Title: One More Time
Characters: Ace, Luffy
Genre:Angst/Tragedy/Hurt
Summary: Ace just wants to see his little brother smile one more time. AU!Oneshot
Author: The Dark Crimson Blood
Count: 681

"I fell in love with you."

It's stupid, really.

His eyes flicker bashfully to the side as he admits his feelings out loud.

Portgas D. Ace has never been the type to speak about feelings. It just seemed to mushy for him; after all, he was supposed to be the tough big brother who could handle anything that came his way.

Yet here he is, gushing helplessly to the world even though there's no one else around him.

It's probably better that there's no one else around to hear him.

There are bags underneath his eyes and the smallest of smiles on his face; it doesn't reach his eyes, and it's hard to keep up but somehow he manages. His baby brother always seems happier when he's happy, after all.

"I think it was love at first sight; I couldn't take my eyes off of you." He was so tiny then; tiny and innocent and full of so much love and energy that it hurt to think about. "It's kind of corny, isn't it?"

"I think you felt the same way too, because you cried whenever I went away." Ace used to hate crybabies but that changed all too fast when they met; because all Luffy did was cry, but that didn't mean he wasn't strong. Luffy's the strongest kid Ace knows, even though he's still the biggest crybaby ever.

"I didn't want to let you go either, I just never told you that."

He pauses to scratch the back of his head; eyebrows furrowed slightly at the thought, and he scratches the back of his neck a bit awkwardly to distract himself. "It's not just me that thinks you're special. Your mom was so happy when she gave birth to you, even if it killed her. Your dad left you behind, but I know for sure that he loved you too."

Luffy seems to have that kind of effect on people; he always saw the good in people. Bandits, criminals, thieves, and people on all sorts of the wrong paths were changed within just a meeting or two. A smile was all that it took.

Ace knows because it stole his heart away too.

A smile here, a giggle there, and endless hugs and kisses everywhere; Ace's soul was sold the moment he held Luffy in his arms for the first time.

"I hope that I'm still your favorite brother too, even if I'm mean sometimes." He sighs.

"The doctor fell in love with you too."

"He had his hands inside your chest for the longest time."

"I don't think he wanted me to see him cry."

Ace's own face is getting puffy; his eyes are a bit pink and his body is unnaturally shaky. The heat rushing to his face isn't a good feeling but there's nothing he can do to stop it. "I said some really mean things and I'm gonna apologize sometime soon, so I hope you'll forgive me too."

"I just wanted to tell you how much I love you, okay?"

He bends down on himself; the little boy smiling at him doesn't move. He doesn't even blink; his smile stretches from ear to ear and not once does he stop.

Luffy's been smiling the whole time.

"If it's not too much to ask," His voice cracks; he bends down even further and rests the tips of his hands on the cold gray mass his little brother is on top of. "Could you please…"

"Please,"

"Just once, tell me you love me back one more time?"

The picture smiling down at him says nothing back.

Ace wonders if his brother his smiling in his grave.

He just wishes that he could see it.

…