Hiding the Truth (One Piece)

Chapter 49 - Memories

"I'm sorry, but I'm a little confused. Do I know you?" I asked, baffled at the strange blonde man that brought me into his arms so randomly, and familiarly. I exchanged glances over the strangers shoulder with the others, slightly weirded out by the situation whilst wondering who this person was. However, my confusion didn't seem to be met with similar reactions, if anything, Robin looked like she was in between wanting to cry and wanting to laugh with joy.

"It's been that long, hasn't it Lana? For you not to remember how I look? How I sound?" His broken questions whispered with deep-rooted pain were beginning to scare me more than anything. Who did this person think they were to approach me with such familiarity, to bring me into their arms so easily?

The others seemed to notice that this conversation, whatever it was, was meant to be done without an audience listening in. They turned away, conversing in quite as they gave the man and I as much privacy as they could within the confines of this tiny cottage. It wasn't like we could step outside for a moment, seeing as we were trying to lay low, especially with the lurking marines.

"Don't you remember? How Luffy, Ace and I would always tease you for your clumsiness? How you were so tiny and frail, that I would be forced to carry you when we went off on our adventures because you would tire so quickly? How Dadan would always be at her wits end when we came back, tailing in dirt, and you would be the only one brave enough to calm her down so we wouldn't be in as much trouble? 

Do you remember that day I came to you three, hoping to find a home with you and without hesitation, you walked straight up to me, bringing me into your arm and stated I could stay with you for as long as you were alive? Do you remember me now, Lana?" As the man spoke in chocked whispers, his hand brushing through my dishevelled hair as he held me against him, the hazy memories from so long ago he was so accurately describing were coming back in waves. 

The tears, the smiles and... the pain. The realisation left my eyes misting over, my vision blurred as I recalled those precious memories. 

The only person that would be able to recall those moments with such accuracy could only be one of three people. Luffy, who was currently knocked out on the bed, Ace, who had passed away 2 years ago, and...

"Sabo?" My voice coming out in a defeated whisper, hoping beyond hope that my imagination wasn't playing sick games on me at who the man before me seemed to be. I pulled away to see the person more clearly, only to meet teary eyed blues looking into my own with deep-rooted fondness, the familiar top hat settled over messy blond locks. 

"Hey sweetheart, your Nii-san is finally here" Sabo stated with a wobbly smile, causing my own tears to come flooding down, chocked sobs growing louder as I clutched desperately onto the fully grown man before me, hiding my face into his coat. 

His features were familiar to me, only now knowing where I had seen them before, and who they belonged to. He'd changed so much, but this was the boy I had claimed as my older brother at the age of 6, and still to this day.

"H-H-How? I-I saw y-you d-d-die" I could barely say, the lump in my throat preventing me from speaking properly. Everything around me blurred, my surroundings going out of focus as everything became too much to bare. I had barely coped with dealing with his supposed death as a child, forcing myself to show a strong face as comfort to the two brothers that were left behind by the brutality. 

Nearly breaking completely when Ace passed away, I had barely come through from the drowning depression that the loss had caused with the reminder that Luffy still needed me, but to find out that Sabo was alive after all this time was too overwhelming. 

Feeling my knees give out beneath me, Sabo pulled me even closer, bringing us down to the ground so we could hold onto each other as we sobbed in relief and despair.