Hello again readers ! Thank you for your patience, here is chapter 12 ! We left the land of fluff ! Welcome back in the moutains of angst and tears !
I want to thank every reviewer, you're truly awesome ! :D :D Thank you so much !
PS: Thanks to TigerMii who really helped me out with this chapter ! :D Thanks for putting up with me x) !
PS²: Sorry for the delay. I'll try my best to be quicker ! :D Thanks to all of you who told me they could wait ;) !
WARNING: Beware, it will make you cry ! Make yourself a nice chocolate before reading this ^^ You've been warned ;)
Chapter 12: Facade
The sky was cloudless for once in far too long. Wind had pushed the clouds further North and it left the sky free. Thankfully the sun would make the cold bearable.
Ace had left home at five in the morning to catch the first train heading to his destination. Yawning every so often he was trying to sleep but found himself unable to do so, his thoughts in jumble. With his head pressed against the window he was looking at the horizon and at the slowly rising sun, letting his mind drift. The landscape passed before his eyes too quickly for him to notice anything, all the while making it easier not to think about anything.
It was already eight in the morning, his train having left at six, when the sky dipped in pink and orange finally let go of the night. The sun was slowly poking out from behind the hills, illuminating the white meadows. It had snowed rather heavily in the countryside and the white fluff hadn't had time to melt. The train had already left the big cities and there wasn't any building here, only little houses huddled together; everyone knew each other in such towns.
A slightly nasal voice suddenly broke the silence announcing the next stop as the train began to slow down. Ace watched a few people get ready, putting on their coats and looking around to check if they hadn't forgotten anything. The train stopped and they got down as Ace's tired eyes observed the nearly vacant platform. A young girl and her mother got in and the train carried on.
The low chatter of the passengers lulled Ace into an uneasy sleep. He felt more awake than truly asleep.
His night at Sanji's on his birthday had been really great. They had drunk and eaten a lot, sung and danced all night. Luffy's friend were truly good friends. They put up with his little brother and that was a feat in itself. Plus, they were loyal and protective of the young man. Ace knew he could trust them to take care of Luffy when he would be gone. Friends like them were hard to come by. Did Ace have friends like Luffy's ? Could he rely on them too ? He didn't know.
He had Kid, sure...But with how things were he wasn't sure they still were friends. Had the conversation he had forced on Kid really put such a strain on things ? Did Kid love him so much that he couldn't stay friend with Ace knowing he wouldn't ever be loved back ? Was it painful to Kid to even see him now ? Maybe, someday Kid would understand. Ace couldn't do anything about it. He didn't love Kid and probably never would. Still, he treasured their friendship... It didn't prevent Kid from sending him a rather impersonal text message on his birthday. Usually they were together to celebrate it but yesterday, Ace had only received a simple Happy New Year and Happy Birthday with a smiling emoji. Not the beaming one, just the one with the straight mouth curving slightly at the edge. And a full stop at the end. Kid definitely wasn't in the mood anymore to be his friend...
Did Ace have other friends who he could rely on ? He had Bonney and Bartolomeo but they were more colleagues than real friends. He never talked about his problems with them and they rarely hang out with each other outside of work, even though he liked them.
He had Izo. And he had Thatch too. But they were … biased. They became friends with him because of Marco and since the "mess" two years ago, things had changed. Izo was trying to make amends these days but Ace still didn't want to really talk to him. It was the same with all of Marco's siblings. They weren't his friends anymore.
Who else did he have ? Except his brothers, he couldn't think of anyone else. Thinking about this made Ace feel rather depressed. He didn't have many friends... But he had his brothers. He had Luffy. Whom Ace refused to lean on. Sighing, Ace closed his eyes and tried to think of something else. Something less tiring.
On the 2nd of January he had called Bonney and told her he would take some time off. Probably too weeks. She hadn't asked any question for which he was grateful. She probably already knew that Ace wasn't alright, she could be quite perceptive at times. Kid hadn't been there at the time Ace had called so he hadn't been able to talk to him. He wouldn't have known what to say anyway.
After calling his employee, he packed a few things in a back bag and checked out the trains schedule on the Internet. The only train which would take him to where he wanted to go left the following morning at six. He had texted Luffy, wanting to know if the young man was interested to come with him but he had replied that he couldn't take time off right now. Iva wouldn't let him and threatened to fire him or worse, forbid Sanji from ever giving him food again. So Luffy had to stay behind while Ace took the train to the countryside.
With his train leaving only the next morning, Ace had had time to go see Sabo and wish him a Happy New Year. He also went in to see his doctor to get more medications as he had ran out of pills the day before.
It was nine and a half when he finally reached the village of Foosha, lost in the middle of miles upon miles of green and white forest, the sea a few kilometres away. He used to live here when he was young. Garp, being a renowned police officer, couldn't raise two kids and had decided to send them here, in Foosha. Only two other passengers got out of the train with him but they soon slipped into a bus, leading to who knows where. Nobody really got off the train in such villages. There wasn't anything to do here. The next stop would lead to a bustling city but it was still a good forty five minutes away from there. Cities out there were hard to come by and it wouldn't be surprising if Foosha was an uncharted territory; it was so small, so calm. Nothing happened here with all the young ones having left for the city. Only old people or family with young children wanting to escape big cities lived here.
Putting his back bag on his shoulders, Ace made his way into the village, taking in the landscape he hadn't seen in years. Every roof was sprinkled with snow and the sidewalks were white. He didn't come back here often because he had a life in the city now but still, the feeling he got out of this place calmed his nerves. It was soothing to be back home. On the far left he could see high forests in which he used to play with Luffy and Sabo when they were younger. Sabo had ran away from home and lived in the forest till Ace found him one day. Since then, they had sworn to be brothers, managing to let Sabo live under the radar till he was old enough not to care about his parents finding him again. Living in such a small unknown town had its perk. Sabo came from a rich family who had already mapped out his life, choosing his career, his fiancee, his whole life. He was to become what they wanted him to be, not what he wanted to be. So Sabo had ran away. He often said it had been the best decision of his life even if the first year had been hard.
A small smile stretched Ace's lips as he thought about it. He was now strolling down the only street of the village, hands deep in his pockets, his breath coming out in white puffs, his feet sinking into the deep layer of snow every time he took a step forward. His feet would be drenched before reaching his destination. As he walked he waved at people who recognised him but didn't linger; he had a precise place in mind and he couldn't let himself be stopped by people who wanted to chat with him. Plus it was freezing. He left Foosha behind and began climbing the hill to reach the little house perched on the top. In the city, the snow had been pushed on the side of the road but as he climbed he found himself ankle deep in it, cursing his stupidity. He hadn't thought of wearing boots and just had sneakers on. If he didn't catch a cold he would be very lucky.
The house was as he remembered it. It looked like a cabin, lost amidst the trees, a large red roof resting upon the wooden walls, clashing with the deep green of the fir and the whiteness of the surroundings. The door was a vivid blue, the only thing that was new; it used to be the same color as the wall. Empty flower pots framed the front steeps and a sign reading "Private property" still hang out from the branch of an oak. It somehow looked like a house out of Hansel and Gretel fairy tale written by the Grimm brothers. But it was his home. He hadn't always thought of it as such, being convinced that he had been sent away to rot in this village.
As he got closer to the oak, he saw that the words he had carved on the bark with his brothers were still here. ASL was carved deeply into the wood, smiley faces surrounding it.
"Well, I'll be damned... what are you doing here brat ?" A gruff voice said from behind him.
Ace whirled around, a smile on his lips.
"Hey, hello old hag." He greeted, chuckling, taking in the sight of the burly woman with her fiery orange hair.
Huffing, Dadan turned around and opened her front door, inviting Ace inside. She had never been a woman of many words.
- Letting go -
"Where are the others ?" Ace asked as he looked around the house to see what had changed and what hadn't.
"A few are sleeping." She said pointing out a door on the far right. "Others are up to no good, probably." She smirked, a laugh escaping her lips.
She set to prepare some coffee and he sat down, knowing he could make himself at home. After all, he was home. Dadan took out two mugs and poured the hot beverage inside.
"So, what are you doing here, brat ?" She asked sitting on the chair opposite to Ace and handing him a mug.
"I'm happy to see you too, old hag." He joked, earning himself a glare which made him laugh.
A smile broke on Dadan's lips and she shook her head.
"Still the same insufferable spoiled child I see." She huffed, crossing her arms in front of her bosom.
"Still an old witch, I see." Ace replied in jest.
They always had this kind of relationship, getting on each others nerves and arguing a lot. It had grown into friendly banter as Ace grew older and saw that Dadan had tried her best to raise kids that weren't hers. She had been caught by Garp as she was robbing a bank, and it hadn't been the first time. She would have gone to prison had he not blackmailed her into taking in Ace and Luffy. He was a police officer but his morale compass wasn't always set on the North.
"I hadn't heard from you for awhile." She said, sipping her coffee slowly.
"I'm sorry I guess." He said sheepishly.
"Don't bother with niceties." She huffed.
It was true that he didn't call her often and he hadn't visited in far too long. He should have because Dadan was family after all. But she was so far away... Ace's childhood was so far away too... it seemed like such a long time ago.
"I guess I should have called ahead. I hope I'm not intruding or anything." He said politely.
"This place is your home." She said. "You're welcome anytime."
Ace couldn't help but be touched by her words. She wasn't overly affectionate and didn't really display any feelings toward him or his brothers but that was probably the most touching thing she had ever said. This place was Ace's home as long as he wanted it to be. She considered him family.
"Anyway, you didn't come here to insult me, I hope ?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.
Ace didn't reply right away, letting silence meet her question. Why had he come ? He didn't really know. He had felt the need to. He needed to come back to his childhood home, to come back to his roots to have some answers.
"Do you think I shouldn't have lived ?" He asked suddenly, forgetting her question, his voice shaking slightly.
Dadan looked at him askance but didn't answer. She got up and opened a cupboard, getting a bottle of Baileys out of it. She sat back down and spiked hers and Ace's coffee with alcohol.
"Drink." She told him, lifting her cup and swallowing the hot liquid in one go.
Ace followed suit and nearly burnt his tongue in the process.
"Nobody asks to live, brat. But once you're here, you're here." She said gruffly.
"But …" Ace wheezed out, his tongue burning.
"Hand me the coffee." Dadan demanded, cutting Ace off.
Ace reached for the coffee pot but found himself unable to close his fingers around the handle. Sweat began pooling on his forehead and he withdrew his hand, reaching out with his left one. He settled on sliding the coffee pot Dadan's way as he was unable to lift it.
A heavy silence seemed to settled between the two as Dadan poured herself some coffee spiking it with alcohol.
"So what brings you here ?" She asked giving him a thoughtful look.
He looked at her warily, dropping his gaze on his laps. She didn't ask anything else, waiting for him to tell her what was wrong.
Dadan was as close a mother figure as anyone could get in Ace's life. She was the one who raised him, who put up with his behaviour. She hadn't been the kindest human being and she made an awful mother but she had been there when other wouldn't have. He had felt compelled to come here. Probably to come clean to someone. His secret burdened him. It was gnawing at him, eating him away.
"I'm sick". He murmured finally, not looking at her.
Dadan sniggered and went to fetch a bottle of whisky and two glasses.
"You've been sick since you were young." seemingly unfazed.
"... I'm really sick." Ace said again, his voice a bit louder.
"How sick ?"
"... Very."
"Here." She grumbled, handing him a glass full of whisky. "Is that why you asked me if you shouldn't have lived ?"
Wincing slightly at her bluntness he nodded, taking a small sip of alcohol.
She hummed noncommittally and pursed her lips.
"You create your own worth Ace. As long as you acknowledge your own value, people will see it too. No one can tell you if you deserve to live or not. You decide for yourself." She stated hotly.
"Am I worth it ?" Ace still asked, biting his lower lip.
He knew that he needed to see his own worth before anyone could see it too. He needed to love himself so that people could love him but it was hard. Especially now that he knew he was dying.
"Do you think you are ?" She asked back.
"I asked first." He told her, looking her in the eyes.
"And I refused to reply. Now what do we do ?" She replied cheekily.
He didn't know the woman could be cheeky. She always seemed gruff and strong, a wall of indifference.
"I don't know if I'm worth it. I never did anything right." He explained.
"Do you really think you never did anything right ?" She asked unfazed.
Their discussion turned out so serious. He never thought it would. Maybe it was why he came back here. Because he knew he could talk to Dadan without getting judged, without her trying to give him meaningless advices or crying because he was dying. She was strong and he was family.
"I don't know." He replied nonetheless.
He knew. Of course he knew that he hadn't done anything right this past few years but Dadan didn't seem to want to hear this.
"So, what are you gonna do about your sickness ?" She asked after a while.
"Leave, probably." He told her truthfully.
"Running away then." She grouched.
"I'm not !" Ace exclaimed hotly, raising his voice for the first time. He wasn't a damn coward, he was doing it for his brothers and friends. "It's better than to wither before everyone who cares about me." He spat.
Dadan levelled a hard stare at him and shrugged.
"I guess. So why tell me this ? I'm probably not the closest person to you now, am I ?"
"..." He stayed silent for awhile pondering. Why was she the first person he was talking to truthfully ? The reply was obvious. Because he trusted her. Because, deep down, he knew she cared about him. "I trust you." He said simply.
"... have you told anyone else ?" She asked suddenly.
"... No" He murmured embarrassed.
"Not even Luffy ?"
"Especially not Luffy."
She squinted at him.
"Your sickness. How serious it is ?" She asked raucously, an hint of worry in her voice.
"It's... deadly." He replied simply, smiling at her wryly.
She didn't even wince at his announcement but her breath seemed to catch in her throat. She poured herself another glass and downed three good quarters of it.
"How long ?" She asked.
Not willing to play dumb now that he had come this far, Ace replied honestly.
"Less than two years in worst cases." He began, noticing the liquid in her glass sloshing dangerously as her hand shook, the only clue of her state of mind. Her face was set in a mask of stone. "Ten at most." He concluded, his voice emotionless. He had had time to come to term with it... and he didn't want to show weakness.
She looked at him lengthily, raised her glass and clink it to Ace's own.
"Cheers." She simply stated, finishing it.
"Cheers." Ace whispered gently, gulping his whisky quickly.
A comfortable silence settled between the two, neither saying anything. Then, Ace got up.
"I'll go look around for awhile. See if our tree house sustained the years." He mumbled.
"Go. Will you have lunch with us ?" She asked.
"If it isn't too much to ask, yes."
"Will you spend the night here ?"
"... I don't know..."
"Well, the door is always open." She said, getting up taking the mugs and glasses to the sink.
"Thank you." He murmured, smiling at her back.
The front door banged shut and Ace was gone. Fat tears ran down the red-haired woman's face as she watched the young man through the window making his way into the forest.
"Fool." She murmured hoarsely.
- Letting go -
Ace didn't want to spend the night in Foosha. After spilling the beans to Dadan he couldn't but worry about further discussions. Would they be awkward ? She knew he was going to die. She was the only one who knew, except for his doctor. She knew something private. Still, Ace didn't regret telling her. It had lifted a weight from his shoulders. Someone finally knew why he wasn't alright. Someone finally knew that he would be gone in the near future.
Maybe, he should also come clean to Luffy but he guessed that it could wait. It wasn't as if Ace would die tomorrow. He hoped he wouldn't die tomorrow.
Talking to Dadan made him realise that maybe he needed someone to lean on... but while Dadan didn't get emotional he couldn't help but think Luffy would cry and look at him with pity in his expressive eyes. He couldn't tell Luffy. He knew he should. But he couldn't.
The sun was slowly setting on the horizon, casting pinkish hues on the surroundings. Soon, it would be nighttime. When he was a child it hadn't bothered him to come back in the dark as he had a pretty good sense of direction but today, he didn't know if he would be able to find his way again. He had become too accustomed to lights, not remembering what a « dark night » was as there always were street lamps illuminating the pavement where he lived.
Ace slowly began to make his way back but he was further away from Dadan's house than he thought. He had wandered around all afternoon after leaving his home. He hadn't even come back to eat for lunch, not really wanting to see the others, be it Dogra, Magra or anyone else for that matter. He just didn't feel like talking to them. Still, the night was falling, he knew the next train was tomorrow morning so he needed to make his way back home.
It was close to seven thirty when he finally arrived. He could hear shouts and laughs from outside. It took him back to his childhood. He entered and was greeted by everyone, beaming smiles on all their faces. Dadan nodded and pulled a chair next to her.
« Sit brat. We made enough for you ! » She said gruffly.
Ace chattered with his family all night along, catching up with them. It was nice. It felt good to be back home.
« We emptied your room but there's still a bed in the far corner. » Dogra told him as they all got ready to sleep.
Smiling Ace thanked him and entered what was once a room he shared with his brother. There was only one bed left, a desk tucked in a corner, two cupboards and cardboard boxes piled up everywhere.
« The sheets are in the cupboard on the left. » Dogra called out.
Making his bed quickly, Ace slipped into the sheets feeling tired all of a sudden. He closed his eyes and fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow, his childhood memories lulling him to sleep.
- Letting go -
The train was noisier than the one he had taken to get here. A few children were running around screaming while their parents tried to rein them in but to no avail. Still, it didn't bother Ace as he surprisingly felt well rested and at peace. This trip had been a good idea. He felt lighter and more ready to face what was to come. He knew now that he needed to put everything in order. First thing tomorrow morning would be to go and see an notary. It was the most responsible thing to do after all.
Upon entering his home he got attacked by Luffy who nearly hugged him to death, asking him all sort of question. How was Dadan, did she put on some weight, was the food tasty... questions like those. After spending the afternoon chatting and laughing, Luffy left for work and Ace was left on his own again. Still feeling good, the young man got up to make some food. He felt like cooking tonight. He would call the notary the next morning.
- Letting go -
So here he was, standing in front of an notary's office. He had called ahead, wanting to make an appointment and had got one at three thirty in the afternoon. This surely left him enough time to regret it and to curse himself all morning since he had made the call at nine. He looked at the building and dread crept up his spine. He didn't know any advocate in the city except this one.
He took a few steps forward, stopped, looked up and scrambled back toward the nearest bus stop. No. He couldn't go in there. There had to be someone else. He stopped short once again. But notaries were expensive... He whirled around and look at the building once again then at his watch. Three twenty six. He had four minutes to decide. Huffing he strode to the office, leaving his doubts behind. He had called ahead, leaving his name, he needed to go. Otherwise the notary would call him to know why he didn't show up. Leaving now would just delay his appointment.
The sliding door opened as he made his way inside, feeling slightly sick. Steeling himself, he strode confidently to the desk. The secretary, a young woman with curly strawberry-blond hair was sitting behind a large desk, looking at something on her phone.
« Hello. » He said to catch her attention.
She rose her head and a smile stretched her overly red lips.
« Good afternoon sir. » She greeted him, her voice soft. « Do you have an appointment ? »
« Yes. I'm Portgas D. Ace. »
She nodded and looked at the notebook displayed in front of her.
« Yes, at three thirty. The waiting room is just around the corner. Mr Rumbar will be here right away. » She said politely, pointing her finger at the direction he needed to follow.
He thanked her and went into the waiting room, sitting on a plastic chair. He took his coat off and looked around. The room was rather unusual but considering who this office belonged to, it wasn't surprising. The walls were a deep blue with splotches of white and yellow everywhere, seemingly looking like stars. A huge trompe-l'oeil took all the space on the far wall, depicting a masked ball. The effect was truly astounding. Posters of miscellaneous artists covered the right wall, some put on top of others giving it a fantasist style clashing with the peaceful atmosphere of the trompe-l'oeil. All in all, it was a pretty incongruous waiting room which suited the owner perfectly.
"Mr Portgas ? If you'll follow me I'll take you to Mr Rumbar." The secretary suddenly chirped in.
Ace got up and took his coat before following the woman, her heels clicking on the floor each time she took a step.
"Here it is." She said pointing at a door at the end of the corridor. "Have a nice day." She said, already turning around to go back to the front desk.
Knocking, Ace waited to be given permission to enter to go inside.
"Come in !" A voice sing-songed from inside the room.
Steeling himself and hoping that nothing would go wrong with this whole endeavour he pushed the door open. A peculiar laugh greeted him.
"Yohoho ! Good afternoon to you my dear Ace."
"Hello Brook." Ace said, smiling slightly, feeling more and more that it wasn't a good idea.
The older man gestured him to take a seat, a broad grin on his face. The room was less expressive than the waiting room. The colours were more subdued, a light blue for the walls with no posters to be seen. There were huge cupboards nearly overflowing with papers. A large window right behind Brook let some natural light into the room, warming it.
"So, what can I do for you ?" Brook asked taking a pen in his hand.
Brook was a man in his early fifties, always all spruced up in black three piece suits brightened up by colourful ties. Today his tie was pink with small daisies on it, the design matching that of his socks. The most astounding thing of Brook's persona wasn't his tie and socks though. It was his hair. The man could pull off an afro rather nicely despite it being out of fashion.
"Well, I need your help with something." Ace began.
After thinking about it for some times, Ace had decided to go to Brook. The fact that he was one of his brother's friend was what made this endeavour so risky. After all, Ace couldn't be sure the man wouldn't tell Luffy about this... He hoped he wouldn't... Still, Ace didn't have any other choice, he didn't know any other notary specialising in will and testaments and didn't have the time or the money to search for another.
"I..." He stopped, unsure of how to bring up the subject.
Brook hummed but said nothing, letting him come up with his problem, a small smile on his face. He was the picture of calm and detachment. Ace didn't expected the man to be this poised but he supposed that Brook didn't act the same when he was at work and when he wasn't. Being a notary was, after all, a busy and hard job. Brook seemed to mean business and it was really impressive if not surprising.
"I want to make a will." Ace finally said.
"A will ?" Brook said smiling warmly. "You came to the right person then !" he laughed.
Well, not so professional anymore then. Ace shook his head at Brook's antics, a grin stretching his lips. The man had managed to stay young in his head, at least.
"I hope you didn't mispronounced wish cause despite my old age, I'm not a genie ! Yohohoho !"
Used to his peculiar humour Ace let out a laugh before replying.
"No, a real will, not a wish." He insisted.
"You're still young though, may I ask why you want to make a will ?" Brook asked him, seemingly curious, an edge of worry in his gaze. No one asked to make a will for nothing and he knew it.
Should he tell Brook why ? He didn't have to tell him. He could just say that he had talked about it with a friend and thought that since he didn't really have any living relatives, he would put Luffy and Sabo in his will, just in case. Ace would have patted himself on the back for coming up with such an awesome idea. Still, Ace was worried that Brook would bring it up with his brother without thinking and it would prompt Luffy to ask questions...You don't make a will for the fun of it so his little brother was bound to interrogate him... but if he lied to Brook and Brook told Luffy, would Ace be able to lie to his brother? Yes, he already had lied through his teeth right in front of him. So what was one more lie?
"You're allowed not to tell me." Brook chimed in, interrupting his train of thoughts.
Ace hummed but didn't answer. He had to tell him. Otherwise it would probably come to bit him in the ass later on... but Ace was still rather indecisive. He had stayed silent about it for so long... First he had told Dadan and now he was considering telling Brook? Leaving his brother in the dark? What a lousy big brother he was, always lying... But what could he do ? He didn't have any other choice.
"I'll tell you. But you have to promise me not to tell anyone Brook." Ace said seriously, steel lacing his words.
Brook's eyebrows rose but he nodded, waiting for Ace to say more. He straightened up slightly, noticing that the conversation was becoming rather serious.
"I... I'm sick. Like really, really sick. And I don't know how much I have left." Ace stated quickly, not willing to let Brook say anything. He hadn't needed pity when he had learnt about his fate, he wouldn't need pity now either. "So, I want to make a will because I would like to give everything I have to Luffy and Sabo when I die and as we're not blood related, I needed to come to you."
Brook was speechless. The declaration had visibly shocked him to his core. He didn't even cracked a joke, nor did he smile.
"Did you... did you talk to Luffy about it ?" He asked, his voice shaking slightly even if Ace could see the man was trying to stay professional and not jump on his feet and shake him until Ace's teeth rattled.
"No. And you won't either." Ace replied, rather threateningly. He didn't necessarily need to threaten Brook because the man was under professional confidentiality. Still...
"You need to ..."
"Brook. I didn't come here to listen to advices. I'm old enough to know what I'm doing. Is it possible to make a will here or should I search for another notary ?" Ace cut him off, frowning slightly.
Brook seemed taken aback by his tone but didn't reply, pursing his lips.
"I won't give you any advice then." He answered slowly, nearly enunciating each words as if it was hard to get them out of his throat. "But I need to know what's happening to you. As a friend." He added, his voice soft.
Ace couldn't just up and leave now. It was true that Brook deserved the truth. Not knowing it would be too cruel.
"I... I've a disease which will make me weaker and weaker till I won't be able to move on my own anymore or even breath on my own at the very end. So before it comes to this, I need to put everything in order." He concluded, closing his eyes and clenching his fist tightly to shield himself from the oncoming onslaught of pity.
Brook surprised him by staying silent, though. Ace could only hear him take shaky breath. Then, the man got up and went to fetch some papers. Sitting back down, he breathed out slowly.
"Okay. Let's make your will, then." He said, trying to add some cheerfulness in his voice but failing.
"Brook... I'm sorry for putting this burden on your shoulders." Ace whispered, finally looking him in the eyes.
Brook's eyes were watery but not a tear had ran down his face.
"The burden is far worse for you Ace." Brook murmured back, empathy overtaking his features.
The young man looked away and sighed.
"You won't tell Luffy ? Or anyone else ?" He asked, feeling the need to be sure his secret would be safe.
"I won't." Brook replied, his voice soft.
"Thank you. I owe you."
"You owe me nothing Ace, I'm your notary, this is my job." He said, his face a mask of steel, only the storm in his eyes betraying his real thoughts.
- Letting go -
The coffee pot was empty. The coffee machine in the corridor was broken, only spitting out lukewarm water. They were out of instant coffee.
"Don't get your panties in a twist, I'll go buy coffee tonight !" Shachi laughed.
Law narrowed his eyes and glared at him, growling threateningly, an empty mug in his hand.
"You drunk all the coffee." He snarled accusingly.
"I wasn't alone !" Shachi cried out, putting his hands in front of him as if to prevent Law from lunging at him.
"And that makes it alright ?" Law asked, his voice deceptively sweet and mellow, glaring daggers at his friend.
"Ask Penguin ! He was the one who drunk the last mug !" He shrieked, running away as Law stalked toward him, intending to put him out of his misery.
Left alone in the break room, Law sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Damn them. They knew he relied on coffee to carry on with his day. It was already nine o'clock, he had spent the whole night in the ER because the hospital was short on hand and there had been a big crash on the highway. He could go home at eleven but till then, he was stuck here, hoping that nothing would happen. Two hours left... two long hours without a drop of coffee. It was like getting stranded in the middle of the desert. Though, there was a nice café right outside the hospital, five minutes away at most, really. Nothing could happen in such a short time frame and Law definitely needed his coffee.
He took his wallet and headed to the cafe. Reaching the end of the corridor he turned left and suddenly caught sight of a familiar man. Stopping in his track, he decided to wait for Ace to go on his way before moving. He didn't need to argue with him right now. He was dead tired and out of coffee, definitely not a good mix to deal with a person he couldn't stand.
"Thank you Doctor. See you in three days." He heard Ace call out.
Taking a quick peek a in the corridor, he saw Ace leaving Dr Lenoir's office and going down the stairs.
What was Ace doing with the head-neurologist of the hospital ? It was rather uncanny... and now that he thought about it, Law had seen Ace here quite a lot this past few weeks and not because the young man visited Sabo. His brother was on another floor... Was something wrong with Sabo's brain and that was why Ace was with Dr Lenoir ? Or was it because Ace was sick ?
Pondering, Law walked on and stumbled upon the elderly woman who was just entering the corridor he was standing in.
"Oh sorry, I was lost in thoughts." Law apologised, looking down at the petite woman.
"Oh no, don't worry, I should have been more careful too." She said smiling. "Well then, I'm going to get some coffee." She said, side-stepping him and going on her way.
"No use, there's none left and the coffee machine is broken." He told her.
She sighed and shook her head, turning back towards her office.
"Figure. That damn coffee machine never works anyway." She laughed, her smile making her look younger.
Law hummed noncommittally. Dr Lenoir was a joyful woman with whom he got along rather well. As well as he could get along with another human being, he guessed.
"Tell me, Dorothéa... the young man who just left your office..." He began, thinking of a way to make her tell him what Ace was doing here.
"What about him ?" She asked, stopping and looking up at him.
"Is he sick ? I see him here more often than not this days." He said, trying to coax the truth out of her by devious means.
She looked at him derisively before huffing.
"Come on Law. You don't think that I don't know you're going out with his brother, now, do you ?" She asked quizzically.
Law was left speechless and couldn't come up with something to say. She knew something like that ? Damn those gossipmongers he called his friends... His revenge would be terrible.
"I can't tell you Law, and you know it. Patient confidentiality and all." She winked and left to go to her office before he could ask anything else.
Law was left in the corridor, beset by questions. If it had something to do with Sabo she would have told him. Probably... So... Maybe he could send Bepo in her office to snoop around a bit ? That was a nice idea. The man was a fricking ninja. Nodding to himself he went on his way. First things first. He needed his damn coffee.
Finally he told someone ! I'm sure none of you had guessed he would tell Dadan ^^ Ahahah, of course not, I mentioned her in passing in chapter 11 ^^
Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it ! Feel free to tell me what you thought about it !
Next chapter: Cornered