Broken Faith

Observation 22: Trust opportunities, even ones you didn't consider

"What the hell is going on over there?"

You were so damn close to bursting into tears just from the relief of hearing a friendly voice at last. But the edge in Sabo's tone was enough to sober you into seriousness. "I..." Fuck. Take a few breaths. Get yourself recentred. Then try again. "Why are you calling?"

"Oh I dunno, maybe because I've heard that you are currently in Enies Lobby!? And not from you?!" He hissed. "Not to mention that Lu- that Wren has shown up with his crew!? I'm sorry Cuckoo, but you're going to have to explain how the hel...

A pause.

A long.... Long... pause...

"...Are you crying?"

"Wha... No?" But you could feel patches of damp around your neck claiming the otherwise. It wasn't as if you wanted to, this just felt... like a leak had sprung in your perfectly curated dam that held everything back. And you were tired of holding it all back.

You raised your metal hand, ready to transfer the snail to the larger palm so that you could wipe your eyes with the hand that wouldn't rust, when you hesitated. What if someone walked around the corner and saw you? This would all be over.

The metal wrapped around your waist once again. Firmly out of sight. Releasing all the tension remaining, you slumped back against the wall behind you. Sliding down to the ground until you were practically sitting there. And you let the tears stream down your face.

"It has... been a very long few days."

Sabo fell silent a moment, leaving you to hear background noise of what could maybe sound like water lapping at the shores of a lake as you just... talked. Nothing too in depth, or that emotionally painful for you to regurgitate, but you told him everything that had happened from the moment you'd set foot in Water 7. The fake kidnapping. Lucci smelling metal. Meeting Nico Robin. The whole debacle on the Sea Train. Your message to Luffy. Spandam's general behaviour. A Buster Call. Splitting CP9. Getting Kong's permission. Everything.

A pause went by once you'd finished speaking, your voice almost hoarse from the effort. Then Sabo murmured, "I'm sorry I jumped on you like that. I was just... haaaaaah..." The snail convulsed. As if the speaker was running a hand down his face. "The last I heard was that you wanted to check in on Water 7's finances... and suddenly I've just gotten information that you were seen on the train heading out towards Enies Lobby. I... uh... panicked."

"What?" Balancing the snail precariously on one bent knee, you reached into your pouch for the very slim wad of tissues you usually carried around to mop up sweat or someone else's blood, and began dabbing at the crusted trails down your face. "You never used to be when I did riskier things than this."

"First of all this is the riskiest thing you've ever done, and you know it. And second..." His gaze softened into an expression you hadn't seen in ages, and almost set you off again. "I didn't have my memory back before this."

Even despite your probably horrendous appearance, you managed to snort derisively. It still hurt a little that Ace had been the one to bring back his memory, even though Sabo had spent so much time with you. But you didn't have it in you to be petty right then. So you let it go, "Well there is not much you could have done. As I mentioned earlier, I did not have much of a choice in this."

"You could have contacted me! Or anyone! You just said that you'd contacted Kong!"

"Yes and that was after I discovered that a governmental kill switch was in the hands of a literal idiot." Your head lolled back against the wall. "I don't have the energy to argue with you, Sabo. What do you want me to do?"