Prompt 1: Lock
Unkempt from a restless attempt at sleep Ace staggered his way down the moonlit hallway. For about the third time this week he found himself trembling from the painful memories that lurked in the corners of his thoughts, waiting for night to fall and for Ace to slip into the grip of sleep.
Relentless night terrors would invade his dreams making him toss and turn until he fell off his bed. The sudden cold feeling of the floor against his uncovered torso would awaken him. He would then kick out of the tangled sheets, and stand up with shaky limbs, while wiping the sweat that had formed on the nape of his neck. With images still shadowing his thoughts, Ace would begin his labored trek to his younger brother's room.
For reasons he could not pinpoint, Ace always found himself looking upon his brother's sleeping form. Luffy always seemed peaceful when he slept, contrasting the animated boy that existed during his conscious hours. The only disturbance that would taint the tranquil state of his brother would be the occasional mumble of words-mostly about meat, pirates, or Ace-or the slight change in sleeping position.
If it were any other night, Ace would only watch his brother for a short while before he would return to his own bedroom, but tonight he didn't have the desire to be alone again. The plagued dreams that haunted Ace tonight were worse than normal. He knew that regaining restful dreams would not be plausible for the remainder of the night.
"Meeeat," the word, drawn out and slurred, penetrated the silence of the night. Ace stifled a small laugh as his brother began drooling at the fanciful meat he must have been imagining.
Ace, as silent as he could have managed, treaded over the Luffy's bedside and lowered himself to the ground. With his legs crossed and his back against Luffy's nightstand, Ace watched silent recollections of the terrors that inundated his slumber. The images of mocking laughter and accusing stares blotted his vision as a younger, more defiant version of himself stood with his hands on his hips and a fuming look plastered on his face. Taunts and insults of his blood line were thrown around, and the child was growing aggressive.
Fading into another memory, Ace's mind began to dig out the scarred, pitiful childhood memories. A new illustration came into clarity. Under a broad oak tree sat a small boy, with his knees up to his chest and his hands clenched turning his knuckles pale. A look of pure disgust-something that should never be upon an innocent child's face-was evident as he cursed himself. He truly hated himself. In his deep midnight eyes, anyone could see the self loathing pooling and spilling out of them.
Why was I born? Did I deserve to be brought into this life?
These questions tortured and tormented the boy. The feelings of hatred and revulsion toward him were never ending. A constant loop of disgust. No matter much his caretaker or the small amount of kind souls left tried to convince the boy that he wasn't any of these things or that he didn't deserve the insults thrown at him, those negative feelings never ceased. Many days the boy found himself sitting under the oak tree locking himself with his own world self detest. Nobody was ever able to unlock him from this mental padlock. Nobody had the key. The child was trapped, crushing himself under the weight of this bolt, and sooner or later, the lock was going to suffocate the child. And nobody could help him. No matter how much prying and lock picking was attempted, nobody could release the child.
After countless weeks of wallowing in hate and dejection, the boy was introduced to his younger brother. At first, even his brother couldn't break the lock, but he was persistent with his attempts, albeit most of his trying wasn't intended. To the boy, this brother of his couldn't possibly feel the same thing; they were only adoptive brothers, after all. He couldn't feel the same displeasure that was emitted from people towards his kin, as he did.
Days when the boy would be alone under the oak tree were gone, much to his dismay. The younger brother would sit next to the child, working on the lock that contained his brother. No amount of insults or attacks from the locked boy could pull the little one away from his elder. Much to the surprise of their caretaker, the younger boy managed-throughout numerous days-to unlock the impeding deadbolt caging his older brother. With all the effort he could muster, the elder sibling began to open up to the younger on.
Within days, the two siblings were out from under the tree, breaking the obstructive pattern that had developed. The boy, who originally saw no reason for his existence, now chatted with his brother about their similar loves for meat and mischief. A key had been found. The lock had been opened. The boy was free.
Something smooth caressed Ace's left cheek, dispersing the bitter images of a broken past into the air. With a side glance, he spotted the culprit. Luffy's hand, having fell during a shift in positions, dangled from the bed. Even in an unconscious state, Luffy knew how to unlock Ace and set him free. Ace slipped his hand into Luffy's, intertwining their fingers. He hoped his brother knew how much he appreciated him. Without him, Ace would still be struggling against the heavy weight of the bolt. Luffy was Ace's solution; he was his liberator. Even through all the doubt that had formed, the lock found its match, and released its captive.
After all, every lock comes with a key.