So okamidemon gave me homework to do over the summer to practice my grammar and time management skills (I say over the summer but I had a week to write this. I think it was a week? I've forgotten by now how long she gave me. I just remember I had to have it in by Saturday) Good news it made her cry, bad news my grammar still sucks and I keep making the same mistakes, which makes me feel like a dumbass. That aside I hope you guys enjoy.
Snow fell quietly in the evening sky. The only thing breaking that calm was the heavy footfalls of a man. A man who was running out of time.
None of this would have happened if he just took another street. If he took the short way, he wouldn't have had to fight those men that tried to mug him. He wouldn't have been stabbed, but no. He just had to take the long way to enjoy the winter air. He was ripped out of his thoughts by the sound of his phone ringing.
He unlocked his phone, ignoring the shaking of his hand he answered the call. "Hey," he said not even trying to compress the wound, too far gone as he already was. "No, I'm fine. I'll be with you in a minute or two…" He would make sure he kept that promise, he wanted to see him one last time.
"Yeah, Luffy. Leave the door unlocked for me." The voice on the other end was chirpy, he could almost feel the smile coming across the phone. "Hey, hey Sabo can we have extra meat tonight?"
Sabo laughed breathlessly, causing his wound to ache. He stumbled, barely catching himself.
"Sure, go ahead and order some extra meat," he shook his head as Luffy cheered.
"Hey, lu..." At the sound of his voice, he heard Luffy go silent.
"Ne? What is it, Sabo?"
"I love you."
Luffy laughed again, the sound made Sabo's cold body feel warm again.
"Silly I know that we're getting married remember. You're going to wear the dress, and I'll wear the suit!"
His heart ached as he choked on his words and laughed. The sounds coming out of his throat a mix of the two. Luffy still didn't seem to understand that they could both wear suits, he was so adamant about him wearing a dress.
For, Luffy he would do anything.
"Y-Yeah, we're getting married. I'd love to wear that dress for-" His phone beeped. Staring back at him was a black screen. He cursed, wanting to throw his phone onto the ice slicked ground but refrained from doing so. He was almost home. Almost home. He kept chanting that mantra to himself as he walked through the ice and snow. Stumbling up the walkway, he grabbed the door handle, turning it.
Parts of his memory seemed to blank, for suddenly he was sitting on the living-room floor. He felt dazed, not knowing why he was there. Luffy was crying. He smiled weakly, patting the other's cheek, not wanting him to be sad.
"I'm going to… take a nap… just for a minute. I'll be… right back." He laid down where he sat, sighing heavily, eyelids fluttering. "Could you… hold my hand?" he asks, looking up at Luffy's tear stained face.
Luffy seemed to crumble, hands shaking slightly as he gripped Sabo's hand. He rests his head on Luffy's knees. "Are you there?" he asks.
"Yes, I'm here."
He held Luffy's hand tighter. "Are you there?" he asks, slowly his voice getting quieter and weaker. Luffy's once loud voice seemed to fade. He smiled, closing his eyes.
It had always been him. From the first day he saw Sabo, he knew that he was the one, the one he wanted to spend his entire life with. Day by day, that future became a little more solid and a little brighter.
When he proposed, he'd always remember Sabo's wide eyed look, then the feeling of tears on his shirt as he hugged him screaming "yes!" Sabo squeezing him tightly to his chest, giggling and jumping around with luffy. Luffy could still feel the grin that took up his face. It was one of his bigger smiles, the one that many people called creepy. Sabo had always loved that smile, he told Luffy that his smiles were beautiful.
He remembered buying their first apartment and remembered Sabo laughing loudly in his ear. His arms wrapping behind his neck as he carried the blond bridal style, pass the border of their home. A home that was all theirs, sharing a sweet kiss together at their accomplishment.
Their future together seemed to shrivel, collapse and die as Sabo grew colder and colder against him, his life growing faint.
The sirens were loud in his ears and he could only hold on. If he held onto Sabo, if he didn't let go, then he wouldn't die. He kept holding on, Sabo wasn't listening to him even though he was gripping Sabo's hand as tightly as he could.
The blond closed his eyes with a peaceful smile on his face. His voice was faint he could barely hear it as it was a raspy whisper.
The gears turned inside his head as he sat by Sabo's side. The words echoing in his mind. An animalistic scream left his lips, thrashing against the sudden arms that held him back. The scream made his gut twist, he felt like he was going to throw up. He shook violently staring at Sabo.
Those can't be his last words, he has to live. He just has too. He can't die, it's Sabo. Sabo can't die. He can't. He can't. He can't. He's Sabo he can't die h-
"Good bye Luffy I love you, keep living for me, okay?"
Everything shattered, the world around him turning fuzzy, blurring together. Shapes, colors and screams sent spikes of pain through his head. The world was spinning, he couldn't breathe.
The last thing he saw was flashing lights, then darkness.
"My head is full of you but my arms are empty darling."
"I miss the feeling of your warmth in my bed, your laughter in my ear."
"Baby please come back to-"
Luffy slammed his hand down on the radio, an audible crack echoing through the empty kitchen. He shook slightly at the effort to not pick up the radio and slam it to the ground. His flash of anger soon faded as the lyrics repeated in his head. He felt like his heart was breaking all over again.
"I still have my friends," He repeated what Jinbe told him while he was in the hospital. He still had his friends. He had to keep going. He had to live for Sabo. He had to live for them.
"How can I keep going without him?" He started to hyperventilate at the thoughts of being alone. No one could do what Sabo could. No one knew him as well as Sabo did. The tears burned his eyes he's cried and he's cried nothing changes. He sat there letting the tears fall, blankly staring at the kitchen that they decorated together.
Remembering the way Sabo slapped his hand as he tried to sneak food out of the fridge, the exasperated sigh when he came back to find him trying to clean up broken plates and spilt food and now The love in his eyes was all gone. He'd never see it again. He'd never be able to hold his hand again.
He felt his stomach churning, he knew what was going to happen. Running to the bathroom, he fell to his knees, clutching the toilet bowl like it was the only thing keeping him together. The bile burned his throat, tears mixed with sweat as he sat there for what felt like hours shaking.
He hadn't been able to keep food down for long. Nothing tasted good anymore. He missed Sabo's cooking he always knew what to cook. Because of this, he had been avoiding the premade food that was left in the freezer. He couldn't eat that food. If he did then... Then a part of Sabo would be gone.
Wobbling to his feet, he lurched forward, barely avoiding falling by catching himself on the doorway; stumbling into their room, he threw himself onto Sabo's side of the bed breathing in deeply. He did his best not to cry. He didn't want his tears to stain anything that was Sabo's but he couldn't help it. He rubbed his eyes raw trying to push them back.
The smell of him filled his senses, "vanilla and old books." He breathed in again, catching a whiff of sharp cologne, "It smells really good." He murmured. Nuzzling into the sheets, he closed his eyes. The black suit he had laid out on the chair forgotten. Not wanting to remember that today was Sabo's funeral.
Sabo awoke in blackness head swiveling to the side as he heard sounds, so many sounds. The world around him blurred together as the light burned his eyes. He covered them with his hands squeezing his eyes tightly shut. His mind was fuzzy, what was he doing? Where was he?
"I need to get back to Luffy." At his words a memory sparked within him. "Oh that's right, I was walking home." He tentatively opened one eye peaking around he noticed he was in a packed church.
The day light shined through the stained glass the colors popping out against the black that everyone wore. He recognized some of the faces Robin, Franky, Nami, all of Luffy's friends were here. The question was why and where was Luffy?
His stomach churned Luffy's friends crying, wearing black no Luffy in sight….. A horrible feeling washed over him.
"Oh god. Luffy, please don't be-" He cut himself off, not wanting to think about it. People passed him by not even reaching out to him, ignoring him. He didn't notice that they shivered violently when they passed him, goose bumps raising on their arms.
With one dread filled step after another, he slowly walked towards the coffin. Then suddenly he stopped, catching sight of his favorite straw hat. His heart felt lighter seeing Luffy there, knowing it wasn't him in the coffin. "Luffy, you really scared me there. I thou-" He reached out to grab Luffy, to hug him, only for the black haired man to step right through him.
The dark and dreary realization finally hit him: He was the one in the coffin. This is his funeral. All these people are upset and crying over him. He slowly turned to look at Luffy taking a good look at his face. This couldn't be true, right? He shook, reaching out for Luffy again, only for his hand to go through him once more. He watched silent tears stream down Luffy's face. He heard a scream recognizing it as his own. He was screaming Luffy's name. He felt so cold. He wanted to go back to Luffy. He didn't want this to be real.
He threw his head back, screaming with his entire soul, wanting Luffy to know he was still there. That he could see him. He could hear him. He screamed until it felt like he would collapse within himself. Luffy didn't seem to hear him, he only stepped towards the coffin placing his favorite flowers near his grave.
"Irises… Luffy you remembered." He felt hands grab his ankles, pulling him downwards. He fought. Kicking, biting and screaming, not wanting to leave. It felt like he was drowning, freezing water entering his lungs. He reached for Luffy, digging his fingers into his skin.
He. Would. Not. Leave.
He would never leave him alone again.
Authors notes: OooooOO cliff hanger~ Well tell me what you guys think. Do you want more of this? Personally I wouldn't mind writing more I'm just not sure where to take this fic yet. Okami gave me a few good ideas but besides that, I haven't plot it out.