mas + 9 <3333 thank uuuuu
Okay, I realize this took me an eternity to write T^T I am sorry for that, and I dunno how you feel about angst?? But I mean you canât give me that prompt and expect nothing less of angst??
Prompt from this post â 9. things you said when i was crying
Ao3 ~ FF.net
For Tumblr, read under the cut, enjoy!~Â
âHey, why are you crying, are you okay?â a small voice asked off to Aceâs side.
Startled Ace shot up from the floor and glared at the boy that was standing in front of him. âIâm not crying you are!â Ace said, much too prideful to admit to such a baby habit.
âNo Iâm not, yoi.â the boy said with a crease in his brow. âYou have a cut on your cheek. Did you fall? I have band aides and disinfectant.â
âI said I ainât crying!â Ace yelled and wiped angrily at his eyes and bleeding cheek, wincing when the action brought upon a new burst of pain to his face. âWhy do you care anyway, s'not like I know you.â
The boyâs blue eyes looked at Ace quietly, and Ace had to look away. He hated when people looked at him, he knew what they saw after all; Ace was dressed in nothing more than rags, his mother was unemployed and with her questionable health, they were barely getting by as it was. He was grimy and dirty, his hair was matted and he was pretty sure he stunk to hell and back.
âMy nameâs Marco Newgate, yoi.â the boy said with an offered smile along with his extended hand.
Ace looked at the hand with mistrust, people werenât generally kind to him after all. Adults were always trying to send him back to school when he needed to stay home and take care of his mother, and most recently they were beginning to insist in something they called âalternative housing.â Other kids were different, but not for the better, they looked at Ace with disapproving eyes and disgust, they mocked him and threw pebbles as much as insults. To Ace, the whole world was against him and his mom, and he cared not to know anyone else.
And the older kidsâŚthey were just as cruel.
âI ainât got any more, okay!â Ace snapped and bit his bottom lip, trying to force the new set of tears to remain inside and not spill over.
âAny more whaââ
âHey Marco! What are you doing?â A new voice called down the alley and Ace flinched back from the sound, cornering himself once again while the wretched sense of helplessness and fear threatened to claw themselves back up his throat.
Marcoâs hand retreated as the boy peered behind him and he stepped aside, âSabo, sorry I left you to handle the guys all by yourself, you didnât hurt them too bad did you, yoi?â
The new boy, Sabo, laughed as he joined Marco. âI gave them Hell alright, but if youâre asking if they can still chew solids? Then yeah, some of them.â
Marco sighed, and Ace gulped when he saw the splatters of blood on the pipe the new boy brandished behind him. Were they new bullies? Ace really didnât have anything else to spare, all of his earnings had been taken by the older kids when they had jumped him.
âHey arenât you in my class?â Sabo snapped Ace out of his thoughts and brought the other set of eyes on Ace again, now both Marco and Sabo were regarding him strangely.
âYou are arenât you, though youâve been absent for a week nowâŚâ Saboâs voice trailed off and alarm filled his eyes. âYou were the kid those others were wailing on? You okay?â
Ace was quiet, unsure of where the meeting was going, they kept staring and he kept fighting back the tears, wishing he could go home and check on his mother, hoping she was better that day.
âHey if you keep biting your lip like that, itâll start bleeding too, yoi.â Marco chimed in. âYou donât have to worry about those guys anymore, theyâre gone and learned their lesson.â
âYeah!â Sabo added, âThose punks will think twice before beating on anyone againâŚso wait, does this mean this is yours?â Sabo asked pulling a small orange colored pouch from his pocket.
Ace heard himself gasp and before he knew it, he had snatched the pouch out of Saboâs hands, the hefty weight in his hands and clinking of change bringing a small sense of comfort to the boy as he brought the pouch closer to his chest and his glaring eyes turned over to Sabo.
âSo it is yours.â Sabo hummed, unaffected by the rude action Ace had displayed. âAre you saving up for the new Skypea game?â
âOh yeah, thatâs coming out soon isnât it, yoi.â Marco mused and smiled to Ace again. âAnd now that youâre calmer, how about that wound?â
Ace sized them both up, the boy who claimed that was in his class, and Marco, someone he had never met before. Ace was naturally untrusting of others and for good reasons, but they were making no moves to hurt him and they hadâsort ofâgotten his money back.
With a curt nod, Ace relaxed his stance and slipped the orange pouch into his fallen backpack.
âSo, want to tell us your name?â Marco asked as he took off his bag and began to pull out a few supplies, the first was a clean white rag that he sprayed with a small bottle and began to pat Aceâs face.
Ace hissed as his cut burned, and made to pull away, but Sabo was there to place a hand in his hair gently. âHeâs just cleaning it, donât panic youâre in good hands. Marco might not look it but he has had two years training in first aid.â
âAnd I get in extra practice whenever this knucklehead decides heâs going to challenge kids three times his size, not to mention my siblings get in just about the same amount of trouble, yoi.â Marco confessed with a very proud grin.
Ace looked away and mumbled, âNameâs Ace, I wouldâve beat them up you know.â
âThen why didn'tcha.â Sabo asked, voice both challenging and curious.
âMom says I canât get in any more trouble⌠cuz if I get in trouble then theyâll take me away.â
âTake you away, yoi?â Marco asked pausing in his cleaning Aceâs wound.
âYeahâŚâ Ace chewed on his lip until it stung and for a strange reason, he decided to trust the two kids, Marco and Sabo. âOld man Garp has been able to keep the ladies in suits away, but he says if the cops get me one more time, then he wonât be able to stop them from taking me away to another house.â
âTake you away to another house?â Sabo frowned, âYou mean like fostering? It isnât so bad you know.â
âMy mom needs me!â Ace yelled and immediately felt bad, his shoulders slumping. âSheâs sick and she needs me more than ever, so thatâs why I sold all of my toys and things I donât need at the pawn shop.â
âHow sick is she Ace, yoi?â Marcoâs words were soft and gentle, bringing more tears to Aceâs eyes.
He shook his head, he honestly didnât know how bad it was now, but she had run out of medication the day before, and for the past couple of days she rarely woke. âShe hasnât left her bed in the past few daysâŚshe calls me Roger sometimesâŚRoger was my dad.â Ace confessed, his voice wavering as the dam he had kept up began to spill, letting loose his tears with it.
âShe doesnât remember me half of the time and she doesnât know what day it is anymore. Sometimes she doesnât even wake up, and othersâŚshe was supposed to get better, Gramps said she was gonna get better but he lied!â
Sabo and Marco looked at one another and silently they pulled Ace into a reassuring hug, saying nothing as the boy began to bawl, his sobs echoing off of the walls of the alley. His soul was barely held together and though Sabo and Marco didnât completely understand it, they wanted to help.
âI can ask my dad for help, if thatâs okay, yoiâ Marco said, breaking the silence. âHeâs friends with a couple of doctors, and until your mom gets better you can stay with us, we have tons of rooms in our house.â
âYeah,â Sabo nodded, âMarcoâs family is real nice, he was able to get me away from my home. You donât have to be alone anymore, Ace. Let us help you.â
Let us help you.
Aceâs cries became louder as he finally returned the hug to the two boys, clinging to them as if his life and sanity depended on it. They were mere strangers, and for all he knew they were only offering him empty promises, but empty or not he would take them.
âThank you.â Ace managed between wheezes and strangled sobs.
Never in his life, however, would he have imagined the following words to be said to him. âOf course, what are friends for, yoi.â
âDork, you donât thank your friends.â















