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Description
Fem!Reader

“Ace?”

You sat bolt upright in bed, chest heaving, sweat drenching the sheets beneath you. You clutched at them desperately, trying to remember where you were. A dream seemed to lurk beneath the waters of your mind, but the more you tried to grasp it, the more the reflection on their surface became blurred. Soon, only the memory of his warmth and the redness of the flames remained.

You started as you felt something warm brush your cheek and a flickering light flooded your vision.

“I’m sorry,” came a voice, gentle and familiar. “You were crying out in your sleep again.”

A scarred face emerged from the darkness, lit from beneath by a flickering ball of flame held in his bare hand. It gave him an eerie appearance, and for a second you thought you were looking upon another face, one you had not laid eyes on for a long time. From what you could see, he was shirtless, and you blushed and looked away.

“Sabo…” you whispered. “I thought… Just for a second…”

His expression grew grim.

“That I was him?”

You nodded.

“It doesn't help when you do that,” you hissed, nodding to the naked flame licking his palm.

“Sorry,” he said, letting it fade away into darkness. “Better?” His voice seemed louder in the dark and you felt yourself flinch unintentionally.

“Yes. Thank you, Sabo.”

There was silence for a time and you thought he might have left, but just as you were contemplating laying your head back down to wait out the hours until morning, he spoke.

“What did you dream about this time?”

“Same thing I always do,” you replied coldly. “The details are hazy, but I remember enough. Enough to know that I watched him die. Again.”

Sabo remained silent, contemplating. Your eyes had begun to adjust to the darkness and you could faintly see the outline of his shoulders as he stood by your bedside. You heard a sigh and felt a weight on the edge of the bed.

“You really were in love with him, weren't you? Then again, I knew that since we were kids.”

“Sabo…”

“But it’s been two years, [Name]. Isn't it time you let him go?”

You felt yourself surge with anger, your fingers clutching the bed sheets so tightly your knuckles turned.

“How dare you…” you whispered, you voice shaking with the strain of keeping your rage in check. “How dare you say that to me?”

“[Name], I didn’t-”

“No. Even if he was your brother, you have no right saying that to me. Not after you abandoned us like that.” Your voice was steadily growing louder in the gloom. Sabo sat frozen and helpless.

“You abandoned us for twelve years, and you return to me as if nothing had happened with Ace’s fruit?! Did you not even stop to think what that would do to me!?”

Your voice grew quiet.

“Do you know what you did to me, seeing you like that? I thought he had come back to me…”

Despite your best efforts to keep them hidden, your tears began to flow. You though that after two years you had lost the ability – that the well had long dried up. But tonight, they flowed freely, great rivers pouring down your cheeks and soaking the bed sheets anew. Suddenly, you felt strong arms enveloping you, holding you close, and a string of whispered words in your ear.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m so sorry.”

Hesitantly, you shifted closer, letting his arms pull you in tight against his body. You let him hold you; let him comfort you with his warmth that felt oh so familiar to you. With your face buried in the crook of his neck, you took in his intoxicating scent of burnt paper and candle wicks, of summer and the sea, and you cried until you could cry no more.

Even after your tears had dried, he held you, his chin resting affectionately on top of your head. He shifted as he felt your heart skip a beat.

“What’s wrong?”

“My dream… I… It wasn’t Ace in my dream, Sabo, it was you.”

You looked up into his face, peering through the darkness. The moon had emerged from behind a cloud, bathing the two of you in its light. He looked back at you, unsure of what to say.

“Ever since you came back, it’s been you. I should have told you, I’m sorry. I guess I was afraid to admit I had moved on. And afraid that… My dream would come true...”

“You have nothing to be afraid of, [Name]. I’m not leaving you again.”

“I don’t want to become close to you only to have you taken away. Just like Ace...”

The tears were welling up again, and you fought to hold them at bay. Sabo grasped your shoulders and looked you in the eye.

“[Name], I promise you, I’m not going anywhere. I knew I would never be able to take Ace’s place, but I always hoped you’d give me a chance. Now that I have that chance, I am not going to give it up so easily,” he growled.

Still sniffling slightly, you nodded.

“Then will you stay with me tonight? Your warmth would be welcome.”

With a small smile, Sabo nodded, crawling beneath the covers and encircling you once more with his arms. You huddled closer to his unnatural warmth, sighing with content. As you began to drift off, you heard him whisper into the night.

“Don’t worry; I’ll take care of her, brother.”

With a smile, you slipped into unconsciousness, and for the first time in two years, it was dreamless sleep.

Description
Fem!Reader

“Ace?”

You sat bolt upright in bed, chest heaving, sweat drenching the sheets beneath you. You clutched at them desperately, trying to remember where you were. A dream seemed to lurk beneath the waters of your mind, but the more you tried to grasp it, the more the reflection on their surface became blurred. Soon, only the memory of his warmth and the redness of the flames remained.

You started as you felt something warm brush your cheek and a flickering light flooded your vision.

“I’m sorry,” came a voice, gentle and familiar. “You were crying out in your sleep again.”

A scarred face emerged from the darkness, lit from beneath by a flickering ball of flame held in his bare hand. It gave him an eerie appearance, and for a second you thought you were looking upon another face, one you had not laid eyes on for a long time. From what you could see, he was shirtless, and you blushed and looked away.

“Sabo…” you whispered. “I thought… Just for a second…”

His expression grew grim.

“That I was him?”

You nodded.

“It doesn't help when you do that,” you hissed, nodding to the naked flame licking his palm.

“Sorry,” he said, letting it fade away into darkness. “Better?” His voice seemed louder in the dark and you felt yourself flinch unintentionally.

“Yes. Thank you, Sabo.”

There was silence for a time and you thought he might have left, but just as you were contemplating laying your head back down to wait out the hours until morning, he spoke.

“What did you dream about this time?”

“Same thing I always do,” you replied coldly. “The details are hazy, but I remember enough. Enough to know that I watched him die. Again.”

Sabo remained silent, contemplating. Your eyes had begun to adjust to the darkness and you could faintly see the outline of his shoulders as he stood by your bedside. You heard a sigh and felt a weight on the edge of the bed.

“You really were in love with him, weren't you? Then again, I knew that since we were kids.”

“Sabo…”

“But it’s been two years, [Name]. Isn't it time you let him go?”

You felt yourself surge with anger, your fingers clutching the bed sheets so tightly your knuckles turned.

“How dare you…” you whispered, you voice shaking with the strain of keeping your rage in check. “How dare you say that to me?”

“[Name], I didn’t-”

“No. Even if he was your brother, you have no right saying that to me. Not after you abandoned us like that.” Your voice was steadily growing louder in the gloom. Sabo sat frozen and helpless.

“You abandoned us for twelve years, and you return to me as if nothing had happened with Ace’s fruit?! Did you not even stop to think what that would do to me!?”

Your voice grew quiet.

“Do you know what you did to me, seeing you like that? I thought he had come back to me…”

Despite your best efforts to keep them hidden, your tears began to flow. You though that after two years you had lost the ability – that the well had long dried up. But tonight, they flowed freely, great rivers pouring down your cheeks and soaking the bed sheets anew. Suddenly, you felt strong arms enveloping you, holding you close, and a string of whispered words in your ear.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m so sorry.”

Hesitantly, you shifted closer, letting his arms pull you in tight against his body. You let him hold you; let him comfort you with his warmth that felt oh so familiar to you. With your face buried in the crook of his neck, you took in his intoxicating scent of burnt paper and candle wicks, of summer and the sea, and you cried until you could cry no more.

Even after your tears had dried, he held you, his chin resting affectionately on top of your head. He shifted as he felt your heart skip a beat.

“What’s wrong?”

“My dream… I… It wasn’t Ace in my dream, Sabo, it was you.”

You looked up into his face, peering through the darkness. The moon had emerged from behind a cloud, bathing the two of you in its light. He looked back at you, unsure of what to say.

“Ever since you came back, it’s been you. I should have told you, I’m sorry. I guess I was afraid to admit I had moved on. And afraid that… My dream would come true...”

“You have nothing to be afraid of, [Name]. I’m not leaving you again.”

“I don’t want to become close to you only to have you taken away. Just like Ace...”

The tears were welling up again, and you fought to hold them at bay. Sabo grasped your shoulders and looked you in the eye.

“[Name], I promise you, I’m not going anywhere. I knew I would never be able to take Ace’s place, but I always hoped you’d give me a chance. Now that I have that chance, I am not going to give it up so easily,” he growled.

Still sniffling slightly, you nodded.

“Then will you stay with me tonight? Your warmth would be welcome.”

With a small smile, Sabo nodded, crawling beneath the covers and encircling you once more with his arms. You huddled closer to his unnatural warmth, sighing with content. As you began to drift off, you heard him whisper into the night.

“Don’t worry; I’ll take care of her, brother.”

With a smile, you slipped into unconsciousness, and for the first time in two years, it was dreamless sleep.