Work Text:
Ace is running out of time, there is no more fire, no more screaming, no more crying, no more pain, no more gun shots, nothing.
It’s quiet and he feels at ease for once since this whole thing started and theres a person in front of him.
He cant tell Who because they are swathed in a warm light and, yet he smiles softly because they feel so familiar and yet still so unfamiliar but he smiles anyways, and quietly he reckons its his blonde and blue eyed brother greeting him again (he doesnt know the truth and he wont ever know for awhile, but thats okay, he’s okay.)
So he lets the person pull him up, and they put a gentle hand on his shoulder and even though Ace cant see their face he can tell they’re smiling at him.
They ask him gently in a voice so soft and quiet he might miss it, if he's happy and he is. He still tells them that he’s sad he died but he’s happy because he got to protect his little brother one more time, and he’s satisfied with that.
He’s happy that he wasn't useless when it mattered most and that he was loved and, accepted for who he was, flaws and all.
He reckons anyways that he’ll miss his black haired brother who’s smiles challenged the sun in brightness and the hugs he gave that were ever always filled to the brim with love and warmth.
But he figures thats alright because even though he’s leaving one brother, he’s reuniting with those he lost before.
Now here somewhere he finally feels safe in, he can watch his brother from here and even when he finds out his other sibling who he thought he had lost so long ago was still alive and regardless how mad he is hes so so Happy (something inside him reckons he already knew Sabo wasn’t gone just misplaced.)
From there he watches them and he guards them forever grateful for their love, acceptance, and brotherhood.
And there sitting in the clouds looking down on them Ace smiles, he smiles true and proud, and down below both his brothers, though not by blood but by pure love, felt a warmth deep in their core like something, no, Someone was watching them, guiding them.
And they smiled too.