Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The smell of hotdogs, beer and sweat was surprisingly soothing. There was cheering, the back and forth of the commentators and the occasional ‘thunk’ of a baseball against a baseball bat.

“Didn’t sleep well?“, the blond asked.

Ace had asked himself how long his brother could possibly just sit still and watch the match over the TV.

“Not really.”

He himself was leaning against the firetruck. His eyes were closed, concentrating on his other senses. His nose would pick up smoke long before his eyes could see it. If the wind played along, that is.

“Was it that dream again?”

Sabo was fidgeting with his pen again. He could hear the soft ‘whoosh’ sound it made when Sabo spun it hard enough.

“Yeah.”

How someone used to action like the two of them could be stationed as back-up at a baseball match was beyond him. They just had to be there for five hours and wait for something to happen. Or on that day, nothing to happen.

“You’ve been having this nightmare for years now.”

At least as paramedic Sabo would get the occasional results of hooligans’ rampage. Though baseball was tame in contrast to football. Ace was only there for kittens in trees, a rare occasion in stadiums, or for fires, also a rare occasion in stadiums.

“So what?”

He was a little jealous of Ikkaku. She and her police partner were at least stationed inside, closer to the game. They were stuck behind the stands. The TV was there to taunt them.

“Your Pops and you dying in this big battle of pirates against marines? Fighting against Grandpa Garp? It’s the same as the play.”

Ace opened his eyes.

“You know, I had the dream first and Luffy saw it as fate and wrote it into the play.”

His brother huffed.

“I’m not trying to copyright-strike you over your dream. I’m simply concerned that replaying your nightmare on stage for several weeks in a row wasn’t the best idea on how to cope with it. If you want, there are excellent psychotherapists at the clinic. I could get you a session booked for next week.”

There was an argument to be made about how Ace was haunted by his demons, and they weren’t as nice as to leave him alone during his waking hours.

“Thanks for worrying about me, but a nightmare can’t defeat me that easily.”

“Tell me when you change your mind.”

WHEN not IF. The audacity.

The blond stepped up his game. “Besides, Luffy just needed an idea to kill you off, because you constantly fell asleep on stage.”

The audacity! Playing with his firefighter helmet like it was a basketball, Ace grinned. Oh, how Sabo would regret those words.

“Let’s see what he has planned for you, now that you convinced him of your revolutionary army idea. I mean, come on. It reads like a bad fanfiction. The long lost brother whom we had never heard of, introduced right after my tragic death. Why wasn’t he dead? He was rescued! Why didn’t he return to his brothers? Very convenient amnesia! Should I go on?”

Sabo wouldn’t let this slide so easily either.

“You’re just jealous because I will get your sacred fire fruit next season.”

Bringing the made up devil powers into this game. Real mature.

“Bold of you to say anything, really. If you were such an important figure in the Revolutionary Army, SECOND IN COMMAND even, with the same getup as a kid and with the same name – that’s something the convenient amnesia didn’t erase, I guess – why didn’t I know you were still alive and about?”

Rounds of cheering sounded from the stadium. A homerun, probably. Ace felt affirmed. They were cheering for him, of course.

“I’m trying to hold my dear old dead brother in good memory and that’s how you thank me?”

The blond wiped away a non-existent tear. He was made for the theatre and he knew it.

“I’m just saying your character is flawed. Bad fanfiction.”

Now that Ace had toned down his argument, he wanted his brother to say that he was right.

“Hey, isn’t that Yamato?”

To that the black-haired man could only laugh. What a pathetic attempt.

“That’s a textbook diversion. Don’t change the subject. You know I’m right.”

The glint in Sabo’s eyes was no good sign.

Ace gulped as a silhouette appeared between him and the sunshine he had been enjoying. He had to look up at the considerably taller figure in front of him. Long white hair, dipped in green-blue. Eyes so golden they looked like the finest honey. Muscled arms that could compete with his. The sun right behind her head gave him the impression of a halo.

How fitting for an angel, Ace thought.

Yamato laughed. “I didn’t know you knew what a textbook was. Long-time no see, Ace.”

Chapter Text

Oh, how he loved fire. If he were not a firefighter, he would resort to arson.

This intense heat, enveloping him like a tight hug, the warm colours that would mirror in his eyes, the destructive power it held over his head, daring him to step closer, daring him to be consumed by this burning love.

Rescuing kittens from trees and helping old ladies cross the street were also fine, but every fire warmed his heart like nothing else.

Of course, he had his brothers and his family and some friends, but fire was the eternal flame that granted him existence. From ash to ash, from dust to dust.

It warmed him like nothing else... until now.

Some years ago, there had been a massive flood and consequently devastating landslides in the closed up land of Wano. Ace had agreed to help within an instant, but once the job was done, the people rescued or recovered, they were not welcome any longer. Their tyrannical leader Orochi, backed by the underground mafia boss Kaido, had barely let them in to help in the first place. Once everything was said and done, they were expected to go away again. Before they could spread any hope for a better future.

Pops had warned him about them. Ace had known he would barely stand a chance against Kaido himself, let alone his whole dark kingdom.

But he wanted to help and wanted to live without regret. He went anyway, but Kaido was not there.

First Ace had thought Yamato was the princess to the castle, the heir to the throne, the successor to tyranny. They fought, but soon realized they were both wrong about one another.

Ace couldn’t help Yamato back then, but over a glass of sake he gave a promise to come back stronger and the other to wait for him.

Ace would keep his promise, but by then Kaido was already brought down, his kingdom shattered, the borders opened, and Yamato gone.

For Yamato did not keep the promise.

Ace had felt forgotten and lost, that tiny spark that his heart had held grew dim.

It would flicker again half a year later. News from the other side of the globe. Yamato, the newcomer on the baseball field, reaching for new heights.

Like a shooting star, Ace thought. He closed his eyes and muttered a wish. He knew better than to wish for another chance meeting, he wished for Yamato to be happy, if nothing else.

Ace followed the news religiously, surprising his brothers with the newfound passion for this one sport.

Sabo had caught on quickly. He cut out the title picture from a newspaper and taped it on Ace’s bedroom door one night.

It was something so simple, Ace would have never thought of it. With a smile he tucked it into the cover of his phone. Tucked Yamato into a memory palace in the back of his mind, somewhere he would always find each other in times of need.

And now he stared at his phone, the day before was a hazy memory of Yamato suddenly appearing in front of him, out of nowhere.

The chance meeting he hadn’t wished for, but the other’s happiness he had wanted.

Just some fleeting minutes, not much time, not many words. The growing flame in his chest rendered him speechless.

The corner of the newspaper clip peaked out of the phone case, YAMATO in bold letters on the screen and a number beneath it.

Smiling to himself, he pressed ‘Call’.

Chapter Text

Honey was too viscous to swim in it, but Ace would love to drown in Yamato’s eyes. The passion that burned in them as she told the tale of Kozuki Oden, how she was him. Well, how he was him.

How he had brought the downfall of his father, ended an era of tyranny and helped open the country. How he went out to see the world the last months. How he hated the media with their endless questions about his pronouns.

How he regretted to have broken their sacred promise.

But now Yamato was here. And he would stay for a year, play for the New World Baseball team and study history at the university – the only university that even had Kozuki Oden on their curriculum.

Then it was Ace’s turn to tell his story of kittens and old ladies and fire. Oh, how he loved fire. He recounted the different types of fire, how each flame held their own temperament, not just temperature. And then he told stories of the other ones he loved so dearly. His brothers and his family. His part in Luffy’s play.

Ace felt small. It was an uncommon sensation for him. Yamato towered over him, both physically and metaphorically. There was no way how a mere firefighter could compete with the sheer force of a liberator, swinging a baseball bat like a wrecking ball.

But they didn’t have to compete, they just had to love each other. And that’s what they did.

They were in the park, the ‘thunk’ of bat against baseball was a drop of gasoline, one at a time. A fiery kiss for every home run. Every touch of lips against lips made the flames in Ace’s heart grow bigger, until it burned all the oxygen his lungs held, but he couldn’t care less.

He had always been hot, they said. He had always been warm to touch, girls had swooned. He had always been a powerhouse, converting food to warmth.

But it was this burn that Ace had been seeking in the risky situations of house fires. He didn’t have to look for it anymore, he had found it.

It was not as if Ace wanted to hide his relationship. His family would just converse about their things while he daydreamed of golden eyes and sometimes lulled himself into slumber.

Alexa asked how it was going with the baseball star, she had heard from Sabo. Such a gossip!

Reluctantly, Ace told them about his old flame he had found again.

“Ah, Yamato. A bright student. I have never met someone so young with such an interest in the history of Oden.”, Izou said, elegantly drinking a sip of sake.

“Wasnt that only some years ago? Isn’t that too recent to be considered history?” Marco asked as he frowned at the pineapple with glued on glasses Ace had gifted him.

“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift. Which is why we call it present.”

And now Ace listened intently. It was the same story Izou always told when reminded of his old friend Oden, the same story that made Yamato get so exited over, the same story that now warmed Ace’s heart.

It was the only reason why the man in the kimono had even considered a career as history professor at the university.

Marco set Mr. Pineapple aside, it would be their dessert as always. It wouldn’t be their family dinner without it.

“Bring him to the fundraiser next month.”, Marco suggested, smiling. Young love was so beautiful. He hoped for the sake of his adopted brother, that he wouldn’t burn himself.

Young love burns brightly. It engulfes its participants and can burn them down to a crisp.

A cough from their Pops at the end of the table made them freeze.

Yamato and Ace lay in bed late that night. After the family dinner, Ace had met his boyfriend on his way home. Another chance meeting. He took him home and introduced him to Sabo and Luffy. All three of them were eager to meet the people that managed to make Ace happy.

They had ordered stacks of pizza and played Mario Kart until late at night. Sabo talked about their next projects in the student council. Luffy plotted the next story arc of his play and tried to recruit Yamato for a role. Yamato engulfed them in the story of Kozuki Oden.

“The guy from the Oden Restaurant?”, Luffy had asked. Anything relating to food was interesting. Yamato elaborated further, sparking ideas to weave into a story.

Ace had sat back, watching them interact.

Time had passed without them knowing. Ace offered him to stay the night.

Now that they lay in bed, they realised simultaneously that it had never been this quiet around them.

“What’s up?”, Yamato asked, snuggling closer.

Ace laughed quietly. “Men don’t talk about their feelings.”

“Oh, wow. You want to know what I call those bullshit rules?”

When Ace turned his head slightly, Yamato saw his opportunity and gave him a peck on his cheek.

“They’re bullshit.”

Ace smiled into the darkness and squeezed Yamato’s hand.

“Pops is sick.” Each word a bittersweet torture. Words that could only be uttered in the night.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear about that. Do you want to tell me about it?”

They lay heart to heart, spooning. Ace felt the slow rhythm against his back.

“I don’t even know much about it. Thatch, Izou and Haruta get really quiet and turn away at every cough from Pops. When I ask Marco, he only talks in medical terms and when I ask him to explain, I still don’t understand. And whenever I ask Alexa, she explains thoroughly, but it’s like every word is poisonous. It hurts her to talk about it, so I stopped asking. And Pops is the worst. He just smiles and says ‘Don’t worry about it, son.’, but I can’t not worry.”

“I know.” A whisper in the darkness of night.

Chapter Text

Ace had been up and about since way too early in the morning. He wasn’t exactly a morning person, but once a year, he could endure it.

What had bothered him first thing in the morning was that Yamato hadn’t been sleeping at his side. Ever since that night two weeks prior, the bed had felt empty without his big spoon. But the firefighter would see his baseball champ soon. He had been on tour with his team. Five games, five wins, two homeruns from his shooting star.

They would meet that day, Yamato would come to the fundraiser. Not that Ace would have done anything less, but this year’s gathering in favour of his Pops’ Children’s Hospital and Orphanage had to be perfect.

Anything less was unacceptable.

Ace felt like he had switched personalities with his brother Sabo, always the perfectionist. Come to think of it, the blond had talked about someone he met at the fraternity party Luffy had dragged both Ace and Sabo to. Maybe he would come in company, who knew? Luffy also wanted to drop by with his crew.

The Kozuki Oden Oden Shop had set up a food truck after all. And nothing could come in between Luffy and food, even though he kind of had his personal chef in Sanji.

It would be a fun day, Ace thought as he watched the bouncy castle inflate.

He would be busy for hours, always being sent by Marco or someone else to get this or help there. Ace was in the zone, focussing on the cable management behind the stage as someone stood between the sun and his back, robbing him of several rays of sunshine. Thinking it was Pops, he murmured something like ‘Just one moment.’.

“No problem, I can wait.”

At the sweet voice of his sweetheart, Ace immediately turned.

“Yamato, you’re back!” The other picked him up easily and squeezed him tight.

“I’ve missed you so much. We won! We won five out of five! Can you believe it?”

“Of course I can, they have you after all.”

Both of them were all wide grins and love in their eyes.

Hands intertwined, they went to the Oden food truck and got something to eat. Ace could feel the other Whitebeards running around watching them.

It was his cousin Alexa with her boyfriend Law in tow who approached them first. Like he knew the surgeon-to-be, Law contained his opinions and didn’t say much more than a short greeting. At one point his friends dragged him away.

Alexa on the other hand babbled on and on and on.

Normally Ace would be her dialogue-tandem-partner, now it was Yamato. As they talked about pretty much anything, Ace fell asleep.

With years of experience, Alexa had seen it coming and had caught his head before it would fall into the third Oden serving.

Yamato laughed and moved the bowl to a save distance.

“It’s so wonderful to meet Ace’s family. He talks a lot about you guys.”

“You should have seen him. He started watching all your games, even at family dinner.”

“He’s the cutest. I fell in love with him back when he came to help with the flood and landslides in my country. I broke our promise and didn’t wait for him. For the longest time, I felt so bad. Like I would never see him again. And then I heard his voice at a game and there he was.”

Right on cue, Ace woke up.

“Ah, I fell asleep.” He looked from Yamato, to Alexa and back. Finally, he continued his meal.

“There he was. Let’s continue this another time.” Alexa whispered with a wink.

As she left to look for her boyfriend, Thatch sat down.

“Good afternoon, I’m Thatch. You’re Yamato, right? How are you, young ones?”

Thatch soon started to recount how Ace had introduced himself by challenging their Pops Whitebeard.  

They saw the stately man, sitting upright and surrounded by three nurses. He looked like a king, demanding respect.

As the man with the pompadour hairstyle wanted to go into more embarrassing details, Marco came to the rescue. He exchanged only a few words with them and then dragged the cook away to work, stating that Izou would be on stage soon.

The lovebirds went closer to the stage and witnessed the beautiful fan-dance of Izou. Yamato was mesmerized.

Oh right, Izou is also from Wano, so this had to be familiar. After the dance, Izou even came to talk to them.

They met some other Whitebeards and then Whitebeard himself. Both Ace and Whitebeard looked so proud. Ace was proud to introduce his boyfriend and Whitebeard was proud that Ace was his son. He would later call the white-hair his son-in-law, making Ace blush.

Late in the evening they helped close up, Ace would have to come back the next day for clean-up.

Sabo and Luffy had left hours earlier, their whereabouts unknown. Yamato went home with Ace.

The bed didn’t feel lonely anymore, now that his big spoon was back.

Chapter Text

Yamato woke up first.

Carefully, he climbed out of bed and tip-toed to the kitchen. Sabo was already there, making coffee.

“Do you want some?” The blond held up the coffee pot that he had made for himself. From what Ace said, he was a caffeine addict like most med students.

“Yes, please.”

A steaming cup in hand, Yamato sat down at the table. The burn marks on the wood told stories of little arson, the colourful stains of spilled food and little paint chips of the long-abandoned hope to make the table look presentable. Three brothers by choice, so similar and yet so different.

Yamato wished he would have known them sooner, wished for siblings of his own, wished for his childhood to be different.

“Can I fix you some breakfast? The Ace I know will probably be out cold for at least another hour.”

Ace was living the dream. With no knowledge of blood relatives, he had founded himself not one but two families who he loved and who loved him back.

“If you have food to spare in this household.”

Sabo smiled brightly, ear to ear, proud. Just like Ace had smiled when he had introduced Yamato to Pops. Just as Pops had smiled at Yamato’s smile. Just like Yamato would smile when in Ace’s proximity.

“Let me tell you, grocery shopping is a horror. I’m glad Luffy found a friend like Sanji.”

There was so much love and admiration when he talked about his brothers, even when he wasn’t saying the nicest things, even when he scolded them.

Maybe he just had too much love and no one to give it to? No, that’s not it. But it reminded Yamato of something.

“Ace mentioned that you met someone. How is that going?”

He blushed, he actually blushed. Like a flustered golden retriever. It was so funny to see his calm and collected shell break, Yamato had to giggle a little.

“It’s funny that you mention it, because two months ago Ace dragged me to a horrible frat party and for the longest time I couldn’t find him. So I went outside for some fresh air. That’s where I met the most wonderful person, just sitting in the middle of a rose garden of all places. It was such a stark contrast to the obnoxious people inside the house and the tranquillity in that garden. We talked a bit and were then interrupted by someone. I panicked and went looking for Ace. For weeks I regretted not sharing contacts. Two weeks ago, that person just showed up out of the blue in the Student Council and swept me off my feet again. We got some coffee and went for walks and I dare say it’s developing nicely.”

The blond settled down with bowls, spoons, milk, cereals and his coffee. His smile had gotten even brighter. How nice. Yamato wasn’t worried about Sabo’s over-abundant love anymore, it looked like he had found someone.

“That sounds nice. I hope everything goes well for you two.”

And Yamato meant it.

“There’s something I wanted to tell you last time you were here after we played Mario Kart.”

Sabo hesitated.

“Sure, shoot.”

“Thank you.”

Yamato looked up from his cereal bowl.

“Huh? Whatever for?”

“For years Ace had horrible nightmares about his Pops and him dying in a big pirate against marines battle.”

Sabo didn’t have to say that those were also part of the play. From the furrowed eyebrows of the person opposite, they both knew.

“One night when he was really drunk he told me the second part. The part that would always disturb him most.”

It was a dramatic pause, one that Yamato had thought would only happen on TV and not in real life.

“And that was that in his dream he died without fulfilling the promise he had made you. To not have helped you escape your nightmare.”

“Oh.” Yamato was torn between finding that sweet or concerning.

“You should have seen him. He was shattered to find you were gone. And when he first saw you mentioned as a baseball newcomer, he was a completely different person. Ace was so happy that you were doing fine and just wanted you to be happy.”

How could Yamato be happy without Ace? It was a question he had asked himself for years. Even now. It was not like he needed Ace, he was a complete person with or without him, but he wanted Ace. Spend time with him, talk with him, laugh and cry with him and share everything. The thought made him smile, despite the seriousness of their conversation.

Sabo continued. “I cut out a picture of you from a newspaper article and he kept it in his phone cover ever since. And, I know it’s tangential, but he hasn’t lost his phone since. He doesn’t like talking about his feelings. ‘Men don’t cry’ and stupid stuff like that. That’s why I wanted you to know just how much of an impact you had on his life.”

Yamato was perplexed. What should he make of all this information?

“That sounds horrible, why would you thank me for that?”

He was close to tears now, his heart shattered. He had looked for Ace in so many places all over the world, had almost given up and then had found him in New World.

“He doesn’t have nightmares anymore. For a long time now.”

In that moment the door to Luffy’s bedroom burst open.

“Zombies!”, he shouted, still half asleep.

“You already had zombies at Thriller Bark, Luffy.”

“Oh, right.” The dark-haired man grabbed the cereal box from the table, munched on its content and disappeared into his bedroom again.

Sabo and Yamato laughed. Luffy was the perfect comic relief, always cheering everyone up when the mood got too gloomy.

“I apologize. That got a little too heavy for the early morning.”

“I believe it needed to be said and I needed to hear it. Thank you for taking the burden. And for being such a great brother. You guys interacting with each other, just your perfect chemistry, sometimes makes me jealous.”

The blond smiled softly.

“What are you talking about? You’re part of the family.”

Yamato lit up. So little words could hold so much meaning.

Yamato climbed back into bed, settling as the big spoon. Ace shifted a little as he was squeezed tightly.

“Is it morning already? Are you hungry?”

The other chuckled. The first need to be addressed in this household was always hunger. He didn’t dwell too long on why that was, as those three had grown up in the woods on a mountain with bandits. That must have been tough.

“Everything’s alright. You can go sleep a little longer. I’m sorry I didn’t keep my side of the promise.”

“Huh? Where is that coming from?”

A kiss made him forget. Yamato snuggled his head back into the nape of Ace’s neck. He smelt like sweat, caramel and barbeque.

He mused a little on the thought of caramel. Like a caramel bonbon. In another language ‘bon’ meant good.

And Ace is at least twice as good as good. He’s a bonbon, Yamato thought.