Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dracule looks on with pride as he rocked his newborn son. Terra was in labor for close to forty hours before Zoro was finally born. Terra was currently sleeping off her labor exhaustion from the last two days.  

The door to their hospital room opens and he looks up to see a nurse entering. She smiles at him, and he smiles back.  

“Just need to check mama and baby’s vitals.”  

Drac nods and goes to stand, but she puts a hand up. “I can get mom first.”  

He nods again.   

Terra startles when the nurse touches her.   

“Sorry hun, didn’t mean to wake you, just taking vitals.”  

Terra sighs and nods.   

When she was done with his wife Dracule laid his son down so she could look at him next.   

He rounds the bed to lean down and kiss Terra. “Hungry? I can make a food run while I get some coffee.”  

Terra smiles and hums. “Yes please, a frappe for me, extra whipped cream.”  

He chuckles. “You got it baby.”  

*********************************************  

“But dad, it’s not fair!”  

Dracule sighs as his son’s complaints bring him back to reality. “Life’s not fair son, get over it.”  

Zoro groans.  

Dracule rolls his eyes. His oldest child is currently complaining about the consequences of his recent dumb and idiotic actions. “You snuck out of the house and took the car you're not legally allowed to drive on your own; therefore, you just need to accept your punishment.”  

Zoro groans again. “We only did it because…”  

“No.” He cuts his son off. “Do not even try to justify it son. It was stupid and you should be grateful that I’m not letting Dragon tear into your ass himself.”  

“But dad…”  

“No, we’re done with this conversation. Bed now.”  

Zoro growls and stomps off.   

Dracule once again rolls his eyes.   

Teenagers.  

It’s moments like this that he really misses his wife. Not that they were married long, but he has a feeling that she’d be able and willing to handle their two children better than he’s currently doing.  

He looks at the picture on his desk and frowns. He misses her like crazy, but it was her choice to leave them, or maybe it wasn’t? Who knows what was going through her mind, but in the end, he was left with two young children all on his own.   

His phone begins to ring from his desk, and he snorts at the caller ID.   

“Dragon.” He greets his friend.  

“Drac, hey I was calling to apologize for my daughters’ actions.”  

Dracule chuckles. “No need, I’m sure they both convinced each other that it was a good idea.”  

Dragon chuckles. “Yeah, I’m sure.”  

Dracule smiles. “Even though he’s been gone a while, I see Roger in her.”  

Dragon groans. “Don’t remind me.”  

He laughs.

“I wasn’t on his case very long, but the guy made one hell of an impact on me.”  

Dracule chuckles. “Yeah, I remember.”  

“How’s Rouge?”  

“Okay, all things considered.”  

“She started chemo yet?’  

His friend sighs. “No, she starts Monday.”  

Drac nods. “Well, I’ll be sure to keep her in my prayers for you.”  

Dragon hums. “Thanks. Well, it’s late, now that she’s home I’m gonna get to bed myself.”  

Dracule nods. “We’ll see y’all at Mass in the morning, correct?”  

“Yep, always, sleep well.” With that his friend hangs up.   

He sighs as he places his phone back on his desk, right next to Zoro’s. He picks up the phone and unlocks it. One of his requirements when he got his kids phones is that he has to have their passwords.  

He sighs at the background. It’s Zoro and Annabelle when they were freshmen. Mihawk has known that his son has had a thing for Annabelle for a long time now, but for the most part they’re both good kids, but to fucking sneak out and have an officer escort them home was something he never thought his son would do, and especially not Annabelle. If Dragon was his dad, there’s no way he’d risk his wrath by sneaking out of the house, to be with a boy no less. A boy who just so happens to be the son of his best friend. At least Dracule considers Dragon his closest friend. Many people avoid him anyway, which is fine.  

He never really cared about the trail of rumors that followed after his wife left, but what he did care about is the effect it had on his kids. They were having a hard time at school there for a while, and he considered homeschooling but he’s a single dad, with no interest of finding another partner or spouse any time soon. Could he hire someone? Sure, but he wanted to make sure they still had their social life, or at least what was left of it.   

Dragon’s kids were pretty much all the friends his kids had left. After a few years they slowly started gaining friends back. It's too bad they don't go to the same school, but Drac just knows that if Zoro was in the same building as Annabelle for eight hours a day, school would not be the only thing on his mind. He's a teenage boy after all, Dracule remembers what that's like. Which is why his son goes to an all boys school.   

“Daddy?”  

Dracule looks up at the entrance to his office to see his youngest standing in the doorway. She’s still in her jammies, which is fair, it’s almost one in the morning. She's got her stuffed bear clutched in her arms. He frowns. “What’s wrong baby?”  

She shrugs. “I heard yelling.”  

Dracule sighs. “Yeah.” He stands and walks over to pick his daughter up and take her back upstairs and tuck her back in. “Don’t worry about it baby.”  

“Is Zoro leaving?”  

Dracule frowns. He takes a seat on the edge of her bed. “What makes you ask that baby?”  

She frowns. “You were yelling.”  

He sighs. “No, baby, Zoro is not leaving, he’s just upset with daddy right now.”  

“Promise?”  

He smiles at her and nods. “Yeah baby, promise.”  

She smiles as she begins to fall asleep again. “Good.”  

Dracule leans down to kiss his daughter on the forehead. “Get some rest baby.” He stands, turns off her lamp and leaves the door cracked as he exits the room.  

Dracule walks to his own room and gets ready to get in his own bed. A bed he’s slept alone in for the last eleven years. He hates it, but what’s he going to do about it? He hasn’t really been interested in anyone since his wife left and every date he’s been on since then just never really went anywhere.   

Drac sighs and rolls over. He tries to just get some rest.   

********************************************   

Red everywhere.   

Blood-soaked water spilling out of the bath.   

Children screaming, crying.  

His heart is beating out of his chest.   

“Terra!” He calls to her, but she doesn’t answer.   

“Mommy!” Zoro cries. “Mommy wake up!”  

Sirens   

Red and Blue lights flashing in front of his yard.  

Bang!  

*****************************************   

Drac sits up in his bed with a gasp. Sweating and heart racing.  

“Shit.”  

He puts his hand on his chest and takes a few breaths to calm himself. He gets out of bed and makes his way downstairs for some water. Call him bougie if you may, but he hates tap. He always has his favorite bottled water stocked in the fridge.  

He takes a few sips and a few more breaths. Watching the heartrate on his watch come down.

“Dad?”  

Dracule looks up from his wrist at Zoro. He has concern written all over his face.  

“I’m fine son.”  

Zoro frowns. “You sure? I heard you scream.”  

Drac frowns. He must have screamed in his sleep. “Sorry. You can go back to sleep, I’m okay now.”  

“Dad, it’s been years and you’re still having nightmares. I don’t think you’re fine.”  

Dracule chuckles weakly. “Yeah, guess you’re right.” If anyone should be having nightmares it’s the kids, he wasn’t even home when it happened, but they were. Hell, Zoro was the one who called for an ambulance. Saw his mother lying there in her own blood at five years old.   

Drac sighs.  

Zoro comes over and wraps his arms around him and Drac gladly returns the hug. “You should get back to bed son, I’ll be alright.”  

“You should get help dad.”  

Dracule chuckles. “I should be the one saying that to you son.”  

Zoro shrugs in his arms. “I’m not the one having nightmares.”  

Fair point.  

Drac sighs. “Okay fine, I promise I will look into therapy, but for now it’s late and we need to get some rest.”  

Zoro sighs. “Fine.”  

Drac chuckles. “Good.” He lets his son go and walks him back upstairs.  

The next morning following Mass, Dracule pulls his friend aside to ask him for a favor.

"Everything alright?" Dragon whisper asks.

He sighs. "Uh, no, you wouldn't happen to know a good therapist, would you?"

Dragon frowns. "Kids okay?"

Drac frowns and nods. "Yeah, it's not them, it's me."

"Yeah, let me get you a list of names. Any specific type you're looking for?"

Drac frowns, debating whether or not he should say anything, but this is Dragon, his dearest and closest friend. "I've been having these recurring nightmares, ever since Terra died."

Dragon hums. "That was years ago Drac, why haven't you said anything before?"

Drac sighs. "Fear of what you might think of me I guess. I'm almost forty years old having nightmares like I'm a child."

His friend frowns. "You lost your wife Drac, in a pretty horrific way I might add, there's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I wasn't even there, my kids were, so why I am I having them, and not them?"

"How can you be so sure they're not?"

Drac frowns. Good point. "Well, if they are, they haven't said anything to me."

Dragon nods. "Let me get you those names, and Drac, I'm here for whatever you need."

Dracule nods. "I know."

"Great, you joining us for lunch?"

Drac looks over at his kids who are happily chatting it up with the Monkey siblings. He wants to roll his eyes at his son who's obviously flirting with Dragon's only daughter. He's gonna get himself in trouble with her eventually, Dracule just knows it. "Sure, we'd love to."

"Great."

Lunch was as wild and crazy as you'd expect with a party of nine people. Poor Dragon had to keep his youngest from nearly eating the whole buffet, which in hindsight was a poor decision on their part. Knowing full and well Luffy can eat enough for an entire army. Dracule was sure the manager was about to kick them out.

In the truck on the way home his daughter speaks up from the backseat. "Daddy?"

Drac hums in response.

"Can I marry Luffy?"

Dracule chuckles. "We'll see."

Drac sees Zoro open his mouth from the corner of his eyes and he snaps his finger to stop him. "Don't even think about saying it out loud."

"Say what?"

"You know."

Zoro groans. "Why not?"

"Because you're fifteen, Annabelle is sixteen and her dad will murder you."

"I'm almost sixteen."

He rolls his eyes. "In five months, so just calm your horses."

Zoro groans. "We're in the same grade."

Dracule shakes his head. "Doesn't matter son, you're waiting to talk about marriage when you can be responsible enough not to sneak out and commit grand theft auto."

"It's my car."

Drac nods. "Yeah, but you only have your permit."

"You laughed at Pinky."

"She's twelve, there's a difference, plus I highly doubt Luffy has any intention of going along with Perona's plan." Annabelle however, yeah, she definitely likes Zoro back if she's willing to go behind Dragon's back.

"What about you daddy?"

Drac frowns. "What about me sweetie?"

"Are you ever going to get married again?"

Drac doesn't miss the frown that forms on Zoro's face at the question. "I don't know baby, maybe, if I ever meet the right person, perhaps."

That's a real hard maybe. 

Chapter Text

Shanks chuckles at the weak joke his friend made. They're gathered around the table working on homework. Benn comes over every now and then to hangout.

His brother smirks at him knowingly and Shanks looks away.   

“Benn.”  

All three of them look up at their dad.  

“Time to go home kid.”  

Benn nods. “Yes sir.” Benn gathers his things and stands.  

“There’s a car waiting out front for you.”  

Benn nods again as he puts his backpack on his back. “Yes sir.” Benn looks at Shanks. “I’ll see you at school.”  

Shanks nods and smiles. “Yeah.” He’s praying to whatever God there is that he’s not blushing in front of his dad and brother right about now.  

“Boys, clean up for dinner.”  

They both nod. “Sir.”  

He’s not their biological father, but he came into their lives years ago and he raised them.  

Shanks gathers his books and papers and starts shoving everything back into his backpack.  

“Sooooo, when's the wedding?”  

Shanks rolls his eyes. “Shut up.”  

“Come on bro, you obviously like the guy, so what’s the problem?”  

“You know good and well what the problem is.”  

Sham shrugs. “Never stopped me.”  

Another eye roll. “Whatever.”  

**************************************************************   

Shanks got to the school early to unlock the gym because that’s where the teachers and students were meeting before they got on the buses and headed to spend the week at the new amusement park and a few other places. The Juniors and Seniors were going to two separate places, but they’re all meeting here at the gym.  

The buses arrived a few moments after he did and were waiting to be loaded with students and bags.   

The teachers thankfully all arrive on time and begin to separate students into groups based on their grade and group assignment.  

He watches as student after student enters the gym, frowning when he spots Ace, Sabo and Vivi, but not Ann. He walks up to them. Spotting the conjoined hands of the couple. “Ace, Vivi, no physical contact on school grounds.” They let go of each other.  “Where’s Ann?”  

Ace and Sabo share a look. “She’s uh, not coming.” Sabo finally says.  

He frowns. “What, why not?”  

“She’s sorta grounded.” Ace clarifies.  

“Annabelle? Grounded?”  

They both nod.   

“What she do?”  

They shrug.   

“Mom and dad wouldn’t say.” Sabo says.  

“Whatever she did, dad is pissed as hell.” Ace says.  

Sabo shivers. “Yeah, don’t want to be on the receiving end of that face, ever.”  

Shanks chuckles. He can imagine. “Okay then, well, have fun.”  

Once the last student was on the buses and they took off Shanks shut the gym down, locked up and headed over to his sister's house. He doesn’t bother knocking.   

“Sis?”  

“Shanks!” His youngest nephew comes running. Followed by the hyperactive dog they got Luffy for Christmas.  

“Hey bud.” He accepts the oncoming hug.  

“Annie took me for ice cream!”  

“Oh yeah, was it good?”  

Luffy nods. “Mommy is in bed.”  

Shanks nods. “Okay, thanks bud.”  

“Luffy, bedtime.” Dragon says as he and Annabelle appear from his office.  

“Yes daddy.” Luffy runs upstairs. Once again, his dog follows him.  

“Why are you here, dinner is over.” Dragon smirks teasingly at him.  

Shanks rolls his eyes. “I just came to see why Ann wasn’t at school.”  

Annabelle frowns. She opens her mouth to say something, but Dragon instructs her to close it. “You’re on thin ice Annabelle Marie, I’d think twice about what comes out of your mouth next.”   

Annabelle quickly snaps her mouth shut.  

Shanks opens his arm and silently asks for a hug. She gives it to him.   

“She’s grounded.”  

Shanks nods. “So, I heard, but I didn’t believe it.” He looks down at his only niece. “What ya do?”  

She frowns. “Nothing.”  

Dragon rolls his eyes. “Upstairs, bed.”  

She nods. “Yes daddy. Night uncle Shanks.”  

“Night kid.”  

Dragon heads to the kitchen and Shanks follows.   

“She snuck out with her boyfriend for a joyride. Iva found them at the beach making out, thankfully clothed.”  

Shanks chuckles. “She is her father's daughter.”  

Dragon groans as he pours them both some scotch. “Don’t remind me.” He hands Shanks a glass. “Just, uh, out of curiosity, me or Roger?”  

Shanks snorts. “Both.” He follows Dragon to the table, and they have a seat. He takes a sip of the drink. “So, boyfriend huh?”  

Dragon groans. “Yeah.”  

“Since when?”  

Dragon sighs. “Who the hell knows? Zoro’s a good kid, he just, well, I don’t know. She’s my only daughter, I just feel like she needs to be protected more than the boys do.”  

Shanks hums as he takes another sip of his scotch. “I don’t think I recognize that name.”  

Dragon nods. “He goes to Kuraigana Prep, he’s the son of a good friend of mine. Our kids have been friends for years. I knew they liked each other, but I didn’t think they’d be stupid enough to sneak out.”  

“Ah yes, the snooty all boys school.”  

Dragon snorts. “You run a snooty prep school too you know?”  

Shanks rolls his eyes. “Yeah, but we don’t rub our greatness in other schools’ faces.”  

Dragon rolls his eyes.    

“How’s Rouge?”  

Dragon shrugs. “Struggling with the diagnosis.”  

Shanks hums and takes another sip of his drink. “She’s strong, she’ll get through this.”  

Dragon sighs. “I’m not sure she wants to.”  

Shanks frowns. “What do you mean?”  

“We went to the oncologist yesterday; the prognosis isn’t good.”  

Shanks frowns.  

“She has a really long and really hard fight ahead of her. She’s gonna get weak, really sick and I don’t think she wants the kids to watch her suffer.”  

Shanks hums again. “Yeah, but I also don’t think she wants them to watch her die either.”  

Dragon frowns. “We sorta haven't told them yet.”  

Shanks frowns. “You sure that’s a good idea?”  

“No, but I’m just trying to give her time to process, maybe convince her to fight this.”  

Shanks nods.  

“I can’t raise four kids on my own.”  

Shanks smiles. “I think you could, but I understand not wanting to lose your wife. Not that I’ve ever tied the knot.”  

Dragon nods. “Why is that by the way?”  

Shanks sighs. “Never got the opportunity.”  

“Uh huh.” Dragon says as though he doesn’t believe him. “The opportunity or is it the fact that your parents were against gay marriage?”  

Shanks frowns. “You remember the day my dad caught you and my brother in bed?”  

Dragon groans. “Yes.”  

“Yeah, remember what happened next?”  

Dragon nods. “I still have the scar to prove it, not that I’ve told anyone that story.”  

Shanks snorts. “Yeah, cause if the truth came out dad would have been arrested.”  

Dragon nods again as he downs the rest of his drink. “I married Didi shortly after that.”  

Shanks hums. “Just out of curiosity, does my sister even know about you and Sham?”  

“Yes, Rouge and I have no secrets. None.”  

Shanks nods. “Good.”  

“Speaking of Sham.” Shanks swears Dragon is blushing. “Heard from him lately?”  

“No, and I don’t want to.”  

Dragon nods. “Look Shanks, they’re gone, you don’t have to live your life according to their rules anymore. You’re forty-six years old.”  

Shanks frowns. “No, I know.”  

“I know a couple guys; I could set you up.”  

Shanks frowns. “I don’t know.”  

“Just think about it.”  

“Daddy?”  

Shanks and Dragon look over at Luffy.  

“What’s wrong bud?”  

“I threw up.”  

They both frown.  

“Guess that ice cream didn’t settle well huh?”  

Luffy shakes his head.  

Shanks and Dragon stand. “Well, I’ll let you deal with that.”  

Dragon snorts. “Come on bud.” Dragon guides his son upstairs.  

Shanks heads back to his apartment.  

When he walks through the front door, he throws his keys on the counter and walks over to feed his goldfish.  

“Hey, Benn. Have a good day?”  

His apartment is nothing fancy, even though he makes six figures. He never really cared about things, that was all Sham. Sham was the only one of them that cared about their parents' money. Then again, Sham was the only one that went behind their parents' backs. Well, that is until Rouge met Roger. Then she had her little defiant phase. The closest Shanks came to disobeying his parents is when he got an education degree instead of finishing law school.  

“Why are you moping?”  

Shanks jumps at the voice and turns towards his dining room. When he realizes who it is he rolls his eyes.  

“Why the hell are you here?”  

His brother shrugs. “Can’t a guy just check in on his family?”  

Shanks rolls his eyes. “A guy yes, the head of one of the largest organized crime groups in the country, no.”  

Sham laughs. “Touché.”  

“How long have you been sitting there?”  

Sham shrugs again. “Long enough. Seriously though, how is everyone?”  

“Why the hell do you care Sham?”  

“Because, regardless of my job , you’re all still my family.”  

Shanks grabs a water from the fridge and joins his brother at the table. “We are fine.”  

“Uh huh. Now why don’t I believe you?”  

Shanks rolls his eyes. “You know if you were in our lives, I wouldn’t have to update you.”  

“What and give my enemies a target? You said it yourself Shanks, I’m a criminal, and those kids are leverage, I’m not doing that to them, so yeah, I’m keeping my distance.”  

Shanks sighs. “Sis is sick, did you know that?”  

Sham nods.  

Shanks hums. “Our niece has a boyfriend apparently.”  

Sham snorts. “Need me to make him disappear?”  

Shanks glares at him and his brother just laughs.  

“And you?”  

Shanks shrugs. “I’m fine.”  

Sham snorts. “Says the forty-six-year-old virgin. Come on brother, you named your stupid goldfish after a boy that you had a crush on for years.”  

Shanks rolls his eyes. “Don’t you got somewhere better to be?”  

His brother shrugs again.  

“Dragon asked about you.” Okay, he really shouldn’t have said that, but anything to get the attention off his nonexistent love life.  

His brother grins. “Oh yeah? How is my favorite Army Sergeant? Or is it Officer now?”  

Shanks rolls his eyes. “You’re despicable.”  

His brother laughs. “Don’t worry, I won’t steal our sisters husband.”  

Another eye roll.  

“He was so good in bed though.”  

Again, with the eye roll. “You got him shot.”  

His brother laughs. “Yeah, good times.”  

Cue eye roll number, you know what Shanks lost count.  

“Look brother, I know y’all hate me for disappearing, but regardless of how deadbeat I seem, I do love my family.” His brother stands. “So, even though you hate my guts. Thank you for keeping me sort of in their lives.”  

Shanks nods.  

His brother taps him on the shoulder. “See ya in about six months.”  

After his brother leaves he shuts the kitchen light off and heads to bed. As much as he hates to admit it, he really is lonely. He has his sister and her family, and randomly his brother, but that’s not what he wants. He wants a husband and possibly a couple kids of his own, but the stupid voices of his parents are stuck in the back of his head, keeping him from even trying.  

Maybe he should take Dragon up on his offer and have him set up a date.