All right, so how do you this? I've never done this. Sooo...

disclaimer: I don't own One Piece

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He's had people crying on his shoulder. Random strangers, drunken nakama… heck, he even saw Makino crying once when he was a kid, but this is different. It's always been, he realizes.

Seeing his baby brother after so many years, a captain, one of the most wanted rookies of all oceans, it made him proud as Hell, but also a little sad. His kid bro wasn't a kid anymore. No more pestering him to train, to be taught new moves, no more making everybody go insane by running off to Gods-know-where every few hours… he'd never thought he'd say it, but he did miss his childhood.

But then again, maybe things hadn't changed so much: captain Strawhat wasn't so different from little pest Monkey D. Luffy, huddled close to his body, sobbing quietly, tears streaming down his cheeks onto Ace's naked shoulders. And as he held him even closer, whispering in his ear that "Everything was goin' to be ok", it still made the same old feelings flare up deep inside of him. Anger. Bitter black fury that he had to hide deep down, 'cus it wasn't the right time or place to take it out, he didn't want to upset his little brother anymore. He'd much rather upset whoever had made him cry. Oh, he'd find them… Love. The only love he had ever felt, all for that scrawny lil' thing in his lap, who was clutching his shoulders like he didn't have anybody else in the world. Like HE was his entire world, as it used to be. And Pride. The pride of a selfish, shameless part of him at knowing that his brother still trusted him, still thought he was able to protect him. Still needed him.

So he just sits there, talking to his baby brother in that voice that was made up especially for him, lost among the rush of feelings and memories, and when it's over, he remembers. He remembers the first time he's ever felt that way, and he knows that since then nothing's really changed. Nothing will ever change, because that's what he was born for. For his kid bro to have a shoulder to cry on, and be comforted.

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This is the first fic I actually had the guts to write, so just tell me something. Even if it's just "don't ever do it again" XD