onepiece_300 | Family Ties

Title: How a Family Grows
Pairings/Characters: Garp + family, briefly brotherly!AceLu
Media: Fic
Rating: E
Word Count: 293
Prompt: Once Upon a Time
Summary: How a family grows and changes but always stays in one man's heart...

How a Family Grows

Once upon a time, there was a father and a son. The father was a great man, so they say, and a man that burst with life and adventure. The son was dark and distant and it was only a matter of time before they separated. The father bade goodbye with a sorrowful heart as his son slipped off into the mists and shadows of infamy.

Once upon a time, there a hero and the son of his enemy. The hero protected the boy and kept him hidden. The boy grew up knowing him only as a guardian. The hero inevitably grew fond of the boy in his own way and the boy grew used to his odd moods. Though never friends, they were undeniably family.

Once upon a time, there was a grandfather and a grandson. The grandfather was very fond of his grandson and swore to make him strong. This resulted in the near-death of the boy on numerous occasions. Needless to say, the grandson was terrified of his grandfather. The grandfather just laughed off the boy's fear and trauma and raised him with an iron fist. It was perhaps for the best that the boy was eventually left in the care of another.

Once upon a time there were two brothers. The elder was serious and strong, the younger was light-hearted and reckless. Though unbound by blood, they formed a bond that far superseded normal family ties. Even when they parted, the bond between them never faded. It was this same bond that nearly resulted in their deaths as each sacrificed themselves for the other out of deep love.

Once upon a time, there was just a man who loved his crazy, unconventional family: every single damn one of them.

Oh dear, I just can't seem to get the D family out of my system! I swear, it's like a plague!