A/N: Happy holidays! Here's my Christmas present to you guys (I hope you like it). Sorry there's no Luffy.

Reply to Anon(Guest): Well, then it's a good thing that there's a chance for you to see it.
Reply to Nothing(Guest): Never apologize for taking the time to feel compassion for someone. That's what keeps a lot of us alive. I'm glad that you enjoyed the fluff, and thank you for taking the time to review. I'm not unhappy, just feeling a bit guilty for neglecting you guys. Thanks a lot for your review, it was really awesome. (Also, yay! You like Liar, Liar?)

"Have I ever let you down?" Ace asked quietly.

Sabo shuffled uncomfortably, and glanced at the scars littering Ace's wrists. "Yes." He replied awkwardly. "I can't... Ace, I can't."

Ace glanced at his arms, and Sabo could catch the look of self loathing flickering across Ace's features before Ace replied, "I promise, I can control this."

"I can't trust you to do that anymore." Sabo replied, hating the way that Ace seemed so accepting at his answer.

"I get that you can't trust me." Ace replied. "But Sabo, I can do this."

"It's not that I don't trust you." Sabo's words tumbled out of his mouth in quick reassurance. "It's this thing, it's whatever seems to be messing with your head. I trust you with my life. Just... just not with your own."

Ace scowled. "Then how can I fight?" He demanded. "I want a weapon, Sabo!"

"The last time that I saw you with a weapon, you were holding it to your head!" Sabo's voice was rising to a shrill shout, filled with fury as he stepped forwards. "You think that I can just hand a weapon to you, nice and easy, after seeing you try to kill yourself? You think that I don't want you to be able to defend yourself with something other than your fists when you get into a fight? But I can't, Ace, I can't risk it, and I hate it, but if you give in to whatever is messing you up..."

He fell silent.

Ace's eyes were wide, and then he looked away. "If I give in to it?" He asked quietly. "Then what?"

"Then I might kill myself, too." Sabo hated how much honestly lined his voice, hated how it was cracking. It felt so weak, and stupid, and lame, but... "You're my brother. If I lost you, if Luffy lost you because of me, if Dadan and that crazy old man and the other bandits lost you, and it was all because I gave you a weapon... I'd never forgive myself." He glanced at Ace. "And then Luffy would lose both his brothers."

Ace seemed frozen. He nodded, and wrapped his fingers around Sabo's hands. "I'll get your trust back." He vowed. "One of these days."

Sabo smiled back, unable to keep the pride from lighting his eyes. "I know that you will." He replied happily. "You're my brother, after all."

And for now, maybe that was all that mattered.