Title: Shades of White
Rating: T
Warnings: Luffy/Ace, spoilers for ch574
Note: Thank-you (White Day) ficc for dearest Lady Emzebel, for always being there to lift my spirits, thank-you so much! m(_ _)m I hope this ends in a sort of neither happy nor sad kinda note...since I don't even clearly know what I'm feeling about all of this and...maybe...just anguish.
The meanings of flowers are from the first (few) link(s) google spewed out for me, I know flowers mean something different to each person, but I'm just going with these definitions for this ficc :D (I actually don't see Luffy with flowers, but mmm...for this I think I can. Or maybe I just really want to give Ace flowers.)
White Canterbury Bells: Gratitude
White Carnation: Pure love
White Clover: I promise
Red Chrysanthemum: I love
White Heather: Protection
Forget me not: True love
White Lily: It's heavenly to be with you
White Poppy: Dreams
Snowdrop: Consolation
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece
xxx
Shades of White
Ace took the bunch of white flowers that were thrust into his hands with a quizzical expression "Luffy?"
The younger brother gave the older brother a bright smile "You like flowers, right, Ace?"
"This is for me?" Ace asked, a little astonished as he held out the flowers to confirm it with Luffy.
"Yeah. Don't you like them?" Luffy asked, his eyes wide and demanding.
Ace was going to reply but instead, chose to examine the flowers, lilies, carnations and heathers, he could feel his cheeks tingle warmly and his lips curving into a shy smile. His expression changed into a frown as he thought about why Luffy would give him flowers today of all days. Was there a special occasion he forgot about?
"What's wrong, Ace?"
Looking up, Ace shook his head as he brought the flowers to his chest "It's just that, flowers, they wilt so very quickly and all that they leave behind is a distant fragrant" Ace rubbed a white petal between his fingers "Don't you think it's rather lonely?"
Luffy crossed his arms at the desolated tone.
"Anyway, I was just wondering why you're giving me white flowers today..."Ace commented, curious, wanting to change the subject.
"Did you forget?" Luffy watched Ace place the flowers in an empty vase before telling the other "It's White Day today"
Ace looked at his brother with wide eyes, as though he were a deer caught in headlights. But after noting that Luffy wasn't fooling around at all, the older brother averted his eyes as a clear blush formed on his cheeks.
Telling his brother that he would be back shortly, Luffy ran out of the house with a "Wait for me!"
It didn't take long before Luffy came back, this time, with another group of freshly picked white flowers. Once more, the flowers were thrust into Ace's empty hands.
"For you" Luffy grinned at the other
"Snowdrops?" Ace asked. He was interested as to how his brother even found snowdrops on this island, but found that he could not bring himself to ask.
'Consolation'
"Cheer up" Luffy beamed "I'm here for you and you're here for me"
"Lu-" Ace choked out as he tried to hold back his tears. It was a little embarrassing, to find himself the one in tears before Luffy "I didn't give you anything on Valentines though"
Giving a small smile to Ace, Luffy wrapped his arms around the stronger brother "Just spending all that time with me was enough" The younger aspiring pirate wondered briefly whether he should tell the older that he had taken a kiss that night as well, but the warm dampness on his shoulder stopped him as it tugged the strings of his heart.
"Thank-you for being here with me" Luffy whispered genuinely into his brother's ear, his embrace tightening, not caring if he were squashing the beautiful snowdrops he had picked, he could feel Ace's content smile just fine and that was all that mattered.
xxx
Thirty years after the clash between the marines and the Whitebeard pirates, Luffy was seen in that East Blue hometown as the current Pirate King, he sat idly surrounded by a company of lonely looking forget-me-not flowers and a grim gravestone.
Resting his bouquet of flowers next to the headstone, Luffy spoke softly, as if he were talking to a sleeping child "White poppies for our dreams, white clovers for our promise, a single red chrysanthemum for our love and the white Canterbury bells is my gratitude, for your existence and for being able to share a part of your life, with you."
Tilting his head up towards the clouds, the reckless man sighed "I've gained so many things and lost just as much, maybe even more" He closed his eyes as he took in the scent of the forget-me-not flowers "so many things I want to tell you"
He knew his brother could hear him, after all, they do say the dead never do truly leave you, always besides you, in your memories and your heart as an eternal flame.
And then, a cheeky smile was plastered across Luffy's face "But I haven't taken anything or anyone for granted." He flipped his head back to look at the gravestone "Are you proud of me?"
"I'm a pirate enjoying life" Luffy ran a hand across the name carved into the tombstone "for me and for you..." slowly, he traced the letters, reading them out one by one, fondness lacing his tone "A...C...E"
Reaching out, Luffy plucked a single forget-me-not flower beside him, "True love" whispered the pirate with a smile as he gently pressed his lips to the pale blue-purple petals and placed it beside his small cluster of flowers before wrapping his rubber arms around the cold and motionless marble headstone.