Title: Promises
Summary: Ace drops in for a visit.
Ace likes to drop in on the Straw Hats whenever he catches wind of their location.
He grabs onto his little brother as soon as Luffy flings himself at him, feeling the small boy wrap his arms around him one, two, three times before burying his face into Ace’s neck.
“I missed you!” The boy wails, tears streaming down his face. His crew watches on with varying degrees of adoration, and Ace can’t help but laugh.
“I missed you too, kiddo,” he drops a chaste kiss against Luffy’s cheek, before moving their joined bodies towards the small group of people gathered on deck. Nobody says anything about the fact that the brothers had seen each other two weeks ago, the most recent visit having lasted nearly five days. After over a dozen visits, it’s no longer a secret how much they loved each other, and each visit was a treasured memory no matter the length.
In the distance, the sun begins to dip beyond the horizon, setting fire to the open seas; it’s one of the most tranquil sights any of them have seen in a while.
“Thank you for taking care of my little brother, I know he can be a handful,” he offers them a grateful smile, wiggling the boy’s body for emphasis. Luffy laughs, a full-bodied sound that Ace wants to bottle up and take with him for days when the sun didn’t shine or the winds howled.
“Ace, you say that every time you’re here,” Nami smiles, shaking her head. “And each time, we say it’s a pleasure.” He scratches his head, an embarrassed grin making its way onto his face, but his brother's nakama don't say anything else and instead disperse back to whatever they were doing before Ace landed on the ship. They'll spend dinner together, but it's an unspoken agreement that their captain and his brother get a few hours together beforehand. Luffy doesn't let go of Ace until they're climbing the mast to the crow's nest, a friendly competition breaking out in the form of who can get to the top the fastest. Luffy wins, only because Ace slows down a little near the top and relishes the delighted sounds of his brother shouting in victory. He'd tear the world in two if it meant making his brother smile. "You're getting old," Luffy teases as soon as Ace crawls through the small opening, settling on the wooden flooring with an exaggerated huff. "Yeah, well, not all of us can keep up with the future Pirate King," Ace grumbles, eyes soft. Luffy waits a total of five seconds before clambering into his lap, lanky limbs spilling everywhere, and Ace instinctively pulls him closer, gently guiding Luffy's head until it was pressed against his shoulder. He had learnt very early on that Luffy adores physical contact, and made sure to indulge the boy whenever he could. The captain in question sighs in contentment, pressing impossibly closer and smiling up at his brother. "I really did miss you," Luffy repeats his early sentiment, this time without the tears and volume. Instead, the quiet declaration is laden with a seriousness that isn't often seen in Luffy outside of battle, and alarm bells start ringing somewhere in Ace's head. "Do you have a reason you missed me so much?" "I...had a nightmare," Luffy admits, fingers curling into Ace's shoulders. Suddenly, he's 7 again and Ace is 10 and they're on an island tucked into a hidden corner in the East Blue. "You...were swallowed by shadows, and chained, and then there was fire, and then you...were gone." Huh. Ace frowns. It's clear from Luffy's expression that the nightmare had come to him more than once, and Ace can't figure out what, exactly, it means. "I...was gone?" "Dead," Luffy clarifies, sniffling. "You were dead and cold and I was holding you and and—" "Hey, hey!" Ace grabs his face and forces his brother to look at him. A burst of concentration later flames dance in the air, a splash of sparks dancing in the breeze. "Look at me, I'm here and I'm really warm, yeah?" Luffy watches the flames with a miserable frown, and Ace aches. There's something unbearable in witnessing Luffy's sadness, something intangible and not wholly explainable. He leans forward and presses his forehead against his brother's with all the gentleness he could muster, and feels Luffy shudder. "I'm alive, and I'm not leaving you," Ace promises fiercely. The air seems colder. "Never?" Luffy asks, eyes wide. "Never."