Chapter Text
It wasn’t always easy in the Newgate household. Being the only girl, and all. Satsuki was only there because she was practicing medicine to be a nurse and needed a place to stay, so her longtime friend, Ace, said she could stay there because they’d known each other for years because when she was a teen, she used to babysit him, Sabo, and Luffy. But, nonetheless, she couldn’t say the same for the older boys. When she arrived, there were two she hadn’t seen before. A stoic blonde and a brunette. She later found their names to be Marco and Thatch. She actually talked to them frequently and learned Marco was also into medical practice, only he was studying to be a doctor.
This year, the boys decided to go on a road trip. To where? Who knows. ‘Just to see things’, they said. Satsuki simply agreed to come because college was out for the summer and she could use a break from exams. Plus, they’d be going to hotels and there would be pools to go to and she had just gotten a new swimsuit that she needed to break in, so the timing was practically perfect. Edward said he wouldn’t be coming since things with them always ended up going to shit. She couldn’t argue with that, they were chaos. Those boys in a car for what, a week? Terror was sure to ensue.
The morning of, Ace came knocking on her door like an excited puppy. He was still in his pajamas, a white shirt and red spider man pants holding a pillow and cover. “Come on, Satsuki! We’re loading up the car now.” He shouts. Satsuki pulls her sleeping mask over her head, pushing her bangs out of her face and getting up, grabbing her fluffy cover and draping it over her shoulders as she slips on her slippers and grabs the duffle bag she placed by her door. She walked downstairs into the kitchen to see Edward sitting at the island, reading a newspaper and Marco making a cup of coffee.
“Goodmorning you guys…” She says, yawning and setting her bag down and her cover on top of it. “Goodmorning, Satsuki.” Marco says, leaning against the counter and taking a sip of his coffee. “Mornin’ Satsuki.” Edward says, nodding his head towards her. She walks over to the coffee maker and pours a cup, grabbing coffee creamer and caramel out of the fridge. She found herself getting flashbacks to being a Starbucks worker, making caramel frappuccinos at 8 in the morning for middle aged white women with a smile plastered on her face at the age of 16.
She willed herself to the car to find Ace and Luffy fighting over who got the front seat. “I called shotgun as soon as I got out here!” Ace yelled. “Yeah, well, I called it in my head!” Luffy huffed, crossing his arms like a pouting toddler. “You idiot! That’s not how it works!” Ace shouts, poking him on the chest. “Hey, don’t poke me!” Luffy says, grabbing Ace's shirt. Ace went to retaliate before Marco came out of the house and broke them apart. “Would you two shut the hell up already? None of you get the front seat, how about that?” He says pushing past them. “What!?” Both of them shout in unison. “Yeah, you heard me. Satsuki can have it instead.” He says, unlocking the car. “Me? What about Thatch?” She asks, pointing to herself. “No thanks, foxy. I want the back row all to myself.” Thatch calls out, tossing his bag in the trunk. Satsuki shrugs, putting her bag in the trunk and climbing into the front seat. “No fair, Marco’s only letting her sit in the front seat because he wants to kiss her.” Luffy pouted, plopping down in the backseat, Ace climbing in beside him. “Hey, be quiet or he might hear you~” Ace snickered. Satsuki felt her face get hot. He didn’t… really like her like that, did he? No, they were just being petty and teasing their brother. But, now that she thought about it, he had always been quite handsome and kind to her… no! This wasn’t right, he was her best friend’s brother. She steeled herself as Marco got into the front seat.
“Alright, is everyone ready to go?” Marco called out, fixing the rear view mirror. “Yeah!” The three boys in the back shouted. “Are we sure?” He asked, double checking. “We said yeah, let's go already!” Luffy said, leaning forward and poking his head through the front part of the car. “Alright… If you've left anything you're shit out of luck.” Marco says, putting the car in reverse and pulling out of the driveway of the Newgate Residence. Somehow, Satsuki felt her stomach sink. Which was weird because she was feeling fine before. She brushed it off as mild motion sickness and put on her headphones to listen to her music.
A few hours into the drive, the city landscape had long faded and became more rural, horses, cows, and animals alike became more frequent as she leaned against the window. She could hear Ace's faint snoring and the sound effects of Luffy playing his Nintendo Switch in the background. It was going to be night soon and by looking at her phone, she knew they were almost to the next state, where they would have their first stop. She barely traveled and had only been to about two states, including the one she lived in now, so this new change of scenery would be refreshing. She yawned softly, leaning her head against the car door. She pulled her cover up over her shoulders as her consciousness slipped away slowly.
But her rest was short-lived as she was startled awake by Luffy’s incessant tapping on both her and Marco’s shoulders. “Guy’sssssss my phone’s dead! Please helpppp!” Luffy pleads, shaking their shoulders. “No. You should’ve grabbed everything like I told you, yoi.” Marco sighed through gritted teeth, gripping the steering wheel tighter. Satsuki sighed, pulling out her charger from her pocket. “Here, Luffy. Just, sit back.” She huffs as he snatched her charger from her. “Thanks, shishishishi~” Luffy giggles, seeming content in annoying her to the point of giving in. Marco rolls his eyes, focusing back onto the road. “You shouldn’t have given him a damn thing, yoi…” He mutters. Satsuki looks over at him, wondering why he looks so irritated. “It’s fine. My phone’s on 86% anyway…” She shrugs, looking back at Luffy who was now happily playing Roblox on his phone.
An hour or so goes by and they pull into the parking lot of a hotel with fluorescent lights on the inside. “Luffy, wake Thatch and Ace up.” Marco says, putting the car into park. Luffy starts shaking Ace awake and then he throws himself into the backseat to wake up Thatch. “Wake up, wake up, wake up!” He exclaims, shaking Thatch. Ace wakes up with a startled look, pushing his hair out of his face. “W-What?” He asks, looking around, “Let’s go!” Luffy says, opening the car door and going around to open the trunk. Thatch climbs out of the backseat groggily and grabs his bag. “Luffy, calm down. You have way too much energy for my liking right now.” Satsuki says, pushing open the car door and grabs her cover and cup. “Did you grab my charger?” She asks, grabbing her bag from the trunk as well. “Nope, it’s still in the back with Ace!” He smiles, running to the lobby of the hotel.
Satsuki sighs, opening the car door to find Ace fast asleep — again — and her chargers still plugged up. She reaches in and slaps him on his arm before taking her charger. “Wake it up, Ace. We’ve gotta check in.” She says, slamming the door. That was what got him up and out of the car. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and began stretching, his shirt lifting slightly, showing off his V-line. Her face grew red as she caught herself staring. He seemed to notice and began smirking. “What? Something caught your eye?” He asks teasingly, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “H-Huh? No, I was just zoning out is all…” She mutters, pushing his face away. Marco cleared his throat. “Let’s go.” He says, turning his back to them and walking into the lobby.
They follow in behind him, though Satsuki is left wondering how long he was standing there. Satsuki stands at the counter beside Marco, waiting to pay. Her ears perk up when she hears the words, “I’m sorry, we only have two rooms left for the night.” With a condoling smile on her face. “Excuse me?” Satsuki says, whipping her head around. “TWO!?” She repeats. “Yes miss, only two.” She nods. Satsuki turns around, looking at Ace, Luffy, and Thatch. “And, how many beds do those rooms have?” She asks, turning back around. “Uhm, let me check.” The receptionist says, typing a few things on the computer in front of her.
“Okay, I see. One room has two beds and a sleeper-sofa. The other has only two beds.” She says, looking back up at them. Satsuki thinks for a while, scratching her head as she does. “How about me, Thatch and Luffy take the room with the sleeper-sofa and you and Ace take the other one?” Marco suggests, looking back at the boys. “What? Ew, no, I’m not sharing a room with a stupid girl, yuck. Marco, you go with her.” Ace says, sticking out his tongue. “...O-kay?” Satsuki says, her eyebrows furrowing. “Whatever, yoi…” Marco says, taking out his wallet. “I can pay for one of the rooms…” She offers, rubbing her eyes and pulling out her card. “No thanks. I got it, yoi.” He says, giving the receptionist his card.
“Alrighty then, you’re all set! Please help yourselves to our facilities. There is an outdoor pool and spa. There will also be breakfast in the morning.” she says, handing them two keycards. “This one is on the 2nd floor, it’s the one with the sleeper-sofa. And this one will be on the 5th floor with the two beds.” She says, handing them the cards. “This is what happens when you don’t book ahead, I guess.” Satsuki sighs, handing the keycard to Thatch. “We’re lucky to even score a room at all. It is the beginning of summer, after all.” He smirks. “Yeah, yeah, let’s go! I’m tired.” Ace exclaims, dragging Luffy and Thatch towards the elevator, bags in hand. Satsuki walks over to the elevator beside them, Marco following suit. “See you guys tomorrow I guess.” She says as the elevators open. “See you!” Luffy waves. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do~” Thatch teases. “Yeah, but if you do, you better be glad we’re on different floors or I swear to God you’d never hear the end of it.” Ace says with a mischievous smile on his face as he enters the elevator.