Warm Memories and Brotherly Bonds

Chapter 34: The Last and Strongest of CP9

*Luffy*

Luffy didn't know how long he stood there, but the tears finally slowed down enough that he was able to rub his red and swollen eyes, feeling tired and hungry at the same time.

"You ok?" Ace asked gently as he rubbed his shoulder in a comforting way.

"Y-yeah," Luffy croaked out as he glanced at him. "I'm sorry. I know that I was..." he shook his head, unable to believe what a crybaby he was acting here. "I just miss you," he said in his choked up voice. And it was true. Seeing his strong big brother standing here in front of him, looking like he had always did awake the pain of loss inside him.

At that moment, he didn't care of Ace thought he was still a crybaby anymore as he flung his arms around his neck. But surprisingly, Ace didn't say anything like that as he held him close as well. When he spoke, his voice was warm and soothing. "I know," he said, "But I told you. I'm not sorry how it ended for me. If I had to pick a way to die, I can't think of a better way."

"For me?" Luffy asked bitterly, as Ace continued to rub his back in a comforting way.

"If it were the other way around, I know you would've done the same thing," Ace answered him and the tears were slowly stopping as Luffy breathed in his brother's slightly smoky smell. "You don't need me to protect you anymore. And I wouldn't change anything if I could. So stop blaming yourself for things that I did alright?"

"I just..." Luffy said, no longer feeling ashamed of his tears. "I went through all that... I wanted to be there for you for once..."

"And you were," Ace reminded him. "You saved me twice that day right? You stopped them from killing me two times. You were there trying to save me, and that's all that matters here."

"But why did you turn back then?" Luffy asked him, a stab of anger going through him. "Why didn't you just run?!"

Ace sighed as he held him tighter, Luffy could feel Ace's rib cage rise and fall with the air flowing through his lungs, as if he were still alive. "I just... couldn't," he confessed. "Remember the night of the Terminal Fire?"

"How could I forget?" Luffy asked him quietly. "I really thought you were dead there."

Ace actually chuckled. "Yeah," he muttered, "You were scared of fire for the longest time after that. Ironic isn't it? It was the same situation as back then. I refused to run and stayed until that bastard Bluejam was beaten. I only made it out of that mess alive thanks to Dadan. You think that I'd learn my lesson... but no. I guess that I really haven't changed since I was a kid."

Luffy rubbed his eyes until they stung. "And in a lot of ways, you're still that same crybaby you were then?" he teased and Luffy laughed a little at that.

"But seriously," Ace went, patting his back in a calming way, "I know it was stupid and selfish. It's just that hearing that bastard mock Pops was something I couldn't ignore. Pops died to protect all of us, and then that Marine jackass just bad-mouthed him. If it had been Shanks he was insulting, you would've turned back too wouldn't you?"

Luffy blinked. He didn't think about that. If it had been Shanks that he was badmouthing, would he had turned back and kept wanted to fight?

"Besides," Ace said as he finally pulled back and had his hands on Luffy's shoulders. "I had something important right behind me when I turned to face that bastard. I couldn't run and risk losing it."

"What was it?" Luffy asked in confusion, but Ace just smiled and flicked his finger on Luffy's forehead in a teasing, but gentle, way.

Luffy finally cracked a smile, but it faded when he said, "I'm sorry," he said, "For being an awful brother to you. Just when we were leaving Thriller Bark, I saw the Vivre card burning, and I found out that it was because you were in trouble. My crew offered to take a side trip and see if you were ok. But I said no, because I knew that would make you angry. I mean... if I had gone then maybe...?"