When You and I are Just Beyond Reach

[night-mare-chan.livejournal.com]

Title: Just Beyond Reach
Medium: Fic
Word Count: 296
Rating: PG
Prompt: Wave
Character: Sabo
Warning: Spoilers ahoy.



"Get OFF of me!" Sabo snarled, even as as he shook them off one way and the other, listening to their cries as they flew off and hit the railing, bounced off the deck. It was so much buzzing in the ears to him. Tinny noises that could barely be heard over the odd thrumming in his ears, like a hive of angry hornets.

He stormed toward the railing, taking long strides. The sea was waiting and beyond that--

"Hack!" Koala's voice rang out like a bell. An instant later a wave like a wall of water burst over the side of the deck an smacked him full and cold in the face, full of arctic chill. Sabo landed on his ass, spluttering, angry enough to not even feel the cold as he struggled to sit up but there was a knee in his gut, pinning him down, Koala frowning down at him.

"Let me go!" Sabo snapped at her. "You don't understand! I have to go to him! He needs me! Luffy, he--"

"Look!" she snapped, jamming the paper in his face. Luffy, head down, hat over his heart. Sabo wanted to die. "He's got Silvers Rayleigh with him and Jimbei. He doesn't--" Koala stopped. He was glad she did. "--he'll be fine. He needs to grow right? To figure things out on his own."

Sabo dug the heels of his hands against his eyes to stop the wetness from coming out. "But I'm his brother!"

He briefly felt the cool touch of her fingertips against his temple. “I know,” she said.

Beyond that, he didn't move. No one spoke. There was nothing but a soft sigh from the man who watched, and dull roar of the waves just beyond the railing.

Comments

[printfogey.livejournal.com]

Sabo, you shouldn't have listened to Koala! He so does need you. That mean Rayleigh will just deny him his crew, but you're not part of his crew, you could come!! Not to stay with him for two years, but just give him love and reassurance at a time when he could really need it.

*cough* *ahem* *is still biased at Oda for this* But anyway, this is a terrific glimpse at a moment that could easily have happened in canon, as far as we know right now. I love Koala doing Fishman Karate to make him see reason - from her point of view, since she'd no doubt needed to figure things out on her own too in her rough life. (And I wonder how many other moments Sabo's had over the years wanting to go see Luffy and Ace and needing to be persuaded, until Doflamingo pushed things to a point way too much.)

Thank you so much for writing this and sharing!

[shindahotaru.livejournal.com]

This drabble made it into my top 3 drabbles of all instantly. It's so amazing because the idea is great, the realization of it is as well and so heavy with different emotions that it gave me intense feels ;A; Despite that, I think that both characters are very in-character. Awesome job!