Archive of Our Own

Things like this made Sabo anxious.

Anything that had to do with being in the same room as his father made him want to run away again. Just thinking about the man made his heart start pounding as his palms went clammy in panic, but in his current situation it was unavoidable.

The doctors and psychiatrists all agreed it would be beneficial for his physical and mental health to look into service animals specially trained to pick up on his specific disabilities; but that kind of thing wasn't cheap.

Outlook had to pay for the animal, which meant he had to be there to sign the check and to "supervise" Sabo. Whether Sabo liked it or not, he was still underage, and Outlook was still his biological father and legal guardian.

He may have allowed Sabo to leave home and stay with Luffy at his house, but anything that had to do with his medical health needed to be overseen by a blood relative.

Sabo thought that was complete bullshit, especially considering the kind of abusive shit-stain Outlook was, but there was no alternative. When Sabo had left that house for good, it was under a strict compromise.

Sabo wasn’t allowed to do anything that could potentially sour the public’s view of the family, which meant his parents still got to decide where Sabo went to school, right down to the University he attended after graduation, and even required him to occasionally make public appearances to keep up the guise that the Outlook family still had two very wonderful sons.

It was an abuse tactic, Outlook leering down at Sabo and saying without words “you can’t escape”. Even when he was out of that house and away from the abuse, it still hung over his head like city smog.

Sabo took a shaky breath in, instinctively reaching out with his right hand to grab onto the sleeve of the man standing at his side. His presence was extremely comforting — somehow the material of the shirt against his fingers was grounding — and he was able to breathe a little easier.

Dragon had insisted on driving Sabo, which was an enormous relief. Outlook was famously terrified of the man, so he wouldn't try anything while he was around.

Ace had wanted to come along too, for support, but Sabo had rejected the idea. Dragon may have been able to stand there stoically while Outlook flaunted himself, but Ace didn't have the same self control. He would have done something and gotten them all kicked out, and Sabo would've had to say goodbye to getting an actual animal to help him.

He was excited about it — he liked dogs and had always wanted one — but could only focus so much with his abuser so closeby. Even with Dragon between them, it was difficult.

Sabo could feel his blood pressure rising and his palms getting sweaty as he wiped them on the thighs of his jeans before returning his hand to cling to the elbow of Dragon’s sleeve. He kept glancing across the room to make sure Outlook hadn't moved any closer. Luckily he hadn’t done much more than pace along the wall near the receptionist’s desk.

His left hand was propped on his hip, a black cane hanging by the hook around his left wrist. His right hand was holding a gaudy solid gold pocket watch that he kept flipping open; as if he was late to something important.

The secretary at the desk kept casting him an annoyed look whenever he had his back to her, but would offer Sabo a pleasant smile when their eyes met.

Honestly they weren't even late. The only reason this was taking so long was because Outlook had made a scene when Sabo's therapist had explained he would need to sign paperwork in order to clear Sabo to have a service animal. Sabo was barely a teen and Outlook was his legal guardian, therefore required to oversee anything to do with Sabo's medical situation. That was just how it was.

Making a big deal out of it, acting as if it was such a hassle, simply proved to make Sabo feel even worse about the fact he needed this; and he did need this.

With his seizures, panic attacks, black outs, nightmares and physical disabilities, he needed the aid of a service animal. So having his father moan and whine about it being such an annoyance made Sabo nauseous with guilt. He wanted to apologize, even though he knew he didn't have any reason to.

Another abuse tactic, he reminded himself. It'll be over soon.

The door opened moments later and Sabo looked up as his therapist came back into the room.

He smiled brightly when their eyes met. "Sorry for the wait —"

"You should be!" Outlook bellowed, and Sabo winced. "I've been waiting here for over an hour!"

"So how is this gonna go?" Dragon asked, completely ignoring the outburst.

The therapist also wisely ignored Outlook, already knowing everything about him from Sabo and knowing Dragon from all the times he'd driven Sabo to their appointments. "We have three available candidates at the moment who have been specifically trained for seizure disorders and PTSD like what Mr. Outlook has. At this point we let the patient choose what animal he gets along with best."

Sabo felt bewildered at that. "I get to choose?"

"It will be your service dog," the therapist said. "The trainer and I chose these three because they have all previously undergone training to aid patients with your set of disabilities, but acclimating it to you will take time. The training requires up to an hour a day to ensure the animal can help you with your needs. After choosing your animal, you're required to return here every day for the next thirty days as a trial period. While you're here you'll undergo supervised training as the dog adjusts to you. Is that alright?"

Sabo nodded firmly, and his psychiatrist waved him closer. "Come meet them, then. These dogs in particular have trained for two years before now. They're excellent choices."

Dragon moved a hand to Sabo's back to lead him forward, urging him to follow his therapist back out the door and into the yard. Dragon stayed glued to Sabo as they passed Outlook, who tensed noticeably before the hard soles of his dress shoes clicked against the tiled floor to show he was following at the very back.

He made a noise of disgust when they walked into the grass in the yard beyond the door. Sabo barely heard him.

He was too focused on the woman in the middle of the yard, the trainer he presumed, who had three dogs with her. A Golden Retriever, a German Shepherd, and a Black Labrador.

Sabo's steps faltered once he was close enough and Dragon squeezed his shoulder to keep him from tripping over his own feet. His eyes slowly swept over the animals, apprehensive and excited at the same time.

Two of the three animals kept looking eagerly between him and their trainer, tails waving and feet tapping the grass. The third dog on the far left, the retriever, wasn’t moving from her sitting position. She’d turn her head to acknowledge the Shepherd when he knocked his nose against her cheek, but otherwise she kept her eyes forward diligently, watching Sabo as if she knew exactly who he was. Sabo in turn kept his eyes on her as the trainer and his psychiatrist spoke.

They must have been introducing the animals by name and explaining where they were from, the important qualifications they each had and why they would be a good fit for him, but Sabo could barely hear them. Which was odd, because the two adults were standing in front of him and to the right, and he wasn’t deaf in that ear.

"So what do you think, Mister Outlook?" The trainer asked, waving her hand at the three dogs.

Sabo pointed at the Golden Retriever immediately — her ears lifted in acknowledgement. "Is… her face, can she… see?"

"Hm? Oh!" The trainer reached down to scratch the retriever between her ears. "Oh she's fine! This patch here.” she motioned to the alarming patch of black fur over the dog’s left eye; it almost looked like a spill of black paint that had stained the otherwise honey gold shade of fur. “This is actually completely natural. It's a rare somatic mutation that happens when puppies are still a fetus. It doesn't affect her health and she can see just fine."

Sabo dropped his hand, nodding slowly. His lips squirmed a little in a small smile as the retriever tilted her head. "She's prett —"

"Ugh, it looks like a scar," Outlook interrupted, coming up on Sabo's left. "What an ugly mutt."

Sabo's eyes widened in shock and his body went tight. Dragon squeezed his shoulder tighter and tried to maneuver himself between them, but Sabo stepped forward out of his grasp.

"I like her," he decided. "I want her. The one with the mark on her face."

It was almost as if the retriever knew he was talking to her, because she got to her feet, tongue lolling from her mouth and tail waving as her head tilted the other way.

Sabo felt something warm in his chest as he crouched down, wincing at the way the scar tissue pulled at his knee. She came up to him without prompting, sticking her nose in his face. She sniffed him all over, taking an extra bit of time nudging his lips and nose as if she was aware of his short breathing. She snorted when she pulled back, then pushed herself into his space to tuck her chin on his left shoulder.

Sabo raised his hands in alarm, looking at the startled expressions both the trainer and his psychiatrist wore.

"What? Did I do something?"

"No, that was just faster than usual," the trainer said, holding her chin. She looked a little uneasy, which only served to make Sabo feel more panicked.

The retriever seemed to notice, because she let out a low whine, licking at Sabo’s neck and ear, slobbering into his hair. He cringed, it felt weird against his scars, and lifted his hands to her shoulders.

“Augh, yuck.” He scratched behind both her ears, grinning at her. “That’s gross. You’re gross.”

“She’s reacting to your mood,” his psychiatrist pondered with a smile. “Doing her job very well it seems.” He frowned when Outlook made a noise of irritation.

The Retriever froze up with her chin on Sabo’s shoulder. He could feel how tense she’d gotten, and couldn’t decide if she was just responding to how his pulse started racing, or to Outlook directly. Either way, she didn’t seem to like him. Sabo nestled his face against the side of her neck, arms wrapped around her.

“It looks weird like that. Can you dye the hair or something?”

“No, you can’t dye the fur,” the trainer murmured.

“It’s the ugliest one here! Sabo, pick a different one, I’m not paying for a scarred up mutt!”

“You already paid,” the trainer reminded, “and it’s not your decision which one he chooses.” He turned a gentle smile to Sabo. “You like her?”

Sabo nodded, still hugging the retriever, who seemed content to stay right where she was. “Yeah. What’s her name?”

“Her breeder gave her the name Mera,” the trainer explained. “In reference to her fur, because it means flame.”

Sabo smiled, rubbing one of Mera’s ears. “Okay.”

“You’re welcome to change it, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”

“No, no.” Sabo leaned back. “I love it; it’s perfect.” Sabo cringed when Mera licked the left side of his face again. “Ugh, Mera.”

“Alright then,” the trainer stepped forward, practically glowing in delight as she pulled out a leash. “Let’s get her ready to go home with you.”

Sabo’s heart was racing in excitement as they finished the paperwork. Outlook of course took his time, but he personally signed his name so fast it looked like a scribble. Mera stood or sat at his left side obediently. When she wasn’t staring at him she was looking around the room. Sabo didn’t speak dog, but he liked to imagine maybe she was looking out for threats, trying to protect him.

When Sabo opened the back door to the car, Mera didn’t move. She looked at the backseat, then at Sabo, then back, repeating it a few times before turning and nudging her nose against his hand.

“What’s the matter?” Sabo asked, patting her head. “It’s okay, Dragon’s a good driver.”

“You trained the thing for how long and it won’t even follow orders?” Outlook complained, but Sabo’s psychiatrist completely ignored him.

“She may still sense your nerves. Let her sit up front with you.”

Sabo looked at Dragon. “Is that okay?”

“Of course,” Dragon assured.

“Here,” the psychiatrist stepped forward to take the leash so Sabo could shut the back door and open the front.

He couldn’t even pretend that cars didn’t scare the hell out of him, especially considering what he’d been through. Normally he had to take medication before getting into a vehicle, something to knock him out so he wouldn’t start having a panic attack. After months of therapy he could sit in a car fine, but when the engine started was when he started to hyperventilate.

Mera hopped in after him, squeezing into the space between his feet and shoving her head onto his lap, looking up at him as if to say “hey no problem I’m right here”. Sabo felt the same warmth in his chest as he cupped his hands around her fluffy face, smiling down at her. He felt like he might start crying, but more from happiness than anything else. He felt like this might actually work. It was just a trial period, fine, but at the end of it Mera would be his for real.

“We’ll see you in a week,” his psychiatrist said, beaming in delight as he shut the door.

Outlook’s complaints were blocked out immediately. Sabo jumped against the slam, but Mera leaned her head into his left hand, flicking her tongue out to lick his exposed wrist. An attempt to comfort him perhaps.

"Thanks," Sabo said softly. Mera settled her head in his lap and gave a little sigh through her nose that had Sabo smiling.

He tensed again when Dragon opened the driver's side door, clinging to Mera's neck for support. Dragon didn't slam the door shut — he was thoughtful like that — choosing to pull it closed quietly with a sharp yank before buckling himself in.

"Feeling up to drive thru drinks, or do you want to get home?"

"No, let's get drinks," Sabo said without looking at Dragon, choosing to play with Mera's ears instead. "Luffy did ask for a treat before we left, we should get him something."

Dragon hummed. "I think you may spoil your brother a bit much."

Sabo just snorted. "Yeah you're one to talk. Can we get Mera something too?"

Dragon gave the dog a quick look before focusing on the road ahead. "Sure. I think she's earned it."

Mera was certainly happy for her reward, a little cup of whip cream that she licked up while her tail whooshed between Sabo's shoes. She was so gentle as she enjoyed her treat, blatant proof of the training she'd undergone. She licked the espresso cup clean, then licked the back of Sabo's scarred hand as if to say thank you in her own language.

Dragon pulled into the driveway of the old but well kept two story, parking behind Garp's '67 Chevy Camaro. Sabo waited for the engine to shut off before unbuckling and slipping from the passengers side. Mera waited for him to call her before hopping after him, trotting close to his left side.

"Alright, Mera," Sabo said as he unlocked the gate of the fence surrounding the front yard, "welcome home. This is your yard as much as it is ours now, and the cool thing is that there's a fence, so I can take this leash off."

Sabo did so, but even then Mera stayed close to him. She followed at his heels, occasionally sniffing at the stone pathway and the edges of the grass lawn but never wavering from her place near the teen. Something about that made Sabo feel genuinely at ease.

Sabo couldn't remember ever meeting such a well behaved dog.

Luffy and Ace were lounging on the couch in the living room playing a video game when Sabo walked into the house. Ace was the first to look up, but Luffy was the one who immediately jumped off the couch, throwing his game controller into Ace’s lap.

“You’re home! That took ages! Did you get your health dog?”

“Service animal,” Ace corrected, setting aside both controllers and watching Sabo thoughtfully. “Feeling okay?”

“Yeah.” Sabo held out the brown bag towards Luffy. “We picked up a snack for you.”

Luffy excitedly took the bag from him before flopping back onto the couch, and Ace stood up to wander closer, eyeing Mera curiously.

“She’s pretty,” he said, crouching down and holding a hand out. “It’s a she, right?”

“Yeah. Her name is Mera,” Sabo reached down to scratch behind Mera’s ears, watching her sniff Ace’s palm before offering it a lick of greeting. “I’m okay. I’m just tired.”

“You should lay down then,” Ace said. “Mom came over to make dinner for everyone. Dad’s attempting to help. No telling how that’ll go but he’s got supervision so he probably won’t burn the lasagna this time."

Sabo laughed. "He should take a cooking class."

"I'm not gonna be the one to tell him that," Ace said, standing back up and pulling Sabo towards the couch. "Come on, help me with this game."

"Hey no that's not fair!" Luffy argued as Sabo sat between them on the couch. "You're already good at this game, getting extra help is cheating!"

"Get better on your own!" Ace said, reaching over Sabo to the paper bag in Luffy's hand and the muffin in his mouth. "And share! I'm hungry too!"

Luffy yelled through his mouthful and pushed back at Ace while Sabo laughed. “Your mom said dinner would be ready in like an hour!”

“Hey, come on, we picked up two muffins for a reason,” Sabo chided, taking the bag from Luffy.

“Did you have one?” Luffy asked, sticking his tongue out at Ace when he took the other muffin.

Sabo laughed again, softer. “Wasn’t hungry,” he confessed, pulling his feet onto the couch and laying down with his head against Ace’s thigh and his legs stretched over Luffy’s lap to prop his heels on the arm of the couch. “I’ll get my appetite back by dinner. Just wanna lay down for a minute.”

“Sure,” Ace leaned back, picking up the controllers and tossing one to Luffy’s. “And stop getting distracted from our goal, you don’t have to check every single bush.”

“But I might miss something!”

Sabo chuckled, dragging one of the throw pillows over his face. “Wake me up when dinner’s ready.”

However long Sabo slept, neither of his brothers woke him up. He woke up on his own some time later to the sound of laughter and the scent of cooking. Something soft and warm was pressed to his cheek, and he slowly peeled his eyes open to see gold fur. Ace and Luffy had left the couch, but Mera had taken their place, hopping up to stretch out beside Sabo.

Keeping him company, sharing the warmth from her fur, watching over him as he slept. He'd turned to her in his sleep, hugging her like he would hug a pillow, and she seemed content to let him. Head on her paws and eyes shut like she was napping with him.

She lifted her head when Sabo laughed, tail waving as he scratched behind her ear. "Were you making sure I didn't have a bad dream?" He asked her, and she responded by nuzzling his face.

Rapid footfalls lead into the room as Luffy's voice bellowed. "Sabo! Dinnertime! Wake up!"

"Knock it off!" Ace snapped at him. "He's had a rough day, if he's still sleeping then let him sleep!"

"Well he's gotta eat, too! Food is important! He's not allowed to miss meals, dad said so!"

"I'm awake." Sabo rubbed his eyes as he sat up. "Don't eat my share, I'm hungry."

Luffy waved at Sabo. "See?"

Ace just looped an arm around his neck, pulling his head down to screw a fist into his skull. Luffy flailed his arms but could only whine in protest as Ace dragged him towards the dining room.

"Alright already!" He glanced at Sabo. "Ma made lasagna and a sauteed veggie dish that dad put too much garlic in."

"No such thing as too much garlic," Sabo noted.

Roger immediately popped into the doorway behind Ace. "Thank you! I told you I didn't mess up!"

Ace rolled his eyes, dragging Luffy into the dining room. "Yeah, yeah. Come on, Sabo."

"I gotta feed Mera first," Sabo said, standing from the couch and smiling as the retriever followed. "You hungry? We don't have a dog bowl yet so you'll have to use a plate. I'll take you to PetCO tomorrow to pick some stuff up. We only got dog food cuz we weren't sure if I'd get you today."

Mera didn't seem to mind much, leaning her side into Sabo's left leg as she trotted close to him, following him into the dining room. Rouge, Dragon and Garp were setting out dishes of food, plates and silverware as Roger pulled out cups. Ace was still wrestling Luffy, until Rouge stood back to give them a scolding look.

"Come on you two, not in the kitchen. Clean up and sit down."

Ace let go of Luffy immediately but kept a hold of the scruff of his shirt. "Sorry, sorry."

He tugged once on Luffy, who folded his arms as the older teen began dragging him towards the kitchen sink.

"Wash your hands." Ace chided, and Luffy groaned.

Sabo couldn't stop grinning at the antics, even when he was focusing on scooping kibble onto a plate for the dog. He set the dish against the wall beside the water bowl, rubbing Mera's neck when she bent down to sniff and try a few pieces.

She looked up to watch when Sabo backed away and started for the sink to wash his hands. He didn't notice Mera trailing after him until he heard Rouge laugh.

"She really likes you already," she said.

Sabo was drying his hands as he looked over at her, then down over his shoulder to where Mera had sat herself down just behind him.

"Hey, you gotta eat now, it's dinner." Sabo said, but Mera just stared at him, tongue lolling from her mouth.

Sabo led her back to the dish of food. Mera ate a few more pieces and Sabo left her there to take a seat between Ace and Dragon.

He was serving himself a few spoonfuls of overly seasoned vegetables when he heard the jingle of Mera's tags. When he looked down to the left, he was somewhat surprised to see she'd laid down next to him, curled around the chair with her chin settled on his left foot.

Sabo stared for a moment. She seemed so attached to him, focusing on his left side more than his right. Could she sense that was his weaker side?

"You gotta go eat, Mera," Sabo said again, but she didn't budge.

"She wants you to eat first," Dragon guessed, and Sabo frowned at him.

"She can tell I haven't yet?"

"Service animals are highly intelligent," Rouge said, beaming. "She can absolutely tell. She's just doing her job by looking after you."

Sabo felt flustered, staring back at Mera as she lifted her head to meet his eye. "Okay fine, you can stay there while I eat, but you have to eat too."

Mera huffed through her nose, nestling her chin back on top of Sabo's left shoe. Roger laughed.

"She's good at her job! We were gonna let her outside to go to the bathroom and run around while you were sleeping but she wouldn't move an inch!"

"Cuz she was looking over you!" Luffy said, grinning. "I like her. She's fuzzy and seems like a good girl."

"She is a good girl," Sabo agreed. Mera wagged her tail, thumping it against the ground, pleased by the praise.

She stayed at Sabo's side until he'd finished his meal and was simply sitting there with a cup of soda listening to the conversation between his brothers and the adults. Only then did she rise to her feet and tap over to her food to finish her own meal.

Once she'd finished, licking her plate clean like a polite dinner guest, she rejoined Sabo at the table and stretched out on her side between his seat and Dragon's. She must have fallen asleep, taking a nap while Sabo watched Rouge nag Roger and Ace about eating more vegetables. She turned her scolding to Garp, who stopped laughing and choked on his scotch as she chided him.

"At least Dragon and Sabo eat their greens," she noted.

Luffy poked the zucchini on his plate. "I'll eat it, I promise, it just smells."

Sabo leaned over Ace with a fork, attempting to spear the veggie. "Too slow, it's mine now."

Luffy cried out and pulled his plate away, shoveling the vegetables into his mouth before anyone could sneak something. Roger burst out laughing and Sabo leaned back with a chuckle.

"So predictable."

"I said I'd eat it!" Luffy said through his mouthful, swallowing it down before looking at Roger with wide eyes. "It's way more tasty than it smells!"

Roger folded his arms. "There, you see? Garlic can make any kid wanna eat zucchini."

"Luffy's never been a picky eater though," Rouge defended, and Dragon shook his head.

"I caught him eating raw eggs straight out of the carton when he was two."

Luffy cringed. "I didn't do that!"

"You did," Dragon shut his eyes. "I had to call Rouge to help because you would cry every time I tried to take the carton away."

Ace snickered at Luffy. "Egg sucker."

Luffy went beet red, punching him in the arm. "Shut up!"

Sabo was giggling into his glass, merely acting as a spectator because he couldn't think of anything to say to contribute to the conversation. Sometimes it was like that when they had family dinners like this.

Sometimes he didn't feel like he was allowed to say anything.

He used to eat alone in his bedroom back when he still lived with his parents. They didn't want to see his face anyway, so they'd send servants to his room with a platter of food and leave it outside his door for him to retrieve.

Sometimes he ate. Sometimes he didn't.

It had been a while since he'd moved into the Monkey D's family home, but he still wasn't completely used to it yet. Eating with other people. Communicating with them.

They talked about their day, about work and friends, they'd laugh together. The atmosphere was so warm and welcoming that it could be overwhelming at times.

Sabo was just so used to being alone.

He blinked when he heard the same jingle of Mera's tags, looking down to watch her as she stood up and stretched her paws across the linoleum in front of her, giving a big yawn before shaking her fur out. Then she gave Sabo an expectant look and he put his glass down.

"I'm gonna let Mera out for a bit."

"Don't stay too long," Dragon said. "It's getting cold."

"I know." Sabo pushed his chair in, waving for Mera to follow. She happily obeyed, letting Sabo take the lead as he slid open the glass door leading to the backyard.

He slid it closed behind him, following Mera off the porch and onto the grass, where she finally wandered away from him to sniff around the property and do her business.

Sabo stood stationary with his hands in his pockets as he waited for her. The sun had set ages ago, leaving inky sky in its place. The moon was a sliver and the stars were extremely bright, and like Dragon had warned, it was very cold.

Sabo wasn't supposed to stay in the cold too long, or it would irritate his already sensitive scars. The buildup of scar tissue would tighten from the biting air, sending throbbing pain through his body, giving him a headache. If he wasn't careful the headaches could worsen to migraines, which ended in a mild seizure about half the time.

Then again, he had Mera now. Looking after him and recognizing seizures before they happened was her job.

"You'd protect me if I started to get sick, wouldn't you?" Sabo asked when Mera looked over at him, tilting her head curiously.

Sabo glanced over his shoulder at the sliding glass door when he heard Roger's booming laughter echo through it. Sabo frowned a bit, staring at the door numbly.

"Wonder what they're laughing about…"

He shifted his eyes back down when he felt something cold nudge his hand. Mera licked his knuckles, tail wagging when he crouched down and framed her face with his hands.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to sound like a bummer. It’s just weird sometimes. I’m not related to these guys by blood, they kind of just took me in because I was friends with their kids. They’re good people, and they’ve been taking care of me, but I still feel out of place. Like I don’t belong here.”

Mera had sat down on her haunches as Sabo talked, watching him with curious brown eyes.

“Yeah, it sounds really stupid. It feels pretty stupid too. It’s sad when you feel lonely surrounded by people you know love you, but… I spent years seperated from them, and now I’m just… kind of a burden to them. ‘Cuz I’m so fucked up and high maintenance. They shouldn’t have to worry about me and my health just because my actual parents don’t give a damn.”

Mera stuck her nose in Sabo’s face, licking his cheek. Sabo reached up to smooth the black fur over Mera's left eye, frowning.

"Your trainer said you were born with this. I wasn't born with mine. There was a bad accident. I tried to run away from home when I was ten — tried to take a bus out of town. I wanted to go anywhere else but here, because I thought I'd never be able to escape my father otherwise."

Mera whined. Sabo wasn't sure if she could understand him or not, but even if she didn't know what he was saying, she could probably feel his emotions. The echoing loneliness, the gaping sense of unease and uncertainty. 

"Some rich kid in a new model Bugatti that his parents bought him ran a red light and T-boned the bus. It was enough to push it off course and cause a massive pile up." Sabo looked down, wincing. "A lot of people died… not me, though. Somehow. I got really badly burned when the engine blew," he reached up to his left eye, "so I'm like this now."

He pinched his eyes shut when Mera dragged her entire tongue over his eye, licking his scar.

"Ewe, come on!" He laughed, leaning away and wiping the slobber with a sleeve. "Nasty." He watched Mera thoughtfully. "What, were you trying to cheer me up?" Mera wagged her tail and Sabo smiled. "Thanks."

He looked over his shoulder when he heard the door open, watching everyone file onto the deck. Ace and Luffy hiked down the steps while Roger and Rouge said their goodbyes to Garp and Dragon.

"Going home?" Sabo asked, standing up, and Ace hummed.

"Ma's doing a wedding tomorrow so she's gotta open the shop early. Dad's going with her to help."

"Ah. Are you helping?" Sabo asked, and Ace stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"I'm gonna help get all the arrangements in the van, but I don't have to help set anything up. I'm probably gonna come over around noon to hang out until they get home."

Luffy reached up to pat Ace's head. "What a good son you are."

Ace yanked him into another headlock that had Luffy squawking in protest. Sabo just watched, one hand on his hip. He was used to it after all. These two were always like this.

"You reek!" Luffy yelled. "Leggo!"

"Aw let him go this time," Sabo chided. "No need to rough house after a big dinner. You'll fall asleep halfway through it."

Ace shot him a look, blushing. "No I won't!"

"Boys," Rouge called, and Ace let go of Luffy immediately. 

The younger teen scrambled behind Sabo, sticking his tongue out at Ace. "Mama's boy."

Ace blushed a deeper red. "You want a foot up your ass?!"

Luffy bolted for the porch. Sabo clutched his stomach, belting out laughter. Ace stood there bristling and seething. Luffy was right, though. Ace was the definition of a mama's boy, but there was nothing wrong with that. He loved his mom more than anything; it was sweet.

"Don't be embarrassed," Sabo laughed, clapping a hand on Ace's shoulder. "And take a shower. You do smell."

Ace pouted at him. "I was skating at the park with Saber, it was hot out."

"Next time use deodorant."

"I used it this time!"

"Use more."

"You're an ass!" Ace jabbed a finger into Sabo's chest, then wound an arm around his neck to pull him into a hug. He lowered his voice to talk to Sabo. "You're sure you're okay? I know having to deal with that guy can get to you."

"It's okay," Sabo reassured. "I got something out of it this time."

Ace pulled away to look down at Mera, who was sitting dutifully at Sabo's left. Ace crouched down, scratching behind her ears.

"You do have a point." He then spoke directly to Mera. "Take good care of my little brother, would you?"

Sabo folded his arms indignantly. "Seriously? I'm not even that much younger than you."

"But you are younger," Ace teased as he rose back up, grinning.

Sabo just glared. "More reason to hate my mom. She birthed me way too late."

"At least you're blond?"

"That's not a perk!"

"Ready to go?" Roger asked Ace as he messed up Sabo's hair with a hand. "Before it gets any colder."

"Not like we have far to walk, but yeah." Ace said.

Rouge wrapped Sabo in a hug when she was close, fixing his hair when she pulled back. "Get yourself inside, okay sweetie? It's definitely too cold for you."

"I'm okay, really," Sabo laughed, looking to Ace for help.

His brother just looked away, shrugging one shoulder.

Jerk.

Sabo waited for the trio to leave through the gate in the back fence that lead into their backyard, watching the light on their back porch go on before turning back to the two story.

Dragon was still waiting outside for him, though Garp and Luffy had returned to the warmth of the house.

"How do you like her so far?" He asked when Sabo joined him on the porch.

Sabo smiled down at Mera. "I already feel calmer somehow. I think she's doing good at her job." He was quiet for a moment before looking at Dragon. "Thanks for going with me." He looked away, rubbing his elbow. "I wasn't excited about being alone with him, so I'm glad I didn't have to be."

"You don't have to thank me for that," Dragon said, arms folded. "I'll take any opportunity to make that bastard shake in his shiny shoes."

Sabo laughed loudly, walking into the house. "Yeah I figured! Come on, Mera, bedtime."

Mera eagerly jumped after Sabo while Dragon shut and locked the door behind them, pulling the blinds shut and switching off the kitchen lights so the only visible gold glow was coming from the standing lamp in the living room where Garp was.

The lack of light had Sabo disoriented, already have blind and clumsy, but Mera pressed his side against his leg and leaned into him. Normally he would trip once or twice in the dark, but he was able to reach the hall without trouble because Mera seemed to push him away from objects he could potentially bump into.

“You alright?” Dragon asked from behind him, and Sabo cast a grin over his shoulder.

“Did you see I didn’t trip even once tonight like I usually do?”

“I did see that.”

Sabo looked down at Mera. “She was buffering me. She really is a good girl. I should get her a nice toy tomorrow, and some treats. She deserves them.” He looked back at Dragon again as he gripped the banister leading to the second floor. “Can I get her some stuff?”

“It’s your money,” Dragon reminded, and Sabo frowned, turning away to watch where his feet went as he started up the stairs.

“It’s his money. He just gave me a credit card because he had to.” He thought for a moment before humming. “I should get a job. I don’t want to rely on him.”

“Sabo you’re only fifteen,” Dragon chided, setting a hand on Sabo’s shoulder to stop him halfway up the stairs. “You shouldn’t have to worry about money.”

“I don’t want to use that person’s money,” Sabo stated firmly. “No matter what, I don’t want to rely on those people.” He paused, looking sheepishly down at Mera. “Maybe they bought me Mera, but…”

“I know this is hard for you,” Dragon soothed. “It’s your decision, but think about it. Imagine how annoyed he would be if you spent a hundred dollars of his money on a dog bed.”

Sabo tilted his head. “Or sent money to charities he didn’t like,” he said, and Dragon snorted.

He squeezed Sabo’s shoulder, giving a little nudge to get him moving again. “Bed time, both of you.”

Sabo stopped when he got to the top of the stairs, turning to hook his arms around Dragon in a tight hug. Dragon was frozen for a moment before he folded an arm across Sabo’s shoulders, setting one hand in his hair.

“Thank you,” Sabo murmured, repeating it for what seemed like the thousandth time. He didn’t think he’d ever be able to say it enough, though.

Dragon just patted his head. “You don’t have to keep saying that,” he said, but followed it with, “you’re welcome…” and hugged Sabo tighter.