Note/Warnings: Day 6 of AceLu week! It's almost over, dang... I'm... Not sure how I feel about this one?

Once Upon a Dream

I know you, I walked with you walked with you once upon a dream
I know you, that gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam
And I know its true, that visions are seldom what they seem
But if I know you, I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once,
the way you did
once upon a dream

- Sleeping Beauty

Ace is waiting. Waiting, waiting, waiting always, tying not to grow impatient.

A memory deeply ingrained in his mind always playing behind his eyelids when he closes his eyes.

Blood and death, chaos and destruction. Hope and happiness, smiles that were brighter than the sun on the warmest summer days, eyes filled with pure unconditional love.

Never had he experienced it in this life, but he missed it.

Since the day he had been born, visions of a whole different life played in his head, growing clearer as he aged. Of pirates and marines, the King and his tainted blood, of an overly corrupted government. Mainly three boys, including himself; one that was smarter than he led on and wanted out of his solid gold cage, and the other with a smile brighter than the sun who had made him feel whole.

Desperately, he wanted to meet them again. He knew that they were more important than anything, even if he had never met them in this life.

In the dreams, the blond one who always had his back and was his very first friend in the other world, vanished in one dream and never returned. Ace didn't like thinking of those dreams, filled with tears and sadness.

He hoped that, in this life, the blond one was untouched and okay.

From that day on, Ace's dreams mainly focused on the younger black haired boy that seemed to stretch like rubber, the boy that made his heart soar and made him feel wanted. The boy who always loved him unconditionally and who didn't care about Ace's father despite the fights they always broke out in at first.

He breathes in deeply and wonders, wonders, wonders when he'll meet them again.

Ace is waiting for the subway after a long day at school. He doesn't expect anything important to happen. He plans on going home and sleeping, maybe eating something first.

Unknown to him, the universe had other plans for him.

A kid bumps into him, making him fumble with his book bag. The kid doesn't bother stopping, making Ace groan in irritation as he bends over to pick up his things. When he rights himself, his irritation quickly fades when his eyes meet dark blue eyes directly across him on the next platform.

It's a black haired teen, with tan skin and wide eyes. His cheeks are round and he has a scar under his left eye. He looks pretty short from a distance.

Ace can hear his heart beating in his ears. His throat is dry and his hands ball into fists as dark blue eyes bore into his, a look of recognition shining in them.

Ace doesn't know how to explain it, but it feels like everything is okay again. Like nothing had been alright in the first place but now… Now was different. It was like everything had clicked into place and fixed in a single moment. He felt like everything would always be okay as long as those eyes were fixed on his.

And then, just as quick as it had happened, the moment ended as the subway rolled into the station on the other side, separating the two.

Ace is stunned for a moment, still unable to process that he had seen the boy who had been in his dreams for his entire life, who had been his most important person in his past life.

He's snapped out of it when a person bumps into him. The fog in his mind clears and he dashes as close to the subway as he can, on the edge of the platform. From one of the windows, he can see an red-haired woman pushing Luffy and an Asian man with green hair onto the subway. A dark skinned teen with a long nose laughs before the woman grabs him by the shirt and drags him onto the subway.

The subway rolls away, but Ace continues to stare, continues to feel his heart pounding like a frenzied drum in his ears. He nearly misses his subway home.

He doesn't fall asleep that night.

"Please…" A hoarse voice croaks. "Ace, please, never die and leave me alone."

He can't hear his own response, but he can feel his lips moving in reprimand and in promise.

The scene fades and is replaced by another. No longer are Ace and the black haired boy by the cliff, this time at the Marine headquarters. The black haired boy - now a teen - kneels on the cobblestone, supporting all of Ace's weight in a body that looked

Ace falls and the teen looks up to the sky with tear-filled eyes as if asking a greater power why this was happening (why him, why Ace, whywhywhy) and then -

Screams of absolute sorrow pierce the air.

The next time Ace takes the subway home is two days later.

He doesn't expect it, even though he knew he should have.

The black haired teen from his dreams is waiting for him, looking eager and only just slightly nervous.

Ace can't help but gawk.

Luckily, the teen spots him quickly and starts walking over, shooting Ace the brightest smile he has ever seen. It was even more stunning than the bright smile he had become accustomed too in all of his dreams.

"Hi! I'm Luffy!" The teen says sweetly. "I always see you in my dreams!"

Luffy's sentence would have sounded odd to any other person, but Ace understood.

"…Ace. So, did you ever become Pirate King?"

Luffy's face somehow brightens. Ace can almost feel happiness in the air become tangible. "Maaaaybe… Wanna get something to eat and talk about it?"

Luffy grabs Ace's hand and holds it in his own, his chilly fingers being warmed up by Ace's hotter skin. The eighteen year old brings Ace's hand to his lips and kisses the back of it softly, his eyes locked on with Ace and filled with so much love that it's a little overwhelming.

"I'm so glad that I found you again… I missed you."

Ace's lip quivers and he wants to say so many things to this teenager. They've just met in this world, but Ace has known him for so, so long.

"I missed you too."

Luffy laughs in delight and Ace's subway departs.