"Where were you?" Ace asks, the instant Luffy's head pops in the doorway. Luffy stiffens immediately, pushing his hands behind him. It's almost imperceptible against the dark of the night outside, but Luffy is so unsubtle about his actions it's impossible to miss.
"You're still awake?" Luffy asks. "I thought for sure you'd be asleep by now…"
"How was I supposed to fall asleep? You said you were only going to be gone for a few hours!" Ace says. "What were you even doing, anyway?"
"Nothing!" Luffy looks away immediately, taking half a step back out the door. "You always worry too much. I'm not seven anymore, Ace."
"No, you're hiding something." Ace demands. He takes a step forward, but Luffy doesn't even seem to notice. "What do you have?"
"Nothing! Seriously, Ace!" Luffy says, but his voice wavers. Seven years, and he's no better at lying than he was when they were kids. Ace stops in front of him, arms crossed.
"Spit it out. What've you got?" Ace asks, and Luffy relents. Holding out his hands, Luffy reveals a gold cylinder, glinting in the moonlight.
"It was supposed to be your birthday gift." Luffy mutters, and Ace takes it. It extends in his hand, and he realizes immediately what it is.
"A telescope?" Ace asks. He turns it in his hands. Even with how dark it is, Ace can tell the thing is too clean to have come from the Grey Terminal, and too expensive for Luffy to afford, "Luffy, where did you…?"
"I went to High Town to find one." Luffy beams, clearly proud of himself.
"High Town? You could have gotten hurt going there by yourself!" Ace says, and Luffy waves him off.
"I'm not weak, Ace! And it wasn't even hard." Luffy insists. "It just took forever because I couldn't find where they were selling them, and then guards just wouldn't stop chasing me when I took it."
"Guards?" Ace asks "Luffy! They could have killed you! Especially by yourself! That's way too reckless!"
"But a telescope is perfect!" Luffy says. He's grinning, obviously proud of his gift, but the idea of him running through High Town alone makes Ace too sick to share any of his enthusiasm. "Any good pirate needs a telescope so they can see islands from far away, and-"
"Pirates?" The panic that was in Ace's voice a second ago is gone, replaced with a quiet harshness. "That's what this is about?"
"Yeah! Your birthday is coming up, so you'll be-"
"No, I won't." Ace says. . "We've talked about this, Luffy. I haven't wanted to be a pirate since I was ten."
"Since Sabo died." Luffy corrects. There's a pause. It's not something Ace likes to have brought up and Luffy knows it. But Ace's would-be departure date is drawing closer, so their shared childhood dream has come up a few times over the past few weeks. Ace changes the conversation any time Luffy tries to talk about it. "Ace, he was following his dream. He wouldn't have wanted-"
"He asked me to protect you. That's what he wanted." Ace snaps. His fingers close around the telescope. "That matters to me more than sailing the ocean or whatever. I just want to make sure you're safe."
"No. Sabo wanted freedom. This isn't freedom. Not for me and not for you." Luffy says, waving his arms in the air. "All you do is worry all the time. That was fine when we were kids, but now you're worrying so much it's like you think I can't do anything. If Sabo were alive-"
"Well, he isn't." Ace says. If Ace hadn't abandoned him, maybe they wouldn't be having this argument. If Ace had just been faster, been stronger, been sturdier, then maybe Sabo would be here. Sabo was all about the freedom Luffy wants. If he were here instead, this argument wouldn't even be happening. Sabo was always the better older brother. Luffy would have been better off if Ace hadn't stolen his survival from him. They both know that.
"I wish he was." Luffy says, looking down. Something in Ace fractures, just a little.
"What? Do you wish I'd died instead?" Ace asks. Luffy's head snaps up immediately, eyes wide. His body locks up in a position Ace recognizes, and it doesn't surprise Ace a second later when he feels Luffy's fist connect with his face. The force of it jerks Ace's head to the side, but it doesn't bother him. Luffy's silence, however…
Ever since he abandoned Sabo to die, Ace has known that to protect Luffy-to protect Sabo's greatest treasure-is all he can do to make it so his life is actually worth something. Something. Not worth Sabo, but something. But Luffy knows that, too? Ace has wished Sabo were here instead every day of his life since that asshole shot him out of the water. He's done what he could to be the big brother Luffy needed, but he's always known it wasn't enough. But Luffy knows that, too?
Ace stares off to the wall for a long moment. When he looks towards Luffy again, Luffy is gone.
Ace doesn't go after him.
"Ace! I found him!" After their argument, Ace doesn't expect to hear Luffy's voice waking him up. Is he back already? Wait, what did he even say? "Sabo's home!"
Ace's eyes snap open. He sits up, and his eyes lock on Luffy. He sits on the blanket in front of Ace, beaming. When Ace looks over his shoulder…
"Isn't it amazing? I found him!" Luffy says. Ace says nothing. The man is backlit by the sun, making his face impossible to make out. Even so, Ace can tell he's being watched. His heart starts pounding almost immediately, and he leans back a little further so Luffy can't see him sweating. He saw Sabo die. Who is this?
The stranger dresses the same as Sabo did, with shorts and a long blue coat. He's even got the same ratty cravat and short blond hair. He looks just like the Sabo Ace remembers, were Sabo six feet tall.
"He says where he's been is super top secret." Luffy says, looking back to the man in the doorway. He sends a warm, closed-mouth smile back at Luffy, stepping forward. His eyes are closed even as he kneels by Luffy's side. "Isn't that right, Sabo?"
The man bares his teeth into a grin. Ace watches it curl up to his shut eyes and suppresses a shiver. This isn't Sabo.
"Sorry for leaving, Ace." He says, opening his eyes. Ace's hand tightens in the blanket as Luffy leans his head into the man's shoulder. His eye sockets are empty. No, not empty. His eye sockets contain an unnatural darkness, as though destroying, eating the light around them. Even without pupils, though, Ace knows the thing's eye's staring right into Ace's own. "Did you miss me?"
AN: the dialogue in the second scene might sound familiar... that's bc its the same as the comic this fic is based off of! i thought (w watermelon-chan's enthusiastic permission) it would be a fun thing to do as a call back. cuz, as i'm sure youre aware, this fic is ALL about fun!