"Ace!" Your face lit up

"Hey (Y/n)! How's it going?" He beamed

"I'm home!"

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You didn't need any other reason to leap into his arms. And as always, Ace accepted your welcome without hesitation, his body gladly sponging up the embrace to the fullest.

"So I take it you missed me!?" he smirked

"What gave you that idea?" you chuckled, still trying to get rid of the tears which were persistent on being a part of this moment.

"Ace, you sure have poor timing" Sabo scratched the back of his head, the tone of his voice was passive-aggressive not that you picked up on it. "You probably didn't notice but (Y/n) and I were having a moment"

"No way, I couldn't tell" Ace snickered "You're not the only one who hasn't seen (Y/n) in a while so I need my fair share of love and appreciation from her as well"

"WHOA!" you gasped

Ace lifted you up with ease and began spinning you around, as he'd done the first time you'd reunited. Again Ace's face found itself buried into the safety of your neck as he held you. The action spurred on a fit of giggles.

"Is this going to be a regular thing every time we meet?" you laughed as he continued to prop you up.

"Perhaps" He gave you his signature smile "I missed you so much" He whispered

"I missed you too" you beamed, as your hand absent-mindedly combed through his dark locks. "I'm so glad you're home, Ace. Thank you for bringing Sabo back to see me"

The feeling of him smiling contently into your collarbone was indescribable. The only feeling of comparison was the tingling sensation of sunlight after a dark, brooding rainy season. Despite that, you could still hear the exhaustion in his sigh. One thing was certain in your mind at that moment in time. Ace needed to rest. His hold on you tightened. It came as somewhat of a surprise seeing as how it was unprompted and he was already squeezing you pretty tight.

"Ace?"

"...Actually (Y/n), I need to tell you s..." Ace stared up at you and opened his mouth to talk.

"Okay, that's enough of that!" Sabo announced as he swung a long metal rod into the back of Ace's leg

"AGH!" He yelped "WHAT THE HELL!?!"

'Was that a pipe!?'

Sabo expertly used the moment of chaos to somehow snatch you from Ace, and placed you down by his side.

'Wh-where did you get a pipe?' you shuddered in concern, which instantly turned into regret 'Actually universe, don't answer that, I don't want to know'

"Sorry about that brother, I just thought if you held (Y/n) any tighter she may get hurt" he innocently remarked "The thought seemed to bother me"

"Oh is that so brother?" Ace spat out the words through gritted teeth.

'Are these the beautiful sparks of brotherhood?'

"Well if that's the case, allow me to-!" Ace began

"huh?" the two paused

"Ah, I-I'm sorry, Ignore me! It's just that seeing you both together like this... It feels like a nightmare" you furiously wiped your tears and spun around to hide your face.

"A nightmare!?" the two gaped at you

"Of course! If I wake up at any given moment this wonderful dream would end and I would consider that a nightmare!" you argued

Sabo and Ace paused only briefly, before bursting out into fits of laughter. This, of course, made your face flush.

"You're such a walking contradiction" Sabo chuckled as he leaned down to help wipe your tears with his thumb "thinking that having nice dreams are bad"

"You would think like that, wouldn't you?" Ace stood over you and ruffled your hair.

Normally you would've told them both off for treating you like a child, but just for today, you'd let it slide.

"Forget it! I'm going back inside! I need some tissues!" You proclaimed, flushing even more.

"Come on (Y/n), don't be like that" Ace called after you

"Yeah" Sabo chimed in "If you leave now, you might wake up"

'I'm so glad they're back, but I'm already too tired to deal with them'

——————————————————————————————

"(Y/n), are you still crying?!" Ace sighed

"I'm sorry, I'm really trying but I can't help it" you snivelled "They just won't stop"

You were all sitting in the living room over some refreshments and tissues. Turns out that seeing Sabo and Ace at the same time was a bit of a system overload, meaning that as soon as you got into your home and relaxed, you had time to prioritise which emotion you wanted to focus on, and how you'd express it. Thankfully when you'd arrived Liv had already made herself comfortable with some tea, snacks, and tissues on the table. Clearly, She'd seen this coming. Laid across the sofa reading through some documents, she'd claimed the sofa as her territory not to be disturbed.

'Probably some work she couldn't finish on her trip' you guessed.

"Just make sure you finish that glass of water before you pass out from dehydration" Liv suggested as she licked her thumb and flicked through the pages of work

"Yes ma'am" you sulked taking another sip

Right now you were sat down clinging onto Sabo's sleeve, something you had to compromise because you feared that if you let go of him at any point in time he may disappear.

"You're becoming an even bigger crybaby than Luffy" Ace teased as he poked your cheek.

"I'm sorry, I really can't help it" you repeated.

"Leave her alone Ace" Sabo gave you a gentle nudge "You should've seen the big tears this guy had when he finally accepted that it was me"

"OI! You said you wouldn't tell anyone!" Ace blurted out

"(Y/n)'s an exception and you know it!" Sabo chuckled which made you smile as well. "Whenever you're ready (Y/n), I'll explain everything"

His eyes were patient and sincere. It made you feel a lot more relaxed.

'Okay (Y/n), let's calm down for real' you told yourself, taking a few deep breaths. 'In... out... in... out...'

Once you'd opened your eyes nothing needed to be said. You were ready to hear whatever Sabo had to say.

"I think the best place I should start with is my supposed death" his face saddened as he relived the vivid memories. "I remember setting sail and seeing my Vivre card moving in the opposite direction, towards you, the day you were taken. When I saw you on the shore, I remember thinking, 'not like this...' but before I could turn back I was shot twice by the celestial dragon"

Your grip on his sleeve tightened as you relived the memories through his words. The feel of metal from that day was still fresh on your skin, materialising in the form of goosebumps.

"I should've died, but I was saved by the leader of the revolutionary army, Dragon. He took me aboard his ship and set sail. By the time I woke up, I'd lost memory of everything, the only reason I knew my name was because you made me write it on my vest." His features relaxed slightly at the memory of you forcing them all to write their names because it kept causing problems for you when you did the laundry.

"One of the revolutionaries who'd searched me found your Vivre card which said home and offered to take me back, but in my mind, home meant back in that prison of a mansion. So instead I joined them in their cause. I climbed the ranks, and eventually became the chief of staff." He concluded.

"You're still a number 2" Ace grunted

"So are you!" Sabo retorted "Anyway, after all that time I couldn't seem to find it in me to throw away that vivre card. Even though it had home, the place I supposedly despised the most, written all over it, I felt as though without it, I'd be completely lost"

He clutched the vivre card tightly in his hand before turning to look at you.

"Looks like I was right" he gave you a heartfelt smile.

This would've been a wonderful moment but your face was scrunched up as you instructed every single fibre in your body to abandon the thought of producing any more tears.

'Don't cry! Don't cry! Don't cry!' Your lower lip trembled. 'If I cry anymore I'll become a raisin'

"(Y/n)?" Ace ventured

"I-I'm fine!" you blurted out

"...Are you though?" Ace sighed

"I am! P-Please keep going!" you reiterated "You kept my card, but couldn't bring yourself to follow it... then what made you change your-?"

"When it combust into flames" he replied with such calmness it was unsettling.

'...ah...' your body went rigid

Previously, your body had been using all sources of water in your body for tears, but now the water was being redirected to cold sweat, as you quickly pieced together the actual gravity of the situation.

'It's time to enact plan A' your brain announced to the body '...avoid all eye contact...'

"Don't worry I'm definitely coming back to that later" Alivia licked her finger again before turning the next page of her work.

'Plan A failed' you internally cried 'There is no Plan B! Abort! Abort!' s

"I apologise, but due to personal reasons I will be passing away" you muttered

This technically wasn't a lie.

"Not yet!" Ace grinned

Not the nice friendly grin, more like the: if you even think about trying to run away from this conversation your oversized hoodies will pay the price, kind of grin. You opted to stay put. Sabo took this as his queue to finish his story.

"Well, As soon as I saw it happen, an unfamiliar sense of loss and dread coursed right through my veins! The shock and despair sent me into a frenzy and at that exact moment, the memories came flooding back. I was overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information and I'm embarrassed to say I passed out for several days. But as soon as I woke up I knew I had to go straight home" He concluded. "Because if I found home, I'd find you."

Sabo's smile broadened with an unmatched joy. "And looks like I was right"

"And that's my queue!" Liv materialised from behind her papers with a pair of shades to protect her eyes from the blinding wholesomeness "Obviously, you know that we have some connections with the revolutionaries on this island, so imagine my surprise when it turns out the second in command actually knows one of us personally!!!"

"So, you arranged this Liv?"

"Some of the recruits wished to see their friends and family here and so Alivia made arrangements so that we could all travel here safely and stay awhile" Sabo explained "Without her, it definitely would've been a lot more difficult to mobilise"

The disbelief must've been graffitied all over your face as you tried to comprehend all the information. Liv had done so much for you, even before she'd left, she was on your doorstep checking to see that you were okay.

"I didn't want you to worry if things went sour between you and Sabo. I wanted you to know that I will always be here for you, no matter what" She explained "That, and I just had to be the one to reunite you both!!! I can already hear the fame calling!!! Alivia, the one who reunites long lost souls!!! IMAGINE THE HEADLINES!!!"

'Aaaaaand she's gone'

"But how did you meet Ace before me?" you pondered

"Well, our courses kind of... collided on the way here" Sabo chuckled.

"This idiot almost knocked me into the sea" Ace growled

''It was a lucky accident" Sabo smiled "To be honest, I had a feeling that If I was with you (Y/n), Ace and Luffy wouldn't be too far. I imagine that little glutton is on his way as we speak"

Ace scoffed but he couldn't stay mad. Sabo beamed as Ace grinned. The two of them were already settling into typical brotherly behaviour.

"Hugh! Puh-lease take your bro-mance to a room where I don't have to witness it" Liv gagged.

"I hate you sometimes you know that?" Ace commented

"Oooh! Ouch Spades! You hit me right where I don't give a f-!" Alivia started

"Alivia!" you quickly interrupted "If everyone is returning to their families I imagine that you're planning a big event to celebrate and be the star in!"

"I wouldn't be me if I didn't! And that's why we're throwing a massive party for all the revolutionaries who've come back to us" Alivia shone with new zeal "And don't worry you're not taking part directly this time"

You let out a small sigh of relief

"Of course, that depends on your explanation for your vivre card" Liv continued "But I'm sure that we'll get more time to talk about that later! Ciao!"

Chugging down the last of whichever beverage she'd helped herself to, she promptly made her exit leaving you alone to deal with her perfectly set stage of interrogation. A vacuum of unwarranted silence filled the room.

'Liv, why do you do this to me?' you wept

——————————————————————————————

'Can anyone explain the vast amount of tears that (Y/n)'s been going through recently' brain asked tear duct department

'well we've been borrowing from the tear resources labelled adulting... it's bottomless...' tear duct department replied

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