#established acesabo

Sabo wasn’t quite sure what to feel staring at his test results. On one hand, he realized that a C was passing on the other….

How could you possibly get a C?! This is obvious that you aren’t taking your education seriously! You are going to sit at that table and not move for three days until you pick this grades up!

The blond shakes his head trying his hardest to silence that voice. Once upon a time that would have caused him to panic to not want to take the paper home. 

He knew how his parents felt, knew the nearly impossible standards he had to reach to please them and how they would react to anything below what they expected.

The consent pressure that put on him as a child was near suffocating. He was always that one kid who managed to get an 82 and still panic beacuse it was so close to a C. So close was unacceptable. 

Sabo remembers the kids that scoff at his worry, claiming it wasn’t as bad as their grade and yes that’s true he did good but it was never good enough. It was never ever good enough.

People don’t understand how hard it is to know that no matter what if you messed p even a little, you were an instant failure on one said and a snobby know it all for others on the other. He was in the middle of consent worry, sleep deprivation and anxiety all beacuse he wasn’t allowed to have anything lower than a B at best. 

There many times were Sabo would look at his grades- amazing grades, ones that other kids would kill for- and feel like the biggest waste of space in the world. He could do better. He had to do better. Why wasn’t he? 

These thoughts plague his mind day after day, night after night until he started thinking he was never going to amount to anything. Sabo didn’t remember a single time that school didn’t stress him to near tears growing up, and it was all do to the pressure his parents put on him.

They made him feel like if he couldn’t be perfect then he couldn’t be of any use no matter what his skills and accomplishments said otherwise.

Even now away from that home, he still gets a sick panicky feeling in his stomach. Still feels pathic and so useless, even when rationally he knows that he still passed, that he did well. 

Trying to get those thoughts out of his head Sabo closed his eyes and imagined his upperclassmen Marco. Who had listen to his worries one day after finding him crying behind the gym. 

Sabo remembers the slight spring wind that was pushing against his hair. There were no clouds that day, it was bright and sunny though chilly. He was supposed to go home and tell his parents that his parents didn’t do their side of the project and thus lead to his grade dropping to a C in chemistry.

He had panicked so much about it- he’s grade had never been that low- and he couldn’t handle it anymore. He just broke down and started crying upon the grass sobbing with his head buried in his knees.

That’s how Marco found him, the senior walking to his car that he illegally parked behind the gym so he didn’t have to pay for a student parking space. 

 The purple shirt Marco was wearing, every little wrinkle that the older blond created by sitting down next to him and listening to all the chocked up words falling out Sabo’s mouth after asking why he was sad was one of the weirdest things to remember so clearly but Sabo did.

He also remembered the question Marco asked him.

“What do you call a doctor that graduated at the bottom of his class yoi?”

“The first loser.” Sabo sniffed angrily glaring at his report card.

‘”No, a doctor.”  Suprised by the words red dyed blue eyes turn to find similar ones but much richer in shade.  Marco quivered a little smile at him as he finished  “All that mattered was that he graduated. He’s a doctor. He still made it. And you can too kid.”  

Smiling at the memory Sabo reopens his eyes just in time to see Ace running towards him screaming “I did it! Sabo, I did it! I passed! Thank you so much for tutoring me!” 

The blond’s face softens as his lover runs into his arms thanking him over and over again for taking time out of his own to help him get a A-. For this reason, he’s okay with getting a C on one test. 

Just like his other boyfriend said. 

Sabo had a secret, one that he guarded with his life since he was five and only told his baby brother Luffy and his pirate crew about it.  

Said secret was half the reason he set out to sea, at the age of seventeen, to be near it. It followed the ship at a safe distance, members of Sabo’s crew always a little wary of it but they didn’t doubt their captain when he said it would never harm them. 

“La la la, laaaa laaaaaa....”   

Still a few of the newbies couldn’t sleep at night as it sang, worried it would take them to the bottom of the sea if they let their guard down. 

“La la la, laaaaa laaaaa, la la- Sabo!”  

The members of the Dragon crew jumped out of their skins when it suddenly cut off its haunting song. It’s voice when speaking was always a bit hard to adjust to. When the creature sang it was smooth, hypnotizingly clear but while speaking it was rough and echoing.

Sometimes it sounded like death itself.

“Sabo! Sabo! Sabo!” 

The crew rushed out of their beds worried that something may have happened to the captain- it sounded distressed. Once they burst through the door of their sleeping quarters they were shocked to see it onboard.

It never left the waters, always peering up at them from the waves along side the boat, silver eyes shining and curious but never close enough to touch. 

The moonlight shone down on the Blue Flame beautifully, highlighting the ship’s many well-done carvings around the railing. It bathed two figures of the left side deck.

An unfamiliar blond man, half drowned it seemed and the secret of the captain.

“What’s wrong Ace?!”  Sabo shouted from the captain's room. 

He looked around confused before Rae shouted down at him

“He’s on the deck Cap!”

Sabo looked at her confused for a few seconds before rushing back into his room and climbing up the ladder. 

The reason this ship was so important was that the captain's room was build at the bottom of the boat little ways above the kneel.

It had cost the crew a fine penny to pay but it served its purpose. The little room had a window that could be opened from the inside, and a foldable balcony too. It was right above the water, and the captain could be in reaching distance of his secret whenever he wanted this way.  

Usually, the crew could find him there, feet dipped in the ocean while conversing with the creature that leaned on his thighs. Staring at Sabo like he was the one to put the stars in the sky at night and raise the sun each morning. 

“Help...not breathing...need air..” The creature said pushing on the blond man’s chest, trying to get the water out. The crew gave each other an awkward glance- Ace couldn’t produce oxygen, he could somehow survive in it but not make his own- until Foster stepped forward.

“I’ll give him CPR Ace...please step-er  shimmy away from him.” 

Slivers eyes turn to look at him confused until understanding drew on his face. The crew bites back a wince when its eyes grew sad but flopped away from the blond man.

They always felt bad asking it to move away from them but no one wanted to touch the creature in fear of falling under a charm. The captain was the only known person brave enough to make skin contact. 

Once Ace was a foot away Foster rushed forward and got to work. The man had taken a lot of water but there was still time to save him. Pushing against the chest with laced fingers the doctor counted a number of presses before placing his lips on the blond man and breathing.

Ace watched from the side hurt and lonely as the male he rescued got saved by the land dwellers.

“Ace?” A voice asked from his right. The sea creature turns to see Sabo- still dressed in his blue pajamas-giving him a worried look. The blond man reached out a hand running it through his sea damaged hair, before bringing him in for a warm hug.

Ace felt better already.

Even if the blond’s crew was staring at them in bewilderment like they always do whenever Sabo touched him. 

“He fell from...sky...” Ace stumbled to explain. Words were hard to make above water.  “I saw...and brought..to Sabo..”

“Then I have you to thank for saving my life little siren.” The new voice makes everyone jump- though not as high as Foster- and they whip around to see the blond man standing from his near drowning nonchalantly. 

He gives the shocked Ace a friendly smile walking over to him with a hand out for a handshake. The siren stares at it in wonder, and everyone on board hates how he seems like he isn’t sure if he’s allowed to take it.  “I’m Marco and you are?”

Sabo nudges his side, and Ace wraps his gils covered fingers around the hand shaking it rapidly. So obviously happy that someone is talking to him without fear.

”Ace!” He chirps. He then tilts his head studying the blond with intelligent eyes until he nods sure. “Phoenix.” 

The blond grins. “I am a Phoenix. It’s nice to meet other magical dwellers. It’s been years since I last saw a half-breed.”

Sabo jerks as Ace blinks.  “You know what he is?”

Marco’s grin turns into a soft smile. “Half siren half human I’m guessing? Completely harmless to anyone and yet able to charm at his will. “A gift to this world” as they are usually called in the New World yoi.”