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“I'm so sorry to ask you on such short notice but I would have been late anyway and then I fell asleep on the fucking bus! It will take ages until I reach the school because there was this stupid accident and everything's closed off. I already asked Dadan but she can't because-”
“Hey, hey, calm down, Ace. I'll ask my co-worker right away, yeah? Hang on-”
Sabo placed his phone on the counter and with hesitant steps he went over to the girl who was busy cleaning their cake display.
“Ah, Robin? Can I talk to you for a second?”, he asked.
The young woman looked up at him and showed that calm, friendly smile she always wore.
“Of course, Sabo-kun”, she answered. “What's the matter?”
“Uh, I told you about Ace, right? The friend I live with? He just called because he's stuck on the other side of town and no one can pick his little brother up from school. Would it be okay if I left earlier to go and pick him up myself?”
Robin hesitated and briefly looked around and before she could object Sabo quickly rambled on: “It'd just be today! I know I have only been working here for a few weeks and it won't happen again but-”
“It's okay. You can leave earlier.”
“- there really is no one else and- wait... really?”
Sabo hadn't thought it would be that easy.
But Robin just smiled again, got up and gestured towards the empty shop.
“Why do you think I'm cleaning the display window in the middle of our shift?”, she chuckled. “No one's here. It's no problem if you clock out already. Just make sure you don't have too many negative hours and try to balance them out if you can, yeah?”
“Yes! Of course! Thank you so much, Robin! I owe you big time!”
He rushed back to his phone.
“It's alright, Ace. I can go and pick him up. You said he's at the day care for the kids who stay for the after school hours?”
“Oh, thank god! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I owe you one! And yes, yes, he's there. Jinbei-sensei allowed him to stay until he can be picked up.”
“Okay, great. Can you tell them I'm on my way? I'll take about an hour though.”
“That's alright. The day care is open until five in the afternoon. I'll let them know.”
“Thanks, Ace. And good luck getting home soon.”
Ace groaned.
“I'll update you”, was all he answered.
“Please do”, Sabo chuckled sympathetically. “See you at home.”
“Yeah, see you later.”
Once he'd hung up Sabo packed his bag and then quickly made two hot chocolates to go. One for Luffy and one for himself.
They were likely gonna be cold when he'd finally arrive at the school but he hoped Luffy would accept his little apology for making him wait so long anyway.
He said goodbye to Robin, thanked her again and then hurried to the train station.
It was windy on the platform and Sabo's teeth chattered as he stepped from one foot onto the other repeatedly.
The icy breeze reminded him that the days were quickly getting colder now.
He should have really brought a scarf today and made a mental note to take it with him tomorrow.
Luckily he didn't have to wait for long until his train arrived.
Once he'd found a seat he encountered a problem though: it was pretty hard to read his book while also holding onto the two cups.
Sabo knew he must look like an idiot and after a short while he gave up and somehow managed to put his book back into his backpack without spilling anything.
He'd just listen to a podcast then...
Throughout the whole journey Sabo kept checking the time on his phone because without being able sink into one of his books the train ride felt endless.
Ace texted him once, a selfie where he looked at the camera with a deadpan expression, showing a thumbs up while standing in front of a digital destination board that was completely empty.
Looks like he'd take a while until he'd be back home.
Sabo texted him back, expressing his sympathy before asking if he should take care of dinner today to which Ace only send the praying hands emoji three times along with one crying one.
Sabo was so deep in thought about what they could eat later, that he nearly missed his stop and had to run and squeeze himself through the already closing doors.
He cheered inwardly when he still didn't spill a single drop of the hot chocolates and then hurried on towards Luffy's school.
Sabo actually felt a bit nervous once he arrived.
He'd been here a few times when he and Ace had brought Luffy to school together or when they had picked him up.
He had no idea where the day care was though.
But once he'd stepped foot on the school-yard he spotted a group of kids chasing each other across the place – led by none other than Luffy.
It was easy to recognize him because of the strawhat he now always insisted on wearing.
Sabo had found it an odd choice at first but Ace didn't see any harm in it and so Luffy now took it with him wherever he went.
He walked towards the group of kids, relieved to see that they were all having fun together.
Since Luffy was so shy around new people Sabo had half expected him to be on his own.
It must be different with kids his own age though.
Thank god.
“Hey Luffy!”, he called with a smile once he was only a few metres away.
All of the kids turned to look at him and he felt a bit hot under their curious eyes but Luffy beamed and immediately dashed straight towards him.
“Sabooo!”
Sabo crouched down and accepted Luffy's hug, his smile only growing when the boy squeezed him tight. Sabo squeezed back as best as possible while he was still holding the two cups.
“Hey Lu”, he greeted him. “Sorry it took so long.”
“It's okay! I had lots of fun!”
“Really? That's great to hear!”
Sabo would make sure to tell Ace this later so he wouldn't feel too guilty about falling asleep in the bus.
“Here, I brought you a hot chocolate.”
He offered him the cup and Luffy smiled from ear to ear, calling a “Thanks!” before taking a big gulp right away.
“It's probably lukewarm at this point”, Sabo apologized with a sheepish grin. “But I hope you like it.”
“It's delicious!”, the boy assured him right away.
Sabo then raised his eyes to find all of the other children still watching them curiously.
“And these are your new friends?”, he asked Luffy.
“Uh-huh!”
He ran up to the group and pointed to everyone individually while announcing “This is Vivi and this is Usopp, they're both in my class!”
Sabo had seen them a few times before and waved.
“Hey there.”
“And this is Rebecca!”
He pointed to a small girl with pink hair that was braided in a complicated looking way.
“And this is Shirahoshi!”
This other girl was unusually tall for her age and had pink hair as well.
She seemed a bit shy and hid behind Vivi and Rebecca, although their smaller bodies did little to shield her from Sabo's eyes.
“Hello ladies”, Sabo greeted them with an extra friendly smile.
He hoped Shirahoshi wasn't scared of him because of his scar.
But once he'd greeted them both Rebecca and her smiled and called small hellos.
Luffy ran back to Sabo and proudly puffed out his chest.
“Everyone! This is my big brother Sabo!”
… This is my big brother Sabo.
… my big brother Sabo.
… big brother Sabo.
Luffy's words echoed in Sabo's head and he felt like they had physically punched him right in the chest.
Repeatedly.
With a vengeance.
With wide eyes he stared down at the little boy.
“Big brother?”, he asked quietly, unbelieving.
But Luffy smiled up at him with the utmost conviction.
“Uh-huh! Just like Ace, right?”
“R-Right!”
Sabo couldn't believe it.
Luffy had called him big brother for the first time!
He'd never thought the boy would do that.
Well, maybe eventually but not yet.
Did Luffy think he was cool?
As cool as Ace?
The boy absolutely adored Ace.
Did he see him that same way?
Sabo felt pride bloom in his chest and brightly he smiled back at Luffy.
“Well then, are you ready to go? I'm gonna tell one of the grown ups at the day care that we're leaving now. Wouldn't want them to think you just vanished.”
“Aw, do you really have to go already?”, Rebecca asked with a pout.
“It was so fun with you!”, Shirahoshi agreed and almost looked close to tears.
“You can play for a few more minutes”, Sabo assured them. “I'm gonna go and look for a teacher and pick up your backpack. Uh, which building is the daycare?”
“This one!”, the kids all called in unison and pointed to a small, orange painted building right across the big school building.
“Thank you! I'll be back soon!”
Sabo smiled at the group once more before he slowly made his way over to the daycare building.
A few more kids were playing outside and looked at him curiously but this time Sabo didn't mind their eyes on him. Not even when an older kid with bright red hair obviously stared at the scarred side of his face for way too long.
Sabo just briefly looked at him, the smile never leaving his face.
Luffy's words kept repeating in his mind over and over again.
Nothing could sour his good mood now.
He entered the building and looked around the ground floor until he found two adults talking with each other, a middle aged man and a young woman.
He knocked against the door frame to get their attention.
“Hello? I'm here to uh... pick up my little brother Luffy.”
He felt his smile widening again.
It felt weirdly exciting to call Luffy his little brother!
“Ah, yes! You must be Sabo then? Ace told me you would come.”
“Yes, that's me! Hi, nice to meet you!”
He stepped closer and shook the man's hand.
“Likewise! I'm Jinbei, Luffy-kun's teacher.”
“Oh, hello! Luffy talks a lot about you!”
“Oh, does he?”, the older man smiled happily. “He's such an energetic student!”
“I hope he isn't too much trouble.”
“Not at all!”
Sabo then turned to the other adult.
She had dark blue hair and glasses and Sabo held out a hand for her to shake as well.
“Hi, I'm Tashigi”, she greeted him. “Nice to meet you!”
“Likewise!”, Sabo repeated. “It seems like Luffy is getting along well with the other kids.”
“I'm glad to hear that! I'm not surprised though, he fit right in from the second Jinbei-sensei brought him here.”
“He's special in the way that he can befriend anyone rather quickly”, the older teacher said with a nod.
“Yeah, I guess he is...”, Sabo agreed, thinking back to their very first meeting and how he'd instantly befriended Koala and him. He quickly shook the memories off though.
“Alright, I'm gonna take him home then! And thank you so much for letting him stay! Ace was panicking big time when he called me earlier so you really saved us!”
“It's no problem! If it ever happens again, he's welcome to stay until someone can come and pick him up!”
“Thank you so much!”, Sabo said again. “I'll let Ace know!”
“Please do!”
“Alright, goodbye then!”
“Goodbye!”
“Bye!”
Sabo left with one last wave, picked Luffy's backpack (easily recognizable by the Noland the Liar print and the South-Bird key-chain attached to one of the zippers) from the many ones neatly sorted into a big shelf by the entrance doors and then went back outside to go and collect Luffy.
He and his group of friends were playing catch right now and for a few more minutes Sabo let them play while he sipped his hot chocolate.
Only when his cup was empty did he approach them again.
“Luffy! It's time to go now!”
The boy seemed disappointed, as did his friends.
“It was so fun with you!”
“Will you come back and play with us again?”
Hopeful, Luffy glanced at Sabo who didn't have the heart to say no so he answered: “Well, I'm sure this isn't the last time Ace will be late and Jinbei-sensei assured me you'd always be welcome to stay until one of us can pick you up, so yeah, I'm sure Luffy can join you again soon.”
“Yay!”
“Next time we'll play hide and seek!”
The kids all accompanied them to the school gates, bombarding Sabo with questions.
“Is your house as big as Luffy says?”
“Well, I guess it's pretty big.”
“Luffy said you have your own library!”, Usopp said.
“Yeah, I do!”
“Whoa! Do you own a lot of books?”
“Yeah, quite a few I'd say!”
“Do you also have the 'Sora - Warrior of the Sea' comics?”
“Uh, no, I don't think so? Are they good?”
“They're the best!”
“Noland the Liar is better!”, Luffy argued.
Sabo giggled and ruffled the boy's hair.
“No arguing, okay, Luffy? Say goodbye to your friends now.”
“Bye guys! See you tomorrow!”
“Bye bye!”
“Bye mister Sabo!”
“Mister Sabo? Are we allowed to visit you sometime?”, Usopp asked shyly before they could go.
“Yeah, can we?”, Vivi immediately wanted to know as well. “We wanna see your cool house!”
“Uh, sure”, Sabo agreed, a bit surprised but happy. “I'll talk to Ace about it. I'm sure we'll find a day where all of you can come over.”
“Yay!”
“Thank you, mister Sabo!”
Sabo chuckled.
“You're welcome, kids. See you soon then.”
“Yeah, see you soon!”
Luffy and Sabo waved at the group as they walked down the street. Only when they were out of sight did they stop.
Luffy giggled happily and latched onto Sabo's hand, swinging it back and forth.
Sabo just let him.
“Did you do your homework already?”, he asked.
“Yup! We did it at the day care already! Jinbei-sensei helped me with the math homework!”
“Very good!”
Sabo hesitated with his next words for a moment.
“Do you wanna do something fun before we go home?”
“Something fun?”
Luffy's eyes sparkled as he looked up at him.
“Like what?”
“Like... uh...”
Sabo looked up and down the street until his eyes caught onto the colourful sign of a café.
“Like this!”
Luffy squinted.
“Bu... Bubble Tea?”, he read out loud. “What is that?”
“Have you never tried one before?”
Luffy shook his head.
“Is it good?”
“It's great! Koala is obsessed with them. Come on, let's get some!”
Excited Luffy followed Sabo into the café.
He marvelled at the many flavours he could choose from and had a hard time deciding - especially when he realized that the bubbles he could choose from had almost as many flavours as the tea itself.
“They look weird!”, Luffy exclaimed. “Do they really taste good?”
“They do”, Sabo assured him. “How about we pick the cherry flavoured ones? You like cherry, right?”
“Uh huh! And maybe... peach for the tea? Is it like iced tea?”
“Yeah, kinda.”
“Okay!”
Luffy walked up to the counter where a patient young woman was leaning against the display and watched them with a smile.
“Hello! I would like one peach bubble tea please! With cherry bubbles!”
“Alright, young man”, the lady answered. “Would you like a big or small cup?”
Luffy turned around and cast a pleading look at Sabo.
“Can I have a big one? Pleeease?”
Who was Sabo to say no if his little brother asked so nicely?
“Sure”, he agreed and gifted him a smile.
Luffy beamed and turned back towards the counter.
“One big one, please!”
“Alright then! And for you?”
Sabo quickly ordered his own drink and then checked his phone for news from Ace.
It wasn't that late yet, around half past three in the afternoon but it sounded like Ace would still need a few more hours until he'd be home.
Then suddenly he got an idea.
“Hey Luffy. Should we go to the library near the station? I've wanted to get us library cards for ages. I bet they have some of the Noland comics you could check out.”
“Can we really?”
The boy sounded like he couldn't believe it.
“Sure! Ace is still stuck on the other side of town and your homework is already done so we can do something fun before we go home.”
“Yay! Let's go!”
They collected their drinks, thanked the friendly service woman again and then left the shop hand in hand.
They decided to walk the way towards the library instead of taking the bus.
It was still cold but not so cold that they were freezing. The afternoon sun warmed them up nicely as they strode down the streets.
Luffy was fascinated with the bubbles and once he got over their weird texture and learned to bite them he was ecstatic and greedily slurped on the beverage.
“Careful or you'll choke yourself”, Sabo warned, laughing. “Your drink won't run away.”
Luckily Luffy listened to him and slowed down again.
Then he told Sabo all about his day and the older boy listened to every little detail.
He asked him about the student café too and Sabo told him that it was fun to work there.
“There weren't many people there today though”, he said. “And thank god Robin let me leave early so I could come and pick you up.”
“Can I visit you at work sometime?, Luffy asked.
“Sure. The Christmas holidays are not far away anymore. I bet Ace will take you then. Maybe you'll even meet some of my uni friends.”
“Are they nice?”
“Really nice”, Sabo assured him with a smile. “You'll like them.”
A few minutes later they arrived at the library.
Luffy struggled a little with the last quarter of his bubble tea so Sabo offered to hold the cup for him for now.
“Okay, Lu. In a library you have to be very quiet”, he explained before they went inside. “People are reading or working there and we don't want to interrupt them. Do you understand?”
Luffy nodded seriously.
“Okay, good. First we'll get our library cards and then we can take a look around.”
“Right!”
Sabo went first and held open the door for his little brother.
He grinned fondly when Luffy tip toed across the threshold. Obviously he was taking the being quiet thing really seriously.
An old lady sat at the reception and watched them with an amused smile.
Sabo and Luffy walked right up to her.
“Hi”, Sabo said, feeling a smile grow on his face again. “My little brother and I would like to get our own library cards.”
“Of course! Follow me and we can get the paperwork done right away.”
They accompanied her to a table where they sat across from her.
Then she handed Sabo a paper he needed to fill out and filled out the one for Luffy herself by asking him questions.
Sabo listened with half an ear to make sure he wasn't telling her any incorrect info.
“What's your name, dear?”
“I'm Luffy!”
“And your last name?”
“Monkey!”
“Monkey, that's a cool name, isn't it?”
“Uh-huh!”
“Alright, when is your birthday?”
“On May 5th!”
“And how old are you now?”
“Six!”
“Good, good. What is your address?”
“Uh... High Town Avenue number... three?”
The lady glanced at Sabo who nodded in agreement.
He told her the post code as well because Luffy didn't know that one yet and within a few minutes all the papers were filled out.
“Alright, all you have to do is sign these forms and you're all set! You can do that while I go and get your cards.”
She handed them the papers and went back towards the reception.
Sabo signed Luffy's form for him since he wasn't eighteen yet and Luffy pouted a bit, insisting he was already old enough to sign his own paperwork.
“What do you wanna look for first?”, Sabo asked as they waited.
“The Noland comics?”, Luffy suggested, eyes big and hopeful.
“Alright”, Sabo answered with a smile.
He could have sworn there were real sparkles in Luffy's eyes as he was handed his shiny, new library card a few minutes later and a feeling of genuine happiness rose in Sabo's chest, so strong it nearly made his vision blur with tears.
Oh god, what was going on with him today?
They thanked the librarian and then started exploring the huge building.
Sabo tried to memorize the location of specific sections that could be interesting to him later as they made their way to the first floor where the children's section was.
The two lost track of time right away.
Luffy was busy collecting every copy of Noland the Liar he could find while Sabo stumbled upon an old manga series he and Ace had loved when they were younger and promptly lost himself in it again.
Luffy showed Sabo everything that looked even remotely interesting.
Sabo encouraged him to read into some of the books so he could decide which ones to take home while he looked for some specific book downstairs in the sections Luffy wasn't interested in.
When they eventually walked up to the reception again both of them carried multiple books.
Sabo had found a few that could be helpful for his uni courses and also that one book about the mystery of God Valley he'd heard good things about.
Luffy on the other hand had chosen mostly Noland comics – as expected -, although he had hesitantly added the first Sora volume too along with a book about cats living in a forest.
The cover had a cool red cat on it and Luffy had immediately been sold.
Luffy insisted on carrying his own backpack once all the books had been checked out and carefully stashed away.
With a proud smile he led the way out of the library.
Sabo waved at the receptionist one more time, then followed the boy.
They weren't that far from home anymore and slowly it got dark.
They should decide on what they wanted to eat later.
Sabo didn't really feel like cooking.
He should spoil Ace a bit after that whole falling asleep on the bus and then getting stuck at the other end of Dawn City – disaster, right?
They were just walking through one of the busier shopping streets, already alight with tons of Christmas decorations, when Sabo suddenly got an idea.
“Hey Luffy, how would you like it if- Luffy?”
A wave of panic threatened to overcome him when he couldn't spot him right away.
But before he could call him again he discovered him just a few metres away, his face and hands pressed up against a shopping window.
Sabo quickly strode over.
“Hey, don't just run away like that-”
“Sabo, look!”
Sabo decided to swallow his worry back down for now.
The day had been so nice, he didn't want to spoil Luffy's good mood by scolding him now.
He looked into the window and spotted a huge plushie, that looked exactly like the key-chain on Luffy's backpack.
“Oh, that's from Noland too, right?”, he asked.
“Yeah! It's a south bird! It looks so cool! And fluffy...”
Sabo chuckled softly.
The way Luffy had breathed the word “fluffy” in complete awe was just too fucking adorable.
He allowed him to look at it for another while before he spoke up again.
“Come on, let's get some food, yeah?”
“Hmm... okay...”
Sabo held out his hand so Luffy could take it.
But as soon as they had taken a few steps Luffy turned back around, his sad eyes casting a last, wistful look at the plushie.
Something weird rose in Sabo's chest and he slowed down, hesitated.
Christmas wasn't that far away anymore.
He could gift the plushie to Luffy then... but he could also...
He stopped in front of the shop's massive entrance doors.
“Luffy, do you want the plushie?”, he asked, his gaze growing soft when Luffy looked up at him in disbelief.
“But... but it probably costs a lot, right?”
For a moment Sabo was confused why Luffy would ask such a question but then he realized he probably hadn't been able to get things like this with Ace's limited budget before.
“It doesn't matter”, the older boy answered with a smile, deciding not to directly answer Luffy's question. “Would you like to take it home?”
Luffy's big eyes shone like diamonds.
“Really? Can I?”
Sabo nodded.
“But you have to promise me you will take good care of it!”
“I will! I promise!”
“Alright then, let's go in.”
Luffy cheered and eagerly pulled Sabo along by the hand.
“Finally Merry will have a new friend! Sabo, you're the best big brother ever!”
Oh god, if Luffy kept saying such cute things Sabo would have a heart attack before the end of the day.
With Luffy now carrying the huge plushie and both of them starting to struggle with the weight of their backpacks Sabo ditched his earlier plan on getting food on the way home and decided they would just order something once they were back in the house.
It was completely dark once they finally arrived and much to Sabo's surprise Ace still wasn't anywhere to be seen.
He had texted him a while ago, saying that he was finally on his way back.
In the end Sabo just shrugged.
He and Luffy got rid of their shoes and coats before carrying their backpacks into the living room.
“Hm, let's order some food first”, Sabo decided and pulled up the food delivery app on his phone.
“Anything you fancy?”
“Meat!”
“Any specific meat?”, Sabo chuckled.
“Hmm... chicken!”
“Alright!”
They found a well rated chicken place that wasn't too far away and spend a few minutes picking out their dinner (Sabo silently ordered a few extra nuggets for Luffy) and also discussed on what they should get for Ace.
“He likes spicy chicken wings!”, Luffy let him know. “And he loves that vanilla coke stuff!”
“Alright, then let's add that for him. Do you think he'll want fries with the wings? Or something else? They have salads and wedges and-”
“Fries!”
Sabo laughed.
“Alright!”
He completed their order and then put the phone away.
“How about you get us some iced tea from the fridge and then we'll read some of the books we chose until dinner's here?”
“Yeah!”
The boy jumped from the couch down onto the floor and hurried into the kitchen.
Sabo chuckled in amusement and then briefly went upstairs to get the huge blanket from his library.
Luffy had already chosen one of his comics but was impatiently waiting for Sabo to join him before he started reading.
Sabo giggled, blindly grabbed a book from his pile and then spread the blanket on the couch so he and Luffy could make themselves comfortable under there.
The new south-bird plushie was there with them and Luffy had also brought Merry.
Sabo smiled happily at the sight of his little brother in between his two stuffed animals, completely focused on a Noland comic.
Hopefully they would get the chance to do this a lot more often.
Still smiling he opened up his own book.
Ace came home just a minute before their food arrived.
He had just called a greeting into the hallway and was actually still standing next to the entrance door, putting his shoes away when the bell rung again.
“That's our food!”, Sabo called.
“Did you pay upfront?”, Ace called back.
“Yeah!”
“Alright!”
Endlessly grateful Ace took the paper bags filled with food from the delivery guy, then carried them into the living room.
Much to his surprise he saw Luffy and Sabo on the couch together and they were... reading?
Well, that was a daily occurrence for Sabo but for Luffy?
The older of the two gave him a sympathetic smile.
“You finally made it.”
Ace groaned when he thought back to the endless hours he'd spent out in the cold, trying to find a way to get back home only to end up having to wait until the roads had been cleared again.
“Don't remind me.”
He placed their food on the big dining table, then went to hug Luffy who was skipping straight towards him with a smile.
“Hi Ace!”
“Hey buddy.”
A small smile formed on Ace's lips when his little brother squeezed him tight.
“Sorry I couldn't pick you up today. I hope it wasn't boring at the day care.”
“It wasn't boring at all! Usopp and Vivi were there too and I met some new friends! We did our homework and then played outside!”
Ace heaved a relieved sigh.
“That's good.”
He looked over to Sabo who had gotten up too.
“Thank you for picking him up.”
“No problem”, Sabo smiled. “The café was quite empty today so Robin didn't mind.”
“Sabo got me a hot chocolate from his work!”
“Ah, that's so sweet. I hope you thanked him.”
“I did!”
“He did.”
“Very good.”
Ace straightened back up.
“What are you reading?”, he wanted to know and nodded over to the couch.
Luffy beamed and ran back to grab the comic so he could hold it up for Ace to see.
“Me and Sabo went to the library!”, he announced. “I got so many Noland comics!”
“The library?”
“Yeah”, Sabo answered and cast a soft glance at the boy. “I thought we could do something fun since it'd be a while until you're back and I wanted to get a library card since we moved in here so...”
Ace didn't understand why Sabo was smiling in that weird way though. It almost looked... embarrassed? Like he thought he'd done something wrong?
“No, it's totally cool”, Ace answered, completely honest. He smiled. “I'm happy that you two had fun together.”
Luffy had obviously liked Sabo from the start and vice versa but Ace could always tell that Sabo just wasn't used to having a young child around him all the time. He wasn't good with being strict, was sometimes overwhelmed by all the noise and left all the more difficult decisions regarding Luffy up to Ace.
Ace didn't mind of course, he'd made it clear that he'd never expect Sabo to take on the role of a guardian for Luffy – that was his own job.
But he was happy to see that they spent more and more time together and got along well.
Sabo was super busy with uni stuff and his new part time job but ever since he'd taken Luffy to their neighbours to get his football he'd noticed that Sabo played with him whenever he had a bit of downtime.
“Come on, let's eat now. I'm starving.”
“But you haven't seen my new plushie yet!”
“New plushie?”
Ace glanced at Sabo who met his eyes for a second and tried to smile.
It looked kinda tense.
Luffy came back with an enormous bird plushie in his small arms that was at least half as big as he was.
“Look!”
“Oh wow, that's a south-bird, right?”
“Uh-huh! It's so fluffy! Feel it!”
Obediently Ace patted the head of the stuffed animal.
“Oh, it really is fluffy.”
His little brother looked so happy that Ace couldn't help but smile.
“Put it back on the couch now. We don't want it to get dirty while we're eating, right?”
Luffy obeyed right away and the three went over to the big dining table.
“Luffy helped me pick some stuff for you”, Sabo said as he passed out the different boxes. “I hope you're okay with spicy wings and fries.”
“That's perfect”, Ace assured him. “Just what I need right now. Did you also order drinks? …oh, here they are! Ah, a vanilla coke! You guys are my saviours!”
Ace pressed the still cool bottle against his cheek, smiling happily.
Both Sabo and Luffy giggled.
“Sounds like you had a really tough day”, Sabo presumed.
“It was horrible! The one fuc- uh, damn day I have to be present at the office and then I fall asleep on the bus ride back, sit there snoring until the last stop and when I wanna take the next bus back all of the major roads are closed off because of a huge freak accident!”
“I told you you could have gotten a cab”, Sabo said as he started munching on his burger.
“I highly doubt I would have been here any faster even if I'd gotten one”, Ace answered. “There was massive traffic jam everywhere right away, all the small roads were clogged and the ride would have cost a fortune.”
Sabo opened his mouth to say he would have been happy to pay for him but didn't say anything in the end.
Ace was still very careful with money and didn't want others to pay anything for him.
Sabo doubted that this mindset would change anytime soon.
Even if he offered over and over again.
Maybe one day...
They ate their dinner and all took turns talking about their days.
It had become somewhat of a tradition and Sabo loved the feeling of just sharing a meal and exchanging news and fun stories that had happened throughout the day.
Once they had finished every last crumb Sabo threw away the empty boxes while Luffy dashed back to the couch straight away and Ace went upstairs to take a long shower.
“I earned this”, he said to Sabo with a huge yawn. “Bless that stupid rain shower. Koala was right. It's the best.”
The blond chuckled.
“Yeah, you definitely earned it after your odyssey today.”
Ace grumbled his approval, then ascended the stairs with slow, heavy steps.
Sabo then re-joined Luffy on the couch and together they read some more.
Luffy occasionally asked him to explain or read a word aloud he didn't know yet.
Sabo didn't even mind that he got interrupted frequently although he usually hated nothing more than when someone bugged him while he was reading.
Ace eventually came back and threw himself face down on the couch next to Sabo.
“How late is it?”, he wanted to know, voice muffled into the big cushions.
“Ah... nearly eight.”
“Alright...”
Ace heaved himself up.
“Lu? You can finish reading the chapter, then it's bed time.”
“What? But it's so exciting right now! Noland just arrived at this new island!”
“And it will still be exciting when you continue reading tomorrow”, Ace insisted.
Sabo was impressed with the way Luffy's pout didn't seem to have any effect on him. “You can finish this chapter and then you go and brush your teeth.”
Luffy sulked some more to try and get Ace to give in but the older boy stayed adamant so he eventually gave up.
“How do you manage to be so strict with him?”, Sabo wanted to know once Luffy had disappeared into the bathroom to get ready for bed.
“I just have to”, Ace shrugged. “I don't like doing it but it's necessary.”
He looked at Sabo and smiled.
“By the way, the library card? Is it still free for kids?”
“Yes, it is”, Sabo assured him right away.
“Okay, good... what about that plushie though?”
Sabo felt his face grow hot and he decided he couldn't tell Ace the real reason why he'd bought Luffy the stuffed animal.
He would just laugh if Sabo admitted that he was so touched by Luffy calling him big brother in front of all of his friends that he'd had no other choice but to buy him anything he wanted.
“Well... we walked down one of the shopping streets and Luffy stared at it through one of the windows. I originally thought about gifting it to him on Christmas but... then I thought why not give it to him now? He looked so sad when I said we had to leave...”
“Ah, yes, his biiig puppy dog eyes”, Ace answered, smiling. “In the beginning I had a hard time saying no to them as well.”
“So, you're not mad?”, Sabo asked carefully.
“No, I'm not mad”, Ace laughed. “I was just a little surprised. But it's fine. I don't mind if you spoil him from time to time. I-It's your money and you can spend it on whatever you want. Just... don't overdo it, okay?”
Sabo breathed a sigh of relief and nodded.
“Promise.”
“Okay, good.”
Ace got up and stretched his arms above his head with a groan.
“I'll get Lu to bed. You up to finish the rest of that sitcom we started last week afterwards?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Okay, cool. I'll be right back.”
Sabo watched him until he disappeared into the hallway and then breathed a quiet sigh.
He wanted to tell Ace about Luffy calling him big brother, he really wanted to.
But maybe he should wait a few days.
Or else Ace would guess the real reason why Sabo had spoiled the little boy so much.
For now he'd just let him believe that he hadn't been able to resist Luffy's puppy dog eyes.
Only... over the next few days it got even more difficult for Sabo to not spoil Luffy at every opportunity.
And of course he did it again.
When they were inside the house it was fine.
They had a pillow fight (which Ace later joined with great enthusiasm), Sabo made them the hot chocolates nearly every evening and when Luffy stole sweets from the cupboard before dinner (even though he wasn't supposed to) Sabo just pretended he hadn't seen.
But then Ace had a doctor's appointment (he'd nearly forgotten himself) and he asked Sabo to pick Luffy up again.
And when Luffy asked him if they could get bubble tea again what was he supposed to say? No???
And when they walked home and came through the shopping district again they couldn't just ignore that new collection of Noland toys without looking at it at least once, right?
If Sabo got him a little action figure and another key chain for his backpack so what??
But if Ace had noticed all the new things he hadn't said anything yet and Sabo dared to hope that he wouldn't comment on it at all.
He knew he couldn't keep going like this forever but he excused his behaviour by telling himself that he had the money (which was true) and that he just wanted to see Luffy happy (which was also true because his little brother deserved the fucking world).
His hopes were shattered though when Ace poked his head through the doorway of his library one evening.
“Hey Bo, can I ask you something?”
“Uh, sure.”
Sabo quickly finished writing his last sentence and put the pen down before turning his office chair towards Ace.
“What is it?”
Much to his horror Ace entered the room and held up a plushie: a tiger – which Sabo had also gotten for Luffy this week.
(He had seen it at a toy store near the university, it had looked so lonely in the display window! Merry and Birb (the name Luffy had given the south-bird) needed more friends!)
“Would you mind telling me what the actual fuck is going on? This is the third plushie this week if I'm not mistaken.”
“You... you noticed?”
Oh, Sabo could have hit his head on the table for his own stupid question.
Of course Ace had noticed!
He whined and quickly hid his face in his hands, trying to hide how red it had gotten from his old friend.
And if that wasn't bad enough Ace rolled his eyes with an annoyed sigh.
“Come on, I'm not that dense! I'm happy that you two get along so well and that you gift him nice things but you're overdoing it! Something must have happened. You didn't do this before.”
Sabo avoided his eyes until he felt like he'd explode any second and then suddenly blurted out: “Yeah, okay! I admit it! I know it's too much, okay? I know... and I know I'm too soft on him but... it's just that...”
Ace cocked his head, curious now.
It looked suspiciously like Sabo was embarrassed with the way the tips of his ears were burning and this way of speaking was unusual for him as well.
“What is it?”, he coaxed, more gently.
“When I picked him up last week he... uhm... he called me his … his bi... br...”
“He called you what?”, Ace asked, confused now.
“Hngh... he called me his big brother, okay!”, Sabo suddenly blurted out.
He looked up at Ace with wide eyes, his face burning but there was something desperate in his expression too. “In front of all of his friends! He called me his big brother and I thought... I just...”
Ace looked at him so fondly that Sabo couldn't stand looking at him any longer.
He didn't know to finish his sentence either so he lowered his head and pulled his legs up onto his chair, hugging them.
“I see”, Ace mumbled lovingly and much to Sabo's horror he came closer until he was standing next to the chair.
A hand ruffled his hair and he heard Ace chuckle.
“Being a big brother seems to be a big deal for you.”
Somehow Sabo hadn't expected so much understanding from Ace.
He pouted but then he carefully nodded.
“It's just... I've never had any siblings”, he tried to explain. “Stelly doesn't count... I mean, we were kind of like brothers when we grew up but we're the same age... nowadays kids are usually scared of me, so... I don't know, it's just... I see how Luffy looks at you and how well you get along despite all your bickering. That kid loves you... and when he called me his big brother too...”
At loss for words Sabo peeked up at Ace who still smiled.
“Does he think I'm cool? Does he want me to be part of his family? Just like you are?”
Ace's fond smile widened even further until he showed all his teeth and Sabo didn't even protest when Ace bent down to give him a brief but reassuring side-hug.
“Let me tell you something”, Ace said once he'd let go.
He crouched down and crossed his arms on the armrest of Sabo's chair.
“When I was still debating on taking your offer for our new home it was Luffy who said he'd like to live here with us. I... kinda left it up to him since he needed to feel comfortable in his environment. But when he said he wanted to move he asked me if you could be his big brother too.”
Sabo gasped.
His eyes went so wide Ace thought they'd fall out of their sockets any moment and his old friend's fingers dug so hard into his forearm that he winced.
“He didn't!”
“Yes, he did”, Ace laughed.
“Ace, I swear, if you're lying-”
“I wouldn't lie to you about something like that, idiot! No... the night we decided to take you up on your offer he asked me “Do you think Sabo could be my big brother too?”. He always thought you were cool, Bo.”
A wobbly smile spread on Sabo's face and for a moment he really struggled to blink away the tears in his eyes.
Was that true?
Luffy had really liked him from the very start?
Ace gave him a moment and patted the hand that was still holding onto his arm.
“I can see how much this means to you”, he said after a while. “And I don't mind if you spoil him from time to time, promise. But no overdoing it anymore, okay? Otherwise he'll turn into a brat that won't accept no for an answer and you know how he is when I tell him no already.”
“Yeah, I know...”
“Now that you're a big brother too that's something you'll have to learn. But don't worry, I'm here to help, okay? We can do this together.”
Sabo looked at him and gave a slow, grateful blink.
“Okay”, he agreed. “I promise I won't overdo it anymore. You were right though, his puppy dog eyes are hard to resist.”
Ace laughed and got up.
“Yeah, I know. It takes a while but one day you'll be immune to them as well.”
Sabo smiled.
“Thank you, Ace. For understanding and ... for not being mad at me.”
“Why would I be mad at you, idiot?”
Sabo didn't answer but his smile turned a little embarrassed again.
Why had he feared Ace's reaction so much?
He should have known Ace wouldn't be mad.
“Good, now that that's done I'll give this-”, Ace held up the tiger plushie. “- back to Lu and then I'll go to bed. Don't stay up for too long again, okay?”
“I won't”, Sabo promised.
“Alright.”
And because he just couldn't resist Ace bent down and pressed a quick kiss to Sabo's forehead.
He could feel him jump the slightest bit at the touch and wasn't surprised when big blue eyes stared at him in wonder as he pulled away.
But Ace just smiled fondly at his old friend and whispered a “Good night” as he went to leave the library.
“G-Good night”, Sabo finally managed to echo when Ace had already reached the door.
He gifted him one last smile, then disappeared downstairs to give back the plushie.
Sabo listened to Ace's retreating footsteps and once he was sure he was out of earshot Sabo got up and promptly threw himself into his armchair where he crawled under his fluffy white blanket.
There was a whirlwind of emotions running wild in his chest and Sabo felt like crying and laughing at the same time.
It ended up being a mixture of the two, he was smiling wide, so much that his cheeks hurt, while tears streamed down his face.
The spot on his forehead where Ace had placed the small kiss tingled a bit.
His heart raced and he felt giddy with the knowledge that Luffy now really saw him as part of his family – that he apparently had so right from the start even!
That and Ace's understanding of his situation made him feel the happiest he'd been since... well, probably since they had agreed to move in with him.
He couldn't wait to tell Koala about all of this.
Tomorrow though.
Tonight was only for himself and with a happy smile he cuddled deeper into the comfort of his blanket.