Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dragon freezes, feeling a popping sensation accompanied by a gush in his nether region. His grip tightened on the door handle of the bathroom he was in as he looked down at himself, swallowing hard as he forced himself to lock the bathroom door.

Because either he pissed himself, or his water just broke.

And currently Dragon is leaning more towards the latter than the former, which is a problem. A very big problem.

This was not supposed to be happening! NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPENING! He hasn’t even told his parents yet! Literally, no one knows he’s pregnant! And he’s not even sure he’s at full term yet, he’s like… eight months? Eight months and a half? Whatever it is, it’s still too damn early!

Dragon let out a shaky breath as he leaned against the bathroom door, listening to see if he could hear any footsteps in the hall, hearing the faint sound of two people having a conversation.

“H-hey, is someone out there?” He asked, trying to keep his voice steady. “I need someone to do something for me.”

The conversation outside stopped for a second before he could hear footsteps getting closer to the bathroom door. “Yeah, what’s up, Little Dragon?” Mugren, one of Roger’s— one of his Dad’s— Crewmates called out. Absentmindedly Dragon felt his cheeks burn up at the nickname but currently pushed it aside with the fact he was trying to stop himself from having a panic attack.

“Can you go get Crocus for me?” Dragon asks, his voice sounding muffled to himself and his head feeling like it was stuffed with cotton. He could hear his heart beating so fast, it sounded like a machine gun to him and it felt like it was about to explode. Dragon licked his lips, forcing himself to continue. “Uhh, I need a Doctor to fix this sort of thing.”

“Fix what?” Mugren’s voice was closer, and Dragon could feel the handle of the door rattle slightly.

“Uhh, no, no, no, no no no no no, Mugren! Don’t worry about it! Just go get him please!” Dragon learned even more onto the locked door, as if it could help him keep the situation contained.

Mugren’s and whoever Mugren had been talking to footsteps retreated, leaving Dragon alone in the small bathroom, the gravity of the situation crashing down on him like a ton of bricks. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing thoughts. The room was spinning, and the pressure in his lower abdomen was unbearable. He was not ready for this. He had planned to tell Garp and the others when he had figured out how to handle it himself, but apparently, the universe had other ideas.

A few moments later, the sound of Mugren's voice was back, followed by the gentle knock on the door. "Dragon, Crocus is here," he said, his tone a mix of urgency and concern.

“Kid?” Crocus’ voice echoed through the wood, soothing and calm. “You okay in there?”

Dragon swallowed hard, not daring to unlock the door as he tried to compose himself enough to answer. “… C-crocus.” His voice cracked and Dragon winced at the sound, but before either Crocus or Mugren could comment on it he got the words out of his mouth in a rush. “What would you do or say if I told you I was pregnant right now and my water just broke?”

The silence outside the door was so thick it was almost tangible. Then there was a crash of something, probably Mugren, hitting the floor, followed by Crocus letting out a spew of surprised curses in his native tongue. Dragon's heart thumped in his chest, echoing against the wooden walls of the bathroom.

"Well, I'd say we've got ourselves a situation, don't we?" Crocus finally managed to get out, his voice a mix of shock and the calm of a doctor facing an emergency. "Dragon, you've gotta let me in."

“… I, uhhh, I haven’t told Pops or Papai yet. Or-or anyone else for that matter.” Dragon says instead of unlocking the door and letting Crocus in. He felt like his legs were about to give out from underneath him. “I, uhh, you and Mugren are the first to find out I’m-I’m even pregnant.”

“PREGNANT!” Mugren squawked as if finally he was registering what Dragon had just said. He bolted up from the floor like a spring, knocking his head on the doorframe in his haste. “Y-you’re with child? But, but, how?” He stumbled over his words, trying to wrap his head around the revelation.

“I had sex, Mugren! Penetrative sex!” Dragon snapped, his cheeks burning hot with embarrassment as he leaned heavier against the door. “How else would I have gotten knocked up, because I’m sure as hell not the Virgin Mary!”

Mugren's jaw dropped, and he stared at the door, utterly dumbfounded. He had never thought of Dragon in such a way, this was captain Roger’s kid, ‘Little Dragon’. Little Dragon was not supposed to be having sex, EVER, let alone getting pregnant. The young marine's words echoed through his mind, and he felt a mix of shock, disbelief, and a weird sense of protectiveness. Crocus, however, remained calm… ish. “Alright, I need to examine you, Dragon. This isn’t the time to be modest. You know this is the natural course for those with a uterus, regardless of their gender. Now, let me in so I can help you.”

Dragon's heart raced in his chest as he debated his options. He hadn’t told anyone about his pregnancy, not even his dads. He didn’t know how they would react. Garp was the strongest marine in the world, and Roger was the Pirate King. They were not the type to take this kind of news lightly. But he knew he couldn’t hide it much longer. He took a deep breath and unlocked the door, letting Crocus and Mugren into the cramped bathroom.

Crocus sighed, looking him up and down, his gaze lingering on the fluid that was surrounding Dragon before reaching for Dragon’s arm. “Come on kid, let’s get you to the medical bay, we’ve got to make sure everything’s alright, and it’s definitely not going to be in here.” Crocus said, trying to keep the tone calm and steady. Dragon nodded, letting himself get pulled away from the bathroom towards the medical bay, Mugren trailing closely behind, still looking shocked.

The medical bay was surprisingly clean for a pirate ship, with wooden shelves filled with various vials, books, diagrams, medical supplies and surprisingly large beds lining the walls. Crocus helped Dragon sit down on one of the beds, his hands shaking slightly as he tried to compose himself. Mugren hovered nervously at the door, not quite knowing what to do with himself.

Crocus began to check Dragon’s vitals, Messing around with the various machines that Dragon knows were definitely stolen from hospitals. “You’ve been keeping this from us, huh?” Crocus asked, not unkindly. Dragon nodded, looking down at his hands. “Well, the most important thing now is to make sure you and the baby are healthy. How far along are you?”

“… eight months. Maybe eight months and a half, i’m not entirely sure but I know it’s early.” Dragon’s voice was quiet, filled with a mix of fear and embarrassment as he felt another wave of pain washed through him in his nether region, making him have to stifle a whine.

Crocus nodded solemnly, his eyes never leaving the instruments in front of him. “It’s alright, we’ll figure this out. Now, I need you to tell me if you’ve felt any pain or discomfort recently, any unusual symptoms that could indicate pre-term labor or complications. Anything at all, no matter how small it seems.”

Dragon licked his lips, his eyes darting around the room and noticing that Mugren had disappeared and ran off somewhere. “… uhhh…” he hesitated for a second, swallowing hard. “Y-you remember that new marine dad was bitching about? The one that’s an asshole and rising the ranks quickly?…” he paused for a second, shifting uncomfortably, it felt like the baby was just going to slip out from in between his legs. “W-well… uhh, h-he tried to get me to go on a date with him a couple weeks ago but I said no and he didn’t like that, so he tried to fight me… but that was weeks ago, I don’t think… I don’t think it’s why but it’s the only thing I could think of that would cause it to happen now...” he trailed off, looking up at Crocus with a look of pure dread as he felt another wave of pain wash over him down south.

Crocus nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. “And have you felt any pain or discomfort since then?” he questioned, his tone calm and professional despite the tension in the room. Dragon thought back to the weeks that had passed, trying to remember every ache and twinge he had felt. “No… n-no, I don’t think so.” He murmured, squeezing his legs together as if it could keep the baby inside of him. Sakazuki really didn’t have the chance to lay a hand on him before he had wiped the floor with the marine.

Crocus sighed, placing a gentle hand on Dragon’s shoulder. “That’s fine, sometimes babies just decide they’ve had enough and want to come out no matter if it’s convenient for anyone or not,” he said with a comforting smile, trying to ease Dragon’s nerves. “But we need to be sure everything’s okay. Now, tell me, do you know who the other father is?”

Dragon tensed up at that, a wave of mortification at his own actions washing over him as he stiffly and reluctantly nodded. “Y-yeah, but he’s not around.” He quickly said, avoiding Crocus’ gaze. Dragon did in fact know who his baby daddy is, and his baby daddy doesn’t fact, not know Dragon is pregnant, nor has Dragons seen his baby daddy since they’re a little… romp.

Crocus nodded understandingly, not pushing the subject further. “Well, that’s alright, we’ll manage without them.” He assured Dragon, his eyes filled with a mix of compassion and concern. “Now, let’s focus on you and the baby. Have you felt any contractions?”

Dragon opened and closed his mouth a couple times, trying to find the right words through his swimming thoughts. “… I’m… i’m feeling something that feels like a bad period cramp every-every couple of s-seconds to min-minutes, is… is that a c-contraction?”

Crocus nodded, his gaze sharp with urgency. “It very well could be, yes. We need to time these. They’re likely to get more intense and closer together as labor progresses.” He glanced around the medical bay, his mind racing. He took a deep breath, walking over to the bedside table nestled beside the bed. Opening the drawer and rummaging around through it. “You, slip these on.” Crocus tossed what looked like a fancy hospital gown into Dragon’s lap, closing the drawer once he did so. He looked Dragon up and down one last time before letting out a long weary sigh. “Put that on if you can, I’m going to go get Roger, Garp, Rayleigh, and Rouge. If you don’t or can’t got that on by the time I get back, I’m sure Rouge or Garp will help you.” Crocus said with a small smile, trying to lighten the mood before he left the room.

Dragon's heart skipped a beat at the mention of his dad, but he knew it was for the best. He reached out and snatched the privacy curtain that was hanging from the wall, closing it the best he could before he started getting undressed from his marine uniform. Taking off his shoes and pulling off his pants with a whine of pain threatening to escape his throat when a cramp— Crocus said they might have been contraction— stabbed into his abdomen.

He hesitated for a second, looking down at the sarashi that was wrapped tightly around his chest, before deciding he probably needed to breathe well for all of this and took it off as well. He slipped on the hospital gown, feeling way too naked for his liking. The fabric was cold and clung to him in a way that made his skin crawl. The contraction was already passing, but he knew more would come.

Shifting, Dragon moved to sit at the head of the bed, slipping under the covers of the medical bed and waited for the chaos he knew was about to burst through those doors. The anticipation and fear building up within him like a storm, much like the ones he could control. He felt like he was in one of his own hurricanes, with no way to calm the chaos.

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway, and the door to the medical bay swung open with such force that it bounced off the wall. Garp, Roger, Rayleigh, and Rouge all crowded the doorway, their expressions a mix of shock and concern, and a mix of ready to rip someone’s head off their shoulders.

Dragon shrunk in on himself, feeling like he was about to go into another panic attack, and he didn’t know if he’d be able to stop this one like he did the one in the bathroom.

“Dragon,” Garp was the first to speak, choking out the single word as he pushed his way into the medical bay, everyone else following him. “Tell me Crocus just convinced you to be a part of one of his assholeish schemes and your not actually pregnant?”

Dragon let out a sound that was a mix of a sob and a hysterical sound. He didn’t not want his— he didn’t want anyone to know! But it seemed mother nature decided fuck you and whispered sweet nothings to the baby inside of him about making an early grand entrance. Taking in a heaving breath, Dragon reached out and moved the medical curtain just enough to reveal his stomach. His stomach that was no longer hidden by his clothes. His stomach that was very obviously round, and not round with being fat but very obvious baby bump round.

The bump wasn’t too big, nor was it too small, but it was definitely there, a stark contrast to the flat, muscular abdomen they were used to seeing. The room grew silent for a moment, as if the very air itself was holding its breath. “Pops, what do I do?” Dragon’s voice cracked with fear, his hand clutching the fabric of the hospital gown tightly.

Garp’s eyes grew wide as saucers, the realization setting in that his son was indeed carrying a child. He swallowed hard, his mind racing with questions and concerns. “Crocus, can you handle this?” he managed to ask, his deep voice filled with a rare hint of uncertainty. Crocus, ever the calm and collected doctor, nodded with a chuckle, squeezing past the group of gocking people to get back into the medical bay. “Don’t worry, Garp. I’ve delivered plenty of babies in my time.”

Rouge’s eyes sparkled with a mix of shock and excitement. “OH! MY BABY’S HAVING A BABY!” She bodily shoved Roger, Garp, and Rayleigh out of her way to run past them into the medical bay. She had always dreamed of becoming a grandmother, and now it was happening, albeit in the most unexpected of ways.

Dragon’s breaths grew shallow and quick as another contraction hit. The pain was like nothing he had ever felt before, a fiery knot in his stomach that tightened until he felt like he was going to split in two. Crocus was by his side in an instant, his calmness a beacon in the storm of Dragon’s fear. “Breathe, Dragon. In and out. You’re doing fine. Your body knows what to do,” Crocus coached, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Garp, still reeling from the revelation, found his feet and rushed to Dragon’s side. “You’re gonna be okay, son. I’m right here with you.” He tried to keep his voice steady, but the tremble in his hands gave away his nerves. Roger and Rayleigh exchanged concerned looks, blinking at each other dumbly before finding their own spots around the bed.

Rouge, eyes glistening with unshed, excited, tears, took Dragon’s hand in hers. “We’re all here for you, darling. We’re family. And family sticks together through everything, right?” Her voice was soothing, the warmth of her words wrapping around Dragon like a blanket. He nodded, taking comfort in her touch.

But soon the comfort was ripped from him when another contraction hit him like a title wave, and he swore, and swore and swore, saying curse words that would make even the most hardened pirate blush as he squeezed his Mamãe’s hand tightly. His eyes squeezed shut and his teeth clenched as his other hand tangled in the blanket, squeezing it so hard it was a miracle it didn’t rip. “What happened to the bad period-like cramps I was feeling, HUH!?” Dragon thought to himself through the pain. It was like someone just grabbed the dial and notched the pain from a six to a seven to a FUCKING COSMIC TON!

“It’s okay, it’s okay, just breathe, Dragon. You can do this.” Crocus’ calm voice was a beacon of light through the storm of pain that was racking through Dragon’s body. His face was contorted in a grimace, and he was sweating like a pig in heat, but he managed to pant through it, trying to keep his breaths deep and even.

“Okay,” Crocus’ Voice cut through the tension once more, getting the four adults attention. “We don’t have any stirrups on the ship because we’re literally all men, so two of you are going to have to hold one of Dragon’s legs each up for me during the delivery. It’s going to be a bit unconventional but it’ll work. We’re going to need to keep him in a good position so I can see what I’m doing and to help the baby come out as smoothly as possible.”

“S-stirrups?” Roger finally spoke, his voice cracking as he hovered around Dragon. “What the hell are stirrups?”

“They’re the things that hold pregnant people‘s legs up when they give birth.” Rayleigh spoke up, his voice steady despite the fact he was also hovering around Dragon like a concerned hen.

“Yes, stirrups—

Crocus was cut off by Dragon letting out a ear piercing, pained scream as another contraction hit him, his body going taught and his back bowing as a sob was ripped from his throat. “Breathe, Dragon, breathe through it!” Garp’s gruff voice echoed through the medical bay, his hand reaching out to grip Dragon’s forearm, giving it a firm, reassuring squeeze.

Roger and Rayleigh exchanged a quick, concerned glance before stepping closer to the bed. “What do we do?” Roger asked, his eyes darting between Dragon and Crocus, who was now busy setting up a makeshift bassinet on the medical bed beside the one Dragon is on, a slightly panicked look on his face.

“Well, this baby is coming, fast. When I first left Dragon in here to come get all of you he told me his contractions felt like bad period cramps. But if they’re like this now, that baby wants out now!” Crocus said, his hands moving with the precision of a man who had done this more times than he cared to admit.

Garp nodded, his eyes never leaving Dragon’s face. He knew that his son was in pain, and it was tearing him apart not to be able to do anything more than hold his hand. “Come on, Dragon. You can do this. You’re the strongest kid I know!” He encouraged, his thumb tracing soothing circles on Dragon’s forearm.

Rouge nodded, leaning over the bed to place a kiss to Dragon’s forehead, her eyes filled with a fierce love that seemed to burn away the shadows of doubt in the room. "You're going to be a fantastic parent, darling."

Dragon could do nothing but let out a pitiful sob, not listening to anything that was being said. The contractions grew stronger, and his grip on the sheets and Rouge’s hand tightened. The room was a flurry of activity around him, but all he could focus on was the burning sensation in his lower abdomen.

Absentmindedly Dragon felt hands grabbing his legs by the underneath of his knees, lifting them, and more hands helping him lay down and scoot him further down the bed, and his underwear being ripped off.

He couldn’t hear anything clearly, it was all muffled. Even Rouge’s whispering encouragement in his ear sounded far away. The only thing he could hear clearly was his heart beating rapidly. It was beating so fast, it sounded like a machine gun to him and it felt like it was about to explode like a cannon.

His mind was swimming, and somewhere he could hear someone, Crocus, yelling at him, yelling over the noise of everyone else to push. Dragon could feel an immense pressure in his lower body move downwards. It felt like he was being torn open from the inside out.

Dragon let out another scream when a burning sensation in his nether region began. It felt like something was splitting him open. He gasped and let out more sobs as another contraction hit him and as if on auto pilot he pushed again. He felt something give and slide, but then it got stuck and another burning sensation coursing through him.

Dragon was pretty sure he was squeezing Rouge’s hand so hard it would leave a perfect bruise of his fingers, but he couldn’t focus on anything other than the intense pain. Garp’s voice cut through the fog, sounding more serious than Dragon had ever heard. "Breathe, son. You got this. You're almost there."

Then he heard crying.

A baby’s cry.

And Roger shouting. “It’s a redheaded girl!” Soon followed by Crocus saying. “There’s another one coming.”

“Another one!” Dragon’s eyes shot wide open, and he felt a new wave of fear wash over him. He hadn’t even had a chance to process the first baby, and now there was another? The pain was so intense, it felt like his entire body was being split open with a hot knife. The room was a whirlwind of activity around him, but he was lost in his own world of agony.

Garp’s hand tightened around Dragon’s, his grip firm and reassuring. “You can do this, Dragon. Just keep pushing, you’re so close now!” Dragon’s eyes searched Garp’s for any signs of doubt, but all he found was unyielding belief in him. Drawing on that strength, he took a deep breath and bore down again, feeling the baby shift and move down his birth canal. The pressure was unbearable, but he couldn’t stop now.

As the second baby crowned, Crocus was yelling at everyone— except for Dragon— to stop fucking screaming, his face a mask of concentration. Dragon’s breath hitched in his throat as the baby’s head appeared, followed by the rest of the body with a rush of fluids. The second baby was chunkier than the first, with a mop of bright red hair.

"It's a boy!" Crocus exclaimed, handing the squalling infant to Garp, who looked at his son in amazement. Dragon collapsed back onto the bed, sweat soaking the pillow beneath his head. The room was a blur of movement as the Roger Pirates fussed over the newborns.

Dragon promptly passed out.

———————————

Dragon felt himself come to an underestimated amount of time later, his vision blurry and his body feeling heavier than ever before. He was lying on the medical bay bed, a clean white sheet covering him up to his chest. He felt... empty, but also oddly satisfied. Crocus was still there, everyone was, his expression a mix of relief and exhaustion.

"You're awake," Crocus said with a gentle smile. "You have two healthy babies, Dragon. A girl and a boy, redheads, and I have absolutely no idea where they get that from," he teased, his eyes twinkling with mirth.

Dragon let out a heaving breath, seemingly going boneless as he looked up at the ceiling. “… what the fuck.” He breathe, “I’m a dad.” His voice was hoarse from the strain of giving birth, but the disbelief was clear.

“And what fine looking children you have, Dragon,” Rouge cooed, her eyes glowing with happiness as she watched Roger hold the babies. She had never seen Roger so smitten with anyone or anything before. The way he cradled the babies, one in each arm, with such tenderness and love was something she never knew he was capable of. It was as if he had been born to be a grandfather.

As the head of the bed was lifted so Dragon could sit up, the young Marine let out a wince, the pain from the delivery still there. Garp handed him a glass of water, his expression a mix of pride and concern. “You did good, son,” he murmured, his calloused hand gently brushing against Dragon’s cheek. “Real good.”

“What are you going to name them?” Rayleigh asked, his voice soft and curious as he looked from the two tiny bundles in Roger’s arms to Dragon.

Dragon took a sip of water, his mind racing, and he still felt more than just a little bit foggy. Sure, he thought of names, quite a few actually. "I've...I've thought of a few," he managed to say, his hand trembling slightly. "B-but I think I’m going to name them after my grandparents.” He murmured, taking a deep breath, A twinge of pain shooting through his body at the action making him wince. “… Monkey D. Shanks for the girl, and Monkey D. Shamrock for the boy, named after the both of them.”

Roger’s eyes lit up with joy. “That’s a brilliant idea, Dragon! Shanks and Shamrock. My grandkids are going to be legendary!” He looked down at the babies with a smile that could light up the darkest night.

Garp’s expression was a mix of shock, pride, and a touch of amusement. “Well, I never thought I’d be a grandpa so soon, but here we are!” He leaned in to get a closer look at the newborns. “They’re perfect, just like their dad!”

“Say, Dragon,” Rouge spoke up, looking at him with a sly expression as she wiggled her eyebrows. “So, who’s that other daddy?” she asked teasingly, trying to lighten the mood. Dragon’s cheeks turned a dark shade of red, and he looked away, unable to hide his embarrassment. The room was filled with a sudden tension as everyone waited for his response.

“I’m not saying, Pops will make fun of me for eternity.” Dragon murmured, looking mortified with himself. “I can’t even believe I did it myself.”

Garp huffed, sucking on his teeth as he eyed Dragon. “… i’m pretty sure there’s only one person you’ve been around that has that striking of red hair, Dragon…” he trailed off for a second, and Dragon could see the second the puzzle piece clicked into place, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he let out a loud, disbelieving, amused to all hell, laugh. “DRAGON?!”

“POPS! SHUT UP!” Dragon snapped, his cheeks burning with embarrassment as the room filled with Garp’s boisterous laughter.

Roger looked at Garp currently, tilting his head to the side, his eyes squinting with mirth. “What’s so funny, Garp?” He had a feeling he already knew but wanted to hear it from his lover’s mouth. The rest of the adults stared at Dragon, waiting for an explanation. Dragon’s grip on the bed rail tightened, and he let out a sigh of annoyance.

Garp laughed so hard he started choking and coughing as he waved his hand around in the air, keeping his attention on Dragon. “Dragon my boy, I thought you had better taste than… HIM of all people!” He didn’t actually sound upset, quite the opposite actually, he sounded utterly and completely amused. Dragon glared at his dad, his cheeks burning hotter by the second. “He was cute and I was bored!”

“His hair was shaped like a damn crescent moon!” Garp managed to get out between his laughs, slapping his knee. The rest of the Roger Pirates looked at one another, raising their eyebrows and confusion swirling in their expressions. Dragon’s annoyance grew, feeling like his entire life was on display, but he couldn’t help the small smirk that tugged at his lips at the memory.

“Garp?” Crocus questioned, looking between Dragon and Garp, “you know who the other father is?”

Garp’s laughter subsided into chuckles as he nodded. “Yeah, I do. We met him at this years World Summit at Mariejois—

“—POPS! DON’T!—”

Ignoring Dragon, Garp continued. “I decided to bring Dragon with me this year, and there was this fresh 20 some boy there, and it was painful to watch this guy try to flirt with Dragon. But what was even more painful was watching Dragon actually fall for it, I swear to God. Anyway, this kid had the same red hair as our little rascals here, so it’s not too hard to put two and two together.”

The room erupted in laughter once again, and Dragon's cheeks turned a dark shade of red. He tried to protest, but his words were lost in the cacophony of everyone's mirth. Crocus couldn't help but chuckle as he checked on the twins, who were both fast asleep in Roger’s arms.

“Give me my kids and leave me alone!” Dragon huffed, holding out his arms for the twins, his eyes still a mix of embarrassment and annoyance.

Roger, his eyes sparkling with amusement, handed Shamrock and Shanks over to Dragon. The warmth and weight of them brought a sense of peace and contentment that washed away his irritation. He looked up at Garp with a glare that was half-hearted at best. “You’re enjoying this too much, Pops,” he murmured.

Garp couldn’t help but chuckle. “I’m just happy for you, Dragon. And a bit surprised, admittedly. I never thought I’d see the day you’d have little ones of your own!” He ruffled Dragon’s hair gently.

Dragon rolled his eyes, looking down at the twins in his arms. He had always felt a deep love for children, and now holding his own, he understood the fierce protectiveness that Garp and the rest of the Roger Pirates had for him. The room fell into a comfortable silence, the only sounds being the occasional coos from Shanks and Shamrock.

“… i’m going to kill that boy with the moon hair that knocked you up.” Roger’s voice was a now low rumble, his eyes filled with a mix of affection for the newborns and a hint of danger. “Next stop, Mariejois! The Roger Pirates are storming that place to find the boy and make him pay for touching my son!”

Dragon couldn’t help but snort in amusement, despite the pain of his recent delivery. “Papai, you can’t just start a war!” He adjusted the swaddling around Shamrock, who had begun to squirm in his arms.

SUMMARY^1: Roger and the others laugh at the revelation of the twins' paternity, with Garp teasing Dragon about his taste in partners. The room quiets as the gravity of the situation sinks in, and Roger, filled with affection and protectiveness, jokes about starting a war to find the red-haired boy who fathered Dragon's children. Dragon holds the twins, feeling the weight of his new responsibilities and the warmth of the moment.

Rouge shifted in her seat beside the bed, her own eyes filled with mirth. “Oh, but can’t you just imagine it?” she said, placing a hand on Dragon’s shoulder. “The Pirate King and the hero of the Marines, united by two tiny, red-haired troublemakers?” She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Besides, it might be fun to see the World Government’s face when they realize you’ve tainted their precious bloodline.”

Dragon just huffed and rolled his eyes.

—————————

Six Months Later far far far away from the Roger Pirates and all the way at Marineford in Dragon’s Quarters.

Taking care of Shanks and Shamrock was turning out better than Dragon thought it would considering that he didn’t know a thing about children, let alone babies.

The story Garp and he had come up with since he literally told no one he was pregnant was that Dragon had Shanks and Shamrock after a one night stand and Dragon was able to hide the pregnancy due to his height and his clothing. The other father was long gone, never to be seen again. Everybody was pretty accepting of this, if a bit curious— more than a bit curious all of these people were fucking gossip magnets— about why Dragon didn’t tell anyone he was pregnant.

The only person that wasn’t accepting was Sakazuki, but that was due to him being a idiotic jackass. That wasn’t anything new.

Shanks and Shamrock themselves where pretty easy to handle. They ate, slept, shit and pissed, and then repeated. Shanks was definitely the more giggly, happy baby while Shamrock was more of a grump, but they were both incredibly lovable.

During the day, Dragon kept both his babies in the sling unless he had to take care of them or put them down for tummy time, which they hated with every fiber of their being. When that happened, Dragon would lay down on the floor with them and do his paperwork, take a break, or make calls. Dadan told him most people would probably be annoyed to have to carry their baby around all day, but Dragon didn’t mind it. He knew his babies was safe. And it wasn’t like they weighed much, it was like holding a pair of apples to Dragon.

“Monkey D. Shamrock and Monkey D. Shanks.” Dragon murmured, turning to lay on his side as he watched his babies fuss about tummy time, reaching out and rubbing Shanks cheek with his knuckle. “I wonder how Garling would’ve reacted if he knew you two existed.”

—————————

Somewhere in Mariejois a certain red headed God's Knights in training has been sneezing almost nonstop for the past six months.

——————————

A few weeks later with Sakazuki and Borsalino.

“Saka…” Borsalino called out, his voice echoing through the empty training room he and Sakazuki were cleaning up. “Have you seen or met Admiral Kuroryu-san’s twins yet? They’re quite cuuuuute, but I don’t know where they get the red hair from!”

Sakazuki rolled his eyes, tossing a rag into the bucket with a splash. “Obviously they got the hair from their mother, idiot. It’s not like anyone—

Borsalino whipped around so fast it made Sakazuki jump and stop mid-sentence. Borsalino was looking at him with an expression that was a mix of amusement, surprise, glee— for some reason—, and a hint of confusion. “OoOoOoOoOoooO, Saka doesn’t know?” He grinned, turning fully to face him.

Sakazuki's eyebrows shot up, his hand clenching into a fist. “What the fuck are you on about, Borsalino?”

“There is no mom.” Borsalino said, his smile growing wider.

Sakazuki's fist unclenched, and he looked at Borsalino like he had just grown a second head. “What the hell are you talking about, 'no mom'? They’re obviously has to be a mom, unless you're telling me they just appeared out of thin air?”

Borsalino chuckled, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Well, not exactly.” He wiggled his finger, his grin growing wider. “Kuroryu’s trans, he’s the one who gave birth.”

Sakazuki stared at him, his mouth agape. “What?!” He sputtered, the revelation hitting him like a cannonball.

Borsalino ignored his shock and yelling. He tapped his chin with his pointer finger, tilting his head to the side. “Hey, didn’t you try to fight him a couple months ago when he said no to a date? That means you tried to fight him when he was pregnant, doesn’t it?” He let go of his mop, letting a clatter to the floor as he clasped his hands together. “Oh no, I hope that didn’t hurt them, but I did over hear Kuroryu saying something about them being born premature so...”

Sakazuki's eyes widened in disbelief, his jaw clenched tight as he processed Borsalino's words. He had been ready to fight a… pregnant person. "Premature...?" he murmured.

"Yes, quite the shock, isn't it?" Borsalino replied, his voice maintaining its usual calm, almost teasing tone as he picked up his mop. “I’m pretty sure I heard from somewhere that Kuroryu said they were a month, maybe two months early.”

Sakazuki's face reddened with a mix of embarrassment and anger at his own obliviousness. He had never felt more like a fool in his entire life. "But... why didn't anyone tell me?" he demanded, his voice rising with each syllable.

Borsalino shrugged, rocking on his heels. “Nobody knew. Apparently not even Vice Admiral Garp knew until they were about to pop out.” He tilted his head to the other side, “Admiral Kuroryu’s pretty good at keeping secrets when he wants to be.”

Sakazuki remained silent, his mind racing with questions and emotions. It was like the world had been flipped upside down, and he was just now getting his bearings. He had never known Dragon to be anything but stoic and powerful, the epitome of a marine. The thought of him going through something so personal and intimate was... surreal.

"How...how is he?" Sakazuki managed to ask, his voice hoarse with the weight of his realization.

Borsalino shrugged once more, his calm demeanor unshaken. "Last I saw him I was walking past his office earlier today. He was laying on the floor with his babies as they did tummy time.”

The image of the Black Dragon lying on the floor with two babies was something Sakazuki never would have imagined. The stoic, powerful Admiral who could command the weather with a thought, playing with babies?

————————

It was about a month later back with Dragon.

Dragon yawned as he lay on the floor, Shamrock laying on his chest as Shanks lay across his stomach, both of them passed out. He had finished all his paperwork for the day like an hour ago and now he was just binge watching some movie series about vampires and werewolves called Twilight, something that was strangely popular with the young adults of this era.

Dragon hummed to himself, rocking his feet along with the toon that was humming. He had seen this particular scene a hundred times before but it was still one of his favorite parts.

The Honeyman scene was playing in between Edward Cullen and Bella Swan when the front door of his apartment burst open and his younger brother, Kuzan, walked in, dragging his feet and bemoaning about something that had clearly annoyed him.

“Kuzan,” Dragon greeted, yawning again as he watched the sex scene in the Twilight movie. Glad his Twins have been desensitized to loud noises and loud noises will not wake them up from their nap. “What’s the matter?”

Kuzan grumbled, kicking off his shoes as he closed the door behind him, dragging his feet across the carpet before he got to his other brother's side and collapsed to the floor beside him. “I just got done training with dad and it’s a bitch and a half. I swear, he’s trying to kill me.”

Dragon chuckled, turning his gaze away from the screen to give Kuzan a knowing look. "You say that every time," he teased, pushing a piece of hair out of Kuzan’s face. “But, how’s the testosterone shot treating you, you took your first dose today, right?”

Kuzan sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead. "It's fine, I guess. Just tired. And sore. And hungry," he mumbled. Despite the complaints, there was a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. It was a small step in his transition journey, and Dragon knew it meant the world to him.

"Yeah, I get it.” Dragon turned his attention to the ceiling, playing with strands of Shamrock’s hair. “I was a mess when I first transition. Hormones were everywhere, I was growing out of everything I owned. But you’re tough, you can handle it. And you already have boys and girls alike lining up for you, Kuzan. So imagine once it all settles down when you’re older and you have a beard and a deeper voice. You’re going to be a catch."

Kuzan rolled his eyes, moving to rest his head against Dragon’s shoulder and trace lazy circles against Shanks’ back with his fingertips. “You say that like it’s a good thing, Nii-san. I just want to be me.”

Dragon chuckled, the sound deep and rich. “And you will be. Just give it some time. But you know, if you ever need help with anything, or just someone to talk to, I’m here for you. You’re my little brother, after all.”

Kuzan nodded, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. “Thanks, Nii-san. I know you’re busy with the Marines and the twins, but I really appreciate it. And speaking of the twins, how are they doing?”

Dragon sighed, closing his eyes for a second. “Well, considering I woke up this morning to dad trying to get them to say fuck, they’re doing splendidly. The little devils are already trying to repeat everything we say. I’ve had to watch my mouth around them more than I ever have in my entire life with anyone else. And dad’s not making it any easier. He thinks it’s hilarious to teach them curse words.”

Kuzan snorted a laugh, which grew into full-blown chuckles at the mental image of Garp sitting with two infants teaching them how to swear. “That sounds like something he’d do. Did they repeat it back?”

“No, thank God, but they were close.” Dragon smirked, his eyes wandering back to the TV. “I don’t need my kids going around at the age of five telling people to fuck off.”

Kuzan’s laughter turned into a grin, and he elbowed his brother in the ribs. “Come on, why not, that's like the first big swear dad taught me, you, and Dadan. It’s a family tradition!”

Dragon rolled his eyes, his smirk never leaving his face. “Yeah, well, I’ll pass on that tradition for now.”

Kuzan chuckled, his eyes glancing down at his brother’s midsection. “So, how’s it feeling? The whole, you know, not being pregnant anymore?”

“Dude, I haven’t been pregnant for almost a year.” Dragon shot back, though the smile didn’t leave his face.

“I know, I know. But like… what did it feel like to be pregnant?” Kuzan’s curiosity was piqued, his voice filled with a mix of curiosity and bewilderment. 

Dragon let out a long sighed, his hand coming up to rub at his eyes. “… full.” He said with a huff. “Like, really, really full, and not like food full, but like I was stuffed like a stuffed animal.”

“Ew.” Kuzan grimaced, his hand moving to cover his own flat stomach, unable to fathom the idea of feeling that way.

“Yeah, it was ew, very ew.” Dragon agreed with a nod, his expression amused at Kuzan’s reaction.

The room filled with silence for a moment before Kuzan spoke again. “But like, what about the actual birth part?”

“I passed out because the pain was so bad.” Dragon said, his voice trailing off as he remembered the agony of childbirth. “Crocus said I tour a little bit on my last push.”

“Tour?” Kuzan echoed, rolling over onto his stomach and pushing himself up to his elbows. “What do you mean tour?”

Dragon looked back over to his little brother, using his foot to scratch his thigh. “Tearing during labor means that your nether regions got ripped… Okay, so babies come from the part of your body, where you bleed every month because of a menstrual cycle, sometimes during childbirth that hole can tear. And when that happens, you have to get stitches down there.”

Kuzan’s eyes widened. “You got stitches down there?”

“Four of them.” Dragon nodded, grimacing. “It hurt like a bitch, if you ever get pregnant, make sure you’re somewhere where you can get an epidural when you go into labor.”

Kuzan shuddered, squeezing his legs together as if to protect his junk. “Thanks for the tip, but I don’t think I’ll ever have kids.”

Dragon smirked. “You never know, Kuzan. Life’s full of surprises.”

Chapter Text

It was three months later when Garp got his wish.

Garp was babysitting his adorable, precious, Little princess and Prince as Dragon, Kuzan, and Dadan went on a shopping spree for the twins first birthday coming up in a couple weeks.

And Garp, the man who had told Rocks D. Xebec, when the man was having a massive hangover, “You look like someone who preheats a microwave.” Had brought his precious grandkids to Sengoku’s office in Marineford to help the man do paperwork.

He had called the man a motherfucker, not in a mean way, just more like an irritated huff.

The twins repeated it.

Though it sounded more like “mah-mah fugcker” it was still the word, motherfucker. Shamrock had said it first, smacking his hands down on Sengoku’s desk where the two twins sat on it, then Shanks had repeated it.

Garp was howling with laughter, his head thrown back as he leaned back in his chair, his hands clutching his stomach as he laughed so hard he started to cough, his face turning red as tears began to stream down his cheeks. He hadn't laughed like that in a long, long time. Sengoku, on the other hand, was not amused. The fleet admiral's expression was a mix of shock and horror as he stared at the two laughing babies sitting on his desk, clapping their hands together.

“Garp! Did you teach them swears!?” Sengoku’s gaze snapped to Garp, his voice rising with a mix of disbelief and annoyance. Garp managed to regain his composure and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.

“What? Me? Teach them curses?” Garp feigned innocence, his grin unwavering. “They’re just little parrots, Sengoku, all babies are like that. They pick up on everything we say!”

Sengoku stared at him skeptically, but the twinkle in Garp’s eyes was unmistakable. He knew his friend too well to be fooled by such a flimsy excuse. He sighed heavily, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his forehead. “Lord, have mercy.” He murmured, Garp, goddamn Garp. The man has taught all of his kids to swear before they could even walk and now apparently he was doing it to his grandkids.

—————————

later that day…

“Dad, why are my children saying motherfucker?” Dragon asked the second his dad picked up the call. His voice was a mix of amusement and exasperation, as he leaned against his kitchen counter, watching the spaghetti in his cooking pot cook. He was holding Shamrock in his arms while Shanks clung to his leg. The little girl looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes, as if she had no clue why her grandpa was being scolded.

Garp chuckled into the call. “Well, Dragon, I might have slipped up a few times. But hey, they’re just words, right?”

Dragon rolled his eyes, smiling despite his mock annoyance. “Pops, I much rather not have my barely one-year-olds cursing at people like a bunch of little sailors.” He gently bounced Shamrock in his arms, his laughter bubbling up as he mimicked his eye-roll.

Garp’s laughter echoed through the line. “I’ll keep that in mind next time. But, come on, Dragon, you’ve got to admit, it’s pretty funny to see Sengoku’s face when those little brats drop an F-bomb!”

Dragon couldn’t help but chuckle. “I suppose it is a little entertaining. Just don’t let it become a habit, alright?” He sighed, his eyes softening as he gazed at the twins.

“Whatever you say, Dragon.” Garp sighed, not sounding apologetic in the slightest. In the background of the call Dragon could hear Kuzan’s voice, and he was cursing at someone, probably yelling at someone on one of those video games he played, saying “You buck tooth, limp dick, no game, not even a blind and deaf person would want to suck your dick asshole! If I was lesser of a man, I would agree with you, however, then the both of us would be wrong, you uneducated, vegemite for a human being!”

“Jesus? What pissed him off?” Dragon asked, raising an eyebrow at the outburst from Kuzan in the background.

Garp chuckled. “Ah, you know Kuzan. He gets a bit... passionate about his games. A few of the new marine recruits have that game… I think it’s called the forest or something and the people he’s playing with keep on getting eaten by those zombie things or whatever they are in that game and he’s just not happy about it. But, back to the twins, I’ll keep an eye on their vocabulary. I just couldn’t resist when Shamrock started repeating everything I said.”

Dragon sighed, already resigning himself to having two toddlers cursing at people. This was his family, his dads and mom have cursed people out so badly that battles stop mid fight because of whatever the hell just came out of their mouths. Then there was his brother and sister, Kuzan was practically fluent in the way of cursing people out with words you couldn’t even begin to fathom that could be hurtful or somehow used in a hateful way. And Dadan… Dadan’s just mean as all hell. “It's fine, Pops.” Dragon said with a fond smile, “Just don’t make it a habit, alright? They’re going to be saying everything we say soon enough. And if they start calling me a bitch, I’m going to blame you and only you.”

Garp chuckled, his deep, booming laugh echoing through the line. “Alright, alright. I’ll watch my mouth. But you know, you’ve got to admit, it's pretty damn funny when they repeat that shit.” Dragon couldn’t help but crack a smile.

——————————

If you thought that was the end of the twins cursing escapade, you were sorely mistaken.

Because a few days later somehow Borsalino had managed to convince Dragon to let him hold Shanks and Shamrock for a little while as Dragon talked to a few other high ranking marines.

Dragon was on the other side of the mess hall and Borsalino himself was sitting at a table, Sakazuki and a few other marines that share their rank sitting with them, the ladies cooing at the babies and playing with them, while the men nodded solemnly at the twins as if they were already sizing them up for their potential futures.

Shanks and Shamrock, on the other hand, were staring at Sakazuki like two creepy, unblinking dolls. Sakazuki stared right back, because honestly what was he supposed to do?

Shamrock abruptly looked towards his sister, the two of them seemingly having a silent conversation as he bounced in Borsalino’s lap, pointing at Sakazuki, making “BA! BA! BA! BA! BA!” Noises.

Borsalino looked confused but amused, “What’s got you two so worked up?”

Shanks face scrunched up as if she understood what her brother was saying and she started smacking her hands down on the table, the noise echoing through the room. "BA, BA, BA," she parroted, looking at Sakazuki with the same eerie stare. The room grew silent as the marines around them stared, unsure how to react to the twins' sudden outburst.

Then suddenly the both of them said it, pointing at Sakazuki, calling him a…

“BITCH!”

The room froze as the word rang out, both twins pointing their tiny fingers at the stunned Sakazuki, their eyes wide with innocent excitement. The marines present gasped in shock, their eyes darting between the babies and the equally astonished Sakazuki.

…

…

…

…

…

…

“AH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!” Borsalino burst into a fit of laughter, his whole body shaking with mirth as he held the twins in his arms. The sound of his laughter was infectious, and soon enough, the entire room was filled with the sound of chuckles and sniggers.

Sakazuki's face grew redder than the sun during a sunset, and his fists clenched at his sides. He looked like he was about to blow a fuse, but Borsalino spoke up before he could. “BITCH! THEY CALLED YOU A BITCH, SAKA-CHAN!” Borsalino's laughter grew louder, his whole body trembling with the force of his mirth.

Chapter Text

Sakazuki knows he’s staring, and he cannot bring himself to not stare.

It’s been two months since Dragon’s hell spawn had called him a bitch with a hard B, and he’s been avoiding them like the plague, but it seemed his luck had ran out. 

Because… because Garp had somehow managed to convince Sengoku to let them have the twins' birthday party in the mess hall of Marineford, with all the marines that were currently on Marineford attending. Technically, it wasn’t their birthday yet, that still wasn’t for another two weeks, but still.

But that’s not why Sakazuki was staring, no no nononono, no no no, no. He’s not staring because he’s watching Dragon set up birthday stuff for one-year-old twins.

No, no, no, he’s staring because he’s— for the first time out of the four years of knowing Dragon— clearly seeing Dragon’s face for the first time. Usually the guy’s hair hangs around him like a curtain, the guy has an absurd amount of hair, so much so that you’d think he’s hiding a fucking family of squirrels in there. But today, today, Dragon’s got all that hair pulled up into a messy ponytail.

Dragon’s face, fully revealed, was a masterpiece. High cheekbones, a sharp jawline, and a greek nose. His skin was smooth, unmarred by any scars or blemishes, and the slight stubble on his chin added a hint of maturity to his otherwise youthful visage. From his lips perfectly luscious and full lips, when he talked the marine could see that all four of Dragon’s canine teeth, that are surprisingly sharp and pointed, were Golden capped.

Dragon had a tattoo on his face Sakazuki never even knew was there, and it was mean looking. The tattoo on his face made all the approachability practically vanish. It was a dark red diamond crisscross tattoo, with diamonds in the cross sections with a smattering of freckles and beauty marks across his face that was such a stark contrast with the tattoo everyone that passed by had to do a triple take. And he had long, thick eyelashes that fluttered every time he blinked.

The room was buzzing with activity, marines chattering and wandering around, and the twins were playing underfoot, their laughter a sweet counterpoint to the tension in Sakazuki's chest. Dragon's dark brown eyes met his— frowning—, and for a brief moment, Sakazuki felt like he was drowning in the storm that often brewed in their depths. He looked away, focusing instead on the twins, who were now covered in glitter and frosting from the cake.

“He’s gorgeous isn’t he?” A voice suddenly whispered in his ear and Sakazuki jumped, whipping around to find Borsalino standing there, a smirk playing on his full lips. The taller man hadn’t missed a beat, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Sakazuki scowled. “What do you want, Borsalino?”

“Nothing!!!!~~~” Borsalino’s voice was a lazy drawl, his hands up in mock surrender. “Just thought I’d come over to admire the view, that’s all,” he said, his eyes flicking between Sakazuki and Dragon. The smirk on his face grew wider. “But it seems like you’re already pretty preoccupied with it yourself, Sakazuki.”

Sakazuki’s cheeks flushed a deep shade of red, and he was about to snap back at Borsalino when he noticed the mischievous glint in the latter’s eyes. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife, and it was clear that Borsalino was enjoying the situation immensely. He took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. “What’s it to you?” he managed to spit out.

Borsalino rolled his eyes, leaning against Sakazuki. “If you wanna get in his pants you might want to start with trying to get his forgiveness and all that shit. He doesn’t like you very much, and from what I’ve heard he’s still pissy about that whole ordeal when you asked him out a hot minute ago, and when he said no you tried to fight him when he was with child? Oh boy, you’ve got some major groveling to do if you want any of that fine, fine tail,” Borsalino whispered, his breath hot against Sakazuki’s ear.

Sakazuki’s cheeks flushed, his fists clenching tightly. “Shut up, Borsalino. That’s none of your business,” he hissed back, his eyes not leaving Dragon.

“Whatever,” Borsalino snickered, pushing himself away from Sakazuki and slightly shoving the younger man in the process as he walked towards the twins. “AAAAH! It’s the birthday twinsies!” he exclaimed, his voice a mix of excitement. “Now come give your uncle a hug!” He scooped up the twins, not caring that they were covered in cake, glitter, and whatever else they managed to get their hands on.

The twins giggled as Borsalino spun them around, their laughter a delightful melody that filled the tense air. Dragon couldn't help but smile at the sight.

Sakazuki watched Dragon’s reaction, watched him watching Borsalino and the two redheaded twins, watched the man’s features soften into something that looked a lot like… something. Something that made Sakazuki’s stomach twist uncomfortably as he watched Dragon look at Borsalino with a soft smile, something that made Sakazuki want to punch something.

From somewhere behind him Sakazuki heard whispering, and he tilted his head, just enough to tune in to what was being said behind him. Hopefully it would distract him enough from wanting to punch Borsalino’s lights out for making Dragon smile that way.

Sitting at a cafeteria table was a group of four, three girls and one guy. Their names being Micah, Falcon, Juliana, and Cooper if Sakazuki’s not mistaken.

The group of four was huddled, whispering as they periodically shot glances at Dragon and Borsalino as they grinned like a bunch of gossiping Schoolyard kids. Falcon, the smallest of the group, was leaning in closer to Micah, her voice barely above a murmur. "How much do you wanna bet until the two of them finally get together? I’m betting on next month, I’ll put 7404 beli on it!"

Micah, a young woman with auburn hair, rolled her eyes. "You're on, Falcon. But I say it'll be longer than that. Dragon's got a heart of ice, and Borsalino's got more patience than a saint. So, I'm gonna put 14808 beli on seven months from now.”

“Seven months!” Cooper, the only man of the group, whisper-yelled, disbelieving, Juliana nodding along with him.

“I’m with Falcon, there’s no way Dragon’s going to hold out that long, especially not with how much Borsalino’s been throwing himself at him lately.” Juliana whispered back, her green eyes sparkling with mischief.

Cooper nodded vigorously, his marine hat nearly falling off. “I give it three months max before they’re sharing a bed and swapping spit like a couple of lovesick teenagers.” He jabbed his thumb towards Borsalino, still holding Dragon’s cake covered twins without a care in the world. “I mean, come on, look at the way he’s holding those kids. He’s totally Stepdaddy material! And look at the way Dragon is looking at him, all doe-eyed and shit.”

Sakazuki’s jaw tightened with every word the young marines exchanged, his ears burning with a mix of annoyance and something he doesn’t want to admit— cough-cough, jealousy, cough-cough—. He felt the urge even more to punch Borsalino in the face than ever before. The latter had always had a way with words, a silver tongue that could charm even the most stoic of individuals. Dragon, however, was made of sterner stuff. Or so Sakazuki had thought.

He watched as Borsalino rocks side to side with Shanks and Shamrock in his arms, singing some southern songs Sakazuki’s pretty sure he heard on the radio once to them, and his heart clenched. Dragon, ever the stoic and powerful figure, had a softness to him that was only ever revealed when it came to his children. It was a sight that made even the toughest marines go “aww,” and it was clear as day that Borsalino knew it. The fucker was playing it up for the crowd, and it was working. Dragon’s gaze was soft, his eyes crinkling slightly at the corners, a rare sight that didn’t often grace his face.

Sakazuki glared at Borsalino, and the man just smiled back. He watched as Borsalino made sure no one was watching before he turned his head, shifting as he mouthed the words 'you’re losing, and I’m winning' over the twins' heads at Sakazuki.

“Bastard," Sakazuki murmured under his breath, clenching his fists at his sides. He couldn't believe that Borsalino had the audacity to be so blatant about his intentions. He knew that Borsalino had always had a soft spot for Dragon, but to flaunt it in front of everyone like this was too much.

———————————————

Borsalino hummed quietly to himself as he sank deeper into Dragon’s couch, tapping his foot to whatever random pop song he was humming.

Dragon was sitting on the other side of the couch, legs brought up to his chest as he leaned against the armrest, absolutely enamored with the movie— The Twilight Saga: New Moon— that was playing.

Borsalino swears Twilight, Vampire Diaries, Pretty Little Liars, Teen Wolf, The Originals, and Shameless are the only thing Dragon ever watches. And yeah, that’s something for Borsalino to think about.

He's been coming around enough in the past year to know what Dragon’s taste in movies and shows were. Dragon was a sucker for angsty teen dramas, and it was both endearing and baffling to Borsalino. He didn't mind though. Dragon's enthusiasm was infectious, and even though he didn't particularly care for the genre, he found himself enjoying the time spent with his fellow admiral.

That, and he knew it utterly pissed off Sakazuki, and it amused him to no end. Sakazuki was like a permanently pissed off volcano, and Borsalino had the ability to make it rain lava with just a few well-placed words or actions.

He glanced over to Dragon, who was intently watching the movie, absentmindedly picking at his lip, a baby monitor in his other hand, periodically looking down to make sure his twins were still asleep. Dragon was beautiful, even more so in the dim light of the living room, the flickering light from the television dancing across his dark skin and highlighting the sharp planes of his jawline.

Borsalino's gaze lingered on Dragon's profile before snapping back to the screen. He knew he was playing a dangerous game with Sakazuki.

—————————————

“… hey, Borsalino?” Dragon spoke up once the movie was over and the next one started to play, his eyes not leaving the screen.

“Yeah, Dragon?” Borsalino answered, leaning back into the couch and rubbing his eyes with a yawn.

“… I think I’m falling in love with you.” Dragon answered after a moment of silence, his voice low and measured.

Borsalino’s heart skipped a beat, but he kept his composure, turning to look at Dragon with a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. “Oh really? And here I thought you only had eyes for those angsty teen dramas.”

Dragon’s face scrunched, looking embarrassed as he felt heat rush to his cheeks. “Don’t make fun of me.”

Borsalino chuckled softly, reaching out to place a gentle hand on Dragon’s knee. “I’m not, I promise. I just didn’t expect you to be so honest about it.” His thumb traced small circles on the fabric of Dragon’s pants, the touch sending a jolt of electricity through the latter’s body.

Dragon swallowed hard, squirming slightly under Borsalino's touch. "… sorry…” he murmured, looking anywhere but at Borsalino.

"Don't be," Borsalino said, his voice still light and teasing. "It's flattering, really." His hand slid higher up Dragon's leg, his thumb continuing to make lazy circles. "But are you sure it's love?"

Dragon’s gaze snapped down to the hand sliding up his thigh, and he sucked in a sharp breath. “… y-yeah,” he managed to get out, his eyes never leaving the hand. “… I…” He took a deep breath, gathering as much courage as he could to admit the most embarrassing thing he’s ever had to say. “I fell… hard… really hard and fast when… when I saw you interacting with my babies.” He admitted, his voice barely above a breath. “And… it doesn’t help that m-my c-crew keeps on saying you… that… you… I…”

Borsalino’s grin grew, and he leaned in closer. “They say I what?” He whispered, his breath brushing against Dragon’s cheek. “I can’t imagine what they could be saying about me.”

Dragon squirmed under Borsalino's gaze, his cheeks flushing a dark shade of red. "They say you're... that you… you’re st-stepdaddy m-material.” He murmured, practically feeling Borsalino's amusement radiate off of him. “And… aham… they call you m-my… my…”

"My what?" Borsalino's voice was teasing now, his thumb making little circles on Dragon's thigh, sending jolts of electricity through his body.

Dragon took a deep breath, willing his racing heart to slow down. "They call you my ‘Lover boy’.” He managed to get out, his voice barely above a murmur.

Borsalino couldn’t hold back his chuckle. "Is that right?" He leaned in closer, his breath a warm tickle against Dragon's neck. "And do you think that's what I am? Someone who could be a good stepfather to your little ones?" His hand reached Dragon’s hip, his thumb tracing a gentle pattern on the fabric of his pants.

Dragon sucked in a breath, finally forcing himself to look at Borsalino. “… you offering?” He asked, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice. Borsalino’s touch was making it hard to think straight.

The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Borsalino searched Dragon’s eyes, the unspoken question hanging between them. "Perhaps," he said, his voice low and velvety. “But only if you think I could be more than that to you, Dragon." He leaned in closer, the gap between their faces narrowing.

Dragon closed the gap before he could say another word, capturing Borsalino’s lips in a kiss that was as fiery as the storms he could summon. His arms wrapped around Borsalino’s neck, pulling him closer, as if trying to erase the space that separated them. Borsalino’s hands found themselves tangling in Dragon’s long, thick hair, gently cradling his head as he deepened the kiss.

Then, “… AAAAAAAAAAAAHHH! MY EYES!” A teenage shriek echoed from the hallway leading to the bedrooms, and Dragon instantly yanked away, remembering that his baby brother was spending the night.

“Fuck, I forgot he was here,” Dragon mumbled against Borsalino’s mouth, pulling away with a blush staining his cheeks. He shot a panicked look towards the doorway, seeing a horrified Kuzan, face red, and a hand covering his eyes as he tried to stumble backwards and away from the scene.

“Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!” Kuzan’s voice grew progressively higher pitched as he stumbled backwards, the blush on his cheeks spreading to his neck. His eyes were screwed shut tightly, and his hands flailed around in a futile attempt to cover his ears. “If you’re going to play tonsil tennis, at least warn me, onii-san!” He stumbled back into his room, slamming the door shut with a loud thud.

Dragon and Borsalino looked at each other, a mix of shock and amusement on their faces. The tension in the air had dissipated, replaced by an awkward silence. Dragon couldn’t help but chuckle, placing a hand over his mouth. “Well, that was unexpected,” he murmured, his eyes sparkling with mirth.

Borsalino’s lips curled into a smirk. “I guess we’ll have to be more careful next time, won’t we?” He leaned back, pulling Dragon into another gentle kiss, and whispered, “I’d love to be the twins’ stepdaddy.”