♠ Fourth Wall 2 ♠ {Text}
{Ace is restless and unable to sleep, so instead he clicks on his communicator. He begins flipping through the frequencies to see if anyone else is up at this hour. Sure enough his comm blips erratically with all the new arrivals. His eyes widen slightly as he takes it all in, soon losing track of how many there are. Giving up on watching them
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You might want to stay on your toes though. Just in case.]
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But he knows better, that sounded bigger than a rat. Where the hell is it?}
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I digress.
A few muffled noises, the sound of bare feet on concrete maybe... and then a CLANG and a CRASH as the rather human-shaped rat accidentally knocks over a trashcan. The little runt falls, tumbling out into the open with the knife still in a firm grip. He looks a little disoriented though but as soon as he gets his bearings straight... ]
Ow...
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Ace is hoping out the window down into the alley to approach you, frowning at your condition.
Cruel indeed.}
Hey.
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W-who are you?!
[Give him a moment, he'll remember.]
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Easy now... {He raises his hands slowly, see? He means you no harm.}
I'm Ace. A friend. {A pause.} You look hungry.
{A nod over his shoulder toward the building.} I've got food and water inside.
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And then, slowly... he relaxes. The knife is still in his hand and the grip is firm, but the edge dips down to point at the ground. He tilts his head to look at you. ]
I... know you.
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That's right. It's nice to see you again Sanji.
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[Oh yes, he remembers this place. He also remembers you being nice to him and that memory alone is enough to make him relax even further. Safe.
Unfortunately it seems like that tension was the only thing holding him up. Despite his efforts his legs finally give way under him and he drops onto his knees, one hand coming up to press against his forehead. So very dizzy... help a kid out?]
Nnn...
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He picks you up whether you want it or not and he carries you back toward the apartment. They don't have much left, since Luffy's been raiding every bit of meat the have. But Ace and Nami were smart enough to hide a stash where the captain couldn't find it. In fact, they've been drying it and making jerky.
He sets the boy carefully on the couch and gets him some water. It's not the greatest but it's all they've got. Food's coming right up...}
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Sanji pulls his legs up on the couch once Ace leaves him to look for food, holding the cup of water in his hands like it's the most precious thing in the world. It might not taste great, but it's not rain water gathered in a hole in the ground.
A sip. A mouthfull.
He swallows, hard. There's a lump in his throat and he can't make it go away, just like he can't stop the tears from gathering in his eyes. A hand comes up to rub at them furiously - boys don't cry, he's not--]
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He sits down on the couch next to you and takes his hat off. He puts it on your head, pushing the brim down with a small smile. He saw those little tears starting, this'll give you a small chance to let it out. See? He can't see you if you can't see him.
He knows what it's like though. Just when you thought no one would care. That you could have no kindness or remorse from the world. To be shown something like this... it was almost too much to bear.}
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But... he can't eat. Not yet, his throat is too tight, the weight in his chest making him feel sick. He barely registers the hat on his head, just curls in on himself, head bowed until his forehead touches his knees.
It starts as a small tremor, growing until his shoulders shake with silent sobs. He thought he was dead. That this was it. You saved his life, you took care of him, allowed him to be small and weak and helpless when he needed it the most - and that is more than he can take. ]
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He quickly reminded of pops of course and does the next best thing he could think of for the kid. He's not sure how well it'll go over, but if it'll works for big, tough, manly pirates...
He shifts his weight and reaches out for the kid to wrap an arm around his small frame and pull him in against his side. He hugs the boy, being both firm and gentle in the embrace. Let him feel a little human warmth along with that kindness.}
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