The hiatus is over! To celebrate, I give you updates for ALL of my ongoing stories! (Though Skip will be up a few hours from now because it gave me issues and I have to rewrite it e_e Damn you, Skip!) So updates 3 weeks in a row... wow, I'm too nice. Or not? Meh, whatever.
So far this has been my favourite chapter to write. I don't even know why.
Disclaimer: I'll be honest, I got nothin' this time.
So that's it.
The blond remained quiet, his features softening into a more sympathetic look. If he were in that position, he would be scared, too. Going about your life without any idea who you were was bad enough but knowing you've hurt people yet being oblivious to how… it must have been horrible. And if you pushed everyone away before the amnesia then they would only worsen that feeling by keeping their distance, treating you like crap… Sabo did that at first, too, before he found out. How confused must Ace have been when they met at the bar the other night?
"I'm scared," Ace began, voice holding a slight unease within its tone, "that if I remember I won't be myself anymore."
He sighed. No matter what the man did in the past, how could Sabo listen to that and not feel bad for him?
After a few shaky breaths, Ace looked him in the eyes. "I… I don't want to go back to that. I don't want to hurt anyone."
The blond raised his eyebrows, a bit surprised by the confession, but settled just as quickly and look him over with sympathy. So he worried that remembering would bring back his old traits and habits—that it would be a repeat of what happened before. Sure, there was a possibility of that, but there were other factors that came into play as well, like how he felt at that moment, as an amnesiac. That would be sure to change something if he were to remember, right? Still, he couldn't really say that. He wasn't particularly well-versed on the subject.
Rising from his seat, Sabo moved to sit beside his acquaintance, wrapping a comforting arm around his shoulders. It felt kind of nostalgic. They were close years ago, back when they were kids, and he always used to comfort him the same way. He saw Ace tense briefly, surprised by the display, before settling and leaning into the touch. It was such a different reaction from what one would expect of Portgas D. Ace, but welcomed.
"Don't touch me, bastard."
Sabo smiled at the memory. That's what he said the last time the blond offered him comfort. Seemed he really had changed quite a bit. It was nice, leaving a rise of nostalgia to swell up in his chest.
"You're you, Ace." He saw the man freeze with those words and pressed on. "You don't want to be the way you were, right?"
A slow nod was his only reply.
"Remember that. If you start recalling the past or acting like you did before, remember that. Memories or no, you're still you, Ace. You're in control of yourself. Remember how you feel right now and you'll be fine, understand?"
"B-but—"
"Understand?" Sabo pressed, leaving no room to argue.
"…Yeah," Ace noised, releasing a shivering breath.
Sabo smiled, "Good. And if you ever forget it, I'll be sure to kick your ass back into shape, okay?"
He went quiet again. "…Thanks."
Satisfied, the blond rose from his spot and stretched his stiff, unused limbs before turning back to his guest. "I'm going to take a shower. There's a blanket in the closet if you want it."
Ace blinked. "Then…"
Smiling, Sabo headed out of the room. "You can stay here tonight, if you want—don't seem too eager to go home."
As he passed through the doorway, he heard the distinct sound of the heir's phone vibrating. He was certain the youth wouldn't answer it. That wasn't the first time someone tried to call him that night. Apparently someone was worried. He'd have to remember to at least contact Marco and let him know where Ace was. The man was like a mother hen with how much he worried for the boy, even before his amnesia.
Removing his clothes and stepping under the water, the blond sighed. He still had no idea what was going on.
Marco's eyes shot open when a familiar tune sounded through his house—his ringtone. He bolted upright and grabbed the device from the table, barely realizing he'd fallen asleep as he read the name flashing on the screen: Ace. Immediately he relaxed, feeling a second wave of exhaustion sweep over him as he answered the call. "Ace, where—"
"O-oi, what are you—"
"Ah, Marco?" That… wasn't Ace. The first voice was, but not the one who held the phone. "It's Sabo."
The blond's brows furrowed. What was Ace doing with Sabo? Well, whatever the reason, he was relieved. At least nothing happened to the kid. "Where's Ace yoi?"
"He's here—he's fine, before you ask. Found him wandering around a couple of hours ago and took him back to my place."
Marco slumped back into his couch, closing his eyes as he sighed. That brat was going to give him a heart attack one day. "What's your address yoi? I'll—"
"Actually, Ace wants to stay here."
"What?"
"I'm not really sure why. Doesn't want to go home, for some reason."
"Alright, then can I talk to him?"
"Ace?"
"…No."
"And there you have it."
"Why not?"
"Because I said so."
"Because he said so."
Marco felt another headache coming along. That brat. "Then keep me updated, at least."
"I'll do that."
"Thanks," he noised before ending the call, tiredly dragging himself down the hall towards his bedroom. He wasn't sure what the kid was thinking or why he didn't want to talk to him, but he didn't particularly care, either. So long as he didn't get into trouble, Marco was satisfied. Who better to keep him in line than Sabo? Well, regardless, he was feeling his exhaustion and wanted to sleep. Any questions he had could be pondered in the morning.
Before he entered his room, he glanced across the hall, features softening as he looked over the wooden door that blocked entrance into his housemate's bedroom. That door hadn't been opened since the accident. Briefly he wondered if things would go back to how they were before—if Ace would return to that house one day or if maybe…
Maybe things would change.
Well, it didn't matter. He was content with whatever the kid chose. So long as his little brother was happy, Marco was, too.
Yawning, he stepped into his room and shut the door, collapsing immediately onto his mattress, drifting off almost instantly. Damn brat tired him out too much.
Sabo stood at the stove, poking at the meat he was frying for their late dinner. Earlier the sizzling and floating aroma of the food beckoned Ace to stand behind him, looking longingly over his shoulder. After his irritation reached its peak, the blond decided to distract the youth with that wonderful device known as the television. Though he complained at first—his stomach was like a second brain, after all—he quickly became enamored with some show that was, thankfully enough, running a marathon.
Stepping away from his cooking for a brief moment, Sabo looked through the doorway and on into the living room where his guest sat. He chuckled as the heir leaned on the edge of his seat, his large, childish eyes glued to the screen, giving it his full attention. That was so unlike him, yet it felt so natural.
Calling Marco after his shower had been a wise decision. Ace loosened up a lot after that—started acting more like he did the night they met at the bar. He was talking more openly and managed to smile a few times while calling to him from the other room, asking questions about the show he was watching—not that Sabo could give him answers, seeing as he didn't watch it himself. He was more of a reader than anything.
Turning off the element, he began grabbing plates and utensils from the kitchen cabinets, setting them at the four-person table at the far end of the room. After placing even servings of the meal on each of the plates—because he was certain that Ace retained the insurmountable hunger he was known for and wasn't particularly fond of the thought of starvation—he headed back to the doorway, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. With how drawn into the television Ace was, Sabo almost felt bad for interrupting him.
"Dinner's ready," he stated. That was all it took, it seemed, because Ace was away from the couch and seated at the table in a heartbeat.
He was really similar to Luffy. It was kind of eerie. Speaking of, the heir had encountered the boy, hadn't he? The blond couldn't help but be curious about how that particular meeting went. Based on how Ace had been beating himself up all night, it probably wasn't the best topic of choice, but he was curious…
"Thanks," Ace said in between bites, bringing his host from his thoughts.
"Would you quit thanking me? It's weird."
"It is?"
"Yes, very," he replied, cutting into the meat on his plate. Before, hearing any sort of appreciation from Portgas D. Ace was a rare thing. As much as he was happy the man learned manners at some point, he still wasn't comfortable with it. "So, is there a reason you don't want to return home?"
It was an innocent question but the blond soon realized it wasn't easy to answer, as Ace halted his consumption of his dinner and stared hard at the table, lips pursed as he internally fought with himself about what to say. He was about to tell his guest to forget it—that he didn't have to answer—when his lips parted. "It's… it doesn't feel right."
Sabo blinked. "What do you mean?"
Ace rubbed his head. "Being there is hard. I don't really get it, but…" His voice trailed off as he collected his thoughts. "It's not home."
Hadn't Marco mentioned something about Ace moving in with him a while back? That's right—Ace renounced his father's name. It wasn't too surprising, seeing as their relationship was rather… strained. So that was why everyone suddenly started calling him by 'Portgas' instead of 'Gol.' It made sense. Still, he had to wonder what it was that tipped the heir over the edge.
"Hey," Ace began, bringing the blond back to attention. "…What did I do to him?"
"Who?"
"Luffy," the youth elaborated, features taking on a broken look.
How was Sabo supposed to answer when he looked so torn up about it? But he deserved to know. It was his life—who was Sabo to keep it from him? "It's—"
Ace held up his hand, halting his host's words. "Forget it—I don't want to know." Well, that was convenient. "Just… how bad was it?"
Sabo leaned back in his chair, pondering how to phrase it. After a stretch of silence, he sighed. "He was mortified—didn't talk for a while after it happened," he explained, noting the glint of hurt in the other's eyes. He never thought he'd see the day when Ace worried for Luffy, or felt guilt, but things had changed. "But… rather than the incident itself, I think it was more because it was you who did it that it hurt him so much. Believe it or not, you were his idol when we were little."
Surprise came and went, but the other's face remained blank.
"Ace?"
"Huh? Oh…" It seemed he wasn't all there, no longer paying the blond close attention. "I just… it's nothing."
"You confuse me."
A weak smile forced its way to his face, "Sorry."
A child's sobbing cut through the silence, causing both pairs of eyes to rest on him. The boy clung to the older blond's shirt, his trembling hand tugging the fabric close to his chest as an arm wrapped around his shoulders.
The third looked over the sight, catching the glare in the other's eyes.
'This is your fault,' it told him.
"…Lu?" His only response was the muffled whimpers of the younger. Kneeling down in front of him, his lip quivered. What had he done? "Luffy? A-are you oka—"
"Go away!"
The older drew back, surprised by the outburst. He stared with wide eyes at the boy's trembling form, clenching his fist. "I-I didn't mean… sorry, Luffy. Please, let me take a look at it." He bit his lip.
The boy peeked from the blond's shirt, eyes filled with hurt and betrayal. His heart clenched, spotting the red stain on the third's clothes. "A-Ace…" Stopping his tears for the moment, he climbed out of the blond's lap, granting the older full access to his injury.
He felt his stomach turn, eyes resting on the smeared blood on the child's cheek, wincing as his eyes trailed over the large, fresh gash, knowing that it would probably scar. And it was all. His. Fault. "Sabo, get the first-aid kit," he commanded in a gentle, worried tone. The blond did just that, leaving them, and Ace reached towards the wound, watching the boy flinch as he did so.
He never felt so horrible.
"I-it hurts," the younger noised, sniffling as Ace cupped his chin and tilted his head, getting a closer look at the injury.
"…I know. I'm sorry, Lu. It's my fault."
"No, I-I made you mad. It's my fault…"
Ace sighed, pulling the boy close. "That's not how it works, Lu."
Sometimes he hated himself.
A/N: Is that considered trolling? No, right? Meh, whatever. Hope you enjoyed! Review, yes? :D And happy Thanksgiving, even though I don't celebrate it! And before anyone asks, yes, this is the first flashback we've had that Sabo was in.
To my lovelies~
samettikettu: I will~ Awe, hope things get better :(
jam klaoo: Glad you like! We won't get to the past for a while. You should know me by now, I like to drag things on :P
teengens: Oh it is. It IS. And this is part of the turning point too. But it's not the last turning point :P There are clues here, but they're subtle so I doubt it's enough to piece everything together. Being challenged is nice, but I memorized ALL of the systems, sections, subsections and functions of the brain in three days. I thought my head was going to explode ;_;
DianaLea: Yep, you'll find out. It's just going to be a while, since you're finding things out as Ace does for the most part. I'm glad you like! :)
MysteriousEyez: Yep, I'm with you. I'd be terrified of remembering if I was in his position. Thanks! I survived them :D
shadowmarialove: Glad you like!
Bluebird42: Well here's a little more to help you piece it together ;)
TheAnalei: Marco's not an insomniac, he just has trouble sleeping when he's worried. And Ace makes him worry a lot e_e; Trust me, you SHOULD be worried :P Thanks! I studied so much that I think I did really good. It was mind-numbingly easy.
mad100141: Well yeah it was obvious for us, but Sabo didn't know anything about it since he hadn't spent much time with Ace. It's not that Sabo and Luffy didn't keep in touch, it's... more complicated than that. Can't say how without spoilers, but you'll find out in a few chapters. No, you aren't allowed to assist in experiments until you're a grad student. I'm only doing my undergrad. Psych's not really about 'messing with people's heads' it's learning about cognitive malfunctions/abnormalities in the brain and finding ways to help people whose deficits are causing them suffering and role impairment. I just want to help people :) When there are virtually no jobs, you HAVE to give up your ideals for anything you can find. It's the only way you can survive. Once I have my undergrad degree it won't be so hard to find a job but students have to take what they can get. Once you start studying for your degree I'm sure you'll realize the same. All jobs give experience. Every job is useful. If it pays, it's good. You learn that pretty quickly when trying to juggle paying bills and tuition during a recession :/ Yeah, I read that back in high school. It's a good book, but I knew who the killer was after the first 2 chapters so it didn't keep my interest to the end :/ I didn't spoil it, I just realized who the killer was. It wasn't hard. Lol a lot of people have said that. Problem with that theory is that Ace DID meet Luffy. So then what caused his attitude?
azab: Glad you like!
JuneBinoya: Ace sees it as you do now, but thing's aren't that simple. The past is an invaluable part of yourself, good or bad, that you need to accept before you can move on. You're welcome!
anon: Umm... why? o.o (Now you got that song stuck in my head XD)
Diclonious57: True, very true. Now let's see if Ace can understand that.
Frostheart D. Blaize: Awe, glad you like~
siqwithaQ: Hehe I'm glad to see someone paying attention to that part XD I'll give you one hint: he wasn't saying "I couldn't be gay." I'm not saying it's not something like that, I'm just saying that particular line has a different kind of meaning behind it. Well sometimes he went to clubs, sure :) Sabo'll give him answers, but some bigger things are going to come up too... Oh he'll get answers, just not the answers he's expecting. Or wants. You'll get answers to things you didn't even know you were wondering :P Yeah, Sabo's that one person he can confide in for... reasons. Lol yes, somehow that does make sense XD Well now both the hiatus is over and I have a new chapter for you guys! :D
(Hope this tides you guys over for a while! I want to wait until I have the next 3 chapters out before I update this again because I want to keep ahead, but I have fun with this fic so it should be too long ^^ Thanks for reading! Adieu~)