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The dawning sun brings along streaks of light that cut through the dark sky, burning red and gold.
In an instant all Ace can see is this:
A fire's glow reflecting against metal, the long teardrops swaying elegantly from his hand. They clink together in the most delicate fashion, carrying the colours of a dancing flame.
Gold, red, gold, red. The colours shift, then stills. He moves them again and the cycle repeats. Gold, red.
Again and again, for as long as he can, he listens to polished chimes and watches in pleasure as the colours turn.
Gold, red, gold.
Red.
There's so much red everywhere but there's no chimes and it hurts, it fucking hurts and Ace can't breathe.
The world moves in slow motion around him, muted aside from the ringing in his ears. He sees his brother reaching for him, mouth open even as Ace can't hear the words that spill from it.
Instead all he can think about is the dainty sound of gold clicking against each other, of gold warmed by firelight and resting against tanned skin.
Zoro.
Because by now, Zoro would be batting Ace's hand away from his ear and shoving that arm down to join the other wrapped around the swordsman's waist. He would be glaring over his shoulders in sleepy annoyance even as he leaned deeper into Ace's embrace, voice rough as he told Ace to fucking stop and let me sleep, idiot.
And Ace would laugh, apologise, then do it all over again the next night just so he could have Zoro burrow his way deeper against his chest, the swordsman's way of getting Ace to stop fucking around with his ear.
As much as Ace adored watching the colours flicker or listening to the delicate sound the gold makes, he loves the sight of Zoro flushed and almost shy against him the most. It was a sight that had Ace wanting even weeks after he left, the promise of something between them that maybe, just maybe, Ace could see that look on Zoro again.
(And just like that another promise is left unfulfilled.)
Fuck, it hurts.
The world speeds up and his brother is holding his head in his lap, eyes wide and shaking.
"A-Ace?"
The thing is, Ace would do anything to wipe that ruined look from Luffy's face, to tell him that his big brother has got it all covered. But he can't. He can't move his hands, can't wipe the tears off his brother's face.
He knows that this is it.
So he takes one look at his family around him, at Marco reaching for him, the people he grew to love and who love him in kind.
He thinks of Deuce waiting for him with the rest of his crew. He won't ever get to read that book of his now.
When I'm gone, write about me in your book would you?
His vision is fading quickly, blurry from the pain and tears he didn't realise were spilling. Even then, he can make out the proud figure of his dad standing amidst the wreckage.
Pops, everyone...
From the moment he was born, he was hated by the world. A demon's child, a boy who never should have been born - Ace was never meant to be loved.
And yet, he found them. One brother and then another, a monster of a woman as his mom, and a crew that turned into a family. A budding romance with someone to call his. He was surrounded by love, love, love. So much love he was never deserving of but relished in all the same.
The pain was leaving him slowly, body going numb.
It was almost time, then.
Finally, he looks up at his brother, the only one he has left. Luffy is babbling, voice high in panic as he tells Ace it'll be fine, I'll save you, you can't die, you promised-
The words lump together the more he goes on, Luffy growing hysterical as he wipes the sweat and grime from Ace's face. It only smudges the blood on his cheek.
I'm sorry, is what Ace wants to say.
I'm sorry I won't be there for you. I'm sorry we can't be by your side when you reach your dreams. I'm sorry for the pain this will bring you.
But what were apologies in the face of death? What were his regrets compared to the love he had been given all these years? If this was his last moment then Ace would make it count. There was so much Ace needed to say to the people who loved him, just once, before he goes. He had to tell them.
When he speaks, his voice is a bare whisper but Luffy clings to every word. He tells his brother about a boy with bad blood in his veins, about a kid with no will to live.
"And then I met Sabo and not too long after, got a silly younger brother who followed me around everywhere. If it weren't for you guys I..." Ace laughs, weak as it was. "I'm so glad you're my brothers."
And the body that usually burned with heat was turning colder by the second.
(Zoro had liked the heat Ace provided, kept warm by scalding hands that held him close to an equally hot chest.)
For the first time in a long while, Ace felt so horribly cold.
"If I could change one thing Luffy, it's that I would be there to see you achieve your dreams. But, I'll still be with you, Luffy, even if you can't see me."
Your big brothers will always cheer you on, Pirate King.
Luffy shakes his head, grasping Ace's head closer as he leans down.
"No. No! Ace stop! You're gonna be fine and then we- We can fight again and we'll kick their asses-"
"Luffy, this is it for me." It comes out as a rasp and Ace can feel the last bit of strength fading.
Not yet. Not when I still have so much to say.
"Dadan... Say hi to her for me will you? Pops and everyone..."
And Zoro. To the man who gave me a taste of a future I never thought I could have.
"Towards a good-for-nothing kid like me, to be given so much hope, to have a chance at life like me," Whitebeard turns away, if only to spare himself the sight of his dying son.
"Thank you so much for loving me!"
"Ace! Ace no! No, you're lying, you promised, you promised! ACE!"
They say a man on the brink of death sees his life flashing before his eyes, but as the pain subsides into blissful nothingness, all Ace can think of is a life he could have lived - Gold against firelight and twinkling in the sun, warm under his hands. A gold band wrapped around a finger, tanned hand intwined with his.
Gold, gold, gold.
His world is bathed in gold.