Work Text:
He remembered back when there was no one.
It was dark back then, and he was always so hungry.
Mommy only came back sometimes, and when she did, she wasn't always nice.
Then two scary men arrived and he didn't want to go with them because Mommy would be angry.
He couldn't leave the house.
He was a good boy, so he needed to stay in the house like a good boy.
But Mommy had been gone for a long time this time and he couldn't stay awake.
He was so hungry and tired.
The scariest man picked him up and he screwed his eyes closed really tight.
But the man just held him and gave him a hug.
He was so warm.
They took him out of the house, and something was… he didn't know what it was, but it made his eyes hurt.
The other man put something over him and his eyes felt better.
It was blankie!
He gripped the corner tight as they walked somewhere.
"Get some rest, kiddo, don't stay awake on our account."
He didn't want to sleep.
But he was so tired and-.
"Lune!" Kiki's voice shouted as she banged on his door.
"No…" He complained in response, grabbing his duvet and pulling it closer to himself.
"It's Dad's birthday, Sho and I are planning."
"It's early…"
"Oh come on, don't be a grump."
"No!"
He heard her grumble before she stormed off.
"Fine! We'll do it ourselves!"
Laying his head back down on the pillow, he closed his eyes and was fast asleep again in minutes.
Awakening with a yawn, he stretched before giving his little cuddly turtle from Uncle Luffy one last hug.
It was Daddy’s birthday!
Excited by the concept, he threw back the covers and clambered out of bed, quickly getting dressed before rushing out of his room and down the corridor to Kiki and Sho's.
The door was closed when he approached, which he found strange.
The twins never closed their door?
Knocking, he waited for it to open, but it didn’t…
“Kiki? Sho?” He called.
“Go away!” Came his sister’s sharp tone causing him to scowl.
“Why?”
“Because we’re busy getting things ready for Dad’s birthday.”
“But… I want to help.” He played with his fingers.
“Tough, you weren’t interested earlier so we’re doing it ourselves.”
“But that’s not fair! Papa says you can’t-.”
The door suddenly opened revealing Kiki and he couldn’t help but smile.
However…
“‘Papa said that we have to include you’, I know, which is why I came and asked for your help this morning. You said that you were too tired to help so Sho and I did it instead.”
“But I want to help now.” His bottom lip wobbled.
“Dad is going to be sad if you ruin his birthday by being selfish.”
Shellfish?
What did that mean?
“But I didn’t-...”
‘ruin his birthday’
His eyes widened as he gasped.
“I didn’t ruin his birthday!” He shouted.
Kiki’s eyes widened as she looked around before loudly shushing him.
“Be quiet, you’ll ruin the surprise!”
But tears were trickling down his cheeks now as he tried desperately to wipe them away quickly.
“Don’t be a baby.”
“I’m not a baby!” He cried angrily before running off.
On his way back down the corridor, he bumped into Sho.
“Woah, careful Lun Lun.” His older brother gave a smile before noticing his distress and crouching down. “What’s wrong?”
“Kiki’s a big meanie!” He grumbled before pouting and walking off.
Back in his room, it took a while for him to calm down before he was able to begin thinking of things to do for Daddy’s birthday.
He wanted to make cookies… but Papa was probably in the kitchen so he couldn’t do that.
‘Daddy doesn’t like sweet things anyway, idiot…’ The voice of Kiki in his head mocked.
In the end, he decided to make the bestest card ever!
He would show Kiki!
An hour later and his card was…
His lip wobbled as he bit at the thumb in his mouth, trying his hardest not to cry.
The glitter had spilt over the card meaning that large portions of the card was covered, even over the drawing he’d spent so long doing. The writing looked really messy too, and the pen he’d been using had ran out half way meaning that he’d had no choice but to swap to one of another colour which looked stupid.
A knock on his door caused him to gasp.
“Lune! Breakfast is ready.”
Papa.
“Don’t come in!” He called quickly.
“O-kay…” Papa sounded confused by didn’t open the door. “Everything okay in there?”
“Mhmm…” He confirmed.
“Good, then come up before it gets cold please.”
“Okay.”
Once he’d heard Papa’s footsteps walk away, his heart began to race.
Kiki and Sho would no doubt give Daddy their things during breakfast meaning that he would have to show his too… but it was bad.
If he upset Daddy, then Papa would be upset too and then…
What if they left him like Mommy did?
Gripping the collar of his t-shirt tight, he didn’t know why he felt so lightheaded but he screwed his eyes closed and grabbed his card tight.
He walked upstairs slowly before finally entering the kitchen where Kiki and Sho were already getting hugs from Daddy, brightly wrapped things sitting on the table in front of him.
‘Stop slouching, it’s a horrible habit for horrible boys.’
He stood upright.
Papa smiled as he noticed him.
“Morning, baby.”
“Morning, Papa.”
‘Don’t mumble.’
He winced before hurrying round to his seat at the table.
Papa helped him up onto his chair before dipping his head to look at the card.
“Whatcha’ got there, Lune?” He smiled encouragingly.
But it wasn’t very encouraging at all.
Sho looked at him with a strange expression.
Why did he look sad?
“Zoro.” He heard Papa call before Daddy turned to him too.
“Mornin’, kiddo.”
And he just froze up.
Papa crouched down a little beside him.
“Are you going to give what you’ve made to Daddy?”
He looked to Daddy and his big smile and didn’t want to make it go away.
Putting the card down on the table, he barely looked at it as he pushed the thing across to him.
“Wow, you did amazing, Lun Lun.” Sho complimented.
He didn’t even realise he was doing it, but a few seconds later, Papa’s hands came to grab his own.
“Lune, stop.”
He’d been scratching himself again.
A whimper escaped his lips distracting Daddy from the card and instead bringing his attention to him.
No…
“I-I’m sorry…” He began weakly.
Both Papa and Daddy looked confused.
“I’m sorry I’m shellfish… please don’t leave me.”
“Lune!” Papa gasped.
Arms reached for him but he shook his head desperately and ducked under them, dropping down from his chair and racing across the kitchen away from him.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”
His breathing was really fast now and he felt almost like he was going to-.
Sick splattered on the floor at his feet before his eyes widened in horror.
‘Dirty, nasty, horrible boy!'
He dropped to his knees and tried to clean it up with his shirt.
‘Look at the mess you've made! Clean it up! Clean it up NOW!”
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”
Papa’s arms pulled him into the tightest hug as he cried and cried, burying himself impossibly close against him.
“Please don’t leave me… please…”
He didn’t know what the hell was going on, but the sight of such a small boy working himself up to the point where he was actually sick was horrifying.
And the sight of that same young boy trying desperately to clean up the mess as if he was going to get told off or hit made him want to take his sword to something.
Instead though, he joined his husband in hugging the life out of the little thing, hoping the familiarity of their embrace would help bring him back.
The twins were screaming at each other behind him which made him think that they’d had some involvement in whatever the hell had happened here.
“Do you wanna’ get cleaned up, buddy?” He asked softly.
Lune nodded.
“Okay, Papa will take you, won’t you?”
“Of course.” Sanji offered a soft smile before lifting him up into his arms and heading out of the kitchen, breakfast forgotten.
He would need to wrap everything up at some point so that it didn’t go to waste, but more importantly-.
The colour drained from Kiki’s face the second he turned around.
Sho, who seemed furious about something, crossed his arms.
“Kiki was mean to Lune this morning and didn’t let him help. I found him crying in the corridor earlier but he wouldn’t tell me anything more than that Kiki ‘was a big meanie’.”
He took a breath.
“Is that true? Were you mean to him?”
She nodded wordlessly.
“Then I think you have something to say to your brother when he’s feeling better, don’t you?”
Again she nodded.
“And no kendo practice for a week either.”
“Okay…” Her small voice answered.
Taking the seat next to her, he opened his arms.
“Come here.”
She didn’t hesitate to throw herself into his hug, tears welling in her eyes as she shoved her face against his chest, hiccuping lightly.
He softly rubbed a hand up and down her back.
“You kids are supposed to look out for each other, not pick fights.”
“I know…”
“You just have to remember that you both have someone the same age to hang out with, Lune doesn’t so he’s always going to ask you to play or to be allowed to join in whatever you’re doing. That doesn’t mean you have to let him every time, but at least be nice if you do tell him no, he’s still your brother and he’s only little.”
“I’m sorry that I ruined your birthday.”
He sighed softly.
“You didn’t ruin it. The hint is in the name, birthday. It’s only ten AM, there’s still plenty of time left to celebrate together, right?”
Kiki smiled.
“Yeah.”
He pressed a kiss to her crown and ruffled her hair.
“Good girl.”
Papa had helped clean him up before putting him down to get some sleep after everything that had happened in the kitchen.
He’d gasped awake a few minutes earlier after a nightmare where he was eaten by a giant version of the birthday card he’d made for Daddy.
Wanting to still make something for him, he’d headed to the little test kitchen below deck, the one in which Grandpa Zeff would create all his yummy recipes with Papa in and began making a cake.
Somewhere along the line he ended up spilling the batter and he bit at his thumb to try and stop himself from crying.
He only had enough left for one cupcake now, and he didn’t want to waste any more ingredients, so he would just have to make it the most amazing cupcake ever.
While it was baking, he raided the cupboards and found the green packet he was looking for.
“Perfect!”
Taking a deep breath, he lay with his head cushioned in his husband’s lap in the training room, Zoro’s fingers gently playing with his long hair.
“I should be the one reassuring you, not the other way around.” He pointed out.
But the marimo only shrugged.
With a smile, he raised a hand and placed it on his husband’s cheek, Zoro responding by leaning down and pressing a kiss to his lips.
He watched however as a few seconds later, the mosshead began to sniff around.
“Did you leave the oven on?”
Almost offended by the question, he scowled.
“Of course I didn’t leave the oven on, I’m not a-.”
But he could now smell it too.
“What the hell?”
Not wanting to move from his comfortable spot, he grumbled as he pushed himself to his feet and walked out of the room.
It was a minute or so after Sanji had left when the slide was slowly pushed open, as if the person didn’t quite have the strength to move it.
Lune.
The young boy peered his head around the door.
“Come in, kiddo.”
Nervously, and with his eyes trained on the ground, Lune crossed the room before taking a seat in front of him, hands still behind his back.
Without prompt however, they moved to reveal a small cupcake which he placed down on the floor between them.
He smiled.
"Is this for me?"
A small nod followed.
He reached forward and softly stroked his son's cheek, taking in how utterly drained he looked.
Lune leant in closer as he did, and he took that as the consent he needed to wrap his arms around the boy and lift him the short distance over into his lap, the little guy immediately huddling close against him, head resting on his chest.
"Sorry for being shellfish, Daddy…" Came a small, tired voice.
"Don't be silly…" He responded softly, leaning down to press a kiss to his son's crown. "You have one of the kindest hearts of anyone, just like your Papa."
He picked up the cupcake and inspected it.
“This looks amazing!”
Lune grinned.
“It’s matcha!” The little boy announced proudly.
“Ooooh, my favourite.”
Taking a bite… it really wasn’t that bad.
“Mmm, it’s good.”
“Really?!” Lune exclaimed.
“Yeah.”
“Yay!” The boy giggled before hugging into him once again.
He wasn't sure if Lune was going to say anything else, or whether it was time to put the little one to bed, but a minute or so later, their son spoke up.
"I like you and Papa being my Daddy's, and I'm really happy that you found me."
The words caught him off-guard, but he smiled softly regardless, stroking his boy’s hair.
"We're happy that you're with us too, buddy."
"My first Daddy was a pirate too, that's what Mommy told me."
That was new.
“Was he?”
“Mmhmm.” Lune nodded. "Mommy always used to say mean things about him though. Apparently he left when I was really little and didn't come back."
Those little blue eyes looked so sad.
"And then Mommy didn't come back either."
"More fool them; and anyway, you're all ours now, and we're not giving you up for anything."
The little guy smiled.
“Good, I like it here.”
Drooping eyelids told him that their little boy had had more than enough excitement for one day.
“Come on you, I think it’s definitely bedtime.”
“Can I sleep in you and Papa’s bed tonight?”
He smiled softly.
“Of course you can, kiddo.”
“Yay…” Came a tired response.
Getting to his feet, Lune snuggled in.
“Happy Birthday, Daddy.”
And with that, he was dead to the world, light breaths tickling his chest thereon after.
Quiet footsteps entered the room as his husband returned.
“Do we have a guest tonight?”
He nodded.
“Okay.” Sanji crossed over to them and pressed a kiss to their boy’s cheek. “Poor baby.”
“Love you, Daddy… Love you, Papa…” Came a little voice.
And their hearts melted.
“Love you too, Lune.”