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Sabo couldn’t remember ever getting the Eastern Plague. He’d see children, specifically Blonds, Burnetts, and Black haired children, sick and pale, and he would stop breathing, clutching his chest.
He once saw a group of children, one of each hair color and his headached for days. His lungs for longer.
Every mission he went alone. No Koala as back up. Because everyone else but those who had had the plague could get sick.
He knew he was from the East Blue, his native tongue, Goatian, said it all. Where Dragon had found him would have even if their native tongues were not the same.
He breathed in deeply, opening his eyes once again. He had closed them after he saw a blond haired boy coughing and sputtering as he fought to live.
He walked through the plague filled lands of the East Blue. This island was taken over by the Eastern Plague. Puss filled lumps coated everyone but those who had survived the disease. Dead littered the streets.
A celestial dragon was rumored to be here, sick with Eastern.
The issue with The Eastern Plague was if you had it once, it could start back up again due to a number of reasons, and when it started back up it was once again infectious.
There would never be any way to get rid of this plague until there were medical advancements.
He had one incident were his own had returned, he didn’t know what had caused it to return. He just knew that the pain, the terror, and the feelings of two tiny bodies pressed against his sides were enough to make him never want this again.
He shook his head, trying to stop thinking. He didn’t need a distraction right now, he could think on it later after he determined if the rumor was true or not.
He could still, occasionally, feel the small bodies pressed against his sides. One larger then the other.
He shook his head again, he needed to focus. Find the Celestial. Determine if they’ll die of the Eastern Plague or not.
When he got there he saw Jalmack. The Celestial that Dragon had said shot him. He didn’t look good, covered in lumps that had popped. He was on his way to death. He was going to die painfully and Sabo was glad for it.
Sabo turned to walk away, keeping his eyes on the sky. He couldn’t stand the thought of Jalmack or any of the Celestial Dragons living, he hated them all.
When he got back to his hideout on this island picked up a white Den Den. “Hey, Sabo reporting in. Rumors true. Jalmack is dying of Eastern Plague.”
____
Ace looked over the railing of the Moby, watching the way the waves rocked into the sides of the ship. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of want. It was the day Sabo had died. The day that his and Luffys plague had returned for a few weeks.
He learned that stress made Eastern Plague pop back into action, so he was determined to try not to be very stressed in life.
He knew it was likely that being around this day, in his 20th year of life, he’d likely get sick again. He had always dreamed of reaching this age with Sabo by his side and now it was even more apparent that Sabo wouldn’t ever return.
He knew he needed to tell Marco he’d likely break out with sickness, but he didn’t know how to bring it up. Marco wasn’t from the East, and none of the main crew were besides him.
He hoped Marco would understand, but he wasn’t that sure that the blond man would.
“Hey Marco.” He leaned against the doctors door after knocking. “Just need to let you know that I might get sick soon. You know how plague is.”
“What, yoi?” Marco looked up, confused. “Plague? Why would you have the plague?”
“I had it as a kid? It pops up when you’re stressed, so I just wanted to let you know so I can quaratine without worrying anyone.”
With that he walked away, barely giving Marco time to think about what his dumbass little brother had said.
He looked up at the sky, trying not to let his mind go back to his blond twin. He hated thinking about Sabo, always felt weak and like his heart was torn from his entire being. He wanted his brothers with him, his true brothers. Pops other sons were cool and all but he saw them as more friends than siblings. He had two brothers, and he didn’t want anymore. Thank you very much.
He could feel the ghosts of a tiny blond body pressed into his side, and later Luffy pressed into his side. He remembered how a few weeks before his 17th birthday Luffy’s plague popped up, and he spent the whole time cuddling Ace as he sobbed in pain.
Ace was thankful his own plague hadn’t popped back up. He hated dealing with it. Hated the lumps that popped when you rolled in your sleep, hated the way you struggled to breathe, hated the way that his vision would go hazy from hunger with no way to do anything about it because he was sick. So fucking sick.
He didn’t want that again, but if it happened. It happened.
____
Luffy walked around the jungle with a hum in his throat, he picked up a stone and flicked it just right for it to bounce across the water. The same way Sabo had taught him so many years ago.
He knew what time of year it was, Sabo’s birthday. And he was all alone today.
He hurt, in his heart and in his brain. His brain tells him the worst of things. He wanted Sabo and he wanted Ace.
He felt tears build in his eyes, harsh and painful as they trailed down his face silently. He was constantly told he should be over Sabo’s death by now by his own brain. He was a man, he didn’t cry. He didn’t cry when Ace left, so he couldn’t cry now. Except he was all alone now, so no one would be around to watch him break like a crybaby.
He sobbed into his arms. Wishing and screaming for his brothers. He wanted them so fucking bad. “ACE!! SABO!!!” He cried out, at the top of his lungs. But no one responded. And fuck if that didn’t hurt.
He knew no one would respond, Why would they? They weren’t around him. He simply wanted his brothers. He wanted so badly.
He scratched at his arms desperately trying to calm down. He hated being alone. And he was all alone now.
No Ace. No Sabo. No one to protect him when the Bear attacked, no one to bother as they slept because he wanted cuddles. No one to bother because he wanted to eat not even two hours after they last ate.
He wanted to be held by his brothers as he cried from the sickness, because it was his best memory besides them becoming brothers. He swore he would stop crying over that memory, thinking he was going to die in his brothers arms as he was the sickest out of all three of them
But he couldn’t, he couldn’t stop crying because Ace had cried. He knew Ace had cried because Ace held him from behind and he felt tears wet his hair that day.
He sobbed desperately, hot wet tears streaming down his face as he shook and trembled with each sob. He wretched, desperately wanting relief from his pain.
He wanted to go to Sabo, but Ace was still alive and needed him. So he lived for Ace.
He lived for Ace, never for himself. He loved Ace, Ace was the best brother. So he could repay the favor by living for Ace.
He stood up after a few minutes, feel better enough to pick up another stone and flick his wrist just right, and across the lake it went.
____
Sabo knew something was wrong when he woke up, he felt weak and dazed. His arms ached. He could see the telltale sign of the plague, hives building all over his body.
He flopped back down letting out a soft groan.
He peeked his eyes open a few hours later, confused and feeling two tiny bodies pressed against him. He tried to swat them away —-- was to hot and — was way to cold. His brothers always did this when they were sick.
He wanted to be the perfect temperature, his body ached and he wished, desperately, that the two assholes would get off him. He shook his head, groaning as he closed his eyes. He was hallucinating again. Hallucinating about the two people his mind decided to throw at him every time he had a flare up.
He couldn’t remember their names, but sometimes he saw a glimpse of freckles or a large dimpled stretchy smile.
He knew he was in for a week or two of hell. And he could not wait for it to be over.
He woke up to his den den ringing at his side, the likeness of Dragon on its face. “Hello?” He rasped out.
“Sabo. We need you in Baltigo.”
“Not a good idea. Flare up.”
Dragon sighed, the snail showing his disappointed features. “Sabo we need you.”
“Dragon. I’m in a flare up.”
“And you know as well as I do that you’ve worked through worse.”
Sabo’s mind started to race, worse? Of course he’s worked through worse. His mind went back to that building, were he had to go undercover. Where he- He shook his head. “And it simply isn’t safe for me to be in contact with anyone who doesn’t already have this disease sir.”
Dragon sighed loudly, “Fine. I’ll have Koala call with the report soon then.”
Sabo couldn’t find it in him to argue past that, no point in mentioning to the man who never had a flare up that remembering things once the true heat of the infection hit was basically impossible.
He hung up the den den, looking over to the side in his safe house, for a second he could swear he heard a boys laughter. He swore he could see an angry face full of freckles. And then it was gone. He hated flare ups, they always did this. He always hallucinated shadows and ghosts of the same two boys but never could remember them. Obviously they were important, but he couldn’t determine why they were important.
He couldn’t stop hearing and seeing the boys. He hated this. He hated this so much. He wished he could just… remember. He wanted to remember.
___
Luffy woke up with a gasp, he ached. He knew what this ache was, he and Ace had dealt with it often after all. He didn’t like this ache. It was the ache of sickness that permeated the air and ruined the tranquility of Luffy’s kingdom. He wished Ace was here, in Ace’s kingdom.
He saw Dadan leave the Bandits house but he simply curled into a tighter ball. He wanted to be okay. It was hard to be okay when pain wrecked your whole body. “Dadannn…” He whined.
The red haired bandit looked over, letting out a sigh when she saw his state. Saw the telltale starting hives. “Really boy? Again? I know you leave in a month but that doesn’t mean you can get sick!”
“Dadannnnn I hurttttt…!”
“I know you do Luffy. Come on, up. Let’s get you a bath and see if that helps.”
He whined but stood up obediently, he didn’t want a bath but they helped soothe the ache in his bones.
He trudged after her, this was the only time she was any sort of motherly to him and while he enjoyed it he couldn’t help but think it was weird. Dadan wasn’t a Makino after all.
He let her undress him, his skin cold and clammy yet hot to the touch.
When she carefully lowered him into the water he whined softly, hating how it made him tired yet loving the way it calmed his aching bones.
He almost fell asleep in the water, going limp in Dadan’s arms as she pulled him out of the water thirty minutes later. “Ace…” He murmured.
“Not here kid, left a while ago.”
He whined loudly, he wanted his dad.
“Want him…”
“He’s not here kid. You know what he said. Meet me on the grandline.”
He whined, he hated that Dadan babied him when he had a flare up. But he also loved it. Less he had to do! When he was sick he didn’t have to hunt or do anything besides clean the floor when he was awake!
He mumbled softly, unable to be heard as he yawned. He was so sleepy. So he curled up in a corner in the bandits hut and fell asleep.
His dream was a nice one, Ace and Sabo were with him again. They were in the jungle, hunting the tiger lord.
He wanted to eat the tiger lord and Sabo wanted the pelt for a blanket. Ace was with them so they didn’t die. Ace didn’t want tiger for dinner, he wanted a bear but they both wanted something from the tiger lord, so they out voted him for once.
___
Ace grumbled when he woke up, his devil fruit having already burned the fever from the flare up away in his sleep. For that he was thankful, but he was about to be very itchy. He groaned low in his throat, slapping his hand at the desk beside his bed for the den den mushi. When he grabbed it he quickly called up Marco’s personal number, groaning as he spoke. “Hey Marco. In a flare up. Not gonna be able to do anything until its gone.” He didn’t wait for a response, simply hanging up once he was sure Marco heard him.
Soon there was a loud banging on his door before Marco entered. He peered his eyes open in a sharp glare, his hand coming up to scratch at his cheek. “Dude… Get out.”
“Just because you feel like slacking-” Marco’s eyes scanned Ace’s figure, trembling from the urge to not spend all day scratching at the itchy fucking hives. “Ace… do you… have Eastern…?” He spoke it like it was a curse, something to be feared. He spoke with pity, Ace didn’t want pity.
Ace scoffed, rolling over to face away from his best friend. “Fuck off.” He spit angrily, his hand coming up to scratch at his scalp. Oh goddamnit he had hives on his scalp didn’t he?
This flare up would suck. He knew that.
“Ace its nothing to be ashamed about-!”
“Dude. I said fuck off. Get out before you get sick.”
“I won’t.” Marco closed the door, coming to sit on the bed beside Ace. “I won’t get sick. The phoenix won’t let me.”
“And now you’re lording that over me.” He rolled his eyes, scratching at the hives on his arms now.
He felt Marco’s hands grab his wrists. “Stop scratching it actually makes it worse.”
“Fuck off Marco!” He snapped. “I told you-” He groaned when he shot up, his bones aching with the movement. “I told you I’m having a flare up. Leave me alone. Get out.”
“Okay. I’ll be bringing you food okay?”
Ace groaned as Marco left, he wanted to be alone. To wallow in his itchiness and pain. He no longer got the hallucinations of Sabo after eating his devil fruit but he could still imagine the feeling of his brother at his side, and it brought him comfort. More comfort than he thought he deserved, but he relished in the feeling. He wanted his family, his true family. But Sabo was dead, so his family would never be complete. He had Pops, he had Luffy, but he didn’t have Sabo. He wanted his twin, so fucking badly. It was March fifth, he’d be twenty today.