One Piece one shots.

Sabo x reader. Painted smile.

He shook his head, got up, and went to your on-suit bathroom. Knowing a medical kit was in there, he grabbed it, and came to once again kneel before you. Still in complete silence, he tended to your wounds, grimacing slightly at the blood that spewed from your cuts upon pressure. He decided that simply bandaging it would not do. He had to clean it first.

Tch, obviously. So stupid.

The scarred boy mentally cursed, taking your uninjured hand and leading you to the bathroom. He put the plug in the sink and bath, turning both on and heating them to a warm temperature. Then, he carefully poured the dental hygiene products you kept in a small plastic cup, on the sink, onto the small, metal stand that held all your hair and body products.

He scooped some soapy water from the sink, and held your arm over the bath. Rinsing the water away from your arm. He had to stop himself from mumbling an apology as you whimpered your pain, your wrist twisting in his grasp in an attempt to pull back. No, he wouldn't speak until you were in no danger of bleeding out. That way, his words held more of an impact.

His face twisted slightly in disgust as the, once clear bath water, began to change colour. As the first droplets of blood hit the water, it began to bleed into an off pinkish-red, the effect the blood had, resembling that of dilute juice hitting a beaker of liquid.

Once that was done, he once again returned, with you in pursuit, to your room. Where he massaged lavender all, which burned like bloody hell, into your arm. Before binding it.

Sighing, he sat beside you on your bed. Deciding not to ask why, or when. Who or how. He uttered one word. One word which certainly was not the old cliché.

"Idiot."

Your (e/c) hues flew wide as you stared at him. His elbows rested on his knees as he stared at the floor. A small silence filled the room after that, until he looked at you. Determined to make you see that all this was unnecessary, he gripped your shoulders, and spoke up.

"How stupid are you? Did you honestly think, that all this...was better than asking for help? Yes, I get it, asking for help isn't easy. But surely...surely you knew that this was not the way forward! You have Me, Koala, Dragon! How many times have you told me Dragon is like a farther to you?"

He sighs, pushing a hand through his wavy, blond locks, his hat being knocked onto the bed in the process.

"You're an enigma, (y/n). Ya know that?"

He grumbles. You sigh and nod. You've never been one for crying, despite how much your eyes pleaded for release, so you wouldn't cry now. It was weird, really. In situations where others would brake down, you felt no erge to cry. Yet in situations as simple as mild stress, the walls that suppressed your tears seemed to weaken.

"Can you at least tell me what it's like? How you feel, I mean. Maybe I'll understand your decisions better if you do."

You nod, before going silent in thought for a minute. When you get a pretty good explanation, you speak up with a surprisingly strong voice.

"It feels like being in a lake. An average lake, easy to get in and out of. Many people go there, all of them are happy. Aside from you. You're there, clinging on to the pier, with weights tied to your ankles. You wanna call for help, but your own stubbornness won't allow it. And so you float there, grasping onto the pier with all your might, trying to keep your head above the water. But the longer you hang there, the heavier the weights become. So, in hopes of  convincing those swimming around you you're ok, you smile and kick your feet as if your swimming, yourself....but you're really not..."

You laugh bitterly, and turn to Sabo. Who had been watching you intently the entire time.

"I guess I'm that much of a good actor, no one seemed to notice how close I was to drowning, huh?"

Sabo shook his head, and pulled you into a hug. Deciding to allow himself one cliché. He dropped his head to your ear, and whispered,

"I did..."

Your breathing hitched at this. He knew? How? You always acted so happy, always smiling...how did he see through it?

Surely,

You thought.

He couldn't of seen through it, I mean...I smiled all the time...

Pulling away, he smiled at you and glomped his hat on your head. Temporarily blinding you until you adjusted it to better accommodate your head.

"Come on. I'm here for you, now. Can you wipe away that painted smile, and show me a real a grin?"

He asked playfully. A large, toothy grin of his over stretching his lips. Unable to hold it back, you smiled a small smile. It wasn't big. But, in a way, it was bigger and more meaningful then any other smile you've ever shown. And for Sabo, that was enough to numb the pain he had felt whilst seeing you in your broken state.

Because now, he was slowly leading you down the path to recovery.

He was gently learning how to wipe away that painted smile.

-AN-
Hope you liked this guys. As I've said many a time, I'm just a message away! So feel free to come to me with your problems! After all, it's the least I can do for all the support you guys give me! Love you all so much, remember, you're never alone! I'm glad each and every one of you is alive and kicking, so please, don't feel as if you're worthless! And make sure to forget anyone that makes you feel that way! There's nobody that can take your place.