Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or any of its characters.
Dusk To Dawn
The night was asleep, snoring lightly as her darkened skies allowed veiled clouds to pass by, occasionally blocking the moon and its stars. Not that it would discourage the moon and the stars. In retaliation, they seemed to gleam more brightly, as if to spite the clouds.
Like all other houses, the two brothers' house was just as quiet. It was rather strange though. A strange might walk by without noticing anything but the villagers, some who have lived and known the boys for most of their lives, knew.
This night was different than all other nights. Because this night would the eldest brother's last night. The last night before he left on his journey. To become a pirate. He was seventeen, tall, charismatic, fearless, stalwart, with the world waiting before him. And tomorrow, only hours away, would be his first step towards his new life as a pirate.
The younger one was, of course, thrilled with the prospect of his brother becoming a pirate, as he himself inspired to be one as well. He had whooped in joy, tackling his brother around the waist, cheerfully crowing out that his brother was going to be a pirate, not releasing his grip one bit, even as the older one was irritably prying his fingers off of him.
They were almost the same height, tall and lanky, completed with messy black hair and wide eyes. Both were big eaters and strong fighters. Oftentimes, it was thanks to them that invading pirates tended to stay away from their little village. It was near impossible for anyone not to recognize them as brothers. Though there were distinguishable features among them. Ace, the older one, is definitely notable with his freckles and Luffy, the younger brother, is recognized with his scar underneath his left eye. It isn't hard to see that Ace is much more mature than Luffy. And a lot less hyper too.
They had always been together. The D brothers, the villagers affectionately called them. Shouting while playing pirate and marine. Causing trouble, especially for the butchery. Digging up treasures, buried by themselves. Teasing the village dogs, running just as they snapped at them and chased them. Jumping into the rivers, splashing and spraying. Sleeping underneath shadowed trees in the hot afternoon. Catching butterflies and grasshoppers before they slip from their fingers. Having practice fights, tackling, rolling and lying in the dirt. Sharing their laughter, their tears, their joys, their worries.
They were inseparable, always seen with Luffy clinging to his older brother's arm, giggling and jumping around like a monkey, while Ace would scold and try to shrug off his brother from his arm, while not having any bite to his bark. Soon it will be only one brother walking down the streets, going to Makino's bar.
Alone.
Most people brushed the thought off. Luffy had always been an optimistic, vibrant boy. He could and would bounce back from any problem or trouble that came his way. They could even imagine him grinning cheerfully and waving it aside like it was a mere pest of a fly.
They wouldn't have said that if they knew that on this particular night, Luffy stood but a few inches away from Ace, who was a figure in the dark, snoring lightly, perhaps dreaming of pirates and adventures already, peacefully unaware that he was being watched.
It was a rather interesting sight, seeing the generally cheerful boy with his arms wrapped around his pillow with a sort of melancholy look on his face as he watched his brother silently. He bit his lip, looking guilty, like a child who was caught taking cookies from the cookie jar.
True, Luffy was happy for his big brother. Being a pirate was the coolest thing that could ever happen to anyone, in his humble opinion. But still, he could not stop the envious twinge in his chest. Ace was going to go on all sorts of wonderful adventures and meet all sorts of wonderful people. He was going to see all sorts of amazing sights and fight against all sorts of incredible opponents. He was going to join a crew and perhaps even become a captain.
And Ace would do all this without him.
Luffy leaned forward slightly, staring at his brother's face, his eyes tracing over every freckle on Ace's face. He giggled silently to himself, remembering the time the freckles were decorated in splashes of bubblegum pink, emerald green, ocean blue and butter yellow. It was his finest masterpiece yet. Even if said masterpiece was not happy when he woke up.
He tried to memorize every curve on Ace's mouth, every crease scrunching on his forehead, every flutter of ebony locks rippling down his cheeks. Because by the time dawn arrived, he wouldn't be able to see his sun anymore.
Glancing at the once huge bed that he and his brother had shared when they were younger, he remembered how he would huddle close to Ace, always making sure at least one hand was intertwined with his brother's, to guarantee that Ace was there, that someone was nearby, that he wasn't abandoned in the deep darkness of the night.
Something stirred within him, a hidden fear that had been buried and forgotten. Before he knew it, he was crouching next to Ace's bed, groping in the dark to find some sort of means of contract.
" Ace?" He found his shoulder and gripped it, shaking Ace gently. Although Luffy's meaning of gentle varied from the common person.
There was a slight groan and Ace turned over, blinking drowsily. He took one look at Luffy clutching his pillow, sighed and then shifted over on his bed, leaving enough room for Luffy. " Thought you grew out that," he mumbled, as Luffy clambered in, burrowing under the blankets, snugging near to his brother.
They were close, separated by a few inches, yet to Luffy, the gulf seemed much, much more wider. He stared at Ace's broad back, a place of comfort and many piggyback rides. But in the dark of the night, it was shadowed and distant. Already, it seemed as if Ace was far beyond his reach.
" Ne, Ace?" His voice seemed to tremble and waver in the dark.
From the silence, a sleepy voice answered. " Hmm?"
" ... It's nothing."
The face of his brother and best friend looked at him with a mixture of concern and disbelief, as Ace turned towards him. " I think that's the first time I'd ever heard that before," he said with a small smile tweaking his features. " What's bothering you?"
Luffy shrugged, a demeanor of an uncaring boy. He turned over, now avoiding Ace and regretting voicing the thought in the first place.
A look of amusement was now adopted on Ace's face. " My little brother keeping secrets from me already?" he murmured, half to Luffy, half to himself. " Come on. Tell me what's wrong." He lightly prodded Luffy on the back. " Or do I have to wrestle the answer out of you?"
Even Luffy couldn't repress his giggle. " Ace! That tickles!" he whined. And that was the only opening Ace needed.
" That tickles, huh?" He grinned wickedly as he propped himself on his elbows, bending over Luffy, who froze. " You still don't want to tell me?" he asked diabolically, fingers flexing rather dreadfully.
" No!"
A sudden impulse gripped Luffy and before he knew it, he swung his pillow at Ace's face. Unable to duck out of the way, Ace let out a grunt as the pillow smacked roughly against his cheek. " That's it! This means war!" he growled, grabbing his own pillow and raining blows down on his brother.
Luffy leaped out of the way and immediately retaliated, grinning wildly, not willing to forfeit this fight.
The lights flickered on and the sounds of running and ecstatic shouts were heard. Several thumps and crashes banged throughout the tiny house, shaking it thoroughly like a leaf. Laughter rang out in their house, loud and clear. It was as if things had returned to normal.
Almost.
Finally, the sounds of fighting stopped. Feathers descended upon them, scowling at having been abused cruelly. The pillows were scattered, ripped, torn and empty of their feathers. The table was overturned, as were the chairs and maybe a few cutlery. Much of the floor and the walls groaned and complained of the ordeal they had endured through.
They laid there, stretched out on the floor, breathless and slightly bruised from their momentary fistfight, once the pillow fight was abandoned. " Damn, that was a good punch," Ace chuckled, rubbing his cheek.
Even grinning hurt. Luffy did what he could to convey his satisfaction. " I practiced," he simply said.
Ace laughed, a deep uplifting vibration to Luffy's ears. It tugged at his heart how it would a long time before he would hear it again.
" Hey, Luffy?" It was Ace who broke the silence first.
" Yeah?"
Ace paused. " Take care, all right? While I'm gone."
He looked into those hazel eyes, flecked with speckles of green, usually so confident and strong, now clouded something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. It was hesitation, Luffy realized. Ace hated his departure just as much as him. Though the invitation of adventure and piracy called irresistibly to him, there was a part of Ace that clung to the past and his childhood.
Certain things must be let go. As much as neither of them didn't want to, Ace needed to step out into the world and Luffy needed to wait until his time came.
It wasn't that they were never going to see each other again. They would meet again, next time as rivals, on opposing crews. Luffy smiled to himself. He would see Ace again then and show him what a pirate he would become.
" I will," he promised.
A smile alighted his brother's face. " All right, then squirt. We better get back to bed." Arm to arm, they walked back to the bedrooms.
Both of them would gladly wait for that day to come.