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Ace tosses the piece of clothing into a basket with more clothes.
“There, no more of that.” He said, sighing with relief.
It’s Ace’s birthday, which means gifts. However, Garp gave him the shittiest gift ever.
A dress. His grandfather gave him a fucking dress.
Ace almost blew up at him, almost. But decided against it.
“Why can’t we just fucking tell him already?! I don’t understand.” Ace slides his back down the wall of the ASL treehouse and runs his fingers through his hair.
Ace had recently made it known that he was a boy and that being anything else didn’t feel right to him. Ace would never admit it, but he was a little scared to share the news. It was torture to hear words that didn’t describe him being used, though.
The reception was mostly positive. Dadan accepted him, saying, “What does this have to do with your unfinished chores? Get to work!”
Luffy may or may not have seen her crying because Ace had trusted her. And he may or may not have told Ace and Sabo.
Of course, all the other bandits were fine with it too. Dadan made it clear that anyone who would give Ace problems wouldn’t be welcomed into the family.
Unfortunately, Garp hasn’t been told yet. In the words of Dadan, they’re waiting for the “right time”. Not like the old geezer would care, but more so, he’d probably pester Ace about all the little things. Like what to call him and junk. Ace can hear Garp stupidly asking him if “brat” was gender neutral enough.
“I’m sorry, Ace. Maybe we can try telling Gramps soon?” Sabo suggested, but Ace groaned.
“If the hag lets me!”
“Since when do you listen to what Dadan says?” Luffy asks, trying to find some paper to draw on.
Luffy had a point; none of them liked to listen to Dadan, or any authority figure. But, a tiny part of Ace said that, against his better judgment, Dadan was at least a little right. Plus, the old man never stayed for long. He only stayed for at most 3 days, a week if you’re (un)lucky. So, where would Ace find the time to tell him? It was all a lot of planning that Ace honestly hasn’t done yet.
“Whatever,” Ace sighed, lying down and turning his back to his brothers, “Next time I see him, I’ll tell him no matter what Dadan says.”
Sabo takes a seat next to him and stares at the pile of dresses Ace had accumulated.
“So, what’re you gonna do with the dresses?” Sabo asked, not making eye contact with Ace.
Ace made a noise of uncertainty, “Probably burn them. Or sell them. I don’t know, but they aren’t staying here.”
The atmosphere was silent, excluding Luffy’s humming. Sabo’s eyes stayed focused on the pile of clothes in front of him. The moonlight illuminated them, specifically a blue-ish one that Ace had trashed a few months ago.
Sabo hummed in agreement with Ace before setting his hat and coat aside and pulling his blanket up to his chin. He stared at the pile until he fell asleep.
//
The brothers went into Foosha Village, where Makino worked. Ace and Luffy went out to explore, while Sabo stayed behind.
Makino was washing and drying dishes while Sabo kicked his feet back and forth, laying his head down on the wooden counter.
“Hey Makino,” Sabo asked.
“Yes, Sabo? Do you need something?” Makino answered, not looking up from her glass.
He twiddled with his thumb as he continued, “I-I was wondering… I have this uh, friend…?”
‘Oh yes, the classic “I have this friend” excuse. Way to go, Sabo.’
Makino paused for a second, looking at Sabo and quickly resuming her dish duties, “Mhm.”
“And people think they’re weird because they don’t act like how normal people act.”
“Well, how do normal people act?”
Sabo stumbled over his words, “You know. Like, how they all kind of fit in? Like, they all stick to what they’re supposed to be. Not like a job, but more so, how they’re expected to act from birth. Am I making sense?”
Makino hummed, turning the majority of her attention towards Sabo, “I think I get it. So, you’re saying your friend doesn’t fit into whatever they’re expected to do, and because of that, everyone thinks they’re weird?”
“Yeah. Or like there’s something wrong with them.”
“Well,” Makino came around the corner and sat next to Sabo, “I think it’s weird for people to restrict others based on their personal expectations. If someone doesn’t ‘fit in’, it’s fine. We’re our own people. I think it’d be boring if we always had to do whatever was expected of us. I mean, look at you and your brothers. Your grandfather expects you three to be Marines, but we all know that’s not happening.” Makino giggles, and Sabo laughs too.
“Yeah, I guess so.” Sabo looks back down at his hands. Makino had a point. He– or rather his “friend”– never liked to listen to others, so what’s so different this time?
“You should bring your friend by here, Sabo. They seem cool.”
Sabo stared at Makino, opening his mouth to say something back when Ace yelled for him.
“Sabo! We gotta hurry up and head back! Me and Luffy accidentally pissed off some dickheads!” Ace then ran, Sabo chasing after him.
Makino shouts her goodbyes to the brothers, and Sabo starts to think deeply about Makino’s words.
//
A month had gone by. It was almost Sabo’s birthday. Sabo got some alone time once again, which meant he could finally do what he’s been wanting to do for a while.
Sabo digs through the dress pile and pulls out the blue dress he admired so much. It was wrinkled and patched with mismatched patterns. It had holes and collected dust and dirt from how long it’s been sitting here, but that never bothered Sabo.
Sabo stared at it, clenching his fingers around it, and took a deep breath. He put it over his head, his top hat threatening to fall off.
It was a tight fit, but nothing that restricted Sabo in any uncomfortable way. He stared down at the dress’s ruffles, moving around a little bit to see them swish. A warm feeling began to bloom in Sabo’s chest, and he continued.
Next was eyeshadow. At least, that’s what Makino called it? Although he was being sneaky, Sabo thinks Makino caught onto his scheme: stealing some of her older eyeshadow. When he and his brothers left Partys Bar, Makino said to Sabo,
“I hope your friend enjoys that eyeshadow!” Adding a wave and a smile, out of honesty instead of mockery.
“What’s eyeshadow?” Ace asked.
“I don’t know,” Sabo responded, sweating a little.
“I thought you didn’t have any friends. Well, other than us.” Ace added.
“Yeah, what friend? I didn’t know you had other friends. Can we meet ‘em?” Luffy appeared out of nowhere to ask.
Sabo rolled his eyes, “I don’t know what Makino’s talking about. I don’t have any other friends.”
“Makino wouldn’t lie like that, so who—“
“Dammit, Luffy, would you shut up?!” Ace (thankfully) interrupted their younger brother, sparking an argument between the two. Sabo shook his head at his brother’s antics.
Sabo ran his index finger through the stolen eyeshadow. The subtle color of gold shimmered on his fingertip, captivating Sabo’s eye.
Using a random glass shard, he began applying it to his eyelids, watching as the eyeshadow brought out the blue in his eyes. His hand was shaking; he wasn’t sure if it was out of excitement or fear. Maybe both.
After he was done, he took a closer look at himself.
Pretty.
He looked pretty. He looked like himself.
Sabo smirked, exhaling through his nose. It’s like a weight was lifted off of him.
“I look pretty,” He said, finally admitting it to himself.
Meanwhile, Luffy stomped towards the treehouse, mumbling under his breath.
“Dumb Ace. Always getting mad and being mean to me.” Luffy dragged his metal pipe behind him.
It’s not fair; Luffy doesn’t even fully know what he did to upset Ace.
Like, yes, he might’ve startled Ace, which caused him to lose track of what was supposed to be dinner, but it’s not totally his fault.
So now he’s off to tell Sabo. At least he’d be nicer, and maybe Sabo would get Ace to lay off him.
“Sabooooo,” Luffy whined sadly, “Sabo! Ace is being an asshole to me again!”
The sound of crickets surrounded Luffy. If he were happier than he is right now, he’d probably go looking for some in the grass, but stupid Ace ruined his mood for the night.
He reached the treehouse, noting how cool the moon looked over their treehouse. Makino liked telling him about the moon phases from time to time. Luffy thinks this is the “waiting gibberish” phase, or whatever Makino called it.
“Sabooooooo!” Luffy whined, “Saboooo! Tell Ace to stop being so mean!”
He waited for Sabo to respond or pop his head out to check on him, but nothing.
Luffy groaned and began to climb up the ladder to the treehouse, grumbling complaints as he did.
“Sab—“
Sabo turned around, eyes wide. Or, wider than usual. He looked scared, but what for, Luffy didn’t exactly know.
Luffy opened his mouth to speak, but Sabo beat him to it, clasping his hand over Luffy’s mouth.
“Luffy, do not say a word about this,” Sabo said in the most serious tone Luffy’s ever heard from him.
Luffy makes sounds of protest before licking Sabo’s hand.
“Ew!” Sabo screams, “Stop fucking doing that!”
“Then you two stop putting your hands over my mouth to shut me up!”
“We wouldn’t have to if you kept it shut for once!”
Luffy sticks his tongue out at Sabo, “What’re you so mad about anyway? Sabo and Ace are always so mean.”
“Wh-Wha— What am I upset about?! Because you just barged in???”
“We barge in all the time. We live in a treehouse! There’s no rooms,” Luffy grunted as he picked at his nose. Gross.
Sabo grumbled curses under his breath before turning back at Luffy.
“You don’t… find this weird?” Sabo fidgets with his thumbs.
“Find what weird?”
‘Is he serious?’ Sabo wondered.
“I’m… I’m wearing a dress, Lu. I have Makino’s eyeshadow on. You don’t find that weird? You don’t find me weird?” He avoids eye contact with Luffy, bracing for something. Rejection, mockery, disdain, something.
But instead, he’s met with,
“No, why would I?” Indifference. Like this is normal.
“What?”
Luffy laughed, “I would find it weirder if Sabo didn’t have any clothes on, actually.”
Sabo groaned, “That’s gross, Luffy.”
“It’s true!”
Sabo looked away again, “But, I’m a guy.”
“So?”
“Guys don’t wear dresses!”
“Says who?”
“Says literally everyone!”
“Who cares? I don’t. Clothes are clothes.” Luffy said as he still picked at his nose.
Sabo stared at Luffy, dumbfounded. And Luffy just stared back, aloof to it all.
“So, can you tell Ace to stop being so mean?” Luffy pouts.
Sabo nods slowly, “Y-yeah. Sure, Lu.”
“Yay!” Luffy exclaims and adjusts his straw hat, “Okay, I’m gonna go catch some crickets and find Ace. I’ll be back.”
Luffy grabbed a net in the corner of the treehouse, Sabo closely following his younger brother’s movements. How long has it been since he took in a breath or blinked?
Luffy was about to climb down the ladder to the treehouse when he looked up at Sabo, “We’re your brothers, we wouldn’t judge you over something as stupid as clothes.”
And Luffy took off, as if it was nothing.
Sabo stared blankly at the space his younger brother stood.
“Something as stupid as clothes.”
Sabo didn’t move, or rather couldn’t move.
If his parents saw him, they’d scream and berate Sabo so much that they’d get a noise complaint.
He was transported back to that empty manor. The first time he tried experimenting.
“Sabo! What the hell are you doing?!” His father screamed.
Sabo turned, scared and slightly shaking.
“I—“ But before Sabo could finish, he felt his dress being gripped and the heels of his feet being pulled off the floor.
“You are a young man, and no respectable woman would want to marry a man who dresses up in women’s clothes. Not to mention his mother’s clothes.”
“I-I’m sorry, father. I just wanted to try it on.”
His father ripped the dress off Sabo, making him stumble.
“What a shame, this was one of your mother’s favorites. Now it’s all ruined.”
Sabo bit back a smart retort, “You were the one who ripped it, asshole.”
As his father turned to leave, he said one last thing to Sabo, “And wipe that filth off your face. Be a man.”
His door shut, and Sabo was stuck staring at it. He sank to the floor, beginning to wipe his tears and the makeup along with them. He sobbed silently as he went to the closet to find new clothes, and sobbed harder when he took a look in his mirror, only to see someone else staring back. Someone who matched his same expression, but couldn’t be any more different than himself.
He swore that he wouldn’t make the same mistake again; he couldn’t. But now, he’s starting to think it wasn’t a mistake after all.
//
The dress pile had been gone for a week or two now; probably being worn by some other girl or being used to start a fire somewhere in Gray Terminal.
Luffy was snoring loudly, arms sprawled out like a starfish. Sabo stared at the wooden ceiling above, sitting up. He looked at the drawings that he and his brothers had left there. Crudely drawn portraits of themselves, their initials and jolly roger, stars, and… meat (which, of course, was Luffy’s addition) decorated the ceiling. Sabo loved every bit of it.
His birthday came and went; it was one of the best birthdays he’s had in a while. Back in that manor, Sabo’s parents rarely celebrated his birthday, saying that he should be focusing on his studies instead. The best he got was one gift from them, usually a book of some sort or the occasional outfit, or a quick “happy birthday” from one of the housekeepers.
This time was different, though. He had more people celebrating, like actually celebrating. They even sang " Happy Birthday " to him. Everyone he loved was there to celebrate him.
There was one last gift, though, from Ace. Ace said that he had to wait until he finished preparing it, and told Sabo not to go to sleep until after he opened it. So Sabo did.
“Sabo,” The boy turns around to meet his brother, who is looking down timidly whilst playing with the hem of his shirt, “I got your birthday present all wrapped and shit. Open it.”
Ace pushes the box harshly towards Sabo, not taking his eyes off the floor. Sabo just feels the box in his hands; despite the wrapping paper, something about this box feels familiar. Is Ace seriously regifting something to him?
“Well, don’t just stare at it. Open it!” Ace grumbles impatiently.
So Sabo did. Tearing up the paper, he sees an old cardboard box.
“Uh…”
“Now open the box, stupid.”
“Oh, right,” Sabo was hoping it wasn’t just Ace trying to act as he bought him some shiny new gift, when actually, it was something he’d already had before. His book on sea navigation was missing, so maybe it’s that.
Taking off the lid and peering inside, Sabo sees… clothes? Clothes he’s seen before. He picks up a blue clothing item, his favorite color, and watches it unravel.
Sabo gasps, and his eyes widen, “Holy shit— Ace, what…?“
“Some annoying bird told me that you had been snooping in that stupid dress pile. Not that I cared, they were going to be trashed at Gray Terminal anyway. So, instead of throwing all of them out, I decided to give some to you… or whatever.” Ace twists a strand of his hair.
Sabo still stares at the blue dress in all its wrinkled and tattered glory. Something his parents would scold him for even thinking about wearing out.
It was perfect. It was his favorite in the pile.
Sabo’s lip begins to wobble, and he pulls down his hat over his eyes, trying to shield his tears from Ace.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. Look, Sabo, I don’t care what you wear or what you want to do or what name you wanna go by. Shit, if you came up to me and said ‘Ace, I’m changing my name to Dumbass’, then I’d start calling you Dumbass.” Ace laughed, then grabbed Sabo’s shoulder.
“Point is, I’m your brother. And I don’t want you to be afraid to tell me stuff. I would never judge you, and neither would Luffy.”
Sabo nodded, still hiding his teary eyes from Ace. He tried to muster up enough energy to say something without some pathetic wobble in his voice, but all that came out was tiny and squeaky.
“Thank you.”
Sabo bit his lip hard. ‘Shit, way to go.’
Despite biting his lip, sobs began to pour out of Sabo’s throat, and his shoulders betrayed him as they began to shake.
Ace started to panic. He hated when people cried, and for as long as he knew Sabo, “he” had never cried. Or, not around him. Ace fixed his mouth to yell at his brother(?), but stopped.
‘Not the time.’
So, instead, he pulled Sabo in for a hug.
Ace tightened the squeeze on Sabo, which only made Sabo cry louder. Ace didn’t say a word, just patted Sabo’s back a couple of times.
“I’m sorry.” Sabo sniffled.
“Don’t be,” Ace responded.
Ace’s shoulder got increasingly damp from Sabo’s tears. It was a weird feeling, but he didn’t mind it all that much. Ace tightened his hold on Sabo, still patting “his” back as he did.
After a few moments go by, Ace, without letting go of Sabo, speaks.
“So, you still wanna be called Sabo?”
Sabo hiccuped, “Yeah.”
“Do you still wanna be called a boy and all that?”
Sabo shook their head, “No. I think… I wanna be called a kid, or something. I don't know. Like, maybe instead of he or she, we could use something like they.”
“Okay.”
“And, I don’t mind it if you still call me your brother.”
“Really?”
“I don’t know. I don’t feel uncomfortable when you two call me brother. Everything else is weird.”
Ace took a moment to think before he responded, “Okay.”
The two quickly grew tired, Ace’s yawning triggering Sabo’s. Ace went to get his pillow and blanket, while Sabo reached for their own.
Sabo got themselves comfy and pulled their cover over their body. They moved their arm around Luffy as Ace did the same. Luffy’s arm stretched out over both of his brothers, coiling around them tight but not too tight. Ace fell asleep fast, his snoring harmonizing with Luffy’s.
Sabo stared at the two of them and thought,
‘I’m glad we found each other.’