Chapter Text
sabo holds one inside-out sock tightly in the palm of his hand and digs into the armrest with the other for balance as he swings one leg over to press his cold toes into ace’s shin.
the reaction is immediate, ace springing awake and wrenching his leg away, eyes wide as he moves they every possible direction to take in the situation. it doesn’t take long at all for them to settle on sabo’s bare foot, and an involuntary shiver shakes his shoulders. “how are your feet this cold after a nine hour flight?” he complains.
“there’s an air vent against the wall,” sabo says dismissively, tapping the edge of it with his shoe. he slides his other leg up so his heel digs into his opposite leg’s thigh, fingers already turning the sock right-side-in again. “you should’ve fought harder for the window seat.” his eyes narrow as ace yawns into a hand. “uh-uh. we’re landing, so don’t even think about going back to sleep.”
“i can’t believe you woke me up like you do when we’re home,” ace mutters.
sabo stomps his now-socked foot into his shoe, bending down to do the laces back up. “you weren’t responding to anything else.”
ace sighs loudly and pulls the hood of his sweatshirt up over his head, far enough that it droops past his eyes. he rubs tired circles into his temples from over the material, and his shoulders slump, all the tension from the surprise at having been woken up in such a manner bleeding out of him. “whatever. let me know when we can leave.”
he drops down onto sabo’s lap after saying this, hood still obscuring his face, and sabo pauses before he can protest. he’d been out of commission himself soon after boarding their flight, and he really has no idea how long ace had spent awake and what he had done to pass the time he was conscious.
sabo’s not heartless. if ace really is running on fumes like he’s acting like he is, then he can have some sympathy. not like their day was going to get any easier after they landed.
he smooths his hand along the stitching of ace’s hood, starting above his ear and going up to the crown of his head. ace makes a noise and shifts, tilting his face further into sabo’s thighs and making the path of sabo’s hand easier. he takes it as a sign of approval, continuing the motion slowly.
when people start shuffling into the aisle around them, ace is already rousing, but sabo still helps a little. he pulls the hood back away from ace’s face and lets his fingers glide through ace’s bangs, moving them up off of his forehead. ace turns so his back is flatter against sabo’s legs, baring his face completely, and blinks slowly up at sabo.
“time to go,” sabo murmurs, dropping his head lower to hover over ace.
ace doesn’t take the bait, though, only closing his eyes again and shuffling back upright on his own.
they get their luggage and meander around the large wing the baggage claim is in until they find a sign pointing in the direction of the gate they need to go to. sabo lets ace lean into him once they’ve situated themselves on a moving walkway, carefully tucking his hand into the pocket of ace’s sweatshirt so it doesn’t get crushed between their bodies instead.
“this place is huge,” ace mumbles too close to sabo’s ear for comfort, ten minutes after they’ve ridden the walkway down one of the lengthier wings of the airport.
sabo resists a shudder and tugs ace closer instead, balling the sweatshirt fabric in his hand until the pocket crinkles inward. ace lists heavier into his side, eyes blinking open a little more alertly. he moves his head off and gazes down the way, and once sabo’s regained his breath, he turns to look in the same direction.
the end of the line comes up too fast for either of them to be fully prepared, and they’re still getting their bearings when they enter another huge wing closer to the gate that marks their meeting spot. ace releases the handle of his suitcase to dig for his wallet instead, moving in a different direction towards a vending machine in the corner with (miraculously) no line to use it.
sabo sighs and drags both of their luggage behind him, doggedly trailing after ace. he remains in line of sight a polite distance away from the machine. it’s enough for ace to find him again with ease, shoving a second aluminum can into sabo’s chest and sitting on the top of his own suitcase while sabo flounders to get ahold of his drink before it can drop.
it’s a different brand of canned coffee than ace’s, and sabo’s smile is brief but sincere, touched that ace managed to remember his favorite despite clearly being not all there.
instead of drinking it, though, he tucks it away into his bag’s side pocket. then he copies ace, haphazardly settling on the edge of his own suitcase and waiting for ace to be caffeinated enough to start walking again.
“this place is way too big,” ace repeats several minutes later.
“yeah, well.” sabo points up ahead of them. “it’s a good thing we’re about to leave, then.”
ace follows his finger and lights up when he sees rouge in front of a display fountain several meters ahead, hands folded politely in front of her. her sixth sense reserved solely for detecting ace kicks in, and she raises one arm to wave at them.
ace abandons his suitcase again. this time, sabo does nothing but sigh fondly and reach out to grab the handle, dragging the extra weight behind him like he’s done it a million times before.
rouge’s arms dig into ace’s bag when she circles her arms around him in a hug he reciprocates, whispering something into her ear that sabo can’t quite make out with all the extra noise of the airport around them.
they pull away before too long, and then it’s sabo’s turn. he lets go of both suitcase handles to return the sentiment, and rouge grins close to his ear when his enthusiasm nearly has her off of her feet.
she moves back and ruffles his hair, something he has a much less enthusiastic response to. “roger’s waiting at home,” she announces, tilting her head so she’s addressing ace as well. “he’s a little under the weather, but it’s been a good day all-in-all, so with any luck he’ll have enough energy to eat dinner with us when we get home.”
ace perks up at this. he’s taken his suitcase back from sabo, and his hand squeezes down on the handle with pent-up enthusiasm. “you made food for us?”
rouge shrugs. “it’s not that late, dear. i’d rather you have a home-cooked meal first thing than fast food picked up on the drive back.”
“i’m not complaining,” ace counters, lips quirking up.
“sounds good to me,” sabo follows.
they stuff everything into the back of rouge’s car before ace corrals sabo into the front seat so he can kick off his shoes and recline across the bench in the back, head already pillowed under an arm. sabo looks over his shoulder and frowns at ace’s prone form as rouge fiddles with the air-conditioning.
“rough flight?” she asks in a low voice once they’re on the road and ace’s breathing has evened out. it’s a little under an hour drive from the airport to the gol-portgas residence, and sabo reclines back in his seat, settling in for the long haul.
“i guess?” he shrugs. “it was fine for me.”
she hums, glancing at ace through the rear-view mirror. “something else, then.”
chalking it up to a case of mother’s intuition, sabo makes a mental note to ask ace later what’s bothering him.
-
roger is the same as always, if a little paler than the last sabo saw him in person. sabo doesn’t envy him – he’s really just glad ace hadn’t ended up with the same autoimmune disease roger has to deal with far too frequently.
ace had spent more time asleep around sabo than he had awake, and yet he still seems oddly tired when they push their way into his childhood room after dinner. ace waves off the offer of first shower, and when sabo comes back later, only half-dressed and skin still warm to the touch, ace has sunk into a corner of the mattress, huddled up on his side with his backpack cradled to his chest.
sabo blinks, lips pulling down into a more severe frown, and takes a heavy seat on the edge of the bed. it dips under his weight, and he ends up turned forward again to work the towel around his neck over his damp hair, so he misses the shifting until ace’s clothed arms are winding around his middle.
sabo, taken by surprise, just barely misses jabbing ace with an elbow. he stiffens and ace lets out a subdued laugh at the aborted motion, relaxing his hold to flop down beside sabo, hands loosely overlapped on top of sabo’s legs.
“smell good,” ace mutters into the clean sheets, and sabo wants to believe there was a ‘you’ prefacing this that he just couldn’t hear.
he drops the towel back down around his neck to sniff at his forearm. “really?” he can only smell the light citrus, the source being some sort of candy-adjacent scented kids shower gel. it had been his only option, and he’d thought about asking for a plain bar of soap the entire time he’d lingered in the steam-filled room. only now, with ace’s quiet admission, does he think it’s in his best interest to leave things as they are.
ace hums, and it drags out. he tilts his head to bare a little of his face, lift his lips just a bit from digging into the mattress. “yeah,” he confirms. “smells like hi-chew.”
“are you sick?” sabo asks suddenly, refusing to let his heart beat out of his chest. he pushes a palm flat against ace’s forehead, then lets it trail down his cheek. “you feel a little warm.”
“nah.” ace reaches up to move sabo’s hand, but gives up halfway, tangling their fingers together instead and letting them both roll down to cover his mouth. when he speaks, his lips tickle sabo’s skin. “‘m all good. no need to worry.”
“if you say so,” sabo sighs. he flops down to recline on the bed himself, displacing his hand from ace’s and only slightly missing the touch.
ace kicks one leg out to knock his bag to the floor, then turns until his head is level with sabo’s. he reaches out to place a hand on sabo’s damp curls, mouth twitching into an almost-smile as his eyes dart towards the fresh sheets underneath the both of them. “c'mon, dry this better before you lie down,” he chides lightly. his fingers brush against a corner of the towel still around sabo’s neck, and he tugs until it covers enough of sabo’s hair for him to pretend to dry further when his fingers slide up and down the fabric.
sabo smiles endearingly at this. he half-rises onto one elbow so he’s not getting the bedding wet any further and takes over for ace by moving the middle of the towel over his head completely. he grabs ace’s hand from midair and tangles their fingers together as ace had done before. “you should shower now that you’ve had another nap.”
ace’s lips finally curl up. “are you trying to tell me something?”
“no, i am telling you something. we’ve been traveling all day. go shower. you’ll feel better afterwards.”
“i don’t feel bad,” ace mumbles. he does sit up, though, and after ruffling the towel over sabo’s hair, leaves the room with heavy footsteps.
sabo stands as well and pads much more quietly over to his suitcase. it’s dark in the house, and with the layout so unfamiliar, he feels more confident moving down the hall with his glasses perched on his nose.
there’s a dim light under one set of kitchen cabinets that sabo assumes stays on overnight. it’s enough for him to get by as he pulls a glass down and fills it with water. no one comes in behind him or moves around elsewhere, that he can hear. roger and rouge have probably gone to bed themselves.
sabo leans against the island counter and sips from the glass until he’s had enough, then fills it back up to where it was before.
this time, when he moves past the living room, he spies roger reclined on one corner of the long couch. he’s sickly pale with the lighting of the tv shining on him. sabo can hardly believe he’s still up.
after a moment, he turns to catch sabo’s gaze. his mustache crinkles in what sabo thinks means there’s a smile hidden underneath it. “off to bed?” he asks.
“yeah,” he answers. “probably,” he follows.
roger grunts in agreement. “goodnight, then. oh, do me a favor?” he adds, when sabo turns to continue down the hall. “send my son down before he falls asleep for the night.”
sabo relays this to ace when he finds him back from the shower, haphazardly dressed and looking like a deer in the headlights even though it’s nothing sabo hasn’t seen before.
when sabo is finished, though, he looks disgruntled about having to climb the stairs again that night. but he doesn’t complain, only sighing as he pulls on the rest of his nightwear and moves around sabo to squeeze through the door.
when he comes back, sabo is already under the covers, and the room is pitch black. sabo is still only dozing, so he comes to pretty quick when ace slides in next to him.
ace presses his nose to the back of sabo’s head and inhales deep. sabo resists a blush at the contact, but he can’t quite manage that again when ace’s arms worm their way around his middle. ace hums after a second, this low rumbling sound that nearly makes sabo shiver, then relaxes completely so his arm drapes heavy over sabo’s side.
“what did your dad want?” sabo whispers to distract himself from the idea of procuring the kiddy-scented shampoo for their own home.
“nothin’,” ace mumbles into his neck. he leans more heavily into sabo’s back. “quit shakin’.”
easier said that done, sabo thinks as ace’s breath warms the back of his neck once more. he manages to resist another shiver, leaving him tense, and then relaxes with a sharp exhale a few moments after.
ace isn’t awake anymore to complain about the movement, or to answer any more of sabo’s questions.
-
sabo must have turned around in his sleep, because when he opens his eyes in the morning, he’s greeted with the sight of ace trying to sit up.
he blinks, vision still a little blurry, but ace is close enough for him to see in detail how he moves his fringe out of his face. there are dark circles under his eyes that are evidence to something from the previous day still troubling him. sabo should probably be concerned, but honestly, his sleep-addled brain can only process how the look adds to ace’s appeal.
even in his current state, he’s still the hottest person sabo has ever laid eyes on. it’s what makes him reach out, latching fingers to the neckline of ace’s shirt, and tugging him closer before he can move further out of reach.
ace’s eyes flicker to his, the slate-grey coming into sharp focus, and the intensity almost makes sabo shiver. ace bends his elbows and allows himself to be tugged down, sabo pressing their lips together once he’s within distance, then nibbling on ace’s lower lip soon after.
ace takes the hint and follows suit, parting his lips just to swipe the tip of his tongue across sabo’s own. he moves one of his hands to press into the sheets on the other side of sabo’s half-turned body. sabo’s mouth falls open and ace molds them together, running his tongue along the back of sabo’s lower lip before venturing deeper.
sabo’s hand untangles from ace’s shirt and settles on the back of his head instead, holding him there. any headway he tries to make into ace’s mouth is thwarted when ace curls their tongues together and sucks. sabo’s hand curls into a fist, gripping tight to ace’s hair.
when they part to breathe, ace doesn’t rise, choosing instead to settle his forehead on sabo’s shoulder. sabo tilts so their cheeks mash together. he’s probably panting straight into ace’s ear, but if ace minds this, he doesn’t show it.
ace sits up again and fixes the collar of his sleep shirt. he risks a glance down at sabo. “coffee?”
sabo puts both hands over his eyes and sighs. “please.”
he’s a little more awake when ace returns, one-and-a-half steaming mugs in hand and cheeks tinted pink. if sabo had to guess, the reason was probably his still-swollen lips. ace’s parents have always been early risers.
“mom’s making breakfast,” ace tells him as he settles down on sabo’s side of the bed, pretty much confirming sabo’s assumption. sabo slides his legs up to make room and sits back against the headboard to properly accept the near-full mug ace offers him.
he takes a sip and sighs this time in a quiet, content sort of way. “so,” he mumbles, lips still pressed to the rim. “any grand plans for the day?”
ace sets his mug between his knees and moves his head so he’s looking at the partially-open closet door instead of at sabo. “yeah. i thought we could go shopping later, and then do around in the city. play it by ear. maybe grab dinner while we’re there.”
sabo hums in surprise. “on christmas eve? we’re here for a whole week. isn’t there a better, less-crowded day to do all that on?”
ace shrugs. he’s still not looking at sabo. “we can do other things other days. my mom has plans for us. she let me have this day to do what i want.”
sabo gives up trying to catch ace’s gaze and turns to peer out the window in the far corner. it’s overcast, but he can still make out where the sun is in the sky. hopefully the weather doesn’t worsen as the day goes on. “alright. i’ll have to get a new rail pass.”
“both of my parents have cars now.” ace says this and then calmly moves off the bed as sabo lets his legs straighten out. he offers his hand and sabo accepts, letting himself be pulled upright and onto his feet. “we can just take one of theirs.”
“if you’re sure.” sabo takes another sip of coffee then lets his eyes flick over to his suitcase. it’s bright enough that he should be fine without his glasses, but he’s worried about the staircase–
ace tugs him forward, leaving their hands intertwined. his smile is easy and warm, and whatever has him so restless doesn’t show on his face in this moment. “c’mon, let’s go eat.”
sabo smiles back and lets himself be led from the room, the stairs now a trivial matter with ace guiding him.
-
breakfast is much more lively than dinner was the previous evening. roger is in good spirits and is loud enough to make this known. he cajoles ace into sharing his plans for the day and then offers his vehicle for them to take. rouge declines for them and tells ace to take her car instead, wanting him to be in a vehicle he’s familiar with while he adjusts to driving on the left side of the road.
ace mentions he made reservations at a restaurant in the city last night and to not wait up on them for dinner. sabo quietly wonders when he had the time to do that. while sabo was in the shower? while he was downstairs with roger when sabo was already lying down? no, roger’s facial expression implies this is news to him.
“if you’re out that late, you won’t be back for lunch either,” rouge muses while she gathers the dishes. roger shoos her away from his coffee mug and collects the remaining glasses for her instead, getting up out of his chair to set them beside the sink.
“we’ll be fine,” ace assures her.
“still, do you want some money to eat on?” she says over her shoulder while fighting roger for space at the sink. between the two of them, they turn the faucet on too high, spraying water into the air as it bounces off whatever’s at the bottom of the sink. “roger!” she admonishes, at the same time as roger tells her “careful!”
“if you want to, then i’ll take it,” ace replies when there’s a moment of peace. “but if you’d rather save your money for later in the week, then we’ll be fine.”
“you’ve exchanged enough currency to make it?” roger asks, trudging over to his seat as if he’s been banished there.
“his bank account here is still open, dear,” rouge says so ace doesn’t have to.
“there’s more than enough in it to last through the day,” ace follows.
roger’s mustache twitches and sabo looks on in amusement as he tries to figure out what to say. their eyes meet by chance but roger doesn’t look away, focusing his attention on sabo next.
“excited for today? you ever been to the city?”
“once, i think, but i wasn’t very old.” he glances at ace, who’s fixing him with an odd, curious look, almost like this is news to him. maybe it is. sabo can’t recall if he’s ever mentioned it before, but ace has never asked, either. “my anticipation is metered. it’ll depend on how bad traffic is, on the road and on foot.”
“if it’s not worth it to go later, we can always cancel the reservation,” ace says quietly.
“we can play it by ear,” sabo corrects, forcing himself to smile even as his eyes slit. it’s intimidating, he knows, but he can’t help that he’s starting to squint now that he’s more awake.
fortunately, ace has known him long enough that he doesn’t take it the wrong way. he shrugs, turns away, and then turns back as a thought registers in his brain. “go put your contacts in.”
sabo’s eyes fall shut as he smiles a little more believably. “yes, sir,” he says, already moving to his feet.
roger and rouge share a glance behind his back.
-
the city is crowded and humid, a combination that leaves the air sweltering even in the midst of winter. it’s enough for sabo to abandon his coat in the car after they climb back in it to depart for another strip mall to have lunch at.
he waves off ace’s concern as his feet hit concrete, straightening his thick sweater with both hands and closing the door behind him with an elbow. ace moves to his side to adjust the scarf around his neck, pulling it just a bit more snug against his skin. sabo smiles knowingly and grabs ace’s hands before his fingers can linger.
after lunch, they meander around in some odd-end shops to try and find a suitable gift for roger. ace is being particularly picky, though, and he seems to brush off sabo’s opinions even after asking for them.
they enter a more pricey shop just for the fun of it. sabo navigates over to the wristwatches, perusing the ones with leather bands. after a minute, ace moves to stand at his side, peering over his shoulder.
“you really think dad would go for something like that?” he asks like he’s trying to have an open mind to the idea but is failing miserably, thinly-veiled judgement still tinting the words.
sabo resists a snort and pulls back. “no,” he starts, turning his head to look back. “but i thought ace might.”
ace’s mouth falls open in surprise. before he can comment, though, a sales attendant wanders over to them, pausing on the other side of the display case.
“looking for yourselves, gentlemen? i’d be happy to help if–”
“oh, no,” ace interrupts, waving the idea off. “it’d be for my dad.” he casts sabo a pointed look after this and sabo barely resists rolling his eyes.
they leave the store empty-handed. sabo muses upon the idea of texting rouge for suggestions, but he feels like that’d be cheating, in a way.
but he is curious, so while they’re winding through a more crowded side-street, he takes ace’s hand among the press of bodies and tempts a question. “what did rouge end up getting him? you mentioned she had something already after your conversation with her the day before we left.”
as the swell of people slowly dissipates to various attractions, sabo lifts their joined hands and settles them in ace’s coat pocket to keep them from view. ace’s mouth is open to answer, but he visibly pauses at this, something now wavering in his expression.
sabo, confused and concerned, tilts his head so he has a better look at ace. ace’s grip grows taut, and sabo twists his wrist slightly out of discomfort. his knuckles brush against a different material than the inner lining of ace’s pocket.
before he can process this much, ace is yanking their hands out and pulling sabo along after him. he moves them just inside a narrow, empty side street – something that can barely be considered an alley – and presses sabo back against the bricks so he can steal his breath away.
he moves away and sabo blinks his eyes open, still processing the display of affection. “something like that,” ace hums. “it’s the same thing every year.”
“oh,” sabo breathes. he’s still trying to get his head on straight when ace moves them back out onto the main road, interlocked hands now securely nestled back in his coat’s deep pocket.
“maybe we should wait until she’s with us to pick something out,” ace mumbles after a minute of walking in silence. “she’d know best if he has any specific wants at the moment.”
“sure,” sabo agrees. “what time is our reservation?”
ace grabs his phone from his back pocket – odd, sabo could’ve sworn it had been in the front pocket of his pants earlier – and checks the time. “little over an hour from now.” he glances over at sabo and then lets his eyes wander around them. “might take us that long to get there. should we leave now? did you want to stop anywhere else?”
sabo shakes his head. “it’s better if we’re a little early, anyway. we can find some way to pass the time.”
“yeah.” ace’s eyes flicker to the sky briefly. it’s been the same dull kind of overcast since they left the house this morning, so sabo has no idea what’s so interesting about it.
he doesn’t miss the disappointed slant to ace’s lips, though, when he finally looks back down to earth.
-
dinner is actually a delight.
they’re seated at a small booth and none of the servers seem to mind when sabo crawls in after ace on the same side, leaving them to kick their feet up on the opposite bench. the food is good, which is always a plus, but sabo always thinks the real joy comes from being next to ace in this kind of environment. he’d spend an hour back at home somewhere sipping on water and eating stale breadsticks if it meant he’d be pressed to ace’s side in a low-lighting, high-ambiance setting.
ace admits, after they leave, that he’s been waiting for it to start snowing. says that rouge told him that morning while he was fetching coffee that it had been forecast to start a few hours ago, while the sun was still up.
the sun is decidedly not still up, and sabo is starting to feel the chill of night through his sweater and undershirt, but he can’t resist when ace pulls him inside of a park to wait it out just a little longer.
it’s not cold enough out yet for him to start seeing his breath, but sabo thinks that when it does snow, he’ll only last around a minute before corralling ace to the car where it’s warm and dry and decidedly less crowded.
he feels like they can’t even leisurely walk down this pathway when last-minute shoppers are obviously using it as a shortcut to get from one high-end market to another. ace must feel the same way shortly after him, because he pulls them both out of the way to sit down on a park bench just enough removed from a lamppost that it doesn’t attract any attention.
sabo sighs and throws his feet up on the metal so his knees can press onto the back. he leans his shoulder against it as well, turning so he faces ace, and then sighs again at ace’s raised brows.
“i wish we were home so i could kick these shoes off,” he reveals, wiggling his toes so they press against ace’s side.
ace grabs one of his calves like he’s considering throwing sabo’s legs over his lap, but at sabo’s pensive look, he withdraws. his hands settle onto his lap and his gaze turns skyward for the millionth time that night. “cold?”
sabo shrugs. “my feet hurt a little. i’m fine other than that.”
he says this, but a passing breeze has him shivering enough for ace to take notice. ace raises both brows again, clearly not believing sabo’s words. his lips upturn and tighten like he’s resisting a laugh.
“well,” he murmurs, just loud enough for sabo to hear, “i guess now’s as good a time as any. while you’re not frozen solid, at least.”
sabo is beckoned closer and shifts a bit, pulling his legs up more so he’s within reach, within breathing distance. he’s curious, but he doesn’t question, trusting ace will reveal his intentions.
ace reaches into his front pocket and glances at his palm at what he’s pulled out. with his other hand, he takes one of sabo’s and flips it upright, and before sabo can even begin to guess on the spontaneous gift, ace presses something warm and hard into his skin and then retracts both hands.
sabo is left gazing down at a simple silver ring. his brows angle up, betraying his surprise, then his eyes flicker out to take in the christmas eve crowds still milling about. “what, not going to get on one knee?”
“that comes with a certain pretense,” ace follows immediately after, like he’d been expecting to be questioned. “i don’t want that kind of attention in public. and,” he adds, “i wanted to let you pick where you wear it.”
where i wear it, sabo mouths, then his eyes crinkle. “maybe you should ask me first.”
ace’s mouth falls open. the genuine surprise on his face makes sabo laugh, so he does his best to stifle it when both of ace’s hands rise to cup sabo’s own, fingers circling sabo’s wrist and palm warming the metal even more now that it’s trapped between the two of them.
“sabo,” he says, and his voice cracks at the end to betray his nervousness, so sabo doesn’t even bother teasing him when his next line isn’t a question. “please marry me.”
“yeah,” sabo says in turn, easy and immediate. his lips part, wanting to say something else, something more sure or at least that his answer was never going to be no. but he can’t seem to get any other words out of his throat. then his eyes get misty and he gives up, shutting his mouth and letting his lips tremble instead.
ace takes one hand and uses it to pull sabo closer and wrap him in a hug. sabo does the same thing, fingers spread wide across ace’s back, and their joined hands pressed now against ace’s sternum. sabo’s face settles against the jut of ace’s collarbone and ace’s chin on top of his head, quiet voice shushing him as he shakes and shudders in ace’s hold.
only now does he notice, when ace’s hand squeezes his own, that there are two rings held between their palms.
ace rubs his back slowly, up and down, until sabo’s calmed enough to lift his head and bring them back face-to-face. he uncurls their hands to examine the rings, running his thumb across one of them. they look the same, but ace’s fingers are a little wider than his, so they have to be different sizes.
ace hooks both rings through his own thumb so he can separate his hand from sabo’s without releasing his hold around sabo’s waist. he tips one into the light and then grabs the other between his thumb and index finger to present to sabo once more.
sabo turns his body slightly so his back is facing the majority of the crowd. it saves him face as he presents his hand to ace, fingers parted slightly. just for this moment, he wants them to remain in this solitary bubble they’ve created. just like in this moment, even though he knows it won’t last, he wants to feel ace sliding the wedding band he’d picked especially for sabo onto sabo’s finger.
he pulls back when ace is done, admiring the fit. “this is nice,” he says with the air of someone who doesn’t generally wear rings and feels that this is a waste.
ace rolls his eyes and huffs out a single laugh under his breath. “i got it sized so it would be an option when you did want to wear it normally. not that you have to– uh.”
he stops when sabo takes the remaining ring. sabo tilts it to the light as ace had earlier, revealing the engraving on the inside spelling out his name. it’s not hard to imagine what’s engraved on his own ring, now.
“darn,” sabo murmurs. he grabs ahold of ace’s wrist and runs his hand down ace’s palm all the way until his fingers are flattened, thumb holding steady across the backs of ace’s knuckles. “and here i was fantasizing that i could get away with wearing your ring on occasion.” he slides the band carefully up ace’s finger, then laces all of theirs together so the metal clinks against each other.
ace smiles wide but doesn’t otherwise comment. “dad cut a strip of leather earlier this week. it’s a good size if you wanted to hang the ring from your neck, but if you want it somewhere else, he can always cut it down to match.”
sabo hums softly. it’s not a thinking noise but more of a figured-something-out noise. it makes ace’s eyes rise from their hands. when he does, he finds sabo already looking at him, eyes glinting in faint amusement.
“when you talk about them, it’s always been ‘my mom’ or ‘my dad’. but ever since we got here, when you’re talking about them with me, you’ve dropped the my.” his smile splits, baring teeth. “guess that should have been my first hint.”
“well.” ace swallows. “they’d love to be your parents too. if you’ll let them.”
sabo nods. his head falls forward, temple resting against ace’s brow. “is this what’s been keeping you restless since our flight left? i was really worried, y’know. i kept expecting rouge to tell me you were sick and we were here for medical treatment.”
“what? no! i mean.” ace pauses to regroup. “i’m not sick. i was nervous, i guess.”
sabo hums again. “why?” he rubs the side of his finger against ace’s ring. “worried i wouldn’t say yes?”
“not really.” ace finally worms his arm around from sabo’s back to cup his cheek instead. he uses the hold to move sabo off of him, not liking how sabo nearly talking into his ear makes him feel when he can’t do anything about it. “i just wanted this to be …” he glances away, and his cheeks tinge pink. “perfect,” he mumbles. “as perfect as possible. for you.”
sabo smiles a little wider, and he tips in ace’s hold so ace is looking at him again instead of just past him.
“i guess i didn’t want to mess up,” ace admits before sabo can speak. “and that made me . . how i’ve been. the past couple of days.”
“you didn’t mess up,” sabo says slowly, softly. “but i would like to go home now.”
“huh?” ace glances up at the sky, where the moon is now slightly visible behind a patch of clouds. “but it still hasn’t snowed! we can wait a little longer, it’s not even that late–”
“we could, but i really want to kiss you right now,” sabo reveals in a low voice. ace’s eyes immediately fly down to look at him again. “and i can’t do that out here, so,” he follows, squeezing down on ace’s hand.
“take me home.”
-
roger and rouge are waiting for them in the living room. they walk in hand-in-hand to polite clapping that quickly morphs into something more aggressive as their still-flushed faces are bared in the room’s light. though that one was sabo’s fault.
(ace had no more than put the car in park when sabo settles himself half-onto the center console and grabs both of ace’s shoulders. ace responds by just barely keeping sabo at bay, eyes wide and looking out the window down the street. “what about the neighbors–”
“they’re all old people who are long asleep by now,” sabo counters. “and i’ve waited long enough.”
ace sighs in defeat, then draws sabo in the rest of the way.)
they both had been aware of ace’s intentions since before the two had arrived. which explained away rouge’s attitude at ace’s frequent naps the previous day, and why roger had been insistent ace see him before going to bed for the night. it was to show him the cord of leather for approval, the cord he now presents to sabo.
sabo runs his thumb up and down the material as rouge talks to him, telling him to try it at the current length for a day before deciding if he wanted it cut.
the leather is smooth along the back of his neck. sabo lets ace slip the ring on, lets ace tie it so the metal rests even with sabo’s sternum, and lets ace pick it up with two fingers to kiss the rim, his gaze letting sabo know what action this is replacing while they’re in front of his parents.
sabo is content, though. when rouge pushes the pair onto the loveseat near the unlit fireplace, sabo has no protests. when roger proclaims he’s well enough to drink, sabo has no qualms with him popping open a bottle of champagne and pouring them each half a glass.
halfway through a second glass, rouge starts trying to bring up things that would quantify as wedding planning. sabo is too tired from the day’s events to even bother indulging her, so he curls up against ace’s side, bent knees resting on ace’s torso, feet settled between ace’s legs, and cheek nestled in the crook between ace’s shoulder and chest.
at some point, his eyes have slipped shut enough times that someone has taken his glass from him. ace is loosely holding his hand, their fingers slotted together. his other hand is wrapped around his engagement band. he can’t stop looking down at it, to the point that all the conversation around him begins to wash over him.
“sabo,” ace says quietly into his ear, and sabo stirs. he tilts his head up and finds ace fixing him with a knowing gaze.
“time for bed,” he murmurs, and sabo silently agrees.
he shuffles his limbs around so he’s mostly on his side of the sofa, lets ace move to a stand, and then accepts the offered help to get to his feet.
sabo isn’t tipsy, per se, just tired, so he can walk fine on his own. they bid rouge goodnight and then traverse up the stairs. she’d been the only other person in the room, and lingering at the edge. sabo takes note of this as they reach the second floor.
“when did your dad leave?”
“hm?” ace glances over his shoulder, registers the question, and then hums in thought. “not long ago. he got up and decided to go to bed on his own, and mom thought it would be good for us to follow his example before you actually fell asleep on me.”
“ha ha,” sabo mutters, eyes moving to their feet. he follows close behind ace through the dark hallway until ace stops to open his bedroom door. sabo glances back behind them. “i should take my contacts out first.”
“grab your glasses before you go.” ace catches him by his elbow and pulls him into the room. he turns the main light on and then dims it halfway so it’s easier on their eyes.
it’s still plenty for sabo to see by. he grabs his glasses case and is almost out the door again when ace grabs his hand. sabo turns back to question and ace kisses him, once on the lips and once on his forehead, pushing his bangs aside to do so.
sabo is smiling when he leaves and is still smiling when he gets back. he shucks off the clothes he’s been wearing all day and sets his glasses aside to crawl into ace’s childhood bed. it is undoubtedly one thousand percent better than the previous night.
this time, ace falls asleep with ease, all his worries put to rest. sabo loops one finger through his ring and longs for the trend to continue through the rest of their time here.