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eiliemTitle: Heartbeats
Characters: tiny!Ace, tinier!Luffy, Garp, Dadan
Pairing: Luffy/beetle
Rating: G
Beta:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
naye&hearts thank you for the title!
Sonaye writes beautiful fluffy happy brother fic and I write...this.
Heartbeats
The day the world ends, it doesn’t really.
It’s a nice day. A really sunny one – the first in weeks. It’s a bit windy, but the air is full of birdsong and the buzzing of insects; Dadan’s hydrangeas are blooming. And Ace is teaching Luffy how to fly.
More specifically, Ace’s fists are teaching Luffy how to fly.
“Whee~ That was far, Ace! Shishishi!” Luffy bounces back towards him with an embarrassingly transparent punch; Ace sidesteps the attack and hurls Luffy through the air again. And again.
And again.
They take a break for lunch, stomachs growling in unison. Ace unpacks the picnic basket that Dadan filled for them – hoping for some peace and quiet until Gramps arrives at dinnertime – while Luffy chases butterflies and scavenges for beetles.
“Ace. Ace!” Luffy whisper-shouts somewhere behind him and Ace turns to see his brother’s head poking up from over the edge of the cliff, eyes wide with wonder.
“Luffy what are you--”
“There’s a bird nest! In the side of the cliff! With eggs in it!”
“Leave them alone, Luffy--”
CRACK.
There’s just enough time for them both to realize what’s going to happen; Luffy’s face changes from excited to “oops” and then half the cliff under him plunges into the ocean.
Ace is already sprinting for the water by the time he hears the splash. Idiot, he thinks, why won’t he just stay away from the water!
Ace has pulled Luffy out of the water before. His brother can’t seem to stay away like a sensible, sane Devil Fruit user. It’s practically routine for them by now.
He dives into the water – freezing this early in spring – makes his way to the thrashing Luffy, and manages to grab a hold of one of his wrists.
And then—
Ace doesn’t know what happens, maybe the undertow is stronger here than at other places along the coast, maybe it’s windier than he realized, because the world turns the wrong way, salty stinging water rushes up his nose, and he’s slammed head-first into a rock.
He’s burning inside – nose, throat, lungs – from inhaling water when he cracked his head on the stone.
His hand is empty.
And he. Can’t. See. Luffy.
Before Ace can right himself, or regain any control over his now-heavy limbs, the water throws him into the rocks again. And he stops seeing anything at all.
“-ce.”
He hurts.
“Ace. Ace.”
He feels dizzy and sick and light-headed. He’s freezing.
“Ace!”
Ace opens his eyes – opens one eye, he can’t see through the left; that side of his face is sore and swollen. And…sticky. Why is his face sticky? What--
“Da-- Da…dan?” His throat hurts and his mouth tastes gross.
“Oh thank god. Garp he’s awake.”
“G…Gramps?” He can’t breathe very well and he’s cold and shivering and all wet.
All. Wet.
Luffy.
“Luffy. Dadan...Luffy...water.”
“Shhh, shhh, we’ve got him, it’s fine.”
Ace starts coughing and Dadan shifts him up and holds him half-sitting while Ace coughs and coughs and tries hard to breathe.
He can see Gramps now, bent over something on the ground, but Ace can’t see Luffy.
He can’t see Luffy. Luffy fell in the water. Ace is cold and Dadan is holding him, making shushing noises and…shaking like…like Dadan’s upset. Ace twists his head, trying to see--
Gramps is bent over Luffy. Breathing for him.
Luffy is lying on the ground. Not. Moving.
“Garp I think he’s in shock.”
“Get him insid—shit.” Gramps drops Luffy’s wrist, traces over his tiny ribcage and starts pushing down over his heart in sharp, certain movements. Luffy’s thin chest flattens, absorbing the pressure.
“Shit shit shit. Come on Luffy.” Ace and Dadan watch in stricken silence as Gramps tilts Luffy’s head and blows air into his mouth again. And again. Then he pulls an arm back and strikes hard in the centre of Luffy chest, whose entire body jolts under the force.
Gramps does it again. And again, and again. And again.
“Oh god.” Dadan draws Ace closer, moves an arm around him and now Ace can’t see anything, can only hear the thwack thwack of Gramps trying to – trying to—
He’s sobbing, drawing air in shallow, painful breaths and he doesn’t – doesn’t know when he started. Dadan scoops him up and starts carrying him towards the house and Ace fights, kicks and thrashes.
“Lu—Luf—fy. Stop…don’t want. Stay.”
"Ace stop, we need to – stop you’re going to hurt yourself – we need to get you warm."
“Luffy!”
Then there’s a wet, gurgling noise behind them. Dadan whirls around and Ace stops moving.
Gramps is holding Luffy on his side as he coughs and coughs and coughs, water spurting through his lips.
“Is he…?”
Luffy breathes.
They get them in the house eventually, out of their wet, cold clothes and Dadan wraps them both in towels and tucks them into the big bed in the guest room so Gramps can keep an eye on them. While their guardian goes for more blankets and ice for Ace’s head, Gramps bandages the cut above Ace’s left eye and listens to his breathing.
“How did you know we fell in?”
“My ship arrived earlier than expected, Dadan and I were coming to surprise you two.”
If Gramps hadn’t…if the ship--
“Shh, Ace. It’s fine. Deep breaths boy, you’re okay, Luffy’s okay. It’s alright.” Gramps gathers him up in his arms and rocks him gently – like a baby – until Ace stops shaking. “Shhhh.”
Luffy is already asleep. Tiny and pale and breathing, and every once in a while Gramps leans over and presses an ear to his chest. But even after Gramps and Dadan stop fussing over his head, Ace can’t sleep; the ice is cold and they said he has to keep it there for at least half an hour.
He lies in bed, eyes heavy, head spinning and clutches Luffy’s wrist in his hand. Feels rubber flesh compress in his grasp. And under the cool skin, steady and soothing, a heartbeat like home.
The day the world ends, it doesn’t really.
But it was so close.
~~
This...is what happens when you take someone who used to worry all the time that her baby sister was going to drown in the river behind our house...and introduce her to a character who can't swim (and his worrying older brother)
Ace...sorry?
Characters: tiny!Ace, tinier!Luffy, Garp, Dadan
Pairing: Luffy/beetle
Rating: G
Beta:
naye&hearts thank you for the title! So
naye writes beautiful fluffy happy brother fic and I write...this.Heartbeats
The day the world ends, it doesn’t really.
It’s a nice day. A really sunny one – the first in weeks. It’s a bit windy, but the air is full of birdsong and the buzzing of insects; Dadan’s hydrangeas are blooming. And Ace is teaching Luffy how to fly.
More specifically, Ace’s fists are teaching Luffy how to fly.
“Whee~ That was far, Ace! Shishishi!” Luffy bounces back towards him with an embarrassingly transparent punch; Ace sidesteps the attack and hurls Luffy through the air again. And again.
And again.
They take a break for lunch, stomachs growling in unison. Ace unpacks the picnic basket that Dadan filled for them – hoping for some peace and quiet until Gramps arrives at dinnertime – while Luffy chases butterflies and scavenges for beetles.
“Ace. Ace!” Luffy whisper-shouts somewhere behind him and Ace turns to see his brother’s head poking up from over the edge of the cliff, eyes wide with wonder.
“Luffy what are you--”
“There’s a bird nest! In the side of the cliff! With eggs in it!”
“Leave them alone, Luffy--”
CRACK.
There’s just enough time for them both to realize what’s going to happen; Luffy’s face changes from excited to “oops” and then half the cliff under him plunges into the ocean.
Ace is already sprinting for the water by the time he hears the splash. Idiot, he thinks, why won’t he just stay away from the water!
Ace has pulled Luffy out of the water before. His brother can’t seem to stay away like a sensible, sane Devil Fruit user. It’s practically routine for them by now.
He dives into the water – freezing this early in spring – makes his way to the thrashing Luffy, and manages to grab a hold of one of his wrists.
And then—
Ace doesn’t know what happens, maybe the undertow is stronger here than at other places along the coast, maybe it’s windier than he realized, because the world turns the wrong way, salty stinging water rushes up his nose, and he’s slammed head-first into a rock.
He’s burning inside – nose, throat, lungs – from inhaling water when he cracked his head on the stone.
His hand is empty.
And he. Can’t. See. Luffy.
Before Ace can right himself, or regain any control over his now-heavy limbs, the water throws him into the rocks again. And he stops seeing anything at all.
“-ce.”
He hurts.
“Ace. Ace.”
He feels dizzy and sick and light-headed. He’s freezing.
“Ace!”
Ace opens his eyes – opens one eye, he can’t see through the left; that side of his face is sore and swollen. And…sticky. Why is his face sticky? What--
“Da-- Da…dan?” His throat hurts and his mouth tastes gross.
“Oh thank god. Garp he’s awake.”
“G…Gramps?” He can’t breathe very well and he’s cold and shivering and all wet.
All. Wet.
Luffy.
“Luffy. Dadan...Luffy...water.”
“Shhh, shhh, we’ve got him, it’s fine.”
Ace starts coughing and Dadan shifts him up and holds him half-sitting while Ace coughs and coughs and tries hard to breathe.
He can see Gramps now, bent over something on the ground, but Ace can’t see Luffy.
He can’t see Luffy. Luffy fell in the water. Ace is cold and Dadan is holding him, making shushing noises and…shaking like…like Dadan’s upset. Ace twists his head, trying to see--
Gramps is bent over Luffy. Breathing for him.
Luffy is lying on the ground. Not. Moving.
“Garp I think he’s in shock.”
“Get him insid—shit.” Gramps drops Luffy’s wrist, traces over his tiny ribcage and starts pushing down over his heart in sharp, certain movements. Luffy’s thin chest flattens, absorbing the pressure.
“Shit shit shit. Come on Luffy.” Ace and Dadan watch in stricken silence as Gramps tilts Luffy’s head and blows air into his mouth again. And again. Then he pulls an arm back and strikes hard in the centre of Luffy chest, whose entire body jolts under the force.
Gramps does it again. And again, and again. And again.
“Oh god.” Dadan draws Ace closer, moves an arm around him and now Ace can’t see anything, can only hear the thwack thwack of Gramps trying to – trying to—
He’s sobbing, drawing air in shallow, painful breaths and he doesn’t – doesn’t know when he started. Dadan scoops him up and starts carrying him towards the house and Ace fights, kicks and thrashes.
“Lu—Luf—fy. Stop…don’t want. Stay.”
"Ace stop, we need to – stop you’re going to hurt yourself – we need to get you warm."
“Luffy!”
Then there’s a wet, gurgling noise behind them. Dadan whirls around and Ace stops moving.
Gramps is holding Luffy on his side as he coughs and coughs and coughs, water spurting through his lips.
“Is he…?”
Luffy breathes.
They get them in the house eventually, out of their wet, cold clothes and Dadan wraps them both in towels and tucks them into the big bed in the guest room so Gramps can keep an eye on them. While their guardian goes for more blankets and ice for Ace’s head, Gramps bandages the cut above Ace’s left eye and listens to his breathing.
“How did you know we fell in?”
“My ship arrived earlier than expected, Dadan and I were coming to surprise you two.”
If Gramps hadn’t…if the ship--
“Shh, Ace. It’s fine. Deep breaths boy, you’re okay, Luffy’s okay. It’s alright.” Gramps gathers him up in his arms and rocks him gently – like a baby – until Ace stops shaking. “Shhhh.”
Luffy is already asleep. Tiny and pale and breathing, and every once in a while Gramps leans over and presses an ear to his chest. But even after Gramps and Dadan stop fussing over his head, Ace can’t sleep; the ice is cold and they said he has to keep it there for at least half an hour.
He lies in bed, eyes heavy, head spinning and clutches Luffy’s wrist in his hand. Feels rubber flesh compress in his grasp. And under the cool skin, steady and soothing, a heartbeat like home.
The day the world ends, it doesn’t really.
But it was so close.
~~
This...is what happens when you take someone who used to worry all the time that her baby sister was going to drown in the river behind our house...and introduce her to a character who can't swim (and his worrying older brother)
Ace...sorry?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-09-12 04:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-12 04:59 pm (UTC)yes, poor Ace - he has to deal with Oda and me! *pets him*
no subject
Date: 2009-09-12 04:41 pm (UTC)This one is more edited than the one I read before! I love the way you expanded the ending, with Garp holding Ace and comforting him and of course he had moments like that, too. Garp ♥
no subject
Date: 2009-09-12 04:51 pm (UTC)Garp is...I love Garp.
That whole family I. Just. Love them all so much
*sniffs at crying!Garps ;_;*
He - they're his boys and in my experience family = snuggles :D
snuggles are happy&hearts *joins in the snuggling*
no subject
Date: 2009-09-12 04:48 pm (UTC)They're all such worrywart under those tough masks but that makes them so lovable!!! <3
*loves* OF COURSE!!
no subject
Date: 2009-09-12 05:02 pm (UTC)Family love makes me happy &hearts
(even when I'm giving them all heart attacks) ^^;
no subject
Date: 2009-09-12 06:08 pm (UTC)That made me laugh out loud! i'm gonna have a heart attack too
no subject
Date: 2009-09-12 05:09 pm (UTC)Yeah, old protective instincts rising to surface when you consider how brain dead Luffy is and how much trouble he must've been for his family! Try having reckless kid brother and a wandering baby sister who are 7 years and 13 years younger than you respectively!
no subject
Date: 2009-09-12 05:25 pm (UTC)I...can't help it? *blames Oda*
Garp fussing over his boys
= me happy ^^
try having reckless kid brother and a wandering baby sister who are 7 years and 13 years younger than you respectively!
ouch, I feel for you
no subject
Date: 2009-09-12 05:49 pm (UTC)Muahaha- I mean, I'm glad you liked it ^^
And it was lovely to see Garp fussing over his grandchildren.
&hearts&hearts&hearts&hearts&hearts&hearts&hearts&hearts&hearts
It's an older sibling thing, I suppose.
And how! O_O
*hugs*
no subject
Date: 2009-09-12 06:02 pm (UTC)XP
It's all Oda's fault!!!
He started it! He made Ace into an angst muffin and I started writing Ace angst and the angst just spread through my brain like Ace!fire
I blame my maternal instincts and the fact that I have troublesome siblings
*hears you*
no subject
Date: 2009-09-12 06:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-12 06:09 pm (UTC)It just gives me the warm fuzzies when he shows the love that he has for his grandchildren
&hearts&hearts&hearts
no subject
Date: 2009-09-12 06:20 pm (UTC)Why do you keep trying to kill the little D's!?
Just kidding. Your angst is just as brilliant as your fluff. ♥ But being a big sister to a mischievous little brother, this fic hits haaarrdd.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-12 06:34 pm (UTC)It just...happens!
It's like there's this scale in my head: if there is angst, I shall write fluff! ...If there is fluff, I must write angst?
I started out fluffy! I did! All my earlier fic were fluffy!happy!cuddly brothers! &hearts
And then it's like my brain said "Enough! We must balance with out with angst of D00M!" :(
But being a big sister to a mischievous little brother, this fic hits haaarrdd.
*winces in sympathy*
Yeah...I, uh, realized a little while ago that most of my Ace!panicking-about-Luffy writings can be traced back to me worrying about my baby sister Bee ^^;
no subject
Date: 2009-09-12 11:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-13 02:41 am (UTC)Yes I...am evil.
Um...? Sorry? *hands you a lollipop and runs away*
I'm glad you liked it :D
no subject
Date: 2009-09-13 01:12 pm (UTC)Oh, Garp. Taking care of his little ones, because they can break, and that would be bad.
And Ace! Poor, panicked little Ace. Panicked and concussed - you are mean. XD
But at least he's got his little brother to snuggle and aww, the two of them together do make me happy. Even when they've been bruised and battered and are a little worse for wear.
no subject
Date: 2009-09-13 05:29 pm (UTC)&hearts
It's funny, I'm getting all these comments talking about things like Garp & snuggling and it's like - "that's why I wrote it like this!"
:DDDD
D family &hearts&hearts
Panicked and concussed - you are mean. XD
*Is a bad person* you can't talk
But at least he's got his little brother to snuggle and aww, the two of them together do make me happy.
I knoooow they are so much love &hearts
no subject
Date: 2009-09-13 02:27 pm (UTC)Ace must have become one heck of a swimmer thanks to Luffy xD
why do i get the feeling when Dadan/Garp looks in on them they'll find Ace asleep with his on Luffy's chest...all the better to hear his little brother's heart beat ^^
no subject
Date: 2009-09-13 05:05 pm (UTC)I mean, I'm gald you like the fic ^^
Ace must have become one heck of a swimmer thanks to Luffy xD
...too bad he's useless at it now XXXPPPPP
why do i get the feeling when Dadan/Garp looks in on them they'll find Ace asleep with his on Luffy's chest...all the better to hear his little brother's heart beat
^^ brother snuggling &hearts
no subject
Date: 2009-09-13 06:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-13 06:30 pm (UTC)Спасибо за инфу
Date: 2012-01-29 11:55 am (UTC)Благодарю за статью
Date: 2012-02-16 03:59 pm (UTC)