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(no subject)
( when you're young, things don't make sense in the ways they do when you're older. something said in the heat of the moment could mean something entirely different. something that you think might be one thing is really another. something could just appear on your skin one night that matches with a mark that shows up on your best friend and it makes no sense, but the two of you think it's super cool. it's something that doesn't make a lot of sense in all the ways it should, but it's something neat, anyway.
ace remembers when that mark showed up on the inside of his left wrist. a little spade he recognized immediately and figured that was just a sign from someone somewhere that he is going to be a pirate and his band of merry men will be the spade pirates. it all makes such clear sense. and it's even better when he finds out sabo has the same mark on him! that just means they're going to be together on the open seas, so ace believes.
and, yet, just around the corner is some sort of misery and despair that ace wasn't ready for. sabo is there and then suddenly he isn't. there's a pain in ace's chest that he's never felt before and he doesn't understand it, that deep, deep ache that can't be explained. it's heart-rending. for a long time he thinks this is how grief is, this thing that makes a home inside of his heart that he'll never get over, that he carries with him each day and becomes a part of him. that it's so deep, so untouchable, that even though he learns to live with it, it's still something that he wields like a weapon, not allowing people to get too close to him. he's afraid of what might happen.
that's not to say he doesn't make connections, because he does. he grows and learns and experiences life. along the way he learns that the mark burned into his skin is the mark of a soulmate and he understands now why he felt the loss as if he'd lost a limb, as if a part of his very soul became missing. and, in essence, it really has. but, he can't give up on living and forges bonds, makes friends, fails at being a captain, then swears his loyalties to a captain that becomes like a father figure to him. it's been one of his life's greatest experiences, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't wish sabo was with him. that would only make things that much better.
and then there's luffy.
he's so proud of him and what he's become. he's no longer that annoying little kid he'd tried so desperately to get away from. he's grown up and has a fine crew of his own. he believes in luffy and wants him to succeed. it's why he's devastated when he and his crew show up at marineford. this is ace's problem, one he never should've gotten into and if he could do things differently, he would. like end blackbeard before he had the chance to gain power. or, at the very least, he shouldn't have gone up against him solo. he should've had some sort of back-up in place.
as ace is shackled there, he thinks back about things and feels like it's really unfair. this isn't how he wanted his life to end, there's so much more he wanted to see, wanted to do. there's so much more he wanted to do for whitebeard. there's so much more he wanted to talk about with luffy. he promised yamato that he'd be back for them.
and now? everything's getting cut short.
everything's happening all at once and ace can feel the cold hand of death even facing the heat of fire. how ironic, he thinks, to die this way. except, one second ace is kneeling for death and the next he's not and being tumbled out of the way by a smear of black and blue. he doesn't really know what's going on, just that it's loud and explosions are going off, there are clashes of metal against metal, and the last thing ace remembers for a while is seeing a pipe swing and crack sickeningly against a body just before he loses consciousness.
it's much later when he stirs and it's far quieter than things had been; it's dark and ace can't really tell where he is or what's going on. he feels heavy, his insides upset and churning. he blinks and rubs his eyes in a bid to focus more and he sees someone nearby. there's something so innate familiar about him to the point that ace is positive he actually died out there and this is some kind of weird afterlife where everything from the past is going to come back to haunt him. he clears his throat, sniffs, )
Uh...
( HELPFUL. )
ace remembers when that mark showed up on the inside of his left wrist. a little spade he recognized immediately and figured that was just a sign from someone somewhere that he is going to be a pirate and his band of merry men will be the spade pirates. it all makes such clear sense. and it's even better when he finds out sabo has the same mark on him! that just means they're going to be together on the open seas, so ace believes.
and, yet, just around the corner is some sort of misery and despair that ace wasn't ready for. sabo is there and then suddenly he isn't. there's a pain in ace's chest that he's never felt before and he doesn't understand it, that deep, deep ache that can't be explained. it's heart-rending. for a long time he thinks this is how grief is, this thing that makes a home inside of his heart that he'll never get over, that he carries with him each day and becomes a part of him. that it's so deep, so untouchable, that even though he learns to live with it, it's still something that he wields like a weapon, not allowing people to get too close to him. he's afraid of what might happen.
that's not to say he doesn't make connections, because he does. he grows and learns and experiences life. along the way he learns that the mark burned into his skin is the mark of a soulmate and he understands now why he felt the loss as if he'd lost a limb, as if a part of his very soul became missing. and, in essence, it really has. but, he can't give up on living and forges bonds, makes friends, fails at being a captain, then swears his loyalties to a captain that becomes like a father figure to him. it's been one of his life's greatest experiences, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't wish sabo was with him. that would only make things that much better.
and then there's luffy.
he's so proud of him and what he's become. he's no longer that annoying little kid he'd tried so desperately to get away from. he's grown up and has a fine crew of his own. he believes in luffy and wants him to succeed. it's why he's devastated when he and his crew show up at marineford. this is ace's problem, one he never should've gotten into and if he could do things differently, he would. like end blackbeard before he had the chance to gain power. or, at the very least, he shouldn't have gone up against him solo. he should've had some sort of back-up in place.
as ace is shackled there, he thinks back about things and feels like it's really unfair. this isn't how he wanted his life to end, there's so much more he wanted to see, wanted to do. there's so much more he wanted to do for whitebeard. there's so much more he wanted to talk about with luffy. he promised yamato that he'd be back for them.
and now? everything's getting cut short.
everything's happening all at once and ace can feel the cold hand of death even facing the heat of fire. how ironic, he thinks, to die this way. except, one second ace is kneeling for death and the next he's not and being tumbled out of the way by a smear of black and blue. he doesn't really know what's going on, just that it's loud and explosions are going off, there are clashes of metal against metal, and the last thing ace remembers for a while is seeing a pipe swing and crack sickeningly against a body just before he loses consciousness.
it's much later when he stirs and it's far quieter than things had been; it's dark and ace can't really tell where he is or what's going on. he feels heavy, his insides upset and churning. he blinks and rubs his eyes in a bid to focus more and he sees someone nearby. there's something so innate familiar about him to the point that ace is positive he actually died out there and this is some kind of weird afterlife where everything from the past is going to come back to haunt him. he clears his throat, sniffs, )
Uh...
( HELPFUL. )
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when his vision finally clears and he gets a good look at the other man, something inside his mind and heart just sort of click into place. he blinks several times and looks him up and down. no, it can't be. it just... really, really, can't be. but the pulse he feels at that mark on his wrist and the way that missing piece seems to fall into place, it has to be. the way he's dressed, his hair, even his face, it all screams sabo, but.
how could it be?
all the air in his lungs seems to leave him all at once and he gasps in a deep breath immediately following. a strange noise sounds in the back of his throat as both hands come up to hold either side of his head. his fingers curl into his hair as he stares down at his lap. then he stares over at the alleged sabo, his best friend, his former partner in crime, his soulmate, )
That's what you start with?
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the plan was to keep his pace steady and not to approach ace too quickly so that he could better gauge (and react) to ace, however things rarely do go as they are planned. as such there's still a bit of space between the two of them when ace looks back at him as ace's response causes him to take a slight misstep. so much for quite literally putting his best foot forward. ]
What's wrong with what I said? [ sabo's reply is not much better and his voice is somewhere between incredulous and confused. the smile on his face faltering and briefly replaced by a mildly flustered look. ] It's better than what's come out of your mouth.
[ he had stopped for that moment to speak but quickly continued where he left off until he was right in front of ace. sabo tightens his grip on his hat as he quietly braces himself for what's to come. of course there's something that he wants so badly but... well, what should have he said? ]
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maybe he is. maybe this is the afterlife and he's really dead back at marineford. maybe sabo's the one to guide him to the other side or something like that. or it's some angel or demon looking for a fight by taking on the visage of the one person in the whole entire world that he'd give anything to see. because this can't be real, his luck isn't that good.
especially lately.
when sabo stops in front of him, ace peers up at him through narrowed eyes. he really doesn't know what to make of this, of him. what's he supposed to do here? he can't tell for sure if it's really him — his heart tells him that it is, it's screaming at him that it is — but they were just kids the last time they saw each other.
what if it's not?
he swallows; his throat clicks because it's dry. he wants to punch him right in the face and demand some answers. he wants to...
he wants—
in one quick motion, ace reaches for sabo's arm and pulls just as he rises to meet him in a crushing embrace. there was a small part of him that wondered if this was just some hallucination or whatever and he'd go crashing right through him to the floor, but... but, he doesn't. sabo is solid and warm and real. ace buries his face into the crook of sabo's neck and sucks in a slightly wheezing wet breath, )
What the hell's going on?
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...yet, still, being swept up into ace's arms somehow manages to catch him by surprise causing sabo to flinch for a fraction of a second before instantly relaxing and allowing his hat to fall to the ground. the contact solidifying the feeling within him as everything perfectly clicked into place. however, as much as there was rejoicing within him, sabo's hearts still tightened as he heard the wetness in ace's voice.
right. of course.
suppose it was about time that he explain some of himself to ace. not that he knew the words that he wanted to say or even the words to say. ironic considering how easily it was normally, but perhaps he deserved this for how he had just swept in as he did. ]
I came back.
[ sabo responds softly as he returns the embrace and basks in the feeling of ace holding onto him. ace who was very much alive and very much well. he focuses on ace's breathing and wishes that he could take the time now to listen to catch the sound of ace's heart beat as well, but perhaps there will be an opportunity for that later. for the present, sabo gently nuzzles his cheek against ace and keeps a firm hold on him—an anchor. ]
I'm sorry that I was late; it took me a while to remember everything. [ an answer that would only spark more questions, sure, but they could go back to do that. sabo knew what he had to clarify. ] ...but at least I wasn't too late.
[ this wasn't the afterlife. it wasn't a dream or anything else like that. they were both here and alive. ]
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a breath of a laugh is exhaled against sabo's neck, making the air in his face slightly humid. doesn't really matter, though. for a moment his arms squeeze a little tighter as the thought crosses his mind that sabo's alive and ace almost died not even knowing. he breathes him in, learning his scent all over again and maybe that's weird, but ace is allowing himself that sort of thing for the moment and no one can stop him.
a few beats of silence pass as ace's mind attempts to keep up with him and his millions of questions he wants to ask. but, sooner rather than later, he pulls back — sort of, he really just straightens so he can look at sabo's face — and lifts a hand to rest against his cheek. his eyes search the face he should've been looking at his whole life and does his best to memorize it all over again. his thumb sweeps over the swell of his cheek, gently passing over the scar there. leaning in, ace rests their foreheads together and his hand slips further down and he pinches sabo's cheek. )
Guess I should say thanks. ( his lips twitch up into a slight smile and he rubs over where he just pinched. ) You gonna tell me what's gong on or what?
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sabo eventually caves and closes his eyes when their foreheads touch relishing in a touch that he'd tolerate from no one else.
well, up until ace pinches his cheek where he lets out a small yelp. it hardly hurts compared to the beating he would get from other ill-meaning people but it was the fact of the matter. nevertheless sabo doesn't complain too much about it; a pinch was preferable compared to a fist to the face, especially when ace follows up with an "apologetic" touch. ]
Maybe you should; I came a long way to save you.
[ he mutters under his breath pretending to be upset with ace, but shifts his tone to being akin to what he'd use whenever he was giving a report—addressing things simply and directly. it lacks the strict authoritative and no nonsense attitude by being still casual and with how he takes a hold of ace's free hand, threading their fingers. ]
We're currently on an island that the Red Hair Pirates suggested might be a good place recoup until we're ready to sail again. [ the air quotes clear in his voice just before he chuckles to himself about his next point. ] And I'm not exactly sure of why, but a pirate known as the Surgeon of Death decided to tag along and help treating everyone.
He's gone now but you can be sure that Luffy thanked him.
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it's a little silly, he thinks to himself, that his heart kind of stutters and he feels a weird little swoop in his stomach as their fingers lace together. embarrassing!! but, sabo can't tell so it's fine.
he digests the information as best he can, wondering suddenly what's going on with whitebeard and his own crew. but, he can only handle one bit of big information at a time while his mind is still shaking off everything that's happened. )
Okay... ( he says it slowly, the tone of his voice still a bit confused.
this time he pulls away enough to look at him and stays there. eyes sweeping over sabo's face, he tries to make sense of all of it, but he doesn't know if he ever really will. ) But, I meant with you, Sabo. How are you here?
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I flew..?
[ even as the words left his lips, sabo is fully aware that it's not the answer that ace was looking for. a fact that was definitely driven home with a raised eyebrow and an all too telling smirk. the set up for it was irresistible, but before ace could get mad at him sabo keeps talking and making sure to address what is important. (mostly.)
he's fully aware that he will be glossing over the finer details of the matter but there was time for that later. sabo only needed to immediately address the mystery of reason behind why he was here now verses why he hadn't come back sooner. ]
The Revolutionary Army rescued me after my ship was destroyed, but unfortunately I didn't have any of my memories when I recovered. [ there's a sadness in his voice as he looks down to his left momentarily before recovering. as sad regrettable as it was about how sabo had forgotten them, he was able to remember them. ] It was the announcement of your execution that unlocked my memories of you and everything else back when I was a kid. Just like some sort of distress signal.
[ he'll tighten his grip on ace's hand as he looks mildly embarrassed for the next part. ]
After that I troubled one of my commanders to take me to Marineford and the rest leads us to where we are now.
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Oi, idiot.
( in the space between jest and truth. he's going to beat him up later, though, that much is true. but, he'll hear him out for now because he wants to know what's happened. it's the abridged version, he's sure, and he wants the longer one, the one where sabo fills in the gaps of all the years they've been apart. just this quick recap isn't enough, there's so much more ace wants to know, needs to know. there are things he wants to tell sabo, too.
with a heavy sigh, his body tips forward and he rests his forehead against sabo's shoulder; he's exhausted but needs to get himself together. but, as much as he knows he needs to do all these other things, it's difficult to put into practice as he just wants to stay here with sabo. even if he's being a little shit. he wraps an arm around him again and lets his eyes fall closed. a quiet admission falls from his lips, pressed into the fabric of sabo's shirt, )
Never thought I'd see you again.
( and not just because he was positive he was about to die at the hands of the marines. )
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and as he explained himself, he can sense ace's desire for sabo to provide more details of his life while they were separated. it doesn't take too much insight and understanding to reason that someone would want to know more than what sabo provides. yet, sabo isn't forthcoming with those details and takes full advantage of how ace leans into him and holds him again. his arms responding in kind, circling ace and bringing him closer. and at this moment, he'll quietly note how there was a slight difference in height. a very slight one. ]
...yeah, I'm here now and so are you.
[ gentle words full of warmth, affection, and affirmation that this was all very real. however— ]
But I'm sorry Ace. [ sabo says in a quiet and small voice; a voice just for ace. the lighthearted, teasing tone from before melting away to expose the far more vulnerable side of himself. he didn't want their reunion after so many years to be about him, especially when considering everything that ace had just gone through, but as ace clung to him like this, avoiding it felt wrong.
so, before sabo spoke up again, he removed his arms from around ace and placed both hands on either side of his face to raise his head; sabo wanted to be face-to-face with ace for this. his touch softening to where he was nearly cradled ace's face in his hands. ] I'm sorry that I stopped caring about trying to recover my lost memories. I promise you that if I had remembered sooner I wouldn't have waited this long to come back to you.
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he's going to respond to that apology and tell sabo it's not really necessary, but he continues and even moves them so they're face to face. he watches him carefully, genuinely, narrows his focus to the things he's saying so he doesn't get lost in the way sabo's hands feel on his face. because that feels good; it's cozy and warm and so tender to the point it makes his heart ache all over again.
leaning his head to one side, he nuzzles against the palm of one of sabo's hands, keeps his own curled around him to keep them pressed close. briefly, his eyes close and he carefully shakes his head, )
You don't have to apologize. ( what could he even have done? ace can't even begin to imagine. ) We're here now, that's what matters.
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Maybe not but I don't want you to ever doubt the bond that we share. [ his voice trailing. ] ...in more ways than one.
[ he drops the hand that ace hadn't pressed up against seeing no reason for it anymore.
now, speaking of their bond and what sabo assumes is a mutual wordless understanding that there is more between them than what has been said—perhaps it's time to put actual words to the feelings. he knows it shouldn't be sensitive territory to walk but he finds himself hesitating more than he'd like regardless. maybe it's the fact that sabo knows he's being a bit selfish in cherry picking the things he wants to address and how he goes about addressing them. or maybe it's something else.
nevertheless, sabo shakes off most of the ill-placed anxiety (or attempts to) and asks the question. he speaks clearly yet still finds himself a little bit reserved despite it all. he'd kick himself if he could see himself from an outside perspective. ...but how does one just bring this up? ]
Did you learn the secret behind the mark that appeared on both of us when we were kids?
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it's almost funny how sabo brings up a bond when ace is already on his way to accepting these tumultuous feelings whirling within him. he's wondering if it's that very bond that has his heart squeezing too hard or his stomach flipping in quick swoops over touches and glances. it's almost funny, too, how they were thick as thieves when they were children and nothing could have separated them and now so many years have passed enough that they're grown and ace feels like he's slipped right back to that. there's a huge chunk missing where they could have grown together, but to ace it doesn't even matter. they can fill in that gap moving forward.
his fingers twitch against sabo's back and he moves his hands around to his hips. both of his thumbs rub over his sides in a slow, sweeping motion. )
Shame they don't work like vivre cards, huh? ( ace's gaze falls to his wrist, only now realizing it's naked and he momentarily regrets the loss of his log pose. but, he can see the mark there, stark against his skin. ) What's the point of having a soulmate mark if it can't even tell me you're alive?
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he'll pull his hand back and take a moment to remove his gloves, letting them drop to the ground, before saying anything. it felt appropriate. sabo's bare hands hinting how there might be a few more scars on his person than the obvious one on his face. ]
Maybe it's because it would take the romance out of the stories and legends. If people just found their soulmate so easily then...
[ if sabo was going somewhere with that train of thought, he loses track of it as he admires the small spade on his exposed wrist. it was so rare for sabo to be without his gloves, for more reasons than just this, and it was a shame that he would have to cover it again. the unfortunate nature of his work. ]
Even if they don't work the same as vivre cards, it's proof that there is someone out there meant for you. That was comforting enough for me on some days.
[ barely a second after sabo finishes the sentence he makes a soured expression that then leads him into a heavy sigh. now, chuckling to himself, sabo will lean heavier into ace. ]
I can't believe that they ended up being right.
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after sabo leans against him, he can't help the way his hand reaches for his wrist. his touch is light, gentle. the scars he can see, wonders if that's why sabo wears the gloves, but he's not going to press about them right now. somehow it just doesn't seem like the right thing to do. what he does do is rub his thumb carefully over the mark and even though he can't actually feel anything, he knows it's there and the perfect match to his own.
his other hand comes up until his fingers slip into blond hair and he just holds on to the back of his head, perfectly content to just stand here and fold up inside one another for the moment. this is like some sort of dream come true. )
Who ended up being right?
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Just someone in the army...
[ and while it would benefit for sabo to further explain elaborate to what that person had said to him, ace's touch has him soft and distracted from anything other than the present. there were years worth of conversations that they needed to catch up on with a limited amount of time to do it, and sabo was already being unhelpful in the way he provided just enough information. but maybe he could be forgiven as he stops speaking for the moment and presses his face against ace's neck with a soft sigh.
sabo wanted to continue questioning just what it meant to be a soulmate to ace. obviously, sabo had an idea what it meant to ace, but given how many years that they had been apart from one another, perhaps things might have changed a little. even though it's painfully clear that neither one of them are eager to leave the other any time soon, there are many ways and definitions of what it meant to be with someone. they were also kids at time, and what do kids really know?
the question rests in the back of sabo's mind but he's in no rush to put a voice to it. instead he has his free (bare) hand pressed against ace's back to hold him close and directly feel ace's warmth against him. ]
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content enough to put it aside for now and simply bask in the closeness, ace closes his eyes as he rests his head against sabo and continues to gently rub over the matching soulmate mark. he doesn't know why it makes him feel calm, but it does. part of him is convinced this isn't actually real and he's actually dead, but if he's dead and gets to spend that eternity with sabo, that's okay too. probably.
of course, there's many things he wishes he could've done, but. if he's dead, he's dead.
he lets a bit of time pass, simply basking in being this close to sabo and holding him and touching him and, well, smelling him. it's not weird, he promises. )
So, what now?
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at least that had been the intention up until ace brings up what they were going to do now. because wasn't that the question? sabo flinches just so before he pulls back to look at ace face-to-face. his eyes looking to the side and down before he actually meets his gaze. ]
...well, what do you want, Ace?
[ he really wants to kick himself for sounding as uncertain as he is, but it was hard for him to be confident with something like this. there were things that hadn't been addressed (but were certainly going to be addressed). ]
Even though we're soulmates, things are a bit different than when we were kids. [ sabo says softly and to put things very lightly. ] Whitebeard will probably recover from his injuries, and I have to return to the army.
[ and there was absolutely no way that sabo was going to entertain the idea of asking ace if he was going to bother picking between the two. he just went with the assumption that they were going to go their separate ways. ]
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it seems almost unfair that after all this time, after all that they've been through and just been through that they have to get involved in something so serious. maybe, if they were different people, things wouldn't be so hard. then again, if they were different people, they probably wouldn't be here.
ace's jaw clenches as he thinks about this, teeth grinding against one another at the unfairness. because deep in his heart he knows what's going to happen. he lifts his hand to cup sabo's cheek, his thumb brushing over the swell of it. his hand slips a little and his thumb swipes over the corner of his mouth. a soft sigh is exhaled and he gives a small smile. )
Guess I can't convince you to become a pirate, huh?
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I'm sorry. [ sabo gently apologizes and opens his eyes slowly. he brings a hand up to place on top of ace's. ] There are people who need help and a world that needs to be changed.
[ freedom was something that he spoke to in great lengths as a child. it was something the both of them talked about—how they'd stay together, sail together, go on adventures together. now, as an adult, it was what he wanted for others even if it denied him some level of freedom in doing so. a small sacrifice for an end that would impact the lives of so many more than he could imagine. unfortunately, it never felt suffocating until this moment right now.
sabo adjusts his placement on ace's hand to lace their fingers together and, allowing himself to simply act, lightly presses his lips against ace's knuckles in a brief kiss. ]
But I do want to be with you.
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his gaze falls to watch as sabo presses that kiss against his knuckles and has the strong urge to yank his hand away and replace it with his mouth. which should probably be something alarming, but it's not. it's just a want that slowly builds in his stomach, making it flip and swoop like he's some young innocent.
now, ace could give up being a pirate, but that's just not in him. not yet. there's still more he wants to see and do and knows that if he quit now, he'd regret it for the rest of his life. he's got a second chance at that now, so it seems like he should make the most of it... even if it means splitting from sabo again. not that he has to right away or anything, time still needs to be taken for recovery. not only for himself but whitebeard too — he thinks, he still needs to find out more information.
anyway.
leaning in again to press their foreheads together, he tilts slightly to bump their noses. lips parting on a soft breath he can feel the urge to close the small gap begin to take over, though he still resists for the moment. )
I want to be with you, too... but I can't quit yet. ( he sighs, his other hands grips sabo's shirt lightly. ) I want forever with you, Sabo.
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I wouldn't ask you to quit, Ace; being a pirate was the dream that we all had.
[ a dream that originally detailed how the two of them would already be traveling together doing whatever they wanted. the two of them as captains (with sabo doing a bit more of the heavy lifting in terms of navigation) as they ventured. just the two of them—two soulmates. soulmates didn't have to be romantic, and while sabo was without his memories, he had never considered getting involved with anyone let alone his soulmate.
yet, now, sabo's heart yearned for the possibility of being with ace forever. overcoming his self-consciousness, sabo closes the gap between the two of them with an apologetically soft kiss. it's a brush of lips that barely lasts for a moment before sabo realizes what he had done. ]
Umm... [ his face heats up. he had kissed ace's knuckles, too, hadn't he? why had he done that? (he knew why.) as the heat spreads further across his face and down his neck, sabo attempts to pull away from ace—placing his hands on ace's shoulders and taking a step back. ] I—
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except, it's over before it's really begun and ace isn't too happy about that. it's like that tender kiss unlocked something in him and things make a little more sense to him, become a little clearer. he's exceptionally happy that sabo bridged that gap — it makes him feel like they're on the same page.
which means he has to stave off the freakout he can see coming. )
Hey... ( ace follows so the space between them doesn't grow wider. his hands move, both placed on either side of sabo's face; firm but gentle. ) Come on; I thought you were dead and you forgot me, all in a decade. I think we can do a little better than that, huh?
( nothing else really matters; they'll figure things out from here, ace knows they will. even if it's a hard decision to make, they'll still have each other there, waiting.
that's why — if sabo lets him — ace will move in for a proper kiss this time, one that speaks of all the affection and hope and even all the grief he's carried with him over the years. he's got sabo now, he's not going to let this opportunity slip through his fingers. )
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fortunately, there's little resistance from sabo as ace comes back to kiss him properly. sabo only manages to give ace a slightly confused look before accepting the kiss and the tension in his arms go slack. for everything that they shared as children, and there was plenty, this was not one of them. as if two wild boys would fully understand what a kiss could mean. yet, despite the things that would benefit from being explicitly said, it was easy for sabo to share in the feelings and reciprocate them as he kisses ace back.
the kisses unlock the path for something else, but sabo doesn't want to have things get too carried away from the start and will break away eventually. his voice is a bit breathy despite the quip. ]
...I think there's room for practice.
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it's why he makes a sound akin to a whine when sabo pulls away. it was just getting good! honestly, that's so rude of him!!
but, ace will count it as a victory because he can hear that breathlessness in sabo's tone. whatever small victory, he'll take. his tongue darts out to wet his lips, chasing the taste of sabo there and wanting more. he wonders if that's because of the soulmate thing or just a young and horny thing. maybe both?
probably both. )
Why'd you stop then, huh?
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especially considering how sabo's eyes were focused on ace's lips and following ace's tongue causing him to do the same but far more subtly. however, as that might be, it doesn't change how sabo makes it a point to keep his mind focused on the reason why he had pulled away as opposed to going with the immediate thought of conveniently "forgetting" as to why. a true test of will, honestly. ]
You're okay with this?
[ the two of them kissing and everything else that was inevitably going to happen. ]
The last time we were face-to-face was when we were kids. Though... [ sabo purposefully not saying it was the last time that they'd seen one another given it was ace's execution announcement and wanted poster was that triggered his memory to return. and as sabo draws out his following comment, he takes ace's left hand and with the other he caresses ace's face and smooths back his fringe. ] Of the two of us, you haven't changed too much.
[ sabo's teasing remark punctuated with him placing a feather-light kiss on the small spade on ace's wrist. look, sabo is fully aware of how different he looks as an adult. ]
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funny how that works.
a full-body shiver shakes through him as sabo kisses the mark and ace doesn't know if it's because of the mark itself or if it's just because it's sabo doing this or some other mystical soulmate-y reason. not that it really matters. his lips part on a soft breath and he just stares at him silently for a moment, then another. )
You're still Sabo.
( it rolls off his tongue easily because it's true. soulmate or not, this is still sabo standing in front of him after all this time. scars may decorate his body in ways he never expected or wanted, but to ace they're just proof of his being alive. the package may be slightly different, but the inside is still him. so, he gives an impish sort of smile as he gives a little squeeze to sabo's hip. )
I'm okay with it. ( it feels right to him. it might be the soulmate thing influencing him, but ace is pretty sure he felt this was inevitable before the marks even showed up. ) Are you?
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moreover the squeeze of his hip and the smile on face's face brought more color to sabo's face as it reinforced and confirmed the nature of "want" that they were speaking to as well. oh how they both grew up in different but similar ways. ]
Yeah. [ sabo says in a low voice as he brings their faces together—their lips just barely touching as he says one more thing. a very important thing to make clear despite of where things go from here on out and where the end up. ] As long as it's with you then I'm fine with anything. Just don't end up hurting yourself.
[ it still might not be the exact words that sabo wanted to say himself nor was this resolving all parts of what they were going to do next, but it's fine. it doesn't change the message or the meaning, and the mark on their wrists tied them together in ways that didn't for other people. there would be time to say those words later as well as figure out the logistics that they brushed up against.
for now, sabo will eliminate that final space between them and press his lips against ace's for a kiss that's significantly more confident that the first one. and one that he doesn't intend to interrupt any further as he loops his arms around ace's neck. ]