One Piece 1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One: Runaway Love**_

_Nobody will care if I die. I don't exist...I'm nothing..._

Tears continue to fall as a newly sharp razor is taken out of its hiding place. As she lines the blade to her wrist once more, and continues to slowly slice her pale skin. For this little girl, the blades are her only release from the constant bullying at school, from her abusive father who blames her for her mother's death, and from reality. Therapy doesn't help, talking won't help, and no one would be able to stop her from taking her life the moment she snaps. She learned these things from the older children at school, and she's been trying to end her life ever since because of him. Blood begins to trickle down her fingertips as the sharp metal penetrates her skin, and her newly shed tears sting the wound as they drip into the fresh cuts.

_I just want to die...everyone would be better off if I was dead. No one cares about me...I'm worthless….._

"Emily!" Her father's voice rings past the locked bathroom door. "Get the fuck out already! I have to take a piss!"

Emily quickly cleans up the mess, hiding the evidence, and then slowly opens the door. Her soft curly raven hair falls over her shoulders as her small figure walks out of the bathroom.

"What were you doing in there?! Did you fucking slit your wrists again?!"

_Stop yelling at me..._

"I swear to fucking god, Emily. Cut this shit out already! I'm not going back to the hospital again because of you," her father grabs her arm, and squeezes at her freshly cut wrists, knowing she can't speak or cry out since she's recovering from the surgery after she slit her throat and miraculously survived, "I'm going to fucking teach you a lesson, you little shit!"

_Stop...it hurts..._

He forces her into his bedroom after taking care of business in the bathroom, then throws her onto the bed.

_N-No! Not again...someone help me...!_

Her clothes are ripped off her body and she is beaten every time she fights back. She can't feel anything anymore as her monster father forces himself inside her, and she can feel herself tearing down there as she gets raped once more. This was considered punishment since she enjoyed the near-death beatings. More tears start to fall when it's over, and he tosses her out of the room as if she is trash.

"Get out of my sight, bitch," he snaps at her and kicks her out the front door, "and don't fucking come back this time!"

No shoes, no clothes except for a sheet she took from the trash since it has her blood on it, and she just runs. This time...she won't go back to him, no matter what. It's been a few hours already, but she hasn't stopped running. Adrenaline is the only thing keeping her alive, but even that will eventually stop. The soles of her feet are bleeding from running, her muscles ache, and her body is weak from malnutrition and blood loss...yet she's still running. Her shadow becomes her only companion now that she's alone in the world. She has no place to go and she's lost...cold...hungry...exhausted...hurt. Then, something is shining in her world of darkness. A bright light that's calling her name softly the way her mother used to do before she died. Emily listens closely as she slowly slips away from consciousness, not remembering hitting the floor.

_That voice...it's not my mother's...it's a man...oh no. I need to run, but it hurts..._

A gentle warm embrace as she's getting lifted by this strange man is the only sensation she feels before losing consciousness. The loud beeps awaken her from her slumber. Icy blue eyes finally open as she gets a look of her surroundings, panicking slightly at the sleeping man in the chair next to her bed.

_Why did he save me? I don't deserve to live...I am nobody. Who are you? Are you nobody, too?_

The man yawns a bit as he rubs his sleepy eyes and sighs in relief when he sees her awake. "Thank god...are you alright? You almost died..."

He has raven hair also as well as having freckles just like her, but his eyes are dark, onyx orbs that hide pain too. He's muscular and the tattoo on his arm is visible.

_ASCE? The S is crossed out...is it supposed to mean something? Who is this man?_

"My name is Ace," he smiles at her small figure, "the doctor says you can't speak for a few more days because of the surgery you had. Can you write down your name, please?"

She gives a shaky nod and accepts the notepad, writing in pretty cursive: 'My name is Emily.'

Ace smiles at the response, "It's nice to meet you, Emily. How old are you?"

'I'm nine years old...' She writes down, and then adds, 'I don't want to live anymore.'

"How come?" the freckled man asks softly so he doesn't upset her.

Emily wipes away the tears that threaten to fall before writing: 'My daddy does bad things to me. My mommy was shot trying to save me. It's all my fault...'

"It's not..." Ace whispers and gently puts a hand on top of hers, "would you like to have a new family? You'll be safer."

'Please don't make me go back...' Emily writes and can't stop the tears from falling down her tear-stained cheeks.

"Emily, honey... listen to me. You're never going back to where you came from...never again."

For the first time, she feels safe with someone. This man is her savior, and now he's taking her away from that monster. Though she can't help but wonder how anyone can love a child who tried to kill herself. She's nobody, who would want a nobody?

Ace notices the confused look in those blue eyes and tilts his head a bit when she writes down: 'I am nobody. Why would anyone me?'

"You're not a nobody anymore. You're somebody now...Portgas D. Emily."

_No longer a nobody? What is he talking about?_

Ace offers a warm smile and releases her hand. "I'm going to adopt you as my daughter, and give you the best life possible and love you unconditionally. Okay, Emily?"

This strange feeling inside her chest is definitely different, and for once it isn't the fear of being attacked again. For the first time in her life, Emily feels something other than pain, sadness, or regret. This stranger...no, Ace...no...her new father is the best thing that ever happened to her since the death of her mother. Once she heals, Emily just wants to hug him and thank him for everything he's done.

It's a whole new world to her the moment she exits the hospital a week later. Emily sits on the wheelchair the hospital provided, loving the sweatpants and t-shirt from Ace, and looks at the other sick or injured people lingering the hallways. The air reeks of disease, dirty sheets, and bad food so it is a bit funny watching Ace nearly run out of the facility. Sunlight blinds her eyes as she's out of the hospital, fresh air that isn't tainted by the aroma of her blood smells peaceful, and it all comes crashing down when he heads towards their direction. Emily's eyes widen and she looks up at Ace, hoping he'll understand that this man is her father.

"Oi, Emily. What the fuck are you doing now? So this is where you went? You little shit!" He raises a hand to strike her, but gets immediately stopped.

"Oi. Do NOT lay another hand on her, you bastard. She's my daughter now, and you'll never see her again," Ace's voice is cold and venomous, seeming to already know her father's name, "Crocodile...stay away from Emily, forever."

_Someone stood up for me...?_

He leaves Crocodile speechless as he takes Emily to his car, a red Nissan Altima. She's never seen such a nice car before, nor ever been inside one. Ace carefully helps her into the vehicle, even helping put the seatbelt on gently. Emily's blue eyes widen once more as a kiss is placed onto her forehead, and her cheeks light up to a cute pink.

No one has ever done that...except my mother...

"I'm sorry that beast is your father..." Ace sighs softly as he pulls out of the parking lot, "he's such a bastard, but that boyfriend of his is worse."

The drive grows silent quite quickly, and blue eyes look out the window to view a world that's never been seen before. In this vast world, there is someone who cares about a broken doll, someone who willingly puts their life on the line to protect such a broken object. It's a strange yet beautiful thing, but there's an odd sound voicing itself over and over again.

_You are free. Live._

Through the boisterous city streets, through the business areas, and through the crowds then soft birds chirping before it becomes silence, peaceful families in their large beautiful homes coming together as the sun sets. Finally, the car stops and the engine's turned off. A gentle hand ruffles soft raven locks and onyx eyes meet blue ones.

"I hope you don't mind, but we have to make a stop first," he begins to explain, and smiles, "this is my friends' house. They're recently engaged and asked me to come see the house along with staying for dinner. My friend Sanji is a fantastic cook, you'll love his food."

Emily just nods and tries to return such a warm smile though it's difficult after her trauma. Ace just grins and takes her to the front door, lightly ringing the doorbell and gently rubs her shoulder soothingly. The person who answers the door seems frightening to her. He has bright green hair, only one eye, huge muscles, and a long scar across his chest followed by one around each ankle. Three long gold earrings dangle from the left ear and a small cloth is tied around his left bicep.

"Zoro!" Ace greets and hugs the man tightly, pointing to her, "this is Emily. I adopted her today."

"Ah," the man called Zoro crouches down to her small height, "it's nice to meet you. My name is Zoro."

She shyly returns the offered handshake and slowly hides behind her new guardian. Zoro stands up before allowing them inside, instructing for their shoes to be removed before coming in. The house is very elegant and big. A glimmering chandelier hangs from the high ceiling, the foyer has a dual staircase leading to the second floor, and on the left is the main living room. It has a massive crescent shaped black sofa, a large hand crafted fireplace with a few picture frames on the mantel, and a round glass coffee table. On the right is the luxurious kitchen, and another man stands in it cooking. This man has golden blond hair, stunning ocean blue eyes, a curly eyebrow, a small goatee with a stubble moustache to match, long lean legs that are clearly uses for fighting, and one detail stands out the most. That detail is the magnificent diamond ring on his left ring finger. It's been crafted to resemble tiny ocean waves, there are sapphires embedded into the wave design, and those surround the beautiful 24K diamond in the center.

"Oi, cook," Zoro calls out to the other man, "Ace is here and he just adopted a little girl."

"Little girl?" The man smiles widely and literally twirls over to her, kneeling in front of her, "hello there, miss. My name is Sanji, and might I say that you're very beautiful. What's your name?"

Once again a cute shade of pink tints her cheeks as she finds herself blushing yet again. Emily tries to speak but no sound comes out, holding up the pen and paper from Ace and writing: 'My name is Emily'.

Ace chuckles softly and teases the one named Sanji, "Where's my compliment and twirling greeting, Sanji?"

"You are not a beautiful young lady or my marimo," Sanji chuckles softly and stands up, heading back into the kitchen, "why can't she talk?"

"She's recovering from a previous surgery on her throat..." Ace explains as he lets Zoro show her around and sits on the island stool, "she's been abused in so many ways. I found her nearly dead on the streets so I took her to the hospital and I adopted her."

"The poor thing..." Sanji frowns as he continues cooking, "do you know who her parents are?"

Ace clenches his fists tightly, "her father is that bastard Crocodile...he had been torturing her judging by the state I found her in."

_They're talking about him again…_

She sits on the floor with her icy blue eyes staring at the ceiling as memories of her father fill her mind once again. Every slap, cut, kick, every...cut flood each thought to remind her of the terror she once lived through.

_Is it really over?_

"_**You're nothing but garbage, brat. I should have killed you along with that piece of shit mother of yours."**_

His words shot through her fading heart after her mother was buried when Emily was five years old. She had cried for days until her throat was raw and scratchy, until she could barely speak, and until eating and drinking became difficult. He had killed the only person to love such a broken little girl without any remorse or regret. It all began on that day…

_**She was running away with her mother throughout the house with the slightest hope of a hiding spot big enough for the two of them. He was on another drunken rage, yet this one seemed the worst of all. Broken glass just wasn't enough to cause hurt yet again, though having beer bottles being thrown at her had a more punishing effect. Each shattered glass shard would pierce through tender skin as it breaks from a nearly lethal impact against the wall.**_

"_**You don't deserve to live anymore, bitch! How dare you fucking refuse to have sex with me, you filthy whore!?" Crocodile shouted at his wife of five years, Ariel.**_

"_**I don't want to...Emily needs medicine...she's sick…" Ariel pleaded.**_

_**Her words rendered useless to the drunken monster she was forced to marry. Emily watched in horror as a pistol was pulled from her father's coat. Ariel gasped softly in fear, standing in front of her daughter and ready to protect their only child. Two shots were fired one after the other, one hitting her stomach and the other through her chest. The helpless little girl witnessed the shooting of her precious mother. Ariel took a step backwards before collapsing next to the terrified Emily.**_

"_**Emily…" she managed to speak before coughing up a large amount of blood.**_

_**She held Ariel's hand one last time, tears pouring down her face as she cried, "m-mommy...Mommy, you can't leave me..!"**_

"_**Emily...please listen to me…" Ariel whispered as her life was slipping away, "mommy loves you, Emily…"**_

"_**I love you, too…"Emily whimpered through her tears, not fully understanding that her mother was dead, "please don't leave me…"**_

"Emily…"

_It reminds me of her…_

"Can you hear me? It's me…"

_Ace…?_

"Please wake up, Emily. You're crying in your sleep."

Once again she is surrounded by unfamiliar things, once again she feels like ending her own life, once again she feels alone, but...she isn't alone. Icy blue eyes slowly open to a concerned Ace and a gentle sigh of relief is released after their eyes meet. Emily wraps her arms around Ace's neck in a hug, and refuses to let go. Her eyes glistening with unshed tears as her small face hides away into the crook of his neck.

_Please protect me...Papa..._


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two**__**: A Whole New World**_

She sees many people walking down the road once the sun strikes the ground. It is very chill and foggy in the morning which is definitely new to her. There are some small dews in the flower that rest on the front lawn of her new home. The pungent odor of coffee creeps under the wooden door to wake up the small girl. She sits up to welcome the morning not the smell of caffeine which adults depend on like they required air. Birds are chirping too loudly like they do every other day, and she just wants them to go away. The sunlight is piercing through the window as it shines on her face, adding a delicate glow to icy blue orbs that gaze out the window pane.

_It's peaceful..._

A burning smell catches her senses, seemingly coming from downstairs. She jumps off the tall bed and puts on her socks before running downstairs to find the source. There's Ace running about in the kitchen trying to save the disaster he called breakfast. A burnt crumb which is symbolic for an egg, another few for pancakes, a couple more that are meant to be bacon, and two piercing black slices of toast. If the smell wasn't bad enough, his cooking skills were a lot worse.

"Don't worry Emily!" Ace shouts over the smoke detector as it starts going off, and bats away at the smoke, "I'm a firefighter! I know what I'm doing!"

This attempt to not make Emily panic, worries her even more, and once the smoke has cleared and the detector is turned off, Ace whines into the phone as he calls and speaks to Sanji, "Sanji...Can Emily and I come over for breakfast? I burnt the food again..."

"Honestly...you need cooking classes or to date someone who can cook," Sanji rubs his temples before handing the phone to his fiancé.

Zoro chuckles a bit as his lover goes to make more food for the sudden two extra guests, "you should have known this was going to happen. Ace can't cook."

Ace arrives a few minutes later with Emily and the home is filled with the wonderful aroma of Sanji's cooking. Zoro greets them as usual before the trio sits and waits on the sofa, and he turns on the TV to the local news channel.

"Can't we watch cartoons~?" Ace whines cutely at his best friend.

"Watch that crap at your own house, "the swordsman grumbles as he takes the remote from the other man.

_Breaking News! Our sources have just informed us that our troops will be returning from the battlefield very soon. We have won the long fought war against Blackbeard's threat on the country of East Blue. Thanks to the special ops group known as the Revolutionaries, which are led by Admiral Monkey D. Dragon, Blackbeard's forces were driven back into surrender. Unfortunately, we do not have any more details to share at the moment, but we will soon. Second Commander Sabo of the Revolutionaries has been given permission by his superiors to join us for an interview a week after their return._

"S-Sabo's coming home?!" Onyx eyes widen at those words, clearly excited and happy to have his brother coming back home. "It's been nine years; I wonder what he looks like now…"

_For anyone with a soldier coming home, your long wait will finally be over in approximately three weeks. _

Ace is so happy he could faint, which is almost what happens. Instead, his narcolepsy kicks in and he falls fast asleep, face squished against the armrest of the couch. Emily jumps up from her seat worried, as this is the first time she has seen this happen. Her eyes widen with worry and she looks up to Zoro for some kind of help.

Zoro chuckles and grins, "He's fine, he's just fallen asleep."

_He's joking...right?_

At hearing the gentle snoring from the freckled man, Emily looks relieved and just sits back down on the sofa. _Honestly..._

"Relax," Zoro says as he flicks through the channels on the T.V., "it happens quite often."

They finally settle on what to watch while Ace sleeps next to them, only waking up when Sanji calls them for breakfast. Ace grins as he rushes into the kitchen and takes his seat before shoveling down his food, Emily beside him, eating slowly and picking at her food. Her eyes linger on the contents on the plate in front of her, barely eating anything right away. She decides she doesn't want to eat anymore, but doesn't want anything to go to waste so she sneaks the remainder onto Ace's numerous plates. Much to her misfortune, Sanji catches her doing that and she can't help but feel a bit guilty from her actions. Two sets of blue eyes meet and before Sanji could make a comment, the doorbell rings. The cook gets up to answer the door and groans as a familiar high-pitched voice rings throughout the house.

"Sanji~~! I heard you made a lot of food~!"

"You just missed breakfast, Luffy. If you're that hungry then I'll have to make more," the blond sighs as the younger raven haired boy walks in and instantly goes to hug his older brother.

"Luffy~!" Ace grins as he hugs Luffy back, "come and meet Emily~!"

"Eh, who's Emily?"

"She's the girl I adopted, I told you on the phone, remember?"

"Oh yeah~ Shishishi~" Luffy grins when he sees the young girl in the kitchen and hugs her before making a dash for the extra food Sanji has just cooked, "I'm Luffy~! I'm your brother now~!"

Ace chuckles and sits back at the table, Emily sitting on his lap as she stares at the new arrival, "Luffy, you're not her brother."

"Eh?" the younger boy says as he shoves meat into his mouth and chews loudly, "what am I too her then?"

"You're her uncle."

"Shishishi~! Cool~, I'm an uncle~"

Emily smiles and picks up the notepad and pen she left on the table and starts writing on a new piece of paper, 'it's nice to meet you Uncle Luffy', she adds a smiley face then shows Luffy the notepad.

He laughs and gently ruffles Emily's hair, "it's nice to meet you too~."

Emily smiles as she draws in her notepad, lightly swinging her legs under the table, and giggles softly when Ace falls asleep again.

"Hey Luffy," Zoro says, "Did you hear, Sabo's coming home."

Luffy's eyes widen and he looks at the other man in disbelief, "h-he's coming home?"

The swordsman nods and grins, "it was on the news this morning before you got here."

"S-Sabo's finally coming home~!" Luffy cries and rubs at his eyes.

Once the numerous goodbyes are spoken and they return home, Ace decides to surprise his new daughter with a newly decorated and filled bedroom. The old guest room is now her room all to herself.

_No drunken monster, no more tears, no more pain, and no more hurting inside. This is truly a dream come true…_

Words couldn't describe the emotions running through her thoughts at this very moment. She glances through the door on her left is where a quite spacious room folds out. The walls are a lovely shade of lavender, along with the ceiling and the door to the walk in closet. Light filters into the room from the large window facing the driveway below. A bench is built into the wall underneath the window, but is dusty and dirty from not being freshly constructed. The light above was just installed a few minutes ago, and the tap of her feet bounce off the walls from her shadow. Sheer violet curtains hang in front of the large window pane, adding a soft darkness to the room. A full-sized bed with a zebra-print duvet and black & white pillow design reside again the center wall with four black bed posts that stand tall. A large white vanity is placed near the walk-in closet, and for once on her life she was getting such nice things.

Emily just looks around in amazement and writes on her notepad 'Thank you so much for my new room, Papa' along with a big heart under it. She smiles and drops everything in her hands to hug Ace tightly, feeling overwhelmed with joy but she wouldn't shed a tear. The raven-haired man smiles back and returns the tight embrace, lifting her up and twirling around with her in his arms.

"You're very welcome, Emily~" he kisses her soft cheek lovingly like a parent is meant to.

"_**Emily, Mommy loves you…"**_

Icy blue eyes snap open in an instant, and she sits up in her new bed quickly after being woken up in her sleep, panting softly as the nightmare fades. The soft moonlight seeping through the curtains couldn't help her fall back asleep. The picture of her mother lays on the nightstand after it had been recovered from him, constantly reminds her that she doesn't have a mom anymore, though she has something just as good, Ace. He is her family now, and she couldn't be happier. Now, she also has an uncle and another soon to return in three weeks. Emily couldn't help but wonder what this one looks like and what kind of person he is. All of these thoughts made it impossible to sleep alone in fear of having more nightmares, so she slides out of bed slowly and walks out of her room. She silently opens the door to her foster father's bedroom, shyly making her way over to the sleeping man. A gentle nudge was all it takes to wake him and onyx eyes meet blue ones.

"Hey, Emily, what's wrong?" Ace asks softly and gently pets her soft hair, "did you have a nightmare?"

She just nods and is already granted permission to sleep with him for the night. Emily buries her face into his white t-shirt lightly and his warmth caused her to immediately flicker her eyes closed, soft snoring and deep breathing are all that is heard from the little girl as she's now fast asleep. Ace can't retain the wide smile across his face when Emily sought him out for comfort again. All of his excitement made it hard to sleep, but his cursed narcolepsy kicks in which makes him fall asleep. Three weeks seem to fly by without a trace, and time isn't going to stop any longer. Ace and Emily are already driving to the airport with Luffy and Usopp driving behind them in their car. He can barely contain his nerves and excitement to finally have his other brother home from the army.

_You're finally coming home…_

The airport is more crowded than usual due to the families of other soldiers waiting for their loved ones to arrive. One by one soldiers come into the main lobby, but he isn't there yet. The crowds slowly disappear as the families take their troops home. At the stroke of nine, a tall man with wavy blond hair and a scar over his left eye walks out into the lobby. As the man walks towards the five with a wide smile, he notices the small girl hide behind his slightly older brother.

"Hey, guys. It's been a long time… I'm glad to see you are all doing really well."

The two D brothers well up with tears of joy to see the man in front of them, throwing their arms around the figure and sobbing happily for his safe return.

"SABO!"


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three**__**: Welcome Home**_

Sabo chuckles and tears fall from his eyes like a waterfall when Ace and Luffy literally tackle him in the middle of the lobby at the airport.

"We've missed you so much~!"

"I've missed you guys too, it's been too long."

Once the sobs from his brothers settle down and they take a proper look at him after not seeing him for nine years, Sabo looks over to the little girl who is standing behind Luffy and Ace, and is looking around anxiously as she fiddles with the hem of her top.

"Who's this?" He asks with a friendly smile on his face as he walks past his brothers and crouches down to be at the same level as Emily.

Ace grins as he stands behind the little girl and gently places his hands on top of her shoulders, "This is Emily. I adopted her."

Sabo looks up at him skeptically, "You?"

"Yeah, me. What's wrong with that?" The firefighter asks with a pout.

"Nothing, I just didn't think you were one to adopt, that's all. A lot has happened since I've been away, huh…?" his smile fades as he thinks of all the time he's lost with his brothers, though he quickly shakes his thoughts away and puts on a smile as he looks back to Emily, "it's great to meet you Emily. I'm sure my brother is taking great care of you."

Ace frowns when he sees the sadness in Sabo's eyes, then smiles when Emily hugs Sabo tightly in greeting, "I finally get to meet Uncle Sabo~," she beams adorably.

Sabo chuckles and gently picks Emily up as he gets up from crouching on the floor, "so, who am I staying with?"

"With me and Emily of course," the freckled man grins as he grabs Sabo's bags and carries them out to the car.

Once they are all at Ace's and are settled down, they sit on the couch in front of the T.V. and put on the kids channel to watch cartoons, though that's more for Ace than Emily…

"So, what else have I missed?" Sabo grins as he leans back against the pillow, which he's propped up against the arm of the couch, and drapes his legs over Ace's lap.

The firefighter blushes lightly and bites his lip as he looks to the T.V., "well, Luffy and Usopp are dating now, have been for a few years."

"Eh?! They are?!"

"Ace!" Luffy whines, "I wanted to tell him~!"

"Sorry, Luffy."

"Sugoi~, I remember when you two used to follow each other around all the time when you were little, like love-struck puppies~," Sabo says, making Luffy and Usopp blush.

"You and Ace used to follow each other around all the time, too!"

Ace's eyes widen and he blushes, _Oh my god Luffy, shut up…._

"Haha, yeah. But not like you both did. You were always sneaking glances at each other, and looking away with red faces when you were caught staring, right, Ace~?"

"Huh...? Oh, y-yeah….I'm going to go check on the tea..."

"But you didn't make any tea," Usopp says as he wraps his arms around Luffy, who is now sitting on his lap.

_I know that! I just needed an excuse to get out of here…. _"I didn't? That must be why I haven't heard the kettle go then…"

Ace gently moves Sabo's legs from his lap and heads into the kitchen to start making tea. As he pulls out a few mugs from the kitchen cupboard, he hears someone come in behind him.

"What's wrong, Ace?"

_Why did it have to be him…?"_

"I'm fine, Sabo…"

The blond has always been able to tell when his brothers are lying, and it's pretty obvious that Ace is lying to him right now. He bites his lip and doesn't press any further as he doesn't want to cause any problems between him and Ace, he's only just got back after all. His eyes turn to look at Emily on the floor in the living room; she's a beautiful little girl who knows how to hide her visible scars, especially the ones on her forearms that are clearly hidden under the long sleeves. Emily can feel Sabo's gaze on her and shifts uncomfortably, getting up and escaping to her bedroom before Ace returns.

"Where did Emily go?"

Luffy and Usopp simply shrug before flipping through the channels, only stopping when they reach one of those performing arts channels where they see Ace's old childhood best friend dancing on a large stage by herself. She's short for her age with long curly black hair that's pulled back into a perfect bun, and bright purple eyes that sparkle in the lights like a precious gem.

"I remember her...that's Yume, isn't it? She used to cover for us whenever Gramps found out we caused more trouble for Dadan," the new veteran laughs a bit and grins cheekily.

"That's her, and now she's a famous ballerina like she always dreamed about becoming," Ace explains with a smile as he takes a seat next to Sabo once more.

Luffy looks up at his two older brothers and nearly smiles from ear to ear, "I'm so happy Sabo came home…"

Sabo smiles back and rests his head on Ace's shoulder, shutting his eyes slowly, "sleepy…"

_Stop being so adorable…_

After being nearly dragged out by Usopp, Luffy finally leaves and now Ace and Sabo are alone together in the living room. The raven-haired man lights up like a Christmas tree as he blushes, gently lifting the other man and holding him bridal style. After the sudden realization that he combined the guest rooms so Emily can have a nice room, Ace blushes more since Sabo will have to sleep in the same bed as him. Of course they've done this as kids, but it's a lot different now since hidden feelings may interfere with their brotherly bond.

Ace bites his lip as he quietly carries Sabo into his room and gently places him on top of the bed. _Ah wait, I should probably put him under the covers…._ The firefighter is so nervous to be sharing a bed with his brother again, that his palms are sweating._ Should I take his clothes off…? He might be uncomfortable when he wakes up…._ He blushes as he looks over Sabo. His younger brother isn't in his uniform anymore, as once they got in through the door, he had changed into a pair of sweatpants and one of Ace's hoodies - which nearly gave him a heart attack when he saw Sabo wearing it -. _Yeah… he'll probably be uncomfortable, and hot in my hoodie…. he does look hot in my hoodie…_ He gulps as he looks down at Sabo on his bed, then sits down and gently holds Sabo close to his chest as he takes off the jumper. His eyes widen slightly when he sees that Sabo wasn't wearing a t-shirt underneath and he can see how much more muscular his brother has got since being away at the army.

He also notices the scars on his chest, and feels a pang of sadness as he looks over them and wonders about what Sabo must have gone through to get scars like that. Ace can't help but think that the scars make him look sexier and he bites his lip as he lays Sabo back down on the bed. _I should probably take the sweatpants off too….oh god he's not wearing any boxers!... I'll just leave them on…._

Ace blushes madly as he gently places Sabo under the bed covers and sighs with relief that his brother didn't wake up when he was undressing him, or when he caught an eyeful of his lower half… Quietly, he gets up from the bed, stretching his arms above his head, and he yawns as he strips down to his boxers and climbs into bed. He stays to his side, and closes his eyes, trying to go to sleep and still his rapidly beating heart. The extra warmth radiating from Sabo is making him want to cuddle up with the other man and nuzzle into his blond hair. But he can't…

As he slowly starts to falls asleep he feels the bed dip and panics for a second until he hears Emily's quiet voice, "I..I had a nightmare…."

Ace opens his eyes and gently brings Emily under the covers between him and Sabo, she's having her nightmares almost every night still, and he can't help but to feel a strong urge to just put her in a bubble and keep her safe from the outside world. Instead, he gently strokes her hair and whispers calming words until she falls asleep with a smile on her face.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter Four**__**: Just a Game**_

Nothing is more pleasant than to wake up to the comforting smell of pancakes. Maybe it could be the thought of the butter willingly melting with the heat, or the warm maple syrup dripping off the edges like sweet lava. The ambrosial scent of warm maple syrup compliments the delicate feeling and tastes of the pancakes. Though those aromas are quite fragrant, the star of the show would have to be the bacon sizzling in the hot pan. The aromatic smell of bacon fills the home, and for once nothing is on fire. Sanji will be able to sleep in on a Saturday for once since Ace isn't calling him early in the morning for a rescue breakfast. Speaking of Ace, the pleasurable heat where Sabo once laid is missing but the wonderful aromas take over his senses almost instantly.

_Where could Sabo have - holy shit what's that amazing smell?!_

He quickly puts on some sweats and a tank top before heading to the kitchen, finding both Sabo and Emily in the kitchen making a huge breakfast feast. The sight is both heartwarming, but yet so seductive -just on Sabo's part-. Sabo is standing over the kitchen stove wearing only slightly baggy red plaid pajama pants, white boxers that are partially showing, and a black apron. His back is a lot muscular than Ace had dreamed of; despite the numerous scars, Sabo's skin still looks heavenly to the freckled-man.

Sabo turns around and grins when sees Ace standing in the doorway, "morning~ Ace~."

The firefighter's heart flutters in his chest and he smiles back as he sits down at the table next to Emily, not trusting himself to get any closer to Sabo right now, "morning you two~."

"Good morning, Papa," Emily smiles cutely, clearly loving having her voice back. Her voice is ever so adorable, and it's hard for Ace to say no to her, "uncle Sabo and I made breakfast~."

"I can tell. Everything looks great," the raven-haired man smiles and chuckles nervously in a hushed tone, blood sinking to the nether regions the moment Sabo bends over to pick something off the floor.

The former soldier doesn't notice his brother's odd behavior luckily, but it'd be better if he didn't figure it out. Sabo places the food on the table, and then takes off the apron he is wearing before sitting down, and Ace has trouble eating for once as he's concentrating more on trying to not look at his brother's abs. It becomes more difficult when a drop or two of maple syrup drips onto Sabo's bare chest. Ace really wants to lick that syrup off of Sabo right now…

The blond sighs in annoyance and quickly grabs a wet cloth from the sink and rubs at the syrup on his chest, unknowingly making it worse for Ace as his brother tries his hardest to think about something else. Sabo only notices the redness of his brother's face, and leans over the table to touch the firefighter's forehead in order to check for a fever, "are you feeling ok, Ace? You're bright red…"

"I-I'm fine, Sabo…" _I'm not fine…_

"Are you sure?" Sabo asks as he pulls away to get up and clear up from breakfast.

_Don't go…_

Emily notices her dad's odd behavior, but she's just as confused as her uncle about it. She takes the remaining empty dishes over to the sink, stepping on the tiny step-ladder to reach the sink and starting to clean up after herself. Ace seems to slip into a small lust-induced trance as he fantasizes:

_*Lips collide tenderly and Ace's tongue slowly and eagerly explores his brother's mouth as soon as it pushes past Sabo's lips. The blond moans into the kiss and their clothes are discarded instantly once Ace lays Sabo down on the bed. He slowly places light kisses along Sabo's body, savoring every inch of the blonde's chiseled scarred skin as he lowers himself. Every moan and sound Sabo makes is music to his ears, and he's clearly craving to hear more. After thoroughly preparing the blond, Sabo whispers in the most seductive tone, "please be gentle with me, Ace…"_

"Ace…?" the firefighter's trance is broken by the sound of Sabo's voice, "I think you should lie down. You look flushed."

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay…" Ace whispers shyly, feeling completely embarrassed over what just played through his thoughts. _Something is definitely wrong with me…_

_**He kicked her in the face yet again, causing her nose to bleed profusely. He kicked her in the stomach as she lay helpless on the carpet, coughing up an awful lot of blood. That was her birthday gift. Her father would get drunk out of his mind as always then beat her senseless for his own cruel pleasure. She was nothing more than a punching bag to him, and that was all she would ever be. The first teardrop threatened to fall down her cheek as her lashes dampened, but she quickly wiped it away weakly before he noticed it.**_

_**"Was that a fucking tear, Emily?" He questioned with a scowl.**_

_**She turned her head from him, and pressed a finger on her lashes. Her quick denial seemed forced, but he left it alone at that for now. She didn't say another word as another tear formed in her eyes, and this time she let it roll down her cheek. He hadn't noticed, thankfully, but once he heard a whimper, he swiftly turned to punch her square in the face. The impact was so strong that it caused a dark black eye, and it quickly swelled shut.**_

"_**You're not allowed to cry, filthy bitch."**_

Emily sits up quickly in her bed, glancing around the room with fear lingering in her thoughts. Past urges cloud her thoughts once more, and yet again she wants to make the pain go away. She quietly sneaks into the bathroom, rummaging through each and every cabinet for something very sharp. _I need to make it go away… _Her dark thoughts are screaming at her to find relief, and it comes in her vision once she discovers Ace's razors. Once the cool, sharp metal is in her grasp, she aligns it with her healed skin and starts crying hysterically. Something seems to be stopping her from hurting herself again. A large hand is wrapped around her tiny wrist, gently raising that hand and removing the razor.

"Don't hurt yourself anymore, please…"

_Papa...I'm sorry…_

"I-...I'm sorry…" Emily whispers before looking up to see Sabo there and not Ace, hugging him tightly for comfort as well as forgiveness.

The blond hugs his niece close to his muscular chest, letting his heartbeat calm her and his embrace seems to soothe her tears since she stopped crying the moment his arms wrap around her. Sabo still hears soft sniffles and decides to sing a quiet lullaby to help her calm down fully so Ace doesn't worry, also not wanting Emily to cry anymore.

_Please let me take you_

_Out of the darkness and into the light_

_'Cause I have faith in you_

_That you're gonna make it through another night_

_Stop thinking about the easy way out_

_There's no need to go and blow the candle out_

_Because you're not done_

_You're far too young_

_And the best is yet to come…_

His deep husky voice sounds heavenly even when it's at a near whisper, almost sounding angelic to her. Sabo's soft singing and embrace calmed Emily down, and it also put her back to sleep. He carefully lifts her into his arms, supporting her under her buttocks like the small child she is. The former soldier carries her back into her bedroom, not seeing or noticing the jealous look in his brother's eyes who has no idea what just happened in that bathroom.

_I wish he would hold me like that…_ Ace blushes as he shakes his head, trying to push those thoughts out of his brain. _I can't believe I'm feeling this way about my brother..._

_**Author's note: the lyrics are from a verse in the song Lullaby by Nickelback**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Five**__**: Love in the Air**_

'_We are honored to invite you to the bonding of Roronoa Zoro and Sanji Black in holy matrimony on June 13th. This will be a glorious day for them and it would be wonderful to have you at this glorious event. The ceremony will take place at St. Roger's Church and will start at 9:00am sharp. There will be a party afterwards which will be held at the Baratie restaurant, beginning at 8:00pm. Please RSVP by April 3rd so a seat can be saved for you and your party. For more information or to RSVP, call Sanji Black at the number given below.'_

Ace grins widely as he reads the wedding invitation he received in the mail, happily showing it to his younger brother. He's so excited about his two best friends finally getting married that he seems to have forgotten that Sabo isn't wearing a shirt or anything for that matter since the blond has just walked out of the shower, with a towel wrapped around his hips, and into the living room to see what Ace's excitement was about. Onyx eyes widen like a deer in headlights when he finally sees what's in front of him. Sabo's scarred skin is shining a bit from being wet, tiny water droplets slide down chiseled abs and the way his blond hair sticks to his face is driving Ace crazy. Ace reddens with embarrassment as his eyes are glued to the veteran's body. _I think I need to talk to someone about this…_

"This is so exciting," Sabo beams, "I've never been to a wedding before. Ah, I'll need to buy a suit."

"Then let's go shopping~. I already have a suit, but I need to buy a dress for Emily," Ace grins as he puts the wedding invitation back into its envelope before placing it somewhere safe in the kitchen.

"We can go now if you want. I'll just go and get dressed."

Ace watches as Sabo walks to his room, and he looks down when he feels a tug on his arm.

"You're buying me a dress?"

Emily looks up at him, wearing her new pajamas, and he picks her up, smiling when tiny arms hug him around his neck, "Yep, for Sanji and Zoro's wedding. You can pick any dress you like~. We'll have to get you some new shoes as well."

Emily bites her lip as her eyes stray from Ace's loving gaze, "But I can't wear a dress…."

"Hmm? Why not?"

"I'm not pretty enough…"

Ace frowns, "Of course you are. You're beautiful Emily~," He grins as he tickles Emily lightly to cheer her up.

She just looks up at her father with a slightly confused expression, making the raven-haired man realize she isn't ticklish at all. He just chuckles softly and holds her up in his arms. Sabo comes back out, now fully dressed, and Ace's eyes widen with awe when he sees how handsome his brother looks wearing his clothes. The sleeves of the shirt fit too tight over his muscular arms. Knowing that Sabo was a former soldier, he was probably well-trained to not care too much about his appearances. His shining blue eyes caught onyx ones and both men smile at the same time. Emily gently slides out of her father's arms before he faints or something after seeing the trance-like state of Ace's slightly dilated pupils.

"Papa…?" She gently tugs on his hand to try to catch his attention, looking to Sabo for help.

The blond is just at a loss for words as Emily and waves his hand in front of Ace's eyes, running his strong fingers through those soft raven locks, "Ace? Ace, are you okay?"

Ace snaps out of his trance and bites his lip gently when he sees the worried expressions of his brother and daughter. He frowns a bit before pulling them into a loving embrace, trying to soothe their worries. _I know just the person to talk to… _Sabo just tilts his head in confusion and returns the embrace along with Emily.

"I'm going to take Emily out to the park," the veteran offers and smiles, "we can go shopping after lunch."

Ace watches as Sabo picks up Emily, and then carries her upstairs to help her change out of her pajamas. Once they are out of sight, Ace quickly grabs his cell phone and shoots his best friend a text: _**hey, can you come over? I really need you…**_

A wave of relief flows over Ace as he receives the reply from his friend: _**I'm on my way :) **_

Ace sits on the sofa and plays some Solitaire on his phone while he waits. _Ugh, what's the matter with me? I should have learned my lesson…_ A few minutes later, the doorbell rings. Grinning, Ace jumps up from the sofa and rushes to open the door. As soon as he pulls the door open, he's pulled into a hug. The so-called attacker is a beautiful lady who's short for her age as she's 5'1; she has long black curly hair with a gorgeous set of light violet eyes. She has a perfect hourglass figure with strong legs from her dancing. This tiny woman is none other than Ace's best friend, Dahlia-Dracule Yume.

"Ace~!"

"Hey Yume~" Ace chuckles as he hugs her back, "thank you for coming over."

"You said you needed me, I couldn't say no to that. I'd do anything for you Ace, you're my best friend," Yume smiles as she closes the door, then follows Ace over to the sofa, "So, what do you need me for?"

Sabo comes back downstairs with Emily, both unnoticed, as Ace starts to explain, "you see, Sa-" Ace's words are cut off when his best friend squeals adorably with joy when she sees Sabo and jumps into the blonde's arms, hugging him tightly and trying not to cry and get emotional. "Like I was saying, Sabo came home…"

Sabo chuckles a bit as he returns the hug and smiles as Yume moves off of him, "nice to see you again, Yume. We'll have to catch up later because I'm taking my niece to the park."

"Niece?" Yume looks utterly shocked and looks to Ace, "when did you get pregnant?"

Ace's eyes widen and he jumps up from his seat, "what?! I wasn't pregnant! If anyone would have been pregnant it would have been Sabo!" he blurts out as he points at Sabo.

"What?" Sabo asks, confused.

"U-Uh… I mean…. Don't be silly Yume, men can't get pregnant. I adopted Emily…" Ace blushes, embarrassed as he sits down._ I'm such an idiot!_

Yume covers her mouth and hunches over to hide her face into her lap, muffling her embarrassing yet utterly adorable _dying animal _laugh. The raven-haired man chuckles nervously and nearly shoves his brother out the front door, saying a quick goodbye and hugging Emily close as he says farewell to her too. He shuts the door quickly once the duo is far from the house, sighing in relief and trying to stay angry at his best friend who is still laughing hysterically.

"You did that on purpose!" He whines and pouts.

"What are you talking about? I had no idea you're in love with your brother until you blurted out you wanted him to have your babies," Yume says, and sticks her tongue out playfully as her laughter dies down.

Ace goes to retort that when he realizes what he said. "It slipped out…" He flops onto the sofa next to her, sighing softly. "I'm definitely going to Hell when I die. I'm in love with my foster brother…"

Yume gently places her hand on Ace's shoulder, "You can't help who you fall in love with… How long have you felt this way about him?"

"Since he left to join the military... So about ten years." He sighs softly into his hands. "Of all people I could have fallen in love with, why did it have to be my sexy, and attractive, slightly younger foster brother?"

"In the words of my papa, grow a pair of balls and just tell him."

Ace laughs and Yume grins proudly at her choice of words as it brought a smile to her best friend's face.

"Shanks was never good with his choice of words, was he?"

"Nope, and it drives daddy crazy."

Ace knows his best friend has two men for parents so he knows exactly who she means whenever she says 'papa' or 'daddy'. Despite it being childish, it does help distinguish the difference. Shanks is 'papa' while his husband, Dracule Mihawk, is 'daddy' because the world's greatest swordsman spoils his little girl. Yume pokes Ace's cheek gently and makes funny faces at her best friend, giggling to herself after she earns another smile from him.

"Valentine's Day is coming up, Ace. Tell him how you feel then, over a romantic candle-lit dinner."

"That won't work. He'll figure it out too easily," Ace groans in distress. "He's the brains out of him, me, and Luffy."

"Well isn't that the point? Whether he figures it out for himself or not, it doesn't matter. You do want him to know, right?"

"Zoro had it easier because Sanji isn't related to him."

"Stop whining," Yume folds her arms loosely, "it took him a month to ask Sanji out.-

Raven locks cover Ace's face as he flops onto the carpet, whining and groaning as if having a tantrum. Yume rolls her eyes at his behavior, "- and besides, it's not like you're biologically related so it wouldn't be incest...technically."

Before the conversation could have a chance to continue, Sabo comes into the house with Emily and they both sound winded like they ran a marathon. "Luffy's coming...He saw me and jumped out of Usopp's car then started chasing us."

Ace, along with Yume, just start laughing in unison since that is expected of Luffy. The blond sits on the back of Ace's thighs as Ace remains on the floor, but his brother's face suddenly turns as red as a fresh tomato.

_Oh my god! He's sitting on me! _A rumbling groan emits from the man face down on the carpet while his thoughts are driving him crazy. His best friend decides to sit on Sabo's lap and smiles at the veteran.

"Uncle Luffy's coming!" Emily shouts eyes wide as Luffy sprints for the door.

The energetic younger brother rushes in and tackles the poor unsuspecting trio lounging on the floor. Ace whines as more weight is pressed on top of him and his eyes widen when he feels a hand on his butt, secretly hoping that the hand belongs to Sabo.

"Oh my god, whose hand is on my ass?!"

"It's mine!" Yume laughs and starts to spank Ace's butt repeatedly, causing him to squeak in shock before rolling everyone off him.

A panting Usopp rushes in through the door, and he whines as he tries to catch his breath, "Luffy~ don't run off like that!"

"Shishishi! Sorry, Usopp." Luffy sheepishly ruffles his own raven locks before he gets off the floor, then sits on the sofa as Emily ducks behind it and hides shyly since she's not used to being with so many people at one time. Ace notices her hide then gently lifts her up after he gets up from the floor, "don't worry, Emily, there's no reason to hide."

Usopp sits on Luffy's lap, and he blushes slightly when Luffy wraps his arms around his waist.

Ace is lightly rubbing Emily's back to keep her calm, when he suddenly gasps at a realization, "We need to go shopping!""

"Eh? You're going shopping? Can I come shopping too?" Yume asks.

"Yeah, of course you can, and we need to get Sabo a suit, and Emily needs a dress and shoes."

"For Zoro and Sanji's wedding right? That's great because I need to get a new dress for the wedding too."

"Can we go with them too, Usopp~?" Luffy asks.

"Hmm? Yeah sure we can- Shit! I left my car unlocked a few blocks back! Come on Luffy!"

"Eh~?!" Luffy whines as Usopp drags him out of the house, "but I want to go shopping with my brothers~!"

"Shut up and stop whining! This is your fault for jumping out of the car after Sabo! My car better still be there!

Ace laughs as he watches his brother get dragged away by his boyfriend, then gets ready to go shopping with Sabo, Emily, and Yume.

Yume takes Emily over to the women's dress shop while Ace takes Sabo to the suit tailor's which was recommended to him by Sanji. The blond looks around at the variety of tuxedos and other men's formal wear. As they walk around the shop, the store manager comes over to assist them. The manager of the store is a young man with bleached blond hair, dark brown eyes, and he's wearing white dress pants with a light pink button shirt to match.

"Welcome~! How can I help you fine gentlemen?"

"My brother needs a nice suit for a wedding we've been invited to, but I don't know his size." Ace explains as he watches the man measure his brother swiftly.

The manager takes Sabo to the back room to be fitted for a suit, and Ace nearly dies from blood loss when his brother walks back out. The suit he's wearing is form-fitting from head to toe, and his muscular figure is still slightly visible through the white button-down shirt that's underneath a light gray suit jacket. The tie is a navy blue color which compliments the black suit pants, and the cufflinks are just an added bonus to the sophisticated yet incredibly sexy vibe the entire tuxedo that Sabo is wearing radiating. His wavy golden locks are the icing on the cake, and it's driving Ace crazy. The older brother is in shock as he takes in his brother's appearance.

"Ace, what do you think?" Sabo asks with a smile as he looks at himself in the mirror.

_I'd rather see how you good you would look naked…_ "You look great, Sabo. I love it." Ace smiles and hides his blushing face behind his hands.

"Can we get it then?" Sabo tilts his head to the side cutely as his flustered brother just nods and pays for everything.

_Sabo...His voice, his smile...everything about him is going to be the death of me…_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Six:**__** Blame it on the Alcohol **_

Today is the big day for two close friends, whom used to be rivals. It's all thanks to Luffy that these two saw each other for something other than foes. Now they're going to become husband and husband, and all of their friends and family are going to attend. The church is elegant, large, and it's perfect for weddings, surprisingly the priest agreed to have a gay marriage in the church. Everything is falling into place according to Sanji's plans, and the only thing left to do is say I do, then become Zoro's husband. Ace, Sabo, and Emily arrive at the church a little earlier than the starting time so they can get seats in the front row.

"Everything looks amazing..." Sabo smiles excitedly as he looks around, "Zoro looks great in his tuxedo."

_I'd rather see how you'd look without your suit on…_ Ace thinks to himself as he looks over his brother, and he didn't even notice Luffy pouncing onto his lap until it was too late, "Luffy!"

"Shishishi~ Surprise~!" The younger brother grins and hugs him tightly.

"Jeez…" Ace chuckles softly and keeps Luffy still as the ceremony begins.

Sanji walks down the aisle while being escorted by his foster father, Zeff, and everyone stands up when they arrive. Zoro blushes and smiles as his husband-to-be walks closer in a fantastic white suit. The priest smiles softly and has everyone take their seats before reading from the small book in his hands.

"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered together here in the sign of God – and in the face of this company – to join together these two men in holy matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all men; and therefore – is not by any – to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly – but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly. Into this holy estate these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together – let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

After no one dared to speak up and ruin this special day, the priest turns to Zoro, "Do you, Roronoa Zoro, take, Sanji Black, as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

"I do," Zoro says with a smile, as he looks at the love of his life.

The priest then turns to Sanji afterwards, "Do you, Sanji Black, take Roronoa Zoro as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

"I do."

Once the rings are exchanged, Zoro doesn't wait, and smooches his new husband passionately as everyone cheers. Ace's narcolepsy kicks in afterwards and he falls asleep in the church, resulting in Sabo carrying him around and taking care of Emily at the same time.

The reception is amazing with loud music blaring as people bump and grind all over one another while they dance. Of course this happened after the wonderful ceremonial dances between the newlyweds, and the open bar is crowded again with guests drinking themselves to passing out states, and Ace is no exception.

Sabo frowns when he spots his drunken older brother at the bar, and goes over to him, "Ace, I think you've had enough."

"Eh~? No I haven't~, I'm having fun, come join me~"

Sabo's eyes widen when he's pulled onto Ace's lap, and he instantly grabs onto his brother's jacket to stop himself from falling. Ace orders more drinks, and although he complains, Sabo drinks his anyway.

A few drinks later, Usopp comes over to them and offers to have Emily for the night. Sabo agrees as he'll end up being too drunk to look after her as well as Ace. After they say their goodbyes to Emily, Luffy, and Usopp, Sabo tries to move from Ace's lap as a seat has just become empty, but his brother is clinging onto him too tightly for him to move.

"Don't leave me alone, Sabo~...I don't wanna let you go ever again…" the raven-haired man whines, slurring his words slightly.

The guilt settles into the veteran after hearing that, still feeling guilty for being gone so long. Sabo just stays on the other's lap for a moment, and gets put his phone to call for a cab to bring them to a hotel for the night, as a hotel would be closer than Ace's apartment, and Sabo doesn't think that his brother will be able to stay awake any longer. It'll also be easier to move him if he doesn't pass out in the cab on the way back.

"Where are we going, Sabo-kun~?" Ace says, clinging to his brother as they make their way into a cab.

"To a hotel, Usopp and Luffy have Emily for the night and this place is closer than home."

The drive to the hotel is silent, and once they get out, Sabo has to support Ace as they walk into the hotel. After booking a room for the night, Sabo brings Ace to their room, not bothering to turn on the lights as he shuts the door behind them, and then gently lays Ace onto the double bed. Sabo groans as he feels his head spinning, and he walks over to the small sofa as Ace drunkenly peels off his suit, then lies on top of the covers in the middle of the bed, in just his boxers, and watches his younger brother undress.

"You are so fucking hot, Sabo…"

The blond blushes at the comment and shyly puts his tuxedo onto the small sofa, then closes the curtains before slowly laying down next to Ace on the bed.

"T-Thanks, I guess…"

Sabo closes his eyes and runs his fingers through his hair. His mouth is so dry but he can't summon up the energy to go and get a glass of water. He hears the rustle of the sheets, and his eyes snap open when Ace drunkenly flings his arm over him, then straddles his hips.

"A-Ace? What are you doing?"

"I'm in love with you, Sabo. I have been since we were in high school together. I was so heartbroken when you wanted to enlist in the army…" Ace mumbles in his drunken state, blushing from his words but continues nonetheless, "all I've ever wanted was you. You're just perfect…"

Sabo blushes as he looks up at his brother, and bites his lip as Ace gently pins his arms to the bed and leans closer_. Shit…. What are we doing? We're brothers…. b-but I want this… I want him…._

The blond closes his eyes as Ace kisses him, and he slowly parts his lips, letting Ace's tongue inside and explores his mouth thoroughly. The hands pinning his arms down move to his own, lacing their fingers together, and Ace lightly squeezes his hands as he slowly grinds down on top of him.

Sabo moans faintly into the kiss and allows his brother to grind against him, feeling a certain heat coiling in his abdomen that's filled with lust- mostly because of the alcohol. His body seems to move on its own when he bucks his hips up slightly, desperately wanting more friction between them. Ace grunts softly as he finally releases Sabo's hands, fumbling to get rid of the obstructing boxers, and anxious to see his brother's package. Ace eagerly wraps his hand around Sabo's cock gently, beginning to stroke the blonde's shaft slowly and enjoying the soft moans and grunts the veteran is releasing. A faint blush spreads across Sabo's cheeks when Ace starts to lick his dick as if it were a frozen treat, shuddering slightly when his brother takes more of his cock into the warm cavern known as Ace's mouth. The raven-haired man moans quietly from the taste he's been craving, and rocks his head while pleasuring Sabo. Ace's mind is swirling as he continues to give his brother a blowjob, releasing Sabo's cock slowly and gazing up at the hot mess of a man in front of him.

_Oh my god...He's so hot. I want to fuck him now. I can't wait anymore_. Ace thinks to himself as his drunken state clouds any sort of mental reasoning.

Ace reaches in the nightstand next to the bed in hope for some lube, smirking when he is victorious. He pulls out the small bottle of lubrication and throws his boxers across the room, pouring some of the gel onto his fingers and smears it in. Sabo bites his lip in anticipation as it's obvious what's going to happen next. He gasps softly when he feels Ace's fingers penetrate him one at a time, moaning softly as he's getting prepared for something much bigger. After deciding Sabo is fully prepared, Ace applies a generous amount of lube onto his throbbing erection and slowly pushes his dick into his brother. Two sets of moans are released, obviously one of them belonging to Sabo, whose moan grows louder and seductive. The bed underneath them starts to creak and rock from the force of Ace's thrusting. Cries of ecstasy and the aroma of their activities fill the room as they continue to have intoxicated sex for the remainder of the night. The atmosphere simmers down as both Ace and Sabo come down from their euphoric high. Neither of them are ready to move –nor do they want to- now that the fun is over, and ragged pants take over as both men try to regain themselves. Sabo looks over to his brother, who is already fast asleep.

_Did I just have sex with my brother? Oh shit…_ Sabo curses himself mentally in embarrassment before sleep takes over him.

The morning sun isn't too pleasant for anyone, especially if that someone is dealing with a bad hangover. Its rays of light pierce the dull curtains of the room, shining across Ace's dark eyes as they slowly open. He rubs his throbbing temples gently, sighing softly to himself and suddenly falling off of the hotel bed he was laying in the moment he sees a familiar set of blond hair.

_Oh my God! Oh my God! W-What did I do?! Sabo's in bed with me?! Shit…_

Sabo yawns softly when he wakes up, sitting up slowly and not noticing the hickeys his neck and collarbone are covered with. Ace's eyes widen when he sees the love marks on his brother, and runs his fingers through his soft raven locks. _Did we...have sex?!_

"Ace, are you ok?" The sound of the blonde's voice brings him back to reality.

"I-I'm ok, Sabo. Just hangover…" _Stop getting nervous._

_Stop lying to me, Ace._ Sabo nods and just accepts the answer for now, only remembering his brother's drunken confession last night. I'm in love with you, Sabo. Ace's words still ring in the veteran's thoughts as he observes Ace not remembering anything of their night of passion. Onyx eyes desperately attempt looking into the midnight blue ones that stare right through him. Ace isn't sure what he's forgetting besides the fact he had sex with his brother. _What am I forgetting?_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter Seven**__**: Flames Between Us**_

_Before he can comprehend the situation, both of his wrists are in my tight grip above his head, and I'm pinning him to the wall by my strong, muscular arms. My hand slides into his wavy blond hair and I yank him down, bringing his face closer to mine as our lips are pressed roughly together. Sabo's tongue tentatively strokes mine in a slow, erotic dance. My throbbing erection is against my brother's hard, firm abs, and Sabo parts the kiss to release a quiet, breathless moan, "Ace, please…I want you..."_

Ace flings his eyes open as he forces himself awake before Sabo feels the embarrassing boner between his legs. His cheeks are flushed from the heated scene playing in his head, a thin layer of sweat coats his body, and the stain on his boxers clearly states the obvious. Luckily Sabo is still a heavy sleeper so he hasn't woken up yet; Ace would be mortified if his brother sees him in his current state. The older brother takes a glance to Sabo's sleeping figure, and it only makes him fall deeper in love. The lines of care and toil have smoothed and virtually disappear, the crow's feet around his blue eyes now nothing but a memory. Eyelids close against the dim light of dawn and Sabo's breathing deep and relaxed, all the muscles in his face and body are totally at peace, like a baby in its first throws of slumber before a dream kicked in. Not a twitch, not a spasm, barely any movement of his chest rising and falling with each intake of air such is the depth of his oblivion. This is a body totally at peace, at rest, at one with itself, rejuvenating the mind and muscles before the onset of yet another day of turmoil.

_You're going to kill me with your perfection. _Ace keeps his thoughts to himself as he looks over at the alarm clock. _3 Am. I still have time to sleep._

Willing his 'problem' away, Ace lies back in his bed, facing away from Sabo, and eventually falls back asleep. Unfortunately he wakes up in a similar situation as the first time and decides to take a shower to sort himself out. Once he's out of the shower he walks back out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and is surprised to see that Sabo has left.

A week has passed since the night in that hotel room, and Sabo has been acting differently. He's been quiet and closed off, and sometimes he avoids Ace a bit. Of course this worries Ace, but he still can't remember exactly what they did that night. The blond veteran is still happy-go lucky with Emily and the others, but he's silent with his older brother around. Today is August 8th, which is Emily's tenth birthday and it's sweet seeing her so excited over it.

_She's probably never celebrated her birthday before with that bastard. _The raven-haired man sighs softly, running his fingers through his hair gently. _I'll throw her a nice birthday party. She'll love it._

The freckled man grabs his car keys, writing down a little note for Sabo before leaving, and then drives down to the bakery connected to the Baratie which is owned by Sanji. It's a humble bake shop from which aromas of fresh, homemade cooking that fill the air and welcome all those who visit with a warm embrace. A place in which hunger, the most basic of human needs, can be replaced with satisfaction in a divine and fulfilling manner. A place in which happiness for the belly and completion of the soul can be found. Once he goes inside, he feels the instant warmth and aroma of the freshly baked pastries. _It's warm inside._ It smells like yeast, cinnamon, frying fat, and coffee. The early morning light slants through the windows. Sanji and his employees all know Ace because he goes there regularly on his breaks from work at the firehouse. There's a bell on the door that rigs when people come in. There are bagels in shiny layered rows, topped with seeds or onions. In the glass display case, sugar sparkles like snow on the cinnamon twists, jelly donuts gleam in their translucent icing. Brown bread, in big round loaves, puts forth it's aroma of wholesome goodness. The barrel in the corner holds the slim baguettes, each with its crinkly, brown paper coat.

"Welcome, Ace," Sanji greets him with a smile from behind the counter. "What do you need?"

"Hey, Sanji. I need a vanilla cake for Emily. It's her birthday today." Ace explains with a smile, watching his blond friend go to the back room. _I wonder what Sabo remembers that night..._

The raven-haired man drives off with the fresh cake after paying for it, going home to see the police there. Outside the house stands Sabo furiously shouting at the cop car containing Crocodile. Ace didn't know what to do besides restrain his younger brother from killing that monster.

"Sabo! What's going on!?"

"He shot Emily!" Sabo cries in rage. "I'm going to kick his ass!"

Ace feels his heart break and gently throws the angry blonde into his car, rushing to the hospital and breaking a few traffic laws along the way. His heart is pounding and it's close to beating out of his chest. He's furious over Crocodile breaking the restraining order he had placed on the shit head when he adopted Emily, but he's beyond furious that Crocodile shot a ten year old girl for no goddamn reason.

The duo sits in the waiting room impatiently and the sight of Captain Smoker isn't making things easier. Smoker is the best police officer in town, but he's also one of Ace's ex-boyfriends. He has white hair and dark brown eyes with a body suited for his career. Smoker was everything Ace wanted at the time since Sabo wasn't around.

"Ace? Can you or your brother tell me what happened?" His voice is still husky from all of his smoking.

"Ace wasn't there. I was taking out the trash with Emily when that man pulled up to the yard in his car. He just looked at her and she started to cry. I had a feeling he hurt her before so I tried to get Emily inside, but he got out with a gun in hand and started shooting..." Sabo explains, clearly blaming himself.

Smoker nods as he writes down exactly what Sabo had just said. "Don't worry. We'll make sure he can't get to you guys ever again."

Ace just nods along with his distraught brother, rushing to Emily's bedside when they were able to go see her.

_This looks familiar. I've been here before. _Emily looks at the plain white ceiling, feeling her stomach twist painfully as the horrid memories of being in a hospital return to her. _**He **__hurt me again…_ Her icy blue eyes close slowly, trying not to remember the numerous times she had been in the hospital for her suicide attempts.

"_**She's lucky to be alive, Mr. Crocodile."**_

"_**Tch, that damn brat knows better than to drag me here again."**_

_**Emily heard her father and the doctor discuss her condition after she tried to hang herself. She kept the most recent rape inside and attempted to remove the pain permanently. He always made her felt less human as if she never existed into the species. The death of her mother had turned Emily's life into a worse never-ending nightmare because of him. She was constantly terrified, and no one would be there to ever save her.**_

"_**We're leaving, you little shit. I'm not bringing you hear again, you hear me?!" Crocodile snapped at the terrified child, dragging her out of the hospital by her wrist.**_

Sabo notices the tears falling down his niece's cheeks and grabs a tissue, gently wiping the tears away. "It's going to be alright, Emily. Ace and I will protect you."

She feels safe around the two of them, but there's a gut feeling that her biological father will attempt to take her life again. Emily just gives the blonde a smile for now and shuts her cold eyes, wanting nothing more than to wish the pain away for good.

After being released from the hospital, Ace takes his little family back home. His heart is racing when he feels Sabo brush his hand against his own as they walk inside. _I need to tell him…_Onyx eyes linger on the blonde next him, and he just wants to pounce on the other and make love to him for hours.

"Ace, we need to talk…" Sabo's voice snaps the raven-haired man out of his thoughts.

"S-Sure, Sabo...let me put Emily to bed first. She's asleep." _What's on your mind, Sabo?_

Ace carries his daughter up to her bedroom, tucking her in gently before going back to Sabo downstairs. He notices his brother's posture, assuming the worse already and thinking that Sabo is mad at him. The raven-haired man inhales deeply before sitting next to his companion.

"Ace, do you remember what happened the night of Zoro and Sanji's wedding?"

_Right to the point like always._ "Kinda...it's still a bit fuzzy."

"What do you remember?" Sabo looks at the freckled man curiously.

"We had sex…"

Ace frowns slightly at the look of disappointment on the veteran's face, wondering what's buzzing around in Sabo's precious thoughts. Sabo looks at his lap shyly and twiddles his thumbs.

"You told me you're in love with me…"

Onyx eyes widen in shock and he starts sweating profusely, suddenly hating himself for the drunken confession and trying to make an excuse for himself.

"I-I was drunk...you're my brother. I love you like a brother…" _I blew it. Good going, moron._

Sabo accepts it for now and sighs softly, honestly wishing it would have been true. He's had a crush on his brother for a long time, but can't find the courage to tell Ace. His midnight blue eyes shut themselves for a moment before letting their eyes meet, instantly feeling a spark between them. Ace's gaze adverts elsewhere before standing up. _Leave before he looks at you with those gorgeous eyes again._

"I'm going to take a shower...excuse me." He says softly, heading upstairs in a bit of a hurry.

Ace quickly discards his sweat-drenched clothing once he's locked himself in the sanctuary he calls a bathroom turning on the hot water. The first drop hits his muscular body once the faucet is turned on. He starts to remember what had happened just now, it all seemed clear. The warm droplets form steam as he stands there without any movement, the memories of Sabo underneath him are banging in his head the entire time as they appear. That supposedly happy moment with the man Ace loves and would give everything for, all gone without a trace because he couldn't remember it until now. All that remains is the empty hole he feels in his chest after seeing that disappointed look in his brother's eyes. Steam shortly clouds the shower while the water washes the dirt and sweat away, and this feels heavenly to him. Though Ace hates to admit that the soap makes his skin feel sensitive, but it helps erase the faint memories of his disgraceful lie that he told Sabo. Once he finds himself completely clean, Ace shuts off the faucet before drying off and wrapping the towel around his waist. A small smile sneaks onto Ace's face when he notices fresh, clean clothes set out for him in the bathroom and it feels so good to wear clothes that are fresh from the dryer since they're still warm.

_I can't believe he denied that. I thought he was serious, but I guess I was wrong. Maybe he doesn't really love me. It honestly crushed me when he said he didn't mean it. I just don't know what to do at this point. Is he just playing with me? I hope not because I still love him… _Sabo sighs softly to himself, feeling hurt by Ace's denial. He shuts his eyes as he fights back tears threatening to fall, and he wishes that the conversation between them a few minutes ago had gone differently. Sighing softly, Sabo makes sure that Ace is still in the shower before he lies back on the bed they share, feeling a blush form on his cheeks as he buries his face into the pillow that Ace uses. He simply enjoys the pleasant musk known as Ace's natural scent, and thoughts of the man swirl in his mind. Before he can get caught smelling his brother's pillow, he rolls back to his side of the bed and eventually he falls asleep.

"Sabo, the sh-" Ace's words are lost in his throat at the sight before his eyes.

The view of Sabo lying on his side wearing nothing except boxers is breathtaking to the fireman. He quickly shakes the lewd thoughts of his brother out of his head, putting on pajamas and carefully sliding into bed without waking the other. He runs his knuckle against Sabo's cheek tenderly, smiling to himself since the blonde has always had such soft, delicate skin. _I feel so bad for lying to him. I have to make things right before he hates me. _

A few days have passed since then, and things have grown a bit awkward between the brothers. Sabo barely speaks to Ace, mainly to avoid more heartbreak, and Ace barely speaks to Sabo, wanting to avoid more humiliation. Emily notices the tension between them when they're in the same room, sighing softly to herself when they refuse to speak to each other. She doesn't know what to say or do, and just goes upstairs into bedroom to draw in her new sketch pad. Ace's narcolepsy kicks in and results in him falling asleep on the sofa, leaving Sabo to his own thoughts. He goes up to his and Ace's bedroom, laying on their bed and reminiscing about the day he came back from war.

"_**Attention soldiers, we shall be landing at East Blue Airport shortly. Please make sure you have everything you need before exiting the plane. East Blue Airlines is truly honored to fly all of you back home to your loved ones."**_

_**The pilot ended his announcement, and his voice was filled with joy now that the war was over. The troops looked relieved to be going home, and Sabo was especially happy and relieved to return home. He gazed out the window as the clouds slowly disappeared as the airplane descended to the ground. Sabo quickly grabbed his military backpack and nearly ran off the carrier, desperate to see his brothers again after so many long years. His heart nearly beat out of his chest the moment he saw Ace and Luffy looking for him frantically in the airport. The blonde walked over to them calmly with a smile**_

"_**Hey, guys. It's been a long time… I'm glad to see you are all doing really well."**_

_**Ace and Luffy welled up with tears of joy at the man in front of them, throwing their arms around him and sobbing happily for his safe return.**_

"_**SABO!"**_

Sabo smiles at the memory and can't help the feeling in his chest. He really does love his brothers, and he still feels guilty for leaving them for such a long time. The blonde hates himself for falling in love with Ace, but at the same time he's happy he did. His heart skips a beat whenever Ace smiles at him, he feels tons of butterflies in his stomach when Ace laughs at something, and their memories together only make Sabo fall deeper in love. A certain blonde is experiencing unconditional loving energy and feels abundant, fulfilled, complete, joyful, peaceful and happy every time he sees or thinks of the raven-haired man. Sabo is radiating loving energy that causes his heart to race whenever those beautiful onyx eyes look at him. The veteran is in a heavenly state of mind, a level of consciousness that cannot be adequately described with words. It was a memorable life changing experience when he accepted that he was in love with his older brother.

Emily gets slightly frustrated at the silence in the house, walking into her dad and uncle's room and nudging her uncle gently.

"Uncle Sabo, come with me please."

Sabo just looks at her in confusion but follows her nonetheless, biting his lower lip gently when she makes him sit next Ace after waking him up.

"Papa, you and Uncle Sabo are gonna talk this out." Emily says with a pout, putting her hands on her hips cutely and leaving Ace in shock.

"Emily, this isn't nes-"

"I mean it," She cuts him off and gives her father a serious look, "you and Uncle Sabo aren't allowed to get off the couch until you're both happy and talking again."

_Curse that little girl for being so damn cute. _Ace and Sabo gulp nervously as the ten-year old leaves them in the living room, going back to her bedroom. They both release a soft sigh and look at each other before an awkward silence forms between them.

"She's right, we should talk." Sabo says to finally break the silence.

"Y-Yeah…" _He's going to find out I was lying…_

_I want to know what he's thinking…_ Sabo looks to Ace and gently places a hand on top of his brother's. The raven-haired man's face lights up as he blushes like crazy, looking at their hands touching.

"I'm sorry..."

"What for?" Sabo asks, confused.

"You tried to talk to me before about what happened and I walked out on you..."

"You couldn't remember at the time and I can't be mad at you for that forever. You didn't seem interested in our conversation that day anyway."

Ace bites his lip and looks back down at their hands which are still together. The blonde notices his brother's gaze and his heart is beating like crazy as he retreats his hand slowly. Their eyes meet again and the two of them start blushing brightly.

"Sabo, I-I'm sorry...I've been lying to you…"

"... What do you mean you've been lying to me? Lying about what?"

"W-Well, I've not been honest with you for a while...I-I'm actually in love with you."

"Eh?" Sabo's eyes widen and his blush intensifies.

Ace looks away from his brother and panics, "I-I know it's wrong, and you don't like me in the same way... I'm so sorry I've messed with you like this. I should have never have slept with you."

"Baka…" Sabo mumbles and grabs Ace by his collar, pressing their lips together gently. "I feel the same way, too. That's why I got mad at you because you didn't remember telling me that you love me."

The fireman's eyes widen as he gets kissed by his brother, completely speechless that his feelings aren't unrequited. The blonde smiles and gets off the sofa, heading towards the kitchen.

"I'll make lunch now. Are you hungry?"

Ace just nods and remains on the couch, blushing and trying to comprehend what had just happened. _Sabo loves me…? This is the best day ever…._


End file.
