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uramakimochi · 1 year ago

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Could I request an ASL headcanons of them trying to make their fem s/o smile? A short summary is that their s/o had trauma and is now incapable of showing any emotions, nor they could smile now. I like to imagine that Luffy made it his life goal to atleast see her smile at him for once but can you also add Ace and Sabo?

Absolutely~ I'm sorry but i personally don't like headcanons so i wrote three scenarios, i hope it's still okay🙏

One Piece Scenario:

WHEN THEY TRY TO MAKE THEIR S/O SMILE

- Luffy Ace and Sabo x Reader -

Warnings: FEM!R, use of Y/n, fluff + angst, implied trauma but nothing is described, you can imagine whatever you want. Sabo's story is long, (they're all long but his one is longer) i'm sorry, hope it doesn't bore you.

English is not my first language so feel free to correct me.

LUFFY (feat. the Strawhat crew)

Luffy had asked you to join his crew because he had immediately seen the potential you kept hidden, even if he didn't even know you. Your meeting was totally coincidental, but we know what Luffy is like, don't we? Once he makes a decision, there is no going back.

So you had abandoned everything to join the straw hats, because honestly, you believed that now, after what you had experienced, you had nothing left to lose. Although some members of the crew weren't totally convinced of you at the beginning, like Nami and Zoro, in a short time you managed to get used to it and all your new companions accepted you into their family without problems.

But there was one detail that hadn't escaped any of them and that was that you had never shown them your emotions. The only ones you expressed were the negative ones, like anger and sadness, but NEVER had the Strawhats seen you smile.

It was as if it were impossible for you to do so, as if your lips had been paralyzed in the same position for years, never curling upwards and never showing your teeth. You always tried to express your gratitude towards your crewmates with words, but by now you knew that you no longer had the ability to feel the joy that had been deprived of you in the past.

And although your friends had understood and accepted it, although some like Robin, Nami and Chopper had tried to take you aside and talk to you, but in vain, there was still one person who still hadn't lost heart.

Luffy still didn't understand why he never saw you smile when Zoro and Sanji were arguing like children, when Usopp and Chopper were whining in fear over something stupid or when Nami punched Brook because he wanted to see her panties. It was impossible! Smiling and being happy was something that came naturally, so why couldn't you do it?

And that was exactly what he asked you in person.

"Y/n, why do you never smile?" he asked you one day, catching you off guard.

Before you could even answer him, someone punched him in the head.

SBONK!

"DOES THIS SEEM TO BE A QUESTION TO ASK?!" Sanji and Nami's voices chorused behind him.

"Oww..." Luffy moaned in pain. "But what did i do?"

The two dragged him away, into the kitchen, under your confused eyes.

And after they had given him a long lecture about how he had the touch of an elephant in a glass shop, they then explained to him how things were. Luffy understood, but at the same time he still didn't.

"But it's unfair! How can she not feel happiness? It's impossible!"

"Luffy..." Nami sighed. "We understand that you are worried about her, in fact we all are, but this is something that should be taken with caution. It was what Y/n went through in the past that made her like this"

"We would all love to see a smile on sweet Y/n's face, but i don't think that will happen anytime soon" Sanji said, then took a drag of his cigarette sadly.

It was at that moment that Luffy automatically gave himself a personal mission and that was to make you happy again. Because he thought it was unfair that you couldn't feel the emotions everyone else felt, you didn't deserve this.

He loved you more than anything and just wanted to share his joy with you.

"Hey Y/n!" Luffy called to you waving a hand and you closed the book you were reading to pay attention to him.

Your captain gave you a huge smile, which you didn't return, but he didn't give up.

"Look what i can do!"

He squeezed his nose between two fingers and then pulled it forward, making it lengthen a few centimeters and he did the same with his ears and lips. Then he began to tie his rubbery skin as if it were a bow, only it all came out as just a funny face or a messy bow.

"Ta-da!"

You looked at him in silence for a few seconds, blinking, while Robin who was nearby smiled amusedly.

"It's funny, Luffy" you then said, reopening your book.

"Really??" Luffy asked you, his voice muffled by the knot he had created with his nose.

You nodded.

"Really. You're very funny"

Luffy smiled, satisfied with his work. He knew your tone wasn't ironic, you weren't making fun of him. You really appreciated his childish gestures and even though you thought you would've never been able to feel happiness again, being with Luffy lightened your heart and made you feel good.

And Luffy took your monotonous words as a gesture of encouragement to keep going. He would have made it, he absolutely HAD to make it.

"And then i stuffed all the food in my mouth and ran away. There was Smoker chasing me and Ace was chasing Smoker! Only i didn't realize that when i entered the inn, i had pushed them both into the wall. I was too hungry, i couldn't take it anymore!" Luffy started laughing, throwing his head back and you looked at him.

"You're such a careless Luffy" you told him. "You risk getting into some serious trouble if you're not careful"

"Shishishi! But it's a funny story, isn't it? It's a shame you weren't there. Alabasta was beautiful, but it was too hot"

Luffy started laughing again, while you went back to watching the sun set on the horizon, from sitting on the figurehead of the Sunny.

Yes, it was a funny story and you weren't too surprised by Luffy's reckless behavior and how he talked as if there was nothing to worry about. It was fun.

Time passed and Luffy never gave up.

None of the crew told him that perhaps it was better to end it, that it wasn't worth it anymore, that it was useless. No, Luffy would've never stopped. He was stubborn and that was what you and the others admired about him as your captain.

And then, if for them it seemed that there was no progress, Luffy instead was convinced that he had seen your lips lift one day. Even though it was very small, almost imperceptible, Luffy was firmly convinced that it was a hint of a smile. It meant that he wasn't far away, he was sure of it!

So Luffy continued in his quest: he told you the adventures of him and his brothers when they were little, of what had happened before you joined the crew, he told you jokes to try to make you smile and some weren't even funny, but you didn't care. You always listened to him and you always would have.

And the more Luffy kept trying to make you smile, the more it seemed to him that your lips always curved up a little more as time went by.

Then one day, while it was raining outside, Sanji called you all into the kitchen for dinner time and while you were in the bathroom washing yourself, Robin came to tell you that it was ready on the table.

When you reached everyone else and opened the door, the mass of voices of your crewmates drowned you out at once.

"You insolent idiot, don't you dare eat, everyone isn't at the table yet!" Sanji exclaimed, turning to Luffy and taking the plate away from him.

"But i'm hungry! I'm hungry Sanji! I'm hungry!" the other complained, slamming the cutlery on the table.

Nami gritted her teeth, annoyed by his complaints.

"Stop whining or i'll punch you!"

Meanwhile, Chopper and Usopp were arguing next to each other.

"Hey! Why are you stealing food from my plate?!" exclaimed the reindeer.

"No no, you're very wrong" the sniper waved a hand, whistling innocently. "I did not do anything!"

Chopper lunged at Usopp and he started screaming, trying to get him off him. Next to them, Zoro took a sip of sake, looking at them boredly.

"Yes you did! I just saw you do it, don't lie!"

"Lies? I never tell lies!"

"Hey you two, stop arguing. How annoying..."

From the other end of the table, Franky smirked amusedly.

"It's like a circus here eheh"

"Yohohoho~" Brook laughed. "If you want, i can play something to brighten up the evening"

Robin watched the scene, covering her smile with one hand.

Your eyes passed over each of your crewmates and it was in that moment, when your gaze locked on Luffy's pouting figure, that you realized that they weren't just your crewmates. They were your family.

And then, suddenly someone started laughing and in a few seconds everyone fell silent, focusing on the sound of that laughter. Everyone turned to look at you when they noticed your presence and their eyes widened as they realized that the one who was laughing out loud was you.

Luffy felt a huge smile spread across his face when he saw you. It had finally happened, you were actually laughing. Oh, and how genuine that laugh was, you could clearly hear it was a laugh that hadn't been heard in too long.

"Y/n!" Luffy exclaimed, then stretched out his arms and catapulted in front of you. But his smile fell when he saw the tears that were spilling out of your eyes and sliding down your cheeks.

"Y/n…"

Luffy tilted his head in confusion, because even though you were crying you were still laughing like there was no tomorrow.

"Y-Yes, Luffy?" You sniffed and opened your eyes to look at him, feeling his palm on your cheek trying to wipe away the tears.

"Why are you crying?" he asked you.

You shook your head, your laughter growing weaker and weaker. The tears continued to flow, but your lips remained curved upwards in a trembling smile.

"S-Sorry it’s just that…" you raised a hand to cover his on your face. "These are tears of joy, Luffy"

"Huh? Joy? So..." Luffy's eyes widened again when he realized. "Wait, so you're happy now??"

You nodded, squeezing his fingers.

"I am. And it's all thanks to you. And everyone else too. Because when i'm with our crew i can forget everything that happened. And you Luffy, you never gave up. Thanks to you i found every day the strength to move forward. Thank you for everything you have done for me. Thank you all, guys"

Behind Luffy, Franky, Usopp and Chopper were crying tears of emotion, while everyone else gave you happy smiles.

"I'm so happy to see you smile Y/n!" Luffy exclaimed, closing his eyes. "Everyone deserves to be happy, it wasn't fair that all of us were happy except you"

You looked at him tenderly with your heart pounding in your chest. You hadn't felt this way in too long. It was so beautiful.

Then Luffy removed his hand from your cheek.

"Look!"

He pinched his cheeks with his fingers and pulled them, stretching his face into various shapes.

"Ta-da!"

And this time you started laughing again, while more tears continued to come out of your eyes and Luffy started laughing too, hearing your laughter mixed with sobs. Luffy knew in that moment that his mission was accomplished.

And outside, in the sky, the rain stopped, as the sun began to set.

ACE (feat. the Whitebeard Pirates)

You were part of Whitebeard's crew even before Ace joined. Whitebeard had invited you to join knowing the weight of your past that you carried on your shoulders and you had accepted. From the first moment you considered Whitebeard as the father you never had and all the commanders had welcomed you into the crew as if you were their younger sister.

They were your new family and you loved each of them and you tried in every way to demonstrate the immense gratitude you felt for them. But you couldn't.

The ghosts of the past tormented you day and night and you had lost the ability to feel happiness. It seemed impossible to you and yet it had happened. But that didn't make your brothers and father love you any less, on the contrary, they had become very protective of you because of that. The only one after your father who you were closest to ever was Marco, who had taken you under his wing (no pun intended) from day one.

And when Ace joined the crew he asked him about you.

"Oi. Is that Y/n like, depressed or something?"

Let's remember that initially Ace didn't want to be part of Whitebeard's crew and was quite grumpy. So the way he said that question didn't please the phoenix man at all.

"If you talk about her like that again i swear i'll throw you into the sea in your sleep" he told him threateningly.

When things calmed down between Ace and Whitebeard, the former found the courage to ask the captain what happened to you. And this time he did it more delicately.

So Whitebeard explained the situation to him and Ace understood why all the commanders were particularly touchy when it came to you.

"We've tried for a long time, but it was all in vain" Whitebeard sighed. "We have never seen that girl smile. We have seen her cry with sadness, scream with anger and paralyze with fear. But we have never seen the shadow of a smile on that beautiful, pure and innocent face of hers. But we have accepted her for what she is. And we will never abandon her because of this"

Ace retreated to his quarters with his head in the clouds.

He had interacted with you often, but he didn't believe that a person like you would hide such a tormented past. But Ace had grown fond of you and therefore decided that to make up for how he had behaved during the period of his arrival, he would've made you relive your happiness.

He would have done it for you, for Whitebeard and for your brothers.

"Good morning Y/n"

You lifted your head from your plate to greet Ace, who had just joined you for breakfast.

"Good morning Ace. Did you sleep well?"

"Like an angel. What about you?"

"Good enough"

Ace chewed a piece of bread.

"You know" he said. "Today is a beautiful day and the sun is shining. If only i hadn't eaten a devil fruit i would go for a swim"

You frowned at him, not understanding what he was getting at. Then he swallowed the bite and looked at you with a smirk.

"But i'm already drowning in your eyes anyway~"

The dining room fell silent and everyone in the room turned to look at him. Marco and Izo, who were sitting on either side of you, opened their eyes and mouths wide. A little further away, Thatch and Whitebeard smirked in amusement.

"You did NOT just say that in front of me..." Izo muttered with a disgusted expression.

Ace blushed like a tomato and to avoid Marco's murderous gaze he moved his eyes to you, to see your reaction. You blinked at him and then quickly lowered your head to your bowl, starting to eat again.

"It was a little embarrassing, don't you think?" you asked, squeezing a hand nervously under the table.

"B-But it was funny, wasn't it?" Ace asked.

And you nodded silently, making him smile. It was a small step, wasn't it?

Marco turned to Whitebeard.

"Pops!"

But Whitebeard just laughed from his chair.

"Gurarara, nothing happened Marco. It's just a joke"

For a while Ace continued with the pickup lines, since he was sure that on the inside you found them funny and even if he liked seeing your embarrassed look and your red cheeks, your lips never showed the slightest hint of a smile. So he tried to change his strategy.

"What are those two doing?" Marco muttered, observing you and Ace on the deck of the ship.

"More like what are you doing" Thatch retorted, hands on hips. "Are you spying on them?"

"Ace is acting strange. I don't understand what he wants to do with Y/n" the blond retorted, narrowing his eyes at Ace.

Thatch came to his side.

"He's just trying to do what we did too. Pops told me"

Marco pursed his lips.

"Don't you think he will make her suffer more than she already is?"

Thatch shook his head with a smile.

"Nah. Ace cares about her, you know? In fact, he's obsessed with her. And so is she"

Then Thatch placed a hand on Marco's shoulder.

"Give him a chance. Pops trusts him. And then..." he said, pointing at your figures with a finger. "I don't think she's sad at all right now"

Marco realized how at that moment, your eyes were wide open and fixed on the fiery figures that Ace was creating in the sky with his powers. They shone in wonder at the sight that lit up the night sky above the Moby Dick.

And while your gaze was pointed upwards, Ace's was fixed on your face, which was making him fall in love more and more.

"Ace!"

Ace could hear your voice calling out to him. But it was muffled and so far away.

"Please hold on! Stay with us! Ace!"

Ace didn't understand. What the hell was going on? Why couldn't he see anything? Where were you? Was he dying? No, he absolutely couldn't allow that. After everything he was doing to fulfill his mission, he couldn't afford to leave you for something stupid like that.

After seconds that seemed endless, Ace found the strength to open his eyes. He wanted to move, but as soon as he tried to, a bolt of pain shot through his chest and he hissed in pain.

"Stay still"

Ace's eyes fell on the figure of Marco, who was walking around the room. Ace looked around and realized he was on a bed in the Moby Dick infirmary.

"Do you remember what happened?" the blond asked him, looking at him from behind his glasses.

Ace nodded, remembering everything. One minute he and everyone else were fighting and the next someone had hit him from behind. Then he remembered your voice, calling him desperately.

Ace looked down at his chest, which was bandaged and then noticed the figure who was sleeping with her head resting on her arms, which in turn were crossed on the mattress, next to his body. Ace felt his heart start beating again when he saw your hand holding his in his sleep, warming it with your warmth.

"You gave us a scare, especially to her" Marco murmured, trying not to wake you. "She's been here the whole time"

Marco approached the bed and placed a blanket over your shoulders, before gently rubbing your back.

"I'm relieved you're okay" the blond then said.

"I thought you hated me" Ace retorted.

Marco shrugged.

"We know what you're doing for her. And we're all grateful. And i'm sure she is, too. Even though it may not seem like it"

Ace opened his eyes slightly, surprised by his words.

"Do you really believe that?"

Marco nodded.

"If you keep doing this, i know you will succeed where we failed. Now rest, you need it"

Ace didn't have to be told twice and closed his eyes, abandoning himself to the presence of your touch.

When Ace reopened his eyes, he saw your face again and the blinding daylight coming through the infirmary windows.

"Ace!"

He didn't even have time to realize it, that you threw yourself onto his body, hugging his neck with all your strength.

"Thank goodness you're okay!"

Ace smiled and placed a hand on your back, but couldn't stop himself from making the noise of pain that the wound on his chest was causing him.

"Oh shoot, i'm sorry!" you exclaimed, immediately pulling away from him. "I didn't mean to hurt you"

Ace waved a hand.

"It's no problem, don't worry. Are you okay?"

You looked at him with teary eyes.

"Oh Ace…" you murmured. "After everything that happened to you, how can you still worry about me?"

"Well, are you sure you're not tired?" he asked you again.

And before you could respond he continued.

"Because you've been running through my mind all day~" he said with a smirk, accompanied by a wink.

You looked at him silently, eyes wide. That's when Ace saw you lower your head, covering your face with your hair. And then, after a few seconds, he saw your shoulders move in small spasms.

Ace widened his eyes, thinking you were crying and reached out to you.

"Y/n, i'm sorry-"

When his fingers brushed your shoulder, you raised your head to look at him. And to his shock, Ace realized that you were actually giggling.

"D-Does this feel like the time to say your stupid jokes?" You murmured, as if trying to hold back the laughter that was slowly escaping your lips.

Ace noticed a couple of tears coming out of your eyes, but you quickly wiped them away with your hands. He smiled and remembering the first time he told you one of his pickup lines, he said...

"But it was funny, wasn't it?"

You nodded, still giggling and covered your mouth with your hand. Ace looked at you tenderly, as he felt his heart warm with each passing second.

"You have a beautiful laugh, you know?" he asked you.

You looked at him, managing to stop laughing for a few seconds, while Ace continued.

"I'm glad i was able to make you smile. Pops and the others wanted it so much. And i wanted it too"

You reached out to his hand, stroking the back of it with your thumb, then brought his palm to cover your cheek.

"I thought i lost you Ace. And seeing that you're okay makes me happy. More than anything"

You looked at each other with sweet smiles and Ace could see in your eyes all the affection you felt for him. So he gathered courage and leaned forward until your lips touched softly. After a few seconds he pulled away.

"Well, if i had known that just ending up in a hospital bed was enough to make you happy, i would have done it a lot sooner"

At those words you couldn't help but burst out laughing, quickly covering your face with your hands.

"D-Don't say that!" you said mortified. "You make me look like a bad person!"

And Ace chuckled back, joining you.

At that moment, unbeknownst to you, certain commanders of a certain emperor's fleet and that emperor himself were gathering outside the infirmary door, trying not to be heard. And when they heard the sweet sound of your laughter for the first time, they felt their eyes become shiny.

"She's laughing!" Vista murmured. "Our darling little sister is laughing with joy!"

"Oh, i'm so happy!" continued Blamenco.

Whitebeard sniffed, but refrained from crying, unlike his sons, and he glanced at Marco, who was rubbing his eyes from behind his glasses, biting his lower lip.

Ace's voice rang out in the infirmary again.

"I'd offer you a cigarette but you're already smokin' hot~"

"Ace!" you called out to him between laughs, feeling your cheeks heat up under your palms.

He too continued to laugh and then he grimaced in pain, putting a hand to his chest.

"Thank you Ace"

Was what Whitebeard thought, looking back at you and Ace with a tender gaze.

"You saved her"

SABO (feat. the Revolutionary Army)

With Sabo i imagine a scenario that is similar to Senor Pink's backstory. (From Dressrosa arc but there are no spoilers)

You were both part of the Revolutionary Army, but you didn't always were together in missions. Sabo was sorry about this, especially because he was quite protective of you and despite being aware of your fighting skills, he was always afraid for you.

That day was a day like many others, where you and Sabo had said goodbye to each other by exchanging a kiss, you on his cheek and him on your forehead, and then wishing each other good luck, separating and going on your missions.

Sabo and Koala returned after a month and they both couldn't wait to see you and have a chat about the adventures you had. But when the two entered the headquarters, they did not expect the silence that reigned inside the room to welcome them. Usually when someone from the army returned from a mission after a long time, there was a celebration and when it came to Sabo and Koala you were the first to run to greet them.

Not surprisingly, Sabo immediately noticed your absence, but initially didn't give it too much thought, thinking that you were just busy with Dragon.

"Sabo"

Sabo lifted his head, meeting Ivan's gaze and when he noticed his less than happy tone and worried look, it didn't take him long to connect the dots.

Koala flashed him a smile.

"Hi Ivan-"

"Where is Y/n?" Sabo interrupted, taking a step forward.

Ivankov sighed, knowing there was no point beating around the bush with Sabo.

"In the infirmary" he only said.

Sabo passed him without waiting for him and Koala, heading towards the infirmary at full speed.

When he entered, throwing open the doors with force, he expected to find all kinds of dark scenarios, like you with a body full of bandages, you bleeding, or worse...

But he didn't expect to see your body under the covers of the infirmary bed, lying on its side in a fetal position, with your back facing him. Sabo wasted no time and ran in front of you, immediately taking your hand in his.

"Y/n!"

You opened your eyes when you heard his voice and Sabo immediately noticed how your eyes seemed emptier since the last time he saw you.

"Sabo... You're back"

Sabo looked at you worriedly, stroking the back of your hand with his thumb.

"What happened??" he asked frantically, looking from your eyes to the band-aid on your cheek.

But you just bit your lower lip, not having the strength to answer him and after your eyes filled with tears, you started crying in front of his eyes. Sabo looked at you, his heart breaking more and more with every tear he saw and every sob he heard.

"Y/n… Hey…" he murmured, placing his other hand on your cheek. He tried to comfort you in every way possible, but to no avail.

Then, Ivankov's voice called him again.

"Sabo"

Slowly Sabo raised his head towards the infirmary door and saw Dragon's figure in the doorway, next to Ivan's. Then, behind him, Koala reached him and after placing a hand on his shoulder she gave him a smile.

"I'll stay with her" said the girl.

Sabo gave you one last look, hoping he could look you in the eyes one more time, but you were too busy crying and you were even trying to hide your face under the bed sheet.

He quickly stood up, whispering a "I'll be right back" to you, then joined Ivan and Dragon. After the three exited the infirmary, they went to Dragon's office to talk in private and as soon as the door closed behind them, Sabo began to speak.

"What happened in that mission?? Who the hell made her like that?!"

"Sabo-"

"Tell me Ivan!" the blond interrupted abruptly, clenching his fists at his sides.

But Dragon and Ivan didn't take offense at his angry tone, because they knew him and they knew that when it came to you or his brothers, Sabo could lose his temper in seconds.

"They caught us off guard" Ivan said calmly, but still sadly. "Everything was going as planned, but someone probably discovered our plan and managed to get ahead of us. And Y/n..."

Ivan continued to talk and the more he went on, the more it didn't seem true to Sabo. Why did what happened have to happen to you? What did you do wrong?

"There's a bigger problem" Dragon then interjected, catching Sabo's attention. "What she suffered put her into a sort of depressive state. It's as if she's costantly tired and none of us were able to get her out of bed of her own free will"

"We can only get her to move to go to the bathroom..." Ivan continued. "For the rest she has always remained in bed and eats very little"

Sabo remained silent, shocked.

"I'm sorry Sabo" Ivan concluded then, lowering his head, feeling humiliated under the blond's gaze. "Y/n is suffering because of me, because i failed to protect her. If you're angry with me i understand, i-"

"Ivan"

Ivankov looked back at Sabo with teary eyes when he heard him call him.

"Yes?" he asked, sniffling.

"It's not your fault and i'm not angry with you, really" the other said calmly, trying to smile, although he couldn't. "I'm sure you all did your best"

Sabo turned his back to him and lowering his head, he clenched his fists at his sides again. The more he thought about what they had told him, about what you had suffered, without him, the more he felt his heart burning with anger inside his chest.

"But please, tell me..." he said, gritting his teeth. "Tell me that at least those bastards got what they deserved. Tell me you didn't let them get away with it. I need to know this, Ivankov"

Ivan nodded solemnly.

"We took care of it, i promise Sabo"

"Good"

After asking for permission to leave, Sabo left and obviously returned to the infirmary, to make up for all the time he had lost without you.

And even though he believed that Ivan and Dragon's words were exaggerated and didn't want to believe them, unfortunately Sabo realized that they were true about you.

After he left on his mission he just couldn't wait to get back to you and spend time with you, doing everything he could to make you happy. But despite him coming to keep you company in the infirmary every single day, Sabo still hadn't seen the slightest shadow of your beloved smile on your face. And he missed that so much.

Not to mention what happened in the infirmary: Sabo tried to interact with you in every way possible, but aside from the day he and Koala returned, it was like you didn't even notice he was there. He spent all his time holding your hand, caressing you, kissing you and telling you little stories to entertain the time. But he never had a full reaction, other than simple words or noises of approval and disapproval. You laid on the bed in the same position for hours and hours, just staring out of the window.

The more time passed, the more Sabo didn't know what to do. Koala tried to stay close to him, talk to him and give him some advice, like taking some time to take care of himself too, because staying in that state wasn't good for him or you.

"No!" he told her with determination. "I'm not going to lose Y/n like this. It's not fair at all. I won't give up Koala, i won't give up until i have the same Y/n as before. I won't give up until i see her smiling again like she used to!"

Sabo started with the flowers.

Every week, on the advice of Koala, Betty and Ivankov, he brought you bouquets of all kinds of flowers, always decorated with colored bows and small love notes. Now don't get it wrong, Sabo was a gentleman and he often gave you flowers even before, which you always kept in your bedroom. He hoped that by doing this, maybe he could rekindle that little flame inside your heart that fueled your love.

"Hey, good morning" Sabo carefully entered the room, hoping he hadn't disturbed you and approached your bed.

"I ordered these flowers especially for you, they come from far away" he said, sitting on the chair next to the bed. "They are rare, but they have a very particular scent and i thought you'd like them. Come on, smell them"

He handed you the bouquet of flowers, bringing it closer to your face, making sure you could smell it. After a few seconds he pulled away.

"They smell good, don't they?" he asked you with a hopeful smile.

Sabo saw your head move just a few inches, nodding.

"Mh" you hummed under your breath.

But Sabo didn't give up.

"I knew you would've liked them" he said. "The world is full of flowers you haven't seen yet, but i know you would love them all"

This time you remained silent, with your gaze regularly fixed out the window.

Sabo let out a heartbroken huff through his nose and placed the bouquet of flowers on the cabinet next to the bed. Then he leaned forward and clasped your cold hand in both of his, warming it with his gloves. He quickly glanced at all the flowers that were slowly accumulating on one of the empty beds in the infirmary. Then he looked back at you, hoping that your eyes would move to meet his, even if just for a split second. But it didn't happen.

Sabo continued with the flowers, but then he realized that there was something else you loved. Books.

Thanks to him you had rediscovered the pleasure of reading and when you spent time together, you often spent it reading with him. Sometimes you remained in the same room in silence for hours and hours, each reading a book on your own, and then commenting it. Other times, one of you would read pages to the other and vice versa, activity you often did before going to sleep. The books had become your thing.

So Sabo also began to bring a book along with the flowers. And since you didn't have the energy to sit and read with him, he spent his time reading aloud, sitting next to your bed.

He spent time reading you chapter after chapter and sometimes he even changed the tone of his voice when there was a dialogue between the characters, like when you read a fairy tale to a child. He had never done this, but he hoped that by doing it maybe you would've laughed or smiled at the way he was making a fool of himself. But nothing from you.

Until one day, Sabo entered the infirmary, greeted you with a kiss on your hair, placed the flowers on the bedside table, sat down and opened the new book he had started reading to you, like he did every day.

But this time, before he could read the first word of the chapter aloud, a hand on his knee made him slightly jump.

"Sabo" Sabo's eyes widened when he heard you say his name.

"Y-Yes?? What's wrong Y/n? Tell me everything" he said frantically, hoping he hadn't imagined it.

Suddenly you began to move on the bed and slowly sat up.

"Could you... Could you sit next to me while you read?" you asked him, your voice hoarse.

Sabo felt as if his heart had started beating again. Despite the monotone tone in which you asked him that question and your facial expression that seemed paralyzed, he knew that this only meant he was making progress.

Sabo nodded frantically, unable to hold back the smile forming on his lips. You moved away along the mattress, making room for him and he wasted no time in climbing up and sitting next to your body. Once he had settled into the most suitable position he glanced at you.

He stood stiff as a board at your silence. Your bodies were touching, yes, but at the same time it was as if they weren't. Maybe you regretted asking him? Maybe you felt uncomfortable? He decided it was best to start reading, so he cleared his throat and continued where he was about to start earlier.

Then, a few minutes later, in the middle of the narration, Sabo felt something soft touch his arm and something else rest against his shoulder. He jumped once more, stopping and turning to face you. And he realized that after so long, he could finally feel the warmth of your hand resting on his arm and the softness of your hair covering his shoulder, with your head on top of it. Oh, how he had missed that feeling.

Even though he suddenly fell silent, you didn't say anything either. You remained staring at the pages of the book, waiting for him to start again. And with a smile, that's what Sabo did.

Then one day Sabo had an idea. He wasn't sure about it, but he might as well try, right?

He entered the room and saw you sitting, with your back resting on the pillow. He reached you and if before he usually sat in the chair next to the bed, this time he sat next to your body on the edge of the mattress and took your hand. He flashed you a smile, but you didn't notice, too busy staring out the window, the only thing you did while he was gone.

Sabo continued to caress the back of your hand, then he turned to look out the window as well.

"Today is a beautiful day, isn't it?"

"Yes it is" you replied calmly.

He slowly looked back at you.

"How... How about we go out for a walk?" he asked you slowly, fearing for your reaction.

Silence fell, but after a few seconds you turned to him and then nodded without saying anything. Sabo smiled at you and stood up, before offering you his gloved hand, which you slowly took.

He helped you to your feet and as soon as you were next to him, you wrapped your arm around his, resting your cheek against his shoulder. That gesture caught him off guard, but he recovered quickly and together you walked out of the infirmary.

The people of the army looked at you in amazement, but they refrained from commenting, even though they would have been positive comments, happy that you were improving thanks to Sabo. Sitting at a table, Ivankov opened his eyes wide with a gasp when he saw you. While Koala, next to him, smiled happily. But Sabo ignored everyone and led you out of the headquarters, even away from the new recruits who were training with Hack and Kuma.

So you spent the day walking slowly under the blue sky, arm in arm. And you did the same the following days, when the warm presence of the sun allowed you to go outside.

Usually you walked in silence, enjoying the atmosphere and the sounds of nature, but the only one of the two who every now and then said something to break the ice was Sabo, when, after pointing out a cloud in the sky, he invented its shape. And you agreed with him, even if it actually wasn't like that.

Other times, when there was a breeze that made goosebumps on your arms, Sabo wasted no time and took off his jacket, placing it on your shoulders and making sure you were well covered. You thanked him every time and even though he would have loved to see your smile, he knew that you were still grateful for his kind gestures.

Or he would start telling some stories about his brothers, about his missions with Koala or he would make you remember your dates and the good moments you had spent together and which he would've always kept in his heart. And reluctantly, you replied saying that you missed the person you used to be too.

Once your walks were over, you often became too tired to do anything else and Sabo would take you back to bed.

One evening, when darkness had fallen, Sabo gently placed your body on the infirmary bed, then covered it with the sheets. Usually he would read you a few pages of a book even before falling asleep, but since your eyes were already closed and you now seemed abandoned in the world of dreams, he decided to let you sleep.

He leaned in to kiss you on the forehead, bidding you goodnight in a whisper and when he turned to leave, you grabbed a piece of his clothes, making him stop in his tracks. Sabo turned to look at you, seeing you staring at him with eyes that were struggling to stay open.

"Stay… Please" you murmured, then moved away along the mattress, making room for him.

Sabo couldn't help but smile and he nodded.

"Of course, darling. Anything you want"

He took off his gloves, jacket and boots and settled under the covers, next to you. You wasted no time and snuggled into his body, resting your head on his chest. Sabo heard you let out a deep breath through your nose, as if you hadn't been waiting for anything but that.

He said nothing and closed his eyes, thinking he would've gone to sleep, but...

"Thank you, Sabo" he heard you say suddenly, in the middle of the silence.

Sabo lowered his head to look at you. Your eyes were still closed, but he knew you were still conscious enough to speak.

And then, in the dark of night, he finally saw it.

After all that time, Sabo saw your sweet, genuine smile slowly grow on your face, illuminated by the moon's rays.

Sabo continued to look at you in silence and couldn't stop his heartbeat, which was speeding up as the seconds passed. You could hear it clearly under your ear and continued to smile.

"I'm happy for everything you've done for me. You've brought joy back to my heart and i will be infinitely grateful to you for that" you said, clutching the clothes on his abdomen with one hand. "I couldn't have asked for a better person than you. I'm so happy to have you in my life. Thank you. I love you"

Sabo saw a couple of tears fall silently from your closed eyes and he felt his eyes becoming shiny too, but he managed to hold back. With one hand he ran his thumb gently under your eyes, wiping them of tears. He sniffed and flashed you a smile.

He had done it. After weeks and weeks of agony that he had tried so hard not to show you, he could finally feel his heart swell with joy and relief at the sight of your face that no longer reflected the pain you were feeling.

Sabo wrapped his arms around you and leaned in to give you another small series of kisses on the top of your head.

"I love you too" he murmured against your hair.

Then he closed his eyes, knowing he would've finally had a peaceful night with you by his side. And all he could think was only one thing: that he would've done anything to never make you lose your smile again.

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