sailedfirst | Appointments

Did she sound surprised or anything? And maybe she doesn't mind you so much since you're so much more bearable. [And he'll just keep washing.]

Or maybe it's 'cause I got nothing to do with what happened. [Carefully setting plates in a pile.] That makes her a lot decent person than many people I know. [Namely those in High Town.]

Edited 2012-09-13 15:39 (UTC)

--yeah, that makes sense. She's not the best person, she's actually kinda whiny, but it's kinda easy to get on her good side. She's a little scared of me, though.

[Okay, all the dishes are washed, now to put them away.]

[Storing dried plates in cupboards.] Well, it doesn't matter if she isn't the best person. I offered to be her friend, so even if she did do evil stuff in the past, that's different now. After all! I've known a guy who's been a total jerk to me at first, and he still ends up to be one of the most important people in my life.

[He'll reach the high shelves to put them away. But dlkgndf gosh, that made Ace happy.] Probably because someone was so damn pushy to become an important person in his life.

[His smile and tone show that he's happy, though.]

[Snorts.] If the guy hadn't got a knack for landing himself in trouble all the damn time, I wouldn't have had to be! [He doesn't sound like he minds this at all, though.]

Well, if the other guy wasn't so damn nosy, he wouldn't have had to be pushy! [Yep, they are enjoying talking about how they met.]

...I'm starting to wonder which guy's the nosy one and the pushy one. [Laughs.] They could be both, if you think about it!

You were definitely nosy and pushy. [He'll laugh with him.] Then again, I was pretty nosy about your past.

Hey, you're pushy too! How'd you think you managed to make me spill my past, huh?! Ah... but I guess you weren't as nosy as you could've been. You stopped asking for a long time and only started again that time when Dad saw me...

You lied about your past the first time, remember? I only gave up because it sounded fishy. [He almost wants to blurt out "don't call that bastard your dad", but he restrains himself. After a moment or two of silence, he finally talks.]

Hey... you know... you can call Whitebeard "Pops", too. If you want.

[They had this argument before, but this is probably a good time for total honesty.] ...Well, I got no choice but to lie back then. You'd have wanted nothing to do with me if I told the truth. [That, or sold him out because life in Gray Terminal works like that. Nobody likes dealing with nobles there, unless there's cash to be had.

And then, Sabo's eyes widens. That's no small honor Ace is offering him, and he's very much aware of it.] W-what... I can't do that! I'm not part of Whitebeard's crew. [Not part of his family.]

Hey, heeeey, I never said that was a bad thing. I'm really glad you lied. How else would we have become friends? Though, I can't deny you're right about that. [He won't even try to, Sabo hit the nail on the head.

At Sabo's surprise, he just smiles kindly at him.] You're family, Sabo. Marco thinks it, too. That's more than enough reason. He wouldn't mind having another son at all.

I've always felt bad for lying, but I'm not regretting it either. [Grins.] One of the best decisions I've ever made. [Otherwise, he probably would be in High Town even now, caged and doing nothing but fulfilling his 'duty' to his parents.

Shaking his head.] You and Marco are different. You guys, and Luffy too, you all chose me to be your brother, to be your family. That's why I can't be Whitebeard's son without him choosing me, too. [And he still might have some apprehension being anyone's son because he's been called a useless one far too many times.]

No one can say you did any wrong. And if they do, we'll just punch 'em in the face.

[Right about now, he would really like Whitebeard to walk through the door and declare Sabo his son. But that's been wishful thinking ever since he can remember.] We didn't choose you to be our brother. We all agreed on it. After meeting him just once, Pops asked me to be his son. Pops is different. Anyone who asks to be his son can be. He'd love to have you, Sabo.

[Laughs.] I like this plan!

[But here, he looks down. To his own parents, he was nothing but a disappointment, a failure of a son, to the very end. Who's to say Whitebeard won't think the same of him?] ...E-even so, Ace. If I'm to be his son, I want to prove first that I'm worthy of it. Not just because you and Marco call me brother.

[A-Aw, Sabo, break his heart more why don't you? He throws an arm around Sabo's shoulders, tugging him a little closer.] Oi, what's this about proving yourself worthy? I tried to kill the guy over a hundred times, and he let me join without so much as a slap on the wrist. He thinks of everyone equally, no one's better or worse than anyone else. Here, maybe I should tell you something.

One of Pops' sons once stabbed him, right in the middle of a war. The enemy tricked him into thinking Pops would abandon them, and using a past fear against him. Everyone was pissed as fuck at him, and they wanted to beat him senseless. But you know what Pops did? He hugged him. He hugged him and said he still loved him. Pops cares about everyone equally.

[...A war? That's the first he heard of a war in their world. And if it involves the Whitebeard Pirates... Whoa. An event that big happened in the future? Filing that info away to be asked later; for now, he listens quietly.

He already knows Whitebeard is a great man, but his respect for him increases tenfold after Ace is done with the story.] ...He really is a good father, isn't he. He could forgive even something like that. No wonder he won over even a stubborn bastard like you, in the end.

[And Ace was right in the middle of it, but that can all wait for another day.

Or never. Never sounds good.] I'm really glad he's my father. And you know how I feel about fathers, so that's saying something. He doesn't care where you come from or what your bloodline is. He'll love you for who you are.

[Let's hope he won't find out in some other way then.

Sabo's quiet, considering Ace's words carefully. But after a while, he looks up with a frown.] ...Is this about my dad, Ace?

[Busted. He doesn't say anything for a while, and eventually nods.] Don't try to tell me you weren't thinking about him. I know you don't like your dad, much less your family. But Pops... he's like everything you'd want in a dad, and I just want you to know that happiness, too.

[Sabo looks away. He can't deny that he doesn't like his family now, but there's something he can't deny, either.] ...Dad used to be a real father to me too, y'know. It's all faint and stuff, but I remember him playing and laughing with me. He's actually the one who taught me how to read, not my tutors. But then I learned to think for myself and started questioning stuff. [Shrugs, like this doesn't matter.] Guess that's when things changed.

[He pauses, fists clenching at his sides, but it doesn't last long. The words just kept coming.] Sometimes I wonder why he tried so hard to find me, to bring me home before the fire in the Terminal started. He didn't have to, y'know. He's already got a new heir. But I guess, in a way, he still cared. Like, he really believes keeping me in High Town's the best thing for me.

I... I can't say I appreciate it, but I think--maybe, he did love me in the only way he knows how.

[Ace just stays completely silent for a while. He wants to yell that Pops can give him that for as long as Sabo wants, but... Ace doesn't know what it's like to be with your birth father. He never grew up with anything like that, so why is he telling Sabo that doesn't matter?

He almost wonders if Roger would've been a good father. Would he have been happy like Sabo was? Sure, he had Garp, but Garp wasn't really a father. He cared, definitely, but... it felt different from Pops.] ... sorry. I guess I should let you decide this, not push it on you.

[That's the thing. Sabo remembered being happy, that's why it hurt a lot worse when he was losing that love. No matter how different Whitebeard might be as a father, Sabo will always carry that fear of somehow disappointing him and being called useless all over again.]

...M-maybe someday, Ace. And who knows, I might get to meet your Pops, and I can ask to be a Whitebeard son too! [Trying to smile cheerfully.] But until then, I'm just Sabo; that homeless orphan kid from Gray Terminal with dumbass brothers. That's good enough for me, for now!

[If only Ace knew that, he'd try to tell him Whitebeard is nothing like that. But he still feels like he doesn't have room to talk, Sabo knows things Ace doesn't.] He'd gladly take you in, too. I bet he'd be proud to have a son like you.

[At the dumbass comment, he just shoves him lightly.] Oi, oi. You're a dumbass along with us. [He can't help feeling there's something off, but it's hard to pinpoint it. What's Sabo worried about?]

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