Chasing The Sun
chapter four: i'm calling mayday
A/N: Okay seriously I need to update Monster Me.
I feel like each chapter in here for a while is going to focus in on one character and then I'll be able to go onto the cannon plotline because I want to establish your/the MC's relationships with everyone.
---
You had, naturally, been informed of the incident at Enies Lobby. The day you received the news, you had been enjoying a drink of tea with Kuzan when he suddenly decided to tell you he'd briefly visited a wanted criminal, Nico Robin.
He had told you briefly and vaguely of his connection with her, knowing you wouldn't tell, which you didn't, so you weren't horribly surprised to hear it, but you were surprised to hear that it was the Straw Hats who completely trashed Enies Lobby. They were making a larger commotion than you had anticipated, perhaps you should really start paying attention to them, not to mention they certainly had guts to declare war against the World Government. The lengths these kinds of people will go to for their friends.
The admiral had given you a strange but knowing look when you laughed before you took a sip of your steaming hot tea, not seeming to even take notice of its high heat. You were strange like that. Well, the more strange you were, the more he reminded himself he was glad you relied on him as a superior most rather than Sakazuki or Borsalino (better known as Akainu and Kizaru, respectively); those two would be horrible influences on you.
He was somewhat of an older brother figure, but he honestly felt like it should be called a father-and-son relationship when taking the age difference into consideration. A whole twenty years, and yet you called him "Big Brother," rather than Uncle or something. That title, though, he soon realized, was not one he should take lightly.
The day you called him that for the first time was a declaration of some sort - from then on you visited him more often, brought him things you thought he might like from villages and towns you'd passed through. You checked up on him often, called him frequently over Transponder Snail - he quickly realized that bearing that title meant you had decided to make him an important element in your life. Something he was thankful for, actually - with that carefree attitude of yours and too-kind mindset, someone was going to take advantage of you eventually, but with him there that was less likely to happen. He'd grown protective of you.
In return, he called you "Little Brother," something that seemed to absolutely delight you. You'd grinned so widely when you heard him refer to you like that, and he decided he'd use it from now on. That smile fit your face so well, he wanted to preserve it and shelter it. It was pure and untainted, yet there was a saddened edge to it that intrigued him.
But there was certainly something he noticed.
"Little Brother, you don't have to fake your happiness all the time," came his lazy voice, the same as always. You placed down your cup of tea and leaned your cheek into your palm.
"Yeah, I know," Kuzan raised a brow, not expecting such a response. "But I feel like being happy all the time is better than looking around and just being reminded of things you don't want to remember."
"Fair enough," he shrugged, drinking the last of the tea in his cup. You appreciated that he never pressed for information - most of the time, anyways. If he did, it was probably because you snuck one of his scarves out of his room again and wore it for the day. He always forgave you in the end, but you had to give it back or he'd be seriously upset.
"Has Mister Sengoku ever mentioned any sort of promotion?" you asked, and Kuzan thought for a moment.
"Yes, but he only mentioned it. I'm not sure if he's actually going to promote you, but I'll preach for you if it comes up," he promised with that straight face of his. You smiled softly in thanks, and he accepted it with an equal lack of words. A silent conversation that any onlooker would be confused about if they hadn't known how close you were.
"How're the Straw Hats?" you asked, trying to hide the cloud of jealousy hanging over you. Mihawk spoke of the captain's first mate, Roronoa Zoro, often, and he mentioned Luffy more often than not. Everyone you knew was slowly paying attention to only them, some of the Marines you were on good terms with had actually stopped paying you mind as they preoccupied themselves with plans on catching them. They were robbing you of the attention of those you loved and held close.
"They're...interesting," he said and rubbed the back of his head when you gave him a look. "They're a threat for sure. The type to go for something when they set their sights on it, kind of like the Rogers a while back..."
"Not good," you concluded and he nodded as he refilled both your teacups. "Say, Big Brother?"
"Hm?"
"Have I...ever mentioned my family before?" Kuzan raised a brow.
"No, you haven't. Your past is your past, so I never bothered to ask," he shrugged. "Why d'you bring this up now?"
You stared at your cup of tea before sighing and running your fingers through your hair. Your snow white hair, with blood red roots that never seemed to actually grow.
"Well, I wanted to know if you'd like me to tell you why that name, Big Brother, means so much to me."
There was a heavy silence before he put down his cup.
"...I've never not wondered about it, but I never asked because it seemed like a heavy subject," he sighed and you chuckled a little sadly.
"Honestly speaking, it is. You'd be the first person I've told." The look he gave you made you add, "Mihawk already knows, he's the one who pulled me away from my old family." Kuzan nodded in understanding. "I...won't say a lot because I don't know what to say, but...I really loved my old Big Brother. Looking back at it, I have no idea why I decided to stay from him for so long.
"I still love him a lot, he's technically still my older brother, biologically speaking, but I revoked that title a long time ago. I always took care of him, he always got himself into trouble after all, he's just that type of person. I've honestly tried to find him several times, but Garp's always caught me trying to leave without a word on where or why and forced me to stay; he's actually banned me from moving on my own.
"My old Big Brother, he was the center of my world, he was everything to me. Well, I was very young, granted, but all I can remember from that age was worrying about him," you laughed lightly. "And...then the day someone important to us was...taken away, he told me to leave him alone, never to approach him again. Mihawk was the one who gave me another purpose in life other than to just worry all the time. You know my history with Mihawk, so I probably don't have to explain that too much, but...he always forbade me and prevented me from seeing my old Big Brother. He said I shouldn't try to have anything to do with him because of how he used to ignore the effort I put into helping him.
"But he was my Big Brother, y'know? I cared and I still do, no matter how much I tell myself to stop," you sighed, noticing how Kuzan wasn't even bothering to hide his curiosity as he listened. "But he hasn't tried to find me all these past twenty or so years, I've seen basically no traces of him - I know where he is, but...he's never tried once to come see me. I stopped calling him Big Brother when I joined the Marines, I realized he wasn't going to even try to come back. He gave up on me." You bit your lip, staring intensely at your cup of tea which seemed to cool under your gaze. "I felt lost for so long. I had no one I could rely on the same way I had with my old Big Brother, and Mihawk couldn't stick around because he's a pirate, but then..."
You trailed off, but he knew what you wanted to say.
"You met me," he finished and you nodded.
"You were someone I could look up to, you're someone I knew I could respect. I eventually managed to talk to you and I felt so happy that you didn't push me away or ignore me. You paid attention to me, you offered to help me a few times. That made me feel overjoyed; no one had ever said something like that to me. I was a pushover to everyone else, it was like I didn't exist."
Kuzan hummed to show he was still listening.
"You became...somewhat of a beacon of light, you began to stabilize who I'd become. Someone I could count on, someone like my old Big Brother, but...you actually responded to me when I called, you offered to help me after I helped you, you did everything I thought no one would do."
"And so I became your new Big Brother," he concluded and you smiled cheerily. "I'm guessing...you don't want to tell me his name?"
You shook your head. "You already know him, anyways. Everyone does, really."
Taking it as a sign to drop it, he simply nodded and drank his tea. He was nice like that, picking up your social cues so easily. He understood your personality through and through. The rest of the rendez-vous passed in comfortable silence before you received a call, telling you you were needed back in Loguetown and to not abandon post next time. You just laughed off Sengoku's scolding, promising you'd be on your way and stood up.
"Oh, and [First Name]?" You looked up at Kuzan, who was still seated. "...thanks for telling me, I guess."
You chuckled at his wording and nodded, promising to call when you got back to Loguetown and bid your farewells, closing the door behind you. As he heard your footsteps disappear, he lay on the ground, propping his head up as he thought. "Someone almost everyone knows...?"
---
A/N: I need sleep.
Members of the Harem:
[[ none voted for yet ]]
Thanks for reading, feedback is always appreciated, and see you next time.