꧁ Sibling Love ꧂

Hazel took a deep breath before nodding at Ace, letting him know she was ready. He smiled down at her, putting a hand on her lower back and gently pushing her forward as if to invite her to continue with the reassurance that he would be by her side. They stepped into the kitchen, where they found Luffy and Sabo. The latter in a desperate attempt to stop his hungry younger brother from having a snack before dinner.

"Hey guys," she greeted them.

"Hazel!" Luffy exclaimed, shockingly forgetting about the food and rushing into her arms.

They would have both fallen to the ground if it hadn't been for Ace, who instinctively grabbed his sister by the shoulders, stabilizing her.

"Jesus, Luffy!" the raven-haired man yelled out.

"Luffy! Are you trying to kill her?" Sabo was quick to step in, scolding his reckless younger brother while pulling him away from his flustered sister. "Let her breathe," he added, holding him in place.

"What? Can't I be happy to see her?" he whined in response.

"Yes, but-"

"It's okay, Sabo," Hazel cut him off with a chuckle, regaining her composure. "I'm fine. Happy to see you too, Luffy,"  she said, giving both brothers a warm smile.

The younger beamed, unable to contain his excitement, while the older just shook his head and pulled her into a hug, mumbling a  "welcome back, sis."

"What's going on here, yoi?" a voice behind them caught their attention. The four siblings turned around to see an annoyed Marco and a confused Thatch in the doorway.

"Hazy!" the latter exclaimed as he noticed his younger sister.

Ace, Sabo and Luffy immediately moved out of the way, while Hazel laughed as she let Thatch pick her up and twirl her around like he used to do when she was a kid.

"When did you get back? How come you didn't tell us anything?" he asked, putting her down. "We could have organised a proper homecoming party."

"Hold your horses, tough guy. Can't a woman make a surprise to her beloved brothers?" she simply replied, hiding the truth with a laugh.

Thatch chuckled, slightly shaking his head  "Well, I'm happy to have you back."

Marco leaned on the doorjamb with his arms crossed as he observed the scene. A small smile formed on his lips, the thought of Hazel being back home made him happier than he dared to acknowledge, even to himself. However, he couldn't ignore the small voice in his head that kept telling him that something was wrong.

"Marco," Hazel called him gently, bringing him back to reality. She was standing only a few steps from him, searching his eyes, unsure of what to do.

"Come here, yoi," he told her, opening his arms.

The woman smiled, instantly accepting the offer. She got on her tiptoes and flung her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Her breath lightly caressed his skin, her muscles relaxing against him. Marco's heart skipped a beat as he hold her close. He couldn't help but smile, knowing she didn't hold any resentment towards him.

A chorus of "finally" and "hallelujah" resounded in the kitchen, followed by a burst of laughter as Hazel pulled back just enough to look Marco in the eyes. She chuckled and even dared to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"I missed you, pineapple," she whispered in his ear.

"I missed you too, shrimp," he chuckled and ruffled her hair, in a desperate attempt to mask his embarrassment. Needless to say that he failed miserably.

"Marco, why are you so red?" Luffy was the first to point out the blush on his brother's cheeks, to the amusement of all present.

"Oh, don't worry, Luffy. Our pineapple is just happy that Hazel is not ignoring him anymore." Ace was quick to reply, earning an angry glance from the blonde in question.

"I hate you all," Marco sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Why? We're such lovely siblings," Ace immediately retorted.

"Lovely is not the word I'd use, yoi."

"Then what word would you use?" asked Thatch, "Beloved?"

"Amazing?" followed Sabo, with a smirk.

"Marvellous?" continued Hazel.

"Awesome?" said Luffy, giggling incessantly.

Marco threw his head back in frustration as he told his siblings to go to hell.

"And leave you here all alone? We could never!" replied Hazel, giving him the best innocent look she could master.

Marco stared at her, stunned. Then he glanced at her twin, who couldn't stop giggling like a teenage girl.

"You two," he said, pointing first to Hazel then to Ace, "You two are gonna be the death of me."

"There's no need to be so dramatic, Marco," Thatch chuckled, patting his cranky brother on the shoulder.

"Just being realistic, yoi."

✵✵✵✵

Hazel stared blankly at the ceiling over her bed, the ghost of a smile still lingering on her lips. Hazel had almost forgotten how chaotic family dinners could be. Ace had fallen asleep twice, and both times she had managed to stop his forehead from falling into his plate just in time. Her reflexes had left everyone stunned, but she had justified herself by simply saying "it's a twin thing." Of course, Luffy had used both opportunities as a distraction to steal some food from his older brother's plate, which Hazel had then exchanged for her own, to avoid the incessant complaints that would have begun after dinner if Ace had not eaten enough.

Between jokes and laughter, the evening had flown in a breeze and, miraculously, without anyone asking more questions about the reason for her visit. However, now that she was alone again in her room, Hazel found herself locked onto an unpleasant train of thought. The anxiety that at some point someone would have asked her what was actually going on was eating her alive. How would she explain her situation to her family when she didn't even have an explanation to give to herself? Talking to Pops had certainly been helpful: being the loving and protective father he was, the man had made it clear that she would not have to worry about anything and that he did not need details or justifications. "This is your home and it will always be your home", he had said. Her brothers, on the other hand, were a different story. Ace and Thatch would have done anything to get a confession out of her, and the fact that they had held back until now alarmed her even more.

Tired of wallowing in self-pity, Hazel decided to head down to the kitchen and prepare a cup of warm milk and honey. It was a bit like a tradition for Luffy and her: when they were kids, every time one of them could not sleep, they would wake up the other, and together they would throw Thatch out of bed, begging him to prepare them warm milk and honey. The woman smiled at the memory but opted not to wake the two brothers and enjoy her favourite drink alone. Once she put a small saucepan with milk on the stove, she began to look for her cup in the various cabinets, only to come to the bitter conclusion that her brothers had put it on the higher shelf to avoid using it. Hazel sighed resignedly before climbing on the counter to reach it.

"You okay there, yoi?" Marco's sleepy voice coming from the doorway startled her. Hazel barely had the time to murmur "I'm fine," in response, then fell backwards. Before the impact could break her spine, however, two arms grabbed her waist, putting her back on her feet.

"Still clumsy as always, I see," the blonde chuckled. The woman sighed as she rested the back of her head on his chest and her hands on his arms, which were now wrapped tightly around her waist.

"You startled me," she mumbled, her heart almost pounding out of her chest.

"Sure," he replied. "Can't sleep?"

"Seems like I'm not the only one," Hazel said, reluctantly freeing herself from his embrace to check on the milk. "Why are you up so late?" she then asked him.

"I had some work to catch up on," he answered as he effortlessly grabbed her cup from the shelf and passed it to her.

"Thank you," she smiled, accepting it. "Want some milk with honey?"

"I'll pass, but thanks," the blond replied as he leaned back on the counter and crossed his arms. "Listen, Hazel, about this summer, I-"

"It's okay, it's in the past," Hazel was quick to cut him off.

Marco sighed, "Just let me say it, yoi."

Hazel closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She then switched the heat off before turning around to face him.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. You're a grown woman now, perfectly capable of making your own decisions. I overstepped my boundaries." he told her, staring right into her eyes.

Hazel looked away, the sincerity in his words made it impossible for her to hold his gaze. There he was giving her the most genuine apology, when she was the one who should have been on her knees, begging for forgiveness. She had treated him miserably when he was only trying to help her, to remove the blindfold she had around her eyes and make her see the truth.

"There's no need for you to apologise, Marco," she managed to reply, doing her best not to break in front of him. "You were right. And I should have listened."

Marco looked at her confused, the little voice in his head becoming louder and louder, begging him to ask her for clarification. But he didn't pry, hoping that the time would come when she felt she could confide in him. 

Hazel turned around, focusing back on preparing her drink in a desperate attempt to distract herself. As she poured the milk into the cup, she felt Marco's arm gently wrapping around her waist and a soft kiss on top of her head.

"Try to get some rest, yoi," he told her, before leaving the kitchen.

The tears she had struggled so hard to hold back clouded her eyes. Hazel put down the cup and closed her hands in two fists, biting her lip so as not to let out a single sob. Damn you, Marco, she thought.