Sabo sipped at his water, eyes scanning the flow of people on the sidewalk. He was seated against the building, under a broad umbrella. He had a nice chilly water and was waiting on a plate of pancakes. Brunch meetings really were the best, he reflected. Especially when it looked like your contact was on time.Sabo smiled up at the blond man approaching him. “Nice weather we’re having, huh?” He greeted.The man nodded to him in greeting. “It could be better.” He completed the greeting phrase. Because really, the weather didn’t get better than this. Nice and cool, with the sun kissing you of a promise of warm, but not too warm. “You’re the Phoenix?” Sabo assumed.The man nodded as he sat. “But you’re not the Queen.” He didn’t look too annoyed at the change as he appraised him.Sabo shook his head. “They call me the Piper. The Queen was called away on unexpected business. The Dragon thought I would be an acceptable substitute.” Sabo offered him a menu as he spoke.The man narrowed his eyes but took the menu, examining it.Sabo took the chance to admire him from behind his sunglasses, glad they were reflective. Blond hair, undercut, messy up top. Deep set eyes with deeper eye bags. A square jaw with a smattering of scruff. Shoulders that were broad, but not beefy, topping off a tall, slender frame. He was wearing a purple blazer, the cuffs rolled to his elbows. A plain white v-neck that dipped deliciously low, showing the top of a tattoo. He had ridiculously long eyelashes, and they fluttered gently with each slow blink.He had a lazy air about him, slouching in his chair with his tired eyes and sleepy blinks, but Sabo could see the steel underneath it. His eyes were firm, every movement confident. From the one sentence he’d uttered, Sabo knew he was authoritative and sure. And from the lack of phone call about the unpredicted change of plans, he was right to be authoritative and sure. He’d heard whispers that the Phoenix was very high up with the Whitebeards, but he didn’t know how high.Sabo wasn’t surprised when he ordered coffee from the peppy waitress. He noted with interest that their pancake orders were nearly identical. He pulled out that days paper and offered half to the Phoenix, keeping the important half. The important half being, of course, the half with the crossword.The Phoenix accepted it. “Business after we eat, I assume?”Sabo nodded, slipping his sunglasses off. The guy looked amused. “Something you Revs all have in common, then?” His eyes were raking up and down Sabo’s form in a sharp gaze.Sabo shot him a wink. “Call it conditioning.” He started on his crossword, pulling a pen from his pocket. Their food arrived and they ate quietly, the Phoenix reading the business section and Sabo working away on his crossword.Or he would be, if his damn pen hadn’t stopped working. He scribbled circles first in the margin of the page, and then on his palm, fuming quietly when it refused to work. He patted himself down for another pen only to come up short.“Here.” The Phoenix held his hand out.Sabo raised an eyebrow.The Phoenix raised one back. “What? You’re better company than the Queen.”Sabo threw back his head and laughed at the look on the Phoenix’s face at the thought of Iva. Like a cat that’d chewed on a lemon. “She can have that effect on people.” He tried to muffle his laughter in his palm, but was doing a poor job.“Take it.” The Phoenix looked exasperated but amused, still holding his hand out.Sabo leaned forward and grabbed the proffered pen, dragging the Phoenix’s hand along with it, pulling it gently to his lips to brush the barest of kisses to his fingertips. “Thanks.” He smiled sweetly at the Phoenix, giving it everything he had. He released his hand, keeping the pen. He swept his gaze over the other man’s face, taking in his surprised eyebrows and pink cheeks. He’d been reading him correctly then.He then dropped his gaze back to his crossword, abruptly. “Seventeen across would be… gobsmacked. Yes, that’s where I was.”After a moment, the Phoenix sat back in his chair with his coffee, slurping loudly.Sabo smirked.“So–” The Phoenix was cut off by a deafening explosion.They both bolted to their feet, and Sabo watched a plume of smoke rise from an uncovered manhole. He glanced up and dashed to the side, deflecting the manhole cover from several civilians with a haki-hardened forearm. A second later, the ground started to shake with the after-effects of the explosion.Sabo wobbled, but remained on his feet with the help of the Phoenix’s arm on his shoulder.“You need to get out of here. Get the civilians to safety.” He ordered.“Excuse me?” Sabo nearly gaped.The Phoenix looked at him, slightly apologetic. “You don’t have any fruit powers. It’s not safe for you down there.”Sabo scowled. “I got where I am without a fruit, thanks. And anyway, this is Rev turf.”“Disputed.” The Phoenix corrected, eyes narrowed as much as Sabo’s were.The strangeness of the situation would hit Sabo later, that they were calmly standing next to a smoking manhole cover in the middle of a screaming crowd of people, even as small tremors shook the ground.“It’s not safe.” The Phoenix repeated. “I have an idea of who we’re up against and I’ve fought him before, so you need to stay up here and let me handle things!” He looked annoyed.Sabo rolled his eyes. “How about you shut the fuck up instead?” He snapped. He peeled his nice sweater off, leaving him in a sleeveless top. He yanked his snapback from his pocket and combed his bangs back from his forehead before popping it on backwards. “I’m the fucking Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army. I don’t take orders. I barely take suggestions.” He shoved his sweater at the Phoenix, imbuing it with enough haki that he stumbled back and sat his ass down hard in a chair. “I’m the one who gives the orders.” He threw over his shoulder as he stalked towards the manhole. He had some ass to kick.
