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After two years of being dead to the world, Portgas D. Ace had finally decided he’s strong enough to meet his brother again. Or rather, brothers. Seriously, seeing Sabo’s face in the news had been enough of a shock to have him bursting into flames. He'd been angry at first, vowing to punch Sabo into the afterlife himself, but after the initial betrayal—Why now? Why show up now that he thinks I'm gone?—Ace was just happy Luffy still had an older brother to watch over him. Closer than he could, at least.
Apparently, he and Luffy made contact in Dressrosa a while back, and were together again now that Kaidou had fallen. Marco and Izou had told him they were just fine, but Ace knew he wouldn’t settle down until his two brothers were in his sight.
Marco and the other Whitebeards—especially the former spades—decided it was safer for him to be dead. By the time that Ace was well enough to protest, it had already been two months. And, they were right. Revealing himself risked all of Roger's enemies targeting the people he loved. Risked an already heavily injured, emotionally unstable Luffy—Please, just one letter. Let me give him something. He can't think he's the only one left—being targeted by Teach all over again. Whitebeard, Pops, and all of his comrades that had fallen at Marineford, died so that he could live. And, in what he thought were his last moments, Ace had finally felt that, just maybe, he was allowed to want to. If revealing himself meant Luffy would have to lose him twice over, then Ace could stubbornly pour himself into training.
But after two years, Ace was ready to face the world head on, his heritage head on. His brothers had waited for him long enough.
Deuce cleared his throat.
“Do you plan to make your public appearance at the same time you meet your brothers? Commander Marco and Commander Thatch are trying to plan around the uproar.” There was a logbook in his hands as he spoke, and Ace smiled. Sabo and Deuce would really get along.
“I’d like to have some time with them. Luffy’s going to be inconsolable.” Ace’s heart clenched, he knew, of course, the pain his brother must have gone through. Ripping open that wound… felt rather cruel. But in the two years that he had been showered in love by people who lost their father to save him—He would have done the same for every one of us, yoi. He was your father too—Ace had learned to be a bit selfish.
“Captain.” Deuce seemed to notice the tension in his shoulders. “I’m sure your brothers will just be thrilled you’re alive. Isn’t that how you felt hearing Sabo lived?”
Despite the heavy weight in his heart, Ace chuckled.
“Actually, I was pretty pissed.”
And Deuce, the traitor, just rolled his eyes like he expected the answer.
“And now, how do you feel now?”
“I want to see him.” Probably more than he wanted to see Luffy. If only because even after learning to be selfish, Ace really didn’t deserve Luffy. But no one deserved Luffy, Luffy just decided he was yours, and you were his. Nothing else mattered. Only that he loved you and, whether you liked it or not, you’d end up loving him too.
“Then you’ll be fine, captain.” His former first mate, and best friend, smiled softly. “From what you’ve told me, they’re more forgiving than you.”
As comforting as the words were, Sabo was, decidedly, less forgiving than Ace. Where his rage was fire, wild and hot, Sabo’s rage was stone cold. His lost brother was the type to smile when he was angry, voice sweet as he choked a man to death for looking at Luffy strange. Ace had done his research, and the rev's chief of staff had the same reputation. Ace might've been overprotective, but Sabo was possessive. It was harder to see when it was just the two of them, but when Luffy came into their lives, Ace was faced with a side of Sabo that simultaneously made his blood run cold and his chest warm. A revolutionary he may now be, the glint of those blue eyes in the papers told Ace the greed of a pirate still lived on in Sabo.
Where Ace would let Luffy fall to learn the ground hurts, bandaging him up after. Sabo would scoop him up long before the impact, carrying him the rest of the way. Speaking of that… he hoped his brother hadn’t spoiled Luffy too much while he’d been away. Though, maybe this once, Ace could admit Luffy deserved to be spoiled. If not for the grief Ace had put him through, then for the grief Ace was about to put him through.
“We’re not that far off now, Ace.” Thatch, sweet, kind Thatch, emerged from below deck. He'd woken up from his coma not that far into Ace’s two year vacation from ‘life’. Ace’s eyes softened almost immediately, they thought they’d lost him.
“Thanks.” Because as much as the chef hates it, none of them could help being overly gentle with him. “You gonna make your debut?”
“I’ve been thinking about it, but I want you to spend some quality time with your brothers first. As soon as our names are out there again, us Whitebeard remnants are gonna have our hands full.”
“Not if we ally with Strawhat.” The three of them turned as Haruta entered the conversation. “What? He’ll undoubtedly be announced as a Yonko, probably the captain of the Heart pirates too since Big Mom is out of the game.”
“Actually I wouldn’t bet on that just yet, Marco and most of the supernovae are present in Wano right now too, they might have trouble choosing who to replace Big Mom.”
Ace just sighed, over two years training to be stronger and his little brother was going to be crowned Yonko before Ace could even tell him he was alive. How much of his life has he missed? How many adventures, hardships, had Luffy had to go through thinking he’d lost both his brothers? It was thoughts like those that made gratitude overtake the anger, the fear, he'd felt knowing Sabo survived. Sabo was there for Luffy far sooner than Ace could have been.
“Ace.” Thatch was at his side. “It’s gonna be okay.”
But they didn’t know Luffy like he did. As much as the kid could laugh and say everything was okay, Luffy didn’t ever move on from something. He made it a part of himself, not quite regretting, but never forgetting. Ace saw it first hand with Shanks, Ace saw it first hand with Sabo.
Hadn’t he sworn? Never to let that pain be because of him? Ace let out a bitter laugh, words falling out of his mouth before he could stop them.
“When we were kids, I promised him I wouldn’t die.”
All eyes turned to Ace. It was almost comical, how surprised they seemed by him opening up. As much as be blathered on about his little brother, he'd never brought himself into the equation.
“We had just lost Sabo—thought we lost him. Luffy wasn’t eating. Wasn’t sleeping. He wouldn’t do much aside from cry. It pissed me off, or I... thought it did. I realized later I was angry at myself. For not knowing how to help. For letting it happen in the first place. Sabo was always the one to calm him down, and without him, I had to relearn how to be a big brother all over again. But when I promised I wouldn’t die, that I wouldn’t leave him alone, Luffy stopped crying.”
He ignored the tears that threatened to fall as the weight of that particular promise sparked understanding on his crewmates’ faces. Yeah he wanted to say, it’s the only reason I’m still here. Instead, he rubbed tiredly at his face.
“I thought that’d be it, that he’d move on and bounce back because he always did, but he didn’t. All the while, I just became angrier and angrier. I snapped at him a lot before, but after Sabo... I asked him if he wished I’d died instead.”
“Ace…”
“I’ll never forget the look on his face. But even after I'd already started to regret it, I didn’t back down. So, Luffy and I drifted apart. We even split the treehouse in half, claiming our own sides. Really childish stuff. But then, Luffy got hurt. Really hurt. He still has some of the scars, and it was all my fault. I was right there. He was really close to dying that day, and the last memory he would have had of me wasn’t exactly positive. I… swore to be the best of both of us after that. Me... and Sabo. I swore I'd give him twice the love, double the teasing. Even if I didn’t believe I deserved it, I swore to live. So I'd never leave him. But now, he thinks I’m dead, and I can’t really say I kept my promise.”
“You did,” Deuce said. “Marco told me. When you were on the operating table you fought. And you'll keep fighting. When you make it back to them matters so much less then the fact that you're alive to do it.”
Ace 'hmm'ed in answer, feeling drained.
“Man, we’re going to be in a lot of shit with your brothers when they find out we didn’t let you see them, aren’t we?” Thatch winced. “But if they're anything like our spitfire, I'm excited to meet them.”
“Count me out, one is enough.” Deuce monotoned, deflating further when Thatch just gave him a consoling pat.
“Well, you won’t be waiting much longer.” Haruta pushed Ace forward, the land of Wano on the horizon. “Ace, get ready.”
-
The festival could be heard all the way from the harbor. Ace though it rather fitting: the place he'd failed, liberated by his kid brother. Luffy could break anyone's shackles, just by being him. As focused as he was on his brothers, the prospect of seeing Yamato and Tama again lingered quietly in the back of his mind. He owed them an apology.
His crew didn't move with him as he left the ship. Ace was a lot stronger than he used to be, and this nation had just been freed of all their enemies. Still, he kept the hood of his cloak up, reaching the capital in what must be record time. He’d rather not do this during the celebration, but his patience hadn’t really been existent in the first place.
Marco spotted him first, smiling worriedly as he pointed him in the right direction. He listened, but not before spying Izou, and what can only be the sister he’d mention on occasion, cuddled in the corner. Despite the endless nerves in his stomach, he couldn't help but feel happy for them. He’d give anything to be cuddled up to his brothers like that right about now.
The crowd was rowdy, the corners of their eyes still wet. But the bulk of the commotion, the heart of the chaos that Marco had pointed to, was where his brothers were, and it didn't take long to find them.
“Sabo. Sabo. This is Torao, you missed seeing him in Dressrosa!”
“Trafalgar." Sabo shook the surgeon's hand, and Ace was sure he sensed haki there. "I hope you haven’t been harboring any thoughts of betraying my baby brother.”
Ace would have laughed out loud at the sickly sweet tone if he wasn’t reeling from seeing the proof right before his eyes. That Sabo had lived, and neither Luffy nor Ace had known. All it seemed to do now, was make the fear come back with a vengeance.
Why didn’t you say anything? Where have you been?
Were you happier without me?
A hand on his back nudged him forward—Damn you Marco—and Ace’s hood fell off. Sabo was the first to notice him, freezing, followed closely by Zoro and Sanji as they pushed themselves in front of their captain. The reaction brought most eyes to him, even the citizens that had no idea who he was noticed the tension and stopped their celebration.
Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted Yamato’s eyes widening.
Luffy was still chatting away at Sabo and Law, placating a tension he didn't know had long been replaced with a different one.
“Sabo~ don’t be mean to Torao! We're friends!” A small, adorable, familiar, giggle reached Ace’s ears. His baby brother was covered head to toe in bandages, but that never did seem to damper his spirits. “See, he didn’t even deny it that time!”
“Luffy.” Nico Robin’s voice cut through the otherwise silent crowd. “Look.”
If looks could kill, Ace would be dead ten times over at the glares each and every one of the Strawhats was giving him (besides Luffy, but including Law). Luffy’s gasp seemed to pull Sabo out of his shock, the blond snarling as he joined Zoro and Sanji in front of the young captain.
“How dare you wear his face?!”
“A-Ace-”
Ace can already hear the warble in his younger brother’s voice.
“Sorry.” He ignored the flinch he saw run through Luffy at his voice the best he could. “But, it’s really me.”
He shed the cloak, hoping the circular scar would speak for itself. If it didn’t, Izou and Marco were hopefully trusted enough to gain him the benefit of the doubt.
“Akainu got me good, but Shanks’ got one hell of a doctor aboard his ship.” This seemed to anger Luffy’s crew even more, which, yeah. Ace would be pretty pissed if this scenario were reversed and he was standing next to Luffy instead of Sabo. Speaking of, he met his other brother's eyes. “I’m sorry I’m late, but I’m really glad you’re alive, Sabo.”
Luffy pushed his way through the three man shield, eyes shining with unshed tears.
“Ace!”
And Ace's heart shattered at the broken voice, forcing himself not to mind when Sabo held his little brother back from tackling him.
“L-Luffy, stop. That can’t be—He’s not—” Sabo tried again, wrestling back his own emotions, but Marco was already next to Ace, and the Strawhats that knew him to faltered.
“As much as I understand the hesitance, yoi. I can assure you. Portgas D. Ace lives.” Marco’s words caused Sabo to fumble, his grip loosening on their brother’s rubbery arms.
“ACE!” Finally, his sobbing little brother collided with him. All the Strawhats, along with Law and Sabo, took a step forward. Blades were drawn, slingshots loaded, but Ace simply held Luffy there. His eyes softening a bit when shaking hands connected with his scar. Out of all of them, Luffy would know it the most intimately. “I- thought- but you- Ace! You died!”
“Sorry I couldn’t come sooner.”
“A-Ace…” When he looked up from Luffy, Sabo took another step forward. “Is that really—”
Any pain or deeply repressed resentment he felt towards Sabo for never showing himself vanished the instant he met those disbelieving blue eyes. Sabo was here, and he was looking at Ace like he’d disappear any moment. That had to change. Ignoring the deadly looks of the other pirates present, Ace tucked Luffy into his chest before moving forward and capturing Sabo in a hug, Luffy smushed in the middle.
“Sabo you ass, how do you think I felt when I saw your name in the news?” Ace’s voice cracked, his own tears welling in his eyes. That seemed to finally break Sabo, his arms coming around both Ace and Luffy.
“H-how. I—Ace—I thought I’d never get to see you.” There was no shirt for Sabo’s hands to clutch onto, so Ace felt the sting of gloved fingers digging into his back. It was a good kind of pain.
“Ace m'sorry. I wasn't strong enough. You were right in front of me and I—” Both Ace and Sabo shushed Luffy at the same time, and that one simple, unified act, had most of the spectators relaxing.
“I’m okay now, see?” Ace reluctantly removed one arm from around them, moving it down to cover the still shaking hands on his scar. “I healed up just fine thanks to Shanks, he wouldn’t let me die, you know that.”
“S-Shanks—” Somehow, it only caused the boy to shake harder, repeatedly sobbing broken versions of both his name and Shanks’ into his chest.
Sabo freed his own arm from the embrace to pat the boy’s head.
“How did. How did he save you. Iva-chan said—”
“The doctor aboard Red Hair’s ship was able to increase the effectiveness of my flames on him, yoi. The details don’t really matter right now, just enjoy this.” Marco answered for him, now playing crowd control with the spectators.
They retreated into one of the rooms at the palace, never quite untangling from each other. Neither one of them called Luffy a crybaby, because none of them stopped crying until well into the night.
-
The next time he woke, there was only Luffy still asleep on his chest. His heart stopped for a second before he spotted the missing blond staring at them from a bedside chair.
“Sabo, what the hell are you doing?” If it came out slightly annoyed, it was because he’d been terrified it was all a dream.
“You’re real? Like really real? Because if you’re not, and you have to leave, I don’t think Luffy and I can handle it.” There was something about that, that Sabo admited he couldn’t handle it. And wasn't that just a testament to how broken they were? Because Ace knew, if he lost either of them now, nothing would be able to help him.
“Really real,” Ace answered. “I have time—to prove it to you. I’m still dead to the world, and I was planning on tagging along with Luffy for a while to make sure he’ll really be alright. I had hoped. I mean, if you could—”
“I’ll stay. If, If you’re not real, there’s no way I’m leaving you alone with Lu.” Sabo’s hands shook slightly, and Ace felt the weight the last two years had put on him.
“Good, then you have time to tell me where you’ve been for twelve fucking years.”
“Working for Lu’s dad, believe it or not.” The blond chuckled bitterly. “After the explosion, Dragon saved me.”
Sabo climbed back into the bed when Ace’s breath hitches at the memory. They settled Luffy in between them almost unconsciously, leaning into each other as the blond continued.
“Ace I… I couldn’t remember anything. About the gray terminal, Luffy, you. It was all blank. I barely had my name, and that was sewn into my clothes.”
“Amnesia.” Ace hated himself for being relieved. Hated even more when all he could do was squish the blond into his side tighter. “That’s why you never told us.”
“I’m sorry. I only remembered when I saw you—” Sabo stopped, hand combing through Luffy’s hair as he calmed himself down. “After you ‘died,' the newspapers triggered my memories. But the revs were swamped in the after math of the war, and Luffy had already dropped off the map. I had to wait two years just like his crew.”
“Sorry to say, I think I have you beat here Sabo.” His brothers always suffered so much because of him. Luffy. Impel Down. Marineford. “I let you both believe I was dead, that I died in his arms, for two years. My cursed blood would have gotten us both killed if I had come back right away. Hell, it could even now. But I could have done something. Said something. Anything, to make it easier for him.”
“Ace… there was no telling if it would have been safe. Staying dead… was the best thing you could have done.” Ace wondered how much will power it took for Sabo to say that. By all accounts, Sabo had more right to be mad at Ace than Ace had to be mad at him.
“From the world maybe.” He took a breath. “What about from himself? What about leaving him alone, about breaking my promise? I swore. I swore I’d never leave him.”
“You’re here now aren’t you? Besides, I wouldn’t even remember I had brothers if I hadn’t seen your death in the news. So there’s no point in worrying about the past now.” Sabo's eyes were icy, leaving little room for Ace to argue. “Luffy told me you learned that lesson, I guess old habits die hard.”
“I don’t want to hear that from you. Are you sure you even lost your memory? You’re the only idiot in the world I know whose fashion sense includes 'cravats.'” Against all odds, the comment made Sabo laugh, and the tension from before slowly melted away.
They stayed like that, glued together like the world would stop turning if they didn't. Luffy mumbled in his sleep, rubbing his cheek against Ace's shoulder.
“Some big brothers we are, huh?”
“I think Luffy would say we’re the best.”
“He would be wrong.”
“But he wouldn’t stop believing it.”
“How about those scars?” Ace prompted instead of the back and forth, a small twinge of guilt pouring through him when that sad look was back on Sabo’s face. “Do they hurt?”
“Not anymore.” Sabo looked between his brothers. “Definitely not right now.”
From the celestial then. Ace bit his lip, wanting so badly to reach out and trace the burns on his brother’s face. But did he even have the right to do something like that anymore? He traced Luffy's cheek instead, humming.
“What about yours?” Sabo’s eyes trailed down. Though the blanket blocked his view, Ace could tell they lingered where he took Akainu’s blow.
“You’d be surprised what Marco’s flames are capable of under the right conditions. The scar tissues’ not that thick, I don’t have much to complain about.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there.” Biting his lip, Sabo met Ace’s eyes. “I should have been there, for your captain, for you.”
“Pops made his choice, and I’m right here.” Pop's death was not his fault. His crew had spent two years drilling that into his head. “Besides, I had enough trouble worrying about Luffy in the chaos.”
They glanced down at him in unison, soft murmurs anchoring them both in place.
“The Strawhats are gonna kill you for leaving him.” Sabo said eventually, eyes full of mirth.
“I’m sure most of them will forgive me.” The crew was pretty easy going. “Zoro will stare daggers at me for a while, but as long as I convince him I’m the real deal… well, he probably won’t murder me in my sleep.”
“Good luck with that. I’ve seen the looks Zoro throws around at people he doesn’t trust when his captain’s not looking.”
“That’s what makes him the first mate.”
At that, Luffy stirred. As if ready to rise from the abyss of sleep and deny what everyone already knew, ‘I don’t need silly positions like that!.’ It might’ve been true, but Zoro had rightfully earned the title.
“Sabo?” Came out instead, and the blond in question smiled. The events from last night returned in waves. First, in sadness, then in shock as his eyes drifted over to Ace. “...you're still here.”
“I am.” He bit back a frown at those disbelieving eyes, ruffling his baby brother’s hair fondly. Luffy’s arms were around him in an instant, body shaking. “Not going anywhere, Lu. Promise.”
Sabo chuckled, the sound coming out choppy. Ace saw him snuggle deeper into the embrace. “You better not be.”
“Ace!” Luffy looked up at him suddenly, knocking Sabo on the nose. It probably said something about them, that neither of them stopped to scold him. “Sabo’s here!”
Ace laughed, the sound so free and unburdened, so unlike anything from his younger years, that it put more tears in both his brother's eyes.
“I know, Lu. Saw him in the newspapers.” He sent Sabo a playful glare, even as he curled tighter around his brothers. “I'm glad.”
“I lost both of you.” Luffy said weakly, cheeks wet. “But you’re here.”
“Yeah.” Sabo whispered, chin resting on the younger boy’s shoulders. “We’re here.”
For the next few months, the Thousand Sunny gains two guests, and a baby brother is never not smothered in their love and attention. His smile, in return, shines three times as bright. (The Strawhats think that the lives of these brothers must be protected at all costs. Marco assures them they aren’t the only ones.)