll look after him!”

Sanji squirmed in Luffy’s grip while Sabo laughed. “If there’s food involved, you can always count on Luffy!”

“He’ll be fine with us-” Ace piped up, stammering before adding, “-s-sir!”

“‘Sir’?!” Sabo snorted, earning him a jab in the ribs from Ace’s elbow.

Zeff rolled his eyes, then fixed his gaze on Sanji. “And you, shitty little brat-!”

“Yeah, shitty geezer?!” Sanji challenged, standing taller. 

Zeff lifted a hand and patted the top of Sanji’s head. “Stop growin’ up so fast, little eggplant.”

Sanji peered up at him with a curious raise of his brow. “‘Growing up too fast’?”

“Seems like only yesterday, I was fishing you outta the sea!” Zeff replied, letting his hand fall to clap Sanji on the back. “Now look at you! You’re a skinny little brat who’s too big for his britches! I should’ve thrown ya back in the sea when I had the chance!”

Sanji scoffed, jerkin away from Zeff’s hand and grinning. “I would’ve climbed back up that shitty rock and dragged you down with me, damn geezer!”

“Save that attitude for Patty and Carne!” Zeff laughed, ruffling Sanji’s carefully-combed hair. Sanji made a noise of frustration and slapped Zeff’s hand away. “Have a good time, eggplant.”

“Yeah, yeah!” Sanji grumbled, running his fingers through his hair to fix it. “See you tomorrow, old man!”

Zeff nodded his goodbyes to the other three, then turned to leave.

“Goodbye, old geezer!” Luffy called, wincing when Ace shoved him in the side.

“Don’t be that rude!” Ace hissed.

“Oh.” Luffy made a thoughtful noise, then stood on tip-toes and yelled, “Goodbye, Sanji’s dad!”

“Luffy!” Sanji exclaimed, pink exploding across his cheeks. “You idiot!”

Luffy tilted his head. “What?”

Uproarious laughter came from Zeff’s throat as he shook his head, already heading into town. It was nearing noon, and the village was waking up. People were opening up restaurants and market stalls. Children scampered in the streets. Sanji, Ace, Sabo, and Luffy watched Zeff go until he disappeared into the crowd of people.

“Your old man sure was nice to let you come here!” Luffy remarked. “He seems like a good guy, even if he’s super grumpy most of the time!”

“Yeah, he’s not all bad,” Sanji said, a far off look in his eyes. “I owe him more than I can ever repay.”

Ace stepped closer. “What do you mean by that, Blondie?”

A smile flashed across Sanji’s lips, and he turned his attention back to him. “I’ll tell you about it sometime. But not now, okay?”

“Yeah, let’s go back to our hideout!” Luffy exclaimed, hopping on the balls of his feet in excitement. “I can’t wait to show Blondie the telescope!”

Sabo tugged on Luffy’s cheek, making it stretch. “Hey, I said I was gonna show him!”

“Don’t call him ‘Blondie’!” Ace snapped, grabbing Luffy’s other cheek and pulling. “How many times do I have to tell you not to?!”

“Thowwy,” Luffy mumbled, his words muffled by his stretched face.

“Whatever, let’s just go!” Ace replied, releasing Luffy’s face and letting it snap back. Crossing to where Sanji dropped his pack a few feet away, Ace picked it up- 

-and then promptly hit the ground.

“Ace?!” Sanji exclaimed, rushing to his side. Kneeling down, he shook his shoulder with wide-eyed confusion. “Ace, wake up! Why the hell did you fall asleep all of a sudden?!”

“Easy, eggplant,” Sabo interrupted, strolling over to Ace’s other side. Sticking his hands in his pockets, he nudged Ace in the side with the tip of his shoe. “Give him a minute. He’s got a sleep problem.”

“‘A sleep problem?’” Sanji repeated, brushing back a lock of Ace’s hair from his face. Indeed, Ace’s eyes were shut, deep in the grip of sleep. “He didn’t tell me about that.”

“Ace has a sleep disorder that makes him fall asleep at random.” Sabo bent down and grabbed Sanji’s pack from Ace’s grip. It took a few tugs to wriggle it from Ace’s grasp. “He gets kinda embarrassed about it sometimes, so I wouldn’t mention it when he wakes up.”

“Oh, okay.” Sanji tucked the lock of hair behind Ace’s ear so it wouldn’t fall back in his face. “How long is he usually out?”

Sabo shrugged. “A couple of minutes to a few hours.”

“‘A few hours’?!” Sanji gripped Ace’s shoulder a little harder, shaking him again. “Ace, don’t fall asleep now!”

Sabo laughed, then shoved the pack into Sanji’s arms. “Here, you carry this and I’ll carry Ace!”

Sanji stood and threw the pack over his shoulders. “Won’t he be too heavy?”

“Nah, I’ve done this lots of times!” Sabo assured him, getting onto his knees on the ground beside Ace. He pushed him into a sitting position, then threw Ace’s arms over his shoulders so that Ace’s chest was touching his back. Standing, he hoisted Ace onto his back with a grunt. His hands curled under Ace’s bent knees to keep him in place. “See? No problem!”

“Looks like you really have done that a lot?” Sanji remarked, a small frown on his lips. Casting his eyes off to the side, he muttered, “Must be nice to have brothers?”

“It is nice!” Luffy interjected, his blinding grin a contrast to the deepening downturn of Sanji’s lips. “Brothers help you out of danger-”

“Or get you into danger, in your case!” Sabo teased.

“Hey!” Luffy stuck his tongue out at him. “Like I was saying, brothers are the best! They give you extra food and train with you and-”

“I’ve never had that before,” Sanji interrupted, a soft pink dusting his cheeks. “You guys are lucky.”

Sabo readjusted Ace on his back and stepped closer. “None of us ever had that before, either.”

Lifting his head, surprise overtook the dejected look on Sanji’s face. “Really? I mean, you three don’t look very similar, so I figured you weren’t related-”

“We’re still brothers, though,” Sabo replied. “None of us have any blood siblings, but that doesn’t matter to us since we’ve got each other.”

“And now we’ve got you!” Luffy added, wrapping his arms around Sanji’s upper arm and pressing his cheek against his shoulder. “Were you an only child, too?”

“I-” Sanji began, the words getting caught in the lump forming in his throat. “I - I uh, I-”

“Hey, you don’t have to answer if you’re not ready,” Sabo assured him, letting go of one of Ace’s knees so he could rest his hand on Sanji’s free shoulder. “We’ll be here. Promise!”

“Yeah, we promise!” Luffy said, starting to tug on Sanji’s arm. “Now c’mon, let’s go to our hideout! I wanna show you the telescope!”

“You mean the telescope I said I’d show him?!” Sabo exclaimed, amusement betraying him.

“First one there gets to show Blondie the telescope!” Luffy shouted, taking off for the trees with Sanji in tow.

“That’s not how this works!” Sabo yelled, adjusting Ace on his back one last time before sprinting after his brother and Sanji. “Wait up, you little shit! You’ve got an advantage! I have to carry Ace’s unconscious ass while you’ve got nothing!”

Luffy burst into laughter and the infectious sound had Sanji laughing, too.

“Hey, Luffy!” Sanji exclaimed, and Luffy threw a glance over his shoulder. “I’ve got an idea!”

Sanji skidded to a halt, forcing Luffy to stop, too. Then he bent at the waist, picked up the younger kid, and lifted him in his arms in a princess carry.

“It’s not a very dignified position-” Sanji cast a look back at Sabo, who was still quite a few feet away. Then he dashed for the tree line. “-but it’s faster!”

As Luffy laughed, the two of them got under the cover of the foliage. Branches and wide leaves smacked them as they ran. An ache was already starting to make its presence known in Sanji’s arms. After all, Luffy may have been younger but he wasn’t that much lighter than Sanji himself.

But what his upper body lacked in strength, he made up for with stamina in his legs. They were strong; they had to be to keep up with that old geezer’s martial arts training. He had lost track of how many times that shitty geezer had made him run laps on the dock. 

If he didn’t count the uneven terrain and the buzzing insects, running through the forest with Luffy in tow wasn’t much different than a lap around Baratie’s dock.

Eventually though, his arms gave out and he had to come to a stop. Setting Luffy down, Sanji shook out his arms with a groan. “You’re damn heavy for a little kid!”

“Well, Makino always said I had a ‘healthy’ appetite!” Luffy replied, patting his stomach with a grin. “Do you think Sabo and Ace are far behind?”

“Probably,” Sanji said, leaning against a nearby tree to catch his breath. “I can’t hear ‘em coming through the brush yet.”

“I didn’t know you could run like that!” Luffy remarked, stars in his eyes as he turned his smile on Sanji. “You’re amazing, Blondie!”

Sanji used the excuse of physically exhausting himself to explain why Luffy’s comment made his heart flutter. Waving a hand, he said, “Nah, you’re just saying that!”

“No, I mean it! I wouldn’t lie about that!” Luffy insisted, a somewhat sheepish smile on his lips. Twiddling his thumbs, he cast his gaze off to the side. “Actually, I can’t lie to save my life!”

“You got that right!” a voice shouted, and a moment later, Sabo walked into view. Huffing, he tried to catch his breath. Ace was still snoring away, chin perched on Sabo’s shoulder. “Damn Blondie, you can really run!”

A smile broke out on Sanji’s face again, and he palmed the nape of his neck. “You really think so?”

“Don’t you see me dying over here?!” Sabo shot back, breathless laughter mixing with deep pants. Leaning a hand against a tree trunk, he let go of Ace and his brother landed on the ground. 

“Ace!” Sanji exclaimed, rushing to kneel beside Ace. He grabbed his shoulder, searching his face for any signs of pain. But Ace still snoozed on. “Huh? He’s still out cold?”

“Yeah, he’s a heavy sleeper,” Sabo said, wiping sweat off his brow. “He once had one of those sleeping attacks at the top of a hill, rolled all the way down, and was still knocked out by the time we got to the bottom!”

Sanji suppressed a giggle. “Wow! How long was he out after that?”

“About two minutes,” Sabo said, taking off his hat and running his free hand through his hair. He chuckled as he added, “Luffy said something about dinner and he woke up!”

Sanji didn’t hide his laughter this time, and aimed his grin down at Ace. Brushing away a strand of hair on Ace’s forehead, Sanji scoffed, “Now why doesn’t that surprise me?”

Sabo put his hat back on and leaned down. “Hey, Ace! Luffy’s gonna eat all your dinner again!”

Ace stirred, his eyes cracking open for a brief second. Mumbling something unintelligible, his head lolled to the side and his jaw went slack in a snore.

“Wow, he’s really out this time!” Sabo remarked, sighing and grabbing his brother by the shirt collar. Yanking him into a sitting position, Sabo repeated all the steps he had before in order to get Ace hoisted onto his back. Standing up, he made sure Ace was secure before starting to walk again. “Well, let’s keep going. We’ve got lots planned for your visit!”

“You do?” Sanji asked, rising to his feet and falling into stride with Sabo. Luffy flanked his other side, winding a hand around one of the strings on Sanji’s backpack. He held onto it like a rope connecting them, and Sanji found he didn’t mind. Smiling wider, he continued, “I brought lots of stuff for us to do! Think we can make some time for them?”

“We can try!” Sabo promised, cocking his head to the side. A mischievous grin curled on his lips. “Hey, guess what?”

“What?”

“Ace tried to look nice for you, y’know?” Sabo said, taking advantage of the fact that Ace was passed out on his back (and drooling onto his shoulder). Snickering, Sabo added, “He even tried to comb his hair! But he eventually gave up because the comb broke!”

“It broke?!” Sanji repeated, laughing softly in disbelief. “Still, it’s nice that he tried.”

“Oh, he’s been ‘trying’, alright!” Sabo groaned, readjusting his brother on his back. “This idiot here has been working Luffy and I to the bone cleaning up our hideout!”

Sanji bit his lip, heat burning his cheeks and making them glow pink. “R-Really? All for me?”

“All for you, eggplant!” Sabo confirmed with a knowing raise of his eyebrow. “I told you that I’ve never seen Ace care so much about what someone else thinks! You really are special to him, y’know?”

Sanji’s grin faltered. “I’ve never known what that’s like, to be honest.”

Any mirth in Sabo’s expression fell away, replaced with pinched brows and a frown. “To be special to someone?”

Sanji nodded and Luffy tugged on his sleeve. “What do you mean, Blondie? Weren’t you special to someone before?”

“Well, there was one person,” Sanji mumbled, his eyes falling to the ground. He watched his footsteps as they trekked further into the jungle, keeping his eyes down as the others’ stares seared into him. “Um, I suppose I was special to my mother? She’s the reason I became a chef; she loved my cooking, no matter how bad it was.”

“‘Bad’? But you’re an amazing cook!” Luffy exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air for emphasis. “I could eat your food all the time!”

Sanji’s grin returned. “Thanks, Luffy.”

“If it’s any consolation-” Sabo piped up, and Sanji turned his attention back to him. “-I know how you feel. I’m not very special to my birth parents.”

“Sabo’s parents are two stupid, mean nobles!” Luffy interjected.

“They never valued me for who I was,” Sabo explained, a wrinkle appearing between his brows. His eyes were fixed forward, but they were staring off into the distance. “Only for what I could give them.”

Sanji’s shoulders slumped, a sick feeling churning in his stomach. “Yeah, I-I know exactly what you mean.”

Sabo snapped his head in Sanji’s direction, eyes growing wide. “You do? Were you a noble, too?”

Sanji rubbed his hands on his upper arms, refusing to hold Sabo’s curious gaze. “Something like that...”

Luffy tilted his head, grabbing Sanji’s sleeve again. “What do you mean by that, Blondie?”

“Um, I’d rather not-” Sanji started, startling when he felt a cold raindrop land on the tip of his nose. Looking up, he noticed dark gray clouds were gathering. In the distance, soft thunder rumbled. “Oh, no!”

“Eh, this is just a pop-up shower,” Sabo remarked dismissively. “Happens every now and then around here. I’ve lost count of how many times Ace, Luffy, and I have gotten drenched by a sudden downpour!”

“Well, I don’t want to get all wet!” Sanji objected, dashing for a nearby tree. “Getting caught in the rain isn’t as fun as you’d think, y’know? It just leaves you cold and miserable!”

“Tch, it’s not like you’re gonna melt!” Sabo remarked, following Sanji beneath the shelter of the tree. Its long branches were full of wide leaves, providing adequate cover for the time being. “Still, I could use a break from carrying Ace’s heavy ass!”

“But Sabo, you just took a break earlier!” Luffy pointed out, sticking his pinkie in his nose. 

“Shut up, Luffy! You try hauling him around!” Sabo snapped, holding out a hand when Luffy took a step forward. “That was rhetorical, Loof. I’m not asking you to carry him.”

“Oh, okay!” Luffy replied, turning on his heel and staring up at the sky. A rumble of thunder rolled through the clouds, and Luffy giggled. “Here it comes!”

Sabo plopped Ace down on the ground at the base of the tree Sanji was under. He made sure he was sitting upright, his back resting against the tree. Then, Sabo took a seat beside his snoozing brother. Leaning his head back, he let his eyes slip shut.

Meanwhile, Luffy had stayed behind, standing out in the open. The rain began to pick up, and he bounced on the balls of his feet. Dancing around in puddles as they formed, he laughed and stuck his tongue out to catch raindrops.

“Luffy likes the rain, huh?” Sanji remarked, leaning his back against the tree and sliding down. Bark scratched his shirt, but he paid it no mind. He was too busy watching Luffy splash in a puddle and get himself all wet. “I used to like it, too. But not so much, anymore.”

“Luffy can’t swim, y’know? On account of his Devil Fruit,” Sabo explained. “Playing in the rain is as close as he gets to swimming nowadays. He told us that he used to be a good swimmer. I wonder what it’s like to not know how to do that all of a sudden?”

“Must be scary.” Sanji brought his knees to his chest, curling his arms around his legs. “At least he has you guys to fish him out of the water when he falls in.”

“He’s got you now, too,” Sabo said, opening his eyes and folding his hands behind his head. “You can swim, right?”

Without warning, there was a tightness in Sanji’s chest. 

A mental flash of a stormy sky. A towering wave crashing into a boat. The world spinning and a tumultuous ocean swallowing him up. The hazy light of the sun getting farther and farther away as he sank like a stone. Heavy limbs and a sluggish mind kept him from fighting back; kicking his hands and legs and swimming for dear life.

“Eggplant?” Sabo piped up, breaking Sanji out of his memory. “You okay?”

“Y-Yeah,” Sanji replied slowly, blinking away the phantom image of a dark, humanoid shape diving into the water after him. “Just got lost in thought, is all. Uh yes, I can swim.”

“Oh, good!” Sabo said, jerking a thumb at his little brother. Luffy was busy trying to catch rain in his cupped hands. “Now we’ve got a third person to keep an eye on him! I swear, every time we turn away for two seconds, he’s falling into the river or a lake or a pond!”

Sanji gave a halfhearted chuckle. “Sounds like Luffy can be a real handful, huh?”

“You have no idea!” Sabo sighed, startling when a foot connected with his ankle. “Hey!”

Ace made a confused noise, bleary eyes cracking open. “Muh?”

“You kicked me in your sleep, asshole!” Sabo said, grabbing Ace’s shoulder and shaking it roughly. “Wake up, already! You’ve been asleep for like, an hour!”

“It’s been closer to forty minutes or so, but yeah,” Sanji interjected, getting up and sitting down on Ace’s other side. “Morning, Sleeping Beauty!”

Ace shut his eyes in a slow blink, then turned his head to look at Sanji. There was about an inch of space between their faces. The second Ace realized this, his eyes snapped open wide. 

Blushing, he sat up straighter and looked around. “B-Blondie? Sabo? How long was I out?!”

“Forty minutes or so,” Sanji repeated, putting a hand on Ace’s shoulder. “Sabo said you’ve fallen asleep for hours before.”

“Not this time, it seems,” Ace muttered, looking down at his lap. “I haven’t had an attack that lasted more than a few minutes in a while.”

“Don’t be embarrassed, it’s not like you can control it!” Sanji assured him, getting to his feet. “Do you feel ready to keep walking?” Ace nodded, and Sanji extended his hand. “C’mon bumpkin, up you go!”

Ace’s gaze flicked to Sanji’s hand for a half-second, then he broke into a grin as he slipped his hand into Sanji’s.

“Aw, how cute!” Sabo teased, snickering. “Your face is getting all red again, like it did back on Baratie!”

Ace raised his free hand, balling it into a fist. He reared it back like he was going to strike, then glanced at Sanji. He couldn’t read the expression on Sanji’s face, so he let his hand fall to his side.

“Whatever,” Ace mumbled, squeezing Sanji’s hand tighter. “Let’s just get back to that old hag’s before she comes looking for us!”

“Then we can go to the hideout?” Luffy piped up, still standing out in the rain. Rivulets of it dripped from his straw hat, plopping onto his sandals.

“Yes, then we can go to the hideout!” Ace replied, rolling his eyes. “Damn, he’s been so annoying about our hideout! He thinks it’s so cool and has been itching to show you ever since we cleaned it!”

“Ever since you ordered us to clean it, you mean?” Sabo corrected, answering Ace’s warning glare with a smug grin. “You’ve been just as anxious for eggplant to see it as Luffy has!”

Bright red erupted over Ace’s cheeks, and he opened his mouth to reply.

But Sanji beat him to it. “C’mon guys, let’s get going already, okay?”

“As you wish, eggplant!” Sabo said, giving him a mock salute. Then he turned on his heel and shouted, “First one to the old hag’s place gets to show eggplant the telescope!”

With a laugh, Sabo took off into the forest.

“Hey, wait up!” Luffy exclaimed, his sandals slapping as he ran after his brother. “I thought you didn’t want to make this a competition?!”

“That was back when I had to carry Ace!” Sabo shouted, casting a grin over his shoulder. Right before the foliage concealed him, he added, “It’s fair game now!”

“Sabo, you jerk!” Luffy replied before disappearing into the brush.

“We’d better go after them,” Sanji sighed. “Unless we want to get separated, of course.”

Ace rubbed the nape of his neck. “Yeah...Um, did Sabo - did he say anything about me while I was out?”

Sanji shrugged, a small smile curling on his lips. “He said lots of stuff. Some of it about you. Some of it about Luffy.”

“Anythin’ about me that I should know about?” Ace asked, daring to glance at Sanji. 

He was met with a smirk. “Well, apparently you broke your comb trying to brush your hair.”

“Ugh, no!” Ace groaned, running a hand down his face. “I’m gonna get him later for that! He just wants to make me look bad in front of you because he thinks that I-” He cut himself off, swallowing hard and averting his eyes. Though the clouds cast them in shadow, Sanji could see a light shade of pink covering Ace’s freckled face. “-uh, he thinks it’s funny…”

Sanji bit his lip, stepping closer. “He thinks that you what?”

Ace gulped, lifting his head. Their eyes met. Ace squeezed his hand, and Sanji squeezed back. 

Boom!!

A loud rumble of thunder interrupted them.

“Um, let’s get to the house in case this storm gets any worse,” Ace said, reaching up and yanking off a leaf from the tree they were under. It was wide enough that he could hold it by the stem and give both of them cover. “Stick close by me, okay?”

Sanji bumped his shoulder against Ace’s. “Scared we’ll get separated, bumpkin?”

“I mean, if you want to get eaten by a giant tiger, then be my guest!” Ace replied, adjusting his hold on Sanji’s hand so he could lace their fingers together. “But really, I’d prefer it if you stuck close by.”

Sanji felt his face heat up, and his eyes slid down to their intertwined hands. “Then lead the way, bumpkin.”

It was another twenty minutes until Sanji and Ace reached the Dadan house. By then, the rain had slowed to a drizzle before stopping altogether. The makeshift umbrella the boys were using was discarded somewhere along the way. The clouds drifted apart, revealing a cerulean sky and a hazy rainbow. 

“I never knew how pretty the land could be,” Sanji remarked softly, his eyes drawn to the silhouette of Mount Colubo. “I’ve never gotten the chance to properly see the outside before. Just the wide open ocean and a-” Sanji’s voice dropped to a quiet whisper. “-a castle garden.”

Ace leaned closer, eyes going wide. “You’ve been to a castle?!”

“O-Only in my dreams!” Sanji said quickly, plastering on a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “My mother used to tell me stories about princesses in towers and princes on white horses that saved them! I guess those stories found their way into my dreams?”

A wrinkle appeared between Ace’s brows. He opened his mouth-

“Hey!”

Whirling around towards the source of the shout, relief flooded Sanji as he spied a lodge past the trees.

Luffy was standing beneath the overhang at the entrance, waving his hands above his head. “There you guys are!”

Ace and Sanji emerged from the brush, still hand-in-hand. Sabo - who was leaning against the door frame - immediately spotted this and broke into a grin.

“See, Loof?” Sabo said. “I told you they were busy! They took so long to catch up because they were too busy smooching to-” Something hit him in the face, and he stumbled. “Oof!”

Ace let go of Sanji’s hand to dash over to his brother. He picked up his shoe off the ground - a makeshift projectile to get Sabo to shut up. Slipping it back on, he grabbed Sabo by the collar. “We weren’t doin’ anything of the sort!”

“We were just walking,” Sanji added with a frown, his cheeks turning pink. He didn’t mind the alone time with Ace. In fact, Ace seemed to enjoy his company a lot, and it only spurred on these fluttery feelings inside him. But getting teased about these emerging feelings hit a nerve; it reminded him of people he’d rather forget. “So knock it off, okay?”

Sabo’s hands flew up in surrender. “Okay, okay! I’m done for now!”

Ace bared his teeth in a snarl. “You’d better be done for good, Sabs! It ain’t funny!”

Sighing, Sanji crossed over to them and put a hand on Ace’s wrist. “Let go of him, bumpkin.” Ace continued to glare at his brother, cheeks burning. So Sanji added, “Please.”

At that, Ace finally released him.

“Can you guys keep the arguing to a minimum around me?” Sanji said, crossing his arms over his chest. “At least don’t try to beat each other up. It’s-” Phantom memories of bigger boys his age flashed through his head. Shaking his head, he sent away their leering smiles. “-It’s uncalled for.”

“Sorry, eggplant,” Sabo replied, his shoulders slumping. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Me, too.” Ace palmed the nape of his neck. “Uh, I guess you should meet Dadan, huh?”

Bang!!

The front door slammed open and a tall, cigarette-smoking woman came out. Her bright orange curls and sneering lips cut an imposing figure at first glance.

“The hell do you three brats want?!” she exclaimed, her little brown eyes spotting Sanji. Groaning, she put her hands on her hips. “Oh great, another shitty brat! This ain’t no damn daycare!”

“He’s not staying with you, hag!” Ace shouted, shoulders tensing and fists balling. “He’s spending the night with us at our hideout!”

“Oh, yes, your ‘secret’ hideout!” Dadan said, taking her cigarette out of her mouth and tapping the ash off the end. “At least go hunting for us before you drag that brat all the way across the jungle!”

“‘Hunting’?” Sanji repeated, lighting up. “I’ve never been hunting before! Is it fun?”

“It’s awesome!” Luffy said, grabbing Sanji’s sleeve. “Let’s go right now! Leave your pack here and we can go kill some crocodile for dinner!”

“Leave my stuff here?” Sanji hesitated, curling his hands around the straps of his backpack. “But how will I know it’s not gonna get looted?”

“Ha!” Dadan barked a laugh. “This little shit is smart! He knows we’re bandits, eh?” She leaned forward, a mean grin breaking out on her lips. “Then he should know we’ll gut him like a fish if he so much as looks at us the wrong way!”

“Shut up, hag, you’re not scary,” Ace deadpanned.

Luffy and Sabo giggled as Dadan made an offended noise. “You nasty little brat-!”

“Ace’s right; you’re not nearly as scary as my shitty old man!” Sanji said, squaring his shoulders. “Besides, if anyone here knows how to gut a fish-” A wicked grin spread across Sanji’s lips and he reveled in the little step back Dadan did. “-it’s me!”

“Tch, you’re just as wild as these three!” Dadan remarked, shoving her cigarette back between her lips. “Well then, go put your damn fish-gutting skills to the test and go hunt for our dinner!”

“I’ll do you one better; I’ll even cook it for you!” Sanji promised, jerking a thumb at himself. “I’m gonna be a top-flight sea cook one day!”

“Oh, you are?” Dadan asked, raising a brow. Laughing, she put her hands on her hips again. “If you’re gonna cook for us every time you visit, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad having a damn brat like you hangin’ around?”

“Who said Blondie is gonna cook for you?!” Ace interrupted, crossing his arms. 

Sanji glanced at him, his smug grin softening. “It’s okay, bumpkin. I don’t mind. It’s my job to cook for people who are hungry!”

“Then you’re gonna be cooking for Luffy all the time!” Sabo joked, gesturing to his brother. “Look at him, he’s already drooling!”

Luffy was indeed drooling. “Are you gonna cook it just like you did at Baratie?”

Sanji nodded. “Just like it!”

“Then let’s go!” Luffy exclaimed, stretching his arms and gathering up his brothers and Sanji. It was a mess of legs as the four of them tried to run at the same pace, Luffy’s arms still trapping them. “Blondie’s gonna cook for us!”

Dadan watched them crash into the jungle and disappear into the foliage. Shaking her head, her smile turned soft at the corners. “Those brats have really taken a liking to Zeff’s kid. It’s nice to see.”

Beside her, another bandit poked his head out of the door. Dogra smirked at her, crossing his arms. “Careful, Boss. It sounds like you actually care about those kids!”

Dadan’s cheeks went pink and she sputtered, “Sh-Shut the hell up! I couldn’t give less of a damn about those shitty brats!”

Dogra snorted. “Yeah, and how long have you been telling yourself that?”

Chapter Text

The gentle breeze rustled the leaves in the jungle, ruffling the fur of a boar as it rooted in the dirt. Above it, a branch creaked and the boar snapped its head up. Sniffing, it waited a few more seconds, then returned to foraging.

High above the animal, Ace crouched on the tree branch. He shifted again, causing another creak of the branch. Wincing, he groaned inwardly as the boar became suspicious once more.

Shuffling its hooves, the boar sniffed anxiously. From this distance, Ace knew he couldn’t be seen. But what his prey lacked in sight, it made up for in a sensitive sense of smell and acute hearing. Readying his pipe above his head, Ace mentally prepared to leap down and smack the animal on its head to stun it.

“MEAT!!”

“Oh, dammit! Not again!” Ace exclaimed, watching his brother crash through the trees, his pipe poised to strike and excited laughter spilling from his lips. “He ruins our hunts every time!”

Luffy’s sudden appearance startled the boar and it stumbled into a run. 

“You won’t get away that easy!” Luffy cried, slinging an arm out. His arm stretched and he clamped his hand down on a nearby branch, swinging himself in the same direction as the boar.

“Luffy, wait up, dumbass!” Ace shouted, turning to the boy beside him. “Blondie, this might get dangerous! If you want to wait here while Sabo and I-”

“Hell, no!” Sanji interrupted, flashing a determined grin. “I’ve never cooked boar before! I’m not about to sit around and let you three lose it! That boar is mine!”

Sanji brushed past Ace and hopped onto the nearest branch, which swayed beneath the new weight it carried. Sanji threw his arms out to steady himself, then straightened as the branch settled.

“Nothing to it, bumpkin!” Sanji said, glancing over his shoulder. “Told you I could do it!”

On Ace’s other side, Sabo grinned. “Looks like eggplant is adjusting to the jungle better you thought, huh?”

Ace blushed and jabbed Sabo in the ribs. “There’s nothing wrong with being worried!”

Sabo quirked an eyebrow. “Oh, so you’re worried, huh? Interesting...”

“Just go catch up with Luffy,” Ace grumbled, his face flushing redder as Sabo laughed. “Go!”

“Okay, I’m going!” Sabo jumped to the same branch that Sanji was on. They both wobbled, the branch groaning underneath the additional weight. “Whoa! Hold still, eggplant!”

Sanji whimpered as he leaned too far backwards. Flailing out, he grabbed Sabo’s hand in an iron grip. Sabo yanked Sanji towards him and they both regained balance.

“There we go!” Sabo said, letting go of Sanji’s hand and dusting himself off. “That wasn’t so bad!”

Ace ground his teeth, eyebrows pinching together as something slithered beneath his rib cage. A new feeling was coiling inside him, sinking its fangs into him and making his temper rise. Yet, it also twisted in his stomach until he felt sick. 

Whatever it was, he knew he hated this feeling. It made him mad as a hornet and he didn’t know why.

But he had a sinking suspicion that it had to do with Sabo holding Sanji’s hand.

“Whatever,” Ace grumbled, shaking his head to clear it. Gripping his pipe tighter, he leaped to the branch that Sanji and Sabo were on. At the addition of a third weight, the branch let out a gut-curdling creaaak! “Oh, shit!”

“I’m gonna hop to the next branch!” Sabo exclaimed, doing just that. He jumped, landing on a nearby branch that was thicker than the one he had been on. “C’mon guys, I don’t think that branch is gonna hold much longer!”

Ace nodded and his feet left the branch he was on. When he landed beside Sabo, he turned. The sight of Sanji backed up against the tree’s middle made him pause. Sanji was staring down at the branch under him, his eye wide and his face pale. 

“You okay, Blondie?” Ace called, cupping a hand against his mouth. “That branch should be fine now that it’s just you on it. But still, hurry up and you’ll be fine!”

“Yeah, this one is nice and sturdy!” Sabo added, gesturing for Sanji to come over. “I’ll catch you again if you start to fall!”

Ace narrowed his eyes, the feeling that hit him earlier returning. He could feel his patience wearing thinner and his heart beating faster. The idea of Sanji jumping onto their branch and having to hold Sabo’s hand again was not one that he liked. 

“I can catch you, too!” Ace blurted, snarling softly when he heard Sabo snicker at him. “What?! I can catch Blondie as easily as you can, Sabs!”

Sanji’s voice interrupted them before an argument could break out. “I’m gonna jump now!”

Sabo and Ace both tensed as Sanji took a deep breath, then leaped off his branch. He crashed into the two of them, though thankfully, they didn’t go tumbling off. Sanji balanced himself by hooking one hand in Sabo’s and the other in Ace’s. Ace couldn’t help but glance down and had to resist the impulse to slap Sabo’s hand away. 

“There we go, eggplant,” Sabo said, letting go of Sanji’s hand. “No offense, but you’re really slow at this. I’m gonna go on ahead and catch up with Luffy!”

As Sabo jumped to another branch, Sanji huffed. “I’ll get better at this and then I’ll be faster than all of you shitheads!”

“I’ll believe it when I see it!” Sabo called, laughing as he got farther away.

Sanji frowned, glaring after Sabo’s disappearing figure. He went to curl his hands into fists when he realized there was a weight in one of his hands. Glancing down, he saw that Ace’s hand was still grasping his. Warmth bloomed on Sanji’s cheeks as he cleared his throat.

“You can-” Sanji felt his heart flutter as Ace squeezed his hand tighter. “You can let go now, y’know?”

“I know!” Ace snapped, a deep frown on his lips as his face flushed. Dropping Sanji’s hand, he clicked his tongue. “Whatever. Your hand was getting sweaty, anyway!”

Ace leaped onto the next branch, then realized the branch was farther away than he had thought. There was a split-second twist of anxiety that he wouldn't make it. His heart was pounding, fear shooting up his spine. 

And then the wind got knocked from his lungs as he crashed into the branch. He curled his arms around it, leaning his chest on the branch and letting his legs dangle in the air.

“Fuck, that was close!” Ace muttered, his pulse still racing in his ears. Hauling himself onto the branch, there was a slight wobble in his legs as he stood. He faced Sanji and gestured for him to follow. “C’mon, Blondie! You’ll be fine!”

“But you barely made it!” Sanji objected, worry wrinkling his forehead. His eye fell down to the ground, getting wider at how far down the jungle floor was. “I-I don’t know, bumpkin…”

“I’ll catch you!” Ace promised. “Trust me!”

Sanji set his jaw with a determined look on his face. “Bumpkin! If I die, I’m gonna kill you!”

Before Ace could respond, Sanji had jumped off of the branch. 

Time seemed to slow down and speed up all at once.

One second, Sanji was almost across the gap.

The next, he was sinking towards the ground.

Thinking fast, Ace grabbed the end of his pipe and swung it around so the other end was right in Sanji’s path. “Grab on!”

Sanji’s hands curled around the pipe and his descent came to a sudden halt. Ace looked down, locking gazes with the other boy. Chilling fear had shrunk Sanji’s pupil to a pinprick, his visible eye wide. 

“Hold on! I’m gonna pull you up!” Ace shouted, hauling the pipe up one hand at a time. As he pulled Sanji onto the branch, he pretended not to see the tears glinting in Sanji’s eye. “It’s okay, Blondie. I got you, just like I said I would.”

Sanji took a shaky breath, nodding weakly. “Y-Yeah.”

“Are you gonna be okay, Blondie?” Ace asked, grabbing his hand. Sanji still looked pale, little beads of sweat on his forehead. It made worry knot itself into a heavy ball in his gut. “Do you need anything?”

“Um-” Sanji lifted his head, meeting Ace’s gaze. Slowly, he scooted closer and curled against Ace’s chest, resting his cheek on his shoulder. “Just...give me a minute.”

Ace threw his arms loosely around Sanji’s torso, his worry unraveling a little. He was still concerned about Sanji, but he couldn’t ignore the warmth that spread through him, knowing that he could help him feel better.

“Take all the time you need, Blondie,” Ace mumbled, awkwardly rubbing Sanji’s back. He felt Sanji tighten a hand around the fabric of his shirt, and he couldn’t stop from smiling. “I’m here for you, y’know? I always will be. You’re-” He cleared his throat, his face feeling hot. “-You’re my friend.”

Sanji relaxed against him. “You’re my friend, too.” 

“Aw, that’s so sweet!” came a voice, and the two of them sprang apart. Not far away on his own branch was Sabo, grinning from ear-to-ear. “Looks like Blondie is turnin’ you soft, Ace?”

“Fuck you!” Ace spat, his face getting hotter until he could feel it spreading to his ears and the back of his neck. “You’re such an asshole, Sabo!”

“Just chase after that damn boar, you shithead!” Sanji added.

“Promise you guys won’t start smooching as soon as I turn my back?” Sabo teased, not waiting for a response. As he jumped down, he heard Ace and Sanji yell profanities at him. 

“What an ass,” Sanji remarked, sliding his gaze over to Ace. “Why does he think we’d kiss? We’re both boys.”

“So what?” Ace replied. “Boys can kiss, too.” His expression hardened, though the bright red still painted over his face betrayed how embarrassed he really was. He felt his stomach do a flip as he added, “Why?! Am I not good enough for you to kiss, you stuck-up brat?!”

“Hey!” Sanji exclaimed, then his pinched expression relaxed. A laugh bubbled up from his throat as he tilted his head. “What a minute! Why are you complaining? It sounds like you want me to kiss you, bumpkin!”

Ace’s heart jumped into his throat and he snapped, “Like hell, I would!”

Before Sanji could reply to that, Ace hopped off of the branch and jumped a couple of branches ahead of Sanji. He didn’t see the way Sanji’s smirk faltered, nor the way the mirth in his eye faded. 

“No, I guess you wouldn’t,” Sanji mumbled, taking a deep breath. Keeping his eyes up, he tried not to look down as he followed Ace. After a couple more branches, he was able to get from one branch to the other faster. He caught up with Ace, and the two of them reached Sabo and Luffy in no time.

“There you guys are,” Sabo remarked, glancing over his shoulder as Ace and Sanji landed on the branch he was perched on. Smirking, he added, “What took you guys so long? Too busy kissin’?”

Ace punched Sabo in the ribs, making the latter wheeze.

“Knock it off, Sabs,” Ace grumbled. “Let’s just get dinner already!”

“Fine, fine!” Sabo said, clutching his ribs. “Damn, that hurt!”

“Too bad,” Ace replied, then gestured down at the boar on the jungle floor. It was sniffing the air, its long tusks gleaming in the light. Its tail flicked back and forth impatiently, and its hooves pawed at the ground. Behind it was endless foliage. In front, a boulder far too large for it to escape over. “I see you cornered it?”

Sabo nodded. “Wasn’t easy. Luffy kept giving away our position, so we had to run after it until it got tired. It’s exhausted for now, but we should make our move before it regains its strength.”

Ace nodded, readying his pipe. “We’ve taken down bigger beasts than this one before. Shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Get ready, you guys!” Sabo said, lifting his pipe in the air and bending his knees. “One, two, thr-!”

“DINNER!!”

Luffy laughed as he vaulted out of the tree he was hiding in. The boar startled at the noise, a squeal escaping it as Luffy landed on its back. Taking off into the foliage, Luffy held on for dear life as the animal crashed through everything in its path. 

With an exasperated sound, Sabo shook his head. “Once again, Luffy ruins the element of surprise!”

Ace rolled his eyes. “Let’s just chase after him before he gets himself killed!”

Ace, Sabo, and Sanji followed the boar without trouble; it was easy to track, having left a path of destruction in its wake. Luffy managed to hang on until the boar came to a halt at the edge of a pond. As the animal skidded to a stop, Luffy’s grip faltered and momentum threw him off of the animal’s back. 

“Luffy!” Sabo and Ace shouted at the same time.

Their little brother fell into the pond, the water splashing on impact.

“I’ll save Luffy!” Sabo said, pointing at the other two. “You guys take care of the boar!”

Ace and Sanji nodded, and Sabo was off. He jumped down, landed on the boar’s back, and then leaped into the water.  

Jumping down after his brother, Ace landed on the boar’s back. He lifted his pipe, poised to strike. “Alright, you bastard! Time to-!”

The animal bucked, throwing its back legs in the air and tossing Ace off of it. Ace went flying, his back smacking against a nearby tree trunk. When he opened his eyes, his vision was swimming. Two copies of the boar turned to face him, and when they both began to charge, a burst of adrenaline brought him back to his senses. Ace scrambled up the tree just as the boar’s head collided with the tree’s base.

As Ace clung to a tree branch, his vision returned to normal. He looked down, seeing the boar shake off the impact. When it started to walk away, Ace grit his teeth.

“Dammit, I almost had him!” Ace exclaimed, startling as a blur whooshed by him. There was a yell like a war cry and he realized that Sanji was hurtling down towards the boar. “Blondie!”

Sanji’s heel connected with the top of the boar’s head with a solid thump! The boar stumbled as Sanji landed on the ground. It turned to face Sanji like it was going to charge, but then it swayed. The jungle echoed with the sound of the impact when the boar collapsed. 

Ace jumped from the tree, touching down on the ground beside Sanji. He opened his mouth to say something but a crashing noise from the pond caught the attention of both of them. It was Sabo, hauling a lethargic Luffy out of the water.

Ace crossed his arms over his chest. “Is Luffy okay?”

“Yeah, he’ll be fine,” Sabo replied, dragging Luffy onto the shore and then dropping him. “He’s just being dramatic, as usual.”

As if to emphasize Sabo’s point, Luffy piped up, “I almost died!”

Ace scoffed. “Well, it’s a good thing you didn’t. Otherwise, you wouldn’t get to eat any of the boar Blondie took down.”

Luffy immediately perked up, a glint in his eyes and drool already budding at the corner of his mouth. “Meat?!”

“Yes, Luffy,” Sanji said, chuckling. “We’ve got meat now for dinner!”

Ace puffed out his chest, sending a smirk Sanji’s way. “Blondie here took it down with one kick!”

“Wow!” Sabo exclaimed, his eyes wide in amazement. “That must be some kick you’ve got, eggplant!”

“Yeah, that must’ve been amazing!” Luffy added, running up to Sanji’s side. He pulled him into a tight hug, wrapping his arms multiple times around Sanji’s torso, much to the latter’s chagrin. “You took it out in one hit! That’s so cool!”

Sanji coughed, straining to breathe. “I’d be flattered if you weren’t crushing my ribs! Let go, idiot!”

Luffy let go with a laugh and immediately set upon the boar. With Sabo’s help, they began tying it up. 

“You really are one hell of a fighter, Blondie,” Ace remarked, a light dusting of pink on his cheeks.

Sanji turned and gave him a lopsided smile. “You’d know that, after I almost kicked your ass back at Baratie!”

“Well, you won’t win next time!” Ace said, planting the end of his pipe in the ground and curling his free hand into a fist. “I’ve been training and I’m gonna destroy you in our rematch!”

“After dinner, bumpkin! You and me!” Sanji said, standing taller. 

“I can’t wait to see who wins this one!” Luffy shouted from his perch atop the fallen boar. He stood up too fast and lost his balance, tumbling over the boar’s side and bouncing - quite literally - off the ground. 

Sanji burst into a laugh, and the sound made Ace’s heart skip a beat. 

“Well, let’s get this back to Dadan’s!” Sabo said, tying the last knot of the rope that crisscrossed the boar’s body. “Eggplant, why don’t you leave the heavy lifting to the three of us?”

Sanji furrowed his brows, his smile disappearing. “No way! I killed it; I can help carry it!”

Thunder rumbled in the distance, interrupting them. 

“Fine, then,” Sabo said with a shrug. “We don’t have time to argue about it. Sounds like it’s gonna start raining again, so we should get going.”

Ace lifted the boar’s head while Sabo lifted its back legs. Luffy squeezed underneath it so he could carry the middle. Sanji took a spot in front of him, hoisting the boar’s chest up. He was situated between Luffy and Ace, with the latter in front of him.

“You okay, Blondie?” Ace asked, glancing over his shoulder. He could see Sanji’s arms shaking slightly from the weight, but he couldn’t miss the determined glint in his eye. “You got this?”

Sanji nodded. “Let’s get back to that old hag’s and cook this big bastard up!”

It took a while to get back to Dadan’s, the four of them slowed down by the boar’s weight and the weather. The thunder had been a precursor to the light drizzle that followed. By the time they were halfway to Dadan’s, the rain had picked up, becoming heavy droplets that ran in rivulets down their arms. At least the boar’s body provided some shelter, so they weren’t forced to stop and wait for the storm clouds to pass. 

 By the time they returned to Dadan’s, the weather was still going strong; rain poured down from an ashy gray sky. Every now and then, lightning would crackle, illuminating the heavy, rolling clouds above. 

The four of them didn’t even get the chance to call out to Dadan before the woman herself was banging the door open. 

“There you brats are!” she shouted, at least three stubby cigarettes hanging from her lips. “You little shits should’ve been back sooner!”

In the corner of the door frame stood a tall man with a red mohawk that made him resemble a rooster. Despite his intimidating size, he wore a worried look as he held up his hands in a placating gesture. “Easy now, Boss! They’re back now, so don’t get worked up-”

“Shut it, Magra!” Dadan snapped. “I have a right to get worked up! Those brats are bad for my health with how much they make me worry!”

On her other side, Dogra poked his head out. “What was that, Boss? You’re worried?”

Dadan turned pink in the face and grabbed Dogra by the collar. Due to his short stature, she was able to toss him into the house with ease. Turning on Magra, she sent him a glare.

“Help those shitty brats bring that boar carcass inside!” she said, pointing at the four kids. Magra rushed to follow her orders as she held the door open. “Carry it to the back room so Ace can skin it!”

While Magra carried the boar in all by himself, the four boys walked into the front room and shook off the rain. Luffy took off his hat, placed it gently on the ground, then shook his head with all his might. Sprays of water droplets hit Ace and Sabo, who complained about it. 

“Hey, little shit,” Dadan piped up, tossing a towel at Luffy. It hit him square in the face, knocking him on his backside. “Don’t get my house all wet! What are you, a dog?”

Luffy laughed, peeking out from under the towel. “Like Pochi?”

Ace snorted, catching the towel that Dadan threw to him. “You couldn’t be Pochi; that dog has better manners in one paw than you do in your entire body!”

In the corner, Pochi was lounging on a pillow. He lifted his head at the sound of his name. When he realized there was no food involved, he put his head back down.

“You’re one to talk about manners, Ace!” Sabo remarked with a laugh. A towel conked him in the head as Dadan caught him off-guard. “Oof!”

“And here’s the last one!” Dadan said, tossing the last towel to Sanji. “Now dry the hell off while Magra prepares the boar to be skinned!”

With that, Dadan stalked off to her bedroom. 

“That old hag likes to act like she doesn’t care, but I can tell that she does,” Sanji remarked, unfolding his towel and throwing it over his head. As he dried off his hair, he added, “She kinda reminds me of my old man, in that way.”

“Dadan’s always been like that,” Ace said, drying off his arms. “She talks to us like we’re just burdens, but I guess she feels differently.”

Sanji paused, tilting his head. “You guess?”

Ace was silent as he dried off his hair, rubbing the towel harder than he needed to. When he threw the damp towel around his shoulders, he frowned. “Sometimes she gets drunk and says what she really feels. That’s how I know she thinks she’d be better off without us. Or at least, without me.”

“C’mon, Ace,” Sabo said. “Don’t say stuff like that. You and I both know that hag cares about us!”

Ace scoffed. “Yeah, sure.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” Sanji interjected, stepping closer. His hand twitched as his eyes flicked down to Ace’s hand. “Why would she give us towels if she didn’t care?”

Movement at the back of the house caught his eye, and he glanced towards it. For a brief second, he caught brown eyes staring out of a crack in the door. The curly, orange hair he spied clued him in as to who it was. And the upward tilt of Dadan’s brow told him exactly how she was feeling.

Sanji stood a little taller and dared to grab Ace’s hand. “Actually, I know that can’t be true!”

There was pink on Ace’s cheeks as he glanced down at their connected hands. He didn’t let his gaze linger however, before meeting Sanji’s eye again. “How do you know for sure?” 

A confident smile spread across Sanji’s lips. “Your old hag seems a lot like my shitty old man. Both of them act like they don’t care, but you can see right through them! Dadan wouldn’t have kept you around if she didn’t care, right?”

Ace gave a halfhearted smile that fell a moment later. “I guess you’ve got a point?”

The door to Dadan’s bedroom slammed open and she stalked out. “Ace! Enough chit-chat! Skin that boar already so we can eat it!”

“Yeah! Dinner time!” Luffy exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. “I’m so hungry that I could eat two boars!”

Sabo snatched Luffy’s hat off of his head and ruffled his hair with his other hand. “You really are a bottomless pit, huh?”

While Luffy laughed, Ace walked to the window and hung his damp towel over the edge of it. The windows had no glass, but the overhang provided shelter from the rain. When the rain eventually stopped, the window would be the perfect spot for the towel to dry. Sanji followed Ace’s lead, neatly hanging his towel over the window’s edge. 

“Do you need any help with the boar?” Sanji asked, glancing at Ace.

“Nah, I got it,” Ace replied. “Besides, it’s not a pretty sight. You might not like it.”

Sanji scoffed. “If I can gut a fish, I can stomach skinning a boar.”

Ace shrugged. “Alright, Blondie. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”

“Sabo! Luffy!” Dadan shouted. “Get out the dishes and start the fire while you wait for dinner!”

“Why can’t Magra and Dogra do it?” Luffy whined, sticking out his lower lip.

Magra emerged from the back room at the sound of his name. Meanwhile, Dogra was still laying in a heap on the floor. It was obvious from the mark on the wall and the redness on his face that when Dadan had thrown him, he had smacked into the wall face-first. 

“Dogra’s in no condition to do it,” Dadan said, putting her hands on her hips. “Besides, it’ll teach you shits some responsibility! Goodness knows that you won’t learn that from Garp, so I might as well try to teach something to you brats!”

Luffy opened his mouth to protest but Sanji beat him to it. 

“Luffy,” Sanji piped up. “If you set out the dishes and help with the fire, I’ll let you have some extra boar meat during dinner!”

At that, Luffy stood upright and his eyes got wide. “Where do we keep the dishes again?!”

Sanji laughed again. And once again, the sound elicited a foreign, fluttering feeling in Ace’s chest. He didn’t even realize that he was staring at the broad smile on Sanji’s face until Sanji tilted his head at him.

“Whatcha lookin’ at, bumpkin?” Sanji asked, his grin taking a teasing edge. “Why don’t you take a picture? It’ll last longer!”

Ace blushed and opened his mouth, but before any words could form, Luffy interjected, “What would Ace take a picture of? We don’t even have a camera, Blondie!”

Ace whipped his head in Luffy’s direction and balled his fists, a frown on his lips. “What did I say about callin’ him that?!”

“Shut it, all of you!” Dadan snapped, stomping forward and grabbing Ace by the collar. She lifted him like he weighed nothing and held him out like a naughty kitten; keeping him at a distance in case he tried to scratch. Which, knowing Ace, he very well might have. “We have dinner to start! There ain’t time for your idle chatter!”

Ace grumbled something unintelligible as Dadan hauled him to the back room. Sanji followed her, immediately spying the butchers’ knives hanging on the wall. Walking up to them, he examined them and stroked his chin.

“At least your knives look to be in good condition,” he remarked, turning as Dadan dropped Ace unceremoniously onto the floor. “Have you done this before, bumpkin?”

“Lots of times,” Ace said, getting to his feet. He dusted himself off and sent a glare at his foster mother. “But the old hag still insists on telling me what to do!”

“Like I’d trust you with a knife unsupervised! You’re only ten years old, Ace!” Dadan replied, gesturing for Sanji to come closer. “Well, you wanna help, little brat? Then get over here!”

Sanji nodded and approached the boar carcass. The process of skinning the boar didn’t take as long as he thought it would, but it was still not entirely pleasant. Sanji had seen meat chopped up or fish gutted in the kitchen, but this was something else. He’d never admit to Ace, but he did feel a little queasy during it. 

Once the animal was butchered into smaller parts, Sanji felt a bit more comfortable. Now that they were dealing with hunks of meat and not a whole animal, it was easier to push the butchering process out of his mind.

“You okay, Blondie?” Ace asked, grabbing a rag from a nearby table and wiping his knife off. “You look kinda pale.”

It felt like there was a lump in Sanji’s throat as he forced out, “I’m fine.”

“You sure about that?” Ace replied, setting his knife down on the tabletop. “Because if you can’t handle it, you don’t have to be here. Next time we go huntin’, you don’t have to help us with this part.”

Sanji very much wanted to take that offer. But at the same time, he felt like a coward for not being able to handle the rather gorey process. In the back of his mind, he heard Zeff’s voice telling him in a disgruntled tone, ‘If you can’t handle where the meat that you cook comes from, then maybe you ain’t fit to be a chef?’

And that was all the push Sanji needed to want to prove the squeamish part of him wrong.

“No, it’s okay,” Sanji said at last. Balling his fists and standing a little taller, he added, “If I’m gonna be a chef, I’m gonna have to get used to this. I might not have a choice some day, and I’ll have to do this myself.”

Ace smiled at him, and Sanji had to glance away, his cheeks warm and his stomach flipping for a different reason. 

“Now that we got that outta the way-” Dadan said, wiping the blood from her hands with a rag. “-we can begin actually cookin’ it!” She looked down at Sanji with a smirk curling on her lips. “That’s where you come in, brat! You are still gonna cook for us like you promised, right?”

“Of course!” Sanji replied, his throat dry as he swallowed. He sounded more confident than he felt as he added, “I’m gonna be a top-flight sea cook one day! And what kind of chef would I be if I went back on my word?”

“Ha!” Dadan barked out a laugh. “Y’know, I think you’re growin’ on me, brat?”

“Is that so?” Sanji said, the squeamish feeling in his gut subsiding. Now that it was time to start cooking, he could focus on that instead of the unease he felt earlier. “By the way, got any metal skewers? I bet that boar meat would be a great alternative to lamb for a shish kebab!”

Ace broke into a wide grin. “That sounds great, Blondie!”

The grumble of Ace’s stomach interrupted them, and Sanji giggled. “Guess it’s settled, then? Why don’t you go save me a seat, bumpkin? Right next to the fire?”

“Okay, Blondie!” Ace said, turning on his heel and making for the front room. 

“Magra!” Dadan shouted, and the man appeared in the doorway.

“Yes, Boss?”

“Get some skewers for dinner!” Dadan ordered, grinning as she added, “And some sake for me!”

“Yes, Boss!” Magra said, disappearing down the hall.

“Wow, you order your guys around like my old man orders the cooks at Baratie,” Sanji remarked, watching Dadan as she crossed to the other side of the room.

“Oh, yeah?” Dadan said. “Well, somebody has to be the leader ‘round here.” The back room they were in had a door, and Dadan opened it so she could lean against the doorframe. “Well, looks like the weather has calmed down? The sky has cleared up pretty good; don’t think we’ll get more rain for a little bit.”

“Are you gonna stick that boar skin outside, then?” Sanji asked. “My old geezer said that’s how you get animal skin rugs; you stick ‘em outside in the sun.”

Dadan flashed him an impressed smirk. “We’re gonna do exactly that.”

A second later, Magra passed by the doorway with an armful of metal skewers.

“Magra!” Dadan shouted, and the redheaded man backpedaled. Still carrying a bunch of skewers, he poked his head into the room. “Prepare the boar skin for tanning!”

“Yes, Boss!” Magra replied, hurrying into the room and gathering up the boar’s furry hide. 

Sanji couldn’t fight the curl of his upper lip. A twinge of the queasiness he felt earlier returned at the sight of the boar’s hide being bundled up like it was nothing more than a blanket. 

“If ya want, next time you’re here, you can take the boar’s hide home as a trophy,” Dadan said, pulling out her cigarette pack. “It can be a keepsake from your first hunt with my bratty kids.”

“Um-” Sanji swallowed, tearing his eyes away as Magra carried the hide outside. “No thanks.” He saw her fish her lighter from her pocket and asked, “Mind if I bum one of those off of you?”

Dadan raised a thin eyebrow. “A little shit like you smokes? Don’t you know that crap is bad for you?”

“No shit,” Sanji said with a roll of his eyes. Crossing his arms over his chest, he looked away to avoid holding her gaze. “But um, it helps when I don’t feel so good.”

“Ah, I see.” Dadan nodded, staring at the cigarette in her fingers. After a moment of hesitation, she stuck the cigarette back in her pack and put her lighter away. “Skinnin’ and butcherin’ a kill can take some gettin’ used to. I was about your age when I skinned my first animal.” Bending at the waist, she put a hand on Sanji’s upper back. Her rough raspy voice softened as she added, “I’ve found that when I don’t feel so good, some good food makes me feel better.”

Sanji flushed, frowning indignantly. “I ain’t no little kid!”

Dadan snorted. “You ain’t no adult, either.”

Ducking his head, Sanji balled his fists at his sides. His shoulders rose, tense and shaking. But then he sighed and his shoulders slumped. “Okay, hag. I get it.”

“‘Hag’?!” Dadan repeated with an exaggerated noise of offense. Standing up straight, she put her hands on her hips. “I see those shitty brats of mine have taught you to be disrespectful, too! What will I do with all of you?!”

Sanji’s chuckle turned into a laugh, and Dadan smiled.

“Thanks, hag,” Sanji replied. “Y’know, you’re not so bad. Um, ‘Dadan’ was it?”

“Mhm.” Dadan put a hand on top of Sanji’s head. “Ready to cook dinner now, kid?”

Sanji nodded. “I think so!”

Dadan grabbed a couple of buckets of meat and carried them out of the room. Sanji was right on her heels, almost crashing into her as she came to an abrupt stop. At the threshold separating the front room and the hallway, Dadan put down one of the buckets of meat. With a glare, she pointed at a couple of bandits sitting at the edge of the room. 

“You two!” she snapped, jerking her thumb behind her. “Go wrap up the extra meat and put it in the freezer!”

They started to complain but when Dadan threatened to let them starve, they hurried to do as she said.

“You wouldn’t really let them starve, would you?” Sanji asked, tilting his head as he and Dadan walked to the center of the front room.

“Nah, but even so, it gets them to do what I tell ‘em to,” Dadan replied, sitting down at the cooking pit. 

The usual cooking pot had been removed. Instead, two small poles had been placed on either side of the fire so the skewers could be balanced above the flames. Sanji loaded up the first skewer, putting chunks of meat between chopped veggies. It hadn’t sat above the first for two seconds before greedy hands reached for it. Dadan slapped away the bandits’ hands as Sanji prepared a couple more skewers. Everyone ended up having to wait for their share, but it allowed dinner to go more smoothly. 

Ace, Sabo, and Luffy were some of the first ones to receive their portions. By the time everyone else had gotten theirs, the trio was ready for seconds.

“More! More!” Luffy chanted, making grabby hands at the skewers roasting above the flames. “I’m so hungry!”

“Have some patience, Luffy!” Sanji snapped. He grabbed one of Luffy’s wrists, yanked his arm back and let go; Luffy’s hand bounced back like a rubber band and smacked its owner in the face. “Don’t be so reckless around the fire or you’ll get burned!”

When Luffy did get his seconds, he gobbled it up quickly (and then complained about the food being too hot). Instead of taking pity, Sabo and Ace laughed as Luffy downed an entire glass of water.

“Maybe that’ll teach him to wait next time?” Dadan said, taking her share of dinner. 

At her side sat Ace, Sanji, Sabo, and Luffy. Ace was closest to her, and he shook his head. “Doubt that, hag. Luffy never learns!”

Dadan didn’t respond. An unreadable expression had crossed her features as she watched her son laugh at his brother. After a moment, she reached out until her palm was above his head. Keeping her eyes fixed forward, she firmly patted the top of his head three times.

The entire cabin went silent.

Until Dadan shouted, “What the hell are you bastards starin’ at?! Eat your damn dinner!”

As the chatter of conversation returned, Ace cleared his throat. “Uh. What the hell was that for, old hag?”

“For bringing home some food like a good kid,” Dadan replied, taking a big bite out of a chunk of boar. “Ever since you and the other two brats built your little hideout, you don’t bring food home to us anymore. It’s nice to see you little shits sharing your kills with us again.”

“Well, don’t get used to it!” Ace said, turning his attention back to his meal. The fire light flickering over him couldn’t hide the embarrassed blush on his cheeks, though. “We’re only sharing ‘cause Blondie likes to cook for people!”

While Luffy had been chugging his water, he hadn’t noticed the dog poking his head between him and Sabo. Pochi glanced at Luffy, then Sabo, then snatched a skewer between his jaws. Luffy didn’t notice his missing food until he heard Pochi’s nails clacking on the floor as he dashed away. 

“Hey! Come back here, you stupid dog!” Luffy cried, getting to his feet and chasing after Pochi. “That’s mine!”

Sabo and Ace watched - their heads twisting back and forth - as Luffy chased the dog around the cabin. 

“Ace! Sabo!” Luffy panted, stopping to look at them with pleading eyes. “Help me! Please?!”

Sabo snickered. “No way! It’s your dinner that got stolen!”

“Yeah! We don’t have to-!” Ace started, then caught sight of Sanji out of the corner of his eye. Sanji was tilting his head slightly, his brow angled upwards. He glanced from Ace to Luffy and back. One look at the silent plea in his eye, and Ace felt guilt weigh his shoulders down. Sighing, he said, “Nevermind. Let’s catch that dog before he eats all of your dinner.”

Sabo’s eyes widened, looking at Ace with a puzzled expression. “The hell has gotten into you?!”

Ace socked Sabo in the shoulder before standing. “Just c’mon!”

Sighing, Sabo wolfed down the rest of his share and stood. “Okay, okay!”

Sanji covered his mouth with his hand to muffle a giggle as the trio chased Pochi. Half of the food on the skewer was already gone, so it was a moot point in trying to get the rest back. But still, it was funny to watch Ace and Sabo attempt to corner the dog only for Luffy to jump in and ruin their efforts.

“That idiot Luffy doesn’t realize that he can just ask for more food,” Dadan mumbled, sipping her sake from a red cup. “It’s not like there isn’t plenty to go around.”

“Oh! I just remembered!” Sanji said, digging into his pants pocket. He tapped Dadan on her shoulder and she turned towards him. “Here ya go, hag!”

“Hm?” Dadan raised an eyebrow. “What’s this?”

Sanji presented a couple of pieces of paper with words scribbled on them. “I wrote down the recipes for what I cooked tonight, plus a few other things! I figured it might help hold Ace and the others over until I visit again.”

“Well, ain’t that nice of you?” Dadan remarked, taking the papers and squinting at them. “Shit, I’m gonna have to get glasses to read this chicken scratch!” Sanji put his hands on his hips with an indignant look. “Oh, don’t give me that! At least I’ll be able to read it at all! Most of the bandits in this family can’t, y’know?”

Sanji’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah, I figured that was the case once I learned that Ace only knew a little reading and writing.”

Dadan flicked her eyes from the papers to her three sons to be sure that Ace, Luffy, or Sabo weren’t in earshot. They had finally caught Pochi; Ace and Sabo were holding him down while Luffy tried to pull the now-empty skewer from his teeth. 

“To be honest, brat, I’d always wanted to teach Ace better than I was taught,” Dadan admitted. “But y’know how it is; couldn’t exactly drop him off at school with the normal kids.”

“Yeah,” Sanji mumbled, looking down at the empty skewer in his hand. “I never got to be a normal kid, either.”

“I only learned what I needed to get by, and so my bratty little son gets the same education,” Dadan said, shaking her head. “And now, there’s three of ‘em under my care! How am I supposed to educate three of ‘em when I can’t even teach one properly?” Reaching for the sake bottle, she refilled her cup and drank it all in one shot. “Don’t even have the money to buy books for ‘em. It’s too bad.”

Sanji perked up. “I brought some books with me! Maybe I could help them out?”

Dadan snorted, a grin breaking out on her lips. “You’re welcome to try! If Ace’ll let ya, that is! That kid is one hell of a stubborn brat! He might act like he doesn’t need anyone to teach him anything!”

Sanji blushed, heat rising to his cheeks as a small smile broke out on his lips. Glancing up, he caught sight of Ace, who had given up on getting the skewer back. Now he was just sitting beside Pochi, scratching the dog behind the ears while Luffy pouted.

“Maybe he’ll make an exception-” Sanji said, feeling a surge of giddiness beneath his ribs. “-if it’s me?”

Dadan snorted a laugh.

Sanji’s expression instantly became a glare. “What?!”

“Nothin’!” Dadan replied, her shoulders shaking in silent laughter. “Just found somethin’ amusing, is all!”

Sanji had his suspicions that she was laughing at him, given how she looked at him with a knowing expression and sharp grin.

He didn’t have time to dwell on it, though, because the trio were coming back to the fire. Ace sat down beside Sanji, while Sabo and Luffy sat between him and Dadan. As Sanji readied another skewer to cook, Ace tilted his head at him.

“Have you even eaten yet, Blondie?” Ace asked. Sanji’s stomach growled, answering that question for him. In response, Ace frowned. “How come you’re letting yourself go hungry?”

“A good chef always makes sure everyone else is fed before himself!” Sanji recited, holding his head higher. “My old man taught me that.”

“Well, everyone else has been fed!” Ace replied, gesturing to the others in the room. “So eat now!”

“Okay, bossy!” Sanji chuckled, filling up the skewer in his hand and putting it over the fire. As he got to his feet and crossed to his pack in the corner, Ace’s gaze followed him. When he returned, he had a small jar of spices in it. Sanji caught him staring and smirked. “Whatcha lookin’ at, bumpkin?”

Ace pointed at the jar. “What’s that?”

“A homemade mix of spices!” Sanji replied, handing it to Ace. “It’s got powdered garlic, onion, cayenne pepper, paprika, and - of course - salt and pepper!”

Ace unscrewed the top and sniffed, then licked his lips. “Mm, that smells good!”

“Wanna try some?” Sanji offered, and Luffy scampered over, pressing himself between the two.

“I wanna try!” Luffy exclaimed. “Let me try, too!”

Before Sanji could answer, Luffy snatched the jar and stuck out his tongue, dumping a bunch of the contents onto his tongue. As Ace grabbed the jar out of his hands, Luffy’s eyes went wide as saucers. His face flushed red and he started running around the room like a bull in a china shop.

“Too hot! Too hot!” Luffy shouted, waving his hands in the air. “Water! Water! Need water!”

Sabo burst into laughter, clutching his belly. “Is that stuff supposed to be that spicy?!”

“Only if you use too much-” Sanji said, chuckling as Luffy tripped over his own two feet, face-planting into the floorboards. “-like that idiot.”

Luffy lifted his head, tears streaming down his face as steam practically blew out of his ears. “Don’t laugh at meee!”

“Then don’t make a fool of yourself!” Sanji replied, pushing meat and veggies onto a skewer and hanging it over the fire. Then he took the jar from Ace and sprinkled a bit over the skewer. “I hope you can handle spice better than your brother, bumpkin.”

“I’m sure I can handle it,” Ace replied sarcastically as Sanji started to eat his portion of dinner. A few minutes later, his skewer was ready. Licking his lips, he took it off the fire and took a bite. Chewing thoughtfully, he put a finger to his chin. “Hm, not very spicy.”

Sabo leaned back on his palms. “Maybe Luffy’s just a big baby when it comes to spice?” 

Luffy - still laying on his belly on the floor - dragged himself over to Sabo and rested his chin on Sabo’s leg. “You guys are so mean!”

“Then why don’t you add some more, Ace?” Sanji suggested, holding out the jar. While Sabo patted Luffy on the head, Ace shook the jar a little too hard and ended up with more spice than he intended. Sanji couldn’t help but giggle at that. “Looks like you’re gonna end up like Luffy did?”

“Yeah, right!” Ace replied, stubbornly taking a bite of meat and veggies. Instead of tears springing to his eyes and red exploding across his face, his eyes lit up and he grinned. “Wow! That’s got a real kick to it!”

“No fair!” Luffy whined. “How come you’re immune to spice?!”

“Have you ever had spicy food before?” Sanji asked as Ace devoured the rest of the food on the skewer. 

Ace shook his head, his cheeks puffed out and his mouth full. “Nope! Thi’ is so good, though!”

Sanji averted his eyes, his cheeks growing warm again. He nibbled on his food to avoid having to talk; he wouldn’t have known what to say, anyway. Hearing people compliment his food always made him feel proud. But when Ace did it, there was this strange added feeling of butterflies in his stomach. He couldn’t quite explain it yet, but he knew he liked it.

Dinner wrapped up soon after that. Once all the food was gone, Luffy promptly passed out. He had eaten so much that his belly poked out beneath his shirt. Drool slipped down his chin as his mouth hung open in a loud snore.

“Typical Luffy,” Sabo remarked, standing over Luffy and shaking his head. “Looks like someone’s gotta carry him back to the hideout?”

Sanji and Ace both shot a hand into the air and said at the same time, “Not it!”

“Dammit,” Sabo grumbled, sighing as he knelt down. “Let’s get this over with!”

“Thanks for catching dinner for us, brats!” Dadan piped up, lighting a cigarette and taking a drag. “And Sanji, thanks for cookin’ it!”

Sanji grinned, hefting his backpack on. “My pleasure, hag!”

Ace grabbed his pipe and Sabo’s from the doorway and sent one last glance over his shoulder. “See you later, old hag!”

“See ya, you little shits!” Dadan replied, giving a wave as the four of them left the house. 

After they had gotten about twenty feet away, Sanji looked behind them. In the window, he could see Dadan leaning against the frame, a cigarette still between her lips. As he faced forward again, a tiny part of him felt jealous that Ace, Sabo, and Luffy had a mother in their lives - even if Dadan wasn’t a very conventional mother.

“You’re lucky to have that old hag, y’know?” Sanji said, holding onto the straps of his pack. “She’s better than you give her credit for.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Ace said as they approached the jungle’s foliage. He used one of the pipes to push a giant leaf out of the way. “She pretty much lets us do whatever we want. Though that doesn’t mean she won’t nag at us, too!”

“Say what you want, Ace-” Sabo said, shifting Luffy who was sound asleep on his back. “-but I prefer that hag any day over what I dealt with back in High Town!”

Ace said nothing. But the frown on his lips and the furrow of his brow gave away that wasn’t entirely satisfied by Sabo’s answer. When Sanji let his eyes drift lower, he saw that Ace’s grip on the pipes was turning his knuckles white.

Sanji hoped that Ace’s mood would improve by the time they reached the trio’s hideout. 

The trek to the hideout took longer than Sanji expected. It was hidden deep in the jungle, far from the Dadan house. He couldn’t even see the sky through the thickness of the canopy. Though all around him, he could hear the life of the jungle; the twittering of birds, the shushing of the wind through the leaves, and the buzz of insects. Every now and then, they’d stop to let a giant animal pass through. Once it was gone, they’d continue on their way. 

“Wow, I didn’t expect the animals here to be so huge!” Sanji remarked, craning his neck as the tree steadily grew taller around them. “Nor the trees, for that matter.”

“This ain’t no regular land, Blondie,” Ace replied, flashing him a confident grin. “You’ve gotta be strong to survive here!”

“Or have strong older brothers, in Luffy’s case!” Sabo joked, readjusting his hold on his younger brother. “Ugh, he’s still drooling on me?!”

“Why do you think I didn’t want to carry him?” Ace said with a snicker. “I’m sure he’ll get stronger one day, Sabs. I don’t think he’ll be a crybaby forever. Not if we can help it!”

A few moments later, they broke through a patch of bushes and came to a stop. Ace pointed the end of his pipe up at the top of a particularly large tree. Looking up, Sanji kept craning his head back farther and farther; he could barely see the wooden boards of the hideout.

“All the way up there?!” Sanji exclaimed, spotting the rope ladder connected to the side and following it all the way down to the ground. 

“Yep! All the way up there!” Ace confirmed, quirking an eyebrow at him. “Think you can handle it?”

Sanji nodded, a sharp grin spreading across his lips. “No sweat, bumpkin!”

Ace’s smile disappeared. “Hey, wait a minute!”

“What is it?” Sabo asked.

Ace tilted his head at Sanji. “Weren’t we supposed to have a rematch after dinner?” 

Sabo snorted. “That’s what you were concerned about?”

“I don’t know about that rematch just yet, bumpkin,” Sanji replied, his grin turning sly. “I don’t wanna kick your ass and make you cry on my birthday!”

Ace and Sabo went silent and their eyes widened. Sanji’s grin immediately fell, concerned he might’ve said something wrong. The only noise that broke the quiet was the chitter of animals and a loud snore from Luffy.

“It’s your birthday?!” Ace exclaimed.

“Why didn’t you say anything, eggplant?!” Sabo added.

Sanji blushed and glanced down at his shoes. “I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.”

“But we could’ve gotten you presents!” Sabo protested. “Or made you a card! Or even gotten you some cake!”

“‘Cake’?!” Luffy repeated, suddenly awake on Sabo’s back. “Did someone say ‘cake’?!”

“I did, Loof,” Sabo said, letting go and hearing Luffy land on the ground with a thump. “We just found out that today is Sanji’s birthday!”

“It is?!” Luffy cried, turning his attention to Sanji. “Why didn’t you say anything?!”

Sanji shrugged, feeling his face grow warm and his stomach turn. “I didn’t wanna make a big deal out of it!”

“Why not?!” Luffy asked, scrambling to his feet. “Birthdays are so much fun! There’s cake and music and dancing and presents!” He threw his hands in the air. “Why wouldn’t you want that?!”

“Loof, not everyone has actually celebrated their birthdays like you have,” Sabo pointed out. He stuck his hands in his pockets, the tip of his shoe digging into the dirt. “I uh, never got to celebrate mine. My parents always made me study instead.”

Ace scratched the back of his neck, looking away. “I’m uh, in the same boat. That old hag never had any money to get me anything for my birthdays, so it was just another day for me.”

Luffy gasped, slapping his hands on the side of his face. “Wait! None of you have ever had a proper birthday?!”

Sanji, Ace, and Sabo shook their heads.

“Looks like I get to be in charge for once?” Luffy said, laughing and then puffing his chest out. “Don’t worry, guys! I know everything about birthdays!”

Sabo snorted a laugh. “You in charge? Who decided that?”

“I did!” Luffy shot back, jerking a thumb at himself. “After all, I’m the only one who knows what a proper birthday is!”

“Alright, expert,” Ace replied, leaning the pipes against the tree. Turning back to face Luffy, he crossed his arms. “Then what do we gotta do so Sanji can have a ‘proper’ birthday?”

“Don’t I get a say in this?” Sanji piped up. “I don’t wanna be a burden for you guys! I mean, I can’t think of any reason why you would go through the trouble of throwing me a ‘proper’ birthday!” He flushed and lowered his voice a little. “Just getting to hang out with you guys is enough.”

“That’s sweet, eggplant. But-” Sabo angled his head to the side, confusion wrinkling his brow. “-why wouldn’t we want to throw you a party on your day?”

Sanji shrugged, his fingers messing with the hem of his shirt. Toeing the ground with the tip of his shoe, he said, “I um, don’t know why you’d do something so nice for me.”

“Because we’re your friends!” Luffy said, like it was obvious. “That’s what friends do!”

Sanji opened his mouth to reply but Ace’s hand on his shoulder shut him up.

“You might as well accept it, Blondie,” Ace said, a small lopsided smile on his lips. “Once Luffy decides what he wants, there’s no changin’ his mind.”

“You got that right!” Luffy agreed, putting his hands on his hips and grinning proudly. A moment later, he tapped a finger to his chin, his expression pinching into deeper thought. “Now, let’s see. For a proper birthday party, we need cake, presents, music-”

“Don’t got cake,” Ace interrupted, leaning against the tree. “It’s too late to go to town for one; all the shops would be closed. And we don’t have the ingredients to bake one.”

“We don’t have presents, either,” Sabo pointed out, playfully jabbing his elbow into Sanji’s side. “Since a certain eggplant didn’t tell us what day it was before coming here!”

“That leaves music, then!” Luffy said, scratching the side of his head. “How do we get a hold of some music?”

“Do you have a gramophone?” Sanji asked. When the other three raised their eyebrows at him, he sighed. Motioning with his hands, he gestured out a square shape and then a round one. “It’s like a music box that has a big horn on top. It plays records and sends the sound out through that horn.”

“I know what that is, but I thought only nobles had them?” Sabo remarked. “Or at least, only the nobles around here. They’re kinda expensive.”

“Oh, I see,” Sanji replied. “Well then, what about-?”

“How do you know what one of those is?” Ace interrupted, suspicion narrowing his eyes.

“Ace-” Sabo chided, but Sanji held up a hand.

“It’s okay, Sabo.” Sanji cleared his throat, fiddling with his fingers. “My mom used to have one before she passed away. That’s how I know what they are.”

Ace ducked his head, his expression softening into guilt. “Oh. Sorry, Blondie.”

“So what are we gonna do for music?” Luffy asked, balling his fists. “I don’t wanna keep standing around! I wanna dance!”

Sabo perked up. “Hey, doesn’t Dadan play the banjo? We could go back to the house and-”

“No!” Ace said flatly. When Sabo gave him an exasperated look, Ace threw his hands in the air. “We were just there! I don’t wanna go all the way back across the jungle!”

“Fine!” Sabo sighed, glancing up as a couple of bird cries pierced the air. The sky was quickly fading from blue to the rich tones of sunset. “Let’s discuss it in the hideout, okay? Nighttime is almost here.”

Luffy pushed past all of them and raced up the ladder. When he reached the hideout’s entrance first, he flashed them a triumphant grin. One that Ace quickly dissipated with a punch to Luffy’s upper arm. While Luffy stuck his tongue out, Sabo climbed through the entrance, then turned around. 

Standing in the entryway, Sabo peered down at Sanji, who was still climbing. “You good, eggplant?”

“Yeah, I’m fine!” Sanji called, hoisting himself up further. The climb would’ve been a lot easier without the backpack weighing him down. “Next time, I won’t bring half the shit I did this time!”

Sabo laughed softly, and when Sanji was just about to the top, Sabo held out his hands. “Lemme help you, eggplant.”

Sanji smiled. “Thanks.”

As soon as Sanji grabbed one of Sabo’s hands, Ace snapped his attention away from Luffy. His little brother landed a few playful blows to his side, but Ace paid him no mind. His focus was on Sanji’s hand in Sabo’s, and the burning feeling beneath his sternum at the sight of it. 

“Ace!” Luffy said, right in his ear. He tugged on Ace’s elbow to no avail. “Ace!” A yank on his hair. Nothing. “Ace!” A pull of his shirt collar. Still nothing. “Ace! A-!”

“What?!” Ace barked, whirling his attention back to his brother. “What do you want, you little shit?!”

“Music!” Luffy exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “I want music for Sanji’s birthday!”

“I don’t know if that’ll be a possibility, Loof,” Sabo answered before Ace could even open his mouth. Pulling Sanji up the ladder, Sabo led him further into the hideout. “Unless eggplant here has something hidden away in that giant backpack of his!”

Ace’s eyes fixed on Sanji and Sabo’s hands - still connected despite Sanji not needing help up the ladder anymore. Sabo must’ve sensed Ace’s gaze burning into him because he let go a second later.

“I might have something?” Sanji said, setting his pack down. He sat on the wooden floor and opened up one of the pockets. Rifling through it, his hand bumped something small and solid. Grabbing it, he lifted it and just about dropped it when he saw what it was.

It was a mini phonographic snail player; nearly identical to transponder snails but smaller. Instead of a cord and receiver on its back, there was a needle that connected to a record, which was positioned on the side of the snail’s shell. Digging back into the pocket, Sanji pulled out a couple of mini record discs. 

“Where the hell did these come from?” Sanji mumbled to himself. Turning over one of the discs, he saw a note:

Little brat,

This is for your birthday. You’re welcome. Each side of the disc only plays one song, but I figured that you and those shitty brats might still enjoy some music. 

-Zeff

Sanji didn’t fight the smile that broke out on his face. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he mumbled, “Thanks, Dad.”

Ace knelt down beside him, pulling him back to the present. “Did you say something, Blondie?”

Sanji flushed a light pink and shook his head. “No, but um, look!” He presented the phonographic snail player. “My old geezer gave me this as a birthday gift! So now we have music!”

“Hooray!” Luffy cried, jumping up and down in excitement. “C’mon, play something!”

“Jeez, have a little patience, Loof!” Sabo chided.

“No!” Luffy replied with a laugh.

Ace pushed a crate into a corner of the circular room and patted the top of it. “Here, Blondie. Put the music player here!”

Sanji nodded and placed the mini snail player in the center of the crate. Tapping the top of the shell, he cooed, “Wake up, little guy!”

The snail opened its eyes and looked up at him with a slow blink.

“Ready for some music?” Sanji asked, giggling softly when the snail blinked again. 

After sliding a disc under the needle, there was a brief scratch before notes began to play on a violin. It was a simple melody that drifted into the air; sweet but lively enough to move to. When a piano entered the song, Luffy cheered and began to dance enthusiastically.

“Dance!” Luffy commanded, grabbing Sabo’s hands and dragging him into an aimless dance. “I’ve heard this one before!”

“Oh, you have?” Sabo laughed, letting his little brother pull him around the room. “Where have you heard it before?”

“Makino’s bar!” Luffy answered, letting go of one of Sabo’s hands. “Shanks and his crew played it all the time!” Luffy began to sing along, his nasally, off-pitch voice somehow in sync with the notes. “Yohohoho! Yo-ho-ho-ho!”  

Throwing a hand Ace’s way, Luffy’s arm extended and he latched onto Ace’s wrist. Ace dug his heels in but lost to Luffy’s sheer determination, getting hauled into a dance. At the last second, Ace grabbed Sanji’s fingers and the blond boy let himself be pulled into the dance, too.

Warmth bubbled in Sanji’s chest, spilling from his lips in a joyful laugh. As the four of them danced around the room, Ace laced his fingers with Sanji’s. Every time Sanji’s laugh filled his ears, Ace felt strangely light. His feet moved across the floor like he weighed nothing at all. There was a weak feeling in his knees and his head felt so weightless that it might’ve floated away, had it not been attached to his shoulders.

After the song came to a close, Sanji switched out the disc for another one. An instrumental dance song played, upbeat and catchy. As the evening went on, the four of them managed to dance to all of the songs on each disc that Zeff had given Sanji. By now, the sun was long gone; it had dipped below the horizon and the moon had taken its place. 

When the last song ended, Ace slumped against the wall of the hideout, winded and pink in the face. Sabo and Sanji weren’t much better; both could feel the tug of fatigue in their limbs and the ache in their lungs from not taking a break between dances. 

Luffy, however, still had energy to spare. “Again! Again!”

“Maybe in a little bit, Loof?” Sabo replied, taking his hat off and tossing it to the side. He shed his jacket and halfheartedly hung it on a nearby peg in the wall. “Jeez, I’m worn out!”

“Same here!” Ace said, yawning into his fist. “I could go to bed!”

Luffy deflated, his shoulders falling and a frown on his lips. “Aw, no! But I still wanna dance some more!”

“How do you have so much energy?” Sabo remarked with a shake of his head. Crossing to the windows, he reached up and grabbed a string attached to the bottom of a rolled-up shade. Tugging it down, he pulled it until it covered the window, then moved on to the next one. “I’m at least gonna get this place ready for whenever we do decide to hit the hay.”

“Want me to help?” Sanji asked.

Sabo threw Sanji a smile over his shoulder. “Sure, eggplant!”

Sanji nodded, getting to his feet. Ace frowned, gritting his teeth as Sanji reached for the string attached to the shade and bumped his hand into Sabo’s. The two of them laughed it off but Ace only narrowed his eyes.

Remembering the flare of fire beneath his sternum earlier, Ace stomped up to Sanji and jutted a hand out. “Dance with me!” 

Sanji seemed surprised, but recovered and put his hands on his hips. “Not with that attitude!”

Ace gave a short, exasperated sigh through his nose. He opened his mouth to repeat himself when Sabo interrupted.

“I thought you were ready for bed, Ace?” Sabo teased, snickering when Ace shot him a glare. “Know what? I think I have enough energy for one more dance! So I’ll dance with you, eggplant!

Luffy bounced on the balls on his feet. “Me, too! Me, too!”

“Shut up, assholes! I’m the one that’s gonna dance with him!” Ace shouted, darting forward and clamping a hand on Sanji’s wrist. “Dance with me, Blondie!” Ace withered slightly under Sanji’s stern expression. “Uh, please?”

Sabo gasped dramatically. “Ace said, ‘please’?!”

Luffy curled his hands into fists and put them up in a fighting stance. “Who are you and what have you done with Ace?!”

“Shut the hell up, bastards!” Ace snapped, whirling around to growl at them. The effect might have actually worked had his face not been flushed up to his ears. “What do you think I am?! A thug?!”

Before Sabo or Luffy could respond, Sanji yanked his wrist out of Ace’s grip. Ace was about to turn around to face Sanji, but when the latter slipped his hand into Ace’s, Ace was rooted to the spot. He glanced over at him and saw that there was a light shade of pink glowing on Sanji’s cheeks. 

“I’d love to dance with you,” Sanji said, his smile eliciting butterflies below Ace’s ribs. Turning his attention to the other two, Sanji grinned. “Actually, I’d like to dance with all of you again! Luffy, turn on Bink’s Sake again!”

Luffy cheered and scrambled over to the snail player. As he fumbled to put in the right disc, Sabo eventually had to give him a hand. Ace wanted to snap at them because he had intended for only him and Sanji to dance together. But the excited grin on Sanji’s face stopped him in his tracks. All he could do was take a deep breath and squeeze Sanji’s hand a little tighter. The only consolation was that when he did, Sanji squeezed back.

Soon enough, the disc with “Bink’s Sake” on it began to play again. Luffy linked hands with Sanji and Sabo, already tugging them both into a dance before Sanji could get a chance to grab Ace’s hand. Ace ended up chasing the three of them around the tiny hideout, all four of them laughing about it. It wasn’t until the song was about half over that Ace managed to finally grab Sanji’s hand. 

As soon as he did, though, Sabo let go and dramatically collapsed onto the floor.

“I’m wiped out!” Sabo cried, putting a hand to his forehead. “I can’t go on!”

Luffy giggled and let go of Sanji’s hand so he could flop on top of his brother, landing on his stomach and knocking the air out of him.

Sabo grunted at the impact. “Oof! Thanks, Luffy!” 

That left only Ace and Sanji still holding hands. Sanji’s smile softened and he looked at Ace. Taking his other hand, Sanji said, “Looks like you got that dance you wanted, after all?”

Ace was too tongue-tied to respond, letting Sanji lead them around the room. The song ended a few minutes later, but Sanji didn’t let go of Ace’s hands. He shyly glanced up at Ace and accidentally caught his gaze. 

Instead of looking away, Ace gulped and tugged Sanji closer. He didn’t know what to do or say, so he squeezed his eyes shut and leaned forward until their foreheads gently knocked together. The giggle that came from Sanji’s lips made Ace feel like he was weightless again; butterflies in his chest and warmth on his cheeks. He figured that Sanji might pull away, but he didn’t. Ace swore his heart was going to burst when Sanji leaned into the forehead touch. 

“Uh, guys?” Sabo interrupted.

The two of them sprang apart, flushing deep red and dropping each other’s hands. Luckily, Sabo hadn’t seen their little moment. His gaze was stuck on the ceiling, Luffy’s weight keeping him pinned on his back.

“Luffy fell asleep on me,” Sabo explained, and Luffy let out a snore a second later. “Every time I try to move him, he grabs onto me and won’t let go. Help?”

Sanji chuckled, glancing at Ace. “Should we show some mercy and give him a hand?”

“Just this once, I guess,” Ace replied, returning Sanji’s grin. 

Ace grabbed Luffy’s legs and pulled. Predictably, Luffy tried to cling to Sabo’s shirt. When Sanji pried Luffy’s fingers free, Ace was able to drag Luffy off of his brother. 

Sabo sat up with a relieved sigh. “Thanks, guys.”

“No problem,” Sanji said, stifling a yawn. “I think we should go to bed now. I’m tired from all that dancing.”

“Me, too,” Ace added, walking over to one of the crates in the hideout. He took off the lid and pulled out a couple of bedrolls. He tossed one to Sabo, who caught it just in time. The other one, Ace shook out and laid down on the floor. “This one is for you, Blondie.”

“Thank you, bumpkin,” Sanji said, moving over to the crate and pulling out a rolled up blanket. “Mind if I lend a hand?”

With Sanji’s help, they got the hideout ready for bedtime quickly. Sanji unrolled a bedroll for Luffy to sleep on while Ace smoothed out his and Sanji’s bedrolls. When Ace started to drag Luffy onto his bed, Sanji put down a pillow for Luffy’s head. When Ace got his little brother positioned onto the roll, Sanji covered him with a blanket. 

Meanwhile, Sabo got his bedroll all set up, then covered it with a pillow and blanket. He couldn’t help but smile at how seamlessly Ace and Sanji worked together; it was like they had done this a million times before.

He wanted to tease Ace and Sanji about how well they worked together, but he decided against it.  Instead, he said, “Thanks for the help, Blondie.”

Sanji beamed as he got out a pillow for himself. “Of course!”

Pretty soon, Sabo turned out the lamps, plunging them into darkness. After their eyes adjusted, the three of them settled into their bedrolls. Ace was on one side of the room, beneath a window. Next to him was Sanji. Luffy - still snoring and now, drooling - was between Sanji and Sabo. 

Sanji closed his eyes, his cheeks aching from smiling so much that day. It didn’t take long for physical exhaustion to seep into his bones, pulling him into a restful sleep.

A few hours later, a screech echoed in the night. 

Sanji’s eyes snapped open.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, ears straining for the noise that woke him. In his chest, his heart beat an erratic rhythm. The sweat on his brow was cold and when the screech came again, a soft whimper escaped him.

“It’s gonna be okay,” he whispered to himself, hugging his blanket tighter. “It’s nothing to worry about. I’m gonna be okay. I’m gonna-”

A snore cut through his mumblings and he yelped in surprise.

It was only Ace, kicking his foot out from under the blanket in his sleep.

With a relieved sigh, Sanji closed his eyes again. But before sleep could come, he heard Ace rustling around. Peeking an eye open, he saw Ace roll onto his side. He was facing him now, and when his eyes cracked open, brown met blue.

“Blondie?” Ace muttered, confusion furrowing his brows. “Are you awake? Why?”

“No reason,” Sanji lied quickly.

Apparently, too quickly.

“Bullshit,” Ace remarked, reaching out and grabbing a fistful of Sanji’s blanket. “I know somethin’ woke me up. I thought I heard a noise. Was that you?” 

“No.” Sanji averted his gaze from Ace’s disbelieving stare. “Okay, yeah. I um, heard a strange noise. You can’t blame me for being jumpy; I’ve never slept in a jungle before.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Ace assured him with a yawn. “What was the noise?”

Sanji opened his mouth but the same startling screech came again. Ducking his nose beneath the blanket’s hem, Sanji said, “That one!”

“Oh, that’s just an owl,” Ace replied, chuckling softly. “Don’t be such a baby!”

Sanji kicked him in the shin, and Ace kicked him right back. After Sanji returned the blow, a play fight broke out. Neither of them had the energy for a full-on tussle, and their half-assed brawl dissolved into sleepy giggles a few seconds later.

“Y’know, if you’re scared, you can scoot closer to me,” Ace teased, poking Sanji in the cheek. 

Sanji scoffed and slapped his hand away. “Yeah, right. Like I’d want to get any closer to you and ear-splitting snores!”

The flush on Ace’s cheeks was almost invisible in the near-darkness. His voice dropped lower, almost too much for Sanji to hear. “Not even if I wanted you to?”

Sanji tensed, scanning Ace’s expression for any signs that this was another jab or a joke. But he found none. Only sincerity and a rare vulnerability that Ace had never shown in front of his brothers. 

Sanji didn’t know how to deal with that; how to respond to someone genuinely asking him to get closer. No one had done that since his mother, and that was years ago. Time hadn’t been gentle with him; he was so young and yet, had gone through so much that vulnerability was almost foreign to him now.

“Close your eyes,” Sanji blurted.

Ace blinked. “What? Why-?”

“Just do it!” Sanji interrupted. Ace huffed and slid his eyes shut. Scooting closer, Sanji tucked the top of his head under Ace’s chin. His ear got squashed against Ace’s chest, and he could hear his heart thudding in his rib cage. “You okay, bumpkin?”

Ace’s voice was a tad strained as he answered, “Fine.”

Sanji felt the shift in Ace’s neck as the latter gulped. Sanji took a little comfort in knowing he wasn’t the only one who’s heart was beating faster right now. The soft but steady beat of Ace’s heart could barely be heard over Sanji’s own pulse in his ears. 

After a moment of silence, Sanji was just about to pull away when Ace shifted again. His arms came up around Sanji’s middle, hands hovering before resting on his back. Ace sighed into Sanji’s hair, the tension in him dissipating. His breathing became calm and even, and it made any lingering anxiety in Sanji drift away. Sanji let his eyes fall shut and cuddled up closer, a smile returning to his lips as he felt Ace hold him a little tighter.

A rustling noise made both of them freeze. They dared not breathe as the floorboards creaked. There was an intake of breath by someone on the opposite side of the room, and then-

“Hey, are you two cuddling?!” Sabo exclaimed loudly.

“Oh, no!” Ace groaned as the noise woke up Luffy. “Dammit!”

“Meat!” Luffy shouted as his eyes cracked open. Sitting up, he wiped drool off of his chin with the back of his hand. “What’s going on?”

“Ace and Sanji are cuddling!” Sabo tossed his blanket off of himself and got up. He stumbled in the dark as he made his way over. “No fair! Don’t hog the eggplant all to yourself!”

“I want a turn!” Luffy announced, getting up only to throw himself on top of Sanji and knock the wind out of him. “Me next, Blondie!”

Ace snarled and shoved his hand in Luffy’s face, pushing him off Sanji. “Only I can call him that, idiot!”

“Who says?!” Luffy shot back.

“I do!” Ace countered.

Sanji giggled as Ace kicked Luffy away, sending him bouncing to the other side of the hideout. But then Sanji’s amusement gave way to surprise as Ace tightened his hold around his middle and then rolled onto his other side. Now Ace’s back was a barrier between Sanji and the other two, practically squishing Sanji against the wall.

Sabo banged a fist on Ace’s back. “Hey! Don’t keep Sanji all to yourself! You should share, y’know?”

“No!” Ace retorted, not even lifting his head.

“Ace, you big jerk!” Luffy cried, then dashed to their side of the room. Instead of slowing down, he crash-landed on top of both Sanji and Ace, using his powers to wrap his arms around the two of them. “Ha! Can’t get rid of me now!”

Ace’s words were muffled as he said, “Luffy! Get off!”

Sanji couldn’t help the laugh that spilled out of him. “You guys are so weird!”

“That makes you weird, too-” Luffy replied with a broad grin. “-because you’re one of us now, Blondie!”

Ace jabbed an elbow into Luffy’s rib. “Get. Off.”

Sabo sighed and put a hand on Luffy’s back. “C’mon, Loof. We really should be sleeping now.”

Luffy looked up at him with big, round eyes. “But I wanna cuddle with Blondie!”

Sabo started to reply but Sanji piped up, “It’s okay! He can if he wants to!”

Ace’s hold on Sanji loosened and he pulled back. “Oh. Fine, I’ll just-”

“Nope, don’t think so!” Sanji interrupted, snatching a fistful of Ace’s shirt and yanking him close again. “Who said you could stop, bumpkin?”

Sabo snickered. “Eggplant has you wrapped around his finger, huh Ace?”

“Fuck off, Sabs,” Ace grumbled, pulling Sanji close again. 

Sanji shifted until one arm was free, then laid that over Luffy’s upper back. Sabo ended up sitting down, his lower back pressed against Ace’s and his head laying on Luffy’s back. He covered himself with a blanket and was out like a light.

“This is nice,” Sanji whispered as Luffy began to snore. “A little awkward, but nice.”

“I hope you’re ready for what you started-” Ace said quietly, flicking his gaze down to Luffy. “-because now Luffy’s gonna want this every time you visit.”

Sanji closed his eyes, a smile on his lips. “If I must?”

Not long after Ace fell asleep, Sanji did, too.

Morning came hours later. Ace awoke to the sound of birds singing, Luffy’s foot in his face, and an emptiness in his arms.

His eyes snapped open and he shoved Luffy off of him. Sitting up, he looked around the hideout. “Blondie?”

There was no sign of him. Sabo and Luffy were still knocked out, snoring in tandem. Sanji must have wiggled free from the sleep pile at some point. But where did he go?

Not content to wait around, Ace slipped out from under his blanket and went to the window. There was no sign of anyone on the ground, so he headed for the ladder that led to their crows' nest in the canopy. As he climbed, he saw blond hair and felt hope rise in his chest.

“Blondie?” Ace asked as he reached the crow’s nest. 

Sanji - who was leaning against the side - glanced over his shoulder at him. The wind gently blew his hair around, the glow of the early morning sun shining in the highlights of his hair. Ace could feel his heart flutter at the way the sun’s rays softened the blue of Sanji’s eye to a navy color.

“Did I wake you, bumpkin?” Sanji asked.

“N-No, I woke up on my own,” Ace replied, crossing to Sanji’s side. A sudden yawn overtook him, and he rubbed the sleep from one eye. “Whatcha doin’ up here, Blondie? Couldn’t sleep?”

Sanji shrugged. “I just wanted to watch the sunrise.”

“Yeah? It is kinda nice, I guess,” Ace said, putting his hands on the railing. The rising sun cast a rosy hue to Sanji’s cheeks, and Ace felt his face grow warm. He bit his lip, then looked down at his feet. “Um, Blondie?”

“Hm?”

“I-” Ace gulped. “I hope Sabo didn’t piss you off with all that talk about-” Ace palmed the nape of his neck, unable to look at Sanji even though he felt his gaze on him. “-about us kissin’ an’ stuff.”

“He was just teasing us,” Sanji said, his voice too level for Ace to tell what he was feeling. “That’s what brothers are supposed to do, right?”

Ace glanced over at Sanji, but the expression on his face was unreadable. “Yeah, that’s what everyone tells me.”

After a moment of silence, Sanji cleared his throat. “Can I ask you something? Promise not to get mad?”

“I can’t promise that; you know how my temper is by now,” Ace joked, then rested his chin in his hand. “But um, go ahead.”

“When Sabo talks about his biological parents, I notice that you get...tense,” Sanji said, his eye fixed on Ace. “Why is that?” Ace’s expression pinched, his lips turning down into a frown. Feeling guilt pool in his belly, Sanji said quickly, “If you want to answer, I mean!”

“It’s okay, Blondie,” Ace said quietly. “It’s just that...I don’t know what to feel or think when Sabo talks about his biological parents. I know he hates them and they didn’t treat him right, but still.” 

Ace sat down with his back to the wall of the crow’s nest, casting him in shadow. He drew his knees to chest hugging, hugging his arms around them. Sanji sat down beside him a moment later. 

“He knows their faces, and the sounds of their voices. I never got to know mine,” Ace admitted. “I’ll never know what they sounded like. Or even what their faces look like in-person; all I’ve seen is photos. That’s not the real thing.”

Sanji wished he knew what to say, but nothing came to mind. So instead, he scooted closer and rested his head on Ace’s shoulder. A sigh escaped Ace, and he pressed his cheek into the top of Sanji’s head.

“I ruined the mood, didn’t I?” Ace asked, his breath hitching softly as Sanji’s fingers found his. 

“No. If anyone did, it was me,” Sanji replied, lacing their fingers together. “I was the one that asked.” Just as a smile crossed Ace’s lips, Sanji said, “I don’t want to go back to Baratie today. I wanna stay here with you and the others.”

“Then do it,” Ace said simply. “Stay with me.” Blushing, he quickly added, “A-And Luffy and Sabo!”

If Sanji noticed his slip-up, he didn’t say anything.

“No, I gotta go back,” Sanji said, winding a hand around Ace’s upper arm and snuggling closer. “Those idiot cooks would be lost without me, and someone has to make sure that shitty geezer is alright.”

“Your old man seems like he can take care of himself.”

“He can, but his leg bothers him sometimes,” Sanji said, swallowing hard. “I feel guilty when it does.”

“How come?” Ace asked, unable to see Sanji’s expression at this angle, even when he craned his neck. “It’s his leg, ain’t it? How’d he even lose it, anyway?”

“I don’t wanna talk about how he lost it,” Sanji replied, tightening his hold on Ace’s hand. “Just believe me when I say that I feel guilty about it, okay?”

“Okay, Blondie,” Ace said. “I believe you.”

Eventually, the two of them fell back asleep, curled up in each other’s arms. 

Much later - after the sun had risen high and the four of them had eaten a breakfast courtesy of Sanji - it was time to go. Sanji felt a weight like a ball of lead in his gut as he readied his backpack. It didn’t help that Luffy was already sniffling.

“I don’t want Blondie to go!” Luffy cried, rubbing at his eyes. 

“It’s okay, Loof,” Sabo consoled him, rubbing his little brother’s back. “Sanji will be back! We can have more adventures with him then!”

“But what about the adventures we could be having now?” Luffy whined, hiccuping as a big, fat tear started to roll down his cheek. “It’s not fair!”

“Don’t be such a crybaby, Luffy,” Ace admonished, grabbing his pipe and Sabo’s. He tossed Sabo’s weapon to him and said, “Sabo is right; Blondie will be back another day.”

Sanji pulled his backpack on and crossed to Luffy. “You’re really gonna miss me, huh?” Luffy nodded. “Then how about you promise me to get better at hunting? That way, next time I’m here, you can catch a ton of different animals for me to cook up! How’s that sound?”

Luffy wiped away the snot dribbling down his nose with the back of his hand. “That sounds great! I can do that, Blondie!”

“Great!” Sanji replied, hesitating before saying, “I guess we shouldn’t wait any longer? Time’s a-wastin’ and my old geezer won’t like it if I’m late.”

The trek down the mountain was done in relative quiet. Every now and then, a conversation would strike up. But it ended as quickly as it began. Though they had spent such a short amount of time together, the idea of parting ways weighed heavily on the minds of each of them. 

All too soon, Foosha Village was coming into view. At the village’s edge was a lone figure with one leg and a tall chef’s hat. When the four of them reached the flat ground between the mountain’s base and the village, there was no doubt that Sanji’s old man was waiting for them.

“Hey, old geezer,” Sanji greeted flatly. “I see your old age didn’t keep you from remembering to pick me up, huh?”

“Hello, you candid little shit,” Zeff gruffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “Ya have a nice time, brat?”

“Of course, I did!” Sanji replied, tightening his hold on his backpack straps. “Why wouldn’t I have a good time with my friends?!”

“I thought they might’ve gotten tired of your attitude and tossed ya off the mountain!” Zeff shot back with a huff. “At any rate, it’s good to see you back alright. I would’ve hated havin’ to look for another sous chef.”

Sanji rolled his eyes. “Thanks, shitty geezer.”

There was a slight tug on the hem of Sanji’s shirt and he paused. Looking down, he saw it was Luffy’s hand grasping his shirt. When he looked up, he saw tears in Luffy’s eyes. To his credit, Luffy tried to keep it together.

“Bye, Blondie,” Luffy said, sniffling. “See you next time, okay?”

“Of course, Luffy,” Sanji said, dropping his backpack. With one hand, he took Luffy’s hat off his head and with the other hand, he ruffled his black hair. “Remember what I said about getting better at hunting?”

Luffy nodded, and Sanji placed his hat back on his head.

Sabo stepped forward and lightly socked Sanji in the arm. “Take care, okay eggplant?”

Sanji nodded and then turned his attention to Ace, who kept his eyes down at his shoes. Softly, Sanji prompted, “Ace? Are you gonna say goodbye?”

“Bye, Blondie,” Ace mumbled, his grip on his weapon tightening. “See you later.”

Sanji’s shoulders fell, and his smile with it. “Oh. Okay. See you next time.”

There was silence as Sanji picked his backpack up and slid it on. He took a step, then another; each one brought him closer to his father and further from his friends. There was a prickling sensation in his eyes. When he blinked, he felt something wet slip down his cheek.

“Wait!”

Sanji stopped mid-step.

Turning, Sanji saw Ace throw his pipe down. Sanji’s backpack hit the ground a second before his feet started to move again, this time taking him towards Ace. His footsteps pounded into the dirt, echoing the beat of his heart as he raced to meet Ace in the middle. 

They crashed together in a bruising hug. Sanji’s arms were tight around Ace’s neck. Ace held Sanji’s middle with enough force to knock the air from his lungs. 

Sanji buried his face in Ace’s neck, his words muffled as he said, “Bye, bumpkin.”

Ace held him tighter as he replied, “Bye, Blondie.”

A third set of arms wrapped around them and Sanji jerked his head up to see Luffy’s arms stretching around them. He knew Luffy’s face must have been buried between his shoulder blades when he heard a soft sob behind his head. Sabo came up to Sanji’s side and joined the hug, one arm draping over Ace’s shoulders and the other over Luffy’s upper back. The side of his head rested against Sanji’s, pushing his hat askew. 

Sanji felt a pain like someone had punched him in the stomach. His eyes stung and tears blurred his vision. A headache was beginning to throb in his temples and his throat felt tight. Sniffling, his breath hitched.

“Damn you stupid bastards,” Sanji muttered, pressing his face into Ace’s neck again. “I’m gonna miss you guys!”

“We’re gonna miss you, too!” Sabo said. “But we’re looking forward to seeing you again! And getting your letters!”

“Yeah!” Luffy added, his tears getting Sanji’s shirt all wet. “And I’ll get better at hunting, just like I promised!”

“And I’ll kick your ass next time we have a rematch,” Ace said, grinning as he pulled back to look Sanji in the face. “You only got a pass because it was your birthday!”

Sanji laughed, the sound mirthful despite the tears running down his cheeks. “I’m looking forward to it, bumpkin!”

Sabo was the first to let go. He let his arms fall and backed off. Luffy squeezed Sanji in a hug one last time before he allowed Sabo’s hands on his shoulders to guide him away. Ace was the last to let go, crushing Sanji to him before finally releasing him.

“Bye, Blondie,” Ace repeated as Sanji reluctantly stepped out of his arms. 

“Bye, bumpkin,” Sanji replied, taking a deep breath and forcing himself to return to his backpack. It felt heavier than it had before as he slipped it back on. He cast one last wave to his friends before turning away.

As Zeff accompanied him through the village, they heard the goodbye shouts of Ace, Sabo, and Luffy long after they disappeared from view. And as Sanji got into the sailboat that would take him back to Baratie, he swore he could still hear them calling out to him. 

Chapter Text

From the moment Sanji stepped foot back on Baratie’s deck, his demeanor had taken a turn. Mood swings were more frequent. A far-off expression would lead to distraction, which led to an accident. Anger and embarrassment followed. The frustrated tears came faster than normal. 

Sanji’s change in behavior affected more than just himself. 

When Sanji berated the other cooks for messing up, his words were harsher. When he tripped and fell flat on his face, he took a few seconds longer to recover. And when it was time for bed, Sanji lingered at his bedroom window with more wistfulness than before. 

After a few days of this, Sanji woke up to a note on his nightstand telling him that Zeff wanted a word with him. 

Sanji gulped, putting the note back down with trembling fingers. “Am…Am I gonna get dismissed? Did I mess up too much?! Where am I gonna go?!”

Sanji’s fingers curled into his hair as he forced himself to take a deep breath. When he exhaled, he felt some of the anxiety ebb away. But only a little.

“Okay, I gotta calm down,” he told himself. “This might be about something entirely different!”

Sanji’s footsteps were heavy as he left his bedroom. The walk to Zeff’s room next door dragged on for what seemed like an eternity. Yet, before he knew it, he was standing in front of it.

Sanji swallowed hard, raised a fist, and knocked three times. 

Behind the door, Sanji heard a muffled grunt. Then the telltale tap, step, tap of Zeff’s gait. The sound came to a stop right before the door was yanked open.

“Oh, eggplant. It’s you,” Zeff said, stepping aside. “Well, come in. Time’s a-wastin’!”

Sanji nodded, forcing one foot in front of the other. The click of the door shutting behind him made him jump. 

“What’s got you so damn antsy, brat?” Zeff asked. “You look like you’re expecting bad news.”

Clenching his sweaty hands, Sanji snapped, “Just tell me what you called me in here for! I should be getting the restaurant ready for customers right now!”

Zeff scoffed. “How candid! You got right to the point, eh brat? Well then, let me tell you why I called our little meeting.”

Thwack!

“Ow!” Sanji exclaimed, his hands covering the new bump on top of his head. “The hell was that for?! You stupid, shitty geezer?!”

“You’ve been moping around this restaurant for days!” Zeff replied, putting his hands on his hips. “You’re more rude than ever! You cry like a baby about everything! And you ruin your sleep by staying up all night looking out your damn window!”

“Yeah?! Why do you even care?!” Sanji asked, rubbing the top of his head. “I can do what I want!”

“Not when you work for me!” Zeff said, jerking a thumb at himself. Then he pointed a finger at Sanji. “You’re my sous chef! I need you to be in your best condition at all times! And lately, you’re not measurin’ up! I can tell you’re not happy and an unhappy chef makes shitty food!”

“My food is perfect, you stupid old man!” Sanji shot back. “I’m your sous chef for a reason, aren’t I?!”

“You still got a lot to learn, eggplant!” Zeff said, poking his finger into Sanji’s chest. Sanji tried to stand tall but it was obvious the poke from Zeff had knocked the wind out of him. “Now, you listen to me! Before you visited Garp’s brats, your cooking was better than anyone else on this damn ship, ‘cept for mine! And now that you’re back, your cooking is worse than Patty’s!”

“You take that back!” Sanji shouted, tears pooling in his eyes. “Patty can’t cook for shit!”

“Which is why you need to get your act together!” Zeff huffed, then straightened up. He sighed, reaching a hand up to stroke his goatee. In a calmer voice, he asked, “You miss those little shits, don’t you? Your friends?”

The breath caught in Sanji’s throat. 

He hadn’t expected that. 

But when he thought about his friends, it was always accompanied by an ache in his chest that wouldn’t go away. Even busying himself with kitchen duties did nothing to dull the sting. 

Sanji scrubbed his eyes with his knuckles. When his vision cleared, he muttered, “I guess I do miss them?”

“Then it’s settled!” Zeff declared. “I’m giving you one day off every month to go and visit the brats!” Sanji opened his mouth to object. Zeff cut him off. “And don’t try to decline! Stop being stubborn! You need to have time to hang out with your friends or you’ll be miserable! And if you’re not happy, then-”

“Then my cooking will suffer! I know!” Sanji interrupted. “Okay, okay! You don’t have to keep nagging me!”

“I’ll arrange for a time for you to visit,” Zeff said, opening his door. “And with that, our conversation is over. Now, go finish getting ready for work, brat!”

“Whatever!” Sanji huffed, unable to keep from grinning as he practically ran through the door. 

Zeff watched Sanji dart back to his room, the kid giggling under his breath the whole time. A smile softened Zeff’s face. He eased the door shut and leaned his back against it. 

“It’s good to see the brat happy about something,” he mumbled to himself. He shook his head, his smile growing wider. “By thunder, I’m not the hard-edged pirate I once was! Being a dad has made me soft.”

The weekend arrived, and so did a rainstorm. Dark, rolling clouds lingered over the East Blue. The wind had died, allowing the storm to linger and drench whatever - or whoever - got caught beneath it. 

As Sanji sat in the sailboat that Zeff commandeered, Sanji hugged his knees to his chest. They had set out during a gap in the rain. Their luck had run out quickly and the rain returned. The cold droplets didn’t seem to bother Zeff, who had the foresight to wear rain gear. But Sanji - in his haste to leave - had forgone a raincoat. And now, he couldn’t ignore the chill that gripped his entire body. 

“A-Are we almost there?” Sanji asked through chattering teeth. “I’m gonna be an ice cube by the time we arrive!”

Zeff sighed and leaned down, still steering the boat with one hand. He flipped the lid of a built-in compartment, then rummaged around in it. A second later, he pulled out a big yellow raincoat.

“Here ya go, brat!” Zeff said, tossing it at Sanji before turning back to the steering wheel. “Cover yourself with that, if you’re so cold!”

Sanji yanked the raincoat over his curled-up form. The material wasn’t warm, but it was waterproof. Without the rain continually soaking him, his body heat filled the space that the coat created. Slowly, his teeth stopped clacking. A healthy pink returned to his fingers and toes. Sanji pulled the material tighter, a somber feeling tugging at his heart. 

“I had one like this a long time ago,” Sanji admitted, his voice so quiet that the din of the rain almost swallowed it up. “I don’t have it anymore, though.”

Zeff said nothing for a moment, then replied, “You’re welcome to keep that one, eggplant. It’s a bit big now but you’ll grow into it.”

Sanji’s face warmed, the feeling spreading to his chest and chasing away the somberness. “Thanks, old geezer.”

“Eh, don’t mention it.”

By the time they docked at their destination, the rain had lessened. As Sanji hopped onto the boardwalk, he took in how soaked the town looked. Puddles were in every dip in the road. Droplets fell from the edges of roofs and signs. Even the air felt heavy with moisture. 

Sanji pulled his raincoat off as the material started to stick to him. He pulled on his backpack and turned to set off for the town when a large hand on top of his head made him pause. He angled his head, looking up at Zeff with curious eyes.

“Hm? Something wrong, old man?” Sanji asked. 

“Nah, just getting one last look at ya before I let you go!” Zeff replied, patting Sanji’s head. “Have a good time and don’t get into too much trouble!”

Sanji snorted and brushed off Zeff’s hand. “I’ll be fine, geezer! I can take care of myself!”

“Yeah, yeah. Just keep that raincoat on you! This storm looks like it’ll be here for a while.”

 Sanji rolled his eyes, then spotted three familiar figures in the distance. “Oh! It’s them! They made it!”

Sanji took off, running as fast as he could with a backpack weighing him down.

“Bye, geezer!” Sanji called. “See you tomorrow!”

Zeff sighed, his mustache hiding the corners of his smile. “See you, kid.”

Sanji skidded to a stop as Luffy, Ace, and Sabo met him at the edge of town. Sabo yanked Sanji into a quick hug, squeezing him tight before letting him go. Ace frowned at Sabo, a hint of pink on his cheeks. Then Ace stepped forward and pulled Sanji to him so hard that it rattled Sanji’s teeth. 

“Oof! Ow, you call that a hug?” Sanji remarked, snickering as Ace wound his arms around Sanji’s neck. 

Sanji hugged Ace in return, squeezing with all his might. Ace let out a wheezy laugh before letting go. When Ace stepped back, he shot Sabo a smirk. Sanji tilted his head but no one noticed his confusion. 

“Anyway, hey, guys!” Sanji greeted the boys. “I’ve missed you idiots!”

Luffy shoved himself past Ace and Sabo.

“My turn!” Luffy exclaimed, flinging himself at Sanji. He landed on him in a crushing hug. “We missed you, too, Blondie!” Then he giggled mischievously. “Ace really missed you!”

“Shut it, Luffy!” Ace growled, his cheeks turning bright red. “Don’t speak for me!”

Sanji raised an eyebrow, smirking at Ace. “Oh, so you didn’t miss me?”

“No, of course not!” Ace insisted, crossing his arms. “Why would I miss you?!”

“Bullshit! You missed him!” Sabo interjected. “You’ve been zoning out a lot lately and every time we ask if it’s because of Blondie, your face gets red!” Sabo poked Ace in the cheek and the red flush on Ace’s cheeks spread to his ears. “Like that!”

Luffy snickered, letting go of Sanji. Then he looked up at him and said, “Ace is extra grumpy today because Sabo and I have been teasing Ace a lot about his crush on you! It’s funny to see how mad he gets!”

Sanji’s mouth fell open and he covered it with his hands. His heart skipped a beat as butterflies erupted in his belly. Heat bloomed on his cheeks, turning his face pink. He tried to hide the color by burying his face in his hands. 

“Dammit, Luffy!” Sabo exclaimed, slapping a hand over his forehead. “You blabbermouth! You’ve really done it now!”

Ace’s entire face was red now, steam practically coming out of his ears. His upper lip curled back, baring his teeth in a snarl. The pipe in his hands creaked as Ace’s grip on it turned his knuckles white. 

Ace let out a low growl, dragging out his brother’s name. “Luffy. Run. Now!”

Luffy tilted his head to the side, oblivious. 

Sabo grimaced, clamping his hands around Ace’s upper arm. “Uh, Luffy, you really should run this time!”

Luffy’s eyes went wide as Ace lunged at him. His attempt was held back by Sabo but it was enough to scare Luffy into sprinting away. Ace wriggled free of Sabo’s grasp and took off after Luffy. With a frustrated groan, Sabo followed Ace.

“Ya comin’ or not, Blondie?!” Sabo yelled over his shoulder.

Sanji snapped out of his surprised state. Immediately breaking into a run, his feet pounded the dirt path that led toward town. The backpack on his back weighed him down, sapping his strength faster. But even when his lungs began to burn, he didn’t stop.

He hadn’t even noticed that he had passed Sabo until Sanji was close enough to Ace to reach out. Sanji’s hand extended forward, fingers outstretched. But right before his fingers could latch onto Ace’s shirt, Sanji tripped over his own feet.

Sanji landed face-first into the dirt with a yelp.

“Blondie!”

Sanji lifted his head, expecting to see Ace stopping in his tracks. 

But instead, Sabo was the one who had knelt at Sanji’s side. 

“Hey, you okay, eggplant?” Sabo asked, pink-faced and out of breath. “You shouldn’t run with that backpack, y’know?”

“I don’t have a choice! I need to catch up with Ace before he hurts Luffy!” Sanji answered, taking the hand that Sabo extended. His gaze flicked away from Sabo and took in the verdant foliage around them. “Hey, we’re in the jungle already?”

“Yeah! You ran like hell to catch up to them, y’know? Straight through the village!” Sabo grunted as he helped Sanji to his feet. “Don’t worry. Ace would never seriously hurt Luffy. He’s just pissed off right now because of what Luffy said.”

Sanji’s face - already pink from exertion - deepened in color. “You mean about Ace having a…a crush on me?”

Sabo chuckled self-consciously as Sanji averted his gaze to his shoes.

“Yeah, he kinda does,” Sabo said. “Or at least, we think he does. I don’t know if he knows it yet.”

“Is that why you keep making fun of him? Because you think he has…feelings for me?” Sanji felt a twinge of some strange emotion that he couldn’t quite name. But it wasn’t pleasant; a prickly sensation tying itself into knots inside him. “...Is it normal to make fun of someone for that?”

Sabo shrugged. “I’ve heard that siblings are supposed to tease each other. So I guess so? I’m not the one to ask about that, eggplant.”

“Hm. Well, I won’t say anything about it unless he does,” Sanji said, readjusting his backpack. “Might be better that way.”

“At least, for now,” Sabo agreed. Then he wiped his brow with the back of his hand. “We should probably go after them, just to make sure they didn’t get lost. Luffy doesn’t pay attention to where he’s running and Ace is too pissed to do anything but chase him.”

Sanji nodded and the two of them took off again. It didn’t take Sanji long to get ahead of Sabo, even with the weight on his back. A few moments later, Ace and Luffy’s figures came into view. Not far ahead of him, Luffy was cornered; large tree trunks on either side, an unscalable boulder behind him, and a furious brother in front. 

Sanji threw his backpack off of his shoulders, not caring at the moment where it landed. A burst of adrenaline pushed him to run faster. Sanji skidded to a stop in front of Luffy, turning his back to him and placing himself in Ace’s path. Sanji flung his arms out to his sides, planting his feet wide apart. 

“Move it, Blondie!” Ace snarled. “I won’t hurt him much!”

He held Ace’s furious gaze, even as Ace snorted like a raging bull. 

“Easy, bumpkin! He’s just a little kid!” Sanji said, his heart in his throat. His pulse roared in his ears, adrenaline still coursing through him. He had seen Ace mad before. But seeing Ace’s temper directed at Luffy made his own temper flare. “I know he embarrassed you but come on! He’s annoying but he’s your brother! And you’re not gonna hurt him, especially with me around!”

Ace’s stalk toward them came to a halt. He ground his teeth together, hands still grasping his pipe in a white-knuckle grip. A little clarity entered Ace’s gaze as he looked from Luffy to Sanji and back.

With a defeated, frustrated groan, Ace threw down his weapon.

“Fine!” Ace blurted, crossing his arms and scowling. “Fuckin’ fine! Let the little brat get away with being a blabbermouth! He’s just gonna grow up spoiled!”

Luffy peeked his head around Sanji’s shoulder and stuck his tongue out at Ace.

Ace flipped Luffy off with both hands. 

A second later, Sabo stumbled to a stop beside Ace.

“Damn, Blondie! You…still run… fast!” Sabo panted, one hand clutching his chest while the other swiped his hat from his sweaty head. “Ugh, I think I’m gonna throw up…”

“Gross!” Ace exclaimed, jumping back. “Turn away from me if you’re gonna hurl!”

Luffy walked out from behind Sanji and got in Sabo’s face. “Sabo, are you sick? I told you not to eat until after Blondie got here!”

“I’m not sick because I ate something bad,” Sabo explained, using his hat to fan himself. “I just ran too much at once.”

“Wow! Sanji outran you! And while carrying a bunch of stuff!” Luffy marveled, beaming at Sanji. “Blondie, you’re awesome!”

Sanji rested his palms on his flushing cheeks. “Oh! Uh, thanks, I guess? I-I was just trying to catch you guys…”

Ace grabbed Luffy by the back of his shirt and yanked him out of Sabo’s face. “Give him some air, Loof! Don’t you know what personal space is?!”

“No! And I don’t care!” Luffy replied, wiggling. “Lemme go!”

“Only if you stop callin’ Sanji by the nickname I gave him!” Ace said. “Only I’m allowed to call him that!”

Luffy balled his hands into fists. “Says who?!”

“Says me!” Ace shot back, letting go of Luffy’s shirt. “I’m the oldest, so what I say goes!”

Sabo burst into laughter. “You, the leader?! None of us put you in charge!”

Sanji giggled and Ace whipped his head toward the sound. Ace swallowed hard, the tips of his ears turning red again. He averted his eyes down and then his frown deepened. Stepping closer to Sabo, he stole Sabo’s hat and shoved it forcefully onto Sabo’s head.

“Shut up! Stop laughing, dammit!” Ace said, holding Sabo’s hat down even as the latter tried to pry it off. “You’re makin’ me mad again!”

BOOM!!

A sudden roar of thunder interrupted them. 

“Oh, crap. Looks like we’re gonna get more rain?” Ace grumbled. He let go of Sabo’s hat and reached for his pipe. “Come on, guys. Let’s go before we get caught in it.”

The moment the words left Ace’s mouth, the clouds above released the moisture inside them. A drizzle quickly turned into a downpour. All four of them scrambled for cover beneath the nearest trees but then the wind shifted. It blew sideways, sending rain at them from an unavoidable angle. 

“Great! Nature has decided to hate us today!” Ace sighed, ripping a giant leaf off of the nearest branch. He held it above him, then started to walk away. “See you idiots at the hideout!”

The others followed his example; picking out their own leaves to shield them from most of the rain. They fell in line behind him, following him through the soaked jungle greenery. The ground beneath them became muddy and squished with every step. The air was tinged with a chill brought on by clouds blown in from the north. Animals scurried out of their path, seeking shelter from the downpour. 

During their trek, Luffy yammered on about random things. He spoke about anything, ranging from excitement about Sanji’s visit to the new combat moves he’d invented during their separation. He settled into asking Sanji about what dishes he could make from the jungle’s resources. But that quickly devolved into him asking Sanji whether every random thing he saw was edible or not. 

Though the enthusiasm was endearing at first, Sanji’s tolerance for it waned after a half hour. 

“Hey Loof, I’m gonna walk with Ace for a bit, okay?” Sanji said, quickening his stride.

Luffy beamed, unoffended at the abrupt end of their conversation. “Okay! I’ll talk to you more later!”

When Sanji caught up to Ace, he expected the other boy to say something. But he didn’t. An awkward silence ensued, filled with nothing but the din of the rain and the tension of words unspoken. 

Sanji opened his mouth to break the silence, but then Ace moved. Ace rubbed the nape of his neck, his eyes on his muddy shoes. “So, about what Luffy said-”

“We don’t have to talk about it,” Sanji interrupted, keeping his eyes on the jungle in front of him. His heart beat faster at the reminder of Luffy’s admission. Despite the chill sinking into his skin, his face grew warm. “Not if you don’t want to. It’s Luffy; he says a lot of weird shit.”

A relieved smile broke out on Ace’s lips. 

“Right! We can forget what he said,” Ace agreed. He lifted a fist, hesitated, then punched Sanji in the shoulder. “Missed you, Blondie.”

The warmth on Sanji’s face intensified. He chuckled, hitting Ace in the shoulder. “Missed you too, bumpkin.”

At last, they arrived at the edge of the jungle; the location of the boys’ hideout. 

The rain had dissipated by then. The sun returned from its hiding spot behind the clouds. Its heat chased away the cold left by the rain, creating steam that rose from the jungle floor.

“Shi-shi-shi! We got caught in the rain!” Luffy said, suddenly stopping and shaking like a dog. Droplets of water went everywhere, causing the other three to groan and flinch away. “See? We’re completely soaked!”

“Especially now,” Sabo grumbled, wiping his face with the back of his hand. “Just when I was starting to dry off!”

“There’s still a bit of walking before we get to the tree that our hideout is in,” Ace said. “We should pick up the pace so we don’t get rained on again.”

Sanji glanced down at his shoes, the weight of his backpack suddenly a lot heavier. “I’m not slowing you guys down, am I?”

“Not at all!” Sabo said, shoving the pipe he always carried into Ace’s chest. Ace reflexively grabbed it, frowning at the lack of warning. Then Sabo offered out his hands to Sanji. “I’ll carry your stuff if you carry Luffy. That way, you can cover both him and you with that raincoat!”

“What about you and me, Sabs?” Ace asked, still frowning. “I don’t wanna get all wet again!”

“We’ll just duck under cover!” Sabo said, hoisting Sanji’s backpack onto his back. “Besides, we’re tough enough to deal with a little rain! Luffy is the one who cries about how cold he gets!”

“I don’t like being cold! I like playing in the rain but not when I start to shiver!” Luffy whined, sticking out his tongue. “Don’t make fun of me! You guys are so mean!”

Sanji snickered at Luffy’s childishness and his mood lifted. 

“Okay, Luffy. I’ll carry you,” Sanji said. He slipped off his backpack and handed it to Sabo, who slung it over his shoulders like it weighed nothing at all. Then Sanji unbuttoned his raincoat. Once it came off, Luffy hopped onto Sanji’s back and clung like a koala. Sanji threw the coat over his back so it covered Luffy. He pulled the material around to the front and buttoned it back up. “How’s that, Loof?”

“Great!” Luffy exclaimed right in Sanji’s ear. Sanji winced but Luffy didn’t notice. “Onward! To the hideout!”

Sanji rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Just a moment.” 

Sanji double-checked the coat to make sure it fit. The coat strained at the odd shape of Sanji with Luffy hanging off of his back. But it stayed together, covering both of them just like Sabo had planned. The only hitch was the hood; it couldn’t fit over both of their heads, especially not while Luffy still wore his hat. 

Sabo and Ace started to laugh behind their hands. Luffy shot the two a curious look while embarrassment made Sanji’s cheeks flush with red. 

“What?!” Sanji snapped. “What’s so funny?!”

“You two!” Sabo answered, laughing openly. “You look so misshapen like that!”

“Like a turtle with two heads!” Ace added, clutching his belly. 

Sanji balled his hands into fists, his eyes blinking against blurring vision. He swallowed, looking down at his shoes. The tip of his nose was turning pink and a sour feeling turned in his stomach. 

“Shut up!” Luffy shouted. “You guys are jerks!”

Sabo paused mid-laugh, eyes pinning on Sanji. His smile disappeared and he slapped Ace's arm until the latter stopped laughing. Ace followed Sabo’s gaze and then his grin fell, too. 

“Uh, sorry eggplant,” Sabo muttered. “We were just havin’ some fun.”

“Well, it wasn’t funny,” Sanji replied, refusing to look up. 

Ace lowered the metal pipes in the hands, leaving them on the ground. Then he stepped closer, his hands going to Sanji’s coat. He started to undo the buttons and was met with resistance. He batted away Sanji’s hands.

“Stop it, Blondie,” Ace said. He unbuttoned the first button and added, “I’m tryin’ to help!” He finished undoing the rest of the buttons, then smoothed down Sanji’s coat. “There. That looks less silly. And it’s still covering most of you so you shouldn’t have to worry about the rain.”

Sanji’s face was still red but the wrinkles in his brow were gone. Looking shy, he briefly met Ace’s gaze before looking at the ground again. “Um, thanks, I guess.”

Ace retracted his hands, his freckled cheeks glowing pink. “Yeah, whatever.”

Luffy peered around Sanji’s head, looking at Ace with furrowed brows. “Ace, you’re acting weird.”

“Said the guy that can stretch like a rubber band,” Ace retorted. He turned and picked up his pipe, then tossed Sabo’s back to its owner. “C’mon, let’s go.”

Ace took the lead, pushing through foliage without another word. The others followed like ants in a line. That is, until Sabo broke away to keep stride with Ace. Sanji stayed at the same speed as he carried Luffy. But the whispers exchanged between Sabo and Ace made him want to go faster, if only to better hear what they were saying. 

Sabo - who leaned in close to Ace’s ear - murmured Sanji’s name. At that, Sanji perked up. He strained his ears to hear more.

“I know why you helped fix Sanji’s coat,” Sabo stated in a whisper. “You felt bad for him, didn’t you?”

“No,” Ace shot back under his breath. “You don’t know everything, Sabs.”

“I know you didn’t like seeing him embarrassed,” Sabo replied. “I didn’t like it, either. But you didn’t have to mess with his coat. You could’ve just said sorry.”

Ace tensed. “I know. So what?”

“So he was embarrassed about his appearance and you tried to fix it,” Sabo said, poking Ace in the shoulder. “That’s awfully nice of you to do! You don’t even try that much with Luffy when he’s upset! You just tell him to ‘suck it up’!” The teasing in his voice could be heard even as he kept his voice low. “Gee, I wonder why you were so quick to help?”

Ace’s fist connected with Sabo’s shoulder and Sabo yelped. 

Luffy’s giggling filled Sanji’s ears. “Sabo said something stupid!”

Sabo growled and glared at Luffy over his shoulder. “Shut up!”

Sanji said nothing; his mind was too jumbled with thoughts to form a coherent sentence. Something about Sabo and Luffy’s teasing of Ace bothered Sanji. It nagged at him as incessantly as an insect bite. It made his stomach churn and his palms sweat. His skin prickled when he recalled how defensive and angry Ace had gotten earlier. He was so pissed off when Luffy blurted out the identity of his crush. 

The rest of the world around him faded away. He paid no mind to the dirt under his feet or the leaves grazing him as he passed. Focused on his own thoughts, Sanji’s senses dulled to his surroundings. 

Sanji’s rumination was interrupted when Luffy let out an excited laugh. 

“There it is!” Luffy shouted, making Sanji wince at the volume. “Our hideout! We made it!”

“Huh. That was fast,” Sanji muttered.

“Not really,” Sabo pointed out. “You were quiet the whole way here. I figured you were lost in thought. Not sure how you were able to do that with a monkey on your back!”

Luffy laughed and then hooted like a monkey. 

Sabo laughed softly at the sound, while Sanji didn’t react. Ace rolled his eyes, then pointed the end of his pipe at Luffy. 

“Hey, Luffy,” Ace said. “Get off of Blondie’s back and climb the ladder yourself.”

Luffy’s smile immediately fell as he whined, “Aw, why?”

“Because I said so!” Ace snapped.

“Because-” Sabo interjected. “-Sanji might fall if he has to carry your weight and his own up the ladder.”

“Oh, okay!” Luffy let go of Sanji and slid out from under the raincoat. He readjusted his hat and his grin returned. “I like being carried! It’s fun!”

Sabo chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re such a baby.”

“I am not!” Luffy pouted, furrowing his brow. He turned to Sanji and grasped his hand, tugging on his arm. “Blondie! Tell ‘em I’m not a baby!”

Sanji scoffed, smiling. “I don’t know, you kind of sound like one right now.”

Luffy let out a frustrated whine and released Sanji’s hand. “You guys are so mean!”

“We’ll give you an extra helping of dinner to make up for it,” Sabo said, starting to climb. 

Luffy immediately perked up. “Okay!”

Luffy followed Sabo up the ladder. As the other two climbed, Ace and Sanji looked at each other expectantly.

“You first, bumpkin,” Sanji said, gesturing to the ladder.

“Nah, you’re a guest,” Ace countered. “You first.”

Sanji nodded, pulling his raincoat tighter around himself. Then he approached the ladder and began to ascend. He heard the wooden planks creak as Ace followed. When Sanji reached the entrance, Sabo and Luffy had already migrated to the center of the room. 

“Finally here!” Sabo remarked. Then he slipped Sanji’s backpack off of his shoulders and stretched. “Damn! What do you carry in that thing?! Rocks?!”

“No, just stuff to keep us entertained,” Sanji chuckled. He crossed the room and knelt beside his backpack. Opening up one of the biggest pockets, Sanji suggested, “I brought some books to read, if any of you are interested?” 

“Ooh! Read to me, Sanji!” Luffy exclaimed, rushing to lay down in front of him. He laid on his stomach and propped his chin in his hands. His feet kicked in the air. “I love stories!”

Ace silently joined them, leaning against the wall with crossed arms. 

“Let’s see-” Sanji mumbled, rummaging in his backpack. Pulling out a book with a green cover, he held it up so the front faced the others. “This one is about cuisine from the East Blue.”

“Books might just put Luffy to sleep,” Sabo said, sitting down beside Sanji. Then he chuckled, adding, “Or make him hungry again, if it’s a book about food!”

“Then what about this one?” Sanji said, putting down the green book and pulling out one with a red cover. Presenting it, he added, “This one’s about myths from the New World!”

Luffy’s eyes lit up. “Ooh! That sounds cool!”

“But they’re just myths, though,” Ace pointed out. “They’re not real, so why read about them?”

“Dragons are myths but I still think they’re fun to learn about!” Sabo pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest. “Don’t be so grumpy, Ace!”

Ace stuck out his tongue at his brother. 

Meanwhile, Sanji put the red book down and pulled out a third one. This one had a blue cover with a decorated spine. The author and title were written in gold lettering. Some of the pages were still dog-eared from when Sanji last read them. 

“Um, this one is about the All Blue,” Sanji said, holding up the book. “It’s a miraculous sea; the point where all four seas meet up. There’s a bounty of fish and other sea creatures there. It’s-” He swallowed, glancing down at his lap. “It’s any chef’s dream to find it one day.”

Sabo scooted closer, his hand resting on Sanji’s shoulder. “Is it your dream, Blondie?”

Ace’s eyes snapped to Sabo’s hand on Sanji’s shoulder. The all-too-familiar twist in his gut returned, accompanied by what felt like liquid fire in his veins. His heart rate ticked up and he could feel his temper beginning to boil. 

But instead of giving in to it, he dug his fingernails into his palms. A deep breath helped to cool the flames. And when his eyes saw the grin on Sanji’s face, his anger was almost forgotten about. 

Sanji sat straighter, opening up the book and showing its pages to the others. “I want to find the All Blue someday!”

“That place sounds amazing!” Luffy remarked, stars in his eyes. “I wanna go!”

“Yeah, I bet you’d never run out of things to fish for there!” Sabo added, leaning back on his palms. “You’d never have to worry about running out of food!” He nudged Luffy in the side with the toe of his boot. “Even if you brought Luffy along!”

Luffy puffed out his cheeks in indignation. “Hey!”

Ace sat down at last, then inched closer to Sanji’s side. He cleared his throat, one hand rubbing the back of his head. He tried to look at Sanji but averted his eyes at the last second.

“Th-That’s a great dream to have, Blondie,” Ace mumbled, his cheeks warming. “Sounds perfect for you.”

“Y-You really think so?” Sanji asked, setting the book down gently. He looked down at his lap, curling his fingers around the fabric of his pants. “You don’t think it’s stupid?”

“No!” Ace exclaimed, startling Sanji. “Why the hell would we?!”

Sanji shrugged. “Most people think that the All Blue is a myth.”

“I think what matters more is what you think, eggplant,” Sabo said. “Even if it is a myth, it inspires you. That’s more important than what others think.”

Sanji lifted his head, his eyes shining. Pink colored his cheeks. Before Sanji could respond to Sabo, Luffy interrupted them. 

“I wanna read about the All Blue!” Luffy announced, pounding his fists on the floor. “Read to me, Sanji!”

That brought Sanji back to the present and his grin returned.

“Okay, okay!” Sanji chuckled, flipping to the first page. “Be patient, idiot.” 

“‘Luffy’ and ‘patience’ don’t go together,” Sabo teased. “Thought you’d have learned that by now!”

Luffy stuck his tongue out at Sabo, then turned his attention to the book. Pointing to a cluster of words at the bottom of the book’s preface, he said, “Hey, what’s that?”

“It says that it’s a second printing of the book,” Sanji answered. “I used to have an original printing, but not anymore.”

Luffy canted his head to the side. “What happened?”

“I um, I lost the original in a shipwreck,” Sanji explained, his grin fading. “This is a replacement copy that my old geezer got for me after Baratie opened.”

“A shipwreck?” Sabo frowned. “That must’ve been scary, eggplant.”

“It was,” Sanji said, ducking his head. “I wouldn’t have survived if it wasn’t for my old geezer. He gave up his - his leg for me.”

Luffy shuddered. “His leg?! What happened?!”

Sanji lowered the book, his gaze going with it and landing on his lap. “I don’t wanna talk about it-”

“Sanji!” Luffy whined.

“Shut up, Luffy!” Ace barked. “Don’t be so damn pushy!”

Sabo snorted. “That’s rich, coming from you!”

“Screw off, Sabs!” Ace shot back. “Now, both of you leave Sanji alone or I’ll kick you both outta here!”

“Ooh, sounds like you’re defending your crush!” Sabo teased in a sing-song voice. “Ace and Sanji, sittin’ in a tree-!”

Sanji snapped his book shut loudly. “Stop being such a shithead, Sabo!”

Sabo immediately quieted down. “...Sorry.”

Sanji kept his eyes on the book in his hands. Something about the others teasing Ace for liking him didn’t sit well with him. The heavy, sinking sensation in his gut was both foreign and familiar. He knew what being the subject of ridicule felt like, but he never expected it from his friends. Was someone having a crush on him that amusing to them?

Sanji glanced over at Ace. But Ace’s expression was a mask of pinched brows and a frown; the same as always. The emotions beneath that mask were hidden.

In a quiet voice, Sanji said, “Let’s just get back to reading, okay?”

Sabo frowned, one hand scratching the back of his head. “Hey, you okay? You’re not mad, are you?”

Sanji clutched the book to his chest and drew his knees up. “Maybe.”

“Is it ‘cause we keep teasing Ace about his crush on you?” Sabo asked, putting his hands up. “Because we can stop if it bothers you that much! Right, Loof?”

“Yeah!” Luffy said. “We can stop!”

Sanji bit his lip, keeping his eyes down on his knees. “Um, do you mean that?”

“Well, yeah! Of course, we do!” Sabo said. “We’re your friends, aren’t we?”

Sanji blinked as his vision blurred with pooling tears. “If you’re my friends, then why do you keep making fun of me?”

All three of them tilted their heads at the same time. 

“What do you mean by that?” Sabo asked. “It’s not you that we’re making fun of! It’s Ace!”

Sanji shook his head. “I know you’re making fun of me! Why else would the idea of Ace having a crush on me be so funny?!”

“Sanji-” Sabo started, but he cut himself off when Sanji stood.

“I bet he doesn’t even like me like that! But you keep insisting that he does because it’s hilarious to you!” Sanji flung his arms out to his sides. Hot tears slipped down his cheeks but he was too mad to care. “The idea that Ace likes some shitty defect like me! All I can do is cook and fight but I’m not even as good at those things as I want to be! I’m just a weak little kid! So that’s why it’s so funny that Ace would like me, huh?!”

“Whoa, whoa! Where’s this coming from, Sanji?” Sabo said. “None of us think of you as a defect!”

“We think you’re awesome!” Luffy added, raising his fists. “Who called you that?! We’ll kick their asses!”

Ace - who hadn’t spoken in the last few minutes - piped up. “No one thinks it’s funny that I… might …have a crush on you because it’s you. Sabo and Luffy think it’s funny because they’re my brothers. They’re supposed to tease me. Or at least, that’s what Miss Makino says.”

Silence fell over them. 

“Everyone tells me that brothers are supposed to tease you because that’s how they show they care.” Sanji sat down, tucking his knees to his chest and hugging himself. “But I wouldn’t know. I never had brothers who loved me. Only ones that hated me.”

Luffy flung himself onto Sanji, knocking him flat on his back. He hugged Sanji like he’d never let go; wrapping his arms multiple times around Sanji’s torso. “Your old brothers are stupid and mean! And they can go to Hell! We’re your family now!”

Sabo scooted over to Sanji’s side and laid down. He faced him and put a hand on Sanji’s shoulder. Offering a smile, Sabo said, “Luffy’s right! We’re your family now. We can hang out together, hunt together, train together-!”

“And eat together!” Luffy interjected, making them all laugh. 

Sanji sniffled, a smile tugging at his lips. “Thanks, guys.”

Ace laid down on Sanji’s other side. He reached out, hesitated, then tucked a strand of hair behind Sanji’s ear. Pink bloomed on cheeks as he said, “No one's ever gonna hurt you again, Blondie. Not even us, if we can avoid it. So if we do something shitty again, tell us. We’ll stop.”

“Yeah!” Sabo agreed. “We need to trust each other! How else are we going to survive when we grow up and head out to sea?”

Sanji’s eyes widened, his hurt feelings forgotten. “You guys have a plan to set out to sea one day?”

“Yeah! Y’see, nobles fully inherit their status when they turn eighteen-” Sabo explained. “-so Ace, Luffy, and I all made a promise to set out to sea at seventeen. That way, I won’t be around here when my eighteenth birthday comes up!”

“All we gotta do is avoid Sabo getting caught by his dumb noble parents until then!” Luffy added, untangling himself from Sanji. He sat up, scooting back a little when Sanji also sat up. “It’ll be easy! We’ve never even been caught when we go past the walls!”

“That’s because we’re there to keep you from falling behind!” Sabo said, sitting up and grinning. “But that’s what we gotta do to keep our bungling kid brother from getting into trouble!”

Ace suddenly stood and put his fists on his hips. 

“My birthday is first, so I’ll be setting out to sea before any of you!” Ace said, pointing a finger at Sanji. “So that means that Blondie is gonna be the cook on my ship!”

“That’s stupid!” Sabo argued, getting to his feet. “Obviously, eggplant should be on my ship! I’m gonna write a book on navigation one day, so I’m gonna need to explore a lot! And I’ll need a cook that can keep up with all the different places I’ll go!”

“Both of you are wrong!” Luffy interjected, shoving himself between Ace and Sabo. “Sanji’s gonna be my cook!”

“Who says?!” Ace and Sabo snapped in sync.

“Me!” Luffy said, crossing his arms. “Sanji’s gonna be my chef because I said so!”

Warmth bubbled up in Sanji’s chest until he was laughing. 

All the ruckus in the room died down at once. Sanji’s laughter immediately stopped as he realized that the trio was looking at him. Feeling their stares burning into him, he averted his eyes to his lap.

“Don’t stop!” Ace chided. 

“It was a nice sound!” Luffy added.

“You can laugh at us, eggplant,” Sabo assured him. “We’re not gonna punish you for it.”

Sanji blinked, his eyes wet again. He rubbed the heel of his hand against his visible eye. “You guys were actually fighting over me. I - I’ve never had anyone fight for my attention before. It’s…nice.”

Luffy giggled while his brothers’ expressions softened. 

Sabo sat down, tucking his knees under him. In a gentle tone, Sabo asked, “Do you still wanna read with us, eggplant? I mean, you went through the trouble of bringing us some books!”

“Yeah! Read with us!” Luffy insisted. He knelt in front of Sanji and tugged on the hem of Sanji’s shirt with pleading eyes. “Please, please, please!”

Ace sat beside Sanji and rested his hand on Sanji’s shoulder. “Might as well give in, Blondie. You know how stubborn Luffy can be when he wants something!”

Sanji smiled, rolling his eyes. “Okay! I guess I should. Or Luffy will keep bugging me about it.”

Sanji put the book about the All Blue on the floor in front of him. The others crowded around him to look at its pages as Sanji flipped back to the beginning. Sanji was the first to read aloud. As he reread the book he’d poured over countless times, his voice was steady; the memorized words fell from his lips like it was second nature.

After a little while, Luffy interrupted him and tried to read out loud. His pronunciation was halting and his voice was uncertain. But he wore a determined expression as he stumbled through an entire chapter by himself. 

Sabo went next. As Sanji expected, Sabo’s reading went off without a hitch. Sabo breezed through a chapter before announcing that his turn was over. 

All eyes turned toward Ace. 

Ace swallowed hard, then yanked the book in front of him. Sanji could see the red rising on Ace’s cheeks as he read aloud. Ace’s skills were slightly better than Luffy’s. But even as Ace read more and more, his tone remained unsure. His eyes would fix on a word and his brow would furrow. Whenever Sanji whispered the correct pronunciation, Ace would repeat after him without lifting his gaze from the page. 

When Ace finally finished an entire chapter by himself, Luffy hollered in congratulations. 

“You did it, Ace!” Luffy exclaimed, jumping to his feet. He clapped his hands and grinned. “I knew you could!”

“Shut up!” Ace growled, the red on his face spreading to his ears. “All I did was read out loud!”

Sabo shrugged. “I mean, you guys did good even though you’ve never had formal schooling. That’s something to be happy about.”

“Tch. Whatever,” Ace grumbled, crossing his arms. “I don’t wanna read anymore. It makes my head hurt.”

“How about I read, then?” Sanji suggested. “I don’t mind.”

“Yay! Sanji’s gonna read again!” Luffy said, laying down and propping his head on Sanji’s lap. “Go! Read, read, read!”

Sanji pinched Luffy’s cheek with a laugh. “You’re so impatient!”

“He sure is!” Sabo agreed. “And he thinks he’s gonna be a captain one day!”

“I will, too!” Luffy insisted. “You’ll see, Sabo! I’ll be King of the Pirates!”

Sanji let go of Luffy’s cheek as surprise widened his eyes. “‘The King of the Pirates’?! What an ambitious dream!”

“That’s one way of putting it!” Sabo said. “I’d call it ‘crazy’, which is actually perfect for Luffy! A crazy dream for my crazy little brother!”

Ace leaned against Sanji’s side. “Ignore Luffy. Get back to reading, Blondie.”

Sanji obliged, picking up where Ace left off. 

After a while, a snore interrupted Sanji. He looked away from his book to see Luffy drooling, his eyes closed and his body limp. His breathing was steady; the rhythm only broken by a snore now and then. 

Sanji glanced over at Sabo, only to find Sabo in the same state. Sabo had laid down at some point, unnoticed by Sanji. His hat was covering his eyes as slept, his limbs askew.  

When Sanji turned to look at Ace, he was surprised to find that his friend was still awake.

“Huh. You’re not gonna sleep, too?” Sanji asked. 

Ace shook his head. “Nah. I…I like hearing you read out loud.”

Sanji and Ace shared a matching blush.

“So, looks like it’s just you and me now, huh?” Ace remarked. “I thought I’d fall asleep before Sabo, to be honest. He likes books the most out of me, him, and Luffy.”

“Well, he did say he wanted to be a navigator. So maybe he only stays awake when he’s reading books about traveling?” Sanji guessed, giggling softly as Sabo let out a loud snore. “My book must have too much about the All Blue and not enough about what kind of boat you’d need to get there.”

Ace snickered. “Too bad for Sabo.”

A cold drop of water landed on Sanji’s nose and he flinched. Looking up, he saw the source: a leak in the roof. Another droplet fell and he threw a hand up to shield himself. After it plopped onto his hand, he remembered the raincoat. 

He pulled it out of his backpack, careful not to wake his sleeping friends. As he was sliding it over his head, he heard Ace clear his throat.

“Hey, Blondie,” Ace said. “Um, want to share that thing?”

“Afraid of getting a little wet?” Sanji teased.

“Maybe I just wanna share it?!” Ace snapped, his face turning red from his hairline to his chin. “Friends are supposed to share, right?!”

Sanji’s urge to tease him faded; the giddiness that bloomed in his chest replaced it. 

“Whatever, bumpkin,” Sanji said, smiling wider. He unbuttoned the coat and opened it, holding out one of the flaps toward Ace. “Come here already!”

Ace crawled over and pressed up against Sanji’s side. He turned his head, tensing when their noses touched. Their eyes met but Ace broke the contact right away; he buried his face in Sanji’s neck, curling his body toward him. Sanji giggled and draped half of the raincoat over Ace.

“You’re welcome,” Sanji joked, smiling wider as Ace wriggled like a disgruntled cat.

“Thanks, I guess,” Ace mumbled. “I was getting cold…”

Sanji scoffed. “You? Getting cold? I guess that’s to be expected when the only shirts you ever wear have no sleeves.”

Ace gritted his teeth against a frustrated groan. He pressed harder against Sanji, pushing his forehead into Sanji’s neck until it hurt a little. “Shut up, Blondie. Just…stop talking.”

Sanji giggled softly, leaning his cheek on Ace’s head. “Okay, okay. Try not to fall too deep asleep or you’ll miss out when it’s time to hunt for dinner.”

“Tch. You won’t leave me behind,” Ace mumbled. “We’re friends, right?”

Sanji hugged Ace a little tighter, the warmth in his chest having nothing to do with their shared body heat. “Yeah, we are, bumpkin.”

All too soon, the next day arrived. The sun rose, rousing Sanji and his friends from their slumber. The next few hours were a blur as Sanji readied his things, said goodbye to his friends, and sailed home with Zeff. 

The whole way home, a nagging curiosity seeded itself in the back of Sanji’s mind.

Why was Zeff doing this for him? Giving him time off to visit his friends? And escorting him there, as well?

Zeff didn’t do that for any of his other employees.

Sanji watched Zeff man the boat, as stoic as a statue. His body language was tense, rigid; braced against the ever-shifting tides of the sea. Despite only having one leg, Zeff’s stance was sure and firm. His expression was the same grouchy mask he always wore. 

And yet, Sanji knew firsthand that there was kindness beneath Zeff’s piercing gaze. 

The reality that this was what normal parents did for their kids sank in. Normal parents dropped their kids off for visits with their friends and then picked them up when it was over. Just like what Zeff was doing for Sanji. 

It was easy to forget that the man who indulged Sanji’s friendship with three rowdy brats was the same ruthless pirate who looted the Orbit for treasure. 

The knowledge that Zeff was treating Sanji like a son (again) sat heavy in Sanji’s gut. It made his tummy hurt but at the same time, he wanted to cry tears of joy. Unsure of how to deal with his conflicting emotions, Sanji threw himself into unpacking as soon as he stepped back inside his bedroom. 

After Sanji finished putting his things away, he wandered to Zeff’s room. The urge to show his gratitude had arisen while he was unloading his backpack. Unable to ignore it, he found himself in front of Zeff’s door. He swallowed hard before knocking. 

“Come in,” Zeff’s gruff voice called. He glanced up, saw it was Sanji, then returned his eyes to the paper on his desk. “Oh, it’s you, eggplant. Need somethin’?”

“I just…wanted to tell you something,” Sanji admitted. 

“Go ahead.” Zeff motioned for him to continue. “I ain’t got all day.”

Sanji took a deep breath and balled his hands into fists. 

“Um, thanks,” Sanji mumbled, his courage leaving him like air in a leaking balloon. “For…y’know.”

“No, I don’t,” Zeff said. “Care to clarify that?”

Sanji groaned. “Thanks for…taking me to visit my friends! There, I said it!”

Zeff chuckled, patting Sanji on the head. “You’re welcome, eggplant. Is that all you needed?”

“Um, well…” Sanji trailed off, chewing his lip for a second. An impulsive question came from his lips before he could think it over. “Hey, old geezer? Do you…miss your friends, sometimes?”

“I don’t have any friends, eggplant,” Zeff groused, his gaze fixed on the shopping list on his desk. He crossed out an illegible word and rewrote it, grumbling, “This is why I don’t let Patty write the list! His handwriting is complete shit!”

Sanji rolled his eyes. “I’m not talking about the other chefs at Baratie!”

“Then who are you talkin’ about?” Zeff replied, only sparing Sanji a glance before looking back to the list. “Garp? Sure, he and I are friends, but it’s not like we talk every damn day or nothin’!”

“I’m talking about-!” Sanji started, then faltered with uncertainty. When he went quiet, it finally got Zeff’s full attention. In a soft voice, Sanji continued, “Your crew, back on your old pirate ship. The one that got wrecked at sea when you saved me. Do you miss your friends on that crew?”

Zeff set his pencil down. Taking a deep breath, he leaned back in his chair. “What brought this on, eggplant?”

Sanji shrugged. “I miss my friends when I’m not with them. I figured that you must miss yours, too?”

A half-smile spread across Zeff’s face. “How candid of you, brat. If you’re so curious, then yes, I do miss ‘em sometimes.”

“So they were your friends?” Sanji tilted his head a little, a frown on his lips. “But I thought they laughed at your dream?”

“They did, yeah,” Zeff admitted, stroking his facial hair. “But that didn’t make them any less my friends. Out on the sea, a crew can go through hell together. They laughed at my dream, but they were no less my family.”

Sanji nodded, then took a deep breath. He opened his mouth, then sagged and snapped it shut. He hugged himself, intent on turning away. 

“Out with it, brat,” Zeff prompted. “What is it?”

“Um, we went through hell together on that rock before a ship came by,” Sanji said. He glanced down at his twiddling fingers. After taking another breath, he dared to meet Zeff’s eyes again. “Does that make us ‘family’?”

“Don’t be stupid!” Zeff scoffed, leaning forward and reaching out a hand. Sanji braced himself, in case that hand was going to yank his ear. But instead, Zeff rested his palm on top of Sanji’s head. “Of course, we’re family. You can’t go through hell with someone and not be.”

A small smile crossed Sanji’s lips, and Zeff let his hand fall. “Thanks, geezer.”

Zeff nodded, then picked up his pencil again. “Now go wash dishes at station five.”

Sanji’s smile vanished, replaced with a scowl. “But that’s Patty’s job! Why should I do his work for him?!”

“Because Patty’s going on a supply run!” Zeff answered, scribbling out another unreadable word. “As soon as I finish rewriting this damn list, that is!”

“But-!”

“Don’t argue with the head chef! Just go!” Zeff snapped, pointedly aiming the eraser end of the pencil at Sanji. “Or I’ll make you peel potatoes!”

“Ugh, fine!” Sanji groaned, stalking off to the kitchen. “Shitty geezer!”

While Sanji was leaving, Zeff smiled again and shook his head. “What a bratty little son Lady Luck has given me. What am I going to do with him?”

Chapter Text

Months passed by, bringing summer to a close. Then autumn blew in during the month that followed. Fall came and went as quickly as the leaves that tumbled from the trees. Mid-December arrived with blistering winds and frosty mornings. 

Snow blanketed the land, transforming the jungle from lush and verdant to barren and brown. The only spot of color was dark evergreens that dominated the landscape. The trees were now decorated with bits of snow. It made the woodland look beautiful but eerie, like it would swallow up an unwitting traveler. 

As Sanji followed his friends, he kept his grip on Ace’s hand tight. The allure of the deep woods was tempting but he feared what would happen if it led him astray. 

Sanji’s boots crunched in the snow with every step he took. Every puff of air that escaped his lips resembled a cloud. The tip of his nose was red; bitten by the winter winds. The wooly hat he wore protected his ears and the scarf around his neck kept the chill from going down his coat. 

“We’re almost there, Blondie,” Ace said, casting a glance at him. “You doing okay? You’ve never gone through winter around here before. It’s not for the weak.”

“I’m fine,” Sanji insisted. “It’s just snow. I’ll survive.”

“I know you will; you’re strong,” Ace said, briefly meeting Sanji’s eyes before glancing away. “I still thought I’d ask, though. I dunno why.”

Warmth bloomed in Sanji’s chest, bringing a smile to his face even though his scarf hid it. The giddiness that followed the warmth inside him arrived like clockwork. That is, it happened every time this strange feeling washed over him. He didn’t have a name for it yet. But he knew it happened every time Ace said or did something sweet. 

Sanji never voiced aloud the fluttering beneath his ribs, lest something tear it away. So he let the unnamed emotion sit in secret; a small flicker of happiness to brighten his day. And on days like this one - when winter’s icy grasp was in full swing - the feeling further pushed the cold out that tried to wriggle underneath his coat. 

A comfortable silence had fallen between Sanji, Ace, and Sabo as they waded through the snowy landscape.

Sabo had been unusually quiet during their trek, so Sanji prompted him with a question. 

“Why are you guys training with this mysterious old man you told me about?” Sanji asked, feeling Ace’s fingers tighten around his own for a split second. Then he relaxed and Sanji pushed the action out of his mind. “What made you suddenly decide to do that?”

Sabo smiled. “All three of us want to be captain, so we tried to prove it by seeing which one of us could defeat this giant tiger.”

Sanji’s eyes widened and his jaw fell. “Giant tiger?! Are you guys nuts?!”

“That tiger stole Luffy’s first kill!” Sabo said, throwing his free hand in the air. The other held onto the metal pipe slung over his shoulder. “It was a danpa! Luffy was the one that suggested we see who was strong enough to defeat him and then that person would be captain.”

Sanji’s shock faded a little and he shook his head. “Of course, it was Luffy.”

“He’s kinda predictable, huh?” Sabo chuckled. “But yeah, we’re training with Naguri to get stronger! And to learn how to be pirates.”

Sanji wrinkled his nose. “I’m still not sold on becoming a pirate with you guys.”

Sabo’s shoulders slumped, his smile disappearing. “Aw, really? Why not?”

“I don’t like them very much,” Sanji explained, shrugging. 

Flashes of the wreck of the Orbit entered his mind. Jeering pirates laughing as they stole jewelry right off of passengers’ necks. Crew members fleeing overboard or being taken prisoner. Zeff kicking Sanji so hard that he thought his ribs had shattered.

Zeff.

“I mean, my old geezer used to be a pirate,” Sanji mumbled. “But he’s not anymore. He gave that life up.”

“Why would you give that life up?” Sabo scratched his head. “There’s no one to tell you what to do! No future that someone else decided for you! I can’t imagine throwing away that kind of freedom.”

“He didn’t throw it away! He-!”

His words caught in his throat.

Sanji recalled the sight he had seen on his last day on that cursed rocky island. 

Zeff’s right leg. A tattered pant leg that hid a skeletal thin thigh. A bony knee, a rope below it, and then-

Nothing. 

A stump scabbed over with dried blood.

Sanji snapped out of his memories. “Whatever. I don’t have to explain myself to you!”

Sabo put up a hand placatingly. “Okay, okay! Sorry, eggplant! I didn’t mean to piss you off.”

“So, you don’t want to join us at sea?” Ace piped up, his tone unreadable.

“It’s not that,” Sanji said, chewing on his lower lip. “I wanna cook for you guys forever, but I wish I didn’t have to be a pirate to do it.”

“But your old man was a pirate,” Sabo pointed out. “And you know how much Luffy wants to be one and yet, you never tell him to give that up. So what gives?”

Ace stopped in his tracks, making Sanji stumble to a halt. Sabo paused, too. He watched the two of them with curious eyes.

Ace met Sanji’s gaze with a stern expression. “What’s really bothering you, Blondie?”

“Nothing!” Sanji insisted but Ace didn’t look convinced. Instead of admitting what he held back, Sanji came up with a different response. “I’m still worried about Luffy being all by himself with your old man friend. You said the old man’s name is ‘Naguri’, right? Do you really think he’ll be okay? I mean, Luffy can be kinda rough without meaning to be.”

“Naguri is a lot tougher than he looks!” Sabo said, waving a hand dismissively. Then a grin broke out on his lips. “He used Conqueror’s Haki on a giant bear and saved us from it! That’s how he met Ace and Luffy. I knew him from the Gray Terminal.”

Sanji’s eyes widened. “Conqueror’s Haki? I’ve never met someone who could use it before! I didn’t even realize it was real, to be honest.”

“Yep! It’s real!” Sabo said, then cleared his throat. “Though, I’d never seen someone use it until Naguri did. I’ve heard it’s pretty rare.”

“Must be why people doubt its existence,” Ace added. “It must be special if even Sanji hasn’t met someone with it.” He turned his attention back to Sanji. The interrogation in his eyes had disappeared, leaving only genuine curiosity. “You see a lot of different people at your old man’s restaurant, right?”

“Yeah, but I’m usually in the kitchen,” Sanji explained. “I’m no waiter.”

Sabo chuckled. “Except when we’re the customers! You always wait on us!”

Sanji rolled his eyes. “You guys are my friends. Of course, I’m gonna make sure you’re happy with your food! I’d be a bad friend and a bad chef if I didn’t care!”

“And we appreciate the effort!” Sabo replied, chuckling and patting his stomach. “And so does my belly! You should live with us so you can cook for us all the time!”

Sanji snorted. “I don’t think my old man would allow that. Someone has to help him run his restaurant, y’know?”

“You won’t work for him forever, will you?” Ace asked, his grip on Sanji’s hand tightening again. “I mean, you’ll have to leave one day, right? That’s what every kid does; grows up and heads out on their own.”

Sanji’s smile disappeared and he swallowed. “Well, uh. I owe my old man more than I can ever repay. I’d love to set out to sea with you guys but…I don’t know if I can.”

“Of course, you can!” Sabo insisted. “You should be able to do whatever you want and live however you want!”

Ace scoffed. “You sound like a pirate already, Sabs.”

“Good! I’m gonna be one someday, so I might as well start thinking like one!” Sabo scratched his cheek. His smile faltered as he looked at Sanji’s unreadable expression. Then his smile returned. Standing taller, Sabo put a hand on his hip. “I’m not worried about you not becoming a pirate like us! Luffy will convince you, I’m sure! He has a strange way of getting exactly what he wants. And if Luffy wants you to be a pirate, you will be!”

Sanji scoffed, a small smile on his lips. “He’ll have a hell of a time convincing my shitty old man to let me go.”

“You know he’ll fight for you,” Sabo said, waving a hand. “This is Luffy we’re talking about! He’d fight himself if he thought that would make his friends happy!”

Sanji giggled. “You’re right about that!”

Ace inched closer to Sanji’s side. “Speaking of Luffy, let’s hurry and get to the coast already. I’m gonna freeze to death out here and then Luffy will cry like a baby!”

Sabo laughed. “And it’ll annoy you so much that you’ll come back to life just to yell at him!”

Ace smirked, his eyes flitting to Sanji as the latter giggled. Ace’s lips curled into a smile as his gaze lingered. The sensation of being watched interrupted him. He looked up and caught Sabo’s knowing stare. Ace’s smile shifted into a scowl and he started to stomp away. He yanked Sanji with him, his grip on Sanji’s hand like iron. 

A short while later, the three of them arrived at the coast. They winced at the biting winds rolling in from the sea. Their noses, cheeks, and ears were blistering red. They sprinted for the fire pit that Naguri had set up at the start of their training. The three of them hunched around the flames, palms facing the fire. 

“My fingers are like ice!” Sanji muttered, rubbing his hands together.

“C’mere,” Ace said, grabbing Sanji’s hands. 

Ace cupped Sanji’s in his own. Then he ducked down and huffed, releasing a puff of white steam from his lips. He massaged his fingers into Sanji’s hands. His movements were rough and unpracticed but genuine effort underlined it. His warm breath and hand rubbing had helped a little to ease the chill. But most of the heat Sanji felt was in his cheeks as he blushed. 

“Um, th-thanks, bumpkin,” Sanji said quietly. 

Ace looked up and their eyes locked. As quickly as it had happened, it ended as Ace averted his eyes to the fire. “Yeah, sure. No problem, Blondie.”

The urge to scoot closer rose in Sanji. He wasn’t sure why but he wanted to cuddle up to Ace. But he suspected it had to do with the unnamed, giddy emotion he felt around him; Ace’s attempt to warm Sanji’s hands had brought the feeling back to the surface. 

Before Sanji could act on the desire to get closer, a familiar voice echoed across the coast.

“Sanji!!”

“Oh boy, Luffy knows you’re here!” Sabo laughed. “Better move away from the fire or he’ll tackle you right into it!”

Sanji stood, pulling his hands free from Ace just in time. 

A second later, Sanji was knocked off his feet as Luffy flung himself bodily at him. They landed in the snow (and thankfully not in the fire). Luffy wrapped his arms around Sanji’s middle. Sanji wheezed as the air was pushed from his lungs. 

“Good to see you, too!” Sanji choked out. “Let go now, idiot!”

Ace marched over and grabbed the back of Luffy’s shirt. “C’mon, Loof! Let him breathe!”

Luffy giggled and let go, scrambling back to stand up. “I’m so happy to see you, Blondie!”

Ace groaned, shoving Luffy in the shoulder. “That’s my name for him!”

Luffy stuck his tongue out at Ace. “Don’t care!”

Sanji stuck a hand in the air, still lying on his back. “Uh, a little help, please?”

Before Ace or Luffy could move, Sabo was at Sanji’s side. He clasped Sanji’s hand and yanked him upright. As Sanji dusted the snow off of his clothes, Sabo helped. 

Ace glared with such intensity that the snow still clinging to Sanji would have melted under his gaze. 

Luffy poked Ace in the cheek with a cold finger. “Why is your face all pinched? Do you have a stomach ache? Are you hungry?”

Ace slapped Luffy’s hand away. “No. I’m not hungry.”

His stomach did hurt, though. The sight of Sabo getting so close to Sanji was making his stomach clench in a way that was uncomfortable and a little painful. At the same time, his insides felt like they were on fire. This moment was far from the first time he’d felt this way. Yet, this strange, searing, slithering feeling in him still didn’t have a name.

All he knew was that it happened whenever Sabo got too close or too touchy with Sanji. 

Movement caught Ace’s eye and he watched a hunched figure emerge from the shadows. In the light of the fire, a wrinkled face appeared. The old man wore a friendly smile. He inched the brim of his hat a little higher.

“My, my! Who is this new face?” the elderly man asked. He looked at Ace and added, “A friend of yours, I assume?”

Luffy answered before Ace could even open his mouth.

“Yeah! This is Sanji! He’s the best cook in the world!” Luffy gushed. “He’s gonna be the cook on my ship one day!”

Sanji rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t know about ‘best in the world’. I still have a lot to learn…”

“You’re still a better cook than any of us will ever be!” Sabo insisted, gently elbowing Sanji in the side. “Give yourself some credit, eggplant!”

Sanji smiled shyly. “Thanks, Sabs.”

Ace crossed his arms over his chest, directing his glare at the fire. 

“This old man is Naguri!” Luffy said, hopping up and down with a broad smile. “He’s so cool for an old guy! He used to be a pirate captain and he knows how to fight! He’s teaching me how to be a good pirate captain so I can sail with Ace and Sabo one day!”

“Oh, really?” Sanji said. “Somehow, I don’t think your brothers are gonna want to obey your orders.”

Luffy huffed, putting his hands on his hips. “They will once I become stronger!”

Sabo rolled his eyes. “I’ve told you that I won’t work for anyone, Loof! That includes you, y’know?”

Luffy stamped his foot into the ground, sending bits of snow flying. “But Sabo!”

“Don’t whine, Luffy,” Sanji chided. “You can’t always get what you want by crying about it.”

Luffy huffed, crossing his arms over his chest with a pinched expression.

Naguri cleared his throat.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, young man,” Naguri said, extending a gnarled hand toward Sanji. Sanji took it and gave it a firm shake. Naguri retracted his hand and asked, “Are you going to lend us a hand today? Ace, Sabo, and Luffy have been training with me; they’re building a boat for me. You’re welcome to join them if you aren’t afraid of a little hard work!”

Luffy grabbed Sanji’s sleeve. “Help us, Sanji! It’ll be fun!”

Sabo scoffed. “Not sure I’d call it ‘fun’ but it certainly has helped us get stronger.”

“It has! I’m much stronger than I was the last time we hung out!” Luffy agreed, balling his hands into fists and flexing his arms. Sabo jabbed Luffy in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. Luffy deflated, slouching with a groan. “Hey, that wasn’t fair!”

Naguri chuckled behind his hand. Sabo and Sanji laughed. Ace ignored the urge to join them. 

Sabo gently elbowed Sanji. “Join us if you want, eggplant. It could help you get stronger for your rematch with Ace!”

At the mention of Ace, Sanji’s face warmed up. “Oh! Well, when you put it like that-”

“I can’t wait to see you two go toe-to-toe again!” Sabo said, pumping a fist in the air. “Your last fight was so close! I couldn’t tell who was gonna win! But I bet you’ll kick Ace’s ass by the time our training is complete! You’re already so strong, Blondie!”

Sanji’s hands came up to cover his face as he blushed harder. “Shut up!”

Luffy suddenly tugged on Sabo’s sleeve, babbling about all the progress they’re gonna make with Sanji’s help. Sanji listened until movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Sanji looked away from the group to watch Ace trudge toward the boat. His heart sank as the distance between them grew. 

Sanji perked up when he heard Luffy mention Ace.

“Ace doesn’t get it! Roger was really cool!” Luffy said, putting his fists on his hips. “I’ll show everyone that I can be a great captain just like Roger!”

Sanji furrowed his brow. “‘Roger’? Who’s that?”

“The Pirate Ki-!” Luffy started, but a hand slapped over his mouth. 

Sabo had silenced him before he could finish his sentence. “Don’t start that again, Loof. Please. Ace is still sore about it.”

“Sore about what?” Sanji asked. “Did some guy named Roger piss him off?”

Sabo sighed. “Let’s just say that Ace is very… touchy about the topic around this ‘Roger’ guy.”

“Oh.” Sanji frowned. “Well, we all have stuff we don’t want to talk about.”

“And Ace really doesn’t want to talk about Roger,” Sabo said. “So none of us should bring him up in front of him.” Sabo leaned in to look Luffy in the face. “Right, Luffy?”

Sabo let his hand fall and Luffy pursed his lips, looking away. “I’m not gonna do it again…”

Sabo shook his head. “Somehow, I don’t believe you. Oh, well. Maybe Ace will be a little nicer about it with Blondie around?”

Sabo and Luffy broke into matching grins, their gaze making Sanji shift uncomfortably. 

“What?!” Sanji snapped. “The hell are you looking at?!”

Luffy giggled. “Ace is nicer around you because he likes you!”

Sanji balled his hands into fists. “I told you not to tease me about that!”

“We’re not teasing you,” Sabo said gently. Then he smirked. “But it’s pretty obvious that Ace acts nicer around you. He does care what you think, whether it’s because he has a crush on you or not.”

Sanji dug the toe of his boot into the ground, staring down at the muddy snow. “Oh. Well, I…”

Sabo punched Sanji in the shoulder playfully. “Don’t think too hard about it, eggplant. Just accept it. Ace can be dense about his feelings, so I don’t think anything is gonna happen right away.”

Naguri’s soft laughter interrupted them. “Ah, young love. Makes me nostalgic.”

Sabo rolled his eyes. “Okay, enough mushy shit. Let’s get back to working on your boat!”

Naguri led the three of them toward the cove where he kept his ship. It sat - half-skeletal and half-finished - beneath the cover of a natural cave. Stalactites hung from the ceiling, dripping freezing water every now and then. The air in the cave was cool but lacked the biting edge that the wind outside had. 

“Nice hideaway,” Sanji remarked, his eyes scanning the uneven, bumpy walls of the cave. “Sheltered but not deep enough to be suffocating. Good choice, old man.”

Naguri chuckled. “Why, thank you.”

The rhythmic beat of a hammer driving in nails filled the space, bouncing against the stony walls. Sanji immediately spied Ace on deck. He was nailing down a plank with a serious expression on his freckled face. The urge to join him rose and Sanji almost took that first step forward. 

Until Luffy started rambling again.

“I’m so excited that Sanji’s here! He’s really strong and he already knows how to fight! I wanna train with him while he’s here so I can learn more moves!” Luffy beamed, his eyes lighting up. “Oh, yeah! I forgot to tell you, Sanji! But old man Naguri uses Conqueror’s Haki just like Shanks!”

Sanji reluctantly tore his attention away from Ace.

“I feel like you’ve talked about a guy named ‘Shanks’ before,” Sanji muttered. Then the realization hit him and his eyes snapped open wide. “Wait, ‘Shanks’?! As in, ‘Red-Haired Shanks’?!”

“Yeah! You know him?” Luffy replied, bouncing up and down. “He’s so cool, isn’t he?! He tells me amazing stories every time he visits! He’s one of the greatest pirates ever!”

“How the hell does a big shot like that know some backwater bumpkin like you, Luffy?” Sanji asked, scratching his head. “No offense, but you literally live in a jungle in the middle of nowhere.”

“Just lucky, I guess!”

Sanji crossed his arms. “Well, all I know about Red-Haired Shanks is that he and his crew drink Baratie dry every time they visit. My old geezer has actually threatened to kick them all out more than once.”

Luffy’s eyes grew wide as saucers. “Shanks has gone to Baratie?! Awesome! I want to go back even more now!”

“Ah, Baratie. Lovely little restaurant on the sea,” Naguri remarked. “I’d love to go there sometime. Though I hear the owner is a powerful ex-pirate captain! Isn’t life funny that way? A renowned haven in the ocean run by a man that used to terrorize it!”

“Heh, yeah…” Sanji swallowed, wringing his hands. “Um, I’m gonna go help Ace!”

“Okay! Good luck, Blondie!” Luffy said, grabbing Sabo by the hand. “C’mon, let’s go chop wood! I wanna use the axe again!”

Sabo groaned as Luffy dragged him away. “I still think Naguri is crazy for trusting you with an axe!” 

Sanji spared them a glance before returning his gaze to the ship’s deck. He climbed up the rope ladder that hung over the side. It was wobbly but he managed to scale it without a problem. His feet touched down on the deck but Ace didn’t even look up.

“Um, why did you leave earlier, Ace?” Sanji piped up, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. “We were all having a good time, weren’t we?”

Ace shrugged. “It seemed more like Sabo was kissin’ up to you and you were just letting him do it.”

Sanji blinked, his eyes suddenly wet with warm tears. He scrubbed them away as his temper began to rise. “What the hell, Ace?!”

Ace stood, tossing his hammer to the floor. He crossed his arms, still refusing to look at Sanji. “What?! I’m just stating a fact! He says that I have a crush and then he praises you like you’re the greatest thing ever!”

“Where is this shit coming from?!” Sanji snapped. “You were fine before we got here! What changed?!”

“I don’t know!” Ace blurted, turning his back to Sanji. “Leave me alone!”

Sanji sniffled, his vision blurring. He scrubbed his knuckles over his eyes. “Fine! I will!”

Sanji stomped over to the edge of the boat but the moment he touched the rope, Ace’s voice called out, “Wait! Don’t…I didn’t mean it.”

Sanji turned and Ace was finally looking at him. Ace’s brows were still pinched but there was a wrinkle between them - a slight upward tilt - that betrayed his inner turmoil. Sanji took a deep breath, and then let go of the rope. He crossed over to Ace, stopping a foot away.

“What’s up with you, bumpkin?” Sanji asked calmly. “I know you get mad easily but I didn’t even do anything to piss you off!” He paused. “Did I?”

Ace rubbed the nape of his neck, his eyes downcast. “No, I guess it’s not your fault. I just…got really pissed off at hearing Sabo speak so highly of you. And then, all your attention was on him. It was like I was invisible to you.”

Sympathy softened Sanji’s heart. He stepped closer, putting a hand on Ace’s forearm. “I didn’t mean to ignore you.”

“I know.” Ace shrugged. “You know me; I get pissed off at everything. It’s no big deal.”

“It seems like a big deal to you,” Sanji replied quietly. He squeezed Ace’s arm. “Do you want me to help you today to make up for earlier?”

A small smile tugged on Ace’s lips. “Yeah. I’d like that, Blondie.”

Sanji giggled, a smile of his own appearing. “Okay, bumpkin! Let’s get started!”

The two of them went to work nailing down planks to complete the deck. It was hard work; halfway through the first hour, Sanji had to pause to peel off his coat. Sweat stuck to his skin, making his hair cling to his forehead. But the cool air of the cave kept him from overheating as he got right back to work. When the deck was finished, Ace and Sanji were both pink-faced and sweaty, but they wore accomplished smiles. 

“Naguri is gonna be so pleased!” Sanji exclaimed. “He sure acted like building his ship was gonna be harder than it was!” Then he leaned in closer to Ace and whispered, “Is this old man really the same one who used Conqueror’s Haki to save you?”

“I know he looks frail but he’s beaten me in a fight several times!” Ace replied. “Every day, Sabo, Luffy, and I help Naguri build his boat. And at the end of every day, I challenge him to a rematch. I-” The pink of Ace’s cheeks spread to his ears. He glanced away. “I haven’t beaten him yet. But I will!”

Sanji sent him a lopsided grin. “Of course, you will! And then we can have our rematch! I bet you’ll still lose!”

Ace met Sanji’s gaze. “I’ll make you eat those words, Blondie!”

Sanji laughed, socking Ace on the shoulder. “You’d better! I want our rematch to be an actual challenge! If you can’t beat an old man, then how will you beat me?”

A surprised yelp came from Sanji when Ace slung an arm over his shoulders. 

“You talk a big game! I like it!” Ace grinned, bumping the side of his head against Sanji’s. “You should show Naguri your fighting skills!”

“You think so?” Sanji asked, his heart doing a little flip. 

“Hell yeah! I bet he’ll be impressed! He doesn’t look like it but he knows how to hold his own!”

“And to think, I thought he was a frail old man when I first saw him.” Sanji tugged on a lock of his hair. “I guess I shouldn’t judge an old man. After all, my shitty geezer can still kick ass no matter how many stuck-up customers think he’s not a threat.” Sanji covered his mouth, guilt coloring his cheeks pink. “Shit. I shouldn’t talk about our customers like that. Zeff would hate it.”

“Zeff ain’t here, and I ain’t snitchin’ on you,” Ace said, giving him a crooked grin. “Unlike blabbermouth Luffy, I know how to keep a secret!”

Sanji giggled, leaning into Ace’s side. “What did Luffy blurt out this time?”

Ace’s grin disappeared. He retracted his arm, his usual stony mask returning. “Nevermind, Blondie. It’s not important.”

“Oh.” Sanji expression fell. “Okay, then.”

Sanji chewed on his lower lip as a chill crawled into his stomach. His hand found his hair, pulling on a few strands. His gaze lowered to the deck. 

In a quiet voice, Sanji asked, “Did I…do something?”

Ace sighed. “No. It’s just…Luffy knows a really big secret about me now. And I hate that he knows it.”

“And it’s something about yourself that you don’t want me to know, huh?” Sanji guessed. He remembered Sabo’s words earlier, about Ace caring what Sanji thought. “Whatever it is, it won’t make us stop being friends.”

“I don’t want to take that chance.” Ace walked away, grabbing the hammer he used to nail down the floor. “C’mon, Blondie. We need more wood. The lower deck still isn't finished.”

Sanji swallowed, his throat tight. “Okay.”

Ace and Sanji descended the ladder. Once they reached the floor, they crossed to the fire pit where Naguri sat. 

“Oi, old man!” Ace called. “Where’s the rest of the planks?”

“I’m afraid Sabo and Luffy are still working on that,” Naguri answered. “Luffy has decided a new strategy for chopping wood: cut down as many trees as possible before cutting them into planks.”

“That idiot! He’s just gonna wear himself out! Then he won’t have any energy to make the planks!” Ace rolled his eyes. “Come on, Blondie! Let's switch places with Luffy and Sabo! Sabo is too soft on Luffy; he probably hasn’t tried to stop him yet.”

Sanji followed Ace out into the woods. It wasn’t hard to find the others; Luffy’s voice carried. He was interrupted every now and then by a tree creaking and crashing into the ground. It took a bit of convincing, but Ace managed to get Luffy to switch jobs with him. Luffy and Sabo went off toward the cave. Luffy swung the hammer carelessly and Sabo gave him a wide berth. 

“Have you ever cut down a tree before?” Ace asked Sanji, who was pulling his coat tighter around himself. 

“No, but I’ve put logs into a wood-burning stove before.”

“Then watch and learn!”

Sanji observed Ace as he swung the axe over and over, creating a horizontal split near the base of the tree. After a few minutes, Sanji’s teeth began to chatter. Ace picked up on the sound and handed the axe to Sanji. The movement of hacking away at the tree warmed him back up, but as soon as he stopped, the sweat on his brow turned cold. 

After the tree fell and smashed into the ground, Sanji admitted, “I’m ready for a break.”

“Giving up already?” Ace asked. “But we haven’t even cut up the tree!”

Sanji shivered, burying his hands in his pockets. “I don’t care! I’m going back to the fire. I don’t want to turn into an icicle!”

Ace scoffed. “Fine! Whatever. I’ll cut up this tree all by myself, then!”

Sanji felt Ace’s gaze burn into his back as he walked away. His steps crunched through the snow, leaving deep imprints in behind him. By the time he reached the fire pit, his feet were soaking wet and his fingertips blue. 

“Hello, young man,” Naguri greeted, his bushy eyebrows lifting as he took in Sanji’s appearance. “You look half-frozen! Warm yourself by the fire.”

Sanji nodded, shuffling over to one of the split logs that served as benches. He sat down and pulled his boots off. Cringing, he peeled his damp socks off. 

“Oh, that’s not good,” Naguri said, reaching into his coat. He pulled out two long, mismatched socks. “Here. Keeping your feet dry is very important, especially in the winter!”

“What happens if they get wet?” Sanji asked, accepting the socks. 

“You could get frostbite, and have to get your toes cut off,” Naguri replied grimly. “Sometimes, even the whole foot must go! It’s a very nasty situation; best to avoid it.”

Sanji swallowed hard, looking down at his feet. The cold had turned his toes bluish-purple. An image of his legs replaced with stumps flashed through his mind. 

He shuddered and yanked on the dry socks. They were blessedly warm, made of thick material that kept out the cold. It eased his mind enough that he finally noticed the patterns. One was white with pink hearts and the other was blue with red fish. Sanji snickered at the wildly different designs. But as silly as they were, they were also dry and warm. He didn’t complain as he shoved his feet back into his boots. Naguri hung his old socks over the fire, letting the heat of the flames dry them out. 

Back in the woods, Ace grunted as he hauled the armful of planks through the snowy environment. When he neared the build site, he brought the planks straight to the fire pit. He marched right up to Naguri and dropped the planks at his feet. Then he dusted himself off, grumbling at the splinters of wood sticking to his coat. 

“Another pile of planks? Thank you, Ace!” Naguri said, taking his pipe out of his mouth. He offered Ace a friendly smile. “I’ll inspect these in a moment, and then you can add them to the ship. You have a knack for building, you know?”

“Tch, whatever.”

With a nonchalant sniff, Ace scrubbed the back of his hand over his nose. 

“I’m just doing it because it needs to get done,” Ace added, shrugging. “It’s all part of my training, right?”

Naguri chuckled, putting the end of his pipe back in his mouth. “Perhaps one day, you’ll learn to accept a compliment for your hard work?”

“Don’t be corny, old man.”

Changing the subject, Naguri suggested, “Why don’t you take a break, young Ace? I promise you won’t fall that far behind in your training if you give your body a rest now and then.”

Despite the sweat that had broken out while chopping up planks, Ace still trembled from the cold. Now that he wasn’t moving, the chill crept beneath his collar. The tip of his nose was bright red and stung. 

He wouldn’t get anything done if he was too cold to move.

Ace cleared his throat. “Yeah, well. Alright, old man.”

Ace trudged away and slumped onto the nearest log bench. It happened to be the same one that Sanji sat on. Ace set the axe down beside him and rubbed his hands together. Ace blew onto them but the cold still clung to them. So he shoved them in his coat pockets with a grumble. 

Ace perked up when Sanji scooted closer. “Hey, Blondie! You warm enough yet?”

“Yeah, I guess so?” Sanji replied, holding his palms out toward the fire. “Why?”

“Because I don’t want to sit idle!” Ace hopped to his feet, pulling his fists out of his pockets. “Let’s spar! I’m taking a break so let’s go!”

Sanji rolled his eyes. “The point of a break is to rest, bumpkin. Sparring is the opposite of that.”

“So what? It’s fun!” Ace objected, narrowing his eyes as Sanji pulled out an unlit cigarette. Ace wrinkled his nose when a box of matches followed. “Ew. That shit is bad for you.” Ace frowned at the cigarette as if it had offended him. “Dadan smokes and it stinks up the house so bad that I can’t stand it!”

“I know it’s not good for me, shithead,” Sanji replied. He shoved the cigarette between his lips, muffling his words. “My old man gave me shit for it, too. But that hasn’t stopped me!”

Ace crossed his arms. “Why not?”

“Because I ain’t no wimpy little kid!” Sanji snapped, striking a match and quickly lighting his cigarette. He shook out the match stick, then dropped it on the ground to stomp on it. When it was out, he hesitated before inhaling-

-and immediately started to cough.

“Serves you right, Blondie!” Ace said, stepping over to pat Sanji on the back as the latter coughed into his hand. “You’re a chef, right? Isn’t smoking gonna ruin your taste buds?”

Between attempts to catch his breath and coughing spells, Sanji wheezed, “Yeah…”

“Then why do you do it?” Ace asked, throwing his hands out to the side. “Seriously, why? I thought you were smarter than that!”

Sweat was beading on his forehead by the time Sanji got his breathing under control. Pink lingered on his cheeks as he tried again to take a drag. It wasn’t until Sanji had successfully exhaled a plume of smoke that he spoke again.

“I know it’s bad for me, but-” Sanji chewed his lower lip, unable to look Ace in the eyes. “-it keeps me from getting hungry as often. So that’s why I do it.”

“I thought it was to impress your old man?”

“That, too. I don’t want him to think I’m some helpless kid.” Sanji kept his gaze on his lap. He kicked his feet, sending bits of snow and mud flying into the fire. He swallowed before adding, “But mostly, I smoke because of um, the other thing.”

“Do you not like feeling hungry?” Ace asked, realizing his mistake when Sanji turned away from him. 

Ace could barely hear Sanji mumble, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Ace plopped back down on the bench. He rubbed the nape of his neck, a sinking feeling in his gut. The urge to do something about Sanji’s soured mood overcame him. Scooting over to Sanji’s side, he tried to think of something he could say to cheer him up. 

And when he did, he broke into a grin.

“Y’know, my old hag Dadan likes to say she smokes to keep from gaining weight,” Ace started, poking Sanji in the stomach. “You’re not hiding a big ol’ gut under there, are you?”

Sanji snorted, covering his mouth with his hand. The cigarette dangled from the corner of his mouth, threatening to slip out. “No, you weirdo!”

“Are you sure?” Ace continued, poking him in the side this time. Sanji slapped his hand away with a giggle, but it only encouraged Ace to repeat the action. “You’re laughing, Blondie!”

“I am not!” Sanji lied, a real laugh bursting from his lips as Ace switched to tickling his side. Sanji rammed his fist into Ace’s shoulder with a grin. “Try that again, bumpkin!”

So Ace did.

The cigarette tumbled into the snow. The lit end was doused as Sanji laughed again. The sound was loud and clear. It softened the smile on Ace’s lips. He could feel his face getting warmer but he told himself it was just the heat from the fire pit.

Naguri’s soft laughter brought them back to the present. 

“What?!” Ace exclaimed. “What’s so damn funny?!”

Naguri shook his head. “Young love.”

Ace felt his whole body get warm. “Don’t call it that!”

A few hours later, the dinner hour rolled around. Sabo and Ace went to catch some fish while Luffy and Sanji kept Naguri company. Sanji listened with amusement as Naguri recalled his fateful fight with the King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger. Something about the story nagged at the back of Sanji’s mind. It was as if some detail didn’t quite make sense; a piece of the puzzle that hadn’t clicked in place yet. 

But he didn’t get the chance to figure it out. As soon as Ace and Sabo returned, Naguri cut the story short. Luffy whined but Naguri shushed him. 

“We’re back!” Sabo announced, approaching the fire. Strapped on his back was a fish as large as he was. Speared on a long stick in his hands was another enormous fish. “We got lucky this time and caught four!”

Ace was in the same position as Sabo; carrying a fish on his back and a fish in his hands. He dropped the speared fish onto Sanji’s lap. “Get to cookin’, Blondie!”

Sanji hefted the fish up so he could see it better. “Hm, looks like trout? They should have a subtle nutty flavor with a sweet undertone. Citrus would be a good pairing but it’s the middle of winter, so we’re shit out of luck there.”

“I have some uncooked rice we can use,” Naguri said, holding up a cloth bag. “We can melt some snow to make water for boiling.”

“Sounds yummy!” Luffy remarked. On cue, his stomach rumbled. “Ugh, I’m so hungry! Sanji, cook dinner already!”

“I haven’t even started yet, idiot!” Sanji replied. “You’re never gonna learn to be patient, are you?”

“Nope!” Luffy cheerfully replied.

Soon the air was filled with the savory smell of cooking trout. Sanji roasted it over the fire, sprinkling spices onto the meat. He knew they would likely hunt dinner for themselves that night, so he had taken the precaution of carrying spices in his coat. He was glad he did; the scent of crushed garlic and black pepper blended into the sweet tang of the cooked meat. 

It didn’t take long to finish putting dinner together. Naguri was served first, then Sabo, Ace, and Luffy. The moment Luffy got his share, he attacked the roasted trout with a growl. 

Sabo snickered. “You sound like Pochi!”

“He has a dog’s manners, too!” Sanji added, chuckling as Luffy glanced up at them with bits of flaky meat stuck to his cheeks. “You have food all over your face! Don’t waste it, got it?”

Luffy scrubbed his face with his hands and then licked them. 

Sanji grimaced. “That…wasn’t exactly what I meant. But okay.”

“Sit down and eat your dinner already!” Ace said, grabbing the back of Sanji’s coat. He yanked him down so that Sanji was sitting beside him on the bench. “You always do this. You serve everyone and then forget to serve yourself.”

“I can’t help it! I want everyone to get their fill!” Sanji replied. His stomach chose now to growl and Sanji put a hand over it, as if that would muffle the noise. “I’m fine, honestly!”

Ace sighed, then shoved his half-eaten portion of trout into Sanji’s mouth. “Eat this. I’ll get myself some more.”

Sanji held the meat with his hands and chomped down, chewing slowly through an enormous bite of meat. He swallowed hard, then heaved a sigh of relief. He wanted to protest - tell Ace that he was the chef, so he should be the one to serve them - but Ace was already back in his seat by the time Sanji found the words.

“Wow, Ace actually gave up his food!” Sabo observed, letting out an impressed whistle. “Don’t see that every day!”

“Aw, man! Why doesn’t Ace ever share his food with me?!” Luffy said, huffing. “I’m your brother, Ace! You gotta share!”

“No, I don’t!” Ace snapped. “And you’re not my brother, remember? Not after our fight!”

Sanji paused mid-bite. He lowered the food, staring at Ace. “What do you mean, Ace?”

“We got into a big fight a little while back!” Luffy answered, not giving Ace any time to reply. “Sabo told me about Ace’s dad and Ace got pissed off because I wanted to know what he was like!”

Ace snarled. “Shut up, Luffy! I told you guys never to mention him in front of me! I hate him, okay?!”

Sabo fixed a glare on Ace. “I know you do, but you didn’t have to take out your anger on us! I don’t like my parents either, but I don’t beat you guys up whenever you ask about them!”

Sanji was on his feet before he realized it. “Ace, you beat your brothers up?!”

“They’re not my brothers anymore!” Ace insisted, standing and getting in Sanji’s face. “They didn’t listen to me when I told them not to talk about my bastard father! So now, I don’t have any brothers!”

“Stop being so stupid!” Sanji shot back. He groaned, hands raking into his hair. “Don’t you know how damn lucky you are to have brothers?! Especially ones that care about you?!”

“Don’t lecture me, Sanji!” Ace spat. “I don’t want to hear anything more on the subject!”

“You’re mad about this ‘Roger’ guy, aren’t you?! This ‘Roger’ is your father, isn’t he?!” Sanji guessed, throwing his hands in the air. “Look bumpkin, I don’t know what he did to piss you off so badly. But it’s not worth losing your brothers over!”

“You don’t fucking get it!” Ace snapped. “He wasn’t just my father! You have no idea who Roger even is, do you?!”

“Well, I would if someone would just tell me!” Sanji replied, stamping a foot on the ground. “I’m not a damn psychic! I can’t read your mind!”

Ace clenched his jaw like a steel trap; no information was going to leak through that might’ve helped Sanji better understand him. 

Until Luffy blurted, “The fight was about us finding out that Ace’s real dad is the Pirate King!”

Sabo groaned, hanging his head in his hands. “Here we go again.”

Something clicked in Sanji’s brain. He whipped around to look at Luffy. 

“Wait, that Roger is Ace’s father?!” Sanji shouted. “The Pirate King - the one Naguri was telling us about - is Ace’s old man?!”

“Was!” Ace interjected. “In case you forgot, the Pirate King is fucking dead!” Ace glared down at Sanji with his fists at his sides. “But yes, Roger was my goddamn father!”

Sanji paused, then said quietly, “So you hate your birth father, too?”

Ace lowered his gaze to the ground, his bangs hiding the tears in the corners of his eyes. 

Sabo stood up, peering over at Sanji. “Your birth father is a piece of shit, too? Damn, looks like we all have something in common.”

“Just our shitty luck, I suppose?” Sanji replied, then reached out to Ace. He laid a hand on Ace’s forearm. “But your dad’s not here now, is he? So why are you letting him ruin your life?”

“Because he ruined it before I was even born!” Ace shouted, startling them. Sanji retracted his hand. “The whole world hated him! And because of that, they hate me, too!”

“That’s not true, Ace!” Sanji objected. He put his hands on his own chest and added, “I don’t hate you. Neither does Luffy or Sabo or Dadan! Even Naguri likes you and he didn’t even know you until a little while ago!”

Ace scoffed, using the heel of his hand to clear his eyes. “Dadan does hate me! I’m just a burden to her! I know because she says it every time she gets drunk!”

The others went silent.

Sanji was the first to speak. “Sometimes adults say shit they don’t really mean. My old geezer is pretty harsh but he still keeps me fed and gives me a home. And he’s teaching me to cook and fight just like he does. If he really did hate me, he wouldn’t bother with all of that, right?”

“Yeah!” Sabo added. “If Dadan hated you, she’d just toss you into the woods to fend for yourself! She’s not like my parents; they haven’t even bothered looking for me.”

“Dadan sends out Dogra and Magra all the time to look for us!” Luffy pointed out, breaking into a grin. “Remember how often we’d make a game of it? It was always fun to avoid them when they got close to finding us!”

Ace swallowed thickly. “Yeah…that’s true. That hag does send them out to find us. I always thought it was because she didn’t trust us to take care of ourselves.”

“That’s silly!” Luffy said. “Dadan knows we’re strong! Especially you, Ace!”

Ace sniffled, wiping his nose on his coat sleeve. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Don’t say that!” Luffy rushed over and wrapped his arms around Ace’s shoulders. “Stop being mean to yourself! Let’s go back to having a fun time!”

Sabo chuckled as Ace tried to wriggle free. His boots crunched in the snow as he crossed over to them, and then he was joining the impromptu hug. 

“Life’s too short to spend it being pissed off at everything,” Sabo said. “We’re your family, Ace. Screw what the rest of the world thinks!”

“Yeah!” Luffy added, giggling.

Ace stilled in their hold. He raised his eyes to Sanji’s. “You really don’t care about my bad blood? I mean, Roger’s legacy is like a curse! I never wanted to be his son!”

“Who your father was doesn’t change how I feel about you,” Sanji admitted, then blushed. He averted his eyes to his shoes, the tips of his ears getting hot as he realized how his words sounded. “I um, I’m still your friend. I don’t care who your dad was, as long as you don’t care about mine.”

“Of course, I don’t care who your dad was! He ain’t you!” Ace said. Sabo and Luffy released him and Ace squared his shoulders. “A-And I’m not mine! I never even met Roger! It’s not fair that the world hates me just because of Roger’s legacy!”

“It’s not fair, you’re right,” Sanji agreed. “But you can’t let his shitty legacy keep you from doing what you want.”

Naguri cleared his throat. 

The sudden reminder at his presence had the others falling quiet. 

“Ace, didn’t you ask me a while back what I thought about Roger having a son?” Naguri asked. “I told you that it would be terribly hard to be his child. I said if I were his son, I wouldn’t want to be a pirate because Roger’s reputation would ruin my life in the end. And how did you react to that?”

“I wanted to fight you,” Ace replied, raising an eyebrow. “I don’t see how your advice is helpful, old man.”

Naguri chuckled. “Perhaps you will in a moment? You say you wanted to fight me. Well, I say that’s good! Use that will to fight to prove me wrong, but not through combat. Try another route instead.”

Slowly, realization dawned on Ace’s freckled face. “You mean, become a pirate anyway?” 

Naguri nodded. 

Ace shook his head. “But what about my father’s legacy? Won’t the world despise me because of my blood?”

“Who says the world has to know?” Naguri replied, gesturing to Sabo, Sanji, and Luffy. “The people closest to you know your deepest secret. And it doesn’t change the fact that they care about you. You could debut under a name of your choosing and the rest of the world would be none the wiser.”

Ace paused, looking down. “Well, when you put it like that… there is one other name I could use.”

“Ooh! Ooh! Use my name!” Luffy interrupted, hopping in place with a big grin. “‘Monkey D. Ace’!”

“No! That sounds stupid!” Ace barked. He shook his head, his tone leveling. “No, the name I want to use is…my mother’s. ‘Portgas’. It's…all I have left of her.”

“‘Portgas D. Ace’.” Naguri hummed in approval. He took a thoughtful drag on his pipe, then exhaled a puff of smoke. Rubbing his chin, he said, “Sounds like a name that will shake up the world someday.”

“I never knew your mom’s full name,” Sabo said, smiling. “I like it, though! I think her name fits you, too. ‘Portgas D. Ace’ sounds cool!”

“I think so, too!” Luffy said. “With a name like that, you gotta be on my crew someday!”

Ace rolled his eyes. “No way, Luffy! I’m not gonna be on your crew! Stop asking!”

“But Ace-!” Luffy started.

“I wanna be my own man!” Ace interrupted, balling his hands into fists. “Screw my father’s legacy! I’m gonna bear my mother’s name and be a pirate that the entire world will know! And no one will have to know about my bad blood!”

He tensed when he felt Sanji’s hand on his shoulder.

“You’re gonna make a great pirate, Ace,” Sanji said, wearing a soft smile that crinkled the corner of his eye. 

Any aggression in Ace’s body disappeared. Heat rushed to his face, coloring it pink. He rubbed the back of his head. “Y-You think so?”

Sanji nodded. “Yeah, of course!”

“Ace, are you done being mad?” Luffy asked. “Because I’m still hungry and I want to finish dinner!”

Sabo shook his head. “You’ll never change, huh Luffy?”

Sanji chuckled, punching Ace in the shoulder. “Do you feel better now, bumpkin?”

Ace glanced down at the ground, then back up at Sanji. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Yay!” Luffy cheered, then grabbed his portion of dinner. “Now, let’s eat!”

With a few chuckles at Luffy’s behavior, the others went back to dinner. The rest of the meal went on without incident. Once the rice was gone and the roasted trout had been devoured, it was time to train. The boys took turns sparring while Naguri observed. He offered his wisdom and critiques after every match. Between sparring matches, he avoided (and sometimes couldn’t avoid) Luffy’s aim as the young boy practiced his moves. 

After a few hours, training had worn the boys out. They retreated to the shelter that Naguri had built within the cave. There was a fire pit inside it surrounded by bed rolls.

The first to fall asleep was Luffy. While Luffy drooled, Sabo laid down and bundled himself up in his blanket. After a few minutes, his soft snores filled the room; the sound was overshadowed by Luffy’s much louder snoring. Naguri chuckled at the noise before laying down on his bed roll. 

Ace and Sanji got comfortable on their respective beds, lying beside each other. Sanji closed his eyes but didn’t give in to sleep. Instead, he waited until ten minutes or so had passed. Then he sat up and observed the others.

Drool slipped from the corner of Luffy’s mouth. Sabo’s hands were folded beneath his cheek, pressed between his face and the floor. Naguri’s hat was pulled down low over his eyes and his weathered hands were linked on top of his stomach. Everyone was slumbering.

Except for Sanji.

And one other.

Sanji peered over at Ace and his interest piqued. 

Ace was lying with his back to Sanji, his body tense and curled in on itself. 

“Ace?” Sanji whispered. “Are you awake?”

“...Yeah.”

Sanji wasn’t sure what to say. He had a feeling that Ace was still sore about the revelation earlier; the secret of Ace’s parentage being blurted out in front of the others. Ace had gone back to eating with the others, but his movements had been stiff. When it was time to train, he didn’t speak more than a handful of words at a time. During the moments that Ace was on break while the others sparred, Sanji had caught a glimpse of the look in his eyes.

Hard as stone, yet hot as coals. A far off look concealed with a piercing glare. His gaze had been fixed on the fire as if the dancing flames held the answers. 

In the back of his mind, Sanji knew that Ace hadn’t moved on; he was still ruminating on the curse of Roger’s blood. He saw it in Ace’s clenched jaw and white knuckles. 

And perhaps, in the midst of his rumination, Ace was considering his future. A future where the truth about his heritage remained a secret buried in this tiny fragment of their world. A future where the identity of Ace’s birth father never strayed past the shores of Goa. 

A future that Sanji hoped included him. 

“Ace?” Sanji mumbled, still unsure of how to make his friend feel better. An idea surfaced in his mind and he perked up. “I’m cold.”

Without another word, Ace sat up. He got to his feet and pulled his bed roll over to Sanji’s. He lined them up, then sat down beside him. Sanji covered both of their legs with his blanket. Ace piled his on top of it, creating another layer to insulate them from the cold. 

Sanji giggled under his breath as he lay down on his side and turned to face Ace. Ace copied him, facing Sanji with flushed cheeks and a slightly wobbly frown. 

“This better?” Ace whispered.

Sanji nodded. “Mhm.”

A few moments passed and a swell of courage rose in Sanji’s chest. 

“Ace?” Sanji chewed on his lower lip. “Come closer.”

A beat of silence. Then Ace was shifting nearer, wrapping his arms around Sanji’s middle. Sanji tucked the top of his head under Ace’s chin. One of his hands came up to gently grasp the front of Ace’s shirt. Sanji pressed his cheek against Ace’s collar bone as Ace held him tighter. A content smile spread across Sanji’s lips. 

“This is nice,” Sanji said softly.

“Mhm,” Ace agreed. “Uh, thanks. F-For not caring about who my father was, I mean.”

“Of course!” Sanji said, trying to keep his voice low. “I don’t give a shit about stuff like who someone’s parents were. What matters is who you are, right?”

Ace scoffed but Sanji could hear the smile in his voice. “That’s corny. But…I don’t mind. Not from you.”

Sanji’s smile became a grin and butterflies erupted beneath his ribs.

A bittersweet thought flashed through his mind.

He imagined his mother lying in her bed, as pale and weak as she always was. He would leap into her arms like when he was younger. With animated hand gestures, he’d tell her about his friends. She would laugh at their antics but wear a tender smile at knowing that Sanji wasn’t alone anymore. 

The thought of his mother taking a particular liking to Ace was one that both broke Sanji’s heart and comforted it. If she had been anything like her son, then she, too, would see past Ace’s gruff exterior. And maybe she would be able to explain the foreign, fluttering feelings that Sanji felt and suspected weren’t just friendship. 

At the thought of his mother, Sanji’s spirits sank. His smile faded and he nudged closer to Ace. “Um, Ace? What was her first name? Your mother’s?”

Ace took a deep breath, then exhaled a weary sigh. “Rouge. Her name was Portgas D. Rouge.”

“That’s a pretty name,” Sanji said, gripping Ace’s shirt tighter. “My mother’s name was Sora.”

“That’s a nice name, too,” Ace said, chewing his lip. “What…what was she like?”

“She was a great mom,” Sanji said, his eyes blurring. “Sweet and caring. She always ate the food I made her no matter how gross it was. I didn’t know anything about cooking. I dropped food all the time because I’m so damn clumsy.” Sanji took a shuddering breath. “But she still ate every bite.” Sanji’s lower lip wobbled. “I miss her.”

Ace didn’t say anything. But he didn’t have to; not when he curled around Sanji and pressed his face into the blond boy’s hair. Sanji sniffled and shifted, wrapping an arm around Ace’s torso.

“Do you know what your mom was like?” Sanji mumbled, staring into the dimly lit cave around them.

“No.” Ace turned his head slightly so he could squish his cheek against Sanji’s head. “But Gramps told me that she loved me very, very much. She died right after I was born because she waited so long to have me. Gramps said she forced her body to wait until she was sure that I wouldn’t be suspected of being Roger’s son.”

A tear left a warm track down Sanji’s cheek. “She was a brave woman.”

“She was. That’s another reason why I want to take her name. I want to honor her sacrifice.”

The pair fell silent, but the air between them was loud with unspoken thoughts. 

Until Sanji spoke up.

“Hey, Ace?”

“Yeah, Sanji?”

Sanji braced himself before saying, “Don’t stop being brothers with Sabo and Luffy. Please? For me?”

He felt Ace swallow hard. A pause followed, stretching on long enough that Sanji thought that Ace would never answer. And then-

“I’ll think about it,” Ace mumbled into Sanji’s hair. “But only because I’m not as pissed about them knowing as I used to be. And-” Ace’s voice lowered to a whisper so quiet that Sanji almost didn’t catch it. “-because it would mean a lot to you. Y’know?”

Relief brought a new wave of wetness to Sanji’s eyes but he blinked the tears away. He sniffled, cuddling up to Ace with a smile that spread from ear to ear. His heart was soaring, yet drowsiness began to creep in. 

“Thanks, Ace,” Sanji murmured. “I’m warmed up now, so let’s go to sleep.”

“Yeah, sounds good.” Ace’s fingers briefly threaded through Sanji’s hair. “Goodnight, Blondie.”

“Goodnight, bumpkin.”

After Sanji returned to Baratie, he went back to work a bit more friendly and forgiving. Which meant that Sanji’s efficiency in the kitchen improved. And Patty and Carne were less likely to get their shins bruised when Sanji disapproved of their cooking skills. 

However, as content as Sanji seemed to be, something was bothering him. 

A thought he brought back with him from his trip.

Or, more of a question, really. 

Sitting alone in his room, Sanji leaned over his desk. A piece of paper lay in front of him. Bandaged fingers drew straight and curved lines with colorful crayons. The tip of his tongue poked out between his lips in concentration.

He finished his drawing and then sat back in his chair. 

It was rare that Sanji had time to draw. Despite being a kid, his schedule was far more packed than a typical child’s. When his days consisted of honing his skills in the kitchen and combat, there was little time left to enjoy hobbies. Not even something as simple as drawing. Before he knew it, the sun was setting on another day and he had to go to sleep to prepare for the next busy day. 

So this drawing in particular was special. 

Even if it broke his heart to look at.

His fingers traced over the human he had drawn. Long blonde hair. Stick-like arms and legs. A long blue gown. And eyes as blue as the deep ocean. 

“Mom,” he mumbled. Unshed tears blurred his vision. He scrubbed them away with his free hand. “I miss you.” 

He picked up a yellow crayon and drew a circle around the top of her head. Then he sketched out tiny wings coming out over her shoulders. She stood on a cloud and he drew a few others around her. Floating above the halo was written, Mom.  

“Are you up there with Ace’s mom?” Sanji asked quietly. He began another drawing next to his mother. Another woman but with long black hair, brown eyes, and freckles. Above her, he wrote out Rouge. “I don’t know what she looks like. I don’t think Ace does, either. But you always said that I looked just like you, so maybe Ace looks like his mom, too?”

Sanji colored in Rouge’s dress; making it red just like one of Ace’s shirts. 

Sanji wasn’t sure if he believed the religious teachings he had grown up with. Back when his mother was alive, he hadn’t questioned it. But her death and the horrors that followed had left their mark. The world seemed too cruel to blindly accept a faith he had never chosen to join. 

And yet, he wanted to think his mother was in a better place. 

Droplets landed on the drawing, staining the paper. Sanji snapped out of his thoughts. He wiped his eyes, then shoved the drawing in one of his desk drawers. His stomach hurt and the pressure behind his eyes made his head ache. So he left his room and headed for the kitchen, intent on burying his discomfort in hard work. 

But on the way, he noticed that Zeff’s door was ajar. 

Sanji approached the entryway with cautious steps. He peered through the crack between the door and the frame. Zeff was busy at his desk, sorting through a stack of newspapers. He didn’t look up as Sanji lingered in the doorway.

Sanji took a deep breath, then cleared his throat.

Zeff lifted his head, recognition in his eyes as Sanji opened the door a bit wider.

“Oh, it’s you,” Zeff remarked. “Need something, eggplant?”

Sanji chewed on his lower lip, his stomach turning.

“Um, geezer?” Sanji said, his fingers clutching the fabric of his apron. “Can I ask you a weird question?”

“You ask me weird questions all the time,” Zeff replied, unfolding a newspaper in his hands. “That’s normal for a kid. Youngsters at your age are curious about everything.”

“Okay then, uh-” Sanji swallowed hard. “W-Where do we go when we die?”

Zeff paused. “Come again?”

“Where do we go when we die?” Sanji repeated.

“I see.” Zeff was silent as he folded the newspaper and laid it on the table. “What brought this question on, eggplant? Thinking about our near-death experiences again?”

“A little.” Sanji cast his gaze down at his shoes. “What got me thinking about it, though, is what Ace told me last time we hung out.”

“What did the little brat say?”

“I found out by accident who his father was. He didn’t want anyone to know,” Sanji explained. He looked at his fingers as he twiddled his thumbs. “And when I asked about who his mother was, he got really quiet. Then he told me she died after giving birth, and it-” Sanji bit the inside of his cheek as he hugged himself. “-it reminded me of my mom.”

Zeff stroked his braided mustache. “Did your mother die in the same way?”

Sanji shook his head. “No, but I was very little when she passed. I’ve always wondered what happened to her after that. Where did she go?”

Zeff sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging a little. “Well, kid, there’s no real answer for that. Nobody knows what happens to us when we die, so everyone has their own idea of how it goes.”

Sanji inched closer, looking up at him. “What do you think happens?”

Zeff shrugged. “I think when your time is done, it’s done. That’s why it’s important to make the most of the time you’ve got. That answer your question?”

“I’m not sure,” Sanji replied, tugging on a lock of his hair. “I mean, I’d like to think there’s somewhere better that we all go to someday.”

Zeff gestured for Sanji to come closer, and Sanji did. Sanji sniffled, raising his watery eyes to his father. Zeff placed a warm hand on top of Sanji’s head. 

“That’s a nice thought, eggplant. Sometimes nice thoughts are what we need to deal with grief. But whatever happens to us, at least after we’re gone, we’re not in pain anymore.”

Sanji swallowed thickly, remembering all the times his mother would hide her aches and pains behind a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. 

“That sounds nice,” Sanji mumbled, pinpricks of pain stinging his eyes as he resisted the urge to cry. “Or at least, better than there being nothing when we’re gone.”

Zeff moved his hand to cup the back of Sanji’s head. Without a word, he guided Sanji into a stiff hug. Sanji sniffled, keeping his mouth shut tight against the sob caught in his throat. After a few minutes, Sanji calmed down. Zeff firmly patted him on the back and pulled away. 

“Feelin’ better?” Zeff asked.

Sanji nodded. “A little.”

“Good. Now, c’mon! Let’s go to the kitchen and I’ll make you some tea.”

“But you don’t have to-” Sanji started.

“Nonsense!” Zeff ruffled Sanji’s hair before standing. “A good chef knows when someone needs comfort through food. And a nice hot drink is what you need.”

Weeks passed. Winter melted into spring, bringing blooming flowers and budding green leaves. Blistering days became fewer as the winds blew the heavy winter clouds away. But with the winds came warm, wet weather as springtime rain brought its rejuvenating powers.

Sanji expected to wake up that morning to a sunrise inching above the horizon and a mild breeze. But instead, he shivered when he tossed off his blankets. Bare feet tiptoed on the frigid floors as he crossed to the window. He drew back the curtains and frowned as a gray sky and stormy clouds greeted him. 

The cry of a bird caught his attention. 

“The news coo!” Sanji exclaimed, excitement bursting in his chest. “Maybe there’s a letter for me?!”

He stumbled to slip on some house slippers. The floors squeaked as he hurried to Zeff’s room next door. He didn’t even wait to knock before entering. He shoved open the door and ran up to his father. In his anticipation, he failed to notice the deep frown on Zeff’s lips, the tension in his frame, and the furrow on his brow. 

“Is that another letter for me?” Sanji asked, getting up on his tiptoes to grasp at it. Zeff snapped back to the present and lifted the envelope out of Sanji’s reach. “Let me read it, old geezer!”

“It’s not from those brats!” Zeff grunted. 

Sanji paused. “It’s…not?”

Zeff shook his head. “It’s from their foster mother.”

“Dadan? Why is she mailing a letter to you?” Sanji said, his stomach dropping when Zeff didn’t answer. “Something’s wrong, isn’t it? Well, isn’t it?! What happened, shitty geezer?!”

“It’s your friend, Sabo,” Zeff explained, his usual stern expression cracking. 

Zeff’s Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. There was a shine in his eyes - building tears - that Sanji had only seen once before. The first time had been when they had been rescued from that barren rock. Relieved tears sprang from both of them that day. But in Sanji’s heart, he knew the tears in his father’s eyes now weren’t because of the solace of salvation. 

Something bad had happened. 

“No…” Sanji gripped his hair, his vision blurring. “No, don’t say it! Please, don’t say it!”

“I’m sorry, Sanji.” Zeff took a slightly shuddering breath. “But he passed away.”

All the air left Sanji’s lungs at once. His stomach churned like the sea when a storm rolled across it. Pain erupted in his head as tears began to overflow in his eyes. An ache gripped his chest tightly, strangling his heart.

“No! No, no, no!” Sanji yelled, fat tears burning down his cheeks. “No, it can’t be true!” 

Zeff reached out a hand. “I’m sorry, son-”

Sanji shrieked as grief descended, sobbing so hard that his ribs hurt. Tears and snot choked him, his face red and hot. His knees hit the floor and the next thing he knew, he was wrapped up in strong arms. Pressing his face into his father’s solid chest, Sanji cried like he hadn’t done since the passing of his mother. 

It was only right that he would weep for Sabo like he did for his mother.

Both were too good for the world they were born into.

Both had welcomed Sanji’s presence every time they met.

And both were taken from Sanji’s life without warning. 

Chapter Text

Kiss me mother kiss your darlin'

Lay my head upon your breast

Throw your loving arms around me

I am weary let me rest

The next day, Baratie was closed.

The double doors at the entrance were locked and covered with a sign that announced the temporary closure. 

Sanji sat on the deck of Zeff’s sailboat, curled into a ball as tightly as he could manage. His bony knees dug into his forehead. His back cramped from being hunched over. His lips were pressed together in a thin line; not a word slipped through. 

Patty and Carne were accompanying Zeff and Sanji this time. Extra hands were needed to carry the baskets of food piled onto the boat. For once, Patty and Carne didn’t complain when Zeff assigned them the job. 

The waves were mercifully calm that day. But the silence that enveloped the little group of cooks was anything but. A thick tension hung over them; too heavy to be alleviated by idle chatter. At some point during the trip to Goa, Patty put his large hand on Sanji’s head. The gesture elicited no reaction from Sanji, who remained as quiet as a mouse. 

The weather was beautiful when the sailboat finally docked at the village. Sanji had never hated a blue, cloudless sky so much before. The picturesque day mocked the loss of Sabo. 

No one in the village disturbed the four as they made their way through town. The solemn expressions on their faces and the faraway looks in their eyes deterred the locals. Only the curious gazes of children followed them. The trek through the jungle was done in relative silence, save for chittering creatures or buzzing insects.

At last, the square silhouette of the Dadan Family house came into view. 

“Hm. Cozy place,” Carne remarked. His comment was the first thing anyone in the group had said since they set sail that morning. Other than Zeff barking instructions for Patty and Carne, of course. “I expected more of a shack.”

“Quiet, fool!” Patty hissed. “Don’t say stupid shit! The Dadan Family just lost one of their own! I doubt they care how homey you think their place is!”

“I was just trying to-!” Carne started, then snapped his jaw shut when Zeff’s glare burned into him.

When the group was halfway to the front door, it slammed open. 

Luffy dashed out, not stopping until he had collided with Sanji in a crushing hug. Sanji remained upright, having braced himself seconds before the collision. He laid the baskets of food in his hands gently on the ground. Then he returned Luffy’s clinging embrace. 

“Sanji!” Luffy cried, sniffling against Sanji’s shoulder. “S-Sabo! He’s-!”

“I know, Luffy,” Sanji interrupted calmly. “I got Dadan’s letter yesterday.”

Luffy wailed, burying his face in Sanji’s shirt. Sanji cringed at the snot coming from Luffy’s nose, but he kept quiet. Besides, he wasn’t wearing one of his good shirts. A ruined shirt wasn’t anything compared to the loss that Luffy was feeling. 

Zeff cleared his throat. “Come on, everyone. Time’s a-wastin’. No use standing outside when we could be doing what we came here to do.”

Sanji pried Luffy off of him, but kept holding one of Luffy’s hands. 

When the group arrived at the door, they found Dadan waiting for them just inside the house. She held a cigarette between her fingers and a bottle of sake in her other hand. White bandages covered her arms and neck.

“Zeff?!” Dadan asked, wide eyes staring at the baskets in their hands. “To what do we owe the unexpected visit?”

“Just bringing some comfort food to a family that lost a loved one,” Zeff explained. “Now, you gonna invite us in, ma’am?”

“‘Ma’am’? Ha! That makes me feel more like an old woman than when the brats call me a hag!” Dadan snorted and stepped aside. “Come in. But don’t expect us to gush with gratitude. We’re bandits, not ordinary folk.”

“I don’t feed people to hear them thank me with flowery words,” Zeff replied, leading the group past the threshold. He laid down the baskets in his arms. “If someone needs food, I’ll feed ‘em. And that’s that.”

As Zeff, Patty, and Carne began to unload the baskets, Luffy remained at Sanji’s side. He held onto Sanji’s hand tightly, using his free hand to scrub his eyes. Even when the smell of food hit Sanji’s nose, Luffy didn’t move.

“Luffy?” Sanji asked softly. “Are you hungry?”

Luffy shook his head. “Mm-mm. Can’t stop thinking about Sabo.”

Sanji swallowed against the lump in his throat. His vision blurred at the mention of Sabo. But he bit the inside of his cheek and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. 

“Sabo would want you to eat if you’re hungry,” Sanji said, tugging on Luffy’s arm. “C’mon. I’ll serve you some soup and tea. The old geezer and I put together a lot of dishes for you and Ace. And the bandits, too.”

Luffy’s stomach gave a weak growl. “What kind of dishes?”

Sanji smiled. “Comfort food! Like beef stew, pasta, and ramen! Not to mention, desserts like chocolate chip cookies and pie!”

“Ramen?!” Luffy hiccuped, a fresh wave of tears in his eyes. “Sabo’s favorite food was ramen!”

Sanji’s smile fell, replaced with wide-eyed panic. “Oh! Don’t cry, Luffy! You don’t have to eat the ramen if it reminds you too much of Sabo!”

Dadan sighed. “Come on, brat. Stop with the crying. Sanji and Zeff brought us food to help us feel better, not make us feel worse.”

“I-I know, but-!” Luffy stammered, letting go of Sanji’s hand to swipe at the tears falling down his cheeks. “But everything makes me think of Sabo!”

“Give it time, kid,” Dadan said. “Grief gets easier with time. Now, sit your ass down and eat something before your stomach growls again.”

On cue, Luffy’s stomach growled.

Luffy sniffled, then nodded. He grabbed Sanji’s hand again. “Sit with me, Sanji.”

“Of course.” Sanji let himself be led to the fire, where other members of the Dadan Family were gathering. “I’ll pour you some tea first. It might help wake up your appetite if you’ve gone a while without eating.” 

Luffy sat down and so did Sanji. Luffy crossed his legs, sniffed hard, then scrubbed his nose with his forearm. Sanji cringed and wiped Luffy’s arm off with a napkin. 

Sitting this close, Sanji could see the dark circles under Luffy’s eyes. There was a downturn to his lips, as if they were a second away from wobbling. Dried tear tracks shined in the firelight, partially flaked off from whenever Luffy rubbed his eyes. The white sclerae of Luffy’s eyes were tinted pink; the corners were red and bloodshot. 

Sanji’s throat cramped as his eyes got wet. With one hand still in Luffy’s, he used his free hand to dry his eyes with the front of his shirt. Then he turned to Luffy and plastered on a smile.

“I need both of my hands to serve you food, Loof,” Sanji said, squeezing Luffy’s hand. “Mind letting go for a little bit?”

Luffy nodded and his voice sounded small. “Okay.”

Luffy released Sanji’s hand and hugged himself. Sanji’s smile faltered at the sight. But he forced himself to his feet and toward the nearest basket. Muscle memory kicked in and he prepared a pot of tea above the fire. When it was ready, he poured a cup and blew on it to cool it. Kneeling beside Luffy, he held the cup out to him.

“Here, it’s lemon and ginger tea,” Sanji said. “It’s good for settling the stomach, in case you’re feeling sick.”

Luffy took the cup with a quiet “thank you” and then gulped down half of the tea. 

“It’s good. Thank you, Sanji.” Luffy held the cup closer to his chest. “I think I feel a little better.”

“I’m glad,” Sanji replied, then frowned. “No ‘Blondie’ today?”

Luffy shook his head. “Mm-mm! It makes me think of Ace, and Ace isn’t here right now. He went off to be by himself. He only comes back to the house at night to sleep. But then, he’s gone before everyone wakes up.”

Across from them sat Dadan. She exhaled a puff of smoke, then tapped the end of her cigarette to release flecks of ash. “Luffy’s crying might have driven him off; he never had any patience for emotional outbursts.”

“I can’t help it that I’m upset!” Luffy exclaimed, snapping his head up. “I cry when I’m not happy! So what?!”

Sanji laid a hand on Luffy’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Luffy. There’s nothing wrong with having emotions. Ace just…responds to grief differently than you do.”

“He’s always been prone to isolating himself,” Dadan added, jerking her head toward the door. “He’s probably at the cliffs at the far end of the jungle. He only goes there when he doesn’t want to be found.”

Zeff walked up to Dadan and sat down with a huff.

“Well, he may not want to be found, but he needs to be,” Zeff said, crossing his arms. “Pushing everyone away will only do more harm than good.” He looked at Sanji. “Go find him, eggplant. Bring him back.”

Dadan shook her head. “Ace won’t like that.”

Zeff scoffed. “Too damn bad.”

“I’ll go-” Sanji started, but cut himself off when Luffy grabbed his arm.

“Wait, I’ll go, too!” Luffy said. “He’s my brother-!”

“No, you need to stay here,” Sanji insisted, placing a hand over Luffy’s. “It’ll be faster if I go alone. Eat your dinner while I’m out.”

“But-!”

“No, Luffy,” Sanji interrupted calmly. “Stay and eat. Besides, it might be better if I approach Ace by myself.” Sanji’s nose tingled, turning pink as the urge to cry rose. Swallowing hard, he forced his voice to remain level. “You’re his little brother and he doesn’t want you to see him when he’s weak.”

Luffy’s breath hitched as a fresh wave of tears gave his eyes a glossy shine. Slowly, he let go of Sanji’s arm. His voice was back to being quiet as he gave up. “Okay. If you say so. Please, bring him back quickly.”

Sanji nodded. “I will.”

And then, Sanji set out. He marched through the front door, head held high and fists balled. He felt Luffy’s gaze on him through the house’s windows. Once he was out of earshot, Sanji mumbled, “Stupid bumpkin. Why’d you run off? Don’t you get it that you’re needed here?”

The jungle was lively and verdant as he trekked straight through it. Birds sang and insects buzzed. Fragrant wildflowers bloomed, opening up their colorful petals to the sun’s rays. Sunlight peeked through leafy tree branches, painting the jungle floor with dappled light. Glimpses of bright blue sky were visible when he looked up, irregular shapes in the gaps of the canopy.

But determination dulled the beauty of the jungle to Sanji’s senses. He kept moving forward - one foot after the other - as he journeyed to the far side of the jungle. Lush foliage eventually gave way to an area where the tree line thinned. The cry of seagulls filled Sanji’s ears. Salty air tickled his nose. With less vegetation to tame it, the wind grew stronger and cooler.

Sanji pushed past a particularly scraggly bush and stopped in his tracks.

He’d found him. 

Ace sat at the cliff’s edge, knees drawn up to his chest and hunched over. His arms hugged his legs. He faced the sea, unmoving even as the ocean winds blew his hair around. Like a statue, Ace was immune to his surroundings. 

“Ace?” Sanji called out. “I know you probably don’t want company right now. But I was sent to find you.” Sanji dared to take a step forward. “Please, come back to Dadan’s with me.”

Ace didn’t react.

“Ace!” Sanji tried again. He walked over to the other boy and sat down beside him. He left a few inches between them, not wanting to crowd Ace while he was in such a vulnerable state. “Come on, bumpkin. Talk to me.”

Silence. 

“I heard about Sabo’s passing,” Sanji said, putting a hand on Ace’s shoulder. Ace flinched but didn’t pull away. Sanji’s throat got tight; when he swallowed, it felt like a rock was going down his throat. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to stop it.”

At last, Ace spoke up; his voice was raspy and tired. 

“I’m the one who should’ve been there, not you,” Ace insisted. “You’re not his brother. It wasn’t your job to protect him and make him happy.”

“But I still feel guilty,” Sanji admitted, then took a somewhat shaky breath. “I know it wasn’t my ‘job’ to protect him and make him happy. But even if he wasn’t my brother, he was my friend. And I still feel shitty about not being here when I could’ve helped him.”

Ace jerked his head up and spat, “You couldn’t have saved him!” 

Sanji startled, pulling his hand off Ace’s shoulder like it burned. 

“You’re just a damn kid!” Ace continued, glaring at his knees through bloodshot eyes. “And so am I! And so is Luffy! We’re just a bunch of weak, shitty brats that wouldn’t have stood a chance against Sabo’s murderer because his killer is this whole damn country!”

“‘The whole country’?” Sanji repeated, brows furrowing. “Ace? What do you mean by that?”

“Dadan told me that it was the world that killed Sabo,” Ace explained, glaring out at the open ocean. “The bastards at the top of the world view people like us as insects. And they’ll squash us if they feel like it because they have all the power and we don’t. They’re the reason that Sabo couldn’t be free.”

Sanji’s mind blanked; thoughts replaced by the memory of a weight around his head and the cloying smell of iron in his nose. 

“Blondie?”

Sanji jolted upright as he was wrenched back to the present.

“Sorry,” Sanji said automatically. “Got lost in thought.”

Ace’s stare pierced him; his eyes scanning Sanji’s expression. “You know what it’s like to not be free, don’t you?”

Sanji gulped, averting his eyes. “Why would you say that, bumpkin?”

“You had the same faraway look on your face that Sabo would get,” Ace said. “He’d get quiet and stare at nothing. And startle like you just did whenever I said anything to him. He’d try to lie about it but I always got him to tell me what he was really thinking about.” Ace’s features hardened. “And every time, he’d tell me he was thinking about the life in High Town that he ran away from.”

Sanji curled his fingers into the fabric of his pant legs. His throat was dry and his palms were sweaty. The beat of his heart quickened and hammered against the cage of his ribs. 

It took a few shallow breaths before Sanji found his voice.

“The life of a noble sounds insufferable,” Sanji said at last. “No wonder Sabo ran away.”

“You ran away, too, didn’t you?”

Sanji looked away, blinking as his vision blurred. “I don’t want to talk about it, bumpkin.”

Ace opened his mouth to press the issue, then snapped his jaw shut. “Sorry.”

Sanji said nothing. After a few deep breaths, his heart rate had calmed. He wiped his palms on his pants, then brushed his hair away from his face. 

Glancing at Ace, Sanji said, “It’s okay. Let’s talk about something else.”

Ace nodded, then propped his chin on his knees. 

“I told Luffy that I didn’t know what killed Sabo, but I lied,” Ace admitted, narrowing his eyes at the grass at his feet. “I know who killed him. It was the World Government and everything it stands for. It takes away people’s freedom just like it took Sabo’s.”

“Why did you lie to Luffy?”

“Because Gramps is in the marines,” Ace pointed out. “I hate the marines! And I hate the World Government! But…” Ace trailed off. A few seconds later, he finished his sentence in a quieter voice. “...I don’t hate Gramps. Even if he is a shitty old man that hits us.”

Sanji’s eyes widened and he whirled his head toward Ace. “He hits you and Luffy?!”

“He says it’s for our own good but I think he’s full of crap!” Ace said. “He mainly does it when he hears us talk about being pirates. He thinks it’s a stupid idea.” Ace flung his arms out to his sides for emphasis. “But he shouldn’t hit us for it!”

Sanji nodded. “Yeah!”

“Only I’m allowed to smack Luffy for being dumb!”

Sanji’s expression became deadpan, except for the annoyed quirk in his eyebrows. “If you smack him, I’ll kick you.”

Ace rolled his eyes. “You only defend Luffy because he hasn’t pissed you off enough yet. You’ll get there. And then, I’ll laugh when he takes one of your kicks right to the face!”

Sanji rolled his eyes. “Whatever. We can argue about that another time. Right now, we have more important things to do.”

Sanji stood and dusted himself off. Then he held out his hand to Ace, palm facing up. He tried to seem confident as he held Ace’s gaze; Sanji kept his head held high and his shoulders squared.

“Come back with me, bumpkin,” Sanji said. “My old geezer and I brought dinner for you and your family. Your family is already there, so now we just need you.”

Ace looked at Sanji’s hand, up at him, and then down at the ground.

“I’ll pass,” Ace said, shifting so his back was to Sanji. “I don’t want to be around them right now.”

Sanji’s composure slipped away; faux confidence replaced with a flare of anger and hot tears that pricked the corners of his eyes. “Why not?!”

“I don’t want to say!” Ace snapped, refusing to turn around. “Go the fuck away, Sanji! Leave me alone!”

“No! I don’t accept that shitty excuse! Tell me why you won’t rejoin your family, Ace!”

Ace twisted around to face him. “Because I feel like I’m gonna scream, that’s why!”

“Your family is concerned about you, Ace!” Sanji yelled, feeling wetness slip down his face. He scrubbed the heel of his hand against his reddening cheeks. “You’re being a total shithead by hiding from them when all they want is to know that you’re okay!”

“But I’m not okay!” Ace shouted, jumping to his feet. Sanji flinched back and finally noticed the tears glistening in Ace’s eyes. “I’m so angry right now! And everything hurts! It hurts to fucking breathe!” He grabbed fistfuls of his hair and threw his head back. “And if I hear Luffy cry one more time, I’m gonna beat him up and then I’m gonna start crying, too!”

Sanji’s lips parted but no words came out. He swallowed hard and his throat stung. He rubbed his eyes with his fists to clear his blurred vision. A few soft sniffles escaped him before he managed to get his breathing back under control. 

Meanwhile, Ace was in a similar position. In the lull that followed their outbursts, Ace had used his forearm to clear his eyes of tears. Then he rubbed his nose on his shirt, not caring that he was getting snot on it. The erratic, furious beat of his heart calmed as his temper simmered.

Ace sat back down first. 

Sanji padded closer and sat down right beside him. He leaned to the side until his shoulder pressed against Ace’s. Ace said nothing; only staring out at the ever-shifting ocean’s surface. 

Sanji spoke first, softly and earnestly. “I wish you wouldn’t hide from everyone just because you feel weak right now. I can tell that’s how you’re feeling, even if you won’t tell me.” 

“I’m not supposed to be weak,” Ace mumbled. “Even before Sabo-” Ace’s voice wavered. “-died, I had to be strong. It’s the only way to survive.”

“Not everyone is blessed enough to be strong,” Sanji replied. “We all do what we can and let others do what we can’t. My…My mother told me that a long time ago, when I asked her why she was so weak.” Sanji laughed without mirth. “I was so stupid back when she was alive. I never thought of her as ‘weak’ until my-” Sanji bit his tongue, then amended, “-someone called her that. So I asked her why she was weak, and she told me what I just told you.”

“That little phrase doesn’t apply out here, Blondie,” Ace insisted, brows furrowed and mouth drawn into a deep frown. “The weak die. The strong live. If we can’t do something, then it might kill us.”

Sanji sighed and rested his cheek on Ace’s shoulder. “Ace, please listen to me. Luffy seems so lost without his brothers beside him. I know you think you need to be strong in front of him, but Luffy won’t hate you or make fun of you for being weak. Not like-” Sanji swallowed at the sudden tightness in his throat. “Not like any brothers I’ve known.”

Curiosity cut through the pain etched into Ace’s expression.

Sanji waved a hand. “That’s a story for another time.”

Ace took a breath - preparing to be stubborn and pry - but then sighed. “Okay, then. I don’t want to fight with you anymore. It…It makes me feel sick.”

Sanji’s lower lip wobbled and he bit it until the urge to cry faded. “I don’t like fighting with you, either.”

Ace shifted a little, leaning his head on Sanji’s. 

“I wish I knew what happened to him,” Ace whispered, so quietly that Sanji barely heard him. “Did Sabo go somewhere better when he died? Or did his soul just…disappear? If we even have souls.”

“What do you believe, Ace?”

Ace tried to shrug with one shoulder, the other occupied by Sanji. “I dunno. Dadan says our souls go up into the sky and look down on all the people we leave behind.”

Ace took a shaking breath and Sanji unconsciously wrapped his hand around Ace’s upper arm.

“Sometimes, I look up at the clouds and try to find someone.” Ace’s breath hitched but he forced himself to finish his admittance; a secret thought that had never left his lips until now. “But no one is ever watching over me.”

Sanji squeezed his eyes shut as his vision went blurry. Tears crept through and down his cheeks. He wound both of his arms around Ace’s arm, clinging so tightly that he heard Ace wince. Ace’s bony shoulder dug into Sanji’s cheek, but Sanji didn’t care. He stayed tense like that for a few seconds before pulling away slightly to look Ace in the eyes. 

“I don’t know where we’ll go when we die-” Sanji’s hand dropped down and found Ace’s. Ace let him lace their fingers together. “-but I have to believe that Sabo’s in a better place now.”

A sob burst from Ace’s lips and he gripped Sanji’s hand tightly. Ducking his head, Ace hid his face in the crook of Sanji’s neck. Ace pressed his cheek against Sanji’s shoulder and gave a strangled cry before the dam broke. Tears fell down his cheeks and landed on Sanji’s shirt. Sanji hesitated before curling his arms around Ace. Ace froze for half a second before he threw his arms around Sanji’s middle, holding him like he’d never let go. 

“W-We were brothers again!” Ace rambled, his voice thick with emotion. “We worked together to-to defeat the giant tiger that stole Luffy’s first kill. We were a team. We took out the tiger a-and we were brothers again.” Ace choked on a sudden sob. “But then Sabo-! He was killed by the Celestial Dragons! It’s so fucking unfair!”

Sanji swallowed hard as his lower lip wobbled. “I know, bumpkin. I know.”

A pained, high-pitched cry escaped Ace as he sobbed harder. It sounded ugly and weak but a small part of Sanji was glad to hear it; glad that Ace trusted him enough to be openly vulnerable. Sanji’s heart was split three ways: aching for the loss of Sabo, hurting at Ace and Luffy’s grief, and a little traitorously happy that Ace’s walls had finally tumbled down.

After a while, Ace’s erratic breathing calmed and his tears dried on his splotchy, reddened cheeks. With halting, awkward movements, Ace untangled himself from Sanji’s embrace. He averted his eyes as he scrubbed them with the heel of his hand.

Instead of addressing their moment, Ace admitted, “Sabo wrote me a letter before he died.”

“Oh, yeah?” Sanji laid his hand over Ace’s. “What did the letter say?”

“It was supposed to be delivered after he set out to sea,” Ace explained, the hand not covered by Sanji’s curling into a ball. “The last thing Sabo told me in his letter was to take care of Luffy.” Ace’s gaze flicked to Sanji’s, then darted away. Inhaling shakily, he yanked his hand out from under Sanji’s. Ace buried his hands in his hair and squeezed his eyes shut. “I don’t want to do it all alone! I can’t do it all alone!”

“You’re not alone!” Sanji insisted, grasping at Ace’s arms and tugging on them. “I’m here! Every time I visit, I’ll keep an eye on Luffy with you!”

Ace jerked his arms down and shook off Sanji’s touch.

“You’re only here once a month!” Ace exclaimed. “And Luffy clings to me day and night! It’s so annoying! And now it’ll be worse because Sabo isn’t here!”

“Then I’ll convince my old man to let me stay more often!” Sanji replied, clamping his hands around Ace’s forearm. Ace yanked his arm back but couldn’t break Sanji’s hold. When he stilled, Sanji’s grip softened. “Don’t push me away, bumpkin. Whatever you need, I’ll do it because you’re my friend! I…I care about you, dammit!”

Ace stared at his lap, cheeks red and teeth sunk into his lower lip. 

Silence fell over them as each waited for the other to move first.

Ace broke the trance when he sniffled and ducked his head so his bangs would hide his eyes.

“I was such an idiot!” Ace shoved the heel of his free hand into one eye and choked on a sob. “I-I thought that if Sabo wasn’t happy in High Town, th-that he could just escape and come back! He did it before! H-He could’ve done it again! But then-!”

“Don’t blame yourself, Ace,” Sanji said, one hand lacing his fingers with Ace’s. Meanwhile, the other rubbed up and down Ace’s forearm. “Your confidence in Sabo wasn’t wrong. He was really strong, just like you! But what happened to him wasn’t your fault.” Sanji bit the inside of his cheek. “I know how you feel, though. I couldn’t help Sabo, either. I think I’ll always feel a little shitty about being gone while Sabo was in danger.”

Ace nodded. “I think I’ll always feel guilty, too.”

Sanji scooted closer and Ace didn’t flinch away. 

“Sabo wouldn’t want us to stop living because of him,” Sanji pointed out gently. “My old geezer said that to me about my mom once. He caught me crying about her. He told me that she wouldn’t want me to miss her so much that I stop living my life.” 

“I don’t know if I know how to live without Sabo,” Ace said quietly. “He’s been my only friend since we were five. What do I do now?”

“Live for Luffy,” Sanji said. “Live for the Dadan Family. Live for…for me.”

Ace lifted his gaze to meet Sanji’s. Pink flushed Sanji’s cheeks, dusting over his nose and the tips of his ears. Sanji held Ace’s stare for a few seconds before looking away. 

“You’re, um, you’re right,” Ace mumbled, glancing to the side. The bridge of his nose and his ears warmed, turning pink to match Sanji’s. “Sabo’s gone, but I have others in my life. I can’t mope around forever. Sabo wouldn’t like it if I let his death bring me down.”

“We can grieve him without giving up,” Sanji agreed, giving Ace’s arm a squeeze before letting go. He got to his feet and dusted himself off. Then he stooped and reached his hand out toward Ace. “Come on, bumpkin. Let’s go back to the old hag’s place and I’ll make you some tea.”

Ace wrinkled his nose. “Tea? Tch. How would tea make me feel better?”

Sanji stood straighter and put his hands on his hips. “A good chef knows when someone needs comfort through food. That’s what my old geezer told me. And I think a cup of hot tea would help you right now.”

Ace’s brow softened and he sniffled. Looking down, he wiped his nose with the back of his forearm. “...Okay. Thanks, Blondie.”

Sanji extended his hand again and Ace took it. Once Ace was on his feet, Sanji should have let go of Ace’s hand. But for some reason, he didn’t. And Ace didn’t make a move to let go, either. Warmth bloomed beneath Sanji’s ribs, but he chalked up their linked hands to wanting to make sure Ace didn’t run during their trek back to the Dadan house. 

Ace, however, didn’t seem to be feeling the same as Sanji. His eyes were downcast, gaze unfocused and staring at nothing. His brows were pinched and his mouth angled in a frown. 

A strange boldness overtook Sanji at seeing Ace so morose. Unsure of what this feeling was, he followed it without a second thought. He leaned in until his face was an inch from Ace’s.

Ace's eyes widened at the sudden close proximity. But he didn’t flinch away. Instead, he screwed his eyes shut as if expecting a hit. 

But then he felt a kiss pressed against his cheek. 

Ace’s eyes snapped open and heat flooded his face. His heart beat faster and harder. Static filled his head and he moved on autopilot as Sanji - as pink in the face as Ace was - led him away from the cliff’s edge. 

By the time Sanji and Ace returned to the Dadan residence, dinner time had come and gone. Bandits lounged in the corners of the main room, curled up or spread out with full bellies and content smiles. At first glance, it seemed only Dadan and Zeff remained at the fire pit. But when the pair approached the fire, they noticed Luffy - sound asleep with a bloated belly and his head perched on Dadan’s knee. 

“I see nothin’ ate ya while you were out,” Dadan remarked, flicking ash off the end of her cigarette. “Good. Now sit down and eat. You must’ve dragged your feet because you missed dinner entirely! Be grateful that Zeff brought enough for you two or you’d be eating scraps!”

“Shut up, you worthless old bag,” Ace grumbled, pulling his hand free from Sanji’s. He plopped down beside Luffy, crossed his legs, and slumped forward. “I’m not in the mood to listen to you nag.”

“Be nicer to your foster mom, Ace,” Sanji chided. “She may be a hag, but she’s still a lady!”

Ace scoffed, Zeff sighed, and Dadan barked a laugh. 

The sound startled Luffy awake, who looked around frantically. “What happened?! What’d I miss?!”

Luffy whipped his head to the side and realized Ace had returned. 

“Ace! You’re back!” Luffy shouted. Ace braced himself a split-second before Luffy flung himself on top of him. Ace managed to stay in a sitting position, but at the cost of having Luffy’s arms and legs stretch around him like a snake. “Don’t ever leave again! I missed you so much! I was scared something would happen to you while you were gone!”

Luffy’s admission shifted the mood around the fire pit. 

Dadan’s laughter dissipated and she tossed her used-up cigarette into the fire. She looked right at Sanji and said, “You’re a funny little brat, y’know that? Callin’ me a ‘lady’! Ha! I’m a woman but I ain’t no ‘lady!’ I’m tough as nails and willing to slit your throat whenever I feel like it! I’m a bandit, not a young damsel!”

Ace snorted. “You’re also a coward who acts tougher than she is.”

Dadan leaned over and rapped Ace on the head. “Quiet! Just shut up and eat your damn dinner!”

“How can I eat with this parasite on me?!” Ace exclaimed, wriggling in Luffy’s grasp. “Dammit, Luffy! Let me go! You’re smothering me!”

Luffy remained wrapped around Ace until he felt Sanji’s hand on his back.

“C’mon Luffy, let Ace go so he can eat dinner,” Sanji cooed. “You don’t have to go far. Maybe just sit next to him?”

“O-Okay.” Luffy sniffled and untangled his limbs from Ace. He curled up by Ace’s side, stretching his arms around Ace’s waist in a loose enough grip that it wouldn’t be restricting. “I’m staying like this so Ace won’t run away again.”

Ace rolled his eyes. “Whatever. At least now I can eat.”

Sanji turned to the fire pit and paused when Zeff caught his eye. Zeff nodded, an approving glint in his eyes. Sanji returned the nod, pride swelling in his chest and spurring him into action. 

Sanji found a spare mug and grabbed the teapot from the fire. It was still warm, but not scalding due to the fire dimming while Ace and Sanji were out. Zeff had kept it burning in Sanji’s absence. The latter got to work stoking the fire back to life.

A few minutes later, the room began to fill with the sound of bubbling water and the rich smell of tea leaves. When the tea was ready, Sanji poured it with care. He added the ingredients, paused to consider the flavor palette, then tossed in a couple of last-minute additions. Then Sanji held out the mug - one a bit too big for his small hands - and waited for Ace to take it. 

Soft, light steam drifted from the lip of the mug. Ace accepted it - his heart skipping a beat when their fingers touched - and then looked down. Inside was a light brown liquid with speckles of dark spots. An aromatic scent filled his nose, warming his sinuses that were made sore from crying. 

“What is it, Blondie?” Ace asked. “It smells good.”

“It’s chai,” Sanji explained, his fingers fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. Pink dusted his cheeks, barely visible in the light from the fire pit. “It’s a black tea with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and ginger. I put some milk in it but I got worried it’d be too plain, so I added black peppercorns to give it a kick. I know you like spicy food, so I um, I thought it’d be a good choice for you.”

Warmth spread over Ace’s cheeks and nose; a sensation that had nothing to do with the hot mug of tea in his hands. 

“Th-Thanks,” Ace stammered. He kept his eyes on his tea as he blew on it. Once it cooled a little, he took a sip. Rich notes of flavor exploded over his tongue, ending in a sharp kick of pepper. Ace’s eyes widened and a smile broke out on his face. “Wow! That’s great!”

Sanji tucked a strand of blond hair behind his ear, smiling softly. “Thanks, bumpkin. I’ve never made this type of drink before. I’m glad you like it!”

Ace held Sanji’s gaze, his usually stern expression softening. Sanji glanced away but then flicked his eyes forward again, unwilling to look away for long. His chest felt fuzzy and his head felt light as he kept staring into Ace’s eyes. Idly, Sanji noticed that Ace looked much nicer when he wasn’t scowling. 

Someone clearing their throat caught their attention.

Zeff had been the one to interrupt the moment.

Embarrassment deepened the color on Sanji’s cheeks and he snapped, “What the hell are you starin’ at, geezer?!”

The pride in Zeff’s eyes was gone. In its place was icy disapproval. However, his glare wasn’t pinned on Sanji. 

Zeff was glowering at Ace.

Sanji took note of this strange turn of events and stepped in front of Ace, blocking him from Zeff’s view. “Stop looking at him like that, old man! How can Ace eat with you staring at him like you’re gonna gut him?! Let him have his dinner in peace!”

Zeff shook his head. “Never you mind, shitty brat! Just do me a favor and stop growing up so fast! You’re givin’ me gray hairs, eggplant!”

“Your hair’s already gray, you ancient bastard!” Sanji shot back. “Now leave my friend alone!”

Dadan guffawed. “Who’d have thunk it? The two of ‘em beat the shit outta each other the day they met. And now look at them!”

Zeff harrumphed and got up. He dusted himself off and straightened his hat. “Patty, Carne, and I are gonna sleep at an inn tonight. The brat can sleep wherever he wants. No offense, Dadan, but I’d rather go into town than stay here.”

“None taken.” Dadan shrugged her shoulders. “While you’re in town, you should stop for a drink at Miss Makino’s bar.” Dadan’s lips split into a knowing grin. “You look like you could use one right about now!”

Luffy lifted his head to Ace’s ear and whispered, “What are they talking about?”

“I dunno,” Ace whispered back, peering around Sanji and keeping his eyes on Zeff like a cornered animal. “But I don’t think that geezer Zeff likes me anymore.”

“If he’s mean to you, I’ll beat him up!” Luffy promised.

“I can defend myself!” Ace hissed, then added, “Besides, I don’t think Sanji would like that very much. That’s his old man, y’know?”

Luffy slouched, pressing his cheek into Ace’s shoulder. “Oh. Right.”

“Goodnight, Dadan,” Zeff said, nodding at her. When he looked over at Sanji, he asked, “You stayin’, brat?” 

“Yes, I am!” Sanji replied, still standing in front of Ace. “Got a problem with that, old man?”

Zeff scoffed. “Not at all! Sleep well, eggplant. If you stay up too late and can’t work tomorrow when we get back to Baratie, I’ll kick your ass and then make you peel potatoes!”

“Whatever! Just go away already, geezer!” Sanji complained, putting his fists on his hips. “I can handle myself!”

Zeff’s smile was back, though his mustache hid most of it. He shook his head, then called for Patty and Carne to follow him. Patty and Carne obeyed and cast Sanji a quick goodnight before they filed out the door. 

Sanji huffed and sat down beside Ace, crossing his legs and leaning back on his palms. “I don’t know why that geezer got so grouchy all of a sudden. He’s so weird like that; getting all pissy for no reason and then telling me dumb stuff like not to grow up so fast. What’s he even mean by that?! I ain’t no little kid that needs looking after!”

Ace shrugged. “Adults are weird.”

“This adult can hear you, y’know?” Dadan interjected. “Bah! Kids these days are so disrespectful! I can’t believe Garp doesn’t tell his grandsons to respect me more!”

“He doesn’t even pay you to look after us,” Ace said, raising an eyebrow. “Why the hell would he ask us to respect you?”

Dadan’s expression soured and she grabbed a bottle of wine out of the nearest basket. She glanced down at it, sighed, then mumbled, “It ain’t sake, but it’ll do.”

Ace rolled his eyes. “Getting drunk again?”

“Hush! I’m off to bed, brats,” Dadan announced, groaning as she got to her feet. “Don’t stay up too late. Or do. I don’t care.”

She turned on her heel and disappeared into one of the back rooms, taking the bottle of wine with her. 

Dogra yawned. “Looks like it’s time to sleep for me, too?”

Magra and Dogra bid the boys a restful night before pulling their sleeping rolls out of some wooden chests. The other bandits in the family copied them. They adjusted their sleeping spots to make room for Ace, Sanji, and Luffy, who still lingered at the fire pit. Luffy fell asleep soon after the bandits began to snore; Luffy added his own loud snoring to the din. 

Sanji and Ace remained awake but no conversation broke out to fill the silence between them. 

Not until an hour or so later.

Ace spoke first, keeping his voice low. “Hey, Blondie.”

“Hi, bumpkin,” Sanji whispered. “What’s on your mind?”

“Just wanted to wait until I was sure everyone was asleep,” Ace said, glancing over his shoulders. When he was satisfied that no one else was awake, he turned back to Sanji. “Damn bandits are nosy. I didn’t want them to listen in on us.”

“Does that mean you got something to tell me?” Sanji guessed, sitting forward. “Go on, bumpkin. I’m listening!”

“I dunno,” Ace said, rubbing the nape of his neck. “Are you sure you don’t mind hearing my burdens? I don’t want to saddle you with my issues.”

Sanji shook his head. “You don’t need to spare me. I can handle it! I want to hear about what’s bothering you.”

Pink cropped up on Ace’s cheeks as his hand fell to his lap. “Well, okay then…”

Ace took a deep breath and exhaled through his nose. His gaze shifted to the fire and his fingers curled into the fabric of his pants. A wrinkle appeared between his brows as his expression sobered. 

“You remember how Sabo’s parents are nobles, right? Well, they finally found him, even though we tried so hard not to get caught.” Ace swallowed, then admitted, “After Sabo got taken away, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what was best for him; whether he’d be happier with us or living in comfort in High Town.” Ace clenched his hands until his knuckles turned white. “We’re his brothers but we live at the bottom of everything. We have no money. We have no status. We have no fancy clothes. We can’t even go to school!”

“But we’re important to him,” Sanji pointed out, then awkwardly amended, “Or, um, we were important to him. He gave up all the comforts of nobility for us. That means something.”

“But the life of a noble would’ve given him more than we ever could!” Ace argued. “All the money, clothes, and food he could ever want.”

“All the luxury in the world isn’t worth a damn thing if you’re all alone,” Sanji said, putting a hand on Ace’s shoulder. “Please, trust me on this.”

Ace held Sanji’s gaze for a few seconds, then sighed through his nose. “Okay. I’ll try. I want to see things that way. I want to believe that despite how dirt poor we are, we were better for Sabo; better than the life he had in High Town.”

Sanji squeezed Ace’s shoulder. “Thanks, bumpkin.”

Ace gave him a weak half-smile that fell a second later. “Yeah, sure.”

A second stretched into two, and then a long minute passed without a word shared between them.

Suddenly nervous, Sanji gulped and withdrew his hand from Ace. “Can…Can I read Sabo’s letter?”

“No!” Ace exclaimed, slapping a hand over his mouth at how loud he just was. Tension seized them as they anticipated a reaction from Dadan or the bandits. But a few seconds passed without retaliation, and they all relaxed. Ace let his hand fall but his expression remained resolute. In a whispered voice, he said, “No, Blondie. It’s a private letter. Sabo only intended for me to read it.”

“But-!” Sanji protested in the same low volume. “That isn’t fair!”

“Too bad!” Ace replied. “You ain’t reading that letter, and that’s final!”

“What?!” Sanji shifted and kicked his toes into Ace’s thigh. Ace grit his teeth to hide his grunt of pain. Sanji ignored the noise and continued, “Why are you being so damn stubborn about this, Ace?! Sabo was my friend! I should be able to read his last letter!”

“No!” Ace shot back. “I already told you that Sabo meant that letter only for me!”

Sanji’s breath hitched and he jerked his head away to hide the angry tears budding in his eyes. Sanji grit his teeth as the first tear fell. He scrubbed his eyes with his knuckles but the tears wouldn’t stop coming. Turning his back fully to Ace, Sanji kept his mouth sealed shut against the sobs that rose in his throat. 

What felt like an eternity later, Sanji’s tears dried up. His eyelids were sore and the tip of his nose was red. But no more tears came. 

When Sanji shifted to look at Ace through his peripheral vision, he nearly burst into tears again.

Ace’s eyes were bloodshot; the red veins in his sclera were visible even in the fire’s glow. His cheeks were blotchy with pink patches. The end of his nose was red and leaking snot. A deep furrow was etched between his brows.

Ace had been crying while Sanji’s back was turned. 

Sanji scooted closer and lifted a hand. His fingertips brushed Ace’s cheek, grazing over the damp tear tracks. Ace sniffled and clamped a hand around Sanji’s wrist. 

Ace’s voice was hoarse as he whispered, “Yeah, I was crying. So what?! It doesn’t make me a crybaby like Luffy!”

“I didn’t say anything,” Sanji objected in a quiet voice. 

Ace’s head lowered until his bangs hid his eyes. He released Sanji’s wrist and muttered, “I know. I’m…sorry.”

“Me, too.”

“I feel sick,” Ace mumbled as he placed his hand over his belly. “I made you cry and now I feel like shit.”

Sanji nodded, pulling his hand back slowly. “We’re supposed to be friends. Arguing and hurting each other is gonna make us feel shitty. I know I feel bad right now.”

“Let’s just get some sleep,” Ace said tiredly. “Sabo used to say that bad things always seemed better in the morning.”

“Right.”

A loud snore rattled the room, startling both of them back into the present. 

Ace wrinkled his nose and shoved himself to his feet. “It’s too damn noisy here to sleep! Let’s go back to our room.”

Sanji and Ace carried Luffy - who hadn’t stirred at all since he first fell asleep - back to the room that they shared. It belonged to Ace, Luffy, and Sabo. Sanji had only slept in there a handful of times before the boys moved to their treehouse hideout. Sanji hadn’t been back since before he got Dadan’s letter about Sabo.

The room was colder than he remembered. The wooden floor looked unwelcoming despite the sleeping mats unrolled on top of it. The walls were barren of anything personal; in other words, empty save for the planks leaning against them or the stacked supply boxes piled in front of them. 

Ace and Sanji laid Luffy down on his bed roll. Luffy snored softly as Ace pulled the blanket over him. Luffy kicked in his sleep but didn’t wake.

Then Ace was crossing to his sleeping spot. Without a word, he slid under his blanket and curled up into a ball. 

With a heavy sensation in his gut, Sanji laid down beside Ace and put his back to Ace’s. After a few minutes, Ace’s breathing evened out; he had fallen asleep. But Sanji stayed awake. 

When a shiver trembled through Ace’s body, Sanji’s heart twinged. Thinking of grabbing a blanket to cover Ace, Sanji sat up and glanced around the room until his eyes settled on a nearby chest. Deciding to look inside, Sanji’s feet carried him across the floor until he knelt in front of it. 

The lock on the chest clicked softly as he pushed the lid open. Sanji’s eyes scanned the contents until they landed on an envelope and a piece of paper folded on top of it. A tight feeling gripped his throat and his stomach twisted. 

It was Sabo’s letter.

Swallowing around the lump in his throat, Sanji looked over his shoulder.

Ace still slept, curled in a ball and oblivious.

Facing forward, Sanji returned his gaze to the letter.

His hand moved before he could stop himself. The crisp paper rustled as he pulled the letter out of concealment. Unfolding its carefully bent sections, Sanji held the letter between his fingers like glass. 

As soon as his eyes landed on the first word, any self-control vanished; he became engrossed in the letter, leaving the rest of the world to fall away. 

Ace, Luffy,

I hope you guys weren’t hurt in the fire. I’m worrying about you both but I believe you’re okay. I’m sorry to say it, guys, but when you get this letter, I’ll already be out on the sea.

I’m not staying in High Town any longer. Things happened and I decided to set out to sea before you. My destination will be anywhere but here. 

I’m gonna become stronger and become a pirate! The three of us have to become the freest pirates ever! One day, let’s meet up again somewhere. Somewhere on the wide-open sea! Maybe Baratie? We can steal Sanji and take him to sea with us! Someday, we’ll definitely be together again! 

By the way, Ace, which one of us do you think is the bigger brother? Two big brothers, one little brother, and a best friend we only see on occasion. It’s odd, but my brotherhood with you two and our friendship with Sanji is my treasure. 

Luffy is still a weak crybaby but he is our little brother, so please take good care of him!

Your brother,

Sabo

Sanji’s chest hurt as a sudden sob caught in his throat. He sniffled, blinking away his tears so they wouldn’t fall onto the letter. The tears persisted, so one hand released the letter so he could scrub his eyes. When his vision cleared, his gaze flicked down to the additional words written at the bottom. 

P.S. Ace, don’t be proud. Let your heart tell you what you want. That’s corny, I know. But if we want to be truly free, we can’t live with regrets. Never let Blondie go, okay?

Sanji’s brow furrowed and without making a sound, he mouthed the words, ‘Let me go?’

Before he could come up with an answer, a hand shot out in front of his face.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Ace shouted, wrenching the letter from Sanji’s grasp. Sanji winced at the paper cuts that blossomed on his fingers. Ace was blinded to the minor wound; too furious to do anything but yell. “I told you not to read it! I didn’t want you to read it! Why did you do it anyway?!”

“I - I don’t-!” Sanji rambled, throwing his hands up defensively. “I don’t know! I know I shouldn’t have b-but I just couldn’t help it! I wanted to know what Sabo wrote to you!” Sanji narrowed his eyes and his brow pinched. “Is that so damn bad?!”

“Yes!” Ace shouted, trembling. “It’s bad because he - he talked about-! You had no right to know-!” 

Ace grit his teeth with a sharp inhale. His hands balled into shaking fists. When he breathed through clenched teeth, the sound was shaky. 

Sanji swallowed, feeling a hard lump in his throat. His heart beat a fast, rough rhythm in his chest. In a quiet voice, he asked, “You’re upset because I read what Sabo wrote about your feelings for me, aren’t you?”

Ace didn’t answer, but the hitch in his breath and the strained sob confirmed Sanji’s suspicions. 

“Sabo was just trying to be a good brother,” Sanji said, averting his gaze to his shoes. His mouth went dry while his fingers fiddled with the fabric of his shirt. “He knows that being a-around me makes you happy. S-So he didn’t want you to give that up.” Sanji swallowed and his eyes stung. “I-I don’t know why I make you happy, b-but you can’t be mad at Sabo for what he said in the letter!”

“I know!” Ace interrupted. “I want to be mad at him but I - I just can’t because he was only speaking the truth!”

“Then who are you mad at, Ace?”

“I’m mad at myself!” Ace blurted, clutching the sides of his head and squeezing his eyes shut. “Even before he wrote that letter, I got so angry at him for stupid reasons! And I hate myself for that! Sabo didn’t do anything wrong!”

Ace sank to his knees, hanging his head low as he doubled over. 

“And yet, whenever he got too close to you or held your hand or helped you, I would get so pissed!” Ace cried. “ And I don’t know why! All I know is that I was being a piece of shit about it and now Sabo’s fucking dead!”

Sanji’s stomach clenched and churned; he felt sick at hearing Ace talk like that. His lower lip trembled and he bit the inside of it in an effort to make it stop. He tried to breathe but every inhale was heavy and took a colossal effort to keep steady.

“Sabo…wouldn’t hate you for how you acted,” Sanji said, kneeling beside Ace. He hesitated before laying a hand on Ace’s upper back. “You get that, right?”

Ace wrapped his arms around his middle, hugging himself as he sank even lower until his forehead touched the floor. “I don’t know anymore!”

Blinking against blurring vision, Sanji sniffled. “Sabo would hate this. Seeing you beat yourself up, I mean. He’d feel so shitty if he saw you now.”

A sob wrenched from Ace’s throat and he whimpered, “I know.”

“It feels cruel to remind you, but I don’t have any other ideas,” Sanji admitted, rubbing his eyes to clear them. “You can’t wallow in the past, Ace. If you do, you’ll never really be living. And then what was your promise to become pirates even for?”

Ace wept harder, bringing his arms up to curl protectively around his head. His whole body shook with every pained sob. Sanji’s chest tightened so much at the sight that he could scarcely breathe. 

Unsure of what to do, Sanji simply laid a hand over Ace’s back and rubbed circles into his shoulder blades. The gesture quieted Ace’s cries. His body slowly stopped trembling. Eventually, Ace unfurled his arms from around his head and sat up with a grunt. 

“Thanks,” Ace mumbled, his voice thick and rough. 

“Mm-hm.” Sanji nodded, and then a yawn hit him. Realizing how tired he was, he stood and extended both hands to Ace. “C’mon, bumpkin. Today was a lot to go through. We should sleep.”

Ace’s gaze lingered on Sanji’s hands before he took them. 

With a soft grunt, Sanji hoisted Ace to his feet. 

Once Ace was standing, Sanji could have let go. 

But he didn’t.

The drowsiness that caused Sanji to yawn earlier disappeared as his pulse quickened. Heat rose to color his cheeks pink. He wasn’t sure why, but without thinking, he blurted, “Ace, do you…like me? I mean, do you have a…a crush on me?”

Ace jerked his hands free from Sanji’s and shrugged. Then he crossed his arms while avoiding Sanji’s eyes. “I dunno. I just like being around you, that’s all. How the hell should I know what I’m feeling?”

“That’s kind of a relief, actually,” Sanji admitted, a smile flashing across his face. “I like being around you, too. But I don’t know what to call it yet.”

Ace scratched the back of his head, daring to lift his eyes to Sanji’s. “So…we’re in the same boat?”

Sanji nodded. “It looks like it, bumpkin.”

“Oh. So…nothing has to change right now?”

Sanji shook his head. “Nope.”

Ace cleared his throat. “Well, that settles that then! Anyway, I don’t think now is a good time to unpack uh, whatever is going on with us. Now that Sabo’s gone, I gotta step up and look after Luffy. It’s what Sabo wanted me to do. If I can’t do that, then how can I ever look Luffy in the eye?”

Behind them, a small voice asked, “Ace?”

Ace and Sanji jerked toward Luffy, who was sitting up with his blanket pulled to his chest. His eyes were wide with uncertainty. There was a wrinkle in his brows as they tilted upward.

“Luffy, you’re awake?” Ace remarked, his face flushing crimson. “How much did you hear?”

“When you shouted at Sanji for reading Sabo’s letter, I woke up,” Luffy explained, his shoulders falling. “I stayed quiet because you sounded really mad. But I-I never realized-!” Luffy sniffled, then rubbed his eyes as his breath hitched. Tears slipped down his cheeks. “Ace, please don’t hate yourself! I don’t want you to!”

“You weren’t supposed to hear that!” Ace shouted, his temper flaring. “Dammit, Luffy! You even heard me cry, didn’t you?!” Ace scrubbed his eyes as frustrated tears appeared. “Fuck! Why’d you have to wake up in time to listen in?!”

Sanji’s hands clasped Ace’s upper arm and Ace faltered. 

“Ace, don’t get upset again!” Sanji said, his blue eyes round with a pleading look. “Please, just let it go! He didn’t mean to overhear. Besides, Luffy’s already crying at what he heard. What good would it do to make him cry some more?”

Ace locked eyes with Sanji, After a few seconds, he sighed and looked away. Shaking off Sanji’s hand, Ace muttered, “Whatever. You’re right. Getting pissed is pointless; the damage is done.”

“Ace,” Luffy sobbed quietly, his little body shaking with each stuttering intake of breath. “Why would you say that about yourself?”

“Luffy…” Ace’s sentence trailed off. Guilt weighed down his shoulders and turned his mouth into a frown. “Sorry you had to hear me say that I…I hate myself.”

Luffy swiped his eyes clear and asked, “Why do you hate yourself, Ace?”

Ace huffed, crossing his arms. “I’m not getting into that tonight. Or ever.”

“But Ace-!” Luffy began, then hushed when Sanji darted over to his side. 

Sanji knelt beside Luffy and put a hand on his shoulder. “Forget about it, Luffy. At least, for tonight. If Ace ever feels ready to talk, he’ll come to you.”

Ace snorted and glared off to the side. “Fat chance.”

Sanji rolled his eyes. “Go back to bed, Luffy. We were just about to go to bed, too. It’s been a shitty day for all of us.”

Luffy’s sad, round eyes shifted to Ace. “Ace, promise you won’t say you hate yourself ever again. Please?”

Ace’s mouth thinned into a line and he sniffed. “...Fine. Whatever. You shouldn’t have heard me being weak, anyway-”

“Promise me!” Luffy shrieked, startling both Ace and Sanji. Luffy’s despondent expression had become hard and determined. “Promise you won’t say you hate yourself again! You’re my friend and brother, Ace! I don’t hate you! Blondie doesn’t hate you! And neither does our old hag or the other bandits! Neither does Gramps or Makino! And Sabo definitely didn’t hate you!” Luffy caught his breath and finished, “So you shouldn’t hate you, either!”

Ace stood there, rooted to the spot with his eyes wide and his hands hanging limply at his sides. “Luffy…”

“I mean it, Ace!” Luffy insisted, clutching the blanket until his knuckles turned white. “Say it!”

Blinking, Ace’s expression pinched and he frowned. “Why you little brat! You can’t just demand-!”

“Say it!” Luffy shouted. 

Ace huffed and threw his hands in the air. “Fine! I-I won’t-!”

He cut himself off and swallowed hard. Jerking his head down, he glared at the floor. His hands became fists and fell to his sides. 

“I won’t say I hate myself anymore!” Ace forced out. Snapping his head up, he pinned his gaze on Luffy. “There! Are you happy, you damn brat?! I said it!”

“Yes!” Luffy replied as if it were obvious. “Of course, that makes me happy!”

“Simmer down, you shitheads!” Sanji said. “In case you forgot, everyone else is trying to get some damn sleep in this house!” 

Ace lowered his voice to a defensive whisper-shout. “Luffy was the one that wouldn’t let up until I did what he wanted!”

“I know, I know!” Sanji sighed and shook his head. “Luffy always seems to get what he wants in the end, huh?”

“Tell me about it,” Ace grumbled.

“By the way, Ace, I heard Blondie ask about your crush on him,” Luffy admitted, then tilted his head. “Or I guess it’s not a crush since you don’t know what it is?”

Ace’s eyes widened like he’d been hit, and then his pupils shrank and his brows angled downward. “The fuck did you just-?!”

“Why would you bring that up without warning?!” Sanji asked, face bright red and hands curling into claws. “It’s none of your damn business, you nosey son-of-a-!”

“Well, anyway-” Luffy continued as if he hadn’t been interrupted. “-I overheard that and I think you guys are both being stupid.”

“Excuse you?!” Sanji snapped at the same time that Ace shouted, “Say what?!”

Luffy shrugged. “You can’t see it?”

Ace cracked his knuckles. “Enlighten me.”

“Yeah, you can’t just say something like that and then not explain it!” Sanji added, putting his hands on his hips. “That’s how you get an ass-kickin’!”

“Well, we’re gonna be pirates, right?” Luffy said. “Then we have to live freely! Ace, you and Blondie can be whatever the hell you want to be. You don’t have to know right away! You’re just thinking about it too much!”

Ace scoffed. “Said the guy who doesn’t think at all!”

Luffy frowned. “Don’t be an ass! I’m only pointing out the obvious! It’s not my fault if you can’t see it!”

Sanji’s expression smoothed as his temper cooled. A light blush still glowed on his cheeks and he looked off to the side as he mumbled, “Um, actually-”

Ace whipped toward Sanji, confusion on his face. “Don’t tell me you agree with him?!” 

“Shut up! Maybe I do?! I’m allowed to do that!” Sanji shot back, then heaved a sigh. “Look, I know you don’t wanna hear this, but Luffy’s right.” Sanji reached up and tugged on a lock of his hair. The pink on his cheeks turned darker and his gaze wouldn’t reach Ace’s. “What if we are overthinking it? No one is forcing us to act on anything. We can just…see where we go from here.” 

Ace stayed still, tension locking his muscles as he stared at Sanji. His expression was unreadable; a rush of too many emotions for one to take hold and reveal itself. Ace swallowed, throat dry and hands clammy. His head hurt. His chest hurt. His palms hurt from digging his fingernails in too deep. 

At last, Ace looked away. He nodded, unclenching his hands and glancing down at the angry red crescents in his skin. He took a long breath through the nose, then sighed. “I…guess we’ll figure it out eventually, right?”

Sanji pulled on his hair and stared at his feet. “Right.”

Luffy’s demanding voice yanked them back to the present. “Oh, and if you two end up ‘like-liking’ each other, then don’t smooch in front of me! I think it’s icky!”

Sanji and Ace’s blushes spread to cover them from hairline to chin. 

Glaring at Luffy, they both shouted, “Don’t be an idiot!”

“You’re getting a little ahead of the situation, don’t ya think?!” Sanji exclaimed, covering his face with his hands. “Ugh, you really do just say whatever comes to mind, huh?!”

“That’s it! I’m going to bed!” Ace snapped, plopping down and hauling his blanket over his head. “Don’t bother me ‘til morning!”

“Same here!” Sanji added, huffing as he crawled onto his bed roll. “Goodnight, you bastards!”

Luffy whined, jerking his head from Sanji to Ace and back. “B-But-! I’m still sad about earlier when Ace talked bad about himself! I wanted to cuddle!”

Silence.

The quiet stretched on for a few agonizing minutes.

And then Ace and Sanji were tackling Luffy.

“Satisfied now, you stupid idiot?” Ace said, throwing an arm over Luffy’s middle. 

Luffy giggled. “Yes!” 

Sanji curled up on Luffy’s other side and copied Ace; slinging an arm over Luffy’s midsection.

With a tone of finality, Ace said, “Now go the fuck to sleep!”

“Okay!” Luffy said, shutting his eyes and immediately beginning to snore.

Sanji snorted, breaking into a smile despite his exasperation. “He’s such an idiot.”

“Yeah, but somehow I gotta keep this idiot alive,” Ace mumbled. Worry returned to his features, weighing down his brow and the corners of his mouth. “It was hard enough when Sabo was here.”

Sanji’s smile faltered. The arm around Luffy moved down until his hand touched Ace’s forearm. “I’ll be here whenever I can. As much as I wish I could be, I won’t be here all the time. But when I am, you can count on me.”

A small smile curled on Ace’s lips. “Thanks.”

Sanji nodded, then yawned. “Can we please go to sleep now?”

Ace chuckled quietly. “Goodnight, Blondie.”

“Goodnight, bumpkin.”