An excerpt from something that's been in my drafts for far too long now
Luffy & Sabo, pre-canon, Sabo still has amnesia but Koala dragged him to spend a day on Dawn Island and just so happened to time it right after Ace left, and he ended up spending the day with Luffy
Sabo gave in to the impulse, leaning forward to press a kiss against Luffy’s forehead.
The kid looked up at him, eyes wide and only just starting to fill up with tears. The cry that escaped his throat sounded almost painful, raw and violent, and he lunged forwards, hands fisting in Sabo’s coat as his face pressed against his cravat.
“I miss Sabo,” he sobbed into Sabo’s chest.
Sabo gingerly wrapped his arms around the kid.
“...I’m sorry I’m not the person you want me to be,” he said.
They stayed like that for a while. Sabo kept rubbing Luffy’s back in what he hoped to be a soothing motion, allowing the kid to let it all out.
In the end, Luffy was the one to pull away, straightening up as he wiped at his eyes with wrist.
Sabo gently pulled his arm down, grabbing a handkerchief to use instead.
He carefully cleaned up Luffy’s face, letting him use the handkerchief to blow his nose once done. Sabo intended to leave the fabric with Luffy, anyway, so it would be fine.
Once Luffy was all cleaned up, the time has come to say goodbye.
