Tick Tock [Portgas D. Ace/Sabo Fan Fic]

Reconcile

Disclaimer: I do not own OP or any of the characters involved.

A/N: Little Sabo POV again since we didn't have any of him last chapter. I'll try to crank out a few more chapters tonight~ Loved the reactions I got from the last chapter heh.

There was a limit to how much he could stand and it had long been surpassed by this point. He was tempted to just stick a knife in the key hole or resort to the classic bobby pin. Turns out there was no need for any of that. Luffy had a key. Smart kid. Gullible and annoying at times, but smart when it came to things like this.

Sabo slid the key in place, a satisfying click resounding in the air as he pushed open the door he hadn't touched in more than two years.

Paintings, some finished and others just beginning- they littered the floor and walls, propped up in some places and stacked in others. The smell of paint wasn't as pungent as he had been expecting, though Ace did most of the actual work in the study so that shouldn't have been too surprising. What was surprising was the sprawled out figure of the raven on his desk, one arm hanging limply at his side while the other was being used as a cushion of sorts.

The sense of panic that rose like a great, crashing wave was unnecessary, the snores reaching Sabo's ears before he fully crossed the room. Still, Sabo continued forwards, footfalls nearly silent as he moved to stand a mere yard or so away. Seeing him sleeping was a good sign after all, certainly an improvement from when he first came home, tired and edgy.

The bags were still visible beneath his eyes, Sabo frowning at the observation. Even with Luffy coming in to help out it was still painfully obvious that Ace was lacking sleep. He crouched beside him now, head propped up with one hand as he watched his brother silently. There was hair in his face again, though, there always seemed to be. Ace's hair had always been like that, unruly and wild.

Sabo had always been the one to reprimand him about it, making an effort to brush the locks out of his face whenever he could under the guise of sternness. Best not to let Ace know that it was all just an excuse to touch him. Especially with how rocky it had been between them the last time he was here.

"So, you're leaving us." Ace's eyes bore into him and Sabo swallowed, willing a sharpness into his gaze as he turned to face the raven. There was a hollow note of fact in Ace's voice and it was pissing him off to no end. Easy to fake anger when he was goading him on...again.

"You make it sound like I'm never coming back." Sabo turned away from him once more, grabbing a book before stuffing it into his nearly overflowing bag. "It's just a job, Ace. I don't know what you're getting so worked up over." The huff behind his back told him that Ace thought otherwise.

"Why not just get a job near here then? Hell, that's what I did! Why do you have to go so damn far-"

"Because it's what pays!" Damn it all. Sabo tugged his hand to the side with unnecessary force, zipping up the last of the pockets of his bag with a note of finality. Ace was unnervingly silent, Sabo aware of the dark eyes drilling into the back of his head. His shoulders slumped and he sighed. "Why can't you see that I'm doing the right thing here...? Don't you want to be able to send Lu off to college?" It was a low blow and they both knew it. Even without looking back, Sabo knew that Ace had flinched.

"That's not fair..."

Sabo shook his head, finally glancing back again. Ace's head was down, arms crossed and knuckles white from stress. Sabo fought down the urge to walk closer and wrap his arms around him. No. That would just make this all harder. His voice was softer when he spoke next. "You're the one not being fair about this, Ace... It's not like I'm leaving forever."

Wrong thing to say apparently. Ace shot his head upwards, meeting Sabo's gaze only a second before he turned. The door slammed shut after him.

Hurt, betrayal, loss.

Sabo rubbed at the back of his neck, another sigh escaping into the tense air. That was a look he wouldn't be forgetting any time soon...

Sabo blinked, the memory fading into the background, shattering in the light of the situation before him now. Ace was still sleeping, breathing even and form relaxed. Completely different from that day. Completely different when compared to the jumble of nerves he seemed to be as of late as well. Like this, he was calm. The calm before the storm. Sabo chuckled at the thought.

Ace shifted slightly, another lock of hair falling into his face. Sabo didn't stop himself this time. The touch was light as fingertips brushed away the soft hair, lingering on his cheek before falling away again. Dark eyes peeled open slowly and Sabo froze, sucking in a sharp breath.

Fuck.

"...Hey..." Ace blinked, still rising from sleep as he focused on the blonde before him. Sabo didn't more, frozen where he sat though both hands were at his side once more. He swallowed thickly, still refusing to break eye contact. Because, for the first time since he came back, Ace was holding his gaze. Dark eyes blinked again before glancing slowly at the door and then back to Sabo.

"You broke in...?" His brows furrowed, tired confusion crossing his face. Sabo almost laughed. It was such a complete contrast when compared to the glares he had been receiving as of lately.

"Not quite, though I could if I wanted to." Sabo held up the key and recognition crossed over Ace's face slowly. He smiled and Sabo returned the expression. It was small, but that was the first genuine smile he had seen on Ace's face since he got home. Home from the hospital.

Again question shot through his mind, endless and repetitive, and again he pushed them back. Ace was smiling. He didn't want to chase it away again. I've done that enough already. The thought was bitter and his smile almost faltered.

Hesitantly, he reached out once more to twine fingers through Ace's hair. It was a relief when his hand wasn't slapped away, even more so when Ace's eyes fell shut once more. "Hnn...You could have just knocked you know..." Sabo smiled at the comment, still rubbing circles into Ace's scalp.

"I would have woken you up though." He propped up his head once more, relaxing now that Ace had as well. "Well, I guess I did anyway..." Ace's smile spread slowly before fading once more. It was alarming to see just how tired he was. Normally he'd have put up some sort of fight. For him to be allowing any of this was just... Well, unnerving. Nice, but frightening.

What happened to you...?

Ace tensed and Sabo blinked in surprise. A moment passed before he realized that those same words had been spoken aloud. "Ahh...no. Sorry. Forget I asked. It's fine." It wasn't though, was it?

Ace was watching him again now, eyes steady and fully awake this time. Fear. He only caught a brief glance before Ace was pushing himself up and out of his chair. Sabo remained where he sat, eyes trailing after him. The questions were back. Sabo leaned back against the bed, hand rising to cover his eyes as he sighed. He could hear Ace moving about in his room though no words were spoken.

Silent treatment, huh?

"We're worried about you, you know. If you can't tell Luffy, then you should at least tell me." His comment was met by silence... again. "Tch..." Sabo grit his teeth, fighting against frustration. "People don't just cough up blood Ace. It doesn't work like that. What did they tell you and why are you keeping it from us?" He was silent for a long moment, Sabo about ready to give up and leave when the words sliced through his thoughts.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." The bathroom door shut with a click, leaving Sabo alone in Ace's room once more.

Funny, he would have preferred the silence. Anything was better than a lie.

A/N: No as long as the last chapter, but I'm working through a bit of writers block. The next will hopefully be pretty long. Reviews are always welcome! I love hearing what you guys are thinking.