A/N: Ace age 15 Jamie age 14 Luffy age 12 from the 7 years ago part, in the flashback Jamie mentions how old they are and in present day she is 21. Just so everyone is aware of the ages in this chapter... thought I'd clear up some of that confusion.
Chapter 2
7 years ago
"You have such cool eyes," Luffy said after a moment. I rolled my eyes. That would be the first thing he says to me after not seeing me for a year. It was nice ever since that first summer I was allowed to visit the island for a month.
One month out of twelve months. A lot of things change but nothing really does. Not when you are young at least. Except apparently, my eyes, which have always been the same vivid green since Luffy had met me, have changed a shade. Maybe it was because my hair had lightened a little and the red seemed more pronounced than last year. I couldn't tell you. But I had noticed it too. I know it is a bit conceded but I found myself staring at my reflection getting lost in my eyes in the mornings while I brushed my hair 100 times before my day started.
That was how my day started on days when I was stuck with my father, brushing my hair 100 times, counting each stroke, making sure every strand was in place. Maybe it was because my eyes were the only thing that reminded me of my dream, because I could see the glint of Luffy and Ace in my eyes. It reminded me of my promise to rebel, of the hope I had for the future.
"You really do have nice eyes," Ace said smiling at me, breaking my conceded thoughts, only to further boost my ego with his compliment.
"And you both have such nice smiles," I answered grinning at them. It earned me a wider smile from Luffy and a chuckle from Ace.
It was the same summer as always. We laughed and stayed up late, romping through the forest. We caught wild beasts and scared people venturing into our woods, we snuck into town and caused mayhem and stole meals. It was summer and it was perfect.
Only something was different.
Ace. He was exactly the same as I remembered him, but something just seemed different. Sure he had grown an inch or two and he was more polite, but there was just something I couldn't place my finger on.
Then one day two weeks into my stay, Ace took his shirt off. Being a fourteen year old girl with a shirtless boy around was bound to get hormones starting up. Only it was Ace.
Ace, who had the most handsome smile and best sarcastic humor. Ace, who was smart and could trap any animal in the forest with ease. Ace, who acted like he didn't care but would never leave you behind if you were in danger. Ace who, without his shirt on, had definitely developed some muscle tone since the last time I had seen him.
"Stop drooling," Luffy teased taking off his own shirt and laughing at me. He threw the fabric in my face effectively causing me to blush at being caught in the act. Luckily I hadn't really been drooling.
"Alright, your turn. Shirt off," Ace said hands on his hips, a smirk grazing his face.
My blush went through the roof at the indecency of it all but I wasn't about to back down. I had grown a few feminine attributes since then and I wore a bra now. I had gone shirtless in front of Ace and Luffy hundreds of times before now. There was nothing different, besides the fact that I did now wear a bra. I tugged off my shirt and flung it to the ground feeling slightly uncomfortable when both boys suddenly eyed me differently.
"Hahahahaha Jamie you've got boobs now," Luffy said bending over laughing.
"That's what happens when you're a girl," I growled half way tempted to put my shirt back on but resisted the urge. These two would not make me feel any inferior to them just because my body had changed slightly. I wasn't about to hide from them. Plus I did have a bra on so it wasn't like I was nude. I blushed when Luffy continued his rude statements about how small my chest was compared to other girls.
Luffy's laughter almost hid the fact that Ace was just about as dark as I was and refusing to look at me. Almost, but I noticed it. So we both noticed a change in each other's bodies so what. No big deal.
"Ready?" I asked Luffy taking a fighting stance.
"Ace is first today," the younger boy said wickedly and pushed his brother forward. Sometimes I really wondered if Luffy was as big of an idiot as he came off. He laughed and clapped his hands together.
"Fight!" he yelled.
Neither of us charged. I stood there stupidly for a moment before Ace started to move left, I moved left as well, not letting him get an angle advantage on me. It felt like I was being hunted. Ace's eyes were roaming my body, calculating, looking for a weak spot. I tried to do the same but my eyes only seemed capable of taking in his lean frame. He was still lean it wasn't like he was overly muscular but he had put on some mass. I swallowed feeling my tongue dry.
Ace lunged and made a grab for my side. I dodged smoothly and shifted to right into him stepping down hard on his instep. He hissed and leapt back for a second, before his eyes became locked on mine again.
I let out a slow breath. The first fight of the summer, I couldn't believe it had taken two weeks for this first fight, which made this fight all the more important. I had never won my first fight against Ace. It always took several long grueling fights for me to finally beat him. He would never say it was from exhaustion on his part but I knew that's what it was. It was my goal to beat him when he was at full strength like this. I had to do it.
That meant I had to do whatever was necessary.
My chest wasn't exactly big. I had a larger A cup at the very least but it would have to do.
I slammed my body hard into Ace's trying not to wince as my chest hit his a bit too roughly. Out of instinct to keep us from falling Ace's arms went around me and steadied us. He smirked and looked down at me before a large blush covered his face.
He had me. I had messed up and miscalculated my body slam. I had been hoping to distract him by playing a really dirty trick and flashing him but over stepped and fell into him too hard. Now here I was wrapped up in his arms, easily at his disposal and he was frozen up with a large blush on his face. I looked at him feeling confused.
He's chest was heaving against mine and his arms clenched holding me tighter. I felt my stomach tighten as I inhaled sharply not sure what to expect. Ace's face was so close I could count the freckles on his cheeks with ease. His lips were parted and his eyes were staring at my own lips with hunger. His scent was overwhelming. It was purely his scent. He smelled like the ocean with a hint of musk, it filled my senses until all I could see, hear, and feel was Ace.
I leaned up and stole my first kiss.
His lips were warm and he eagerly kissed me back. My heart pounded loudly in my chest, and I felt electricity run through my veins. Our mouths beginning to explore each other—
"BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA," Luffy was roaring with laughter. His laughter startled us and Ace fell backwards dragging me on top of him.
"Jamie wins," Luffy chirped laughing hysterically on top of his rock. He rocked back and forth holding his hat on top of his head, while clapping his feet together. He fell off but continued laughing while rolling on the ground.
I pushed myself roughly off Ace, turning so that he couldn't see my blush that was quickly rising. Ace chuckled and pushed himself up, propping up on his elbows to look at my side. His position outlined his newly defined muscles even more and I was thankful that I had turned slightly.
"Good job you finally beat me the first try," he said laughing it off even though his cheeks were still red.
"She cheated just like she did with me that first time," Luffy said consoling his brother. He looked like he was trying to hold his breath and he chortled out his words. He was desperately trying to hold back his laughter.
"I didn't cheat!" I hissed finally finding my voice.
"K-I-S-S-I—" He started to sing but I dashed forward and smacked Luffy hard upside the head.
"Shut up," I hissed and stomped off angrily into the woods.
The thing was, was that I had been planning on cheating. But I would have never thought, never dreamed of stealing a kiss from Ace. I felt shame begin to burn inside me as I rounded around a tree before deciding to climb up it. I felt my body go into auto-pilot as I ascending a decent ways up the tree before finally stopping.
I knew this forest almost as well as Ace and Luffy did. Only I didn't spend every season in it, and often times in the beginning of the summer it would surprise me how much a certain tree had grown or how many more new trees sprouted up. The forest was constantly changing.
Before I could even begin to over think things, little monkey junior was sitting in the tree next to me.
"What do you want Luffy?" I asked feeling completely drained and forgetting my anger from earlier. I still was in shock that I had my first kiss in front of Luffy with his brother and I had completely forgotten that the younger one was even there. I felt the shame return and burn hard on my face and I refused to meet his eyes.
"Ace thinks you are mad at him. He won't come looking for you," Luffy said easily and sat down next to me.
I half expected him to pull out a banana out of his pocket and start to munch on it. The way he was so at ease in the trees just seemed primal.
"Well I did run off to get some space," I said pointedly looking at his feet instead as if that would give him a hint. Luffy just laughed and patted my shoulder.
"It's been obvious for a while that you two have 'something'," Luffy said nudging his shoulder into mine. I sighed and chanced a look up at him.
He was smiling encouragingly and didn't look at all mad. Then again I don't think I've ever seen Luffy get mad.
"Do you think he's mad at me?" I asked trying to sound nonchalant.
"I don't know why he would be and I don't know why you even are," Luffy said shrugging.
Why was I even mad?
Present Day
My eyes were heavy and blurry when I tried to open them. My body felt cold and I ached everywhere but I knew immediately that I was not in the place where I had fallen asleep the night before.
My head was resting on a soft pillow instead of a gravestone for one.
I went to move when a firm hand guided me back down.
"Don't move," a gruff voice told me. I looked up to see Luffy's doctor Chopper looking down at me.
"Why not?" I challenged trying to sit up again.
He placed his hand down with a little more force this time.
"You're dehydrated. I have an I.V in place to help restore some liquids but if you sit up to fast you could get dizzy and pass out," he said. His eyes were furrowed and he looked genuinely worried. I wondered if it was for my mental or physical health.
"Do you think I'm crazy too?" I asked.
He hesitated for a long time before slowly chewing on his words.
"Ace is dead," he said firmly looking at me as if to gauge my reaction. I nodded.
"Ace is dead but I have always had a dream to bring back people before their time was up. If you found a way… if science found a way to bring someone back before their time it would make a lot of people happy and the world a better place," he said but then he shook his head sadly.
"I don't think science will ever find a way. The soul is a more spiritual thing than a scientific one," he finished.
"Should I hope?"
"For what?" he asked cautiously as if afraid of my answer.
"To see him one day? Should I at least hope it is possible to see him again?"
"You should always hope," Chopper said kindly and slowly raised me into a sitting position and passed me a glass of water.
I took a timid sip before leaning back.
"Did they kick me off their ship?" I asked. Chopper looked uncomfortable but nodded solemnly.
"They don't know what to do with a girl that loved Ace so fully and is so broken now. They said they can't be any help to you and thought it was best to forcibly remove you."
"I'll just return there," I grumbled but I smiled at Chopper appreciatively. It somehow helped to avoid saying their names or when I would return there. Maybe I could take a few years and just sail the ocean. See some of the things Ace had seen in this world.
I heard a little flop of someone's feet coming down the stairs and the door squeaking open. There stood Luffy his gaze searching mine intensely for a long moment before he stepped fully into the room.
"Jamie… I have something I want to ask you," he said taking off his Straw hat and placing it on the bedside next to us. I noticed that Chopper had left the room and put a mental note in to thank him later. He was a very good doctor.
Flash back
"Jamie, I want to ask you something," Ace was tracing patterns on my back with his fingers while Luffy snored next to us. I hummed feeling relaxed and about to drift off to sleep myself.
"Remember that time when we all talked about being Pirate Kings and Queen?"
I nodded feeling my eyes starting to drift close. That had been close to two or three years ago. I was 16 now and Ace was nearing his 17th birthday. For a few months out of a year they were the same age. I was glad I had somehow managed to convince my father to let me stay until after the New Year. I wanted to be here for Ace's birthday and his departure.
"Well I was wondering if one day you really would be my Queen?"
My eyes shot open and I turned to peer at him in the darkness. His hand clenched the fabric of my shirt tightly. In the moonlight I could make out a distinct blush on his face at the question. We hadn't really talked about our feelings since we shared that one kiss two summers ago. And now it was getting closer and closer to the day Ace was about to leave this island never to return and I would be right behind him shortly after.
"You serious?" I whispered not wanting to wake Luffy.
He just nodded his eyes sliding shut as if to avoid my reaction.
My hand slid up to his face and I brushed a few loose strands off his forehead. He timidly opened his eyes and blinked a few times at my tender touch. I felt my heart swell and ache like it always did ever since that first kiss.
"Remember what I told you after I kissed you," I said slowly.
"You said you would never say it again," he said blushing. "And I told you I would never say it."
"Right. But do you remember what I said?" I asked blushing at the memory. It was a bittersweet memory.
"You said you loved me," he whispered. It was barely a whisper, his voice was so quiet that he seemed like he wanted to avoid saying it.
"Right. That's still true and always will be."
"So you'll be my Queen?" he asked clenching the fabric of my shirt and pulling me closer to him. I felt my heart jump in my throat like it did often times when we stole kisses. We never kissed near Luffy though, always in secret. I didn't like how close the sleeping boy was to us but at this moment with him snoring soundly I didn't care.
"Kiss me," I demanded avoiding the question with a challenge.
I didn't need to tell him twice.
End Flash Back
"What is it?" I asked when the pregnant pause hung in the air. Luffy let out a deep breath.
"Do you still want to be a Queen?"
I shook my head sadly and stared at the condensation building on the side of my cup with fascination. I heard Luffy chuckle next to me.
"I gave up on that when Ace passed. I just want to be in a New World and figure out what I want now…" I left out the part that I still desperately wanted Ace. That Ace was the only thing I wanted. That when I had traveled the world, seen all of it I would return back to him. I guess it was lucky my heart could change in a conversation. I would have to thank the Doctor later.
"That's great. Join my crew then!"
Often times when we were younger Luffy would demand that Ace and I join his crew. It was always a blunt refusal from both of us but Luffy never stopped asking. I was surprised it had taken his so long in all honesty.
"You don't have a position for me," I said lazily. "I'm not about to be your maid and clean up after everyone."
"You're a friend, Jamie. You want to travel and what better way to travel than on a Pirate ship? You need to figure things out and what better way to figure them out then test different fields you are bound to stumble upon. Besides it's not like I need one of everything for each crew mate," he added.
I hesitated. Why did Luffy always have to be so simple yet make so much sense? I would put up a small resistance but I knew what my answer would be. No one could really resist Luffy for long.
"So if I became a doctor?"
"It would be better for the crew's health," he said smiling.
"Or a navigator?"
"Well we really only need one of those… but Musicians, Shipwrights, and Swordsmanship are always open or something else I can't think of at the moment," he laughed and grinned at me.
"I guess I'll just have to figure it out then," I conceded.
Luffy jumped up and offered me a high five. I grinned at his spirit as he dashed up the stairs screaming about a new nakama and to start a party already.
"I miss you, Ace," I sighed and sank back into my pillow. My heart ached painfully as past memories continued to flash before my eyes. I could do this though because deep down I knew he was right there with me.
A/N: Hey everyone! I'm so glad at the attention this story is getting. :D. You guys rock. Thanks to reviewers demonfox910 and lilyoftheval5. I would love it if I could thank more of you ;).