"Luffy, I'm home!"
Silence was all that greeted him after the echo of his voice faded, and Sabo chuckled. "Right, right, I forgot. Sorry, Lu."
The silence was so pervasive that even the shutting of the door, the click of the lock, almost seemed to resound in the small apartment.
But to Sabo, it was perfect; peaceful.
"Today was a pretty busy day, Luffy, you wouldn't believe it." Had anyone else been in the home they would have heard nothing in reply, yet the blond laughed again. "No, nothing like that. It was just really busy, and I'm happy to be home."
The apartment remained quiet in the wake of his voice.
He stepped into small living room, pulling his little brother into his lap as he sat; Luffy was light and pliant in his arms.
"I'm sorry for leaving you alone all day," Sabo pressed a gentle kiss to the smooth, white forehead of his little brothers skull. "But Ace will be home this weekend, and I know he won't mind staying with you from now on."