One Piece 1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I honestly just wrote this one night while I was feeling down. I felt so much better when I was done with this fic. This is an ALTERNATE UNIVERSE fic of their kid selves. Now go on, be free my children~**

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Same night, just like every other. He couldn't sleep and endlessly kept thinking of ways of escaping, of leaving the damn hell hole he was forced to call home, once and for all. He was **tired** of it all.

_'What does freedom taste like?'_

He craved something he never really had a taste of before. Freedom wasn't something easily attainable for him. His life belonged to his parents. Everything was for them, nothing was for his sake, he was just a simple tool. He was given orders which he obeyed.

That was the purpose of his existence, it was all to please them. Not a single hug, or single kiss, or sincere smile was given. It was always _cold_ and that was the only feeling he was used to.

_'How does affection feel?'_

The boy always questioned if he'd ever become like his parents, the oh so glorified nobles. No, he decided to **never** become like them, _ever_. No matter what the future had in store for him, he would surely become different from all of their disgustingly selfish expectations. Tonight was the night. He was going to do it. Sabo, the little blond noble boy (who would surely **hate **being associated in those terms), decided to sneak out and enjoy the night for once! He's not quite sure when he started truly craving the outside world. Maybe his patience just grew too thin? No…it wasn't that. It was something more. He couldn't really explain it. Maybe it was something inspiring that he witnessed, or better yet _someone. _

This someone whom the blond was thinking of, was a younger looking boy wearing a yellow straw hat. He would always hang around outside Sabo's home. He wondered what the little boy was even doing in his yard to begin with. Did he not have common sense? Was he even aware of the trouble that he was getting into? He might not have known this little boy, but even _he_ felt sorry for him so he would warn him every single time to go away and never come back. The younger boy would only pout with furrowed brows and ask him to play. The first thought that came across the little blond's mind was:

_'Is he an idiot?' _

But even after explaining the circumstances to the younger boy, he showed no sign of intimidation. He didn't care about Sabo's status. He simply saw him as a new friend. Sabo wasn't sure what to feel. That's when he simply decided to ignore the younger boy, he was convinced he'd only bring trouble. That was the one thing the little blond didn't want. He would rather be alone than cause trouble to another, despite the fact that he might have actually liked the idea of having company. But he soon realized that the boy was persistent and 'no' wasn't an option.

"Why Me?" Sabo asked from his **window** one day.

The dark haired boy smiled widely. "Shishishi, because you look bored up there!"

From that point on, he started accepting the fact that talking to someone else who was sincerely interested in knowing him for who he really was, was simply nice. It was oh so nice, and he got a warm feeling in his chest from it. The only condition he decided to lay down to the other boy was to never decide to sneak into his own home (of course the younger boy tried to argue on that but Sabo somehow won that argument) and when he gave a signal to leave, the younger boy was to obey if he wanted to **continue** seeing the little blond.

Sabo wasn't used to this at all and many mysteries remained, such as him not being able to figure the little boy out. Why was someone he barely knew going through all this for him? He was the most unpredictable creature he'd ever come across. He'd be a species of his own in Sabo's book, (well he actually was, but there was hardly any data) but he tried not to really think about it like that.

A few days had passed since he'd last seen the younger boy after their last encounter. One thing they never exchanged were names. It was quite a strange experience, seeing as asking for someone's name would _generally_ be the first **thing to do**. The younger boy was an energetic chatter box, but their time was always cut short due to Sabo's schedule. Things were already unconventional for the little blond since meeting the other, but somehow he started not to really mind. The other was like a break from his mundane and shitty reality. Maybe if tonight went well, he'd be able to see the younger boy later in the day and finally ask for his name.

Sabo wasn't necessarily certain about his destination, but he knew anywhere away from the city (especially his so called 'home') would be nice and he did just that. The little blond made it to a nearby forest and just kept moving forward. For the first time ever, he was unprepared. This felt _different, _it felt surreal to him. It was dark, but he was still able to see his surroundings. He wasn't afraid, if anything, he was trying to absorb the atmosphere right in front of him. He breathed the air in a bit deeper, he blinked more times than he could count, he even pinched himself to make sure he was still there. He did it. He actually snuck out of his room. He felt so…**free**. He felt alive. He felt so many things at the moment. The little blond boy didn't hesitate on grinning widely to himself. The sound of crickets, the bright and clear night sky, the fresh mid summer night breeze, and the brilliant stars. He was only ever able to see the beautiful night sky from his window. He didn't dare step out after dark. It was never the same from his room. This was all so new to him, but it was a good kind of change. Even if he got caught, Sabo, at this point, could care less, because he got his first taste at a life outside his 'home'. Even if he asked himself where this courage came from, he wouldn't really know what to say. He couldn't exactly call it logic. If it were logic he wouldn't have planned to sneak out in the first place. At the back of his mind, he figured it was all that talking that he and the younger boy with the yellow straw hat had. The adventures the boy spoke of in the forest and his so called training, he really did wonder how this boy squeezed into his life like this without him really objecting after the first few encounters. Maybe deep down Sabo felt like he needed a way out, some sort of push. Heck he probably really wanted a reason to change his lifestyle. He knew the life he was living was a big lie. He knew he would never truly be happy living the life his parents planned out. Maybe this other boy was his reason for his sudden spontaneity. Was it so wrong to want something different?

The only times he was ever allowed to be out were when he attended special events, always having to put on a different face. No one cared for him, they only cared for his status, about his so called nobility. No one bothered to look deeper or wonder if he was truly happy, because, who wouldn't be happy with that kind of title? Where you could get away with any action, no matter the how cruel, and the people of lower class were forced to bow down to your very presence and lick your feet (metaphorically or even literally speaking). No one cared, why should they? Sabo soon realized that truth, and grew to accept it. He grew to accept the fate that was given to him. But it didn't mean he had to like it, and then this kid came out of nowhere, this kid who actually seemed to give a crap about him for no apparent reason at all, aside from the fact that he apparently looked bored being cooped up in his room studying and reading every single day.

With these thoughts in mind, Sabo ran towards a nearby hill, while he tried to rid himself of all these questions and clear his mind. He had always been fascinated with the idea of star gazing. Somehow being on that grassy hill, he felt so much closer to the sky. It always looked so close, like if it were physically possible to reach with a mere hand, yet it was so far, just like everything else in life. Even if the distance between him and the actual sky would never lessen, it didn't matter, it was still comforting to feel closer to something so unattainable. It was amazing how something so simple could elicit so many emotions out of him. The little blond felt relaxed and comfortable being in such an open space. He positioned himself on the grassy hill top and rested his arms behind his head, staring at the stars, attempting to find nearby constellations.

The little blond was occupied with his fascination for the sky that it took him a while to notice a small figure hunched over him. They were staring down at him. Sabo was quick to recognize the figure. Yellow straw hat hanging from the neck, short dark hair, dark round owl shaped eyes, and the widest grin he'd ever seen on a human being. Yup, it was his number one fan alright.

"Have you been staring at me this whole time?" Sabo decided to stare back at the kid.

"Yup. You looked liked you were really focusing on something shishishi~" The boy with the straw hat stopped grinning and looked at Sabo with a straight face.

The little blond flinched a bit after a few more seconds of staring. Strangely enough the younger boy looked like he could see beyond what was right in front of him. Sabo didn't like it much. He didn't like the idea of another person being able to see him so clearly, and yet, it was oddly comforting. Someone was actually looking at him for who he was, but really, who was _he_? He didn't even know anymore.

"Uhm…yeah actually, I was looking for constellations."

"Con- what?" The younger boy looked at him with a slightly baffled expression.

Sabo couldn't stop a light chuckle from escaping and the younger boy huffed in annoyance. "Constellations. Think of them as bright stars that appear close to each other on the sky, but in space they're really far apart." He gestured with arms. "Each of these clusters of stars create patterns in the sky and if you look really closely sometimes you'll be able to see actual figures in the sky! It's pretty amazing."

"WOWWWW!~~ That sounds so COOOOL!~~" The little boy seemed very fascinated and laid down next to Sabo on the grassy hill top. "Tell me more!" The boy said excitedly.

The little blond couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm. It was pleasant sharing interests with someone other than himself. His parents never cared for any of his interests, and shot down anything he had to say. He never had friends either so that was already out of the question.

"Hmm, no. I won't say more until you answer me one thing."

The younger boy protested. "Ehhhhhhh! What is it?! I'll answer you!"

Sabo chuckled and turned his head to look at the other boy laying next to him. "What's your name? We never exchanged names. Kinda silly don't you think? You can call me Sabo."

The boy with the straw hat's face lit up and he grinned happily. "Luffy! My name's Luffy! So can you tell me more about these costel things?"

Sabo sighed. "Nice to meetcha Luffy! And it's not costel things! Con-ste-lla-tions!"

"Yeah the pictures in the sky. Tell me more! I wanna see some!" Luffy's eyes gleamed more and more. Sabo couldn't help but give into the look. He thought it was quite adorable how interested the other seemed. He wasn't going to deny that he was having fun himself.

"Okay, okay. Well those patterns in the sky ended up getting their own stories by different civilizations. Some are based on stories and people that were important to them. But the ones we're mostly familiar with come from Greek Mythology!" Sabo continued speaking excitedly until he noticed Luffy's pouting face. He started to realize he couldn't exactly go off on a tangent without thoroughly explaining himself.

The little blond broke down the concepts he knew as easiest as he could for Luffy to understand. He was at least glad to be getting reactions from the boy instead of puzzled looks. They star gazed for a good while. Sabo pointed out the certain constellations that were only visible during the summer and explained to Luffy that when each season came, different constellations would be visible. The younger boy listened intently to Sabo talk and tell stories of each group of stars. He really liked Sabo. Luffy was even convinced that he could probably get his grandfather to adopt the blond boy! He always did want siblings and he could tell just by looking at the blond boy next to him, that he wasn't happy.

"Sabo? Do you always sneak out at this time?"

The question was so abrupt that it caught the little blond off guard. They were star gazing and Luffy just brought up a grim reminder of reality. He snuck out. He wasn't suppose to be here. Why was he doing this again? Sabo just sat up from his lying position and froze.

"I need to head back." He got up off the floor and a hand pulled back at the bottom his small blue coat.

"Wait! Why are you leaving? You snuck out to have fun right?" Luffy's eyes were full of curiosity.

"Something like that. I need to get back. I don't wanna get into anymore trouble."

Luffy let go of the other boy's coat with a defeated look. "Okay…Wanna meet here tomorrow night?"

Sabo thought about it. Would he really do this again? Would he risk it? If he somehow got away with it this time around, why should he push his luck? "I don't think so."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not even suppose to be here!" The blond didn't mean to yell but he was starting to get frustrated. It wasn't Luffy's fault but the younger boy would never understand.

"You shouldn't have to stay locked up in your boring room all day. You need to have some fun too." Luffy looked down at the floor with a pout. "B-but thank you for teaching me about the pictures in the sky."

Sabo laughed out loud at the boy. "Too scared to even try to say constellations now?"

The younger boy looked up and furrowed his brows. "No! Constels! Ima call them constels! The way you say it is weird anyway." Luffy stuck his tongue out to the blond as a personal victory.

"Ha! Okay then. Suit yourself, but people will laugh at you if they hear you say it like that." He was having fun teasing the boy. He would soon learn to accept that simply being around Luffy made him feel better about himself.

"Hm I don't care! A lot of people are stupid anyway! Sabo will you come tomorrow night?" The look on the boy seemed to get darker for some reason, and Sabo couldn't really think of a reason aside from maybe loneliness? But how? Luffy seemed like an overall friendly person, he would imagine the boy having a lot of friends. But then again, why would he constantly seek Sabo out? There was more to this that the little blond wanted to know out of sheer curiosity.

"Why do you want me to come tomorrow night so badly?"

"Because it's always fun with you…I'm always by myself and when I saw that you were here….I was happy…since we don't get to play or talk much. Sabo makes me really happy." Luffy gave him his signature grin that just made every other grin in the world pale in comparison, not that he would ever tell the boy that.

Sabo felt a rush of heat on his face but ignored it. _What now?_ How was he suppose to respond to that? He figured he'd begin with a typical thank you. "T-thanks Luffy. Look. I'll try to come tomorrow night too." In all honesty, he could do it again. Heck, it could become a nightly routine. He was confident in himself to at least plan out the safest times to sneak out. Sabo doubted that his parents even knew about his little adventure tonight. Everything was calculated. He was good at thinking on his feet. The only thing he didn't plan was meeting Luffy here, but it was a pleasant coincidence.

"Besides Luffy, what about you? Why are you out so late? And you're by yourself too." Sabo raised an eyebrow at the boy.

"I sneak out because I can't sleep alone in my dark scary room. Gramps is never really around unless he wants to train me. This spot makes me feel better. It makes me feel not so lonely. The stars make everything light up too!"

"So you get lonely?"

"Mhm"

"What kind of training are you even talking about?!"

"Gramps wants me to be marine when I grow up." Luffy grimaced.

"A marine? Sounds rough."

"Blehhh. I don't wanna be a marine!"

"Oh? Then what would you wanna be?"

Luffy's eyes gleamed happily. "I'd work with food! Shishishi!"

Sabo put his hand against his forehead. "That's not very reassuring."

"I'll show you! I'll work with food when I get older!"

Sabo wasn't the least bit convinced on this explanation but the look of determination on Luffy's face ALMOST convinced him. "Alright then." He patted the boy's head. "This training though, you just do it in a random forest?"

"Sometimes. It depends what gramps is in the mood for. He'll sometimes push me off cliffs or leave me to get lost in the forest, or fight with animals. Then I have to find my own food but it's not too hard because the animals will always chase me…Sometimes it gets too scary." The boy had a sudden saddened expression.

That cheery exterior the other had sure fooled him. Sabo would have never guessed for Luffy to be going through things like this. The young blond was also sure there was more behind the younger boy that he didn't know. Yet the boy had something Sabo didn't. He had choices. He had the option to walk outside whenever he pleased and just enjoy the simple things. He had the option to change his future. He slightly envied Luffy, but he was also aware that if he wanted change, he would have to work for it.

"Alright. Fine. You win. I'll come tomorrow night too."

"Really?!" The boy's mood lightened up at Sabo's response.

"Yeah. I already did it once right? It'll just get easier." The little blond smiled at Luffy.

"YAY!"

It felt nice to genuinely be wanted around. Sabo hoped things would stay pleasant like this, but he knew that happiness never lasted. His nobility always found a way to snatch everything away but he would try to fight this time around, he would try to make the best of it. He would protect Luffy no matter what, and protect the little piece of happiness he found.

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**A/N:** **I had more planned for it (well more like saved in my document), like adding their adult versions and possibly adding someone else to this ****_*cough*_****. But I also originally just wanted to write their kid versions so I'm not sure yet. I guess I'd need opinions first? I'm not even sure who reads this. But whoever did, thank you! Good day/night to you all~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Okay. I hope I'm not making a huge mistake by continuing this but I just had to share it. I guess this will be a multi chapter fic after all. This chapter probably seemed a bit longer due to the introduction of another person and portrayal of emotions. Not sure really, but I apologize if it does seem that way. Bear with me please. I also have a tendency of not introducing someone's name until the very end hehe. But I'm sure it's quite obvious who this character was. Sorry for the lack of Luffy in this chapter but he is just as important to me, fear not. I started this out very Sabo focused and will try to continue in doing so, but I would like to also give the perspectives and background of the others eventually. Beware of my vagueness and terrible abilities to describe. Anyway, sorry I'm rambling carry on to the story *hides* **

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The night Sabo reassured Luffy he'd come back to the same spot again, the boy hadn't shown up the like he usually did during the mid afternoon. The little blond shrugged it off. If Luffy couldn't make it, he couldn't make it. Besides, that spot at the hill top at night was _their_ spot now. It was the place he could always escape to and just simply be himself. When the night arrived, Sabo, once again decided to sneak out. When he got to the hill top he saw that familiar yellow straw hat and a small figure positioned on the floor. This ritual continued for a good while. Sometimes the younger boy wouldn't be able to make it during the day and Sabo would miss the company by his window. The boy was his only friend and having to deal with his own family drained him too much. So having the extra company around always cheered him up. The word _friend _sounded so wonderful to him. He never expected to use the word someday. Maybe he deserved happiness, after all.

The unexpected occurred one day though, when Luffy left a note at Sabo's window explaining why he wouldn't be able to make it to their spot that same night. Sabo never received the note. Sabo's father on the other hand, had _'accidentally'_ found the notice on the floor by his windowsill. His father was furious and decided to further investigate what vermin lured his son down the wrong path. Luckily, the notice was extremely vague, so his father decided to wait it out. When the next day came, the same routine occurred with the younger boy happily speaking to the little blond from his window. The only difference was that they were being watched. Sabo's father had hired certain people to take care of this troublesome person.

When Luffy arrived home, which was on the other side of town, his grandfather happily awaited his return. After a good long display of tough love (more like beating the poor boy), he had finally decided to ask him where he kept going almost every afternoon. Garp usually didn't care where his grandson would wander off to, but he was certain the boy was not training seeing as he'd come back in the same condition he'd leave in. If he wasn't training, he most certainly was curious to know what the boy was focusing his energy on. After all, being a marine involved rigorous training and not just in body, but in mind as well. The boy had already mentioned Sabo once before, but his grandfather didn't think much of it. He figured this Sabo must have been some random person passing by that his grandson decided to claim as a personal friend. When Luffy mentioned something along the lines of inviting the boy over to stay with them as an addition to the family, Garp couldn't help but laugh.

"Could Sabo come live with us? I really like him! He doesn't know what a home feels like..." Luffy said as he looked down, but Garp could see his grandson's eyes. The boy wanted company and he knew Luffy would get lonely every time he'd leave him. He wanted to see if the boy would get rid of that habit of needing someone by his side, but he supposed he couldn't change his stubborn grandson's ways.

"Why not? It'll give you a training partner. HAHA" Garp chuckled. He figured another person close to his age training with him would steer him the right direction. He wanted to meet this Sabo boy, anyway.

Luffy was ecstatic at the news. He would be sure to tell the little blond about it, but they didn't get to see each other that night. He didn't get to share the happy news because his grandfather betrayed his word. Sabo didn't see Luffy that night at the hilltop and he tried to brush it off. He assumed something came up for the other. But the next day was the same, and the day after that. The days started going back to how they used to be for Sabo, gray and dull.

The reason Garp betrayed Luffy was because later that evening he discovered the true identity of his grandson's friend, Sabo. The people that were hired by Sabo's parents had followed his grandson home. They were strictly given orders to make Luffy disappear, but when Garp threatened to beat them all to death (while actually beating the crap out of one of them) they decided to come to some sort of agreement, seeing as the man was an actual marine. The agreement was to stop associating with Sabo and to not appear anywhere near the town again. Garp didn't like the idea, but he also knew what it would be like to have nobles involved and to be constantly tracked down day by day and wanted dead. He didn't want to endanger his grandson's future, especially if he became a marine. When Garp explained the situation to Luffy, the boy protested. He was extremely upset at his grandfather. He didn't understand why Sabo being a noble made it impossible for him to be his friend. He refused to leave, but his grandfather practically knocked him out and dragged him along to move elsewhere. That was probably one of the worst days for the boy. He always feared being alone, but he just abandoned one of his friends without wanting to.

Some long months had passed since the incident and Luffy had tried his best to stay chipper, but he found himself missing Sabo. It was a similar feeling to when another person whom he simply wanted to be friends with left him and never came back. He tried to search for the other day in and day out, but eventually told himself he'd run into him again someday. All he wanted was a friend and the other boy, despite him acting so mean, seemed truly lonely. After being left, Luffy was convinced it was somehow his fault. He still thinks about it from time to time.

His thoughts then wandered to the little blond he befriended. He missed going to that hilltop and hearing Sabo's stories. He missed looking up at the stars with him or even dozing off with him. He wasn't even sure of his location anymore. There was no nearby town anymore. He lived in some secluded area of this new forest, but Luffy could tell the difference. It wasn't like the forest near his old place.

He got an idea all of a sudden. If his grandfather wouldn't let him be friends with Sabo over there, then he'd just have to go keep trying to find him and bring him back here! He had honestly tried after the first week of staying in the cabin he now called home. His grandfather would hardly ever be around, which was something the younger boy was used to. So Garp sent an acquaintance of his, a lady by the name of Dadan to look after the boy. Luffy was okay with the lady. He tried to get her to play with him, but all she did was drink, eat, sleep, or read the newspaper. He thought she was boring but he did a good job of making her run around the place for him. Regardless of the company, he still missed his friend. Dadan always tried to make him stay indoors but Luffy didn't like being indoors for too long. She quickly caught on that it was futile to try to restrain the boy. He had boundless amounts of energy. The boy would come back severely injured each time he would leave and she wondered if the boy had common sense at all. Why did he want to get stronger? And for who exactly? One day, she decided to finally ask. He simply said he needed to become much stronger to bring his friend back home with him. She never asked again after that. This person must have been truly important to him if he was constantly risking his life. The animals in this forest were much more vicious than in the previous one he'd train in. This was his time to shine though. He had trained much harder in the months that passed and it was time to go seek Sabo again.

Sabo, despite feeling like he lost that piece of happiness fairly quickly, continued to sneak out during the night. He would seek refuge at that spot where he'd meet Luffy. He'd look up at the stars and wondered if the other boy looked at them too. Sabo never did get an explanation as to why he just disappeared, but he also had a hunch it was his own fault for Luffy leaving. His first thoughts lead him to believe his parents had something to do with it. After a good week of not seeing Luffy, he decided to once and for all confront his father. When his father told him about the random note at his windowsill, things came together. His father simply described what happened as a matter of simply taking out the trash. He felt true agony because he wanted to protect his only friend, but he had no clue what happened behind his back. He couldn't even be there to warn him, to tell him to stop coming by. He didn't try hard enough. He was cocky and naïve to think things would stay just fine. He was convinced he must have been a horrible bastard in his past life for him to deserve this. Books could only help him escape certain reality, but they wouldn't be able to heal his wounds.

Sabo still kept up with his studies and reading. He continued to please his parents in that department, but he also felt like he would lose a part of himself each day that passed. His parents on the other hand put that incident long behind themselves. He played his part as always. The little blond continued to wear his mask in order to survive the disgusting life of wealthiness. Luffy would still cross his mind, despite the time that had passed. The little blond felt the loneliness creep up on him every time. It had been so many months since then, so why was this still bothering him? Because from the little time he spent with the boy, he was happiest. Little did he know that things would change for him.

When Sabo snuck out to go to his spot once more, he saw a small figure sitting on the hilltop. His heart started to race and his pulse quickened. His first thought was _Luffy. _He was sure it was Luffy. It had to be! He ran towards the spot and when he got there, he caught his breath. The figure looked up but Sabo spoke first.

"LUFFY?!" But when he looked down he was disappointed.

"Huh? Who the hell are you?" The other person asked.

"You're not—"

"I asked, who the hell are you?" The other figure was a boy who honestly looked the same age as him if not close to it. He had dark wavy short hair and freckles on his cheeks. This boy glared at him menacingly. But he decided not to answer the question. Why should he answer to some stranger, let alone a rude one?

"I got you mixed up with someone else. Sorry." Sabo walked away after that, only to look back at the boy who raised an eyebrow at him but turned his back immediately.

_'He has issues… He took the spot Luffy and I stargaze at. Gah, hope I never see him again' _

Sabo decided to head back home seeing as his night was ruined.

The freckled boy on the other hand, stayed looking up at the night sky, deep in thought.

_'Don't really care who the hell the blond kid is, but that name he said sounded really familiar. I doubt he was talking about that idiot though. He wouldn't come around at this hour. Must have been some other kid…' _

The next night came around and Sabo hoped the rude kid wouldn't be around. Low and behold he was though, and he was sitting in that same spot again. Now, Sabo wanted to be civil about this. He didn't want to seem childish but he really treasured that spot. He walked up once more to the kid. The freckled boy stood up and glared once more.

"What is it this time? I'm not that Luffy kid you're looking for." He said as he crossed his arms.

"Just wondering why you're at this spot again. I've never seen you before. I come here almost all the time at the same hour." Sabo raised his eyebrow.

"Is this your spot? I don't see your name on it. Just scram will ya?" The freckled boy said as he started getting more and more annoyed. He couldn't believe what he heard. This random kid was claiming a hilltop.

"Why?" Sabo started to get curious. He wanted to know why this boy seemed so angry at everything. His first impression was already bad enough, but he discovered long ago to not judge a book by its cover.

The freckled boy had enough. He wasn't used to talking this much. He threw a swing at Sabo, which the boy honestly hadn't expected. The little blond fell to the floor and went unconscious. When he awoke there was no one around, but he felt an aching pain on his face radiating around his mouth. He decided to ignore the pain as best as he could. He had no idea how long he had been knocked out for, but thankfully it was still dark, so he rushed home. When he arrived at his room he looked into his mirror. It was then he noticed his bruised up face and he had a missing tooth on the row of his top front teeth. He wasn't sure how he would explain that, but maybe if he chose not to speak much he'd get away with it for as long as he could. He hardly spoke with his parents, regardless.

Sabo _did_ get into trouble, but he was so used to his shitty luck that he didn't even react this time around. His parents were fully aware he'd escape at night and come back before sunrise but they could never figure out how he managed to sneak out and sneak back in seeing as they had the house watched. The boy was crafty. He planned this long before they knew. The extra tight security really suffocated him regardless of being able to escape during the night. He was honestly fed up. He thought of just completely running away and never coming back home. Besides, his parents were thinking of buying themselves a slave. He already felt nauseous at the thought. If he hadn't been exposed to the world of nobles, he would have honestly thought he was getting a new friend of some sort. But he had already seen the horrors of slavery. He knew what happened to most of them. That was probably the final straw for him though. Losing his precious friend was reason enough, but he was losing himself much quicker than he wanted to admit. He didn't want to become like them. He didn't want to live in that kind lifestyle any longer. He felt truly disgusted. If he never came back he knew his parents wouldn't care. All they cared about were themselves, after all. He just got the shorter end of the stick in all of this. It wasn't his fault he had crappy parents.

He was more exhausted than usual seeing as the punishment his parents gave him and the long lectures he had received tired him. But, he found the time to sneak out once again. He did not want to give up on going to that same spot. It was the only reminder left of his only friend and that little piece of freedom he got every time. He didn't believe Luffy was truly gone. Something told him Luffy was still alive, just elsewhere.

He arrived at the same location and found the same boy there. Sabo was more prepared this time around. He figured if the kid swung again, he'd be able to dodge it. But instead something unexpected occurred. The freckled boy got up and left as soon the little blond approached him. He hadn't expected that at all.

_'What was that?' _

Sabo shrugged it off and rested on the ground as he looked up at the stars. He didn't really care about the other boy. He was only a tad bit curious. Besides, he kind of wanted to thank him for the broken tooth and bruises. It sort of helped him make up his mind on leaving home. He knew Luffy would have persuaded him if he was still around, but he wasn't. The next few days he had prepared the few things he'd be taking with him, especially his favorite books. He knew it would not be easy to live life in the wild, but anywhere seemed better than that place that was disguised as his shelter. All he needed was the perfect opening. His opening arrived when one day his parents had gone out to a special event. He pretended to be ill and used it as an excuse to stay behind. That same day his parents never heard from him again.

The day he left and started living in the wilderness he thought he would have had a much rougher time but he adapted quite decently. Maybe it was all those books he had read which helped him become resourceful and possibly _a little_ stealing here and there from town, as well. It helped him get around to building his own tree house. Before completing it, he'd seek refuge on trees to sleep on, since the wilderness itself was already dangerous enough. Luckily, the forest was empty half the time. This surely was much better than home to him, despite the dangers. He even got attached to a personal favorite weapon of his, some metal pole he'd use to go hunting for food. He, of course, got more supplies as he stole and hunted. He wondered if this was what Luffy did when he trained (minus the stealing part because he didn't see the little boy capable of such a thing, unless it was food).

It was that time of the day where Sabo knew he had to go hunt for something to eat. While walking through the many trees he heard random screaming. This alarmed him, but he also wondered if someone had been attacked. Part of him thought about just leaving them be. It was none of his concern, but then he figured he should help. He could possibly get a free meal out of it. When he got to the area around a nearby river he saw a huge bear throwing a young boy around, who happened to be cursing the wild animal. The little blond looked closer and noticed it was the same rude freckled boy he encountered those few times at the hilltop. The bear seemed way out of both their leagues and Sabo wondered if the other had some sort of death wish. Without much thought Sabo tightened the grip on his pole and ran towards the huge bear. He leaped forward and gave it a good stab in the eye. The bear cried out in pain and kept its injured eye closed as it lost its balance. The dark haired boy watched the whole scene as he lied on his stomach. Sabo left the bear to its own devices. He knew injuring one eye wouldn't do much but it would give them enough time to escape. He ran to the freckled boy and helped him get up.

"I didn't ask for your help you know. Why'd you come anyway?"

"Just felt like it. I was passing by." Sabo said as he looked at the other in disbelief. He didn't expect a thank you, but this boy was unbelievable. It was a bit entertaining but a pain in the ass as well. Yeah, he had a death wish. That was the only explanation Sabo could come up with, unless he was just plain stupid.

Both boys ran away from the location and stopped once they felt safe enough. They caught their breaths and the freckled boy eyed the little blond. He wondered why the other decided to intervene.

"What do you want?" The boy asked.

"Huh?" The little blond wondered what the other was talking about.

"I was perfectly fine and you came in and ruined my kill."

Sabo ended up laughing at the other's comment. "Are you being serious? That bear was tossing you around left and right!"

The freckled boy took a swing at the little blond, but Sabo foresaw this and dodged. He tried once more but failed again. The little blond grinned in victory.

"Hmph, you learn quick you bastard. I figured you'd stay away after I punched you last time!"

"Oh yeah! Thanks for that. I got a missing tooth now too." Sabo smiled and the other noticed the gap in between his teeth. The freckled boy couldn't help but hold back a smile. He almost laughed at him. Why did the other seem so happy about a broken tooth? He assumed the other hated him for it. He was too used to that reaction from others.

"Alright well, I'm leaving. Enjoy the missing tooth." Before he could turn his back and walk away the little blond held him by his arm.

"Hold on. Since I _technically_ saved you and all, you owe me some food~" Sabo smiled.

"WHA-!?" The freckled boy couldn't believe his ears. "You didn't save ME! I don't owe you anything!"

"Hmm… I think I'm in the mood for some meat." The little blond lightly chuckled and reminded himself of his friend with the yellow straw hat. It was a different kind of nice to be talking to someone new. He was genuinely curious about this kid. He hoped that food would lighten the mood. He wasn't exactly sure why, but he wanted to befriend this person.

"OI, are you even listening to me?!" The freckled boy tried interrupting Sabo's thoughts but it was futile. Then his own stomach made a loud grumble and Sabo laughed out loud. The other lightly blushed in embarrassment.

"SHUT UP!"

"See! You're hungry too. Let's go get food!" The little blond dragged the other by his arm and they were on their way.

Before going into town, both boys agreed they'd need some form of disguise. Sabo had his reasons. After all, he didn't want to be recognized by anyone in town. Whether or not his parents were searching for him, he didn't want to let his guard down. The little blond picked out the place he wanted to eat at, of course. While the other grumbled and agreed to it seeing as he was too hungry to even protest anymore. He didn't even know why he got dragged into the predicament in the first place. They agreed to stand on top of each other to act as a single person while covering themselves in a long cloak. It did look a bit suspicious, but Sabo had already planned this. They doubted the restaurant itself would let mere children inside on their own.

When they walked inside the elegant looking place, Sabo had shown proof of nobility to the host. They were given their own V.I.P. room. The dark haired boy didn't ask Sabo where he'd gotten his hands on that strange looking symbol. They were guaranteed excellent service. Who was he to complain at that moment?

As they ate, Sabo tried to start a conversation with the freckled boy. But he just continued to devour his meals instead of responding.

"It's pretty funny not knowing each other's names. I mean, we technically have been around each other quite a few times." He chuckled. "My name's Sabo. And yours?"

The boy ignored the other's question. Sabo felt a bit dumb, but he also noticed how the other didn't seem interested in getting to know him. So he brushed it off and continued to attempt conversation.

"Do you live in the forest?" Sabo asked curiously.

"I've seen you during the day. I thought you only came by at night." The freckled one said to the little blond.

Sabo hadn't expected the other to know that. But decided to answer him honestly, seeing as he just revealed that he'd noticed him around the forest more often. "I'm living in the forest now."

"Oh." The freckled kid tried not seem curious.

_'Now? Why would someone leave their home to go live in the wilderness?'_

_"_ Must be tough." The freckled boy responded in a sarcastic tone.

"It's actually much nicer than my previous home." Sabo lightly smiled as he took a bite out of his piece of meat.

The other just decided not to respond. He didn't want to get further involved. Shortly after their meal they ordered some dessert. He wondered if the other boy had enough to pay for all of it but brushed it off.

After saying those few words to each other they didn't speak the rest of the time. Once they completely finished their meals Sabo sighed contently as he stared at the bill.

"That was great~" The little blond rubbed his stomach.

The freckled boy stayed silent as he looked directly at Sabo without saying a word.

"What? Do you want more dessert or something? I thought you wanted to leave."

"I told you. I'm not paying for this." The freckled kid said sternly.

Sabo widened his eyes before he spoke again. "We…already ate. Just pay up."

Once again the other was silent.

"You don't have any money on you, do you?" Sabo said, as if he foresaw this.

"I CLEARLY SAID I WASN'T PAYING! YOU DRAGGED ME HERE!" The freckled boy yelled angrily.

The little blond sighed. "I was afraid of that."

But just then the freckled boy grinned at the little blond. Sabo questioned that look. It was the first he saw the other have a mischievous look.

"I know how we can handle this~"

Sabo raised an eyebrow. "Oh, do you?"

The freckled boy smiled again. "Yeah, definitely." He got up and ran out from the room, leaving Sabo speechless for a few seconds.

The little blond gasped. "ASSHOLE! Don't pull a dine and dash on me! I saved your life!" He ran after him before anybody came back to the room to look for the payment. It was the perfect escape regardless. Nobody would have suspected children to run out of the VIP room.

The boy didn't go back to forest immediately. He made sure to lose the little blond. As he walked around town he kept overhearing conversations of a lost little noble boy with blond hair. There was a huge reward going around for the person who located him. He put two and two together and if his suspicions were correct, he figured he could use this information to his advantage. He would just need to befriend his little blond savior. The image of the blond boy came to his mind. The thought of a noble leaving his position to live on his own still baffled him. There were many questions that were unanswered but not wanting to get involved seemed to be getting difficult. He needed to befriend him in order to figure out where he was living specifically in the forest, but another part of him felt like he had to understand the situation. People never cared for him. No one bothered to understand him, so why should he try with this kid? So what if he happened to _save _him and genuinely tried to start conversations with him. So what, right?

Sabo took the less crowded route (alleyways) to not get noticed. When he made it back to the forest entrance he had actually lost the freckled kid. It seemed it'd be tougher to get him to talk. He'd attempt next time he saw him though. He had a good feeling about all of this. This was a start, after all. He walked back to his tree house and decided to take a nap.

Meanwhile, the freckled decided to take the walk through a different route in the forest. He figured he'd gather a bit of firewood for later. As he approached a nearby river he hadn't noticed but he tripped over something and fell flat on his face.

"Ow…what the hell—" The boy gasped at the sight. He tripped over a small body. But it wasn't the fact that there was someone's either dead or unconscious body on the floor. It was the fact he recognized the boy. It was the annoyingly hyperactive and chipper boy with the yellow straw hat.

"L-Lu…L-Luffy?" He crawled over to the boy and took a closer look. He seemed to have gotten into numerous fights. He was surprised. The little boy didn't look like a fighter. It really wasn't his day. First this Sabo kid bribes him into eating a meal with him attempting to get to know him and now Luffy, the boy he couldn't shake off was here once again. But was he dead? Alive?

The freckled boy poked at the body, unsure of what to do.

_'Why am I still here… I could just leave…If he's still alive, I don't want him to see him.'_

While the boy was still in thought, the unconscious kid woke up and rubbed his eyes. "Hm? Where am I?"

The freckled boy gasped once more and before he could get up to run, the younger boy clung on. "ACEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~ Where have you been? I missed you."

_It really wasn't his day._

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**A/N:** **I was pretty insecure about this chapter (probably rushed/vague in some parts, I truly apologize), but nevertheless I had fun writing it. Hope it was at least enjoyable.** **:)**


	3. Chapter 3

**I apologize for my chapter 2. I honestly was disappointed after reading it a second/third time around. I would go back and change certain things about it, but I think I'll just keep it the way it is for now. I'm already booked with school and I'm honestly stressing. I don't know how often I'll be updating this and I don't know how long this will be (I don't plan to make it LONG anyway). So I apologize once more. I have everything planned out and many ideas written, but I like to change stuff around when I type it out so it takes longer than usual. I honestly was thinking of just deleting chapter 2 and leaving chapter 1 as a one shot but decided not to. I had the hardest time getting the will to type out this chapter, but I finally did it! I won't delete it, as crappy as it is because I feel I can make it better if I try and I am honestly having fun with this story despite my complaining. I love the ASL babies, and I'm glad there are people who love them too! So, here you go.**

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There was he was. The boy Ace had hoped to never run into again, Monkey D. Luffy. Garp was the man who was taking care of him since before he could remember but decided to run away from, about a year ago. He didn't believe it was Garp's job to look after him even if his own nonexistent father handed him over before he came out of his mother's womb. It was obvious to him that he was not wanted and had zero importance. If he were so important, he'd still have a father and a mother, but instead he was born under some crappy and rather unfortunate circumstances. He thought maybe there was a deeper meaning behind his father. He would ask around in town but all he would hear were terrible rumors of a cruel human being who deserved death. The fact he was a criminal in itself didn't faze him, it was the cruelty in people's words. People cursed Ace for being born and breathing. They wanted him dead. They did not want any of his father's blood existing.

Ace only wanted a spark of hope. Someone to say something decent about his blood, but enough was enough. The boy had already lost faith in the possibility of being accepted. The only people who could have fulfilled that for him were dead. He grew to hate human beings. He saw how quick they were to step all over each other. He saw how quick they were to run their mouths and he saw how easily they shunned and condemned others.

He didn't dare blame his mother. He knew she fought hard to bring him to life in secrecy, but for what? The price of her own life in exchange for his existence? It still tormented him to this day. People were extremely vocal on how they felt about him and his parents. His mother didn't deserve any of the bad mouthing. He much rather would have not been born and had her live. She deserved life, not him. He truly believed that. But something inside him wanted to grow stronger. He wanted to fight. He wanted to fight for his life despite the so called _unfortunate fate_ that awaited him. He wanted to prove everyone wrong. He wasn't sure where the hell his future would take him but he wanted to live life by his own standards, whether he was a demon's child by blood or not. The freckled boy already knew how to manage on his own. He was strong, stronger than any typical person. He grew up training and accepted the freedom of the wilderness. He didn't need to go back to the old man or get lectured on becoming a marine. He was better off alone instead of receiving unwanted pity.

What he never did grasp was why the hell this Luffy kid clung onto him constantly while he stayed with Garp. He spat at Luffy, led him into fatal situations when he followed him around yet he still came back (in one piece and miraculously alive). It was like the boy was asking to die. Ace came to the conclusion that the kid was plain stupid. He never bothered to speak to him, but Luffy always called Ace his friend with an honest smile. He always followed him and wanted to have adventures with the freckled boy. Ace was so certain he would never see him again after he left, despite only being on the opposite side of where him and Garp stayed. Ace knew how to hide, but this was completely unexpected to him. It felt like fate was toying with him.

He simply didn't process what the other boy asked him. Luffy tilted his head a bit confused but he asked once more.

"Where have you been, Ace? I missed you!" Luffy said with a grin.

This pissed Ace off beyond belief. _Missed me? Why?_ He truly did _NOT_ understand. He glared at the boy menacingly.

"Missed me? You missed me?!" He chuckled, not really knowing how to even respond as he hid his expression in his hair.

"Yeah... I got really lonely without Ace around. I thought he left because of me…" The boy's expression grew gloomy and this puzzled the freckled boy more. Luffy wanted to tell him about the little blond he met in town, but he didn't get the chance to even speak as Ace yelled.

"What the hell is your problem?! You think I left because of _YOU_!? You're right! You're a pain in the ass!" Ace got up shoving Luffy aside and started walking away as he tried to play off that he wasn't fazed at all. The little boy honestly scared him. He didn't want a friend. He'd simply end up being hated just like he always had. If Luffy found out more about him, it'd be the end of that story. He was almost tempted to tell the boy about his true identity but he held back. Ace thought the kid was probably faking everything, but that's when the simple question rose up. Why would he be enduring all of his torment for a simple friendship?

Luffy quickly got up off the floor and chased after Ace. "ACE! Wait up! You don't have to tell me where you've been. I'm sorry! Just let me come with you!"

The freckled boy flinched and started to run. _Seriously, what the hell is this guy's problem! I just told him he was a pain in the ass!_

Ace ran and ran until he saw the same huge bear from earlier near the river and an idea ran through his mind. He mischievously smiled and hid in some nearby bushes seeing as he lost sight of the other.

Luffy wasn't as quick as Ace but he was certain he saw which way he headed to. When he arrived at the nearby location he looked around and was confused when he saw nobody around but a bear, a huge and aggressive looking bear, surprisingly minding its own business. He wanted to test out his strength some more despite the injuries he received to get to this part of the forest. Ace couldn't believe what he saw.

_This guy's an idiot! He's gonna die. _

The freckled boy figured it wasn't his fault if the kid died or not seeing as he wasn't his responsibility. When Luffy tried attacking the animal by running at it to hit it with his bare fists, it simply flung him away with hardly any strength. The animal seemed distracted by the fishes it was eating from the nearby river. The boy was frustrated and continued his attempts until the bear sent him flying at a one last time. When Luffy got up this time around and walked back angrily to the river, the bear was gone.

"Ehhh? It's gone?!" He said with a pout. A loud grumbling noise came from his stomach alerting him of his hunger. It also didn't help that the bear was eating right in front of his face before he decided to attack it. He started wondering what he could have for dinner. Maybe he could catch some fish. He walked over to the nearby body of water and looked at his clear reflection. He wasn't a good swimmer to begin with. No matter how many times he tried, he'd somehow end up drowning. He just couldn't get the hang of it. It also didn't help that he wasn't properly taught. He tried to self teach, but failed many times before.

Luffy's stomach growled once more and he heard another nearby grumble. Luffy turned to see who else was around and Ace panicked. He just ate with Sabo a while ago, why did his stomach grumble? Ace decided he had no reason to stick around anymore. Before he walked away completely, he heard someone yell out.

"L-Luffy? LUFFY!"

It was the little blond from earlier. Ace's eyes widened.

_So he did know Luffy. But how..?_

He wasn't exactly sure on how to feel. Ace was curious, but he wouldn't admit it to himself. He wanted to walk away, but decided to stick around some more eavesdropping. Maybe he'd figure out where Sabo was staying. Yes, this would work out in the long run for him and he wouldn't have to befriend the boy. That reward money was looking more tempting by the minute. He never did say he'd be Sabo's friend. He refused to be. As he continued to eavesdrop, the sight started bothering him more and more.

"SABOOOO!~" Luffy jumped into the little blond's arms. "It's really you, Sabo!" His words almost choked him. He called out the little blond's name again. "Sabo, Sabo! I missed Sabo so much!" Luffy started tearing up as he looked into the other's eyes. He was so happy to have met up with his friend again, despite the many months that had passed. It had been torture for him. Sabo was the only person who accepted his friendship. He considered Ace a friend, despite him running away and saying those mean things. He really wanted to be happy with Ace too. He wanted Ace to be there with them, but for now he was ecstatic at finally reuniting with the one person he felt he abandoned. He knew he'd get Ace to be with them soon enough. Maybe Sabo would help!

The little blond didn't know how to react to the boy's tears. "L-Luffy? Are, you… alright? What's wrong?"

"I-I…missed Sabo…I was lonely and scared but I got stronger! I got stronger to see you again, Sabo!" Luffy sniffled as the tears wouldn't stop along with a few boogers. This made Sabo want to cry too, seeing the pain and relief in the other's face. He knew Luffy would still be alive and well, but seeing how much pain was reflected in his eyes hurt. _It hurt_. He wanted to stay with his friend and protect him, but he couldn't even do that. He even noticed the bruises on the other's body. It wasn't just on the little boy's hands. His face, arms, legs, they were all visible. What exactly did he go through to get here? And how far did he go? Where the heck was he staying? He stopped himself from blurting out the questions all at once and decided to enjoy the moment.

Sabo lightly chuckled. "Luffy, your boogers are showing."

"I-I dunnn care." The boy sniffled again.

He just wanted to tease the boy a bit to lighten the mood. Sabo patted Luffy's head and tightened the embrace they were in. It was the only thing he could truly think of doing to comfort the other. He was hurting as well, but he wanted to comfort Luffy more so than give into his urge to cry, even if they were tears of relief and happiness. He was able to meet his friend again. Life was giving them another chance. He wasn't sure when he'd see him or if he'd ever see him again.

The boy hummed happily when he felt Sabo's hands in his hair. The little blond didn't know where he picked up the strange habit, but it felt so natural to run his fingers through Luffy's dark strands of hair. It made the other relax and they both simply stayed there for a little while longer as they enjoyed one another's company. Simple laughter accompanied them both and they didn't need to say much after that.

Ace couldn't take all that emotion on display. He had never seen two people who weren't related at all to one another have so much feeling for each other. He thought they were both stupid, but if being stupid meant being happy then he must have been doing something wrong. He felt a strong ache in his chest. He felt lonelier than ever at that moment. It confused him. Ace really wanted to leave, but now more than ever he decided he'd turn Sabo into his parents. The thought of those two being happy made him truly sick. He wasn't even sure why. Was it jealousy? Or possible envy? Luffy seemed to really cherish Sabo. Could that have been _him_ instead of _Sabo_ if he had accepted the boy's friendship? He shook his head to rid those foolish thoughts out of him. Why would he want something like that in his life in the first place? He didn't deserve any of it.

A loud grumble interrupted their emotional scene and Sabo laughed. "Oi, Luffy, is that why you were staring at the water?"

"I was hungry! And I can't swim either." The boy frowned.

"Well, I'll help you catch some fish so you could eat." He patted Luffy's head once more and the boy's eyes gleamed with happiness.

"Sabo's the best! Shishishi~"

This made the little blond blush a little. "I am aren't I?" He grinned with confidence.

When Sabo caught quite a handful of fish, Luffy wouldn't stop staring at him with amazement in his eyes. Ace rolled his eyes as he watched. He compared himself to Sabo and knew he could beat the other if they were to compete. The freckled boy shook his head once more. He needed Sabo to go back home as soon as possible! He was scaring himself with how sucked into their own little game he was getting.

"Sabo caught so many fish!" Luffy said in excitement.

"Well you eat a lot!"

The little blond found the other's metabolism quite interesting. He thought he ate a lot, but Luffy was like a dark hole that ate anything and everything at any time. It was quite a sight to see.

Luffy grabbed some fish and stuffed them down his mouth. He asked Sabo (with a mouthful) if he wasn't going to eat.

"Nah, not right now. I already ate earlier. If I get hungrier later on, I'll just go hunt something." Sabo smiled as he gestured for Luffy to keep eating.

"Ohhh! What did Sabo eat? Was it really good?" The boy asked with curiosity.

"I actually ate with some company this time around. I ate a lot of different foods actually."

"Sabo made another friend?! That's not fair...Can they be my friend too? Shishishi!"

"Hm, something like tha—Actually, yeah. He's my friend. I'm sure he'll be happy to know that another person wants to be his friend toooo~" Sabo said as he chuckled. He wouldn't want Luffy to get attacked for wanting to befriend the angry boy, but he was there with him now and he knew the little boy wouldn't back down from friendship. He felt he was getting closer to actually befriending the freckled boy and Luffy would probably be that extra push they needed.

"YAY!"

Ace couldn't believe it. The little blond boy was already calling him a _friend_?

_He dragged me to go feed him and we ate together, once. Now he thinks we're friends? I'll show him what a friend I am._

"So how the heck did you get here? Listen, Luffy…I'm sorry." Sabo said with a saddened tone.

"It's not Sabo's fault. Grandpa took me away and said I couldn't be your friend. But I didn't care! I want to be Sabo's friend so I had to get stronger to get here." Luffy grinned at Sabo feeling proud of himself. "

The little blond lightly smiled and patted the boy's head again. It was just like the boy to simply not dread on things. If he was okay with everything now, then so was he. He felt like apologizing for so much more but the dark haired boy just simply looked at him with an honest smile. "So he doesn't know you're here? When are you going back? I'm sure he'll be looking for you, Luffy."

"I'm bringing Sabo back with me! Shishishi~"

"WHAT? I guess I could do that... I've got nothing here, just living around on a tree." Sabo said as he scratched the back of his head.

"Really? Sabo's coming back with me then?" The boy jumped up happily. "Oh, but I also wanna bring Ace back with us too." Luffy quickly lowered his head. "But he keeps running away from me…"

"Ace?" Sabo asked. "Who's that?"

Ace felt extremely silly. Why did he convince himself that everything Luffy was saying was a lie? Why was he even caring about this? Maybe because for once in his life someone wanted to actually get closer to him, but he pushed them away. No, he ran away and that part was starting to get to him. Luffy had Sabo as a friend now, so there was no need to follow him around. Of course, that's how it would always be. Even if Luffy were to run into him again, he'd just run away, or maybe knock him out cold. Him and Luffy could never be friends. He'd just get easily replaced. The boy was just a ball of sunshine, while compared to him, he was just a ball of hatred. It was stupid in his mind.

"He's my friend!" There it was again, that genuine smile Luffy would make. His whole face would light up.

"Oh? So you had a friend too and never told me?" Sabo raised an eyebrow.

"Ace ran away from me and gramps…he said he didn't need people who pretended to care." Luffy frowned. "I care about Ace a lot too! But he was being stupid and never let me play with him! When I got here I saw him again. I was really happy but he ran away from me!"

Sabo could already tell how much this Ace person meant to Luffy, and how hurt and riled up it was getting him. Oddly enough, just seeing how much it hurt the boy made the little blond want to go kick the kid's ass himself and make him realize that Luffy did care.

Sabo ruffled up the boy's hair once more. "There, there, Luffy. We can look for this Ace kid in the morning alright? If you saw him around here, it means he must be living around these parts. Maybe we could get my friend to help too." He smiled and Luffy looked at him a bit more intrigued leaning towards his face.

"Sabo, you're missing a tooth!"

"Oh this? Haha! About that…" The little blond scratched his head sheepishly. "I uhhh, well, my friend sort of punched me."

The boy started laughing and said the missing tooth looked cool. Only Luffy would think of something like that. For some reason the image of the freckled boy came to Sabo's mind after hearing Luffy's little talk. After all, it did sort of explain some things. But he wouldn't make quick assumptions just yet. It got dark quickly. The evening appeared a lot quicker than expected. When both boys were done talking, Sabo told Luffy they'd be going to his tree house where they'd be safer to sleep in. As they were on their way, Ace followed closely behind relieved that they finally decided to head out.

It was strange to the freckled boy. He was slightly enjoying being able to simply watch from afar at how Luffy acted around someone else. He could also see why the little blond was so fond of him. Luffy simply filled the missing pieces. But it also made him sick seeing the displays of friendliness towards each other. How could they be so carefree? He didn't know either of their reasons or backgrounds and he didn't plan on it.

It wasn't until a random straw hat flew right into his hands that broke him out of his thoughts. He stared at it awkwardly for a bit and realized it was Luffy's! Before Ace could run off and leave the hat there, an arm grabbed him firmly. It was Sabo.

"What the heck are YOU doing here? Spying on us?" Sabo said in a teasing tone.

Ace didn't know what to do at that moment. In all honestly, he wanted to punch him and run but his brain just shut down. He fell on the ground out of sheer surprise and yelled.

"Ehh, Luffy's hat." Sabo smiled at him and called over the other boy.

"OI, Luffy! Found your hat and a friend!"

Ace flinched at the unnecessary comment.

"REALLY? YAHOO!" The boy ran over to both of them.

Ace chose to stay quiet as Sabo tried to give him a hand. He pushed the other's hand away.

"I don't need help getting up." He grumbled.

Luffy stared at Ace and saw the hat in his hands. He gave wide grin as he took the hat and put it back on his head. Luffy looked at the freckled boy and yelled. "THANK YOU, ACE!" He walked over and hugged him. Ace blushed at the gesture and couldn't believe this boy whom he had hurt more than enough times was hugging him.

"SHUT UP WILL YA?! AHH LET GO OF ME" He tried to get out of the younger boy's embrace.

Sabo laughed. "I think he's just embarrassed, Luffy."

"Oi, you, don't talk for me like you know me!"

"Really? Shishishi! Silly Ace~"

Ace couldn't believe they were both ignoring him and why was he still holding him?! He had never felt more embarrassed.

"LET GO!" Ace yelled once more.

Luffy pouted up at the freckled boy. "But I don't want Ace to leave again…"

"Luffy" Sabo interrupted before the mood got gloomy, "Come here?" Sabo extended his arms out.

"SABOOOOO!~" Luffy let go of Ace and ran over to the little blond as he jumped into his arms. Sabo then smiled over at Ace as he patted the boy in his embrace. Ace simply glared at the display. He knew he wouldn't get along with the little blond.

_That little bastard—_

"So your name's Ace?" Sabo asked as took the personal victory and continued the conversation.

"Who would have thought we knew the same person, Luffy!"

"He was your friend from your story huh!"

"Yep! The one I saved." Sabo teased trying to get a different reaction from the freckled boy who just stood there in shock and jealousy.

"You DIDN'T save me!" Ace smacked the little blond's head. Luffy just laughed at Sabo rubbing his head and Ace smacked Luffy's head as well.

Ace sighed. Why was it that even if he didn't consider them friends, he was still sticking around? They treated him like he was one of them. He was so confused.

The wind started getting stronger as the three of them stood around and Luffy looked up at the visible darkened sky and pointed to it. "Eh? It's really cloudy now! The sky looks cool!"

"It's gonna rain. We should head to my tree house. We'll be safe there for the night!" The little blond said to both boys.

"I'm just gonna go back—OI" Ace didn't get a chance to walk away as Sabo and Luffy happily pulled him along.

* * *

**A/N: If anyone read this chapter, thanks a bunch! **


End file.

One Piece, Friendship, Hurt-Comfort