Chapter Text
It had been hard. Well… Kid had always expected it to be hard, but it had turned out to be even harder than he’d thought it would be. Watching Yara come into her own, watching as she trained relentlessly and became a fearsome member of his crew in her own right was a fucking delight, one of the greatest goddamn joys in his life, but even then when she followed him into battle he knew she was protected - the Kid Pirates might have gotten older but they were still fearsome as fuck and like hell harm was going to come to their princess, no matter how old she was.
But when she’d met him one night in his cabin all of twenty three and full of the exact same vim and vigor he’d had at her age, to tell him that she felt the Resistance needed her, well… That was a shotgun shell to the nads he’d never seen coming. And it hurt like one too, stealing all the air from his lungs and leaving him mouth agape, voice struck dumb and brain short circuting as all he managed to do was stare.
To her credit, she’d immediately rushed to him, sitting at his side and wrapping her arms around him in a hug. Yara knew the damage she’d done, knew she would do it the moment the words left her mouth, but she also knew that her honesty was what her brother wanted from her; Kid had raised her to be true to herself before anything else, after all. And something in her, be it the will of her D or something else, was telling her that she needed to leave the Black Rose and pursue the destruction of the Celestial Dragons.
It took literal minutes for Kid to find words, though his body reacted much faster than the rest of his logical faculties. He was quick to return her touch, pulling her into a one armed bear hug that crushed her against his chest as his face buried into her beautiful auburn curls. He wasn’t looking for an argument to make, nor was he searching for words to discourage her path. Those things would have been easy, had they been what he was after. But knowing that whatever he said next would lead to goodbye?
That fucking wrecked him. The last time they’d said goodbye like this he’d been headed toward Dressrosa on a fifty/fifty chance of coming home. It had been hard enough back then to be the one leaving on that mission - but now, to be the one that was left? Fucking trash, that’s what that was. But Kid and, by extension, his crew had never really cared about the plight of the Resistance. They were pirates, out to disobey all laws except the ones they wrote themselves, so the Celestial Incest Fucks were no more or less an imepdiment to them than anyone else.
But this… this could change that. This would, at least for Kid, change his entire world no matter what happened. He’d always known that she was going to grow up someday but for some reason them parting ways hadn’t ever really occurred to him. They were meant to be together, weren’t they? Or… maybe he’d just gotten the timeframe wrong. They were meant to be together; he was meant to raise her, keep her safe, empower her and help her grow into a strong, courageous woman. Which… he had. She did. She was.
So maybe they’d been together as long as they were meant to be. Maybe, maybe. All these thoughts tossed themselves through his brain like a ship thrown about in the gale force winds of a storm; fast, dangerous, and hard to hold onto. But in the end… she was grown. And he’d promised that no matter what, he’d always support her. When he finally found his voice it was shakier than he wanted it to be though he didn’t do anything to try to hide it, “That so, Sprout?”
“You know it’s got nothing to do with you, right?” Yara pulled back from his crushing grip as she spoke, meeting his gaze with her own. She’d grown to be a bit more level-headed than her brother, most likely thanks to Law’s influence. “It’s not that I don’t want to be around you anymore, or anything like that. I just… I wish I could explain this feeling.”
That earned her a click of her older brother’s tongue, a sound that matched the way he was shaking his head quite well, “Ain’t gotta give me that speech, Yar. I know. That feelin’ in your chest? Like a fishin’ lure’s in you, yanking you toward something?” He managed a laugh even as his vision started to shimmer with tears, “Course I know it. And I know y’can’t ignore it.”
Exhaling sharply with a soft laugh, it was clear that she appreciated his words and was relieved at his understanding. It always came naturally between them; she couldn’t remember a time where they hadn’t understood each other at a fundamental level. “You know, you could always come with me. I’m not the only D. on your crew.”
That earned her another laugh, though this one was far more scoff than anything else, “Y’trying to pull a pirate out of the seas, y’crazy woman?” Not that he didn’t want to go. Not that he wouldn’t follow after her in a heartbeat. But this wasn’t just about him; not only did he have the entire crew of the Rose to think about but the entirety of the Polar Tang too. Even all these years later Law was still sailing under his Jolly Roger. He couldn’t pull them all from the oceans on his family ties, no matter how badly he might want to.
“I’m just saying, maybe I’m not the only one who wants to pull those fucking freaks off their throne.” Yara could sense their impending departure just as well as Kid could. She had to give it a shot, though; she’d never been on her own. As much as this felt like the right thing to do, it was terrifying to imagine facing it by herself.
The sigh that left him then was soft, eyes casting a little sad as he lifted a gnarled hand to her face and gently brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear, “Y’know I’m always with you, right?” His hand shifted down to curl into a fist and lightly bump against her chest, over her heart, “No matter where we are?” Fuck, but talking like this hurt. Brought up really painful memories of the last time they parted ways. But this was different. He was different and so was she, “... Crew and I’ll talk, okay? Can’t promise, though.”
“Ew,” Yara complained playfully, shoving at his arm. “Don’t get all mushy on me. It’ll take forever to clean off.” This sort of playfulness was easier for both of them than the heavy sadness that was swelling the longer this conversation went on. “I know. The king has to do what’s best for his people.”
That made Kid pull a face and wrinkle his nose at her, “S’Captain, not king.” He’d tried - oh, how he’d tried - to nab that title for himself. He could relive the moment he’d found out he was beaten to it just by closing his eyes. It wasn’t a pleasant memory, but in the end… he’d come out of the whole thing in much better shape than he’d ever thought he would. Finding Raftel and laying claim to the One Piece had been a lifelong goal of his but along the way he’d managed to find a few things - people, really - that had given him the same sort of drive and passion he’d felt toward becoming King of the Pirates.
And even when he’d failed at that goal those people stayed at his side. His brother-in-arms, who’d become the second captain to sail under Kid’s banner when they’d commandeered a Marine vessel, cleaned it of its previous crew, and staffed it with their own folks. His lover, a man who had only grown in skill, legend, and emotional maturity since they’d returned from Dressrosa. His sister, who grew up happy and loved in spite of all the odds stacked against her. His entire crew, loyal to him and not just the idea of him as King of the Pirates.
Yeah, it had sucked. But life as an Emperor didn’t sound too bad and the number of people and ships serving under him had grown at a steady pace over the last few years. He could redirect and pick a new goal, no big deal. Watching Yara leave… it wasn’t what he wanted, he could already feel the hole start to tear in his chest, but… she wouldn’t be leaving him. She wasn’t trying to escape anything or anyone. She was running toward something instead, her own goals and aspirations waiting for her to reach out and wrap her arms around them. He wanted that for her, “An’ don’t ever forget, y’used’ta curl up in my lap ‘n beg for that mush, brat.”
“If I’m a princess, you have to be a king,” Yara sing-songed back to him, grinning wide enough to flash her teeth as she tugged on the tip of his nose. He’d always had a larger than life presence in her eyes - the title of king was natural to give him. It didn’t matter to her what the rest of the world saw. “I don’t fit in your lap anymore. I’ll have to do it from behind,” Yara replied, shifting enough to jump onto Kid’s back, latching onto him firmly.
His response was immediate; a roar that clearly stated challenge accepted echoed in the small cabin as he rose to his full height, hooked his arms under her legs, and promptly pinned her against one of the walls. It had taken years but the arm Law crafted for him had eventually settled into his frame and become a natural part of his body. That was another realization that had helped heal a bit of the trauma he carried from their time on that island.
“How’s this for a hug?” While he pressed hard enough to firmly pin her to the wall, Kid was by no means trying to hurt his little sister. This kind of play was second nature, sprung from the naturally tactile behavior that they both shared. He’d tell her a million times over that he loved her in words but he took every opportunity he had to show her she was loved too.
Planting her hands on his shoulders, Yara used that leverage to wiggle upward and got her legs wedged between the wall and Kid’s back. From there, she bent her knees and pushed them into his back, hoping he’d move away enough to give her more space between his body and the wall. Keeping her feet against the wall, Yara walked herself up it until she was essentially doing a handstand on Kid’s shoulders so she couldn’t be squished any longer.
The pride shining in his eyes came through in his voice as he tilted his head back to look up at her, “Atta girl. What’s next?” She’d learned that skill in one of their countless bouts, Kid and his crew constantly working to make sure she could defend herself even if they’d always planned on being around to do it for her anyway. They weren’t going to take risks with their princess and if you can’t go down, after all, why not try going up?
Yara didn’t need to reply verbally. She launched herself off Kid’s shoulders and to the side, feinting a kick at his knees before throwing herself at his chest and holding on. This was the kind of affection the siblings usually shared - aggressive but no less full of feeling. “Even if you can’t come with me, I won’t be gone forever,” she whispered, arms locked tightly around Kid’s neck.
His arms came around her immediately, flesh one first and closest to her skin as he held her close and tight. For a minute he didn’t respond, choosing instead to bury his face in her hair so she couldn’t see how close he actually came to crying, “Even if y’are, don’t matter. Always with you, always rooting you on, no matter what.”
Yara tucked her face against the side of Kid’s neck, shoulders shaking a little as she fought back tears of her own. “I’m going to kick you right in the shin if you make me cry. I got my eyeliner even on my first try this morning.” She didn’t need to express how big a deal that was to Kid; he was the one who taught her how to put it on in the first place. “... But I know. I’ve never doubted that.”
Her comment made him laugh, a deep and delighted cackle emanating from his chest as he pulled back far enough to scrutinize her eyes. The smile that lit up his face then was one of pure pride, “Y’sure did. Good. If y’can’t do that, no way you’re goin’ out alone.” As her tone went from petulant to heartfelt and sincere, so too did his smile, shifting into something a little lopsided and soft, “Good. Never forgive m’self if y’did.”
Yara released her koala grip on Kid and landed lightly on her feet. Much to her chagrin she hadn’t grown to quite the same height as her brother so she’d taken to glaring at him whenever she was forced to look up to meet his gaze. It was an unconscious habit by now, “You’re the best brother anyone could have asked for, Kid. Don’t go doubting that.”
He tipped his head to her with a sardonic grin and a sharp little salute, “Yes, ma’am.” All at once he bent over, threw one of her arms across the back of his neck, and tossed her up onto his shoulder much like a bag of potatoes. As always, while they were decent with words, actions came easier, “Gonna toss ya in th’ ocean for makin’ me all emotional.”
With an indignant yelp, Yara pounded on Kid’s back. “Don’t just pick me up like it’s nothing, you shit!” It would be easy to escape; Law had taught her all about pressure points and how best to use them. Her nails were long and pointed and she wasn’t afraid to dig them in when it was necessary. But this was how they played and sometimes - though she would never admit it - Yara didn’t mind pretending that she was still the baby sister Kid had first brought on his ship.
“It is nothin’” he stressed quite purposefully, a smirk on his face as he bounced her up and down a few times for emphasis, “y’weight like six pounds.” While Yara had grown into a beautiful, smart, and talented young woman she never did manage to pick up Kid’s height or bulk - he’d taken after his mother’s build and all his sisters were more similar to their father. Not that it mattered, he’d divorced both himself and Yara from them so completely it was like they didn’t even exist anymore. They didn’t matter. But she did and she turned out perfect.
“Six pounds?!” Yara screeched angrily, punching his side just below his ribs, hard this time. “I’ve got six pounds of muscle in my hand alone,” she protested, wriggling to try and disrupt his grip on her as he dealt with the blow to his side. Kid wasn’t a captain for nothing and she knew it wouldn’t be easy to escape unless he let her - one hit and some flailing wasn’t much to him. But still, it was fun to try.
All she got out of him was a grimace and a grunt as he absorbed the blow. He’d been her big brother long enough to anticipate her reactions and he’d been pretty damn sure he was gonna either get a direct hit to the kidneys or rib shot, so he’d preemptively tensed in anticipation. Once he’d recovered he cackled as he headed up the stairs toward the deck, “Yeah, you do got pretty big hands.”
“All the better to choke you with,” Yara groused. “I’ll put your pillows in the icebox if you actually get me wet. Remember what I said about my eyeliner?” These sorts of threats were usually more effective. Less the outcome of a cold pillow and more Kid’s avoidance of upsetting her. Yara wasn’t vain but she did like her make-up a certain way.
“Aww y’sing so pretty to me, Sprout! Keep goin’!” Emerging out onto the deck, Kid cast his gaze around for the necessary tools he needed and grinned when they landed on a currently unused coil of rope; that would be perfect. Meandering over to it with Yara still easily trapped under his arm, he grabbed the end with a free hand before unceremoniously (but gently) dropping her onto the deck and quickly winding the rope under her arms.
Knowing better than to be unprepared, Yara pulled a knife from its sheath at the small of her back. She scuttled back to put space between her and Kid before cutting the rope so it was no longer wound around her. From there, she sprang away from her brother; he was fast but she was faster.
With a delighted roar he whipped around and chased after her, rope trailing after him from where he’d grasped it in one hand. His footfalls were loud against the deck and his laugh boisterous, letting go of his sorrow under the warm midday sun to focus instead on enjoying the fact that Yara was here with him now. “Yer makeup’ll be fine, Yar! Just a little dip, huh, only up t’your armpits!”
“Why don’t you go for a dip up to your armpits, huh!?” Yara didn’t slow, launching herself at the mast and shimmying up until she could get into the rigging. Kid’s bulk put him at a disadvantage up here and she’d spent plenty of time learning how to get around in the ropes from Ikkaku.
“Y’want me t’drown?” he bellowed up after her with a displeased grunt, summoning a piece of scrap metal from the pile he kept and stepping on top of it before propelling it further upward. As it came to a halt he smirked, lips quirking up as he came eye to eye with Yara, “Yer wicked, baby sister. So cruel.”
“You won’t drown if your head stays above water, dummy,” Yara called back, frowning as Kid lifted himself up with the metal. “That’s cheating and you know it,” she replied, winding herself up in the rigging so she wouldn’t be easy to remove.
“No such thin’ as cheatin’ in our world, Sprout,” he lectured, just as he had so many times before, “if ya -” He stopped mid sentence as a hearty laugh escaped him, his mirth reaching down to the deck of the ship as she took to a rather grandiose mocking of him.
“If you have an advantage, take it,” Yara repeated back to him as she fisted her hands on her hips and tried to mimic his deep baritone. “That’s why I climbed up here. But you’re not gonna cut down the rigging and I’m not going down without a fight.”
It was a rather rough seven minutes later that finally found the younger Eustass sibling trapped at the waist under her brother’s flesh arm, his amused guffaws at her struggles only serving to make her kick at him harder, “Yer gettin’ better. Good use a’you bein’ quick an’ all, too.”
“I swear, Kid. If you throw me in the ocean I will make you regret it,” Yara threatened with as much malice as she could muster, which was an impressive amount considering she held no ill will toward her brother. Even when he annoyed her. That was just the kind of relationship they had and she was aware she annoyed him an equal amount.
“Gotta admit, th’older y’get, th’ more threatenin’ that sounds,” he teased, utilizing his power to guide the steel plate they were both suspended on over the edge of the ship, so they were hovering over open ocean. That done he grabbed her by one ankle and dangled her upside down - another thing that had gotten harder as she’d grown, and now they no longer saw eye to eye even if he lifted his arm up as high as he could, “C’mon, a little dip won’t hurt ya.”
“What happened to ‘just up to your armpits’?” Yara asked, arms crossed even as she dangled. She was doing her best to glare up at her brother, but this angle made it nearly impossible to do effectively.
“Less of ya will be wet this way,” he cackled, exceedingly pleased with his little game. Without a whit more of hesitation he proceeded to lower them to ocean level and do exactly as threatened - dunk Yara to her armpits. But at the last moment, right before her head touched the water, he flipped her over and drenched her feet first; it was important to protect that beautiful eye liner, after all.
Yara squealed as she hit the water, the cold temperature making goosebumps spring up along her arms. “You are so gonna get it, Kid!” She yelped, thrashing in the water. If it wasn’t so deep, she’d do her best to yank him into it along with her, but this was the one thing Yara knew not to mess around with.
It spoke volumes to how much he trusted her, to even risk being so close to open ocean like this. So he kept her dip short, pulling her out as soon as the water hit her armpits and getting them both back on deck just moments after. The grin he gave her was somehow equal parts shit eating and the kind of lopsided that begged her to be playful instead of mad, “First bath y’ve had in months.”
Yara glared at him and grabbed the bottom of her sodden jacket, swinging it at Kid as hard as she could. Now that he was safely on deck it wouldn’t hurt anything to get him wet, and the loud SMACK of the fabric against his side was satisfying. As was the spray of water that showered the surrounding wood around them, “I prefer showers.”
His cackle verged on the sound of a madman as he stood tall and proud and allowed her to whip him with her jacket. He couldn’t help but be enamored at how the sassy, bossy, stubborn girl of Yara’s youth had aged into, well… the sassy, bossy, stubborn woman of her adulthood. He loved who Yara was, had at every stage of her life, and always would. But the consistency was comforting, “Y’do? Never woulda guessed.”
“Specifically warm showers, you shit!” Yara complained, smacking Kid with her jacket once more. She knew she could easily get back at Kid - she had developed a close relationship with Law as well, and the older man seemed to enjoy pranking her brother as much as she did. Yet whether or not she’d actually follow through, well… she hadn’t decided that yet.
Throwing his arms open wide, Kid accepted her jacket smacks with a pep and verve he was pretty damn sure would just infuriate her further. She was so adorable when she was playfully angry with him. But, just as she went to yank it back, he snatched the hem and yanked her off balance, grinning down at her as she stumbled right into his hold, “Y’never said that. Wouldn’t’a dunk’d ya if I’d known.”
Rather than trying to move away from him, Yara wrapped her arms around Kid’s torso and squeezed, doing everything she could to get him all wet too. “Yes you would have. Who likes cold showers, anyway? That’s not something I have to tell you.”
The more saltwater she dripped all over him, the heavier Kid’s body started to feel. Not that it was enough to really throw him off, he wasn’t submerged at all, but it made him feel tired. “Little brat,” he scolded with a click of his tongue - a habit picked up from Law years ago at this point - as he grabbed the neck of her jacket and shook her slightly.
Yara was used to Kid’s methods of shaking her around, so she quickly pulled her arms free of the sleeves and dropped out of it before moving around to his back and clinging to him where she’d be more difficult to reach, “You started it.”
The grin spread across his face was miles wide, pride in his voice as he responded, “Yeah, I sure did.” That said he headed to the stairwell, descending below deck to take her to her cabin so she could change. Now that she’d gotten her dunking he wanted the princess to be comfortable and dry again.
Rather than argue with his current trajectory, Yara just let Kid carry her below deck. Even though she was an adult now and sometimes protested whenever he tried to carry her around, Yara wasn’t eager to stop him. Knowing she’d be leaving soon - and that it wasn’t likely he’d come with her - made her feel a little nostalgic.
If Kid was feeling the same way - a little nostalgic for when this used to be her preferred method of transport, a little (a lot) sad knowing that they’d be parting ways for the first time in a very long time - well… nobody would really blame him for it. So he bounced her a bit as he walked down the stairs, just as he always used to do, and still gave her the warning to duck whenever they passed by a beam. When they reached her cabin he didn’t let her down right away, entering and crouching low as he walked in to protect her head, “Alright, Sprout. Time t’get changed.”
Hopping down off his back, Yara strode into her room and kicked off her sodden boots as she did so. “You’re not gonna try to help me with that, are you?” she asked, teasing as she moved to her armoir. “Go on, go brood on deck. I’ll be out in a bit.”
That question made him laugh, “Y’haven’t let me help with that since y’were like four.” Before he let her get out of reach he snagged her back and pressed a kiss to the top of her forehead, “See y’up there.” Sure, it took him a few moments longer than normal to pivot on his heel and leave, he may have given himself a little leeway to keep her in his gaze for a bit longer, but eventually he gave her the privacy she needed. His shoulders may have sagged a bit on the way out but pride in who she was and what she wanted to accomplish wasn’t far away from snapping them upright again. When she eventually did leave them he’d be smiling from ear to ear and cheering her on - no way he was going to let her leave with anything less than that.