PULSE

First Mate

"Who am I?"

Those three words hung in his head for a solid minute. Amnesia. It wasn't impossible, heck, everyone was expecting it, but...to this scale? 'Let's not jump to conclusions yet.'

Ace was frowning as his eyes darted to every object, watching his surroundings carefully, as if he was trying to make out what they were exactly. "Where am I?" His eyes shifted back towards Marco.

But before Marco could try and form a reply in his head, the door was opened, and Thatch's pompadoured head peaked in, "Ace...?" His eyes widened in bewilderment. Thatch stumbled into the room, eyes fixed on Ace, "You're awake..." With each step he took, tears threatened to spill.

'He's awake...he's awake!!' Thatch thought, it was when he touched him, when his hand went down to cup Ace's slim face, when he allowed himself to cry. "Ace!! Oh my god, I'm so sorry!! It's my fult, if only I-I had woken up sooner, if only I hadn't fucking turned my back! I'm so sorry!!" He weeped.

"Is that my name?" Ace asked, confused beyond belief. His brows were still furrowed in confusion as his hands hovered over Thatch's form that had went to hug him.

"W-what?" Thatch questioned, lifting his head to look into stormy grey eyes.

"He lost his memories, yoi..." Marco supplied, a look of understanding still on his face.

Ace frowned harder, he wanted answers, damn it! "Is that my name? Ace?"

A look of realisation crossed over Thatch's features, and he looked back into stormy eyes, now holding a spark he had missed for far too long, "Yes!" He shot up, reaching for both of Ace's hands, 'Gods they've become so thin...' "You're name is Portgas D. Ace."

Ace nooded, "Where am I? And who are you people?" He turned his gaze between Marco and Thatch, before settling on Thatch, whose eyes were still moist with tears of joy.

Thatch pulled over an extra chair with his right hand, before taking Ace's hand back into his and turned towards Marco, "Go get Bay." His tone changed for Marco, becoming strict, cold even. Said man nodded and left, though hesitantly.

Ace didn't miss the change, and was feeling uneasy..."What happened to me?" His voice was coated in worry, but Thatch smiled at him.

"It's alright, Ace. My name's Thatch. We're brothers," His hands tightened around Ace's 'I hope we're still brothers...', "And you're on the Moby Dick, it's a ship that we sail on." 'I can't say 'home' anymore, can I?' "We have adventures all the time, as we sail the seas from island to island."

Ace nodded hesitantly, "What's... brother? And...ship?"

Thatch felt his already broken heart crack more, "A brother... it's-" His breath hitched as he averted his gaze, "It's...I..." 'What do I say? What can I say? Do I really get to call myself his older brother anymore?...'

Thatch was nearly hyperventilating at this point, as thoughts of guilt swallowed his mind, but Ace reached out a hand Thatch was holding on to, and lifted his chin to get eye contact back, "H-hey..." Ace shuttered, "It's alright...you don't have to answer or anything, just... calm down a bit?..."

His words sent Thatch into a state of shock, 'Oh how undeserving we are of him...why him...how could we have done this?...' Thatch sniffed loudly and shook his head, "No...I'm OK, it's just...I don't know if I can call myself your brother anymore... I...I'm supposed to protect you as a big brother, as family... a-and yet... this happened to you...because of me..."

Ace frowned, "Did you mean to do this?"

"No!" Thatch exclaimed, "Gods no, never! I-"

Ace silenced him by placing his whole hand over Thatch's mouth, "Then it's alright."