#not canon to the fic though cause it doesn't actually fit anywhere in the storyline it's just extra lol

[laws-yellow-submarine]

Luffy’s Birthday (One-shot)

Hey, so, I remembered at the last minute that it’s Luffy’s birthday today, and considering my OC is related to him, I realized it’s a great opportunity to do a Hazel-centric one-shot! Woo! This isn’t canon to the fic, since technically Luffy’s birthday has already passed in canon, but if I had to place it on a timeline I’d say it takes place after Loguetown but before Reverse Mountain! This is mostly just me playing around with Eldest Daughter/Makeshift Mom feelings and how things might change when it’s no longer just them. Also it was a great opportunity to practice writing, both in general and more of the crew and Hazel’s interactions. Anyway, I’m rambling, so I’ll leave it at this: I hope you enjoy! And if you’re new and you want to see more of Hazel, check out my fic Together With Fruit on FF.Net and AO3!

Hazel snuck her way into the boys’ cabin, stepping carefully on her toes to avoid waking anyone. It was barely dawn, the sun barely peeking over the horizon, and she could only imagine the scolding she’d get if she was too loud. Though, of course, none of these guys were nearly as terrifying as her roommate.

She crept up to her brother’s hammock, narrowly avoiding being tripped by a sleeping body - seriously, did Zoro sleep so heavily he didn’t notice when he fell out of bed? The swordsman gave a snort as she stepped over him, causing the girl to roll her eyes fondly, and she stood on her tiptoes to peer over the edge of Luffy’s hammock. She supposed being made of rubber had its advantages, such as not being uncomfortable even when twisted like a pretzel in sleep. Hazel allowed herself a moment to marvel at just how big he’d gotten over the years; how despite being left to raise him herself, somehow she’d kept him alive for this long. She glanced at the crew behind her, sans navigator, and felt warmth fill her at the sight of Luffy’s dream being realized. 

They’d really made it.

“Happy birthday to you,” She sang softly, poking at her brother’s cheek in an effort to wake him up; just as she had every year before. The boy didn’t stir at first, so she continued, slightly louder and more forceful as she went. “Happy birthday, dear Luffy…” Finally, his nose twitched and his eyes scrunched before finally opening, peering blearily up at her as his brain caught up with his body. “Happy birthday to you…” Hazel finished, beaming at him as realization dawned on his face.

“IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!!!” Luffy shouted, throwing his hands in the air and grinning despite the subsequent thuds that followed. Hazel threw her head back and laughed as Luffy ignored the angry looks of his cabinmates, instead fixing his attention back on her. He leapt out of bed, grabbed her by the wrist, and dragged her out the door onto the deck, leaving their grumbling crewmates behind them.

“What the hell are you guys being so loud for?!” Came Nami’s yell as she rubbed at her eyes, exiting the girls’ cabin fully dressed despite being so rudely awoken. “Do you have any idea what time it...is…?” She trailed off, gaping at the sight of the Going Merry’s top deck in the early morning light.

Hazel had made good use of her time on watch the night before. Strung along the railings was rope she’d found in storage, decorated with makeshift candles and homemade confetti. She’d painstakingly drawn, cut, and colored paper versions of their jolly roger to pin up around the deck, complete with paper party hat additions, and every barrel of booze the crew had was currently on display. What really caught everyone’s attention, however, was the rather large cake sitting directly in the middle of the table, the one she dragged out of the galley overnight. 

“Hazel...wha-? What is all this?” Nami asked, anger replaced with surprise, her expression mirrored on the others’ faces. 

“It’s Luffy’s birthday,” The woman answered simply, beaming as their captain bounced around to gaze at the decorations. “Don’t worry, everything was made with supplies we already owned, and other than the paper, we can still reuse everything; so no money was involved.”

“That’s not-!”

“And don’t worry about the kitchen, Sanji! I made sure to clean up when I was done, and there’s still plenty of ingredients left for meals! Sorry, I forgot to ask if it was ok before making the cake!”

“Oh!~ Hazel-chan has nothing to apologize for!~” Sanji cooed, smitten as always with the older woman. “But, darling, you didn’t need to make it yourself. I gladly would have-”

“Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that! It’s ok!” She cut him off, confusion crossing his and everyone else’s faces.

“You did all of this yourself?” Usopp asked, inspecting the makeshift candles. They were really just piles of melted wax with bits of frayed rope in the middle for a wick, remnants of candles that’d been nearly used up already.

“Yup!” She answered, beginning to feel a bit self conscious, especially as the boy quickly grabbed his bag, producing a tool to catch the melting wax. “I probably should’ve found something to put the wax in, sorry about that! I’ll fix it!”

“Hazel,” Zoro finally spoke up, giving her a look that instantly made her shut up. “You didn’t have to do any of this yourself, we would’ve helped you if you’d asked.”

“But…” She began to protest, feeling small under the scrutiny of her crew. “It’s tradition…” 

Understanding dawned on their faces, and Nami threw her arm around the woman’s shoulder. “Well, you’re with us now! Time for some new traditions!” She gave Hazel a kind smile, and the violet-haired woman glanced around at the others’ faces. They were all giving her matching smiles, and deep down Hazel knew they were right.

She’d always just taken care of everything; whether it was food, decorations, or party games, it didn’t matter. No matter how it might fall short, her makeshift birthday parties were still better than not having one at all, and in all these years, Hazel had never once missed Luffy’s birthday.

But just because that’s what she was used to, didn’t mean it always had to be that way. She had people that could help now, with skills that far exceeded hers when it came to making things. Sanji could make a way nicer cake than her, and Usopp was always tinkering with things; maybe he would’ve had some cool ideas for how to decorate, not to mention his drawing skills far exceeded hers. Hell, she could’ve made Zoro do the heavy lifting, rather than nearly throwing out her back trying to heave that table out the door on her own. Maybe if she had asked, Nami would’ve even let her spend a little money on supplies.

“But…” But it was still hard to let go. 

“Hazel-chan,” Sanji started, lighting his cigarette as Luffy began to shout about the cake. “Just because you get some help doesn’t mean you’re being replaced.” He smiled at her, sweetly, until his eyes morphed into hearts. “I’ll gladly let you into my kitchen any day!~”

“Oi,” Zoro warned, drawing the cook’s ire, but before the two could get into a fight, Hazel spoke up.

“You guys are right, sorry I didn’t include you,” She felt Nami squeeze her shoulder in a quick comforting gesture.

“Next time, we’ll all stay up late and help out,” the navigator assured her, drawing nods from the others. 

“What are you guys still standing over there for?! Come on, there’s cake!!” Luffy shouted, annoyed and unaware of the heartfelt conversation that had just ensued. “Sanji! Birthday candles! Birthday candles!”

“Oi! I don’t care if it is your birthday; be patient, you animal!” The cook yelled, but retreated into the kitchen to look for some birthday candles anyway. The crew made their way over; most sat around the table, but Hazel and Zoro stayed behind to start serving booze to everyone.

“Really? It’s like 6 in the morning!” Nami protested, though there wasn’t much fire behind it.

“Who cares? We’re celebrating!” Zoro countered, chugging his glass while Hazel rolled her eyes, passing some around to the others. 

“Yeah! Birthday! Birthday!” Luffy chanted, bouncing in his seat as Sanji placed the candles carefully and lit them. “Sanji! You’re gonna love this, Hazel’s cakes are the best!” Hazel was glad no one noticed her blushing. Oh wait, Zoro was smirking at her. She pinched his ear, causing him to wince and drop the look, and with a grin she turned back to the ceremony. 

In the dawning light, the Straw Hat Pirates sang loud and boisterous, celebrating their captain’s birthday in a way that wouldn’t suggest they’d been rudely awoken not even an hour earlier. As the candles blew out and the cake was distributed, Luffy wrapped his rubbery limbs around his big sister, giving her a tight squeeze. 

“We have a good crew,” He told her, grinning ear to ear. As she gazed across the deck at the people they’d met so far, she couldn’t help the matching grin that grew on her face.

“Yeah, we really do.”