theafflicted | 06

[ it's fun to be vague with the compliments. maybe??? it might help them a little bit. who knows anymore. but he doesn't follow up with the joking line of thought once the attention is brought to the cup.

and while sabo doesn't come over to take it, ace shifts to reach out and take sabo's hand, placing it there so very gently. the hand that's holding sabo's doesn't move, staring directly at him. ]

Like it was meant to be.

[ his thumb gently brushes along sabo's hand, surprisingly very tender in his touch right now. but there is a certain sense of fondness behind his touch and gaze. ]

[ the sudden tenderness is hard for sabo to discern the reasoning for it. it's not unwelcomed, and he doesn't look away from ace, but it just feels a bit weird to be treated in such a way. then again it does bring up memories that are much more welcomed than the ones that have been plaguing his dreams.

sabo's expression is pleasant as it normally always is as he responds. ]

We're still missing one cup.

[ and the last person to share another drink with. he doesn't deny that it wouldn't be nice to have the opportunity to do one more toast but it wouldn't be right without luffy. ]

[ the cups brought up a lot of emotion and he's trying to get better at expressing this kind of thing. maybe it's a little off character, but it's sabo. they're alone in their room. he can show it once and a while. ]

We are. It's pretty unfortunate. I wonder what kind of trouble Luffy would make here.

[ he really would love to see luffy again. though, admittedly, it has been nice to be able to catch up with sabo one on one.

and since the cup has been delivered to sabo's hand, he shoots a smile before shifting away to start going through the items again. ]

More than I'd want to imagine. [ sabo keeps admiring the cup in his hand for a moment longer before walking to his desk to put it down for safe keeping. ] I'm not sure that Lorelei would have had enough patience to deal with him and us. I'd also feel bad for whoever would have ended up being his partner.

[ ... ]

Or maybe they would be grateful.

[ since luffy is a much more positive person and optimistic to an idiotic degree unlike the two of them here. sure sabo's confident and keeps things casual as much as he can, but he always has a foot behind him to get a head start running when needed. ]

[ he laughs about that assessment. sabo's probably right about all of that. ]

I think Luffy would complain about not being paired up with us, too.

[ would it do anything? probably not, but he'd probably harass those in charge.

he sifts through a few more random items and comes across a piece of paper. he doesn't remark on it at first, letting the other conversation linger. ]

[ sabo finds himself chuckling as he imagines luffy complaining about not being partnered up with him or ace. he takes a moment to wonder who would luffy want to be partnered with the most... his gut says ace if only because luffy has always clung to him.

not that sabo could blame him. ]

He might but he would get over it after a while. Luffy's like that.

[ red sake cup settled, sabo will make his way back to ace's side with the tortilla blanket still wrapped around him, of course. ]

What else did you find in there?

Yeah, you're right about that.

[ while ace undoubtedly knows he's dead, seeing it written out on his wanted posted is a bit of a jarring experience. he holds the sheet out toward sabo so that he can see what it is. ]

Guessing this must be yours.

[ it's not so much of a question or anything. just one of those statements of the obvious. it couldn't be anyone else's here, after all. ]

[ there...could have been a little more finesse before he was handed the sheet of paper but savo takes it easily enough. he doesn't get a proper look at it until he holds it in his hands. ]

Mine?

[ ah. ]

Oh. Yeah. It is.

[ perhaps it's a little unhealthy to have kept the wanted poster with him, or at least this version, but not having it at all would have been unfair as well. he had luffy's and he would have ace's.

but his feelings aren't as important to him as how ace was taking it. ]

...do you want me to put it away somewhere?

[ sorry..? but ace keeps his eyes on sabo to see what kind of reaction he has at seeing this again. but it seems like sabo has more interest in how he feels about this thing.

honestly, it's not the worst thing he's experienced since he's gotten here. reliving the memory was a lot more visceral than seeing this. he thinks about the question before he shakes his head a bit. ]

It's not like it's news to me. [ but hm. ] Do you keep that thing around normally?

[ sabo's reaction is muted and controlled. perhaps a bit practiced in how calm and collected he comes off with his smile. (albeit extremely tired one.) ]

I thought I would at least ask since I'm not sure what you would think about the reminder.

[ he looks back to the wanted poster. ]

But I do. I keep it in my room along with Luffy's. [ he'll slowly start to fold it up to later store somewhere. ] It's not like I have any any other photos of you.

[ at least, that would be the case back home. it's much easier to have a wanted poster than dig through old newspapers. ...less obsessive too. as for how things are currently...it's pending if they might have taken any here with the polaroid camera that they were blessed with. ]

I already have a constant reminder.

[ and even if he's been better about wearing shirts lately, for him, it's always there and always a reminder. it's not something he can just stuff into a drawer. he knows that even if he's not wearing his shirt, the tattoo he wears with pride is mangled and barely there anymore. so, yeah. he should be hiding that scarring more for the people around him. but it doesn't mean that he doesn't think about why he's wearing his shirt.

so, really, the wanted poster is only a bit more to add on as a reminder to it all. ]

That makes sense. That'd be the easiest way.

[ not the only way, but the easiest. ]

You do, and I think I like your's better. I can almost see the jolly roger I came up with on your wanted poster.

[ had ace's arm be lowered just a tad more or the angle changed ever slightly the struck through "s" would also be right in the center. and again, don't think sabo hasn't been noticing how ace has been wearing shirts and the clothes that they (he) picked out in frequency. honestly, he's a bit wary to bring it up. ]

Though I also have your fruit now and that is something that no one will be able to take from me without a fight.

[ well, not without killing him but that's an extreme and something that sabo isn't planning on doing any time soon. he doesn't have a say in the matter as his work doesn't keep him remotely safe but that was also fine. ]

Really?

[ it's a little strange to hear, but it is what it is. as for the clothes, maybe it's a combination of being considerate and also to actually use the clothes sabo bothered to pick out. ... and another reason, but that shall remain unmentioned. ]

That's true. I'm really lucky it ended up with you.

[ he'd hate to think what would have happened if it ended up in the wrong hands. it would have been something that tormented him to know. this way, he can rest at ease. ]

If it wasn't going to be me, then Luffy would have kept it safe. He was also after it when I arrived.

[ just another reminder of what he had said once before. luffy was after the fruit after just having been there in the right time and place whereas sabo had been a bit more deliberate in tracking it down. ]

But what were you shocked about?

[ sabo said a lot of things here and he's not sure which part that ace is referring to with his "really". he could assume that it was about the jolly roger but at the same time it could have been something else. ]

True. It's good both of you were there to make sure it would be safe.

[ it's just that concern, regardless. if it hadn't ended up there. and who else might have gotten it. but that's not important. it's not like he's going to obsess over the "what if" considering it didn't happen. sabo has it and that's what matters. ]

Not really shocked, but hearing you saying you prefer mine.

[ and the part about having the reminder was more about the scarring, that it's a reminder of his death than anything. including the part on his chest. ]

[ oh.

...but. ]

Why wouldn't I? [ it's a rhetorical question, really. he doesn't expect ace to answer it because the answer is right there. it's something that he came up with as a child and something that ace permanently inked into his skin. something that would be there forever especially after he ate his devil fruit.

and in a way to add a bit of levity to the moment, sabo will place a hand on where he knows the tattoo to be and give ace a bit of a sly look. ] In a way, does that also mean that I have a stake on you? Pirates only put those things on they own, right?

[ it's an obvious joke, of course, since ace also had (has) the tattoo honoring whitebeard on his back. something that he wore much more prominently than the modest jolly roger. not to mention, sabo isn't a pirate. he's a revolutionary. ]

[ he's about to say something and that question catches him completely off guard and he has no idea how to respond at first. sabo... owning him? normally that'd be a terrible thought, given slaves and the likes, but also he made a very fair point about the jolly roger. normally, he might come back with a snappy response, but he considers what sabo is asking here. ]

Is that what you want? To own me?

[ with things that have been mentioned to him, and other things, he knows there could be deeper meaning to it. and he wants to see how exactly sabo responds to this, in return.

but... he doesn't seem put off by what he said. ]

[ ...

wh...what did ace just say? sabo's going to look at ace as though he suddenly grew a second head for a moment or two as he fully processes what ace just asked him. and even if the words catch up to him he doesn't... it was such an obvious joke, wasn't it? wouldn't ace just laugh it off? say something else? ]

H, huh? [ he awkwardly takes a half step back and removes his hand from ace's arm. ] I... I wouldn't want to own you.

[ what it even mean to own a person? the first thing he can think of is also the slaves that he has helped free. slaves that have joined the army like koala. though, there was another way to "own" a person and as soon as that crosses his mind he'll clear his throat before he speaks up again. ]

Come on, Ace. It was a joke. There's no way you'd let that happen in the first place.

[ for ace to be attached to sabo like that... they were already sworn brothers. how would that even work anyway? ]

[ he leans to rest his chin on an upturned hand, sprawling a bit on the bed now and keeping his gaze on sabo. there's a bit of a grin at his reaction and he laughs a little. ]

Sure, I wouldn't let that happen. [ at least not in a traditional slave type of sense. but he shifts to then lay on his back, looking up at the ceiling. ]

You know, Fai was asking me before if I wanted to get closer to you. I thought I was very close to you anyway, so it didn't really sink in what he meant. I didn't really think about how he is with Hien since we're sworn brothers, you know?

But I think I get it now.

[ he leaves it at that, just bringing that up for no real reason. but it also seemed like a good place to mention this. since the conversation was leading in an "interesting" direction anyway. ]

[ ????

?? ???? ????

sabo was both there and yet also not "there" for that conversation as much in the same way that ace was "present" with when fai spoke to him about a few things. albeit he did so in a round about way which had sabo feeling like he was played more than anything. though sabo largely put what was discussed there on "the shelf" as something to consider another time.

except, well. he steps closer to ace and takes a seat somewhat close to him. there's a respectable amount of distance between them not entirely intentionally done. ]

Yeah? What did you just "get" then?

[ ace couldn't possibly think that sabo wasn't going to want to know more of what he had started, right? ]

[ when sabo sits nearby, he glances over at him. how does he even answer this? what does he even fully think of this? would it also be weird to follow this line of thought given that they're "brothers?"

he's not really sure. not that laws and rules for most things really matter to him, as a pirate. and he's wanted to keep sabo by his side and never let him go. co-captains. that's a pretty massive thing to want. ]

I get that he was implying some kind of relationship with you. [ does he have to elaborate on what he means on "relationship" here? ]

What I know for certain is that I never want to leave your side. I guess I've been trying to figure out how deep that goes.

[ correct, ace doesn't need to further explain himself about the nature of that relationship since it was also something that fai made him face and. well. that was something he had been carefully dancing around for himself.

ace's confession about never wanting to leave his side does get a mixed expression out of sabo as he is both happy and then sad because he had left. he wanted to protect them both and so he left. (and he would leave again if it meant he could protect them.) ]

...and how far does it go, Ace?

[ and for an extremely rare moment as an adult, sabo will genuinely come off outwardly as a being a bit anxious. he'll still maintain that level of calmness that is inescapable from someone like him, but he is also looking at ace very carefully.

he tries to not make things even more obvious by tugging on the tortilla blanket closer to him but it probably just makes things all that more obvious. ]

[ his eyes are now remaining fixed on sabo at him asking that. this is a precarious situation to be in, to talk about. not only can he see that sabo is tense from his body language, but he can feel the anxiety underneath. in fact, his own emotions echo this back to him after feeling sabo's.

what was causing him to feel that, he wonders. it could be from either answer he could give and he's not sure which. ]

What I feel about you and Luffy are very different. I think I do want more.

[ it's been hard, considering he's not only thought sabo was dead, but had always thought in terms of brothers. but it's true, even before they were sworn bothers, he never wanted to be away from sabo. sure, they were young, but that doesn't change the fact that it was almost like sabo was his other half. ]

But that also depends on you. What do you think, Sabo?

[ it isn't like him to hesitate in what he wants. he goes and does what he pleases, but in this case, it's different. in this case, he wants to hear what sabo has to say, too. he needs to know. ]

[ there's nothing better than an echo chamber of anxiety but the fact that ace also feels the same level of anxiety is oddly comforting. if nothing else than to know that he isn't alone in it and heavily clue him into exactly what ace was asking for. truthfully he hadn't completely let himself accept the idea but when being comforted with it in such a direct way— ]

When you say more do you mean something like this?

[ shoving all of his anxieties down as he's far more commonly used to, sabo will move from where he was sitting over to where ace had sprawled out and kneel right next to him instead. he'll let the blanket drop at his feet as he reaches out to cup the unsupported side of ace's face and leans in to place a quick kiss on ace's lips. ]

...right?

[ the woes of being that of fairer complexion as he will undoubtedly flushed in the face despite any kind of brave face he puts on to cover up his nerves. not that it would have probably mattered given how he hasn't moved away from ace since kissing him. he worries his bottom lip between his teeth. ]

06 - week six

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/2

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looks at my fan art folder and starts to sweat

stares at you long and hard

:umm:

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