Hi everyone! Welcome back! Thank you everyone for the many positive responses I got for this, it keeps encouraging me.
Our dear Luffy isn't dead, of course he isn't, what would be the point? xD
The first half of the story is now over, and new major players are about to enter the scene.
So don't let me keep you: please enjoy!
Relavant Tarot Cards for this chapter:
The Four of Swords: This is the "meditation" card and it advises the querent that they need to rest, reflect, recuperate and find their way back to themselves.
The Magician: A card that foreshadows revelations to the querent, ideas he'd thought of, but never really realized will be revealed to him, helping him a step further towards realizing his goals. The magician also stands for a magnetic, clever and witty person, one who the querent looks up to and who is always ready with answers, whether the querent wants to hear them or not.
15. The Four of Swords - The Magician
"Babe, are you about done? We're going to be late!"
Ace walked over to the kitchen counter to retrieve his car keys, grunting exasperatedly when Luffy still tarded to come down the stairs.
"Babe, come on!"
Hurried steps were heard coming from the first floor of the condo and Luffy appeared coming out of their bedroom, walking down the steps. He'd donned black, bootcut jeans, a white shirt with a black skinny tie and a matching leather vest of the same colour. In his right hand he was holding a small, blue gift box with a white bow.
"Finally!" Ace exclamed, throwing his hands up.
"Sorry, sorry," Luffy whispered. "I couldn't remember where I had put their gift."
Ace sighed and rolled his eyes. "Well, I can see you've found it, so can we go already?"
"Alright!" Luffy whined back, pouting. "Jeez!"
"I really don't want to be late to our friends' engagement party, babe," Ace pleaded, beginning to walk towards the door.
Luffy crossed his arms over his chest and simply watched him open the door and stop as he realized that Luffy wasn't following him. "The buffet will still be there when we get there, you know," he told him, a peeved look on his face.
Ace grunted and sighed, lowering his head as he still held on to the door. "Babe-"
Luffy walked up to him and placed a hand on his arm sympathetically. "Baby, I know."
"I just want to get through this as fast as possible," Ace whispered, his eyes mirroring the dejection in his voice. "Can't believe it's been 4 years."
"It has," Luffy whispered back, sliding a hand around his waist and taking him in an embrace. "But Ace, he would want for you to celebrate Law's engagement to Vivi. He wanted nothing but for you to be happy, not to be crippled emotionally by his death."
Ace wrapped his arms around him and kissed his forehead lovingly. "Eventhough our time together was very short, I loved him. So very much, Ishilly."
Ishilly?!
Ace let go of him, and looked him over lovingly, his hands going through his long, wavy dark blue locks, eyes wandering over her form fitting, sexy black and white bandage dress.
Huh?
"But you're right, I should concentrate on the here and now," Ace smiled, placing his hands on his waist under the leather jacket. "And take my beautiful wife to my friend's engagement party."
Wife...?!
"You'll be okay," Ishilly whispered, caressing a stray strand of Ace's hair out of his face. She took his hand in hers next and guided him out of their appartment, her black leather platform pumps click-clacking over the concrete floor as she did.
Ace burried his face in the side of her neck, breathing in the scent of her blue hair. "That dress should be illegal in all the New World countries; you look too damn sexy in that thing..."
Her laughing voice echoed from the other side of the door as it fell shut and the lights of the condo dimmed themselves automatically.
That woman... he recognised her... She was that hostess from the Nasugasira, but why...?
"Call out to them, Luffy."
"What...?" he whispered absentmindedly, before gasping as he looked around from his position at the top of the steps leading into the sitting area, to see the furniture around him desintegrating into thin air one by one. Fear gripped his heart as the lights around him where getting weaker and he suddenly experienced difficulties breathing. He fell against the wall that seperated the incoming hall and the kitchen, chest rising and falling rapidly as his anguished eyes darted all over the place.
"What's going on...?" he rasped, grabbing onto his chest as he felt himself panicking. "Where am I...?" he whimpered, slowly sliding down onto the floor as he closed his eyes shut. "Ace? Robin...?
"You don't have much time left, darling. You've already been here too long."
Luffy looked up at that but didn't see anyone to whom that familiar, female voice belonged to. "Hello? Robin?" he voiced, beginning to stand up again.
"Call out to them again, Luffy. Reach out."
"Ace?" Luffy whispered hopefully, the voice now a familiar masculine one. He suddenly felt cold as an eerie realization dawned on him. "No..."
He could place where and when he'd heard both voices before.
This couldn't be.
"Mom? Mr Newgate?"
"You need to go back, Luffy. Time is running out."
And before Luffy knew it, he was screaming.
Again and again.
The Promotional Video for the Mera S featuring Vivi's upcoming new single was playing on the tv of Luffy's hospital room at Hiluluk Memorial.
A tired sigh escaped him and he bent over in his seat on the beige couch, pressing his hands against his face while his fingers rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He stood up and walked towards the bed where Luffy was lying in, comatose since 4 days.
"Babe?" he whispered, pulling a chair closer to the bed. Ace sat down and took one of Luffy's lifeless hands in his, holding its fingers close to his lips. "Babe, can you hear me? They're playing Vivi's video for the first time. It looks so good, you did so well, babe."
Luffy's pale lips remained silent, his facial features unmoving while the heart monitor beeped away steadily and the breathing machines continued to pump air into his lungs.
A lone tear escaped one of Ace's eyes and he kissed the palm of the hand he was still holding, biting back a sob. "I love you, babe... No matter what happens, just know that..." He looked up at him again and sniffled. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, wiping away the tear quickly.
The door to the room opened a few moments later, letting in Robin, who was carrying a large vase with flowers.
Yesterday was the start of the series of hearings preluding the upcoming joint Di Monkey and Portgas trials against the civilian and service person Eustass Kidd in Mariejois. The procedures already garnered the necessary mediatic attention, due in part to the press conference from last Tuesday, which Ace ended not attending, for obvious reasons, issuing a written release to the press instead.
The other reason was because of the unexpected death of Edward Newgate late Thursday night.
He died of a cardiac arrest, enduced because of complications related to his old age.
He was 72.
Both Bartholomew Kuma and Kuzan Aokiji had agreed to put their heads together in the defense of both Luffy and Ace, seen as how both their cases were against the same defendant.
The Di Monkey Family was prosecuting Kid Eustass on three accounts; two accounts of Assault and Battery, one aggravated by the added provision of sexual battery, and one other account of hit and run.
And he would prosecute Eustass on the account of involuntary manslaughter because of what happened that night on which Sabo died.
That previous Monday afternoon, as agreed with Kuzan, Ace went to meet Sabo's parents to talk to them about the true events of that night, eleven years ago. He'd completely been prepared when Mrs Gray slapped him across the face angrily, accusing him of being just as bad as Kid for having hidden the truth from them with the only intend of saving his own name. He hadn't been able to do much else but watch her as she broke down in tears in her husbands arms.
She was right, he knew.
He'd let a murderer walk just so he could continue to enjoy a life of anonimity.
When the Grays had asked him to leave their home after Mrs Gray's outburst, he hadn't been able to leave like that, not before offering them the promise that he'd do anything to put Eustass away for good.
Still, as they mentioned it, it was all too little, too late.
He realized that it was, but this was his shot at redemption. And he'd fully realized the consequences of what he was about to do.
The fact that Luffy was now in a coma was in a way his fault, too. He was indirectly responsible for what Eustass had done to him as well. Or at least, that's how he saw it. His decision had only caused grief to those who least deserved it.
Kuzan and him would present his evidence on Monday at his hearing in Mariejois. Marco and Law had agreed to testify, but only if Ace agreed to not shoulder the blame all by himself.
After all, they too had complied to keep the secret and felt just as responsible as Ace did. Both were willing to stand by Ace's side in this, and were ready to face the consequences of the choice they made.
Ace had to finally do right by Sabo. All three of them had to.
Pleading guilty to being accessory to a manslaughter by negligence was the only way for them to do that.
No matter what the result of this course of action would be.
"Let me help you with those," he offered Robin, taking the vase with the lustruous flowers from her and placing them on a nearby dresser.
Robin and him had agreed to meet at the hospital for Luffy, knowing that neither one of them wanted to be alone in times like this. Garp would come by later, having other obligations that needed his attention today.
"Hey Ace. Have you been here long?" she whispered gratefully, letting him embrace her
Ace looked at his watch and read 11.07 am. "Almost an hour. How was your flight?"
"Uneventful," Robin replied, letting go of him. She moved towards her brother to kiss him on his forehead. "How has he been?"
Ace sniffled and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling in an attempt to keep his tears at bay. "He's still the same. Kaya said she'd be here in a few."
Robin bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling, fighting her own tears as she nodded in understanding. "I see."
She reached out a hand to him and he took it, sharing a moment of silence while they looked at Luffy, both their hearts quivering, fighting against the despair that creeped ever closer.
"Luffy," Robin whispered, now leaning over her brother's face again and carefully running her fingers through his hair. "Hey, Lou. Can you hear me little brother? I'm back from Mariejois, Lou. Granddad, Coby Morgan, Kuma and I presented our evidence for the trial that will take place next Wednesday. It'll all be settled then." She smiled at him sadly. "How I wish this news was enough to wake you, Lou," she then whimpered, tears now welling up in her eyes. "We won't stop until you're finally free of that man, little brother..." she said, kissing his cheek lovingly.
Ace averted his gaze from the scene, closing his eyes. "If he's found guilty on all accounts, what's he facing?" he asked her quietly, wiping away another tear.
"Oh he'll be going away for a long time. Kuma will be pushing for the maximum sentence," Robin stated with a nod, caressing Luffy's face with the back of her hand. "30 years of imprisonment for the manslaughter, 15 for what he did to Luffy on both accounts and we'll strip him of all his Air Force credentials."
Ace nodded in acknowledgement, burying his face in his hands again. "As long as he pays for what he's done," he replied, his voice hollow.
Robin observed him for a moment. "It's not all on you, you know Ace."
"I have to set things right on my end as well, Robin," he replied with a shake of his head.
"What about Luffy?" she asked, frowning worriedly. "What's going to happen if the court rules for a heavy sentence to your pleading guilty?"
Ace smiled to himself sadly. "I can only hope that he'll forgive me."
"I know that you've made up your mind about it, but I still hope Luffy wakes up before you go through with this," she whispered with a shake of her head. "You have a lot on your head right now. I don't even know how you can manage to sit here-"
"I'm okay, Robin," he said, looking straight ahead determinately before closing his eyes. "Considering."
"How are things at Mugiwara?" she then asked, having heard the deep desolation in his voice, sitting herself on the bed next to her brother now.
"Chaotic, though they're doing a good job hiding it," he replied, looking up at her with a forlorn smile. "No one saw this coming, you know? He didn't tell anyone, not even me that he was unwell."
"I think my Granddad knew," she said, hugging herself and closing her eyes. "It just couldn't have happened at a worst time. Now that the world knows who you really are, it's like he was waiting just for this to happen before..." Robin fell silent, shaking her head regretfully.
"I've thought about that, too," Ace confessed, beginning to stand. "And I wouldn't be surprised if this played out exactly how he hoped it would. That man taught me to always have a plan, for everything. There's no way he'd just leave..." Ace whispered, squeezing his eyes shut. "Leave me without..."
Robin walked up to him quickly and took him in her arms. "He didn't mean to leave you," she whispered into his ear comfortingly. "Newgate knew his time was coming to an end, Ace."
"I know," he whispered over her shoulder, sniffling. "It's just been one thing after the other these past few weeks."
Robin nodded sadly. "The funeral is tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah," Ace replied, letting go of her. "It still hasn't really hit me, you know?"
"Then maybe you should head on home and try to get some rest," she told him gently. "You have so much happening in the next few days, you need some time for yourself, Ace."
Ace gave her a pleading look and shook his head again, already loving her for being so caring. "I don't want to leave Luffy," he replied. "He never left my side when it was me in that bed. I won't leave his now."
Robin smiled and nodded understandingly, "Alright, I give up trying to convince you then."
They grinned at each other before directing their attention to the door as a soft knocking was heard.
"I'm sorry to interrupt."
Ace walked towards Kaya with a shake of his head, smiling reassuringly. "No, Kaya, please come in."
Kaya hugged him tenderly before moving on to Robin and taking her in her arms. "Hey you two."
"Please tell us you have some good news for us, Kaya," Robin asked softly, looking at her brother sadly.
Kaya took a breath and nodded to them. "I have the results of the latest MRI Chopper executed early this morning before leaving for the Marathon," she said, opening the document holder she was carrying. She took out a scan of Luffy's brain and held it up to the light. "The intercranial swelling we diagnosed him with last Thursday has finally subsided," she explained, pointing at a spot on the scan. "So we're planning on gradually taking him out of his artificial coma, to see how things evolve from there."
Robin let out a relieved breath and wiped away a tear. "Oh my god, that's good news..."
Ace took Robin in his arms and smiled at Kaya, "Do you have an idea of when he'll be fully awake?"
"Dr Belladona will be coming in soon to start the procedure to take him out of his coma," Kaya explained, smiling reassuringly as she put the MRI scan back into the folder. "Once she's done, it should take somewhere between 2 to 5 hours for us to see if he's out of danger and if things will evolve the way we all want them to."
"So he won't be out of the woods yet once the swelling's down," Ace concluded, letting go of Robin again.
"No, but he's fighting really hard, you guys," Kaya told them, reaching out to the both of them. "All his other vitals are good, and eventhough we're helping him breathe for now, it is only to take that additional stress of doing it on his own from him. He miraculously didn't break any bones and he has minimal bruising over his entire body. We're very optimistic that he will make it."
Robin sniffled, her eyes red from crying as she held a tissue in her right hand. "Okay," she whispered, pressing the tissue against her nose briefly. "And do you know if there's any... braindamage...?"
Kaya pressed her lips together and exhaled carefully, giving the both of them an earnest look. "We'll have to wait and see what the next MRI will tell us once the swelling has gone completely. We don't know yet."
Ace bit his lower lip and closed his eyes, throwing his head in his neck with a pained expression. "But we'll know by tonight, right?" he asked, his voice trembling as he blinked back the tears.
"Yeah," Kaya whispered back, clearing her throat as she felt it close up from the held back tears.
"Then we'll all be here tonight," Robin said with a nod, looking up at Ace. "They've all gone to the Thousand Sunny Marathon, but we can gather them all here afterwards, if that is alright?"
"That's more than alright," Kaya confirmed, sniffling and throwing her hair back. "I need to go continue my rounds, you guys."
"Okay," Robin said, moving in to hug her again. "Thank you for caring for Luffy so wonderfully."
"Stay strong, Robin," Kaya replied with a small smile. "Luffy needs you to be right now."
Robin nodded, wiping away more tears.
"Ace," Kaya began, taking him in her arms as well. "I haven't had the chance to express my condolences for your father. I'm so sorry for your loss, Ace."
"Thank you, Kaya," he whispered back, holding her tightly to him. "Thank you for everything."
"You're welcome." Kaya turned towards the door and exited a moment later, waving them goodbye.
Robin sat down in the seat next to the bed and took Luffy's hand in hers, lost in her thoughts.
Ace turned to the tv just in time to see Vivi give an interview to a reporter at the start of the Marathon, holding hands with Law and smiling excitedly as she talked about the cause she supported.
He smiled briefly at how happy those two looked together and sat back down on the couch, his gaze going to the other half of his heart.
He didn't want to think about what he would do if... if...
He couldn't afford to think that way.
Because then Luffy would never forgive him if he did.
The grandfather clock in the living room of the Di Monkey Residence ticked away the seconds as they passed and merged with the endless moments of awkwardness that kept continuing on.
Robin was sitting with Zoro on the couch near the front-side windows, her knees drawn up close to her body and her socked feet crossed in front of her as she leaned against her fiancé, a wary look on her spectacled face.
"No."
On the other side of the living room, on the other couch, sat Ace who was still wearing his coat. He'd dropped off Robin over 45 minutes ago and stayed for a chat with Zoro when they got an unexpected visitor. Both him and Zoro were now giving the tall man in his expensive coat and suit standing by the archway apprehensive looks.
"I can't believe you think that you still have a right to decide about things like these."
"I'm your father, Robin," Dragon said, crossing his arms over his chest authoritarily. "Sabaody is not the place for Luffy to be right now."
"No," Robin repeated, bringing her feet to rest on the floor. "And what when he wakes up? Do you think he'll want to stay in Water 7? I don't know if you've noticed, but Luffy's learned to live without you; we've all learned to live without you. You didn't give us much of a choice."
"Robin-"
She stood now, shaking her head resolutely. "He has a job here, he has started a life here. Ace and him are moving in together. Granddad won't let you take advantage of him being unconscious to take him away. We both won't. You might as well kidnap him; it's the same principle."
"You won't let me?" Dragon replied calmly. "I'm doing this out of concern for my son!" he whispered to her, giving her an angry look.
Robin lowered her head, laughing humourlessly. "No you're not," she told him through gritted teeth.
Zoro stood up quickly to keep her from walking up to her father angrily, knowing what she was going to say next. "Ange, no..."
"Where the fuck were you when Luffy was diagnosed with a depression four years ago?" she hollered, tears welling up in her eyes. "Or when I lost my baby? Where the hell were you?"
"Don't start getting all emotional on me, Robin," Dragon said with a dismissive smirk and a shake of his head. "I'm doing what's best for your brother and what's best for your brother is for him to get away from this mess so he can build himself up and return when-"
"The only reason you want Luffy with you is to keep an eye on him so he doesn't 'humilliate' you further!" Robin said, looking at him coolly. "Stop treating us like we're your subordinates. You can't expect us to follow your every order. Not anymore."
Dragon sighed exasperatedly. "Robin."
"I'm so embarassed to be your daughter," Robin said after a few moments, a look of utter disappointment on her face. "And I'm so glad mother isn't around to see all of this."
"How dare you..." Dragon growled, balling his fists before relaxing them a moment later. "Your mother-"
"My mother would turn herself around in her grave if she knew of the hateful man you've become!" she whimpered, twin tears falling down her face. "Therefore, if you try to take Luffy away from me, so help me God I will not hesitate to sue you for kidnapping."
Dragon gave her a mocking smile. "You're going to sue your own father? After I bought you two this house-"
"You can have it back," Robin said, not missing a beat. "You made sure to never give me the lease to this place, so keep it."
Visibly thrown back from his daughter's brash answer, Dragon frowned. "You'd be ready to just give it up?"
"If you think that Luffy and I saw you like more of a father figure just because you bought us this house, you're mistaken," Robin continued, shrugging and wiping away her tears. "This house was your way of keeping us under your thumb, I see that now. So, keep it. Luffy's moving out anyway and Zoro and I are getting married; we can find a place of our own."
"So you are getting married," he whispered, smiling quietly to himself when his eyes fell on the black diamond that decorated her left hand ringfinger."I had heard the rumours..." His voice became quiet and he took a breath before sitting himself in the armchair across from the TV. He rested his head in his right hand and exhaled tiredly, his gaze coming to rest on Ace to his left. "Then I suppose that congratulations are in order. For all of you."
None of them said anything, Robin sitting back down on the couch after Zoro succesfully coaxed her to.
"Ace Portgas," Dragon then called, underterred by the lack of appreciation for his well-wishes.
Ace had kept his silence through the entire conversation between father and daughter, only now looking up to cast an idle look upon the man. Eventhough he was Luffy's father, he didn't forget that he was the head of a very influential Media Corporation and that nothing he would say to him would stay off the records.
"Mr Di Monkey."
Dragon gave Ace an appraising look before continuing. "Coming out to the world as the child of the famous Golden Roger who was believed to have died with his mother 28 years ago was quite the move. One can't help but wonder about the reason for it. You could've spent your entire life without anyone judging you for your father's misdeeds."
Ace's expression darkened and he looked away. Even after 28 years, the public still hadn't forgotten about Roger's betrayal of the world's most beautiful woman of that time, Gloriosa Boa. And although Roger had been praised as that era's most inventive and charismatic entrepreneur, he had made a lot of ennemies on the way to top. Enemies who'd been all too happy to drag his name through the mud after the scandal erupted.
But all of that was honestly not stuff he wanted to talk about.
"I already answered one of your reporters on that question, I suggest you go through my official press release again," Ace calmly replied with a shake of his head. He then stood after that, walking over to the couple to kiss Robin goodnight and to shake Zoro's hand.
"I'm calling it a night, you guys. I have another demanding day tomorrow," he told them, beginning to move towards the entrace hall. He nodded his head once Dragon's way in greeting before continuing on.
"I don't approve of your relationship with my son, Portgas. He's not safe with you, his accident being a case in point."
Ace was now in the moonlit hall and stopped, smirking defiantly, his eyes on the picture of Robin and Luffy that hung near the door. "I figured you'd tell me as much," he said, turning to place a hand on the doorhandle. "But then again, I'm not asking for permission, because it's not your decision to make whether I date, cherish or love Luffy or not. And until the trials are over, I have taken the necessary precautions. Luffy won't have anything to fear, ever again."
Robin's proud grin against Zoro's chest went unnoticed by her father and as Ace closed their door behind him, she and her fiancé stood up again, leaving the living room to go to bed.
Not caring if Dragon was left seething in his chair, all alone.
Once the house quieted down with his daughter's bedroom door falling shut in the distance, Dragon stood up again, walking over to the bookshelf left from the TV to pick up a picture of his children and their long lost mother.
"With the only person actively protecting you gone, Ace, you are wide open for the things you still don't know about Newgate," he murmured, holding the picture close as he observed it. "I will not let you drag Luffy into the mess Newgate's death is going to create. He will never be safe with you."
He let a finger go over Luffy's laughing face caringly, smiling regretfully as he placed the picture back on the shelf.
It was like breaking through the surface of a body of water.
He took a deep breath, feeling his consciousness return to him, back from the depths of inertia.
At first, he mistook the constant beeping in his ear for the sound of his heart, finding his body to feel heavy, yet sufficiently comfortable to keep him from getting alarmed from the thought that he couldn't remember when he'd fallen asleep. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that something had happened, but for the life of him he could not remember what it was.
He wiggled his right big toe out of curiosity, smiling quietly to himself when the digit responded accordingly and the rest of his other toes and his fingers did the same.
His eyes were next and he slowly blinked them open, wincing at the moderate brightness that seeped into the room from in between the open beige curtains next to his bed. It was either very early in the morning or early in the evening, for he could only see the red and purple coloured clouds and skies outside.
A sigh escaped him when he tried to move out of his lying position.
"You're awake."
Luffy stilled his movements and turned his head to the origin of the male voice, still blinking uneasily, his eyes still too sensitive to the light. "Where... am I?" he murmured in a dry voice.
Footsteps approached him and he turned his head to his left, lifting his eyes to meet the man's face, freezing when his gaze fell on his.
"Wha...?"
"Drink this."
His throat felt parched and he gladly took a large sip from the water container that was being held up for him.
"Better?"
Luffy nodded, his eyes never leaving his. "I can't believe this..." he whispered, lying back against the raised bed. His mind just had to be playing tricks on him. "Shanks...?"
"Hello, Luffy," Shanks whispered back, sitting himself next to him on the bed. "You had everyone worried."
"Shanks!" Luffy repeated, still not trusting his eyes. "It's really you, isn't it?" he whispered, not daring to hope, tears already starting to well up in his eyes. "Please tell me it is..."
Shanks chuckled handsomely, his eyes full of warmth and affection. "You hit your head pretty hard," he grinned, pointing at the bandages that covered his entire head. "So who knows?"
"I hit my head?" Luffy reached up to touch said bodypart, confusion still defining his features. "My brain is already scrambled enough as it is, do you need to add to it, you jerk?" he whispered with a small smirk.
"Come here," Shanks chuckled, moving in to take him in an embrace, pressing a kiss against his forehead.
"Shanks, what happened to me? I can tell that this is Hiluluk Memorial, but I can't remember why..." Luffy's voice died out, as he shook his head in frustration. "Where's Ace?"
Shanks sighed sadly, but held on to him. "You've been hit by a car, right outside of Baratie on 10th Central last Tuesday."
Luffy couldn't remember a thing of what the other man was telling him. "I can't... remember..." he said softly, frowning.
"You just woke up... it'll come back to you." Shanks acknowledged with a nod, having been told by Kaya earlier that this would be a possibility after waking up, but that usually the memories returned with time when no clear damage to the brain had been decerned. "The moment I heard you returned to the city, I wanted to see you," said quietly into the side of Luffy's neck, pressing another kiss against his temple. "When I heard you'd been in an accident, I had to be here."
Still a bit lost in the dissaray the new information left him with, Luffy decided to simple trust that he would get to understand things as they would return to him. The only thing he could do right now was enjoying the fact that the man he'd longed to see for over 4 years was now right in front of him.
"It's so good to see you." Luffy closed his eyes over his shoulder, letting a tear roll out of his left eye when Shank's masculine scent permuted his senses, catapulting him back to times long since lost. "I've missed you, so damn much," he whimpered, burying his nose in the side of his neck.
Shanks smiled gently into his hair, closing his eyes in turn. "I meant to come sooner, but I was called away on business, merely a day after you returned from your Senior Class' graduation trip. I had even prepared to meet you at Sabao Harbour that day," he explained, looking at him now. "I kept following your exploits ever since you returned and I'm so proud of you, Luffy."
A blush appeared on Luffy's cheeks and he grinned, recognising the warm and fuzzy feeling deep inside that he'd always associated with Shanks' warm and genuine embraces and his caring and inspirational words. He felt sixteen again, simply happy to be bask in his attention, his smile growing wider as he watched Shanks look him over.
"How long have I been out?" he whispered, touching the bandage that covered his head.
"We're Sunday morning; so five days," Shanks answered, watching him looking around the room. "It's still pretty early, the others will surely come by later," he added, catching up on Luffy's wondering gazes at the many vases with plants, baskets with gifts and the numerous stuffed animals that decorated the room.
"And my sister? How has she been?" he asked, face worried.
Shanks shook his head amusedly. "Worried about you of course. She and Ace have been by your side every single day."
Luffy looked at him again, visibly touched by the news. "Really? But wait, you met Ace, then?"
The redhaired man smiled and made an affirmative movement with his head. "I have. Not bad a choice, I must add. Though I would've thought you'd go for someone a bit older."
Luffy laughed heartedly at that statement, blushing at the approving wink he received from Shanks.
"I will need to have another word with him about the fact that he isn't feeding you right. As soon as you're able to, I'm getting some decent food put into you; you've lost a lot of weight, Luffy."
Luffy rolled his eyes and shook his head, still grinning. "Well I'll have you know that I have been under a bit of stress lately," he whispered back.
"So I have heard," Shanks acknowledged, looking down at the hand Luffy slid into his affectionately. He'd followed the media and he knew about what had happened to Luffy, unable to deny the measure of responsability he had in all of it. Still, he had hoped that the promise they'd made on that summer evening would've been enough. Or at least, he'd fooled himself into thinking that it would've been enough.
He sighed and averted his eyes from Luffy. "I thought we agreed-"
"I know," Luffy interrupted him, eyes downcast. "And I'm sorry, but it hasn't been that simple to get over you."
The confession burned a hole in his chest, and although he'd known over the past four years that what he'd asked Luffy to do was unfair, hearing proof of it now still made his heart ache with remorse and guilt. "What makes you think that it has been easy for me?" he replied, looking at him earnestly. He'd caused for Luffy to nurture feelings of guilt while in reality there was no reason for him to feel that way. "I don't blame you for what happened to me," he told him softly, looking at his mechanical prostestic right arm. "I never did and what's happened never negatively influenced the way I felt and still feel for you. Getting over you hasn't been easy for me either."
If Luffy had thought that hearing those words coming from Shanks would've made him feel better over the past 4 years, he'd been mistaken because he now realized that they didn't matter. It didn't matter who'd been hurting the most, it only mattered that they'd both suffered because of the way things had gone. He looked up at Shanks, placing his other hand on top of the one already grasping his right hand. "You brought me back to life. You opened up my future and showed me all the possibilities that I couldn't see. I'll love you for the rest of my life for that."
Shanks raised his right hand to cup his face tenderly. "Luffy..."
"I could keep wondering about how things could've been if my father hadn't torn us apart," Luffy continued. "But then I wouldn't be living the life that you saved." He lifted his left hand over the one cupping his face, kissing its palm before looking up at him again questioningly.
Shanks lowered his gaze in turn, his unease apparent.
Luffy tightened his grip on the hand he was holding, smiling reassuringly. "Just this once."
Shanks laid his eyes on his again and returned his smile. "Just this once."
Luffy nodded, watching him approach him slowly. Their lips met a moment later, bringing with it a flood of memories that would forever be sealed away with this last kiss.
"I will never regret what we had, Luffy," Shanks whispered against his lips, smiling lovingly. "I will love you, always."
Luffy sniffled and nodded, letting a silent tear roll down his eye, chuckling happily when Shanks took him in his arms and kissed his temple. "Thank you."
It was the break-up they should've had 4 years ago. It left no remorse, no regrets and their mutual affection and respect for each other intact. There would be no loose ends anymore.
They were free to start anew for real this time.
"Luffy, now that you're awake, there's something that we need to talk about and I'm truly glad we first set aside any residual differences between us," Shanks whispered, scooting back on the bed a bit.
Luffy blinked in wonder. "What is it?"
Shanks smiled encouragingly and sighed. "This isn't going to be easy to hear, but I need you to bare with it. It's about Mugiwara, Luffy. Newgate in particular."
Luffy pushed himself up on his hands to sit up against the pillows better, bracing himself mentally when he witnessed Shanks' expression turn grave. "Newgate?"
"He's passed away, Luffy."
The first thought he had went straight to Ace and with that he imagined the torment he must be in, his heart breaking in two. "Oh God, no..."he whimpered, breaking down in sobs. "H-how...?"
"Heart failure," Shanks responded, watching with a pained expression as Luffy grieved silently for a few moments. "I know that this is a lot to take in so soon after waking up and I'm sorry for putting this extra stress onto you."
Luffy quieted and wiped away his tears with the edge of his covers. "When?"
"Three days ago, on Thursday. They're burrying him in a few hours, explaining why Ace isn't here, nor your sister or grandfather."
Luffy nodded in understanding before his face contorted itself with sorrow once more. "Ace... Baby... I'm so sorry..."
Shanks closed his eyes sadly and faced away from him. "There's more, Luffy."
Luffy lifted his watery eyes up to him apprehensively, but remained silent.
"Rayleigh is now CEO of The Mugiwara Group."
Luffy's eyes grew wide. "Rayleigh is...?"
Shanks nodded.
"But Rayleigh is the Finance Director. Who will...?"
Shanks took a small breath and gave him a bashful smile. "Me."
Luffy couldn't stop staring at him in a disbelieving manner. "You're the new Finance Director? But-"
"How do you think I've been keepin tabs on you?" he whispered back, smirking knowingly.
A look of understanding appeared on Luffy's face. "You knew him."
Shanks moved his head affirmatively. "When I heard you were coming back to Sabaody. I asked Newgate to look you up. Your grandfather also helped."
"So it's thanks to you that I got my job?" Luffy murmured wonderingly, wiping away lingering tears.
"No, that you did yourself," Shanks smiled. "Garp and I only nudged them in the right direction."
Luffy fell silent with a grin, shaking his head amusedly when he recalled that morning two weeks ago when Garp came back to Sabaody. "That's how he knew... Wait, did Ace know too?"
Shanks' grin only grew wider as he shook his head. "He did not. You two found each other yourselves."
"I want to see him so badly..." Luffy whispered, closing his eyes with a sigh and a loving smile.
Shanks observed the blush that spread over his cheeks, smiling contently for Luffy. "You two have fallen in love already, haven't you?"
Luffy opened his eyes, looked at him and nodded. "Yeah."
"I'm truly happy for you, Luffy," Shanks said with heartfelt sincerity.
"Thank you," Luffy replied, smiling radiantly. "But uhm... with you working with us at Mugiwara, tell me how exactly this is going to not be awkward?"
"You mean with you dating Ace and me being your ex-boyfriend," Shanks clarified, grinning widely. "I'm not planning on having a smackdown with Ace over you. I'm married now, Luffy. And I have a son."
"Oh damn, I would've loved to have you two go at each other just to get my attention!" Luffy grinned as Shanks laughed. "Do you have a picture of your family?"
Shanks reached into the backpocket of his pants and took out his wallet to retrieve the picture he held in there of his family. "My little boy will be one year old in a few months."
"He's precious," Luffy whispered, endeared by the happy faces that looked up at him from the picture. "And your wife is beautiful, Shanks."
"Yeah, thanks," he said proudly, putting the picture away again.
Luffy reached out to him so he could take him into his arms again. "Congratulations. Both on your new job and on your adorable family," he whispered in the side of his neck. "I look forward to working with you."
"Thank you, Luffy. I look forward to working with you too," Shanks replied, holding the back of his head in his left hand protectively as they continued to hold each other close.
"But before we can get to that, there's still the matter of your upcoming joint trials," Shanks told him a few moments later as they let go of each other again.
Luffy laid back against the pillows once more. "What can you tell me about those? How are things going on that end?"
"I would prefer for Ace or Robin to inform you further ono this. A lot still needs to happen, and I don't know all of the details," Shanks replied regretfully, scratching the back of his head.
"I see," Luffy replied with a nod. "You said that they'd be attending Newgate's funeral in a few hours, right? And they're coming to see me after?"
Shanks chuckled quietly and reached for a front pocket of his pants this time. "Or you can just call them and check? I need to go inform the nurses you're awake anyway."
Luffy bit his lower lip and grinned back when Shanks offered him his phone, taking the device in his hands. He formed the first number that came to mind and placed the phone against his right ear, listening in suspense as the line went over once, twice...
"Di Monkey Residence, Robin speaking."
Luffy smiled radiantly. "Goodmorning, Bee."
To be continued...
In 16: The Five of Swords - Death
-BDP-