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It started out innocuous enough. On more than one occasion after his return to Baltigo, Sabo caught himself lingering in the kitchen like he had forgotten something. Or maybe had been looking for something. The blond would pause, and shift his gaze over to the stove as if he expected to see something that wasn’t there. Flashes of deja vu. He brushed these off as insignificant, and chalked it up to his body not having fully adapted to its new powers yet. The Devil Fruit probably just burned through more of his energy and required that he eat more to sustain it (which would make Luffy’s monstrous appetite make a lot more sense) and once it had settled he would feel normal again. He was sure that it would pass soon enough.
Days went by and he was mildly annoyed that it hadn't stopped. If anything, the feelings had grown stronger.
The smell of Betty's cigarettes began to assault Sabo with what he could almost describe as homesickness. Initially he was baffled that something as familiar as a cigarette, which he had grown up smelling many of with the Revolutionaries, could suddenly make him feel like this. He wondered if this newest development was memories of Dadan, but when he actively thought about the mountain bandit, it didn't bring about the same sort of yearning. Clarity eluded him, and the scent of tobacco continued to tease his psyche with no solution in sight.
What was more confusing was when he started to catch glimpses of blond hair in the corner of his eye, and would feel a spike of excitement. Several times he turned, like he expected to something but was unsure as to what, only to realise it was his own reflection he'd seen; his own hair. His frustration grew.
Blackbeard's attack on Baltigo forced him to put the issue on hold. There were bigger problems to deal with than the phantom emotions that had plagued him since he left Dressrosa. Their base was destroyed and as the Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff, he had a responsibility to aid his comrades in their relocation to Momoiro Island.
During a fleeting moment of respite, he confided in Koala about how unsettled he had felt since eating the Flame Flame Fruit. She had done her best to reassure him that it should settle down, but not being a Devil Fruit user herself, nor having heard of this experience from any of their colleagues, there was only so much comfort her words could bring.
Further distractions came up with the plans for the Reverie. He didn't have the luxury of spare time to spend on this dilema at this point.
Sabo had spent ten years experiencing deja vu with far less of a foundation. He would be fine.
Probably.
—
He'd had to flee to the New World after what happened at the Reverie. If it had been up to Sabo, he would have gone straight to Lulusia, but he'd had to gather supplies and meet up with a contact. It wasn't ideal, but he figured that he could use his Devil Fruit to speed up his journey- he'd read reports of Ace travelling that way. He had begun his journey back when he encountered his little brother and his crew again.
“Sabo! You have to stay for dinner! You didn’t get to meet everyone back in Dressrosa!” Luffy demanded.
His insistent little brother, who wouldn't give up on something once he'd decided he wanted it. He had latched onto Sabo's side and wrapped his arms around him several times the moment the blond's ship had been within range. Rubber arms had launched the Straw Hat captain from the Thousand Sunny and straight into Sabo.
"C'mon, Luffy…"
"Sabooooooo," he whined "pleaseeeeeee."
Luffy didn't care about Sabo's deadline, and had been pleading with him the entire time they had been reunited. Sabo was fighting a losing battle and he knew it, his brother had always been both an unstoppable force and an immovable object.
The Thousand Sunny finally caught up to them, the Straw Hats gathered on the deck watching their captain cling to Sabo with an array of expressions ranging from resignation, to confusion, to exasperation. He took in all their faces, some of which he recognised from Dressrosa, some he was seeing for the first time.
A blond man in a suit who was brawling with Zoro on the deck caught his eye, and Sabo felt his heart skip a beat. He knew this must have been his brother's cook, having done research after regaining his memories, but his wanted poster did not do him justice at all. Long legs, lean muscles, and the softest looking hair he had ever seen- Sabo didn't understand why he had an overwhelming urge to run his hands through it.
His resolve crumbled.
"Okay. I'll stay for dinner, but only tonight, got it?"
Luffy laughed and squeezed Sabo harder, "Yeah, got it! Sanji! Make us a feast!" With no warning, he launched them both onto the deck of the larger ship where they landed not-so-gracefully. A few of his crew members chided him for his behaviour, which was just laughed off.
Sabo watched the chef shove his hands into his pockets (after he paused his spat with Zoro long enough to plant a solid kick to Luffy's face) and turn towards a door that probably led to the kitchen. He couldn't take his eyes off of Sanji's retreating form. It vexed him, he had never had this sort of reaction to anyone before, let alone another man.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts once Sanji had gone from sight. This must have been another result of the weird feelings that had haunted him the last few months.
Robin smiled at him knowingly. Whatever she could see on his face, she clearly understood better than Sabo did.
Zoro frowned.
—
He was going to go crazy if he stayed in here longer.
Dinner had started out normal enough. Luffy's eating habits had not improved at all, he still inhaled food like it was his last meal and tried to steal from other's plates. The nostalgia would have been his focus, were it not for the way he felt like butterflies were dancing in his stomach every time Sanji passed him. He couldn't take his eyes off the man, and it was apparent that almost everyone at the table had noticed. Nami and Usopp kept looking towards him before they exchanged hushed giggles, Robin shared knowing smiles with Franky, and worst yet, Zoro had been glaring at him the entire meal before he left for his watch. If looks could kill, Sabo may as well have perished in the explosion all those years ago.
He felt like he was suffocating.
"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get some air," Sabo said as he stood too quickly. It earned him another look from Robin that he didn't have the extra brain capacity to process at present. Luffy turned to him with an energetic grin.
"Want me to come out with you?"
"Nah, it's fine. I have to check in with Koala, anyway," he lied. It seemed to work because Luffy looked significantly less interested in what he probably assumed was a status update call. "But I'll come find you later".
Luffy perked up again at that before announcing to Chopper that he wanted to go play some game in the aquarium. The little doctor squeaked as a rubbery arm enveloped him and whisked him through the door before he could protest.
Sabo took the distraction this caused as his cue to slip out.
Zoro was leaning against the wall by the galley door when Sabo stepped outside. His arms were crossed and the scowl he'd worn all throughout dinner was still plastered onto his face.
"Leave the cook alone," the swordsman growled.
"Excuse me?"
"Don't act dumb. You were practically eye-fucking him the whole evening like we wouldn't notice. Leave him alone."
Sabo felt his cheeks heat up, unrelated to his powers. He hadn't been eye-fucking the cook by any means… right? He didn't even like men. Sure, he'd struggled to tear his gaze away from Sanji, but there's no way it had been that bad.
…Had his staring been that obvious?
He stood there silent, blushing, and inwardly panicking, without a response for too long. Though he wasn't convinced any denial he could have said would have sounded convincing even if his brain didn't feel like it had short circuited.
"Curlybrow's a lovesick idiot," Zoro said gruffly "but he doesn't need another Flame-Flame user breaking his heart."
"H-huh?" He stammered incredulously. His mind needed to catch up with the conversation soon, it was embarrassing at this point. What did he mean 'another Flame-Flame user'? Was there some kind of connection between Ace and Sanji that he wasn't aware of?
"I don't care that you're Luffy's brother. So was Ace. If you hurt the cook it'll be the last thing you do," Zoro warned.
Sabo nodded. He didn't think for a second that Zoro was the type to make empty threats. He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts.
By all appearances it seemed like the cook and the swordsman didn't get along. They'd been arguing all through dinner between Zoro's death glares and when Sanji hadn't been busy refilling drinks, and replacing empty plates with more of his incredible dishes. Not to mention whatever fight they'd been having on deck when he arrived. But it was clear that their relationship was more complex than that. Sabo recalled Sanji batting Luffy's hand away from Zoro's plate as he brought second helpings around. He had chided Luffy and made a comment about how 'mossy muscleheads need more protein'. Clearly he cared about the swordsman looking after himself properly, and the way Zoro had ambushed Sabo outside the door was just as telling.
"You really care about him, don't you?"
Zoro scoffed, and Sabo saw him fight the urge to deny it.
"I'm the first mate. It's my job to protect the crew."
Sabo smiled at that, "I promise I won't give you a reason to have to protect him."
Zoro seemed satisfied with his response and grunted in acknowledgment before he turned towards the mast, headed to the crow's nest for his watch.
—
Robin's heels indicated her approach with every click they made on the deck, though he knew if that she wanted she would have been completely silent. She came up to his side and mirrored his position leaning against the rail.
"You've seemed distracted tonight," she cut straight to the chase, staring out over the moonlit waves.
"I've had a lot on my mind recently," he replied, not looking at her.
"Indeed," she hummed "I saw the news in the paper. The Revolutionary Army certainly has been busy as of late."
"Mhmm," he mumbled. They stood there in silence until Robin spoke again.
"Have you heard of the legend of Devil Fruit users dying with feelings so intense, that they persist even after death, passing on to the next person to eat their Fruit? I read about it in one of Wano's old texts. It was quite interesting, if a bit fantastical."
Sabo furrowed his brows. He knew Robin well enough to know she could be cryptic when she wanted to, but she always had a point.
"The Flame-Flame Fruit is such a passionate ability, don't you think? Makes me wonder if the legend were to be true, would some Fruits be more likely to convey this? Or is it solely dependent on the user."
"Interesting legend, but surely if it had any merit there would be accounts of it happening, right?" he replied.
"Who knows?" she smiled, and let the sounds of the ocean fill their silence momentarily. "Ace and Sanji were rather close, from what I understand."
Sabo whipped his head around to her, but she had already turned away and begun walking towards her room.
"Good night, Sabo."
—
Sabo pushed the door to the galley open and stepped back in. Compared to dinner, it was much quiter now. Most of the Straw Hats had left now, leaving only Nami chatting with Usopp at the table. And of course Sanji- the cook stood at the sink washing up the mountain of dishes the hungry crew had left behind. Upon his entry, the duo at the table shared a quick glance and whispered something conspiratorially, before they stood up, bid the blond men goodbye, and disappeared out the door.
Sabo tentatively took a seat at the table as Sanji wished the navigator a good night with far too much enthusiasm. The cook returned to his duties and a comfortable silence fell over the galley.
“Need some help?"
“No, you’re a guest,” Sanji paused briefly before letting out a huff of amusement, like he was privy to an inside joke Sabo was not included on.
Sabo watched Sanji from his place at the table, with one arm propped up and his head resting on his hand. The room was silent then, filled with only the sounds of running water and the clink of dishes Sanji that placed in the rack to dry. It was peaceful, even with how it felt like his heart wanted to burst the longer he looked at the other blond.
Sanji pulled out his pack of cigarettes and placed one between his lips, before fumbling around patting down his pockets.
"Where'd that shitty lighter go?" He grumbled to himself.
Sabo felt compelled to help and used his Devil Fruit to ignite the end of the cook's cigarette. He marvelled at how instinctive it felt to do so, and felt a minor pang of deja vu.
Sanji gasped softly, his visible eye widening marginally. He stood as if he was frozen in place for long enough that Sabo was sure he’d messed up and offended him somehow. An apology he had loaded on the tip of his tongue fizzled out as the chef spoke first.
“Y’know…” Sanji began slowly, like he wasn’t sure if he wanted to finish whatever train of thought was running through his mind. He inhaled deeply, then took his cigarette between two fingers and tapped the end into a nearby ashtray, then moved it back towards his face but just stared into the embers.
“Yeah?” Sabo probed encouragingly.
“Ace did the same thing. Lit my cigarette with his fire. Back when we first met. In Alabasta.”
It was Sabo’s turn to pause. He'd already heard a little bit from Robin and Zoro about his brother and the Strawhat cook, but the vulnerability in Sanji's voice, and the way he seemed lost in thought as he stared at the cigarette indicated it was deeper than Sabo had thought.
Suddenly, it was like a switch flicked on in his head.
Oh.
Oh.
"You loved him, didn't you?"
The cook slowly tore his gaze from his cigarette and met Sabo's eyes. Sanji looked at him as though trying to find an answer. After a moment it seemed he had found what he was looking for.
Sanji placed the cigarette back between his lips and pulled down the collar of his dress shirt to reveal a necklace adorned with a few familiar red beads. Sabo had only seen Dadan wearing those all those years ago, but he remembered them on Ace's wanted poster, and in the picture of them scattered around his body in the paper after Marineford.
"He gave me these before he left Alabasta. Took them off his hat and told me they'd help us meet again once he was done with his hunt for Blackbeard. Promised he would come find me," Sanji sounded calm, but Sabo could tell even just from watching him this evening that he was putting on a strong front.
"You probably think it's stupid. We barely knew each other a few months."
Something squeezed Sabo's heart.
"Sanji, I may not have seen him since we were ten, but I can tell you with complete confidence that Ace didn't make those promises lightly. He loved you too", he didn't say that he could feel Ace's love for him, and had every day since Dressrosa. Sanji didn't need that sort of burden weighing down on him. "Although, it sounds like his manners improved from when we were kids," Sabo chuckled and the corner of Sanji's mouth turned up in the beginning of a smile.
The beads were tucked back into Sanji's shirt, where they almost certainly rested by his heart. They didn't speak further, but they didn't need to. The air felt lighter somehow.
—
Sabo stepped back onto his ship the next morning. Luffy had been disappointed he wasn't staying longer, but Sabo knew he had to get to Lulusia.
(No matter how badly he wanted to stay. Wanted to be by his little brother's side. Wanted to make up for twelve years of lost time and memories.
No matter how much he wanted to stay and make sure he would not lose this brother too.)
Sanji had insisted on serving him breakfast before he left, as well as a packed lunch for later. The cook refused to even consider Sabo's plan to head out early without eating. It was easy to see what Ace had seen in him.
—
The world only saw Ace as Roger's son and a powerful, dangerous pirate who had sailed under an Emperor. Doflamingo's tournament for the Flame-Flame fruit proved that people only thought about Ace in terms of the destruction he was capable of.
Few people got to see and understand who he really was at his core. Even Sabo didn't really know who he'd grown up to be, having remembered him too late to get the chance.
(Too late to save him.)
He glanced at the packed lunch sitting on the bench, however, and believed that he understood him a little better. Affection and adoration squeezed his heart. Although he understood now that it was not his own feelings, he felt lighter than he had in weeks. Being connected to his brother with more than just his Devil Fruit eased an ache he hadn't realised he'd been carrying.
He checked his pose and adjusted the ship's direction.
Ace's legacy was more than just his powers. Sabo was going to carry his brother's love for Sanji with pride.