(Toy AU)
Sabo glanced over from his paperwork, seeing Ace shifting, looking uncomfortable before a whimper escaped him. Sabo nearly cursed at the sight and got out of his chair, ready to try coax Ace awake when his brother shot up like lightning, looking terrified before staring at his hands, closing them into fists before opening them again.
Sabo sat on the bed beside his brother, earning a flinch. Sabo ignored it and gently settled his hand on Ace's shoulder.
"It's alright. They're in Impel Down. They won't touch you ever again."
"Dellinger used to tear the seams of my arms and legs," Ace admitted quietly, rubbing his shoulder gently, growing pale. "It felt like he was trying to tear my body apart, Jora or Violet would stitch me back up, but it always hurt."
Sabo frowned, fighting off the urge to snarl. Instead he got Ace to shift along, letting him lie down beside his brother who clutched his hand, looking desperate.
"Gladius threatened to have me explode if I tried to escape and he nearly did once when I got kicked out the castle by Dellinger. The little shit," Ace gritted his teeth. "Sugar ordered me to never leave her so I couldn't and he forced me and it hurt. Then Gladius tried to kill me and that hurt even more-"
Ace sobbed. "I thought I was going to die without anyone knowing I existed."
Sabo quickly pulled Ace into an embrace. He was glad, he was glad Ace wanted to exist, there had been those horrible times Ace hadn't, but he wished that Ace hadn't learned it this way.
Ace hadn't deserved to be physically and mentally abused by the Donquixote pirates for all those years.
"Violet managed to convince him not too, telling him Dellinger kicked me out and left me there and thankfully Sugar appeared, demanding me back." Ace bit his lip. "Doflamingo always tormented me about Marineford. He even offered to bring me before Sugar said I would be torn apart then he told me about everyone dying and people's last words and Pops-"
Ace cried, curling up in his arms and burying his face into his shoulder. Sabo hushed him gently, running a hand through his hair.
"I wasn't there! I wasn't there for Pops or Marco or Thatch. Teach betrayed us and I thought he was my friend and dammit I can't stop crying!" Ace wailed.
"You've not exactly cried in years," Sabo said softly. "You have a lot of mourn for, Ace. It's alright to let it all out now. I've got you."
"Luffy's meant to be the crybaby not me!"
"You got kidnapped at eighteen by a psychopath after he murdered some of your crew mates. He and his men tormented you, humiliated you and abused you. They didn't give you a chance to fight back and then they rubbed it all in your face for four years," Sabo said firmly, ignoring Ace's whine. "So cry it out. You deserve to be upset."
Sabo coaxed Ace's head up to look at him. "And then when you're ready we'll go find the Whitebeards and you can introduce me to your boyfriend so I can threaten him like the good brother I am."
"Don't threaten Marco!" Ace laughed, but he frowned, growing hesitant. "What if... There were a lot of people in Dressrosa who forgot their lovers and moved on... What if Marco did the same thing? What if he loves someone better than me-"
Sabo scowled and twisted Ace's hair in between his fingers, tugging it lightly, earning a squirm of discomfort. "Then he's a fool to think there's anyone better than you."
"Sabo-"
"Don't cause a fuss," Sabo ordered, tugging Ace back down against his chest again. "Just relax and let it all out. I'm not going anywhere."
He smiled at the sniff and the nod against his chest while he ran his fingers through Ace's hair. Ace would heal, he just needed time and some comfort along the way but one day, his now little brother- HA! Ace was the baby brother now- would be just fine.
