Chapter Text
The morning wake-up bell rang loudly through the stuffy air, jolting Ace awake and away from his pleasant dreams of freedom. It kept on ringing as the people around him quietly groaned and slowly began to move, the lights overhead flicking on and blinding all of them.
“On your feet, men!” a booming voice called, a door slamming open faintly beneath the words. “If this was an attack you would all be dead already!”
At this point Ace would welcome it. These six in the morning wake-ups were going to fucking kill him.
“Anyone not out of bed in ten seconds is on toilet cleaning duty.”
Okay maybe Ace would get up then.
Shoving his blankets off, Ace rolled out of bed, landing neatly on his feet despite dropping down from the top bunk. His bottom bunk mate jumped in alarm at his sudden appearance before they were crawling out the other side, shooting a glower at him. It wasn't like Ace did this every morning or anything. They should expect it by now.
“Thomson, Krill, Shashi, you're all on toilet duty today. Get your asses out of bed this second or I'll extend it through the whole week.”
Three more thumps sounded as the three named men hurried out of bed, a quiet “yes, sir” leaving each of them.
Piercing blue eyes swept across all of them, their narrowed gaze looking for anything out of order. Which, considering they had all just been quite rudely woken up, Ace imagined there was a lot of things. He knew he sure didn't look-
“Portgas.”
Ace bit back a grimace and straightened to attention.
“Where's your uniform shirt?”
Considering he had just been sleeping, in the chest at the end of his bed. It wasn't like they wore their uniforms to bed or anything. What kind of maniac would do that?
“Well?”
“In the chest, sir,” Ace answered, doing his best to keep from looking exasperated. He'd gotten in trouble for that too many times.
“And why isn't it on?”
Ace glanced down at his bare chest with a frown. “Because I was sleeping?”
Those blue eyes narrowed and suddenly Ace found himself face-to-face with his commanding officer, the man crowding into his space to tower over him, forcing him to tilt his head back to look up at him. “Do you fancy yourself as some kind of comedian, boy?”
“No, sir.”
“Then you will refrain from answering me as if you are one. Now, why isn't your shirt on?”
“Because I was sleeping and got too hot.” Ace paused a beat before adding, “Sir.”
“Are you not aware of our dress code? Or have you decided that it doesn't apply to you.”
No Ace knew about the dress code. But considering he had been asleep which was technically considered time off, it didn't apply. Or at least, it shouldn't. Ace swore their commanding officer made rules up just to punish them.
“I thought being asleep was exempt from the dress code, sir.” No hurt in being honest. Maybe he'd get an answer and a warning.
Oh who was he kidding, he was just going to get punished.
Sure enough, he got a slap to the face, the force enough to turn his head to the side. The person on the other side of him winced but continued to stare straight ahead, refusing to look his way. Not that Ace blamed him. It was what Ace did when someone else was being punished. Looking just invited the man's wrath.
“No one is ever exempt from the dress code, boy. You will wear your clothes properly as expected or I will tie you naked to the mast and leave you there for a week to be gawked at. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, sir.” At least he was getting off easy. He'd seen men get punished worse for less.
“You will meet me in my office after muster. Do you understand me?”
Maybe he wasn't getting off easy. “Yes, sir.”
The man finally stepped back, sweeping another look around the small dorm room. He seemed to pointedly ignore the fact that of the twenty men in there, nine of them weren't wearing shirts and at least two weren't wearing pants. And there was one man who wasn't wearing either.
“Ten minutes til muster, men. I expect each of you on the deck before that time or there will be no breakfast and you will spend the day in the bowels of the ship on laundry duty.”
With that last threat their CO left, the door slamming shut behind him. There was a collective release of breath before everyone began to get ready for the day, people jostling each other as they tried to make for the small bathroom that they all shared.
Ace opened the chest at the end of his bunk bed and pulled out his uniform. Draping it over the footboard of his bunk, he stripped down, leaving his clothes where they fell before pulling the uniform on, leaving his shirt unbuttoned for now. He picked his dirty clothes up and dropped them in the laundry basket before making his way to the bathroom.
As he washed his hands his bunk mate appeared next to him, eyes sliding to the side to look at him. “What did you do to piss him off?” he asked quietly, reaching for the soap dispenser between them. “It was like he looked straight at you to find something wrong.”
Honestly, he probably did. “I, uh, might have accidentally started a little fire yesterday,” Ace muttered back, voice just as quiet. Just because most of them couldn't stand the man didn't mean that there wasn't anyone that wouldn't sell them out and stab them in the back for a chance to gain his favor.
“A little fire?”
“A mostly little fire.”
The man at his side snorted quietly, turning the water off.
About a month ago their ship had docked offshore of an uninhabited island for some training. Which really was code for turning them all loose in the jungles and seeing who made it back. Not that that had proved any problem for Ace who had grown up in a jungle. But he didn't want to be the first one back and he had missed running through the trees so he had taken the long way back, sticking mostly to the coast line and the thick trees that lined it. While killing time he had gotten hungry and had found a weirdly shaped orange fruit on the shore line. It wasn't something Ace was familiar with but fruit was fruit and so he had eaten it, thinking nothing of it except for the fact that it tasted disgusting.
And then minutes later, as he rounded the edge of the island to find the ship floating off shore in the distance, he had burst into flames. Which, funnily enough, he didn't actually notice at first because he was still hungry and could smell cooking foods and he had been so focused on that that everything else had kind of faded away. But then people had started screaming and someone was yelling at him to roll around on the ground and Ace had finally looked down at himself to find orange and yellow flames flaring off of his skin.
It took being dumped in the ocean and almost passing out for them to realize what was happening and then he had been dragged off to 'explain himself' to his commanding officer and the Rear Admiral of the ship. Neither of whom had been happy to learn of his new abilities and both of whom had then ripped into him about eating a devil fruit instead of turning it over to their commanding officer. Something about respect or something. Ace had honestly started tuning them out at that point.
Regardless, even now, a whole month later, Ace's commanding officer was still pissed off at him and seemed to delight in punishing him specifically for things that he would never apply to anyone else. Like not sleeping in a shirt. Or eating his fruit without a fork. Or—and this one had made him laugh more than anything—not pissing right. He still didn't understand that last one but whatever.
Turning away from the sink, Ace just shrugged slightly before lighting his hands on fire, instantly drying them. He got an eye roll from his bunk mate before the two of them headed for the door, joining the mass of people all heading up to the deck, Ace hastily buttoning up his shirt as they went.
Their commanding officer was already on deck when they arrived, the Rear Admiral standing next to him. Neither of them paid the men any attention as they stood in a line in front of them, hands clasped neatly behind their backs and eyes facing forward.
“Men,” the Rear Admiral finally greeted them, turning to sweep a quick look across all of them. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, Rear Admiral Pokorni,” they all greeted together, their voices a loud sound in the quiet gloom of the early morning.
Pokorni looked them over again before giving a single nod of satisfaction, motioning their commanding officer forward.
“Good morning, Master Chief Petty Officer Archer.”
“Alright, men,” Archer said as he stepped forward, “today we will be making landfall on the island of Drevanty at their port city of Les. Word has it that pirate crews have been stopping by and thus they've requested our assistance. Our last bit of intel from the island confirms that there is at least one crew still there as of this morning with a high likelihood of another stopping tomorrow. Our job is to apprehend these criminals and then transport them to the nearby base at Sevilay.”
At least they were going to be docking today. They had been out at sea since Ace ate that devil fruit and he was itching to stretch his legs off ship and see people that weren't marines. And have a minute to relax without Archer breathing down his neck. That was probably what he was most excited for. Oh, and eating food that wasn't the slop the Marines provided them with.
“Thomson, Krill, Shashi, all three of you are on toilet cleaning duty and will remain on ship the entire duration of this visit,” Archer continued. There came no groans from the named men but Ace knew they had to be doing so internally. It was bad enough that they were going to have to clean the bathrooms but to be denied a chance to get off the ship was just cruel. “The rest of you will be divided into groups that you will then search the island with. I expect everyone back on deck after breakfast for your group assignment. Dismissed.”
The rest of the group hurriedly began to leave, heading towards the mess hall. Ace, however, remained exactly where he was, waiting for Archer to summon him. He just hoped that he still was going to be allowed to go off ship.
“Portgas.” Pokorni gestured Ace over when he looked up at the sound of his name. He hesitated only a second before walking the few steps to stand next to him and Archer. “We need to have a chat with you before assignments are given.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Let's go talk in Archer's office.”
Ace bit back a grimace as he followed the two men.
Stepping into Archer's office was like stepping into a weapon's hold that had been hastily converted into an office. Crossbow bolts of all shapes and sizes lined the walls while a few of the weapons themselves were displayed in cases behind the desk. Two katanas were held in stands on top of the cases while a rifle that Ace knew was loaded rested in an open box on a shelf near the door with a huge container of bullets sat right next to it. He'd even come in here once and found a whole cannon in there—though it wasn't in here now, thankfully.
Archer sat in the chair behind his desk while Pokorni opted to sit on the edge of said desk, ignoring the small glower he got from the other man. Ace remained standing several steps away. It wasn't like there were any other chairs in here anyway.
“If it was up to me you would be staying here on this ship,” Archer began after a long moment of silence in which he just stared coldly at Ace. “Unfortunately, it isn't and my preference has been overruled by the Rear Admiral which means that you get to join the hunting party.”
Thank god for that. Ace might have cried if he had been told he had to stay on ship.
“However,” Archer continued, “you will be with me the entire time.”
Ace took that back, he would rather stay on the ship.
“Your control over your devil fruit is appalling and you are a walking hazard to life and property.” A tiny flame flickered on one of Ace's shoulders as if to prove the man's point. Thankfully he either didn't notice it or just didn't point it out. “Because of this, you will remain within my field of view at all time and you will refrain from any use of your devil fruit. Any damage that occurs will come directly out of your paycheck until the reparations with interest have been made.”
“The only exception to this rule,” Pokorni added as he broke in, “is in the event that not using your fruit would cost Marine lives. You are permitted to use it should any of your fellow marines find themselves in fatal danger.”
“Got it,” Ace said with a nod. “Don't use it unless civilians or marines are in danger.” That was easy enough. The only time he really used it anyway was during battle training which meant he'd been working on focusing his flames to small points to avoid hitting allies. He'd never tested it in a real-world situation but he was confident he could do it.
Archer, however, frowned at him while Pokorni looked at him like he was stupid. “That is not what I said,” the Rear Admiral corrected. “I said, that you are only permitted to use it to save the life of a fellow marine. Civilians are not counted in that.”
Now it was Ace's turn to frown. “You're saying that if a civilian is in danger I can't help them?”
“I'm saying that you can't use your devil fruit to help them.” That was the same thing but Ace managed to bite his tongue to keep from pointing that out. “You should protect civilians to the best of your ability but you may only use your ability to protect our marines.”
“What if not using my fruit would cause a civilian death?”
“Then you've done something wrong,” Archer cut in. “Because if a civilian is in danger and you using your fruit is the only way to save them you clearly aren't within my field of view which is breaking the very first rule I said.”
Okay but the man never went out of his way to help people and Ace knew of at least one incident in which he directly refused to help someone who asked for it. He would sooner ignore a civilian in danger than he would step in to rescue them. Not that Ace could point any of that out. Well, he could, but then he would get another lecture on insubordination and probably some kind of punishment, so he wasn't going to. Though he did press a little more by asking, “Okay, but what if-”
“Enough with the what if's,” Archer interrupted, scowling at him. “All you need to do is keep by my side the entire time and not burn anything down. How fucking hard is it for you to understand that?”
Oh Ace understood him just fine. He just wanted to get the man to admit that he didn't think civilians were worth saving. Not that Pokorni would do anything if he did. But still.
“Any unauthorized use of your devil fruit will be counted as insubordination and will go on your already spotty record as such,” Pokorni said as he took back over, a hand waving to silence Archer from whatever other insults he had wanted to add. “You have been a Marine for about a year, Portgas. And in that time you have amassed quite the amount of complaints and write ups. The only reason you haven't been kicked out is because your grandfather is a hero. If it weren't for him you would have been booted a long time ago. As it is, even his reputation can only go so far to protect you. So either start shaping up and acting like a fucking Marine, or get your ass out of here.”
Ace would love to do just that—the getting out of here part, that is. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't. Not that he was sure he would be able to shape up either but whatever. It at least was less impossible than leaving was.
“Of course, sir,” Ace chose to say instead, not that he mentioned which part he was agreeing to. He knew Archer would love nothing more than for him to leave—or to kick him out—and while Pokorni might like him decently enough, he knew even he was starting to get annoyed.
It wasn't like Ace tried to be uncooperative or anything. It was just.....he didn't want to be here and he hated being here and he hated everything about the Marines.
Ace had never wanted to be a marine. He thought they were boring and corrupt and way too uptight. They valued order and submission over freedom and were relentless in their attempts at cleansing those they deemed 'undesirable' from the world. And since Ace was one of those they considered as such, he hated them even more.
Unfortunately for him, however, he had been dealt a shit hand at birth and it had never improved. His very birth was a crime against the World Government and since it had killed his mother, he was put under the guardianship of a man who had no business raising children. His other guardian was a bandit who had never wanted to take care of a child and he grew up in the near lawless areas of Dawn Island. The only face card he had in his shit hand, the only thing worth anything, was that his childhood at least meant he got two brothers out of the horrible times—well, he had gotten two brothers. With one dead now he only had one left hence the single card.
And then life somehow got worse and he was told—with no chance to protest—that he was going to join the Marines once he came of age and he would spend his life there. No amount of protesting or arguing could sway his grandfather and while Ace could have probably just told him to go to hell and done what he wanted anyway, he couldn't. Well, technically he could, but he also couldn't. And it wasn't because his grandfather had any valid points or any real good reasoning—because he didn't—but because the man at the head of it all knew all about Ace's inherited crimes and had told them that should Ace refuse, he would tell the entire world who Ace was and exactly where they could find him. And sure he could have just fled into the night and hoped for the best, but he would have had to either leave his little brother behind to the nonexistent mercy of said world, or take him with and hope no one hurt him to get to Ace. There had really been no choice and thus, Ace had relented. And when he turned seventeen, he left with his grandfather and officially signed his life away.
Ace hated being a marine. He hated the regimented schedules he was expected to adhere to and the orders he was expected to unhesitatingly follow. There was no chance for choice or discussion or even just asking if someone was sure. Because that was considered insubordination and too many strikes would see Ace kicked out of the Marines and while that might be freeing, his freedom would be short lived when his secret was revealed to the world and then he would be right back to the place he was trying to escape from in the first place.
Ace hated all of it.
Piercing eyes stared back at Ace for a silent moment before Archer finally pointed towards the door. “You are dismissed, boy. I expect you on deck in ten minutes with the rest of your squadron.”
Ten minutes? There was no way Ace was going to be able to make it to the mess hall and back to the deck in that amount of time, least of all be able to eat. Though judging by the satisfied look on Archer's face, he probably knew that and that was why he had made Ace walk all the way here instead of just talking to him on the deck. Fucking bastard.
With a sharp nod Ace turned on his heel and left. The second the door was closed the started to sprint across the ship, taking the stairs two at a time to get to the mess hall as quickly as possible. With any luck he could at least snag something to eat before racing back up to the deck. And if he was a little late, well, it wasn't like being forced to stay on the ship was a worse punishment than having to spend the day with Archer was.
Ace made it back to the deck with literally only seconds to spare. He had managed to snag some kind of bagel sandwich before he had run back to the deck and it was currently shoved in his mouth as he tried to swallow the too big bite. He got a few odd looks from the rest of his group already lined up but they mostly ignored him, used to his weird shit by now.
“Attention.”
Everyone snapped to attention, even Ace who was still hurriedly chewing. Archer stalked onto the deck without Pokorni, a judgmental gaze sweeping over all of them. “Portgas.”
Goddammit.
Speaking through the food, Ace asked, “Yes, sir?”
“You were late.”
No he wasn't. He was ten seconds early.
“What do you have to say for yourself, boy?”
Ace finally managed to swallow his food, though now he was wishing he had grabbed something to drink too because he was thirsty. Hopefully he could snag something on the island without Archer noticing and—oh yeah, Archer was waiting for an answer. The man was tapping his foot as he glared at him, his expression getting more and more annoyed the longer Ace went without answering. “I arrived ten seconds til, sir,” he finally said, hearing more than a few muffled snickers.
Angry eyebrows drew downwards and the glare on the man's face got even sharper. “You dare argue with your superior, Portgas?”
Ace wisely decided to stay silent. For now, at least.
The glare didn't let up but they were rapidly approaching the island now, the dock only a few minutes away. Which was probably the only reason Ace didn't get punished in any way or even yelled at. Though he knew he wasn't getting off the hook that easily, not with the dark look Archer was giving him and the clenched fist at his side.
Abruptly turning away, Archer began to announce the groups, reminding everyone to stay with their group at all times. Unsurprisingly—yet still something Ace had been hoping against—Ace was the only one with Archer, meaning he would be alone with the man for the whole day at least. Probably the next one too since he had said it was likely more pirates would be coming tomorrow. It was enough to make Ace want to groan.
The gangplank was lowered after the groups were announced and everyone began to make their way towards it, heading to dry land. Along with the groups searching for pirates, a handful of other squadrons had been released for shore leave and were going to spend their time on the island. Some of the higher ranking marines on board joined them as well, leaving their unfortunate subordinates to guard the ship and do chores while they enjoyed being on land and all the vices it offered.
Archer stayed silent as they left the ship and walked down the dock. He didn't say a word as he turned and headed into the town, silently expecting Ace to just follow him. Which he did. Only because he knew the man would make good on those threats of a write-up and Ace was actually trying to avoid getting written up again. He usually was. Usually.
Les was a beautiful port town. Tall wooden columns stood like statues in front of the businesses that lined the main road, small lights that looked like tiny leaves twisting their way upwards before running along the roofs that connected them. Mossy cobbled stones made up the paths, huge sheets of cut stone cracked with age making small steps off the road and to the businesses. A huge, ancient oak tree stood in the center of the town, it's trunk taking up nearly an entire city block. Cloth sunshades draped from the trunk down, held up by thin wooden poles and thick ropes. Picnic tables dotted the grassy ground around the tree and beneath the sunshades while food stalls lined the edges, lines starting to form as the morning wore on and people began to rise at a much more reasonable time than six.
Waiting beneath the tree in an area devoid of tables stood an old man in a suit and a top hat, a cane resting against the ground that a single hand was laying on. He perked up slightly as he spotted them and waved them over, straightening up before taking a few steps closer.
“Ah, you must be the Marines,” the man said, as if neither Ace nor Archer were wearing their Marine uniforms.
“And you must be the mayor,” Archer replied, stopping a few steps from the man and offering his hand to shake. “The Rear Admiral has already brought me up to speed and we've dispatched several groups to search the island for your problem.”
The mayor nodded, a heavy sigh leaving him. “They've been showing up for years,” he said, making a tsk sound. “We've asked for help before but we've always been ignored or told to deal with it ourselves.”
That sounded about right. The Marines rarely seemed interested in actually doing their jobs when it came to the islands under the World Government's protection. Well, not interested when they weren't major islands that brought in lots of revenue. And while beautiful, Ace couldn't imagine Les brought in much money.
“I've heard the problem has gotten worse.” Archer, predictably, ignored the statement about being ignored. “And they've gotten destructive.”
“They've always been destructive. But we do have more and more of them stopping by and just a few weeks ago they burned one of our bars down.”
“They also tried attacking our base at Sevilay.” Ace wasn't honestly sure if Archer was even listening to anything the mayor was saying. If he was he sure wasn't replying to any of it.
The mayor frowned a bit before smoothing it over. “I'm sure they have,” he said, not really sounding sorry about this fact. “I'm afraid I don't know exactly where they are right now, but I do know there is one crew somewhere around here. They're probably anchored along the northern shore since there isn't much out there but some orchards.”
Archer was already turning away, looking towards the north. “Good. We'll take care of it for you.”
“Finally,” the mayor muttered quietly. He smiled at Archer when he sharply turned to look at him and said, “Good luck to you. I'm sure our problem will be taken care of swiftly.”
Blue eyes narrowed sharply but it seemed that Archer decided the old man wasn't worth his time because he merely turned away again and headed towards the north, Ace giving the mayor a small bow before hurrying after him.
“People used to be grateful for the Marines, you know,” Archer grumbled as they walked, a scowl sweeping across everything he could see. “They used to line the streets when we'd arrive and treat us like the heroes we are. Now you're lucky to get a fucking thank you out of anyone or even any fucking gratitude. We used to get discounts at inns, bars, hell even the brothels would give us one. You'd have women just about throwing themselves at you left and right. There isn't any of that now. Hell half those fucking whores just turn their noses up at you.”
Ace stayed silent, mostly tuning out the man's ranting. He'd heard it before from him and he knew he'd hear it again. Archer was one of those Marines who thought they were god's fucking gift to the earth and expected to be treated as such. Anything less than a royal treatment wasn't good enough for him and he likened it to being looked down on. Not getting served first in a restaurant was an injustice to him and so too was a woman telling him no. He was so used to be handed everything on a silver platter that not having it done was like being spit on.
A hand cuffed the back of Ace's head, making him stumble. “Are you even fucking listening to me, boy?”
Nope. Though Ace knew better than to say that. “Sorry, sir. I'm trying to keep an eye on our surroundings to make sure-”
“Who gives a fuck,” Archer interrupted, slapping the back of his head again. “No pirate crew is going to be able to sneak up on us and none of those fucking idiots are going to be able to take me on. They'll probably just shit their pants in fear at the sight of us and either run away or pass out.”
Right..... It wasn't like there was a reason Archer was only a Master Chief Petty Officer or anything. Why he wasn't a higher rank. The man might have the ego of an Admiral, but his skill level was nowhere near theirs and honestly, Ace was pretty sure that if he really tried he could probably kick the man's ass. But whatever. If Archer wanted to think he was something he wasn't then Ace wasn't going to say anything. He was just going to watch the man get his ass handed to him and laugh.
A hand was still hovering near the back of Ace's head like it was just waiting for the excuse to hit him again. Ace had half a mind to turn his hair to flames and burn the man but since he apparently wasn't allowed to use his devil fruit at all, he wisely decided against it. Instead he just gave the man a hum and a nod and continued to scan their surroundings, half listening as Archer returned to ranting.
They left the edges of the town and passed into the orchard that the mayor had mentioned. Apples and plums grew from the trees, their deep purples and reds glinting through the green leaves. The air smelt heavily of ripening and overripe fruit, clumps of rotting plums laying around the bases of the trees. Wasps buzzed around the plums, feasting on the soft flesh and filling the background with a dull droning sound that the breeze whispering through the trees couldn't quite block out. Short grass swayed slightly as they passed by, their edges occasionally tickling Ace's legs whenever he wandered too close to the trees and the longer grass that grew beneath them.
Before long they found themselves at the edge of the orchard and, only a few minutes after that, they came to the beach the mayor had mentioned. The soft grass gave way to yellow sand which faded into the bright ocean, the sun's morning rays seeming to sharpen the color of everything. Waves rolled against the shore almost lazily, lapping quietly over the sand before retreating back out to sea. The horizon stretched on uninterrupted in front of them, water stretching as far as the eye could see. Beams of light seemed to play over the waves and catch on grains of sand, turning the whole view-
“Fucking idiot,” Archer grumbled, pulling Ace's attention back to him. “That fucking idiot told us their ship was here and it fucking isn't.”
Technically he had said they 'probably' were anchored over here. Probably didn't mean they would be with a hundred percent confirmation. It just meant that they were more likely than not to be here but they still might not be. Ace didn't point this out though, instead just going back to scanning the horizon and feeling that usual melancholic feeling rising up in him as he stared at the waves he wasn't allowed to touch. What he wouldn't give to be able to just take off to sea by himself.
“Come on,” Archer growled, turning away and already heading back down the path they'd just come from. “I bet you that mayor led us astray purposefully. I bet he knows exactly where those criminals are and sent us here so that he could warn them and give them a head start.”
Or he had, you know, sent them to where he thought they were likely to be because he wanted to keep his town safe. That was always an option.
“Perhaps they moved their ship already,” Ace offered, picking up his pace to catch up. “Or maybe they decided to anchor somewhere else for the day. It wouldn't be smart to anchor in the same place continuously since then someone could ambush you.”
“Pirates are dumb, boy. They wouldn't know a rock from a marshmallow if you threw one at them.” That was....certainly an expression. “I'm telling you that that mayor sent us out this way knowing there wouldn't be anything here. He's expecting me to think like you fucking are and let this go. But I'm too smart to be fooled by that trick.” No he wasn't. Also, Ace was still pretty sure this wasn't a trick. “We're going to go back and talk to him and force some answers out of him.”
That sounded like something Ace didn't want to be apart of. Hopefully they could find the pirates before that happened. With any luck Archer could work off some steam on them and then forget all about the mayor.
Back in town it didn't look like anything had changed. People were still wandering the streets as they meandered from business to business while other people hurried through the crowds like they had an actual destination in mind. There were more people out than there had been before, but considering the morning was starting to wear late, that made sense. Ace would beat most people were out either working or doing errands by now.
They were almost back to the city center when the tiniest of cries for 'help' whispered through the air, Ace's ears instantly perking up as he turned towards the sound. No one else around him was acting like they had heard the call but Ace also knew most people were too focused on themselves to pay any attention anyway. And besides, he did have pretty good hearing.
The cry didn't come again but Ace knew what he had heard and so he grabbed Archer's arm, forcing him to stop.
“What the hell-” Archer began in a snarl, fingers ripping Ace's hand off of him.
“Someone called for help,” Ace interrupted, gesturing towards where the sound had come from. There was an alley that ran between two nearby buildings and while he didn't see anything there, he would bet there were more alleys that connected back there and that was probably where the call had come from.
“So what?” Archer snapped, glowering at Ace. “We have a job to do.”
Yeah and they were doing a great job of it. But considering they weren't actively pursuing any of the pirates, Ace felt like they could stop for a minute to help. Especially considering they were, you know, Marines and that was what Marines were supposed to do. Technically. At least, it was in their promises.
“The pirates could be threatening someone,” Ace tried, still standing still. Fingers gripped onto his arm, digging into his skin harshly enough that he had to concentrate on not bursting into flame or heating his body up too much. It was such an instinctual reaction even after only a month that he had to actually try to not do it. “They could be hurting someone.”
“Or it could be some idiot kids messing around,” Archer countered, yanking Ace after him.
Ace refused to relent, digging his heels in. “Or they could be killing someone and we could be letting it happen by standing here and ignoring it.”
A glimpse of movement was Ace's only warning before he got another stinging slap to the face. He turned to look at Archer, schooling his expression into a neutral one to mask his annoyance and rising ire. Never in his life had he been slapped more than in the past year of being under this fucker's command and he was getting real close to finding out just what Ace thought of that.
“Are you refusing an order from your commander?” Archer hissed at him, using his grip on Ace's arm to yank him closer until they were nearly face-to-face, Ace's head tilted back to look up at him. “Is this insubordination?”
No it was called having fucking morals which the Marines seemed to be severely lacking. The grip on his arm tightened warningly, though, so Ace decided not to point that out.
He was thankfully saved from having to answer by the sound of gunfire coming from the same direction as the cry, the sound loud enough that it couldn't be ignored or denied this time. The people around them instantly began to duck and run for cover, the streets rapidly clearing out with shouts to run.
The grip on Ace's arm had slackened at the gunfire and Ace used the distraction to wrench himself free. Moving before Archer could recover, Ace turned and ran towards the sound, ignoring the sound of his name being shouted angrily behind him. He would deal with whatever punishment Archer had for him later, after he made sure no one was in danger and whoever was shooting was dealt with.
Water splashed Ace's legs as he ran down the alley, murky puddles collected in divots in the stone from what was probably a recent rainfall. Bits of discarded trash lined the brick and wooden walls that he passed, pieces of newspapers and napkins caught in wet clumps or fluttering behind him when he passed by.
The alley veered to the left and Ace burst out into a courtyard of some kind, several other entrances leading to what looked like other alleyways. The nearby buildings lined the courtyard, several small decks and staircases leading to it from the upper levels. Several rusty picnic tables sat in the center of the area, a drooping and partially ripped umbrella set up between them to block the sun.
Near the center of the courtyard three men were standing with their backs mostly to Ace, guns held in two of their hands while a third toyed with what looked like the handle of a sword. In front of them were a man and a woman, the man slumped in the woman's arms with red rapidly pooling on the ground around them.
“Now give it or I'll shoot you too,” one of the men with a gun yelled at her, motioning with said gun. “You've seen that I will.”
“I-I don't have it,” the woman called back, her voice shaky. “I don't....I don't have keys to the room.”
“Then go get them.”
Wide eyes blinked rapidly at the men, darting down towards the man still in her arms. “I can't. The-the only one with them is the mayor and he's-”
“Then we'll go get him together. Unless you'd rather I just shot you right here and left you to die?”
Apparently Ace had found the pirates. It was nice to know that he hadn't been hearing things.
Stepping out of the mouth of the alleyway, Ace lit his hands on fire before hurriedly killing the flames, remembering the threats he'd been left with. He still thought it was stupid but he'd try to follow the rules for now. “Hey!” he shouted, watching as the three men tensed. “By order of the Marines, drop your weapons.”
Ace wasn't actually expecting the men to do as he had said but he still said it anyway. Mostly because then when they didn't he was fully justified in kicking their asses.
Two of the men turned towards Ace, the one who had been talking continuing to face the woman and keep his gun trained on her. The second man with the gun looked Ace up and down, his frown growing into a smirk before he started laughing.
“You're a Marine?” he asked around his laughs. “Are they so fucking desperate that they're taking kids now?”
That was rude. Ace was eighteen. He was an adult. Something he said to the men, which just made them laugh harder and Ace scowl harder. Fucking bastards.
“Yeah, sure, you keep telling yourself that, kid,” the same man laughed. “You look like you're maybe seventeen and honestly, I'd say sixteen. Maybe fifteen if I just looked at that baby face.”
Ace did not have a baby face. He just had freckles that, unfortunately, made him look younger. “It doesn't matter,” he called to them, shifting his stance slightly. “I'm a marine and I'm telling you to drop your weapons now.”
The man with the sword snorted. “Yeah, or what? What are you going to do?”
Footsteps pounded up the alley behind Ace and he didn't get a chance to respond before Archer was bursting into the courtyard, an angry bellow of Ace's name leaving him. The three men—even the one who had initially ignored Ace—turned to look at him, a few eyebrows raising at his appearance.
Archer stalked up to Ace and grabbed him by the arm, yanking him towards him again. “What the fuck did I tell you!” he shouted in Ace's face, either ignoring the men on purpose or because he was that stupid. Ace wasn't sure which one it was. “I told you to fucking stay with me at all times or I would fucking write you up. Are you trying to get kicked out of the Marines?”
If it wouldn't ruin his life then yes, Ace would be. Unfortunately it would and thus he wasn't. For now at least. He wasn't sure if he could make it another year. But that wasn't the point nor was it relevant right now. So instead he just used his other hand to gesture towards the three men and the woman they were threatening, waiting for Archer to look towards them.
Eyes flickered towards the men in disinterest before they were focusing back on Ace. “That doesn't fucking matter.” Of course he didn't seem to think it did. Ace had found the fucking pirates they'd been looking for and he had found them threatening a civilian. He was also pretty sure they had killed that one man since that was a lot of blood and he still hadn't moved but he knew Archer wouldn't give a shit about that.
“I found the pirates,” Ace pointed out, deciding to at least do that regardless. It was kind of hard to miss but Archer was an idiot so maybe-
“I don't fucking care.” Of course not. “I told you to stay put and you ignored that order—as well as all the other orders you were given this morning. Give me one reason why I shouldn't throw your naked ass into the brig.”
Well that was a bit extreme. The throwing in the brig part he could kind of understand since that was something Archer loved to do, but there was no reason for Ace to be naked when he did it. He also was a little uncomfortable since this was now the second time today he'd been threatened with something that involved him not wearing any clothes.....
Ace shook his head slightly. Not important. “Those pirates were about to kill that woman,” Ace said, pretty much ignoring everything Archer had said as he pointed towards said woman who was still standing there watching them with big eyes. “They were just about to shoot her and-”
“So?”
The woman's eyes somehow got even bigger and the three men started to laugh, one of them turning back to the woman. “You hear that, honey? Not even the Marines care what we do to you. So let's get going.”
Ace looked back at Archer and gestured towards the scene, as if the man could somehow miss the words being spoken. “We have to do something!”
“We don't have to do anything. Our job is to apprehend the pirates.”
“Okay but as Marines our job is to protect civilians from said pirates.”
“Apprehending pirates comes first.”
Well since they currently weren't doing either of those things, they must not be doing their job very well. Whatever. Ace was done anyway.
Turning back to the men, Ace yanked his arm free of Archer's grasp, heating his skin up to near burning to force the man to let go. Ignoring the pained gasp, he stalked closer to the men, small flames flaring to life on his shoulders and running down his arms, collecting around his fists like pools of fire.
The man with the sword whistled quietly, an eyebrow rising at him. “Impressive, kid. Devil fruit I'm guessing?”
“What's it to you?” Ace retorted, flames getting bigger.
“You should join us. Your superior there clearly doesn't respect you-” no he sure fucking didn't, “-and I just know you'd be happier out at sea with us. Hell I'll even let you do the honors of killing the man yourself.”
That was really, really, really tempting. Unfortunately, Ace was going to have to decline.
“Let her go,” Ace ordered instead, glancing over towards the woman again. As if there was anyone else he could be talking about. “Now.”
A tongue clicked and the man shook his head. “What a waste of a young life,” he sighed. “George-” he glanced at the man at his side, the one still facing them. “-shoot him.”
Without hesitation the man raised his gun and fired.
Ace was already ducking away before the man moved and the bullets whistled past him, hitting the wall behind him instead. He could vaguely hear Archer behind him scrabbling at something—probably his gun—but Ace ignored the sound and instead let loose a jet of fire, watching as it barreled towards the men.
All three men scrambled out of the way of the flames, another few shots being fired his way. The woman used the distraction to start moving, beginning to drag the man still in her arms away. She had a long way to go before she hit any sort of cover and so Ace moved towards the men, firing a few more flames their way to keep their attention on him.
Behind him Archer finally got his gun free and began to return fire, the bullets pinging off the picnic tables as the men got out of the way. One of them returned fire and Archer quickly ducked back into the alleyway, bullets spraying splinters of wood into the air as they missed.
A sword swung at Ace and he leapt to the side, the blade passing by just a breadth from his arm. He tried to shoot more fire at the man but he used his sword to block the flames, the wisps of it streaming harmlessly to the sides instead.
“You haven't had your devil fruit for long, have you?” the man asked as he swung it again, forcing Ace back another few steps. He could still hear the sound of gunfire which meant that Archer was still—unfortunately—alive but it sounded like only one person was shooting at him which meant that the other man was unaccounted for and Ace would bet he was going after the woman. He needed this man to shut up and die so that he could go stop the other one.
“Shut up,” Ace snarled back, letting out another jet of fire. His flames were once again diverted with the sword and suddenly it was swinging towards his arm. Ace moved but he wasn't fast enough and the blade.....passed through his arm in a fiery flare, leaving behind nothing but smooth skin.
Ace stopped short to stare at his arm, at the nothingness where there should be a bloody gash or a bleeding stump. The other man stopped too, similarly staring at the spot.
“Impressive,” he finally breathed out, looking back up at Ace with something almost like respect. “Logia type, huh? You've got potential.”
Ace didn't know what that meant but damn right he had potential. He was going to be able to be strong enough to live the life he wanted someday, the World Government and his secret be damned.
The man lowered his sword a bit, sharp eyes looking Ace over again. “Join us,” he tried again. “We'll train you and before you know it you'll be one of the strongest pirates in the New World and swimming in more riches than you know what to do with. Why I'd bet that by the time you were twenty-five you could be the next Pirate King-”
Flames lit up Ace's hand and he punched it out, a fist of fire flying straight at the man. Arms just barely lifted up in time to block the flames, something black coating the skin and, once again, deflecting Ace's flames.
The arms lowered to reveal a glare that rivaled even Archer's, the coldness and fury in it radiating out until Ace swore he could feel it.
“You fucking brat,” the man snarled, his sword swinging in a circle in the air as if loosening up his wrist. “You'll pay for that.”
“Yeah? Make me.”
Something dark suddenly flared along the blade, the sword darkening until it was as black as the night. The man advanced with it, suddenly slashing and stabbing with it with renewed fury, driving Ace backwards with every movement as he easily deflected Ace's attacks, his flames seeming to be unable to do anything to the sword. He was starting to sweat, his eyes narrowing as he tried to keep up. He was getting close to the wall behind him and if he got trapped he would be dead. He needed to find a way to back the man up, to gain some ground and-
Movement blurred across Ace's vision, something blue streaking through the air and crashing into the man. He went flying across the courtyard, his body hitting the walls with a sickening crunch as he went through them, brick and mortar and wood exploding inwards in his wake.
Ace tore his gaze away to look back to where the man had been standing, a small gasp leaving him as he found something else standing there. Blue flames that looked like wings were being lowered when Ace turned, fire seeming to weave throw them instead of feathers. But it wasn't a bird that was standing there, the wings apparently belonging to a man. A man that had quite a nice body if Ace did say so himself—not that he was really looking, of course, since he was in the middle of a fight—and blonde hair that reminded Ace of something that he couldn't quite recall right now. An open shirt hung from his shoulders that showed off some quite impressive abs and something that looked like either a bruise or a tattoo—Ace couldn't quite make it out.
The man turned and heavy-lidded eyes looked at Ace, one brow rising slightly in what almost looked like amusement and oh, it was probably because Ace was staring at him which he thought was valid considering he had come from absolutely nowhere and he had fucking wings and he had apparently sent that other men clear across the courtyard and through a wall.
“I think your commander needs help, yoi,” the man drawled, his head tilting towards where Archer had been before.
Tearing his gaze away from the man, Ace looked over just in time to watch Archer get pistol whipped in the head, his body crumbling to the ground. The man with the gun was still standing over him, staring down at him with contempt as he panted heavily.
Ace seriously considered leaving his commanding officer to the man's mercy, but he figured he should probably at least try and help. And who knew, maybe it would get him to lay off a little bit. Probably not but he could dream.
Stepping closer, Ace lit his hands on fire again and shot another punch out, flames flaring from his fist like an extension of it. Fire hit the man's back and he grunted as he fell into the wall, a foot stomping onto Archer's hand as he tried to find his balance. It took a second for him to seem to realize what was happening, the flames catching along his shirt and starting to burn through being what seemed to finally get him moving.
With a choked scream the man dropped his gun and began to scramble at his shirt, trying to rip it off. He didn't even seem to notice Ace as he moved closer, stooping down to pick up the gun he dropped. Ace lifted it up and pointed it at him, pulling the trigger only to hear the tell-tale sound of an empty clip clicking. He sighed before moving to hold the barrel and swung the butt down onto the man's head, dropping him to the ground with him still not noticing Ace.
Leaving the man to lay where he fell—only pausing long enough to kill the flames on his clothes—Ace turned back to face the center of the courtyard. The man with the wings had disappeared and while Ace was a bit disappointed about that, he currently had bigger problems to focus on. Like the fact that the third man had reached the woman and was easily holding her still despite her struggles, his gun pointed at her head.
“Not too bad, kid,” the man called across the courtyard, green eyes glinting in the sunlight as they glared at Ace. “I don't know how you sent Bailey through the wall but that's pretty impressive. Taking out George wasn't quite as much but hey, he didn't even notice you so I guess I'll give you that.”
Ace was going to assume those were the names of the other two men. Though if this other man thought that he had been the one to take Bailey or whatever down, then he must not have seen the man with the wings. He must have just reached the woman.
“Let her go,” Ace ordered instead, taking a few steps towards the man. He stopped when the man pushed the tip of the muzzle harder into the woman's head, her entire body stilling as well.
“Nice try. But I call the shots here, kid. Unless you'd rather I painted this courtyard with her brains.”
Considering Ace was trying to stop them from hurting her, that would be counterproductive. Though it did leave him in a bit of a bind. Because the man wasn't wrong, he was kind of the one in charge now since he had the only gun and it was currently aimed at the woman's head. And since Archer was currently unconscious—or dead, Ace didn't really know or care—there was no one to back him up.
“What do you want?” Ace had never been trained in negotiation tactics but he was pretty sure that was what you were supposed to ask in a situation like this. Because if he couldn't beat the man with force, he would have to either find a way to appease him or a way to trick him. Considering it was just him by himself, he was going to go with trying to trick him. He wasn't confident it would work but since it was his only choice, he would take it.
“Want?” The man laughed when Ace nodded. “What's it to you what I want, brat? It's not like you can get it for me.”
“Maybe I can. You don't know that I can't.”
“Trust me. You can't.”
Okay so apparently tricking wasn't going to work. Well. He had tried.
“Let her go.”
Eyebrows raised at Ace with a look that suggested the man thought Ace was dumb. Which considering he'd been given that look his whole life, he didn't pay it any attention.
“I believe we've already been over this,” the man said. “I'm the one in charge here, not you.”
“Let her go,” Ace just repeated because yes they had already just gone over this and yes he knew the man was kind of in charge here. It didn't stop him from trying though.
A loud scoff left the man and his grip on the woman slackened ever so slightly. “And just why would I listen to a kid like you, huh? You might have been able to take out my two crewmates but you can't get close enough to me to do the same thing without me killing this woman first. And since you seem to not want that to happen, I guess you're just going to have to keep standing there.”
This was true. But that wasn't really what Ace was waiting for. Because the man's grip had loosened a tiny bit again which gave the woman a little more room to move. She was currently still held still but Ace knew she had to have felt the pressure loosening. And with her having more room to move, that meant that Ace could light the man on fire and she could get away without getting burned. Sure he had never tried to do something like this before and his practice had been limited to hitting one object and not another with space between them, but how hard could it be? He was sure he could do it.
Just as Ace rose his hands up, trying to make the gesture look placating, movement streaked from off to the side and suddenly the man was going flying across the courtyard like his crewmate had. He hit a wall and went through it but Ace wasn't paying attention, already running towards the woman to make sure she was okay.
The man with the wings was already there, though there currently were no wings in sight. Instead it was hands that were holding the woman up, a voice soothingly telling her it was going to be okay. Which was a nice sentiment though it was also a little late considering everything that had just happened.
“Th-Thank you,” the woman sniffled, wiping at her eyes. She glanced over at Ace, eyes dropping down to his uniform for a second before mumbling, “Thank you as well.”
That was a little rude considering Ace had done most of the work but whatever. She was probably in shock.
“Those men, they were looking for something that the mayor had, right, yoi?” the man asked, letting her go and stepping back a bit. When the woman nodded his eyes narrowed slightly, gaze drifting towards the only pirate still visible in the courtyard. “It must be very important considering you were willing to die for it.”
The woman stiffened slightly before nodding sharply.
A slow breath left the man as if he was thinking. “Go find him,” he finally said. “Let him know about what happened and make sure whatever this thing is is well protected. I know this crew is bigger than three people which means they might try again.”
There was a small frown on the woman's face as her eyes drifted over towards a lump on the ground. It took Ace a second to realize that it was the same man she had been holding earlier, the one that he definitely knew now was dead.
“I'll take care of him, yoi,” the currently wingless winged man promised. “And he-” he pointed at Ace, “-will take care of these three pirates.”
“And what about the rest of them?”
“They'll be taken care of. It just depends on who gets to them first.”
The woman hesitated a few seconds longer before finally nodding. “Just....” she trailed off and took a shaky breath. “He....that's my brother. Please be careful with him.”
The man promised he would and then the woman was gone, heading down one of the alleyways, her rapids steps fading.
With her gone Ace returned his attention to the man, finding that he was already looking at him. “If you were here for all of it why didn't you help earlier?” Ace blurted out.
An eyebrow rose in his direction and faint amusement flickered across the man's face. “You looked like you had it handled.”
Handled? In what fucking world did Ace look like he had a handle on three men, two of whom were armed with guns and one who had a sword? Was the man fucking blind?
“Besides,” he continued, “I don't think your superior would have been too thrilled if I had.”
“Who cares?” Ace sure wouldn't have. “All that mattered was keeping her safe and you could have helped with that.” And the man but Ace didn't say that. Mostly because he hadn't been here for that and he had a feeling the man hadn't been either. Considering how he had moved, he imagined the man wouldn't be dead if he had been.
A corner of the man's lips turned up, looking almost like a smirk. “It's Ace, right, yoi?”
Ace narrowed his eyes.
“I'm Marco.”
Okay?
“First division commander and first mate of the Whitebeard Pirates.”
Oh. Oh shit. Oh fucking fuckitty fuck fuck!
Marco's lips curled higher. “Yeah, that's why I didn't get involved at first.”
Dammit. Why were the hot ones always criminals?
Okay that wasn't important. That was—Ace shouldn't be thinking about that one right now.
“You're a pirate?” Okay that wasn't really what he meant to say but whatever.
There was a full on smirk on Marco's face now and he gestured to his chest. Ace's eyes fell towards it in confusion, not quite sure why the man wanted him to look at his quite frankly impressive muscular structure. Maybe he was trying to give Ace tips?
Ohhh. There was a tattoo there. Oops.
“Okay, so you're a pirate.” And now he was stating the obvious. Dammit. “Why the hell are you helping a marine then?”
Marco shrugged. “I wasn't helping you per se. I heard the commotion and had come to see if I could help but you beat me here. Figured I'd hang around and see if you had it covered or not.”
“Okay but you-you still helped me. You....you kicked that man into a wall!” Which, pirate or not, that was really fucking impressive. Which, okay, Ace didn't really care that the man was a pirate. He should considering he was a marine, but he didn't. The man was at least somewhat nice and he actually seemed to care about civilians and that was all that really mattered to Ace.
“Would you rather I have let him stab you, yoi?”
Maybe he wasn't as nice as he seemed. Whatever. Who cared. Fucking bastard.
Steps sounded from down one of the alleyways and Ace turned, his hands already lighting on fire. From one of the entrances two more men emerged and he groaned quietly, quickly realizing they were pirates. And judging by the way they were now shouting threats at Ace—and Marco—he was going to go out on a limb and guess that they weren't part of Marco's crew. Ugh.
“So...you feel like helping now?” Ace asked, turning back around only to find Marco wasn't there anymore. He huffed quietly before looking up, searching along the rooftops before he found him sitting on the edge of one, his sandaled feet danging. “Seriously?”
Marco smiled down at him. “You got this. I believe in you.”
“You're a fucking bastard!”
He just shrugged.
Asshole.
Turning away, Ace watched the two men advance on him. One of them had a dagger but the other one appeared unarmed, his knuckles cracking instead. Well, at least it was going to be easier than dodging bullets.
Ace leapt at them first, fire shooting from his feet and propelling him forward. The movement was awkward since he had only been able to practice the move once before he'd been screamed at, but it still carried him towards the men fast enough to catch them off guard, both of them diving off to the sides. Coating himself in flames as defense, Ace turned towards the man with the dagger and used an arm to block his strike, their forearms colliding hard enough to bruise.
The man quickly recoiled with a hiss of pain, his skin already turning pink from where it had been pressed against Ace's flames. Not that it stopped him, the dagger twirling in his hand before he was lunging forward, trying to stab at him.
Dodging the attack, Ace turned and launched a fiery punch at the other man who had been trying to sneak up behind him. It connected straight into his face and the man dropped with a scream, blood streaming from his face and starting to boil against his skin from the heat of Ace's flames.
With one down Ace turned towards the other pirate, watching as he eyed him warily.
“You sure you don't want to help?” Ace called back towards Marco. He wasn't sure if he was still there or not but-
“Nah. I'm good.”
Apparently he still was. And apparently he was still being a bastard.
The other man looked upwards with rapidly blinking eyes, his face paling. It was enough of a distraction for Ace to surge towards him. He easily elbowed the arm holding the dagger away before punching the man in the face—without flames this time. As hands went flying up to his face Ace wrenched the dagger away from him and flipped it around before bringing it down hilt first against the man's head.
Like he'd been shot the man crumbled to the ground.
Satisfied, Ace wiped his hands on his pants and killed his flames. He turned back around to snark back at Marco that he had it handled, only to hear the loud click of the safety of a gun being turned off. His flames returned in full force but he couldn't even move before the gun was firing and his eyes reflexively closed because oh god only.....the pain never came.
Slowly opening his eyes, Ace found someone standing between him and the man that had tried to shoot him. His eyes opened fully and he blinked rapidly, not sure if he actually believed what he was seeing only for the person to suddenly lunge forward and for the man with the gun to suddenly make another hole in another wall as he went flying into it.
“You okay, yoi?” Marco asked as he turned his head slightly to look at Ace.
Ace just gaped at him, eyes darting between him and the new hole in the wall.
A frown grew on Marco's face and he turned to fully face him, eyes looking him over like he was checking for injuries. Though he should apparently be more concerned with himself because there was a new tear in his shirt that hadn't been there before and the area was darkened with blood and holy shit he'd been shot.
“You-you got shot!” Ace said with wide eyes, suddenly finding that he could move again. He darted forward and grabbed at the shirt, yanking it to the side to see the damage. “The fuck-” he stopped short when he found bloody skin but no hole. “The fuck?”
Marco merely glanced down at himself and then back at Ace. “Are you okay?” he repeated.
“What the fuck? Wh-Where'd all the blood come from? Did you....you got fucking shot didn't you?”
“Yeah but it's fine. I'm asking if you're-”
“It's not fine! You...you got shot but I don't....”
If Ace had looked up he would have seen Marco's eyes roll. But instead they were fixed on the bloody yet whole skin in front of him and the fact that there was a tear in his shirt that looked like a hole but there was no hole in the man in front of him and that just didn't make sense because if he'd been shot there should be-
“I heal.”
Ace looked up. “Huh?”
“I heal. As in, if I get hurt I heal it.”
Ace blinked. “How?”
This time he did see the eye roll and hey that was rude because his question was valid because people didn't just heal injuries like that and-
“Devil fruit.”
Okay actually that made sense.
“Phoenix zoan, yoi,” Marco added with a shrug.
“The wings?”
“Phoenix zoan,” Marco repeated.
Okay. So apparently he could heal and could make his arms wings. And okay that was actually kind of impressive and probably really useful and now that Ace was thinking about it, that was probably why the man's moniker included “the Phoenix”. Huh. He'd just thought it was because the man was hard to kill or something. Which, technically was probably part of it since if he could heal his injuries then he would be hard to kill but it was probably also more so for the fact that his devil fruit was literally the phoenix.
“I can turn into a phoenix too,” Marco added when Ace didn't respond. “The wings are just my partial transformation but I can go full bird.”
“Can I see?” Ace had to resist the urge to facepalm because he hadn't meant to ask that. Yes it was true that he wanted to see the full bird because just the wings had been cool but that didn't mean he had wanted to ask.
Lips curled back into a smirk and a small laugh left Marco. “Sorry, kid. Maybe some other time. I've got things to do and I'm pretty sure you're going to want to get those pirates locked up before they wake up.”
Yeah that was fair. There were six downed pirates and the ones that went through the walls might be dead but there was still three that hadn't and were definitely still alive and then there was the fact that Ace was going to have to also do something about Archer who was still either unconscious or dead and while he was hoping for the latter, it didn't mean he could just leave him here if he wasn't. He was already going to have a fun time explaining what had happened here and it would probably be better if his CO was still alive at the end of it.
Maybe they'd promote him for this and he could get away from the man. Probably not but it didn't hurt to dream.
Though..... “Who said I'd see you again?” Ace asked, a little annoyed. He turned back around to find Marco had moved across the courtyard and was bending down to pick up the dead civilian.
Eyebrows raised in his direction but Marco didn't respond as he stood back up. His eyes lingered on something on Ace's face for a second before they flicked back up to his eyes. “Just a feeling, yoi,” he finally said after a long minute. “Like those pirates said, you have potential and I'm sure it won't be long before you're making waves as a marine.”
A scowl rose to Ace's face before he could stop it.
“Or you'll become a legend.”
“A legend?”
“Yeah, the one about the man who turned his back on the Marines.”
Ace bristled. “Fuck off! I'm a Marine! I won't- I won't defect.” Only because he couldn't.
Marco's eyes lingered on the same spot before he shrugged and turned away. “Regardless, I'm sure I'll see you again and I'm sure I'll see you again at some point on the battle field and you can see my phoenix then.”
Not waiting for Ace to respond Marco left, leaving through the same alleyway that the woman from earlier had gone down and leaving Ace to stand alone in the courtyard surrounded by unmoving bodies and ruined walls.
He was a bastard.
Turning away, Ace used the pirates' belts to tie them up before he crossed over to Archer. He was disappointed to discover he was still alive but he continued on regardless, patting at the man's pockets until he found the baby transponder snail he was looking for. Pulling it out, he dialed the number for the ship and sat on the ground, staring up at the sky as he waited for it to connect.
He had no fucking idea how he was going to explain any of this.
Notes:
Don’t expect the rest of the chapters to be this long lol 😅. I’m not entirely sure what happened but the flow kept going and I didn’t want to interrupt it
Chapter Text
Pokorni eyed Ace with distrust as he explained what had happened. He didn't shy away from any of the details, telling the Rear Admiral everything, including the fact that he had left Archer behind to help the woman and the fact that a pirate—Marco the Phoenix of all people—had helped him take the pirates down. Pokorni's expression didn't change.
“Let me get this straight,” he finally said, leaning forward in his office chair to rest his forearms against the desk. He had arrived with a small army of marines to arrest the downed pirates when Ace had called but as soon as Ace had started to explain what had happened he had dragged him back to the ship, saying something about privacy. “You disobeyed not only your CO's direct order but also mine, as well as the order to not use your devil fruit.”
If that was all he was fucking taking from everything Ace had just said he was gonna be a little mad. Sure it was the truth, but there was a lot of reasons he had done so. Like, you know, saving a civilian. And taking down ruthless pirates.
“It was justified,” Ace defended, crossing his arms stubbornly over his chest. “If I hadn't done anything they would have probably killed that woman. And whatever they were after involved the mayor which could have destabilized the whole town.”
“That wasn't a call for you to make.”
Ace really wanted to hit him. Why was he surrounded by such idiots? How was it that he wound up with two superiors who didn't care about life and only cared about obedience? Maybe if he had better superiors he wouldn't mind being a Marine as much.
“They would have killed her,” Ace repeated instead. “They were about to when I stopped them. And with her alive she could tell the mayor about it and it gave them a chance to better protect whatever it was they were after.”
For a long minute Pokorni just stared at him and Ace was beginning to think maybe he had pushed it too far. He didn't regret it at all, but it looked like this might be what finally gets him kicked out. Which was fucking stupid since all he had done was his fucking job and sure he might have disobeyed an order or two but they were stupid orders so it should be completely justified.
Finally Pokorni sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair, his hazel eyes looking tired. “You said Phoenix showed up after all this?” he asked tiredly, rubbing a hand against a temple.
It was a sudden change but one Ace welcomed since he really didn't want to be told to leave. “Kind of. He said that he'd been there for all of it but hadn't intervened because we had arrived. He said he only intervened when we needed the help.” Which still didn't make sense to Ace since he was a Marine and Marco was a pirate, but whatever. He could grudgingly admit the man had been helpful.
“And remind me of what he did exactly?”
Either Pokorni hadn't listened to any of Ace's previous explanations or he just wanted to hear it again. Regardless, he'd repeat himself as many times as he needed to if it kept him from being kicked out.
“He kicked the guy I was fighting into a wall and told me that Archer needed my help.” Ace still kind of wished that he hadn't brought any attention to that fact because then he could have ignored it and claimed innocence in his death. But whatever. Maybe Marco was a better person than him—which was fucking ironic considering he was a pirate. “And then he went somewhere I think because he wasn't there when I was trying to get the third guy to let the woman go but then he suddenly kicked him into a wall too.”
Technically he'd kicked both of them through a wall but, you know, same thing.
“And after that?”
“He told the woman to go find the mayor and tell him about what happened and when I asked why he was there but didn't help he told me who he was. But then those other two pirates arrived and I was busy taking them out when a third one arrived and then he took care of that one. He left after that.”
Sure there was a little more to it all but Pokorni didn't need to know that Ace thought Marco was attractive or that he had had a bit of a conversation with him. In fact, Ace didn't want him to know about any of that at all. Talking back to the man really wasn't Ace's brightest moment but what could he say, he was an idiot. And finding the man hot, well….like he had said, he was an idiot.
“So what you're telling me,” Pokorni began, eyes narrowing again, “is that a well known and dangerous pirate arrived, helped you, and then left all without harming you.”
Well when he put it like that....
Regardless, Ace just shrugged. It was a bad summary but it was, technically, a summary.
Pokorni just nodded slowly, tucking a falling lock of greying auburn hair behind an ear. “Right....” With a shake of his head he stood up, eyes fixing on Ace once again. “It's quite the story. I'll have to talk to Archer when he wakes up and see what he can recall but.....you look like you're telling the truth.”
Of course he looked like he was telling the truth! He was! Everything he had said was the truth. He wouldn't have gained anything by lying.
“You are forbidden from telling anyone about this other pirate's presence, though,” Pokorni continued. “I don't care if it's your fucking mother that asks-” that was rude, Ace's mother was dead. “-you will not tell anyone about him. You can tell people that you took out all of those pirates yourself but you will not mention Phoenix's presence or help.”
“But I didn't fight them off myself,” Ace protested. He could kind of understand why they didn't want him to share that he had been helped by a pirate, but still. He shouldn't be claiming responsibility for something he didn't do.
“I don't care.” Hard eyes pinned Ace in place. “You will not tell anyone about him and that is final. Just take the damn credit.”
But.....he wasn't the one that did it. He couldn’t take credit where credit wasn’t due.
“If you breathe a word of it to anyone I'll kick you out of the Marines so fast your head will spin.”
Got it. Marco was never there and Ace took out six pirates by himself.
“Am I understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
Pokorni eyed him for a long minute before finally giving a sharp nod of his head. “Good. Of those six men, four of them are alive and have been arrested. The other two were dead when we arrived. And last I heard Archer was still unconscious but would be okay.”
Great. Too bad he hadn't been one of them to die.
“For now you're dismissed, Portgas. But I want you to stay on the ship. The rest of your squadron is still out there looking for the rest of the pirates but once word gets out about your involvement it's possible the rest of the crew will come after you.”
Ace could handle a couple pirates. He technically had taken out three of the six. That was half of them.
Not that he said anything, just giving a quiet affirmation of “yes, sir” before turning and leaving the room, letting out a long breath as he did so.
God he hated his job.
Sunset found Ace sitting in one of the crow's nests, his arms propped up on the railing as he leaned against it. He'd spent most of the rest of the day napping—and eating since he hadn't gotten to eat breakfast—but now he was bored. There was only so much one could do on a Marine ship and with a lot of the crew on shore, there was even less.
Feet thumped quietly against the ladder as someone climbed up it, a grumbled complaint echoing in the otherwise quiet air. Ace looked down at the newcomer, smiling slightly as he spotted his friend climbing up.
“Deuce,” he said, stepping towards the ladder to help him up. “Thought you were off ship.”
Deuce shook his head, reaching into his pocket and taking something out. He shoved the wrapped bundle at Ace as he sat down, his back to the railing. “I was. Just got back.”
Ace took the gift and unwrapped it, his eyes lighting up at the sight of smoked meat inside. He immediately shoved it into his mouth, a tiny moan of appreciation leaving him at the smoky flavor. They never got anything even half as good on the ship and it made this little bite feel like a slice of heaven.
“Thought you'd like that,” Deuce said around a laugh, kicking his legs out. “I heard about what happened and figured you hadn't had a chance to hit any of the markets up so I grabbed you something. I wasn't sure what you wanted so-”
“This is great,” Ace assured him as he took another bite, trying hard not to inhale the food. It was so good he wanted to at least try and savor the flavor a little bit.
Deuce smiled back, though there was something else in his gaze, something curious.
“What?” Ace asked as he finished the last of the meat off. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Eyes narrowed slightly at him. “I heard about what happened,” Deuce began a bit hesitantly. “They're saying you took out six pirates all by yourself.”
A scowl rose to Ace's face before he could stop it and he knew Deuce saw it by the way his eyebrows slowly rose in question. The first person to ask him about it and he already fucked up the story. He was doing great. This was going to go so well.
“So what actually happened?” Deuce pressed when Ace didn't say anything. “I had already figured there was more to the story but seeing your face confirms that there is.”
Ace needed to work on his poker face. It was just hard when he himself didn't even agree with what he was being asked to lie about. Had it been something he agreed with he could have pulled this off no problem and no one would have been any the wiser. Hell he was great at playing poker because no one could ever read him then. But the second he was being asked to lie about something he didn't even believe in then it was like he was shouting his disbelief to the world.
“Nothing,” Ace mumbled, looking back out over the ocean. The waves were turning orange as the sun sank lower, pinks and reds streaking across the sky. A handful of clouds hung low, their color a mix of dark gold and gray, the colors almost seeming to blend together at the edges.
“And what actually happened?” Deuce pressed again, leaning a bit closer to Ace. “I mean, I could probably believe that you could take out six guys by yourself, but it just felt.....odd. Because someone said your commanding officer was there but he was unconscious or something.”
He really shouldn't tell Deuce anything. Sure he was his friend and sure he probably wouldn't go and tell anyone, but you still never knew. He could accidentally let something slip or forget it was supposed to be a secret or hell he could even decide it shouldn't be a secret and tell everyone. And if he did any of those things and word got back to Pokorni, Ace would no longer be a marine and then Sengoku would get pissy and everything would be a fucking mess.
God he really wanted to tell him though.
“Can you keep a secret?” Ace finally asked quietly after a long minute. He knew his friend could but-
“Of course.”
Hesitating only a minute longer, Ace sighed and told Deuce everything. He told him about the help he had had during the fight and the fact that this help was a notorious pirate who had saved his life twice and even took a bullet for him. When Deuce’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head Ace hurriedly told him about the man’s devil fruit and the fact that he couldn’t get hurt. He also told him about the fact that they had had a small conversation—he did leave out the part about finding Marco attractive because that was something nobody needed to know—and that the man had been pretty kind all things considered. Sure he was kind of an ass, but when it really mattered he'd been kind. At least, to Ace he had been. And to that woman.
When he finished Deuce was looking at him with raised eyebrows, expression somewhere between disbelief and....confusion? Which, okay, that was valid. Ace himself still didn't quite understand what had happened and he'd been the one to live it.
Ace knew that not all pirates were bad people. A lot of them were, sure, but there was a handful out there who weren't and there were some who were even pretty good people who wound up out at sea for reasons beyond their control. And he knew that on occasion the Marines had worked with pirates before—or at least, certain marines had worked with pirates before. He could remember his grandpa telling him a few drunk stories about being forced to work with the Whitebeard and Roger pirates in the past. And of course there was the whole Warlord thing which even if Ace didn't agree with was still a thing. But at the same time, so many pirates were complete scoundrels who only cared about themselves and money. There was a reason pirates had the reputation they did, after all. And pirates who were well known and had large bounties were usually the worst of the worst, the ones that loved violence and bloodshed for no reason other than enjoyment.
But Marco wasn't like that. Or at least, he didn't seem to be like that. Sure Ace had heard the stories—any marine who worked in the New World has—and it wasn't hard to believe that he could be like that, but he just....he didn't act like he was. Maybe he was a good actor but....Ace didn't believe that. He just- he just seemed so sincere. So....honest and truthful. Which were not words anyone ever associated with pirates which was probably why Ace's head was hurting thinking about all of this.
Because if Marco had acted like a pirate of his caliber should, well, he shouldn't have even been there in the first place. He had said he had gone to see what was happening because he'd heard the gunshots but most shouldn't have even cared to investigate. And beyond that he shouldn't have cared when Ace was in danger nor should he have cared about that woman. He should have left them to those other pirates to be killed and walked away. Even if he had decided to be somewhat nice and save the woman, he still shouldn't have saved Ace. Because Ace was a Marine. He's his natural enemy. He's someone that would arrest him the second he had the chance. He should have left him to die, not saved him twice.
Also, no pirate should look that good. Because that was just unfair.
“You're telling me,” Deuce began, startling Ace out of his thoughts, “that a notorious pirate saved your life and helped you out.”
“To sum it up, yes.”
Deuce nodded slowly. “Right,” he said slowly, his nose scrunched up a tiny bit. “Right.”
Ace just shrugged. What else could he say? It wasn't like he understood it any better than Deuce did. “Maybe he was bored?” he offered. “Or, I don't know....feeling nice?”
“Or complete loosing it?”
Or that. Though Ace didn't think so. No he didn't know the man and no he hadn't ever met him before, but he sure hadn't looked like a man that was loosing it. He looked like he knew exactly what he was doing. Like he was sure of his decision.
“I just-” Ace groaned slightly and ran a hand through his hair. “They want to pretend that he wasn't there at all. That I was the one who took out all those pirates and that I did it myself. Which I kind of understand because that would be hard to explain but it just doesn't feel right. Because I-I wasn't the one to do that. Sure I took out three of them but I didn't take out all six! I couldn't have! Hell if it wasn't for him I don't think I'd have been able to even take out one! But I know everyone is going to be congratulating me on this and it just- it just feels wrong. Like—I don't deserve the credit! I didn't do it!”
Deuce watched him quietly. “But if they admit he was there they would have to admit that they had needed a pirate's help to stop those other pirates. It would be like saying they were weak.”
Ouch. Ace knew he wasn't the strongest but-
“I don't mean that you're weak,” Deuce hurriedly added. “Just that...it just wouldn't look good, is all. It would make it look like we can't do our jobs.”
“Our jobs?” Ace muttered. “You're a doctor. You don't even get involved in this stuff.”
“Maybe not. Usually, at least. I do still have combat training.”
Whatever.
He might understand the logic of it but it still left a bitter taste in his mouth. Most things about the Marines did but this one definitely was ashy.
A loud horn blared from the deck, the sound summoning everyone on board to it. Ace exchanged raised eyebrows with Deuce who looked just as confused before the two of them climbed back down the ladder. Maybe they had caught the rest of the crew.
There was a crowd already gathering along the stern of the ship, more than a few confused looks being thrown around and quiet whispers asking what was going on. The fact that so many people were currently off ship meant that the group was smaller than normal which made even less sense for them to call a meeting. Surely whatever it was they wanted to say would be better said to all of them?
Pokorni stood along the railing as they gathered around him, pretty much ignoring all of them and their confusion. He ignored the various questions directed his way, just standing still like he was a statue rather than a man. It seemed to be his go-to when he didn't feel like dealing with them. Somedays Ace wondered if he actually was a statue that had been brought to life.
“Men,” Pokorni finally greeted them after a long few minutes went by and it looked like everyone still onboard had arrived. One of the few women onboard grumbled about the greeting but they all knew better than to say anything directly to the man. He was one of those old fashioned people that didn't think women should be serving in the Marines in the first place and he went out of his way to make sure they knew it. Ace thought the women showed incredible restraint by not kicking his ass overboard whenever he did.
“I have an announcement to make,” he continued, looking off to the side and motioning someone forward.
Ace stood on his tiptoes to try and look over the people in front of him, trying to see who he was summoning forward. He hadn't heard of any kind of visitor onboard but maybe it was a surprise. Or maybe-
From the lengthening shadows Archer emerged, his perpetual scowl looking deeper with the shadows gathering on his face. A large, dark bruise radiated from his temple, the spot he'd been hit by the gun. Bandages wrapped around his left arm from what Ace remembered was a graze from a bullet and he had a handful of other scrapes and bruises on his arms and legs. He looked like he'd been through hell which was ironic considering he hadn't even been able to take out one of those pirates. Ace had had to save his ass.
“I know most of you have heard about the incident this morning already,” Pokorni continued as Archer stopped at his side, “but for those of you haven't, let me enlighten you.”
Ace stopped listening. He'd been there. He didn't need to hear about it again. He didn't want to hear what spin they would put on it, what embellishes they would add to make Archer sound like some kind of hero.
“Portgas D. Ace.”
Maybe he should have been listening.
Ace raised his head, finding everyone staring at him. He looked back at Pokorni and watched him motion him up, a faint look of annoyance on his face when he motioned him again.
Hesitantly Ace moved forward, stopping just in front of the two men. He glanced over his shoulder at Deuce but his friend just gave him a tiny shrug, clearly just as in the dark as Ace was.
“Ace here,” Pokorni said, evidently still in the middle of the retelling, “took out most of those pirates himself.” Most of them? Didn't he tell him to tell everyone that he took out all of them himself? Were they suddenly changing the story on him?
“In fact, it is because of his bravery that our dear Master Chief Petty Officer is alive.” At least that was true. Not that Archer looked too happy about this fact, a deep scowl aimed at Ace like he had personally wronged him. Which, considering it was the same look he usually gave him, Ace didn't pay him much mind. “Pirates are bastards and they aren't above cheating to try and win,” Pokorni continued. “But between Ace and Archer they were able to defeat all six pirates—including the captain.”
The captain? They had beat the captain? Which one-
“I've been talking with Headquarters about the incident and we've come to an agreement. Archer.” Archer looked back at Pokorni at the sound of his name, an eyebrow rising slightly in question. “You are being promoted to Ensign following these events.”
Archer's eyes lit up in delight. It was no secret that the man wanted to be an Admiral someday and making Ensign was definitely a step in the right direction. Though Ace wasn't entirely sure what he was being promoted for. He had barely done anything. Hell Ace had done more than he had. And that was without counting Marco's help.
“Ace.” Ace looked over at Pokorni as he spoke again. “For your part, you are being promoted to Chief Petty Officer.”
He did all the work and still got a lower rank than Archer who was unconscious for most of it. Not that he really cared, but still. That felt like he was getting the short end of the stick.
“These promotions will be made official by the end of the week, but I expect the crew to refer to you with your new ranks starting today.” Pokorni cast a pointed look at the gathered crowd until they began to clap, the sound quickly growing in volume.
With a satisfied nod, Pokorni turned back to Ace. “Now, I'd like to speak to the two of you in my office. We have some more to discuss.”
Ace was really hoping he was getting a new assignment. Or that Archer was. Actually, that was probably what he preferred. Because if Archer was no longer his commanding officer he was sure life would go a lot smoother. He'd probably get in trouble a lot less. The man sure seemed to have it out for Ace.
Pokorni led them to his office, calling “dismissed” over his shoulder at the crowd as they walked away.
Back in his office Pokorni sat down in his chair, grumbling under his breath as he pushed some of his graying hair out of his face. “Congratulations on the new ranks,” he said to them, motioning for them to sit in the chairs on the opposite side of the desk. “We'll pick up your new uniform at Sevilay, Archer. We should be there in a few days which should coincide with the paperwork going through.”
Archer nodded, still looking enormously pleased with himself. Something that was very unearned but whatever. Ace wasn't the one in charge.
“I wanted to discuss what these changes mean,” Pokorni continued. “The two of you will continue to serve on my ship.” So much for Ace's dreams. “And Archer you will continue to be the CO of the same squadron. Ace, you will remain in that squadron but, with your advance in rank, you will start acting as Archer's right hand.”
Ace would like to not be promoted, actually. He hated spending time with Archer and he didn't want to be forced to spend any extra time with him.
It seemed Archer felt the same way because his scowl had somehow grown and he was now leaning forward in his chair, hard eyes fixed on Pokorni. “I thought I could be rid of this fucking brat,” he growled. “He's a fuck-up that can't even follow a simple order right. Who the fuck decided to promote him for disobeying orders?”
“I did.” Pokorni fixed Archer with a level look, slowly blinking at the snarl that left the other man. “You are correct that Ace disobeyed our orders. However, it ended up turning out for the best. Protecting civilians is part of our mission and he did just that by saving that woman. He also took out....several of those pirates.”
“Several of them?” Archer spat back. “You told me that he got helped by a fucking pirate! How do you know that he wasn't colluding with that fucking bastard? Maybe this was all part of some fucking grand scheme to promote him while he's actually a spy.”
“He's too stupid to be one,” Pokorni answered and ouch, that kinda hurt. “But even if he wasn't, considering who his grandfather is, he's one of the last people I would suspect of it. Hell, I'd suspect you, Archer, before I suspected him.”
The comment hurt but Ace kind of wanted to high-five Pokorni because Archer was gaping at him like a fish, his mouth opening and closing like he couldn't get any sounds out.
“Anyway.” As if the man hadn't just demolished Archer in a single sentence, he continued, “Because of these promotions the two of you are expected to work closely. Obviously you have final say in everything, Archer, but Ace will enforce your rules and will have stand-in authority whenever you are unavailable or compromised.”
Ace still didn't want to work with the man. He would very much rather get a new assignment and a new commanding officer.
“As for you, Ace,” Pokorni continued as he glanced over at him, “you're going to have to start shaping up. I will admit that I was a bit....hesitant, to promote you, because of some of your past disciplinary actions. However,” he added, raising a hand to stop Archer from speaking, “I do not feel that it can be ignored what you did today and I feel that that deserves recognition. I also believe that perhaps having some more responsibility will be good for you.”
Archer glowered darkly at Ace. At least Ace wasn't the only one not happy about this new arrangement.
“As for the other thing we need to talk about, we need to discuss exactly what will be said when people ask about what happened.” Apparently they weren't going with the story of Ace taking everyone out himself. He supposed that made sense. They probably wanted to make Archer look like he'd been helpful instead of the useless sack of shit he had been. “The official story is that the two of you interrupted the pirates from killing that woman and fought them off. You both are being credited with taking three of them down. And Ace is being credited with saving your life, Archer.” Narrowed eyes fixed on said man, as if daring him to argue. “And since that part is definitely true, I expect you to act like it.”
Ace should have let that pirate kill him. It would have saved him a lot of trouble. Hell he would have taken that over being promoted even. Anything to get away from that fucking asshole.
Pokorni sat back in his chair with a smile that didn't look forced at all. “Now, go enjoy the rest of your night, you both certainly deserve it. And starting tomorrow, you can discuss your partnership and how to make it work.”
There was an underlying threat there that Ace didn't care to think about. He was still pissed off about the new arrangement and was starting to think about ways he could get out of it. He was sure Archer was doing the same thing.
Since they were dismissed Ace stood up and turned, leaving the room. He heard Archer try to say something but Pokorni stopped him, a more firm dismissal further silencing the other man. Steps stomped out after Ace and he hurried up the hallway to get away.
Unfortunately for him, he wasn't fast enough and a hand caught him by the arm, fingers digging in harshly and stopping him in place. Biting back a grimace Ace turned, not bothering to get rid of the frown on his face. He wasn't scowling or glaring and that was about all he cared about.
“I don't know how you weaseled your way into this,” Archer growled, “but you don't fucking deserve it. And if our situations had been reversed, I would have let that fucking pirate kill you.”
Ace had to bite his tongue from saying that he almost had done exactly that. It may be true but he knew Archer would go straight back to Pokorni with it and try to get him kicked out from that information. Ace wasn't sure if it would actually work or not but this partnership was going to be rough enough and they didn't need to add any more fuel to the fire.
He still wished he'd let the pirate kill him.
“You might have been promoted but you're still my subordinate and I expect you to act like it. Don't let this little promotion go to your head. I tell you to do something and you do it and if you don't I will punish you like you were another one of my recruits. Understand me?”
“Yes.”
Archer's eyebrows drew down as his face twisted into a snarl. “Yes, what?”
Ace raised his brows back but didn't say anything.
Fingers twitched and for a second Ace thought he was going to get hit again. Archer sure looked like he wanted to. But at last second he seemed to decide not to, his hands clenching into fists instead. “I'm going to make your life hell and I'm going to enjoy every fucking second of it. I don't care if your grandfather is a fucking hero, all you are is some idiot nothing he dragged in, something that can't even fill a tenth of his shadow. And Pokorni can say whatever he wants, but you don't deserve any of this. He should have let me kick you out months ago.”
Someday Ace really hoped he figured out just what in the hell he did to piss Archer off so badly. Sure he tended to be insubordinate and at the start he hadn't held his tongue very well and yeah he did eat that devil fruit—not that he knew there had been a rule about that—but all in all, he honestly wasn't that bad. Hell he'd seen people do worse without getting in even half as much trouble as he did. It was like Archer had decided he didn't like him for no reason and was making it Ace’s problem.
Maybe he had something against Garp or something. It was the only other thing Ace could think of.
Turning away, Archer added over his shoulder, “I expect you in my office at six sharp tomorrow morning. If you aren't, you will be punished. Harshly.”
If they got through this partnership without Ace murdering the man he was going to count it as a fucking miracle. A big one. Because they weren't even one day into it yet and Ace already wanted to light the man on fire. He wasn't sure he'd be able to make it a week, let alone for however long the Marines decided to force them together for.
God Ace hated his life.
Chapter Text
It had been two months since Ace had been promoted and he had hated every fucking day of it. Archer treated him like both his personal assistant and his punching bag, alternating between burying him in mountains of work and screaming at him that he was an incompetent idiot. Sometimes he did both at once. He seemed to delight even more in giving out arbitrary punishments and he still made sure the usual recipient was Ace. It had got to the point even Pokorni had finally stepped in and told him to cool it. The man hadn't, of course, but he did yell at Ace less in public and more when it was just the two of them in his office.
Ace still had no fucking idea why the man hated him so much but he was beginning to think he might be on to something with it being related to Garp. Archer had never directly stated that he didn't like the man, but he had made a few passing comments that sure hadn't been positive. Not that Ace understood the why of it yet. Especially considering just about the rest of the Marine force was tripping all over themselves to call him a fucking hero. Maybe he was jealous of him.
They had finally docked again after being out at sea for nearly two months—minus the few day stop they had done at Sevilay to drop off the prisoners—and while Ace's squadron was technically off for the duration of their visit, he was babysitting instead of doing anything fun. Which, honestly didn't bother him all that much since all they had wanted to do was drink and while he liked to do so too, it wasn't that big of a deal to keep an eye on anyone. The only reason he was mad was because Archer had ordered him to do it before the man himself had taken off to a brothel even though technically he was supposed to be the one responsible for the squad. But whatever. That wasn't a battle Ace wanted to fight and since he could at least drink a little and be on land, he didn't particularly care.
Taking a drink, Ace looked around the bar again, counting the number of people from his squadron left. Of the nineteen of them—Ace was the twentieth member—there was only a few left and they were all well on their way to piss drunk. Over the past few hours the rest of them had slowly splintered off, most heading either back to the ship to sleep, to a hotel with whatever person had caught their fancy, or, had no one done so and they were horny, off to the brothel. It meant that there were only three left now and since they were in a little clump of their own, Ace wasn't particularly worried. He was sure that, within the hour, they would all head back to the ship and then Ace could do whatever he wanted. Which honestly was probably going to be heading back as well since he'd been awake since before dawn and it was probably getting close to midnight.
“Hey, Chief!” someone shouted in Ace's ear, one of the squadron members nearly falling against him. “How's it?”
Ace just took another drink, trying to stave off the growing headache. “It's just Ace,” he muttered. He hated being called by his rank and he hated that Archer insisted the others do it. He was also pretty sure Archer only did that because he knew Ace hated it.
The man shrugged as he leaned against the bar. “We heading back,” he said, jerking a thumb in the very vaguest of directions towards where the other two people were. “None of us have had any luck with the ladies n’ Snake is dead on his feet.”
Why someone would name their child Snake was beyond Ace. Not that that was relevant. It was just something he often thought of. “Okay,” he said instead, taking a longer drink.
“You comin' with?”
“Nah. I'm gonna stay a little longer.”
The man at his side shrugged and lurched backwards, nearly falling on his ass. “Aight. See ya!” With that last yell he stumbled away, a slurred yell leaving him that sounded like 'less go'.
Shaking his head, Ace drained his drink and set it down, motioning the barkeep over for another. He probably should have gone with to make sure no one fell overboard going up the gangplank but he was sure that one of them would be able to call for help in time—as long as all three of them didn't go overboard. In that case Ace might be to blame.
A new drink was slid to him and Ace took a drink, casting another look around the bar to ensure he really had accounted for all of his squadron. He was sure he did but it didn't hurt to double check. Not that he saw any of them still hanging around but still, it helped his nerves. The last thing he needed was to get in trouble because one of them was being a dumbass in Ace's vicinity and he didn't stop them.
With the bar starting to clear out anyway as the night wore on, Ace finished his drink before paying his tab, wishing the barkeep a goodnight. It was around midnight now and all Ace really wanted to do was sleep. Archer had him up everyday before dawn for some ungodly reason and the lack of sleep was catching up to him, making his narcolepsy worse and his mood sour. Maybe he'd use this break to catch up on his sleep.
The night was still warm and humid when Ace stepped outside, the very air feeling like it was sticking to his skin. Sweat almost instantly started to gather along his hairline, a few drops of it sliding down the side of his face as his open shirt started to stick to his skin. It felt like he had stepped into a sauna fully clothed and now he was starting to seriously debate getting a hotel room just so he could sleep naked.
The roads were empty as Ace made his way to the ship, still half debating getting that hotel room. It wasn't like the town was really known for a nightlife of any kind, but since it was a port town, Ace kind of expected them to still be busy. It was just past midnight and that wasn't very late in all honesty. Sure it was for his squadron but they were all up ungodly early so they didn't count. He was sure most passing sailors were the type to start partying at midnight, not the type to end it there.
Something clinked just up ahead, his attention snapping towards it. With the night so quiet the sound was like a gunshot, even if it was really just a faint whisper. It was still enough to make Ace wary, to make him pay more attention as he cautiously approached the sound.
Up the road and just barely visible by the light of the moon stood several people in what looked like a little huddle in the shadow of a building. The scene wasn't exactly out of place but something about it was sending warning bells through Ace's mind, something screaming at him that it was wrong. It made him take a second look, look a little harder as he got closer. He still didn't see anything odd and yet....he couldn't shake the feeling.
“Hey!” he called as he got closer, watching as all three people stiffened at the sound of his voice. “You guys okay? You need help or something?”
One of the people moved a bit, turning to look at him over their shoulder. “We're fine,” he called back. “Our friend just had too much to drink is all.”
That made sense. Not everyone knew when it was time to stop and the bars around the main road had been packed with people making poor decisions. Someone drinking in excess was hardly a surprise.
Ace got a little closer as he kept walking up the road, looking the people over a little more as he did. The man who had responded to him shifted slightly to watch him as he did so. It looked like he was keeping an eye on him, like he was making sure he wasn't going to try anything. It made Ace wonder if there was a problem with criminals targeting drunk people around here. He'd heard of it in bigger cities where there were more targets and routes to make an escape down, but it wasn't like crime was exclusive to certain population sizes. Maybe tomorrow he'd poke around a bit and see-
“Help me!” someone suddenly shouted from the direction of the trio, the voice higher pitched in fear. “They-they're trying to rob me!”
The two men instantly shifted their attention back to whoever was between them with hissed threats but Ace ignored it. It seemed he had been right. Something was wrong.
“How about you two take a step back,” Ace ordered, stopping a few feet behind them and already shifting his stance slightly in case they tried to move suddenly. He still couldn't see any weapons but that didn't mean they were unarmed and while he had his devil fruit, he had learned the hard way that haki infused attacks still worked on him.
“And how about you mind your own goddamn business?” the second man hissed back at him.
The other man elbowed the second one in the ribs before turning back to Ace with a frown, eyes narrowing a bit as they landed on his Marine uniform. “Tell you what,” he said, a slimy smile on his face as he looked back up to meet Ace's eyes. “How about we give you some berries and you forget you ever saw us? Sound like a deal?”
No that did not sound like a deal. But judging by how relaxed the man looked, this was either a tried and true strategy—which Ace could believe considering how scummy a lot of marines were—or he was confident in his abilities to fight Ace off.
“Take a step back,” Ace ordered again instead. He was going to show them that not all marines could be bought. “You have five seconds.”
Both men turned towards him now and the moonlight glinted off two metal blades, the swords' lengths just barely flashing with it. “And you have five seconds to leave,” the second man retorted.
Not bothering to reply Ace lit one of his fists on fire, letting the flames curl high in his palm. He got a brief second of satisfaction at seeing the hesitation in the men's faces, the glimpses of fear that appeared. But then the two of them were moving, two swords swinging towards his head. In a flash of fire Ace disappeared before reforming a few feet away, snickering quietly at the look of utter bafflement on the men's faces as they turned to find him not where he had been before.
Darkness washed over the blade wielded by the first man, chasing away the glinting moonlight and replacing it with something so black it looked like a mini abyss had appeared in the man's hand. Ace eyed the blade a bit warily but didn't let it deter him. It might be two on one but he knew he could beat both of these assholes easily.
Turning to flame again, Ace charged first this time, a jet of fire streaming out from his fist and forcing the two men to dodge to the sides. One wasn't quick enough and sparks caught along his sleeve, a startled curse sounding as he hurriedly tried to beat the flames out. With the men distracted Ace threw out a few more fireballs, slowly driving them backwards and away from the woman they'd been trying to rob while he put himself between them and her. The men didn't notice as they hurriedly tried to douse the tiny flames that kept catching on their clothes and Ace gave it about five seconds before they decided the fight wasn't worth it and tried to run. He'd have to make sure they didn't get too far.
Only, the men didn't try to run. Instead they turned back towards Ace, looking much too delighted like they thought he was trapped. Sure he couldn't exactly dodge anymore lest he let the woman get injured, but it wasn't like he was helpless. Maybe they'd already forgotten about his fire. If that was the case Ace would just have to reacquaint them with it.
Hands lighting up once again, Ace raised one of them, intending to do just that, when something cold suddenly pressed against his temple, digging in hard enough it would probably bruise.
“Stop it or I'll shoot,” a voice hissed in his ear, the muzzle of the gun pressing harder into his head. “And before you try anything, I've got seastone bullets in here.”
Ace cut his fire, frowning as he tried to stretch his observation haki out. He had only really just found out about it and was far from even really understanding it, but he knew he hadn't felt anyone else. Sure it wasn't the most reliable yet but surely he would have noticed a whole other person hiding back there. He usually could at least notice something like that.
Unless there wasn’t another person there. Unless this had been their plan all along.
“Let's just shoot him and call it a day,” one of the men grumbled, his sword sliding back into its sheath with a clink. “Fucking asshole couldn't even have the decency to accept that bribe.”
“We could make it look like a robbery that went bad,” the other one agreed. Though he didn't sheath his sword, choosing instead to come closer to Ace. He raised his darkened blade and pressed the tip of it against his cheek, dragging it against his skin slightly until it split into a small cut. “I mean, that is essentially what is happening.”
Ace glowered back at the two men, his body held stiffly as he tried to think of what to do now. He shouldn't have frozen. If he had reacted instead when the woman had put the gun against his head initially, he could have been away from them before they basically cornered him. Sure the woman said there were seastone bullets in there, but Ace didn't believe her. They were hard to come by unless you were in the Marines and even then they weren't exactly standard issue. But there was still something so instinctual about having a gun to his head that it just made him freeze, some kind of base instinct he hadn't yet trained out. He really should work on that. Well, if he survived this he should.
“What do you want?” Ace asked, hating the way his voice wavered slightly. He cleared his throat as he added, “If you want money I'm sorry to disappoint but I don't really have any.”
“That's a shame,” the woman said in a falsely sweet voice. With one hand still holding the gun, she used the other to pat at his pockets, Ace jumping slightly at the sudden touch. The sword still against his cheek pressed harder at the movement, making Ace freeze again.
His berry pouch was pulled out and tossed forward, the man not holding a sword to his face catching it. He opened it up and snorted quietly, pulling the meager berry Ace had left from it. “He isn't kidding,” he said as he waved the money in the air. “He's got like maybe two thousand berry here.”
Ace shrugged slightly at the disbelieving look the man holding his pouch gave him. What could he say. It wasn't like he kept a lot of money on him—well, it wasn't like he had much anyway but whatever. He just preferred to keep most of his money elsewhere rather than on his person in case he lost his pouch or accidentally burned it. It was easier to loose ten thousand berries than it was a hundred thousand.
“This is the last time I let you idiots choose a mark,” the woman grumbled, gun pressing harder to Ace's head like it was all his fault he had no money. “You idiots always choose the worst fucking people for this. Are you really that bad or do you have to try at it?”
Dammit Ace really had walked straight into this one. That was what he gets for being a decent person with morals.
“Hey!” the man with the sword protested. “We didn't know! All we saw was that he was alone and looked easy. How were we supposed to know he was a broke idiot?”
That was rude. Ace wasn't an idiot. All he had done was try and help someone out. It wasn't his fault that it was apparently an elaborate ruse to rob him.
The woman scoffed before returning to patting Ace down, making him jump again. When she came up empty she growled in frustration before shoving him hard enough he stumbled, sending him directly into the man with the sword. Before he could blink the sword was against his throat, freezing him, once again, in place. He needed to stop doing that. Though at least this time he had the defense that a haki covered sword could actually hurt him and he would very much like to not have his throat cut today.
“After I shoot him you guys clean up. Dump him in the ocean, make it look like a robbery that went wrong,” the woman ordered, already leveling the gun at Ace's head.
“Wh-what do you want?” Ace hurriedly asked, freezing again when the sword pressed warningly against his throat. “I-I won't tell anyone anything, promise. I don't- I don't really have more money but I'm sure I could get some or something. Or....I have my dagger, you could have that.”
Ace wasn't begging for his life despite the fact that it looked like that. He just needed them to drop their guard a tiny bit. And he knew that acting weak was a good way to do it. He also knew that people tended to think he was younger than he was and he had no problem playing that up when it served him, such as right now. Most people at least hesitated before hurting a weak kid—even if he wasn't either of those things.
With the sword so close he knew he wouldn't be able to get away before it could cut him and since it was at his throat, he didn't want to test how deep it could get cut before he bled to death. If he could get the man to relax a bit then he should be able to get away before he could react. The woman with the gun would be a bit harder but since he was betting they were regular bullets, he wasn't too worried about that. It wasn't like you could infuse your bullets with haki or anything. That was just impossible.
The woman scoffed behind him. “Oh, well if you won't tell anyone,” she said, breaking off into laughter. “Oh, honey, do you think we're idiots or something? Do you really believe that we believe you'd keep quiet?”
Okay that one had been a bit of a stretch but it still didn't hurt to try. “I-I know where some of my crewmates keep their money,” he offered instead. That was something he actually did know even if he had never made use of it. It wasn't his fault his crewmates were dumbasses and he was observant.
“So you can go and warn them? Yeah, no thanks. Like I said, we aren't stupid. You aren't talking your way out of this.”
Well he tried. The sword was still up against his throat but since it was now or never he was just going to have to see how fast he could move.
Between one heartbeat and the next Ace threw himself backwards, turning to flames as he went. He heard the startled gasps and he winced as he felt the tip of the sword dig into his neck but it didn't cut deeper and he could still breathe.
And then the man with the sword was gone, suddenly disappearing into the dark with only a yelp and a thunk, apparently landing somewhere outside of Ace's view.
Forcing his flames bigger and hotter, Ace reformed off to the side, keeping them running across him like a second skin. Several shots were fired but they either went wide or they were not seastone ones like Ace had suspected because he never felt any pain. He still sent a punch of fire towards the woman, hearing her pained scream and the rapid sounds of steps trying to get away.
Turning back towards where the second man had been, Ace found that he was also gone. Ace was not, however, alone, someone else having appeared on the dark street. Someone that looked.....oddly familiar.
“We've got to stop meeting like this, Ace, yoi. I thought once was enough but twice is definitely too many.”
God fucking dammit. Of all the fucking nights and all the fucking people.
Sure enough, the man turned and Ace instantly recognized the lazy smirk on his face and the now glaringly obvious tattoo spread across his chest. He had still been hoping to be wrong. Not that his hopes ever came true but still. A man could dream.
“Why the fuck are you here?” Ace snapped at him, turning to shoot another bolt of fire at the woman who was still trying to run away. She dodged the blast before beginning to fire blindly at them, the shots completely missing both of them.
“Well-” Marco began, only for Ace to cut him off by holding up his pointer finger.
Turning back into flame, Ace raced forwards before rematerializing in front of the woman. She skidded to a stop at the sight of him before she was trying to jerk the gun around to aim it at him. As much fun as it sounded to find out if the bullets were really all normal ones, Ace didn't feel like taking that chance tonight so instead he used one hand to catch her wrist to keep the gun pointed away before he used the other to punch her in the face. She went down without a peep, completely unconscious before she even hit the ground.
“You were saying?” Ace said as he turned back to Marco, pushing the safety on the gun back to on before pulling the clip out and tossing it to one side and the gun to the other.
An eyebrow crawled up in what looked like amusement but Marco didn't comment. “As I was trying to say,” he began again, his smirk growing slightly, “I was just stopping off to check in with my captain when I heard commotion and saw flames. I figured I should check it out to make sure there were no pyromaniacs running around but it seems that I found one.”
Ace's nose wrinkled. “I'm not a pyromaniac!” he snarled back, flames flickering to life along his shoulders and on the ends of his hair. It probably did nothing to refute the claim but Ace didn't care. It wasn't like he liked fire per se, it was just what his devil fruit was. That didn't make him an arsonist or pyromaniac or an incendiary or any of the other terms people liked to call him.
Marco's brow crawled higher as he chuckled, eyes pointedly flicking to the flames Ace was still trying to reign back in. “Sure you're not,” he drawled, sounding way too amused. Ace really wanted to send a fiery punch towards his face to see if he still thought it was funny.
The smirk faded and Marco gestured towards the woman Ace had knocked out. “So what exactly happened, yoi?” he asked. “All I saw was her pointing a gun at you and that other guy holding a sword to you.”
Warmth flooded to Ace's cheeks and he pointedly looked away from Marco, looking back towards where the woman lay. “I thought she needed help,” he muttered quietly. “Turns out it was a ruse.”
“A ruse?”
“To rob an unsuspecting good samaritan passerby.”
A noise of understanding left Marco before he began to walk closer, his steps light on the cobbled street. “I've heard of that kind of ruse before but I can't say I've ever seen anyone pull it off. Not that people usually mess with us after they realize who we are.”
Ace's eye twitched slightly. Right. The man was a pirate. He wasn't sure how he forgot that considering the man's captain's jolly roger was tattooed across his chest and he was one of the most wanted pirates around. Maybe he was still a little disoriented.
A hand suddenly grabbed Ace's chin and his head was turned to find Marco suddenly right in front of him, his grip now tilting his head back as he bent down. For a second Ace really thought the man was going to fucking kiss him and he burst into flame on impulse. But all Marco did was laugh and suddenly his flames were being smothered and he couldn't move his head and he realized the man was actually looking at his throat, at the cut there. The still bleeding cut, Ace belatedly noted, realizing he could still feel blood streaming down his neck.
“You'll find one of your would-be robbers across the street next to the wall and the other down the street. I'm not entirely sure where he landed,” Marco added, his other hand pressing gently against the cut and making Ace hiss.
Before he could respond a blue glow suddenly lit up the area around them and Ace blinked dumbly, trying to tilt his head back down to see what was causing the light. The grip on his face kept him from doing so—and from turning into flame again—but he was pretty sure he could see the tiniest of hints of....blue fire? He could definitely feel something that was almost ticklish against his throat and neck.
He was finally released and Ace wasted no time in jerking backwards, trying to put some distance between himself and the other man. As he did so he caught the faintest of glimpse of blue flames dancing in Marco's palm before they were extinguished and they were plunged back into the darkness of the night.
“Don't fucking touch me,” Ace growled, one hand coming up to defensively wrap around his throat. Only....he didn't feel a cut there. Confused, he pressed a little harder, tracing a large circle around the area to see if he had somehow missed it but there was no cut there. He could still feel the tacky blood that hadn't dried and the tiniest crust of the little bit that had but the cut they had come from was suddenly gone like it had never been there. “What the fuck?”
“Healing flames,” Marco offered even though Ace hadn't directed the question at him. He was still trying to figure out what in the fuck happened. “They don't usually work so well on other people but they seemed to like you and healed that little cut right up. I could probably do the one on your cheek too if you'd like.”
“Don't fucking touch me,” Ace repeated as he took another step away. Fucking bastard thought he could just man handle Ace and do whatever he wanted to him. If he tried again Ace would show him exactly what he thought of that fucking idea.
Marco's eyes rolled. “You're welcome.”
“I didn't fucking say thank you!”
“I know. I'm just pretending you did, yoi.”
“You're a fucking bastard!”
“So I've been told.”
Ace hated him. He was annoying and a bastard and a fucking asshole who seemed to delight in making Ace uncomfortable and he was illegally hot and he was a very wanted pirate that was preferred dead over alive and he had a really nice looking chest that Ace kind of wanted to touch and he kept fucking showing up out of fucking nowhere.
…..he was going to ignore a few of those thoughts and focus on the ones that mattered. The ones about the man being a wanted pirate who was a dick. And the fact that Ace hated his guts. And that he wanted him to stop following him around or whatever.
“Stop fucking showing up where I am,” Ace growled, pointing an accusing finger at the man. “Archer already thinks I'm collaborating with you and if he hears about this he's going to try and drag my ass to Impel Down for being a traitor.” That was something that he'd actually been threatened with. He wasn't pulling that from his ass. “And if that happens I swear to any fucking god out there I will find a way out just to hunt you down and throw you in there instead.”
Blue eyes that looked dark in the night stared silently back at Ace and he realized he probably shouldn't have added that last part. It might be true but it was also very much a threat and he probably shouldn't be threatening a man as dangerous as Marco. Especially when he was all on his own and it would take at least a day for people to realize he was missing. There was a lot that could happen in a day. If the man didn't just outright kill him.
Ace started to edge backwards, trying to keep from making any sudden movements. He knew trying to run was pointless since he'd seen how fucking fast the other man was but maybe he could duck around enough buildings to throw him off. He'd just have to fucking hightail it back to the ship after that and not step foot back on land for the rest of their stay. Maybe he'd also hide in the bowels of the ship just to be safe.
But then Marco suddenly began to laugh again and Ace froze, not sure what to do. He'd been expecting violence or anger or even some kind of threat to get him to keep his mouth shut and yet the man was....laughing. About what Ace had said. About the threat Ace had made against him.
“I can't tell if you're overly brave or just a little dumb, yoi,” he finally said as the laughter began to die down. Though when Ace glared at him for that he began to laugh even harder, going so far as to wipe a finger beneath his eye like he was wiping a tear away. “I've gotta admit, no one has threatened me with that straight of a face or that much confidence in a long time.”
Considering how notorious the man was, they probably didn't out of a sense of self-preservation. A sense Ace apparently didn't have. Well, he kind of did. It was just that his mouth tended to work faster than his thoughts and he usually didn't actually stop to think about something before he did it. Like threatening dangerous pirates, apparently.
“Though before you ask,” Marco continued when Ace didn't say anything, the laughter finally fading away, “I'm not stalking you or anything. This island was just on my path back home and it was time I checked in. If anything, I feel like you're stalking me.”
“Like I would want to do that!” Ace snapped, his mouth falling slightly open. He knew his cheeks had heated up and judging by the reappearing amusement, he would bet there were flames sprouting from his body somewhere. Whatever. “I want you to leave me the fuck alone! And stop showing up where I am. And stop....talking to me.”
“Talking to you, yoi?”
“Yes, talking to me. Unless it's to tell me you surrender, I don't want you to talk to me.”
One of Marco's brows rose slightly, that smirk reappearing.
Ace hated that fucking smirk. And he hated that the man didn't answer him.
“You're supposed to say something!” Ace growled at him. “Don't just stand there and stare at me.”
That brow rose higher.
“You just silently staring at me is creepy. Stop it!”
“You said not to talk to you unless I was surrendering. Considering I wasn't surrendering, I thought you didn't want me to-”
“Shut up!”
Yes Ace had said that but that didn't mean the man needed to start listening to him right that fucking minute. He more meant that as a future guide. It wasn't like he was planning on seeing the fucking asshole again but he wanted to be sure they were on the same page for if it did happen. He didn't want Marco to say a fucking word unless those words were 'I surrender'.
Smirk growing wider, Marco laughed at him again. Fucking bastard. Ace wondered if his crewmates hated him as much as Ace did.
“You're amusing,” he finally said after a minute, eyes flickering up to look at what Ace knew were tiny flames jumping off his cheeks. “A lot funnier than any Marine I think I've ever met. Hell you're funnier than most pirates I know.”
The flames on Ace's cheeks got bigger. “Shut up! I'm not- I'm not amusing! I'm-I'm a Marine!”
“And?”
“And you're a fucking pirate!”
“And?”
“And you don't act like it!”
Marco just shrugged. “I didn't know being a pirate came with a rule book. I thought being a pirate meant throwing the rule book away.”
Ace hated him and wanted him to leave now. Well, he had wanted him to leave the second he realized he was here, but still. He wanted him to leave right now and that was what mattered.
“Marines and pirates are enemies,” Ace said stiffly, as if the man needed the fucking reminder. “That means they aren't buddies and they don't talk and they certainly don't try to make each other laugh.”
“Oh? Were you trying to make me laugh?”
Ace shot a jet of fire at the man. It probably wasn't his best idea considering the man was, you know, a really fucking dangerous pirate, but Ace did it anyway. Because he was annoying and a bastard and he massively pissed Ace off just by existing and since he wouldn't leave Ace would make him leave. Or he would make the man retaliate and then Ace would be nothing but scattered pieces of flesh to be picked at by scavengers. Regardless, he wouldn't have to listen to him anymore.
Marco didn't even flinch at the flames rushing towards him. Nor did he try to dodge them or even coat himself in haki. Instead he just let them wash over him, blue flames appearing like a shield as Ace's hit him. The two colors seemed to dance together before the reds and oranges were absorbed into the blue, only a tiny hint of purple and green appearing before all the flames disappeared and the night suddenly plunged back into a blackness that felt even darker.
“Like I said,” Marco drawled. “Amusing, yoi.”
Ace almost shot more flames at him. Almost.
“As fun as it is to sit here and light each other on fire,” Marco continued, “I am due for a check-in with Pops. So unless you want to hang around and say hi, I need to get going.”
“Who the fuck is Pops?”
“My captain. Whitebeard.”
Who the fuck called their captain Pops? Ace had a much more important question though. “Why the fuck would I want to say hi to him? He's a fucking pirate! A very wanted one! I didn't- I didn't even want to say hi to you!”
“You wound me, Ace.”
Ace wanted to fucking wound him.
Smile growing, Marco pulled out a small transponder snail as he began to turn away. “I'll tell Pops you said hi,” he called over his shoulder as he started to walk away. Ignoring Ace's sputtering, he added, “Don't forget about your would-be robbers. It would be a shame if they weren't properly dealt with and hurt someone else. Someone less capable.”
“I know how to do my fucking job you asshole!” Ace shouted after him. He ignored the laugh he got as he turned away, stomping angrily over towards the woman since he knew where she was. God damn bastard trying to tell him how to do his job even though Ace was the Marine and he was the fucking asshole pirate that had been keeping him from doing his job in the first place.
Ace found the second person across the street where Marco had said he'd be and even before Ace reached his side he knew the man was dead. His neck was twisted at an odd angle and a large bump was showing where his neck had broken in the impact. The ribs along one side of his body looked like they'd been caved in, the skin and muscle dipping in awkwardly like jelly. His sword lay off to his side, his fingers still curled around the hilt but the blade was no longer black with the haki that he had used to cut Ace.
If he didn't know any better, he would think the man had been hit by a cannon. He sure looked like he had. Not that Ace particularly cared. In his opinion, the man had gotten what he had deserved. Though it did make him wonder why Marco had felt the need to hit the man so hard. Even half the strength he had apparently used would have been enough to hit him against the wall and keep him down. This felt a bit excessive.
Turning away, Ace walked down the street until he found the second man. Large scrapes and friction burns spanned his skin, his shirt and pants torn to shreds in a few places. He looked like he'd gone sliding along the cobblestone road until his momentum had finally run out. Which considering Marco had kicked him nearly down to the fucking docks, had probably taken awhile. He was still alive but Ace would bet that when he woke up he would be in immense pain. He was pretty sure both his arms and legs were broken too. Ace wasn't a doctor but he did know there weren't supposed to be bumps in a few of those places.
Staring down the street at the docks, Ace grimaced as his eyes found his ship in the darkness. He, once again, had no fucking idea how he was going to explain this to anyone.
Chapter Text
In the end Ace decided to lie to Pokorni and Archer when they asked him what happened—well, he decided to lie a little bit. Mostly what he lied about was not knowing who had helped him. Everything else was the truth, even the mortifying bit about how he fell for the ruse, but the one thing he refused to divulge was that it was Marco who had, once again, helped him. Mostly because he knew if told the truth about that he would either be thrown out of the Marines or Archer would make good on his promise to lock him up for being a traitor. And since Ace didn't feel like doing either of those things, he lied.
Thankfully neither man pressed too much and just chalked it up to either a good samaritan or a drunk Marine who didn't remember helping. Ace leaned into the drunk Marine theory, offhandedly mentioning that they might have been wearing white. The less questions asked the better and he had no problem with leaning into the fact that everyone around him thought he was an idiot.
The lie, however, somehow got back to Marine Headquarters and one morning not too long later while Ace was doing Archer's paperwork he was pulled away to answer a call. He had no idea who the hell would want to talk to him since no one had in the year he'd been here, but if it got him a break, he'd take it.
Or at least, that was his thought process until he answered and his name was bellowed down the line. As soon as he realized who was calling he decided he'd much rather do paperwork. Very much rather.
“You had to be helped by a drunk?” Garp continued in a shout, the words echoing in the space around Ace. It wasn't like he was in a private room or anything, the call having gone to the main ship's line which meant Ace was standing in the communication center surrounded by Marines trying to work while being yelled at by his grandfather. And he knew everyone was listening, more than a few heads having turned his way.
“Hi, Gramps,” Ace said when the man paused to breathe. He wanted to hang up but he knew the man would just call back and yell at him and if he didn't answer then he would call Pokorni and then Ace would get yelled at by both of them. He'd rather not do that. He got yelled at enough by Archer on a daily basis.
“What the hell happened to all the skills I taught you?” Garp didn't even bother to say anything to Ace's greeting, just continuing to barrel his way through the conversation. Though Ace wasn't sure how much of a conversation it was when really only one person was doing the talking. “You should have been able to take all of those idiots out by yourself and yet you couldn't.”
He was starting to wonder just what in the world had been said. Sure he had admitted to Pokorni and Archer that he had been helped—and that whoever had helped him had dealt with the two men—but it wasn't like he'd been helpless. He had taken down the woman himself. And he had dealt with the two men by himself for awhile before he'd been tricked. If there hadn't been a trick he could have easily dealt with all three of them. It wasn't his fault they decided to use people's general kindness against him.
“Gramps-” Ace tried, only to get bulldozed by the continued ranting.
“And some drunk Marine had to help you? Someone who was apparently too drunk to even remember helping you? How the fuck could they even stand straight let alone help you? Are you really that fucking incompetent that you couldn't deal with three people that a drunk could deal with?”
It was almost like listening to Archer again. Hell Ace was pretty sure he'd already heard all of this from that very same man.
“Gramps,” Ace tried again, huffing out a breath. “It wasn't like that.”
“No?” The word was said with more disbelief than the day Ace had tried to tell him he wouldn't be a Marine. “Then what the hell was it like because it sure looks like it from my end.”
“The man caught them by surprise,” Ace explained, trying not to grit his teeth. He glared at one of the people staring openly at him, the man quick to look away. “I don't know what they told you, but I took care of most of it up until they triggered their trap.”
Garp snorted. “Their trap? You mean their ruse of having someone pretend to be in need of help? The ruse you walked straight into?”
It may be true but he didn't need to say it like that. “She looked like she was in danger,” Ace retorted hotly. “And the men sure made it seem that way. I didn't know it was a set-up. But before that happened I was dealing with them just fine. If it wasn't for her I could have taken them out.”
“So you got bested by a woman.” Disdain dripped from Garp's words, like it was something that disgusted him to hear. Ace just rolled his eyes, not wanting to get into a debate with the man. He was just like Pokorni and Archer in some regards.
“She had a gun with seastone bullets.” Since Ace had thrown the clip away, no one could prove there weren't seastone bullets in there. And while he really didn't think she had any, he was going to lean into her statement that she did and go with it. “And those guys could use armament haki.”
“So?”
Well it wasn't like Ace expected the man to back down but still. He'd been a little outmaneuvered and he thought maybe he'd get some slack for that. Apparently not. He wasn't sure why he was surprised.
“I could have dealt with it just fine if no one had shown up,” Ace grumbled. “I was just about to when that person appeared and kicked them away.”
“‘Kicked them away?’” Interest suddenly sparked in Garp's tone and it made him pause. He'd said the same thing in his report he was pretty sure so he wasn't sure why he suddenly sounded interested. Maybe he hadn't read all of it. He probably hadn't.
“Yes, kicked them away. At least, I think he did.” Ace knew Marco had. He may not have seen it but considering he'd seen the aftermath of three other people he'd kicked, it wasn't hard to assume.
The transponder's eyes narrowed slightly and Ace could feel a drop of sweat running down his hairline. There was no way he could see through Ace's lie and know who had helped him. There was just no fucking way. No one else had guessed and it was impossible that he-
“I heard you also got helped out before. By a pirate.” Dammit. At least he hadn't put the two instances together yet. Yet. He sounded like he was getting awfully close to it though.
Regardless, Ace nodded, doing his best to keep from grimacing. If he ever saw Marco again he was kicking his fucking ass for all the trouble he was causing him. He didn't care if the man was a dangerous pirate or a deadly enemy, he was going to find a way to fucking do it even if it killed both of them.
“Tell me about that.”
Did he have to?
The low growl of his name said that yes, he did, but it didn't mean Ace was happy about it.
Picking the transponder up, Ace walked off, glowering at the man who tried to tell him he couldn't. He knew Garp already knew the whole truth about that whole mess since he was a Vice Admiral and Sengoku seemed to like him for some fucking reason. But since it was still technically a secret, Ace wasn't going to talk about it in the open like that.
Ace ended up in a broom closet, lighting one of his fingers on fire as he over turned a bucket to sit on. It wasn't the greatest of places but at least he could be sure no one was listening to his every word.
Quietly so as to not attract attention to himself, Ace begrudgingly told Garp about what had happened those few months ago, keeping his story as short as he could without making the man mad by 'withholding information'. It was pretty much the same summary he'd given Pokorni of the events and, just like then, he kept the details of his conversation with Marco to himself. The only thing they needed to know was that he had told Ace he'd been there anyway which was why he helped. They didn't need to know about the rest of that talk.
“So you almost got your ass beat again-” he didn't need to keep saying that, “-and had to get helped out by a pirate. Twice.”
“Hey, I took out three of those pirates! And if Archer hadn't been a useless piece of shit we probably could have taken them all out.”
Garp snorted so hard he choked on something, his coughing fit so loud over the transponder that Ace buried the speaker against his stomach to try and muffle the sound.
“Isn't he your commanding officer?” Garp finally managed to ask, voice still a little rough and with a few more coughs interrupting his words. “And your new partner?”
“It doesn't erase the fact that he's useless,” Ace muttered, re-balancing the transponder on his knee. “All he does is yell and find the most arbitrary of reasons to punish us. Well, me mostly.”
The eyes on the transponder narrowed. “You?”
“I don't think he likes me very much.” Ace knew he didn't. He wasn't sure why he was giving him the benefit of the doubt. “Hasn't since I landed in his squadron. But since I got promoted and now he's forced to work with me it's gotten worse. Even Pokorni told him to chill out.”
“Has he now?” Garp said under his breath, something dark lingering under his words. “Did he say why?”
If he had it sure wasn't to Ace. Though he had a few speculations. “Not really. It's usually generic things like I'm useless and what not. Sometimes complaints about work ethic, past insubordination, that thing with the devil fruit. Sometimes he also makes up rules just to get someone in trouble.”
A low hum rumbled over the line. “I've heard about your infractions, but none of them have been that bad. Sure you would have gotten a smack from me for some of the back talk you've done but its hardly worth anything. Certainly not worth hating someone over.”
Well he should tell that to Archer. Actually, he shouldn't. Because if he did then all Archer was going to do was take it out on Ace. And if he was right and whatever his issue with Ace was was about Garp, then it would probably just get worse. He'd prefer it to not do that.
“I don't think I've ever heard of this Archer,” Garp continued. “But let me do some digging and-”
“It's fine,” Ace hurriedly interrupted. “I mean, you're the one that said a little pain and punishment is what makes a great Marine. Something about building character and what not.” If that was all it took Ace's character was going to be fucking massive by the end of this—if he made it through without either killing Archer or himself.
“I said hard work makes great men,” Garp corrected with that same narrowed eyed gaze. It was basically the same thing so who cared. “Things like long days of practice and taking your punishments like a man when deserved. Being someone's personal punching bag isn't part of that.”
Well it should be. It sure was doing something to Ace. He just wasn't sure what.
“I'll talk to him-”
“It's fine. I can handle it.”
“Just because he ranks above you doesn't mean he can treat his subordinates like they're dogs.”
While Ace wholeheartedly agreed with that, he still didn't want Garp to speak to him. Archer had threatened him with some pretty creative punishments and he really didn't want to know how many of them he would follow through on.
“How's Luffy?” Ace chose to ask instead, hoping to distract the man. He hadn't seen or heard from his brother since his seventeenth birthday when he'd left and the only thing he had heard about him had been from six months ago when Garp had last called and all he'd said was 'fine'. Maybe he'd say a little more.
“He's fine.” Maybe not. “Still as big of a brat as ever. Fancies himself as some kind of pirate. Goddamn idiot kid is going to be the death of me someday. It's probably a good thing I'm already gray or I'd have gone that way with him around.”
Ace had to bite back a laugh. He knew he'd been tough to raise—well, it wasn't like the man really raised them but whatever—but he knew Luffy was a fucking handful in more ways than one. He wondered if Dadan had gone gray yet because of him.
The transponder shook its head a bit as a mimic of what Garp was doing. “Don't worry about him,” he continued. “He's got Dadan to keep him in line and I'll get that kid to be a Marine yet. Hell maybe if you do good I can even get him assigned to your ship.”
Like that would ever happen. For one, if Archer so much as dared to breathe on his younger brother he'd kill him flat out without any remorse or hesitation. Two, there was no way in hell Luffy would ever agree to be a Marine. He had wanted to be a pirate—well, he had wanted to be the King of the Pirates—since the day Ace had met him and he had never wavered from that path. Ace was sure even if Garp tried to drag him kicking and screaming Luffy would still find a way to make his escape to pursue his dream.
God he missed his little brother.
“I've got to go,” Ace said, wiping harshly at the wetness he could feel starting to gather on his eyelashes. “I was doing paperwork when you called and I need to get back to it.”
A tsk sounded over the line but Garp didn't protest.
“You know exactly who helped you on that last island, don't you?” he asked just as Ace went to hang up, making him freeze. “The drunk Marine line is funny, but, let's be real, impossible. And since I doubt any passerby would take them on when they had a Marine cornered, your list gets narrowed down considerably.”
“I don't know what you're talking about,” Ace said, his words surprisingly even considering how clammy his hands had suddenly gotten and how fast his heart had started to beat.
“Sure you don't.” A heavy sigh filtered over the line. “He's dangerous, Ace. It sounds like he might have been nice to you, but that man is one of the most dangerous pirates alive today. And while you might think it's coincidence that he's found and helped you twice now, I don't believe it is.”
Ace swallowed hard but didn't say anything, his free hand clutching at his shorts.
“His captain is a well-informed man and he likes to keep an eye on every new upstart pirate or interesting Marine.”
Marco's joking invitation to say hello to his captain rang through Ace's ears, his teasing follow-up about saying he'd tell Pops Ace had said hi. He thought the man was just doing it because it pissed him off, but Garp was making it sound like it was because the man was interested in him. Though why in the hell he'd be interested in some low level Marine was beyond him. Hell he'd barely done anything interesting since he joined.
“And he's been around a long time,” Garp continued, voice dropping to speak quietly. “He's known a lot of people—especially those from the old days. He might know who you are.”
The transponder shook in Ace's hand as he clutched onto it, afraid of dropping it.
“Avoid them at all possible costs. You should be doing that anyway since both of them could grind your skull to dust, but you shouldn't even be talking to them no matter how innocuous it might seem. I don't know what game they're playing, but this is only the beginning. Stay the hell away from them.”
It wasn't like Ace was trying to do just that or anything. He wasn't the one seeking Marco out. Marco was....well, he had said it had been a coincidence that they'd wound up on the same island together twice, but according to Garp, he was the one seeking Ace out. Which sent an odd shiver down his spine—and not a good one.
It was one thing to keep bumping into someone, but it was another thing entirely to find out that was only happening because they were probably stalking you. And sure maybe Ace should have been a little suspicious considering it was a big ocean and they'd run into each other only two months before, but only twice hadn't seemed that odd. He was sure he'd seen the same people twice before and just hadn't noticed. He probably would have started to find it odd if they had bumped into each other a third time.
“Do you hear me?” Garp demanded when Ace stayed silent.
“Yes.” Ace's voice was quiet, barely a whisper.
Why did everything in his life have to come back to who his parents were? To who his father was? It was because of that fucking man he was here in the first place and now he was catching the wrong kind of attention from the wrong kind of people because of it. Every bad thing in his life could be traced back to that asshole and it seemed the pattern continued, continued to ensnare him in the man's web. Even dead for almost twenty years and Ace still couldn't escape him.
“Good. Turn around and walk away if you ever see him again. It'll be better for you in the long run.”
“Yes.”
The transponder gave a small nod and then Garp hung up, the call cutting out to a faint staticky noise before falling silent. A silence that seemed oppressive in the tiny room.
Blowing out a breath, Ace forced himself back up to his feet, replacing the microphone as he did. He took another few deep breaths to try and calm his nerves before he left the closet, trying to appear as normal as possible.
Unfortunately for him, the second he opened the door he came face-to-face with Archer and he burst into flames in surprise, his fire spreading out hotly and starting to catch on the door frame. Ace was quick to douse it when he realized who it was, but he couldn't undo the damage, couldn't make the soot and burned edges disappear.
Narrowed blue eyes glowered at him, the gaze slowly sliding away to the probably ruined door frame. “I knew there was something wrong with you but I didn't ever expect to literally find you in the closet,” Archer finally said as his eyes re-found Ace's.
Ace didn't have a response to that. Mostly because he was still trying to calm his thundering heart and his racing mind that wanted to know what the man could have overheard. He had no idea how long he'd been standing there and sure the closed room would have muffled the words but if he'd had his ear to it it was possible he could have heard something incriminating. Something about who Ace really was.
“Nothing to say? Should I check and see if you've got someone else hiding in there?”
“Huh?” The sound left before Ace could stop it. Not that he cared much since he had no idea what Archer was talking about. He was still a little distracted by the man's sudden appearance.
The man snorted before the transponder was wrenched from his hands, Archer's gaze sliding over it. “I heard you got a call,” he said, turning the snail around to see its face. “They said it was from Garp. And that he asked about what happened on Les and then you suddenly vanished.”
Forcing his shoulders to untense, Ace shrugged. “He knew about what happened and just wanted the first hand account,” he explained. “I figured I should go somewhere nobody would overhear us. Since, you know, there's some secrecy to it.”
Archer glared sharply at him, those raking eyes seeming to be calculating something as they stared at him. “You were supposed to be working.”
“And then I got a call from a Vice Admiral. I feel that that kind of trumps doing paperwork.”
“Family calls aren't important.”
“He wasn't calling as a grandfather.”
“Oh? So calls up random Marines to scream at them about their incompetence, does he?”
He probably would. Ace wouldn't put it past him.
“If it was that important he should have called Pokorni and not the ship's line,” Archer added. “But since he didn't then it wasn't which means you abandoned your duties.”
Ace had to bite his tongue to keep from snapping anything back at the man. He was already on thin ice with what had happened at that last island only days ago and he knew Archer was just looking for a reason to punish him. He didn't need to give the man anymore fuel.
Archer crossed his arms when Ace remained silent, that heavy gaze trying to bore into him. “Nothing to say to that, huh? So you admit to abandoning your post.”
Ace did no such thing. Not replying didn't mean he was admitting anything.
Clicking his tongue, Archer turned away slightly, as if he was looking up and down the hallway. “You're lucky Pokorni likes you even though, in my opinion, you aren’t worth the hassle,” he said as he turned back to Ace again, taking a step forward and crowding him back into the closet. Flames threatened to come to life on Ace's skin, the instinct so strong he had to dig his nails into his own palms to stop it. “Because if he didn't, you'd be on a one-way trip to Impel Down right now.”
At least this was a threat Ace had heard before. He was afraid the man was going to say-
“You should have picked a better place to hide,” he continued and now he was taking up the entire doorway, completely blocking the only exit to the room and trapping Ace in the small room. “These walls aren't exactly soundproof you know.”
Tiny flames flickered in Ace's hair, Archer's eyes falling to it in amusement. “I thought you knew more than you were letting on. I thought maybe it was because you were embarrassed or something, but now I know it was because you were protecting him.”
Him? Who the hell did Archer think he was protecting?
“So how long have you been a spy, huh? How long have you been reporting to the Whitebeards?”
The—oh for fuck's sake. This again? Seriously?
Ace leveled the man with an unimpressed look, killing the flames in his hair. “Considering I've never met the man, not at all.”
“Perhaps, perhaps not. But you've met his right-hand. Twice now, according to Garp.”
He was going to fry Garp the next time he saw him in person. Sure the man might have figured out who had helped him again, but that didn't mean he needed to bring it up. Though if Archer heard that part, had he heard the rest of it? Because that had been Garp's lead-in to the possibility that Whitebeard and Marco knew who he was and while Garp hadn't said that man's name, the implication had been heavy.
“Garp was just fishing for information I didn't have,” Ace responded, forcing himself to hold Archer's gaze when it zeroed in on him. “I don't know who helped me but he thought I did and so he was just being his usual self.”
“He seemed to think otherwise. He seemed to think there was a reason that pirate keeps seeking you out.”
“He seems to think a lot of things. Most of them aren't true.”
“Or perhaps they are but you don't want to admit to them.”
Archer's head tilted slightly, those piercing eyes continuing to stare at Ace. The gaze was starting to make him uncomfortable—or more uncomfortable, he should say. He was already pretty uncomfortable being trapped in this tiny closet with his exit blocked by that asshole but the way he was staring at him was starting to make his skin crawl.
“Garp's son is a revolutionary.” He was? Huh. It would explain why Garp never talked about him. Though what did he have to do with- “And I bet that's why you changed your last name. Well, that or so you weren't associated with the Vice Admiral. Regardless, I bet you didn't want people to know you were related to either of them.”
Yeah, Ace was still lost. He had thought that maybe Archer had figured out who his father was but now he was talking about Garp and his son and Ace had no idea what was going on anymore. Especially since it apparently also tied in to Marco and that was a connection he really wasn't seeing right now.
“He thinks they know who you are and that's why they're after you,” Archer continued and ohhh, he thinks that Ace is Garp's son's son, the son of a revolutionary. “And you know what, he's probably right. Though I'm not sure why they would want anything to do with you. If they wanted to hurt either man just killing you would be enough—well, it would be if it was anyone else. I bet they wouldn't care too much if you died.”
Ouch. Though he wasn't wrong that Garp's son wouldn't care since he had no fucking idea who Ace was. He just hoped that Garp at least would be a little upset about it.
A tiny smile curled Archer's lips upwards, the shadows making it look more like a snarl. “Or maybe they're planning on kidnapping you and torturing some secrets out of you. I bet you'd break like a twig under the first hint of pressure.”
That was a mental image Ace didn't need to imagine. Marco hadn't been aggressive to him yet but that didn't mean he wouldn't be in the future. Something Ace really didn't want to happen. Because the man was a dangerous criminal and surely had some good ideas of how to make something hurt. It had nothing to do with the fact that he had been nicer to Ace than most people ever had been before.
“I think you're both wrong,” Ace finally said, swallowing around his dry mouth. “It's just a coincidence that we ran into that pirate on Les. And like I've said, I have no idea who helped me on that other island. Both you and Garp are just twisting things to try and fit them into your version of reality.”
“Oh, did I scare you?” Archer asked almost teasingly, though there was something too dark in his words to be truly teasing. “I bet I did. I'm sure you know all about what pirates like to do to pretty....people like you. But don't worry about that,” he added with a click of his tongue. “I'll help you make sure you can withstand their pressure. At least long enough so that they finally kill you instead.”
That.....what the fuck was happening? Archer thought he knew who's son he was and that was why Marco had shown up. He also seemed to know he'd shown up again but Ace was going to stubbornly refuse to admit to that part. But the rest.....sure he could imagine them trying to get information out of him but that was something a lot of pirates tried to do, it wasn't like it was unique to any crew or anything.
Ace also very much did not want any of the man's help. He had no idea what exactly he was offering but it sounded like he wanted to help him build his pain tolerance and considering the threats he'd come up with lately, that was something Ace definitely didn't want. He had a high enough pain tolerance as it was. He wouldn't snap just because someone started hurting him. Hell he'd bet he could last longer than Archer could under torture.
Steps echoed faintly from down the hallway and Archer finally stepped backwards and out of the doorway. He glanced at the charred door frame one last time before turning away. “I expect you to clean this mess up and cover the cost of repairs out of your own pocket,” he said over his shoulder. “And I expect that paperwork done by lunch or we'll have to get a jump start on that help.”
Closing his eyes, Ace blew a breath out through his nose, listening as Archer walked away. He was going to burn the man if he tried to touch him, being kicked out and his secret be damned. Ace didn't need any of his fucking help for anything and he certainly didn't want any of it. Besides, he was pretty sure Archer was wrong. Well, he knew he was wrong since he'd come to the wrong conclusion anyway but that wasn't the point. Ace was sure Marco hadn't been stopping around just to kidnap him at some point. If he had wanted to do that he would have done it back on Les when Ace was alone and Archer was unconscious. He wouldn't have let him go.
He also didn't think Garp was exactly right either. Sure Marco's captain knew the pirates from the old days and okay maybe he liked to know what was going on with both pirates and Marines, but that didn't mean he knew who Ace was. He hadn't done anything note worthy since joining and even what happened at Les was barely a footnote. Hell it wasn't even mentioned in the main newspapers. The man probably didn't know his name much less who he was. He was sure it was just coincidence that Marco had found him back on that last island. Sure the ocean was big and the islands that filled it numerous, but that didn't mean anything. Life was weird sometimes and that was all it probably was.
At least, he hoped that was all it was.
Chapter Text
Ace might have had a little too much to drink. Sure he could pretty much instantly sober up by turning to flame, but he didn't want to since he was enjoying the faint buzz. Also, he didn't want to burn anything. He was pretty sure the bar owners wouldn't be happy if he burst into flame and left a partial image of himself scorched into the wooden bar top or into the bar stool he was sat in. He also didn't want to have to pay to replace those things. He already had to pay way too much to replace the things he burned on his ship.
In Ace's defense though—of drinking too much, not of accidentally burning things since that one he really didn't have a defense for—the barkeep was a cute blonde and he smiled at Ace every time he served him and he kept stopping by to talk to him whenever he had a minute and Ace was pretty sure he’d undone the top few buttons of his collar since he had sat down. He was probably only a few years older than Ace was, had a nice body with some nice muscle structures, and a cute butt. And if buying drinks let him stay a little longer to talk to him, well, who cared. It wasn't like Ace was the one in charge of watching his squadron tonight.
“So,” the barkeep said as he stopped in front of Ace again, pretending to clean the bar, “those guys keep calling you Chief Officer? Are you their boss?”
Taking a drink, Ace shrugged. “Technically no, but I do rank above them so if our CO is gone I'm in charge.”
“CO?” the man questioned, leaning on the bar top now as he blinked up at Ace. He might have been a little lost on what Ace meant but that blink looked more flirty than anything else.
“Commanding officer,” Ace explained, leaning forward slightly too. In a stage whisper he added, “Though we usually just call him an asshole.”
The man laughed, his head tilting slightly as he regarded Ace. He had a nice smile. And a nice laugh. “It still must be nice to be somewhat in charge, though,” the man said. “I mean, I'm near the bottom of the rung around here which means I don't get a say in anything. It'd be nice to have someone actually listen to me when I suggested things.”
“Being the second-in-command doesn't mean I'm listened to.”
“Oh?”
“Like I said, our CO is an asshole. And he really doesn't like me.”
“Why not?”
Ace shrugged. “No idea.”
He wasn't going to get into all of that with a stranger. Hell he didn't even get into it with the two people on the ship that he could consider a friend.
“Well I like you.” Eyes looked Ace over and he shivered slightly beneath that gaze, biting at his bottom lip. He knew he might be a bit easy but come on. The man was hot and that look made sure Ace knew he wasn't just taking in a friendly way. And Ace was bored and it had been awhile and it wasn't like he was in charge of anything tonight. He could have a bit of fun.
Before Ace could respond someone from down the bar was calling the barkeep and, with an apologetic smile, he turned and left. Which, unfortunately, was pretty much how it had been going all night. Anytime they got to anything that might be able to be considered flirting someone wanted a drink and the man had to go and do his job. If Ace were more bold he'd ask the man when he was off and aak if he wanted to get a drink together after that. Unfortunately, he wasn't. Well, he was bold, just not in matters such as this. He usually just got tongue-tied and started tripping his words up until he looked like an idiot. It went better when he could just smile and nod and let someone else ask first. It also made him look less desperate.
Taking another long drink, Ace cast a look back into the bar, scanning the crowd for any sign of his crewmates. About half of the squadron had come to this bar with him but it looked like most of them—if not all—had found something better to do. Well, that or they had just gone back to the ship to sleep or play cards. Sure a lot of people thought of sailors as partiers, but in Ace's squadron midnight was considered late and most preferred to be in bed by ten. They might get a lot of flack for it from other squadrons who would party until dawn, but honestly, who cared. As long as they were having fun and not getting hurt Ace didn't really care what they did. It was their lives, not anyone elses.
“So is Chief Officer short for Master Chief Petty Officer or Chief Petty Officer?” someone asked from Ace's side and he damn near jumped out of his bar stool, not having heard anyone approach. As it was he spilled some of his drink on his hand and the bar top and a few flames sprouted from his shoulders.
With a glower already fixed on his face, Ace turned to the side, ready to start ripping into whoever it was that had decided to give him a heart attack. He was here to relax, not get the shit scared out of him and certainly not to get covered in alcohol. The words, however, died on his tongue as Ace suddenly found himself face-to-face with a certain blonde bastard that had to be fucking stalking him because god fucking dammit this was the third fucking time and that was one time too many to be a fucking coincidence.
“You!” Ace hissed, setting his drink down carefully to avoid spilling any more of it. He glared at the man as he made himself comfortable on the bar stool next to him, his hackles starting to rise. They were in the middle of a public bar and Ace's squadron was right there and Archer might still be here and if he saw this-
“Me, yoi,” Marco replied, looking much too amused with himself. “So is this a new thing or-”
“Why the fuck are you here?” Ace interrupted, fingers tightening his grip on the edge of the bar. He might want to sober up for this. He didn't know what the bastard wanted but he could still remember Garp's warning and if Archer or his squadron was here he was going to have to do something to not make it look like he was sitting here just chatting with him. He was on thin enough ice as it was and if Archer saw this he was going to do his damnedest to make good on this threat of throwing him in prison.
Marco shrugged as he waved the barkeep down, ordering two of something. Ace wasn't really paying attention nor did he particularly care. Instead he was regretfully burning away the alcohol in his blood, near instantly sobering up with a slight wave of nausea at the sudden change. He also cast another quick look around the bar, hurriedly trying to find any of his crewmates. There had been at least a few when he'd last looked—well, two times ago when he’d looked—and that hadn't been too long ago so someone was probably still here and-
A drink slid Ace's way and he turned back to the bar in confusion. He glanced up at the barkeep who shrugged and pointed at Marco who was already taking a drink from his own mug. Ace glanced down at it with a frown before sliding it towards Marco. He didn't want a fucking drink from him.
“So-” the barkeep began, that same flirty smile back as he unnecessarily slowly wiped up the mess Ace had made. Well, the mess Marco had made Ace make. He refused to take any blame for the spilled alcohol.
“Don't like sake?” Marco interrupted, his body turned slightly so that he could look at Ace. “I can get you something else.”
“I don't want a fucking drink,” Ace growled at him, putting a hand out to stop the drink from being slid back to him by Marco. “I want to know why the fuck you're here.”
Marco shrugged as if to say your loss before downing the rest of his drink in one go. He slid the empty mug to the barkeep that was still standing there before he moved Ace's mug closer, fingers playing with the handle. “I was bored and thirsty so I thought I'd stop here for a bit.”
Yeah, sure. Ace didn't believe a fucking word of that.
“My crew-” Ace began, only to get interrupted by Marco. He seemed to like to do that.
“They left a bit ago.”
“Huh?”
Nodding towards the door, Marco took another drink, a small line of alcohol trailing from the corner of his lip and down his jaw to his neck. Ace subconsciously licked his lips. “They left a bit ago, yoi,” Marco repeated, setting the drink down and wiping the distracting trail away. “I, uh, I've actually been here for about half an hour.”
Ace blinked, still a little distracted. “What?”
“Yeah.” He scratched the back of his neck, looking almost....embarrassed? Maybe Ace was still a little drunk. “I was gonna go somewhere else but I know this place has good drinks so I figured I would just wait the Marines out. And then all of them left but you-”
“And you decided to come harass me.” Ace still didn't believe him. The first two times, sure, he could believe those were coincidences. But this was the third fucking time and that couldn't be a coincidence. He had to be stalking him or something.
“Pretty much, yeah. Though I don't think this counts as harassment.”
Of course he didn't.
“So,” Marco continued, leaning a bit closer to Ace, “the Chief thing. What rank are you?”
“I don't see why you care,” Ace snapped back with a glower, picking up the drink he'd partially dumped and draining it. He set it down to find the barkeep still hovering in front of them, eyes darting between Marco and Ace like he wasn't sure what to think. Thankfully someone called from down the bar and, with one last odd look at Ace, he was gone. So too was Ace's chance most likely. Damn. He'd wanted to get laid. It was hard enough to find a guy into, well, guys in the first place and it was even harder to find one that he was into. And here he had found both only to have it ruined by the blonde asshole at his side. Fucker.
“I don't,” Marco said with a shrug. “I'm just curious.”
Curious his ass. Ace didn't know what the man wanted but he was sure it was something. It had to be why he was here, right? He said he'd been here for half an hour already waiting for them to leave and he could have either waited Ace out or just sat somewhere else and he probably would have been none the wiser. But instead he had decided to come sit right next to him and guarantee that Ace noticed him and now he was trying to have a conversation with him. There had to be something he was after to do all that.
“Chief Petty Officer,” Ace found himself answering regardless of his thoughts—though he near instantly bit his tongue. He hadn't meant to share that. He had meant to tell the man to fuck off. Dammit. He rubbed at his temples and pointedly refused to look to his side.
“And that annoying guy that was yelling at you on Les, I take it he outranks you?”
“Yeah.” Ace rolled his eyes, casting another look back at the rest of the bar to make sure there actually weren't any other Marines in it still. He didn't believe Marco that there weren't. Well, he might believe him now since he couldn't see any, but he wasn't going to just take his word for it. “He's, uh, an Ensign now. Got promoted for doing jack shit.”
“Oh?”
He really shouldn't be telling Marco anything considering it wasn't any of his business and he was, you know, a pirate, but god did Ace need someone to complain to about the man. His and Deuce's schedules rarely overlapped and they even more rarely had enough privacy for Ace to complain without worrying about who could overhear him. And while he knew most of his squadron hated the man too, he knew there was at least one person in it who had been telling Archer things they said about him when he wasn't around. The man already hated him with a passion, Ace didn't need to add to it by having loose lips. He was sure he'd delight in punishing Ace for it.
“He's a fucking asshole,” Ace said, turning slightly to face Marco. He grabbed the drink Marco had given him and then taken back, raising it to his lips and taking a long drink from it, nearly finishing it off. Marco let him with a small raise of his eyebrows and a tiny smirk. “He thinks he's the fucking greatest man alive even though he's just about worthless. And he loves to make my life a living hell. I thought when I got promoted one of us would get a new assignment and I could get away from him but instead they basically made me his bitch.”
Humming softly to show he was listening, one of Marco's hands moved in Ace's peripheral. Two more drinks were near instantly set in front of them and Ace finished his drink off, taking the one offered to him this time without complaint. He didn't even look for the cute barkeep, looking back at Marco and his open shirt instead.
Well, he was looking at Marco, not his open shirt. At least, not technically. His shirt was open and because of the way they were sitting Ace could see it was open but his eyes were on the man and not his chest. Even though they kept wanting to slide down to look at it. In his defense, he'd never been this close to it.
“I don't know what I did but he hasn't liked me since the moment I started,” Ace continued, pushing those distracting thoughts away. He was probably just a little pent up. Maybe still a little tipsy. “It's been over a year and I still don't know what his fucking problem is. But he will go out of his way to find ways to punish me even if it means making up rules or arbitrarily applying rules only to me and no one else!” The incident a few months ago where Ace was called out for not sleeping in a shirt despite almost half the squad having not done so came to mind. He was still kind of ticked off at that despite it being almost six months ago now.
“And they let him do that, yoi?” Marco asked, taking a sip from his own drink. When Ace grumpily nodded, an eyebrow rose. “And you let him do it too?”
Ace straightened up with a glare, his fingers itching to light the blonde on fire. Not that he thought it would actually do much. Not after he had watched his flames be practically absorbed by the man some three months ago or so. He still wanted to try again, though. Just to see if he could actually burn him a little.
“I didn't mean it like that,” Marco hurriedly assured him. “I just meant that you don't seem like the type to take shit from anyone. I mean, I think just about every time I've spoken to you you've yelled at me over nothing. I guess I thought you would do the same to other people.” Amusement sparkled in his eyes as he added, “Unless I'm special.”
“Fuck you.” Ace let out a groan and took another drink. “If I could I would but unfortunately I can't be kicked out of the Marines and thus I have to let him walk all fucking over me.”
A flash of interest went across Marco's face and Ace realized he needed to change the subject because otherwise he was going to be asked questions he couldn't answer and then he was just going to get pissy and since he was still trying to refrain from burning anything, it didn't sound like it was going to go good. Also, it wasn't any of Marco's business.
“Are you stalking me?” Ace asked a bit hurriedly. It was a pretty clumsy attempt at changing the subject but since Marco looked like he'd been getting ready to say something, Ace didn't really care. It had been the first thing he could think of—and a valid question in his opinion as well—and the less time the other man spent thinking about his previous statement, the better.
“Stalking you?” Marco's brows drew downwards slightly. “No?”
“You don't sound very confident about that answer.”
A tiny snort left the man, a finger wiping another stray drop of alcohol away from his lips. “I can confidently say I am not stalking you. Unless, you're stalking me.”
“Of course not!” Ace could feel his cheeks heating up and the desire to burn the man got even stronger, his fingers twitching with it. “But this is the third time you've shown up and I said that twice was a coincidence but three times is too many for that.”
“I didn't know you've been keeping track of how many times we've met. That's sweet.”
Ace spluttered, literal sparks flaring off his cheeks in his embarrassment. “Fuck you!” he hissed, doing his best to keep from shouting. And from bursting into flame. “I'm only doing it because it feels like I'm fucking being stalked.”
Marco just looked at him in amusement as he took another drink and Ace felt completely justified in snatching the drink out of his hands and draining it. Sure he still had his own sitting there but the man was a fucking bastard and thus, he deserved it.
Of course, Marco was too calm to react to that and instead he just looked towards the barkeep again. Ace followed his gaze to find that the man was now purposefully not looking at Ace, his eyes fixed on the bottle he was pouring from. He still didn't look at Ace when he gave Marco his drink and he hurried back off before Ace could even say anything.
Yeah he definitely lost his chance. Oh well. Maybe he could burn Marco alive instead.
“Things have been busy lately, yoi,” Marco offered, not that Ace had asked. He actually had kind of forgotten what they'd even been talking about already. Oops. “I don't usually leave the ship this much but there's so much happening all over the place that all of us have been taking more trips than usual.”
Ace just looked at him. He didn't ask him. He really didn't fucking care.
“There was a pirate crew that was bothering the locals here,” Marco continued. “I took care of it this morning but decided to stick around for a day to make sure all of them got the message. I'm sure they did but it never hurts to be sure.”
Yeah, Ace still hadn't asked. Though he did relax a little bit to hear that Marco was here for an actual reason. A verifiable reason. Because if that was the case then it actually was a coincidence that they both had been here at the same time and sure he might have been the one to decide to join Ace at the bar, but it wasn't like he had planned it. And if this was a coincidence then the last two islands probably were to. He was pretty sure he had said he was just passing through both times.
“So what brings you to this island?” Marco pressed when Ace still didn’t say anything. Apparently he wasn't getting out of this conversation. A conversation he hadn't even wanted to be involved in anyway. A conversation he kept participating in regardless.
“The Marines.”
Marco snorted. “No shit. I meant why are you guys here?”
Ace shrugged. “Cause Pokorni wanted to.”
“Rear Admiral Pokorni, yoi?”
“The one and only.”
Another hum left Marco as he took another drink. “Interesting guy from what I've heard.”
“He may not be as much of an ass as Archer is but he's also not a whole lot better.” Ace pushed his drink around on the bar top a bit. “He didn't actually say why we're here,” he added after a few seconds. “All he said was that we were coming here and we would spend a few days here. I'm guessing it's some kind of secret business or whatever that only the top few on our ship know about.”
“Maybe it was about the same group of pirates. Maybe they tried calling in the Marines first before asking us for help.”
Ace straightened up a bit. “Wait, the island asked for your help?”
“Of course.”
“Why?”
“Maybe because they knew we would help them.”
Mm, okay, he might have a point there. It was true that the wait times varied significantly when the Marines were called in to deal with things. Sometimes it could take as little as a few hours if there was an available ship nearby, but it could also take months if there wasn't and the problem wasn't deemed an emergency. Or if the island was small and not worth much commercially and thus no one really cared about it. That happened a lot too.
“We offer protection to quite a few islands,” Marco added when Ace didn't say anything. He seemed to think Ace's silence was an invitation to keep talking. Ace was pretty sure it wasn’t. “Most of them are ones that can't pay the protection fee to the World Government or ones that got ignored when they repeatedly asked for help. There's a few that just chose our help over the Marines and a few that I think just really like Pops. We also will help out islands if they ask even if they aren't technically under our protection. Usually they're islands that border our territory.”
Ace had never heard that before. He knew that the Emperors all had territories that they had claimed but he had kind of just assumed that the islands in those areas didn't have a choice about that fact. He figured it was like most islands where they were taken over by a pirate crew and never given any help by the Marines. He vaguely wondered if they still got charged a protection fee.
They lapsed into silence for a few minutes, Ace not responding and Marco finally not continuing to talk. Maybe he'd finally gotten the memo. Or maybe he was trying to patiently out stubborn Ace. If that was the case they were going to be here for awhile.
The bar top was sticky beneath Ace's fingers when he quietly drummed them against it. Either he'd spilled more alcohol or the barkeep hadn't gotten all of the mess he'd made earlier. Or maybe it had been sticky the whole time and Ace just hadn't noticed since he'd been distracted basically since he'd walked in.
Another minute passed and through the window behind Marco—the place he was very much trying not to look at since every time he did he just found the man quietly watching him—Ace could see just how dark the night had gotten. It had been evening when he'd gotten here with his crewmates but it didn't seem right for it to be past midnight at the latest. Maybe it had gotten cloudy or something.
Inside the bar loud music was still playing and more than a handful of people were shouting, all of them trying to be heard over the din of talking people. It was quieter up at the bar since most of the loudness was coming from the game tables along the back wall, but the sounds still reached them, more than a handful of creative curses Ace was definitely going to have to remember being faintly heard.
“You said this place had good drinks,” Ace finally said, caving into the silence. It wasn't like he wanted to talk to the man, but he wanted the silence to go away even more. He didn't like silence. “Which ones specifically? Because, no offense, but I haven't really tasted any that seem amazing.”
Even though he wasn't exactly looking at him, Ace could still see the small smile Marco tried to hide behind his own mug. “It's a specific combination, yoi,” he answered, his drink thumping softly as he set it down. “The owner of the place makes it and anytime we’re in the area we always stop here to have some. But it doesn't look like he's here tonight since I've never seen that barkeep before.”
Ace didn't bother glancing down towards where the other man was pouring another drink. “Well if that's the case why are you still here? Should've left once you realized you wouldn't get that drink.”
Marco just shrugged. “It's not like I need the drink.”
“Well then you definitely should have left.”
A small laugh left the man and Ace very much did not look his way. He didn't watch the way his head tilted back ever so slightly, his bared neck moving with the sound. He didn’t watch how his eyes scrunched up just a little as his smile grew. He didn't watch how he leaned a little closer to Ace, those blue eyes damn near sparkling with something Ace couldn’t make out beneath the amusement.
Ace wanted to bite him.
He might be a little drunk again.
“I can't get drunk,” Marco admitted, taking another drink as he straightened back up in his bar stool. “My devil fruit takes care of it as fast as I can drink it. The only way I can is if I have seastone and, no offense, I don't think it's worth it.”
Ace could agree to that. Sure he could still get drunk but he had to focus on keeping his devil fruit from acting up and burning the alcohol away. Something that got a lot harder to do the more drunk he got. Honestly, he wasn't sure he'd really been anything but tipsy.
“I've got seastone handcuffs,” Ace offered, mentally making sure they were still in his pocket. Sure he couldn't exactly touch them easily since he'd also lose his devil fruit, but he still had them just in case. It wasn't like he wanted to help Marco or anything but if he really wanted to get drunk-
“Kinky, yoi.”
It took Ace a second to one, realize what the man had said and two, realize why he had said it. Almost immediately his cheeks began to burn red and he knew they were either flaming or close to it by the way Marco laughed. Or maybe he was laughing at him in general. Who knew anymore.
“Shut up!” Ace growled. He tried to glare at the man but he knew it wasn't even close to effective since he was sure he was beat red, slightly flaming, and he knew he looked absolutely mortified. “I didn't mean it like that!”
“Oh? And how did you mean it?” Marco teased and he was now very close to Ace, leaning even more towards him with a hand on the bar top near Ace's hand to balance himself. He looked like he was enjoying Ace's embarrassment way too much, something swimming in those blue eyes that looked like he had a few more jokes to make.
“It was an offer to help! So that you- so that you could get drunk.” Ace hurriedly finished off his drink, trying to use the few seconds of distraction to calm his burning face. There were a few drawbacks to being a fire logia and right now the biggest one was definitely the fact that he had a tendency to burst into flame when embarrassed. Something he was trying to keep from doing right now.
Marco just smiled as he finally leaned away, snagging Ace's mug when he set it down before sliding both of theirs to the inside edge of the bar. “How kind of you.”
Ace fucking hated him.
“I will chain you up in them and arrest you,” Ace threatened. Sure it still wasn't the brightest idea to do so but it wasn't like Marco had done anything to him yet for it. He was sure he wouldn't do anything tonight either.
His smile turned into a smirk and yup, he was definitely way too amused with all of this. At least he didn't seem to be taking Ace's threat seriously. Which did make him a little mad because he could easily follow through on that threat since he literally had the seastone cuffs with him in his pocket and Marco sure seemed to have his guard down around him which meant he could probably get them on him before he even realized what was happening. Maybe he should do just that and see how funny the man thought it was then.
“Do you want another drink?” Marco asked instead of replying, though he still had that insufferable look on his face, the one Ace wanted to burn off. One of these days he was going to snap and actually do so.
“No.”
“You sure? I'm paying.”
How kind of him. “No.”
Marco shrugged before flagging the barkeep down, already sliding over a pouch of berry before the man even gave him his total. “I'm paying for his drinks too, yoi,” Marco added before the man left, a thumb pointing at Ace. Ace glowered at it and considered biting it. It was nearly in his face. The man was just fucking asking for it at this point and Ace really fucking wanted to.
The barkeep looked at them with raised eyebrows but told Marco the total with Ace's drinks added on nonetheless, accepting the rest of the berry without blinking.
He continued to stand there for another minute and he was finally looking at Ace again, his lips pressed into the tiniest of frowns. “You know,” he finally said, stepping a little closer so that he was in front of Ace instead of both of them, “I'm off here soon.” He followed his words with a suggestive wink, almost batting his eyelashes at him.
It was what Ace had been waiting for all night.
But now, he wasn't interested. Well, he was still feeling a little pent up but he was no longer interested in actually doing anything about it. He would much rather get a chance to burn Marco for being a bastard and he couldn't do that if he went off with the man instead. Even if he was pretty attractive. And had an okay body and a decent laugh.
So instead Ace turned him down, shrugging slightly as he said something about having to get up early in the morning. It was a complete lie and he knew the barkeep knew it but the man didn't press, just frowning even more deeply at him before picking up the empty mugs and walking away.
“Not your type?” Marco asked after a minute, watching Ace almost curiously.
Ace refused to dignify that with an answer. Instead he squinted out the windows again, trying to judge the time. It still didn't feel like it should be super late but if the man had said he was getting off soon, then it must be even later than he thought.
“Bar closes in thirty minutes,” someone said over a speaker and oh, it was late. Ace may not know exactly how late but he was sure it was almost two or three in the morning. Which still didn't seem possible. Surely it had only been half an hour at most since Marco had sat down.
“I should get going,” Ace said instead, starting to stand up. He swayed slightly and huh he didn’t think he’d drank that much but maybe he did. “Knowing Archer he'll wake me up at dawn for no fucking reason and I need to get some sleep before then.”
“That's your asshole boss, right?” Marco stood up as well, though he suddenly was frowning a bit, starting to look a little concerned. Maybe there was something happening over Ace's shoulder. He was too tired to care and look. Actually, he was really fucking tired which was weird because he hadn't been just a few minutes ago and maybe it was just suddenly catching up but-
The room started to sway and oh. Goddammit. Ace knew his horrid sleep schedule messed with his condition but of all the times it could decide to act up, it had to be now. Not that he really had much time to be mad about it, not when his eyes were shutting before he could really think and his mind was rapidly fading.
Ace was asleep before he even fully fell forward, already dead to the world before he went down face-first into the bar and crumpled to the floor.
Notes:
I kept forgetting what rank I gave lPokorni 🤦♀️ i think I got them all fixed now to say Rear Admiral like it was supposed to
Chapter Text
Ace woke up tired and with a headache. It wasn't anything super new since he often didn't get enough sleep, but it was still annoying. Especially because this headache almost felt worse than they usually did. He must be really tired.
With a groan Ace forced his eyes open, almost instantly narrowing them against the light of a lantern lit somewhere nearby. Hmm. He was still staring at the ceiling but that sure didn't look like the ceiling above his bunk. For one, it was awfully far away and his wasn't—he'd hit his head on it enough times to know for sure. And two, this ceiling wasn't made of wood but rather something that looked like stone or plaster.
Something moved nearby and suddenly the mattress Ace was on dipped and oh this definitely wasn't his mattress because it was a lot more comfortable than his was and it was bigger. Big enough someone could sit on the edge of it and still not touch him. Also, Ace's mattress was on the top bunk so unless someone had floated on up, this was not his bed. Which meant this wasn't his room. Which meant Ace had no fucking idea where he was.
The room swayed a bit when Ace sat up with a jolt after that last realization. It made his head hurt worse but that wasn't important because he didn't know where he was and there was someone next to him and the last thing he remembered was being at a bar but he clearly wasn't now so-
“Hey, take it easy, yoi,” the person next to him said, a hand reaching out to hold onto his shoulder to steady him.
Goddammit. He knew that fucking voice.
Ace turned his head, his eyes already narrowed into a glare, to find Marco perched on the edge of the bed with one hand on his shoulder. He ignored the look Ace was giving him—and the tiny flames that were suddenly beneath his hand—to frown at him, eyes darting across his face like he was looking for something.
“Where the fuck am I?” Ace asked, deciding that that was the most important thing for him to find out. Sure he wanted to know why he was here and why the fuck Marco was here, but the where was what he needed to know first. It might even answer one of his other silent questions. Or another one that he hadn't thought of yet.
“My hotel room,” Marco said, still frowning. He finally released Ace's shoulder to cross his arms, those blue eyes still watching him. Was there something on his fucking face? He didn’t care, he would like him to stop doing that regardless. It was making him feel odd.
Wait—why the fuck was Ace in his hotel room?
He knew he had been at a bar and now that he was thinking about it he did remember that Marco had also been there. And he knew they had been drinking together. Or at least, Marco had been buying drinks for the two of them. But that was about where Ace's memory ended and he couldn't for the life of him remember anything else until he woke up like a minute ago.
Though Ace wasn't just in Marco's hotel room, because he was also in his bed in said hotel room and oh for the love of god if he slept with him-
“How's your head? You hit it really hard.” Marco's voice interrupted Ace's silent freak out and he looked back at his face from where his gaze had trailed to his…..chest. Mm, it was still a nice chest. Mentally shaking his head, he cast a quick look over the man. He didn't look any different than what he could remember of him from earlier and Ace could tell his own clothes were still on so- “Ace?”
Ace blinked at him. “Huh?”
Marco's eyes narrowed slightly, his forehead creasing even more. “Your head, how is it?”
His head? It hurt but he wasn't sure why that mattered. “Fine.”
An eyebrow rose at him in disbelief. “The knot on it says differently.”
The knot?
Lifting one hand up, Ace ran it across his forehead, wincing as it came in contact with his forehead and huh, there actually was a bump there. That was new. He would have noticed if it had been there earlier.
“Do you remember what happened?” Marco pressed when Ace lowered his hand back to the bed. He grimaced when Ace shook his head, a hand running down his face. “You passed out.” Passed out? Ace didn't pass out. He must have- “And you fell face-first into the bar and then onto the floor.”
Ah. That would explain the bump. Though Ace would maintain that he didn't pass out. He probably just had a narcolepsy attack or something. Though if he passed out at the bar why the fuck was he-
“I couldn't wake you up, yoi,” Marco added, his grimace now turning back into a sharp frown. “It's been something like two hours now I think since then and this is the first time you've woken up. That's a long time to be unconscious for after a head injury and you need to be assessed to see how bad the injury to your brain is.”
Meh. He was fine. Sure his head hurt and sure there was a bump, but it would go away before long. If he could get knocked on the head repeatedly by Garp as a child and walk away fine he could hit his head on a bar and be just fine. Actually, the bar probably hurt less than Garp's fists did. He would bet it also hurt less than any of Luffy's fists.
“Ace?”
Groaning quietly Ace looked back up at him, his gaze having strayed again. At least this time it was an arm and not a chest he was staring at. “What?” Could Marco quit talking to him? He was trying to....okay he actually wasn't sure what he was trying to do but he'd rather do it in silence. Because every time Marco talked it reminded Ace that he was there and Ace didn't want to be reminded of it because this was very bad and if anyone were to find out Ace's head would probably literally be on the chopping block within minutes. It wouldn't matter what he said all anyone would see was him in Marco's room and off to Impel Down he would go with the new label of traitor decorating his file beneath the words 'Son of the Pirate King'.
Marco's brows furrowed. “Did you hear what I said?” he said slowly, like Ace was an idiot. “You hit your head and-”
“I'm fine.” At least he was physically. Mentally was a different story but it wasn't like Marco would care about that.
“You hit your head-”
“I'm fine,” Ace repeated, annoyed now. He went to try and stand up only for a hand to land on his shoulder and push him back down, the grip tight enough he would bet Marco was using haki on him. Fucking asshole.
“You are not fine,” Marco growled back and Ace shivered slightly because that was a tone he didn't want to argue with. He probably still would because it was him but he could sort of see why so many Marines were piss-scared of the man. That voice was a little scary. And a little hot. He wondered how it would feel right up against his ear.
…..maybe Ace did have a brain injury.
“Any head injury that results in unconsciousness is bad enough but the fact that it's been two hours is even more worrisome. I did what I could but I don't actually have any of my medical stuff with me which means that you should go to a hospital-”
“I'm fine.”
The glower Marco leveled at him was definitely scary and Ace couldn't help but shrink back just a little. Or at least, he attempted to. It was hard to move when a hand was still holding his shoulder tight enough to probably bruise, but he tried to regardless. He could definitely understand why people were terrified of him. Not that he was, but he could understand.
It wasn't really any of Marco's business but since he didn't seem to be letting go of Ace anytime soon, he figured he should probably explain why he was fine. “I have narcolepsy,” Ace explained and the grip on his shoulder loosened slightly, the glower lessening. “I probably had an episode was all. I sleep like I'm dead when I have one and if I'm really tired sometimes they can last awhile. I slept through an entire fight once,” he added, trying to get Marco's frown to fade. He wasn't sure why he cared that the man was frowning but he tried to get rid of it regardless.
Marco stared at him for a long moment before he abruptly released his shoulder, leaning back slightly. “Do you know your name?” he asked, his arms recrossing against his chest. When Ace looked at him like he was stupid, he explained, “It's part of the test for a concussion, yoi. There's a couple different ones but-”
“I'm fine!”
“Then you'll have no problem answering that question, will you?”
Ace hated him. “My name is Ace you fucker.”
An eyebrow rose. “I didn't know your whole name included 'you fucker' in it.”
Ace was going to fucking hit him. And light him on fire. And.....bite him or something. He needed more threats.
“Do you know where you are?”
“A hotel room.”
“I meant the island.”
Considering Ace hadn't been paying any attention, no, he actually didn't know. Marco frowned when he said as much but he relented, asking instead if he knew who he served under. A hint of a smile cracked through that frown when Ace said “a fucking asshole” but he let Ace get away with that one. Probably because he followed it up by saying it was true of both Pokorni and Archer.
“Follow my finger without turning your head,” Marco said, holding one up in front of Ace's face and yeah, no. Ace was done.
“I did your stupid tests,” Ace grumbled, pushing the finger away. “Leave me the fuck alone.”
“You could still-”
“I'm fine and if I have to tell you again I will fucking light you on fire.”
Marco gave him an unimpressed look but let his hand drop to the mattress. That was a win in Ace's book.
“You should still have someone look you over.” Apparently that wasn't a win. Goddamn asshole. Who did he think he was? “You might seem fine now but symptoms can appear a full day later so it wouldn't hurt for someone who knows you to take a look, yoi.”
Ace shot a tiny stream of flame at Marco. He got an affronted look in return but considering he had literally just warned the man that he would light him on fire if he asked again, he felt like it was justified. Also, it wasn't like the tiny flame did anything to him. The fire was literally absorbed by Marco's own blue flames before it even touched his skin. Which was unfair. Ace wanted to be able to actually burn him. He also wanted to touch those blue flames again.
Anyway, fire aside, Ace had a more important thing to talk about and he had meant to ask it earlier but then he'd gotten a little sidetracked with....thoughts. “Why the fuck did you bring me to your fucking hotel room?”
A slow breath left Marco as his eyes closed for a long few seconds. “Did you hear the part about you passing out and hitting your head or are you just obtuse?”
That was rude. Ace had heard him just fine. He just wanted to know why Marco had brought him to his hotel room of all places instead of just about literally anywhere else. It wasn't like he was a pirate and Ace was a Marine or anything. Not like they were supposed to be enemies or anything. Not like he should have just left Ace there. Not like he shouldn't have even approached Ace in the first place.
“The bar was closing,” Marco finally said when Ace just glared at him, keeping his thoughts to himself. “If I left you they either would have tossed you out like a drunk and left you on the street or someone else would have had to take you home and I don't know about you, but I wouldn't feel comfortable trusting a complete stranger while I was unconscious.”
Okay he had a point. Though- “You're a complete stranger too you asshole!”
Marco almost looked offended, a small scoff leaving him. “I would think we could be acquaintances by now at least.”
Acquaintance his ass. Marco was a stranger. Well, okay, maybe not a stranger stranger, but he was still a stranger. Ace barely knew anything about him other than he was an asshole, a bastard, and hot, and those were not things that counted as knowing someone. He felt like you should at least know their, like, favorite color or something. Or something else about them that wasn't related to looks and initial impressions.
Whatever. Ace had another point to make. “You could have asked someone to go find the giant Marine ship floating in the harbor and have one of them come get me.”
“Yeah cause I'd trust the Marines,” Marco said around a snort. “Though I believe there is something very important that you have missed, yoi.”
Important? Missed? What the hell was important that Ace had missed? He'd asked where he was and why the fuck Marco had brought him here. He cleared up the confusion about the possible head injury. He even did the fucking concussion test. What else was there?
“I believe you're supposed to say 'thank you, Marco, for helping me.'”
There was an insufferable look on his face and Ace really really really wanted to fucking light him on fire but nooo, that didn't work because he was a goddamn bastard who cheated by having a cool devil fruit and by apparently being immune to flames. And he healed so Ace couldn't even hit him or bite him or anything. Well, he could, it just wouldn't actually do anything.
Letting out a groan, Ace buried his face in his hands, trying to remind himself that he couldn't light every person who annoyed him on fire. Even if they deserved it. Really deserved it. And even if he probably technically could since Marco was a pirate and thus a criminal, he still couldn't because he did have a point and he had helped Ace out and it would be rude to light him on fire for it. Even if he deserved it for everything else he'd done.
“I hate you,” Ace grumbled as he finally looked back up to find Marco hadn't moved at all, still perched on the edge of the bed where he'd sat down when Ace had first woken up. “And next time find something else to fucking do that doesn't involve putting me in your fucking bed.”
“Next time?” Marco asked, amusement sparking in his eyes and lighting them up. “Already making plans for the next time we meet, are you?”
Ace felt completely justified in shooting another stream of fire at him. Even if this one was larger. And it partially singed the comforter.
“Oi!” Marco growled, hurriedly patting out the tiny sparks that had caught on the fabric. “Don't light my room on fire. I'm the one paying and I don't wanna have to pay extra cause your pyromaniac ass tried to redecorate it.”
It was with great self control that Ace refrained from lighting anything else on fire. He felt like it was justified and Marco deserved to have to fork out more berry for being an asshole, but it was also petty and childish. Ace still really fucking wanted to though.
Ace crossed his arms at the exasperated look he got once the sparks were fully out. He might have also made a harrumph sound but whatever. He just wanted to make sure Marco knew he was annoyed with him.
He had another important question to ask, though. Well, it was along the same vein of the one he'd asked earlier but then Marco had gotten them off topic again and now Ace needed to get back to it. “Did anyone see you bring me here? Because if so I actually will kill you for that because they already hate me and that would just be the icing on the fucking cake for them. Archer has been itching to call me a traitor since Les and if you give him any ammunition for that it's your head I'll be giving him.”
Marco actually looked offended this time but Ace thought it was justified. Sure he shouldn't be threatening him but he'd done it before and nothing had come of it. He doubted Marco was about to start doing something now.
“Of course not. Do I look like an idiot to you?” He paused for a second but then Ace opened his mouth and he hurriedly added, “Don't answer that.” Blowing out a breath he continued, “There were only civilians at the bar and none of them batted an eye when I picked you up-” wait what? Marco had....he had picked him up? He had carried him here? “-and I made sure no one saw your uniform once we left.”
There was....a lot of things Ace wanted to say. But first- “How can you be sure no one saw my uniform? It doesn't exactly blend in.”
“I covered you.” Marco shrugged. “You're smaller than me so I just put my shirt around you and no one noticed.”
A tiny, mortified sound that Ace would vehemently deny left him and he knew there was a flame or two sprouting off his cheeks. It was bad enough that the man had apparently picked him up, but the fact that he had wrapped Ace up in his shirt was pouring gasoline on the whole damn thing.
Why did the universe hate him so much? Why did he keep having to get in trouble when Marco of all people was around?
One of Marco's eyebrows rose slightly at the sound but he, for once, didn't comment. Instead he said, “Trust me, no one saw anything. Besides, its not like I ran into any marines on the way to the hotel.”
That was nice. It still didn't mean no one had noticed and said anything to a marine. Because Ace knew there were still plenty of civilians out there who had no idea how fucked up and corrupt the Marines were and thought they were doing good by helping them out. And someone seeing an infamously wanted pirate carrying a marine off to a hotel was....certainly something they would probably mention.
Marco shifted a little closer on the bed and Ace jerked back slightly, growling at him. “You are the bane of my fucking existence,” Ace grumbled at him. “Quit trying to get me in trouble.”
“I'm not trying to, yoi. I was just worried.”
Worried. He was worried about him. Sure he was. No one worried about Ace. At least, not in the way he was implying. The most worry anyone had for him was if he was being an idiot or not or if he was following orders. No one actually cared about him beyond that.
Besides, he wouldn't worry about him anyway. Like Ace had said so many times already, he was a Marine and Marco a pirate. There was no reason for him to do, well, any of the things he had done but he definitely had no reason to worry about him. If anything he should be glad the world would be down a Marine should something happen to him. He definitely wouldn't worry about it.
“Whatever,” Ace finally muttered after a minute, eyes flicking away from the man to land on the wall opposite the room.
Now that he was looking, it was a really shit looking hotel room. Sure the bed was decently comfortable—at least, it was more so than his bunk was—but the wallpaper was starting to peel on the edges and there was a water stain on one corner of the ceiling. The colors were a gaudy orange and tan and the furniture looked like it had seen better days that were many years in the past. For as powerful and well-known as the Whitebeard Pirates were, he expected them to have some money. At least, they should have enough that their fucking first mate didn't have to sleep in such a shitty place.
He glanced back to the front and found that Marco was still watching him, something unreadable in his eyes. “Do you want me to light you on fire?” Ace asked when Marco's look didn't relent and they'd just been staring at each other for a good solid minute. He got an eye roll and a small scoff but there was also a tiny smile so he was going to count it as a win. He wasn't sure why the smile was what made it a win but whatever.
He might have a minor concussion.
“I'd like you to refrain from lighting anything on fire, yoi,” Marco replied after a beat, suddenly shaking his head and standing up, taking a small step backwards before he turned and walked away. He crossed towards the small dresser along the opposite wall before grabbing something, tossing it back to Ace.
It made a small thump as it landed on the bed and it only took Ace a second to recognize it as his hat. He leaned forward and snagged it, pulling it closer so that he could inspect it. “Don't touch my stuff,” he grumbled at Marco, turning it over to make sure there was no damage. It didn't look like there was but that was a gift and his little brother would be devastated if he learned that he'd lost it or broken it in such a stupid fashion after only a year.
“Would you rather I had let you sleep in it?” Marco countered. “And your belts and your dagger?”
Belts? Ace looked down and his cheeks flushed when he realized that while he was wearing his pants, he wasn't wearing either of his belts. “Give them back!” Ace hissed, scrambling up and off the bed. “And keep your hands to yourself you pervert.”
Marco rolled his eyes as he gestured vaguely towards the opposite end of the dresser he was leaning against. “Next time you can sleep in them and wake up with bruises from them.”
“Who said there would be a next time?” Ace shot back, snatching his belts off the dresser and hurriedly threading them through his pant loops. “I, for one, would like for you to stop fucking showing up everywhere I am.”
“But where's the fun in that?” Marco just laughed at the glower Ace shot his way, his hands gripping the edge of the dresser. “It's not like I'm trying to run into you,” he added. “It just keeps happening. Not that I hear you complaining.”
“I have been. Loudly. And repeatedly.” Many times, in fact. Either Marco really was that dense or he just wasn't listening to a word Ace said. Or maybe he was living in some other plane of reality that heard Ace's complaints and thought they were compliments and invitations. Who knew.
A tiny smirk pulled one corner of Marco's lips up. “And yet you have yet to walk away from me.”
That wasn't true! Ace had walked away from him at.....okay, he hadn't at Les but he'd been a little distracted. But back at that other island....actually no he hadn't left first then either, Marco had. Granted Ace had been about to so that shouldn't count. And today....well it was hard to walk away when you were unconscious so it didn't count either. Marco's argument was flawed and he needed to find a new one.
Still smirking, Marco straightened up slightly. “I do believe we've already had this conversation, yoi,” he added but he was wrong because they hadn't had a conversation about this yet but now they were going to and Ace was going to make sure he knew- “But I'm not actually trying to run into you, it just keeps happening.”
Ah. That. They had had a conversation about that already. Kind of. The memory was a little fuzzy but Ace could remember accusing him of stalking him and Marco....being an asshole about it. But he had insisted that he wasn't and it was good enough for Ace because sure it was a bit odd but he had come to this island for an actual reason that didn't involve Ace and it just so happened to be the same reason Ace was here. Probably. He didn't know for sure but he would bet on it. Whatever. The man wasn't stalking him and that was all Ace cared about.
He did have one question though. Well, he had a lot of questions but they weren't ones he was going to ask. He wasn't actually sure he wanted to ask this one either but maybe it would give him some kind of answer. “If you aren't trying to run into me, why do you keep doing so instead of, I don't know, turning around and walking the other fucking way.”
A laugh that was more like a bark left Marco and he had rolled his head slightly against his shoulder to better look at Ace when he looked up at him. He just laughed again at the glower Ace sent him and Ace flipped him off. Asshole.
“If I did that the first two times, you'd be dead.”
Just because it was true didn't mean he had to point it out. Not that it should have mattered to him anyway but whatever. That wasn't a question Ace wanted to know the answer to.
“I wasn't in any danger here,” Ace countered. “So my question still stands.”
Marco rose an eyebrow a bit before looking towards the window with a shrug. “You seem to have a penchant for getting into trouble. How do you know I wasn't waiting to see if you would?”
“Why? So you could swoop in to save me and pat yourself on the fucking back?”
“Only if you start swooning when I do.”
Ace shot another small bolt of fire at him. And this time he made sure it was small and actually hit the man and the man only so that he couldn't complain. He got a sharp exhale and a growl in return but all Marco did was look at him so who cared. Ace would believe he actually was annoyed when he hit him or something.
Shaking his head slightly, Marco admitted, “I was bored. And like I said, I do like the drinks at that place so I really was waiting to see if the owner was there. But after awhile your crew had left and the owner still wasn't there so I figured I'd talk to you a bit.”
“How did you know I wouldn't just arrest you?” Ace countered even if it was a very stupid counter. He had had three chances now—well, four if you counted right this second—and he had yet to actually try and do so. It didn't mean he wouldn't in the future and that was something Marco should be concerned about.
“Cause I know you won't, yoi.”
“You seem awfully confident about that.”
The smile on Marco's face was much too genuine to be discussing fucking arresting him and Ace looked away with a huff. Goddamn bastard couldn't even pretend to be worried about what he would do. Sure he knew there probably wasn't much he could actually do to him but it was the thought that mattered. And the fact that Ace was a Marine and literally had seastone handcuffs with him. It wouldn't be hard for him to at least try.
And okay yeah Ace knew he would probably just get his ass absolutely obliterated since this was a man that fought Admirals and walked away but that didn't matter. He was a fucking Marine and Marco treated him like some chore boy on a merchant ship or something. It was rude and disrespectful and Ace still had half a mind to try just to remind him that he could.
“You won't do it,” Marco said after the silence stretched, making Ace scowl at him and his fingers itch towards his handcuffs. His missing handcuffs, he suddenly realized. They had been in his back pocket but now- “Unlike most of the Marines around here, you actually have some morals.”
“What the fuck do morals have to do with anything? You-you're a pirate! My job is literally to arrest you!”
“Okay. Why haven't you yet?”
That.....was a good question. There was the practical reason of he knew he wouldn't get very far but that had never really stopped him before so he doubted it was stopping him now. He could argue that the first two times they met there just hadn't been the time to do so since so much else had been happening but even that wasn't quite true. Well, a lot had been happening, but he had still found time to stop and talk to the man for a few minutes so that excuse didn't really work either. And it certainly didn't work for today when literally nothing had been happening.
As much as Ace didn't want to admit it, he hadn't tried because it just....it had never felt right. Yes Marco was a pirate and yes he was a fucking deadly and dangerous one with an insanely high bounty and he would have been praised as a fucking hero for bringing him down and yet.....it just wasn't right. Because of all the times they'd run into each other, he had never done anything. At least, he'd never done anything bad. He had saved Ace and that woman—and Archer which maybe could be counted as bad but it wasn't like Marco knew that at the time. And today he literally hadn't done anything but sit and drink. How could he justify arresting someone who wasn't doing anything? How could he condemn someone to death when they saved lives and helped people and were an all around generally good person?
Yes this was a really naive way of looking at the world and yes Marco had done a ton of things in the past that Ace definitely would have arrested him for but it just....it didn't seem to matter. He just couldn't bring himself to actually try. In the future if Marco did something in front of him that was bad—like trying to kill an innocent person or something—then yeah, he would try and arrest him. He'd give it is all to try and bring him in. But until then....he couldn't.
“How do I get back to the harbor from here?” Ace asked after the silence between them stretched far past comfortable and began to weigh down heavily on them. He had no desire to try and explain his thought process to Marco and honestly, it didn't matter anyway. It wasn't like he would ever see the man again—hopefully. And if he did, well it would probably be when he was behaving like an actual pirate and then Ace wouldn't feel bad about arresting him. It was pointless to say anything now when it would likely never matter again. Or when it could be used against him.
Marco frowned at him for a long minute before an almost imperceptible sigh left him. “Go down the stairs and to the front of the building. If you go to the left—towards the lamp pole with a flag on it—and follow the road, you'll come to the shore. Make a right there—there's an old pile of stones on the left side so go opposite of that—and the road will take you to the docks, yoi.”
Good enough for Ace. All he really needed was directions to the shore and he could figure it out from there. It wasn't like this place was huge.
Without another word he grabbed his dagger and attached it to his belt before turning away. He pulled the door open and stepped out into the hall, closing it softly behind him.
The night air was cool against Ace's skin as he followed Marco's directions to the shore, the streets deserted. If Ace was the thinking type it would have given him plenty of time to think. But he wasn't and he didn't want to so instead he just focused on the cool air and the faint scent of rain that was starting to drift in and the way the first hints of a glow were starting to appear on the eastern horizon. He refused to think of anything else.
The ship was exactly where Ace had last seen it and, with only a few seconds of hesitation, he started up the gangplank. As much as he wanted to just go to bed and forget about everything, he turned away from the barracks and instead headed deeper into the ship, following the wide, main hallways to the infirmary. He pushed the door open before he could second guess himself and stepped in, hardly surprised to find it empty. There was usually only a few people on duty at night and with no major battles or illnesses recently, the beds themselves weren't occupied.
“Ace?”
Ace looked over at the sound of his name, mildly surprised to find Deuce sitting at the nurse's station. His friend frowned at him before sliding a bookmark into his book and setting it down on the desk, getting up from behind it and walking towards him.
“Hey, Deuce. I didn't know you were working tonight.” Ace smiled at him, ignoring the concerned look he was getting.
“I picked it up so Tristan could go on shore.” Blue eyes looked him over closely, zeroing in on the bump on Ace's head almost immediately. “What happened?”
Ace shrugged, shifting a bit uncomfortably beneath the gaze. “Hit my head. Hard.”
Eyebrows rose slightly but Deuce didn't press—for the moment at least. Instead he turned around and led Ace deeper into the infirmary and into one of their private examination rooms. He directed him to the bed as he closed the door behind them, his arms crossing.
“I was told to have someone take a look at it to make sure I wasn't concussed. I kept insisting I wasn't but-” Ace shrugged. “-here I am.”
Deuce's eyes narrowed. “Who told you that?” he asked as he stepped closer to the sink, turning the water on. As he washed his hands he added, “You don't even listen to me and I'm training to be a doctor.”
Ace just shrugged again, eyes sliding away to look at the door. He should have just gone to bed. He wasn't sure why he was here. He knew he wasn't hurt.
The water turned off and then Deuce stepped back in front of him, a hand pushing his hair away so he could better inspect the bump. “How'd you get this?” he asked, tilting Ace's head slightly. “It's a good sized lump and its already bruising. You must have hit it hard.”
“Narcolepsy attack. Hit my head on a bar top.”
“On a bar top?”
“Yeah.”
“When?”
“Two or three hours ago?”
The hands on Ace's head stilled before his face was forced upwards to meet Deuce's gaze. “You hit your head two or three hours ago and just now are coming to me?”
“Yeah.”
Deuce's eyes blinked closed for a long minute before they opened into slits, a scowl on his face. “Ace. I swear to god-”
“I was asleep.” When Deuce's eyes got wider Ace hurriedly added, “Like I said, it was a narcolepsy attack. I was already asleep when I hit it and then I just kept on sleeping. I already passed the stupid concussion test but he kept insisting that I see a doctor that knows me anyway to make sure I wasn't acting off which I'm not but-”
“Ace...” Deuce's voice was strange and Ace stopped instantly, looking at his friend in concern. “Who are you talking about? Who told you to come here?”
Mm. Ace hadn't thought of that. Goddammit he should have kept his mouth shut and left it at he hit his head. Or better yet, he shouldn't have come here at all. He should have just gone straight to bed.
“Ace.” His name was sharp in Deuce's mouth and it made him flinch slightly. Shit.
“It was, uh, a barkeep.” Yeah, that was a great lie. Ace had been planning on going with the barkeep anyway until Marco had shown up so he could just pretend that the man hadn't and he had gone with the other. And that he had been the one to take care of him while he was asleep. “I was, uh, well, the plan was to go back to his place anyway and he didn't want to just leave me at the bar so....”
Deuce didn't look impressed, like he knew Ace was lying. Which, yeah, Ace was, but he didn't have to look at him like he knew he was. Besides, Ace was a great liar. He'd been doing it his whole life.
“You went home with a barkeep who kept an eye on you after you hit your head and passed out?” he asked in a deadpan voice, his arms crossing. When Ace nodded he rolled his eyes skyward and muttered something under his breath. “Ace—no. That was a terrible lie and you know it.”
Dammit.
“What actually happened?”
Ace should tell him nothing. He should keep his mouth shut and not say anything. Hell he should just get up and go to bed. He knew he was fine so it wasn't like he needed it to be confirmed by a doctor anyway.
“You can't tell anyone.” Dammit why did he say that? He needs to stop saying things.
“Okay. I promise.”
Deuce might promise he wouldn't but Ace knew that this was something his friend wouldn't ignore. He might not necessarily go to Pokorni about it but there was no telling what he might do. Ace shouldn't tell him anything.
“Remember the guy that helped me back on Les? The....pirate.”
Deuce's eyes narrowed before suddenly getting so wide Ace was afraid they were going to fall out of his head. Apparently he did remember- “No. Ace. For the love of all the fucking seas don't tell me-”
“I was with him.”
A sound that shouldn't be humanly possible to make left Deuce and he suddenly had his head in his hands. He inhaled deeply before letting it out slowly, raising his head just enough to look at Ace over the tops of his fingers. “Ace.”
Well he wasn't getting out of telling him the whole story now. He should have gone to fucking bed.
Quietly, Ace told him everything, from what happened on that last island they met at to how they'd met again at the bar to how he had taken care of him after he had passed out. To his credit Deuce didn't interrupt him—though he also didn't look like he could even say words if he tried so maybe that wasn't anything remarkable. The point was was that he didn't say anything as Ace spoke and he didn't say anything for several long minutes afterwards, just staring at him with something that went beyond disbelief.
“Ace....”
“It's not like I meant to!” Ace hurriedly defended. “I mean—I'm not the one that went up to him or anything and it's not like I agreed to go back with him to his room.”
A long groan left Deuce and he scrubbed hard at his face like he could undo everything Ace had done if he tried hard enough. “He's a pirate,” he finally said, his voice not quite a whine but something close to it. Something that was asking if Ace was really that fucking stupid. He was. And Deuce knew it. He wasn't sure why he was asking.
“I was unconscious.” Ace was going to defend his actions regardless. Especially that part. Because it was hard to consent to anything when you were unconscious.
“You could have told him to fuck off at the bar! Or-or back at the other island. Or all the way back at Les! You don't- you don't have to keep entertaining him.”
No he didn't and yes he knew he could tell him off but.....
“Ace. He's a pirate. A dangerous one. One that is one of the most wanted ones alive. I....you told me that Archer was furious with you because of what happened at Les and accused you of being a traitor. What do you think he'd do if he found out about this?”
Arrest him. Throw him in jail. Execute him. The list wasn't very long. And he would happily do all of it. Ace knew he would.
“For the love of god, Ace. You have a brain. Use it.”
“It's not like I'm trying to find him,” Ace muttered. “He just keeps showing up. Coincidentally.” Deuce raised his brows with a pointed look so Ace added, “He said it really was just a coincidence. He was passing through or something at those other two islands and he was here today because he was dealing with some pirates that attacked the area or something. He assured me he wasn't stalking me.”
A long, heavy sigh left Deuce. “Ace. That's what a stalker would say. They're not going to tell you they're stalking you. Besides, he's a pirate. They lie all the time. What makes you think he's not lying to you?”
Ace....didn't have an answer to that. Because he knew Marco wasn't lying to him but he also knew just saying that wouldn't be enough for Deuce. And he couldn't explain why he knew Marco wasn't lying to him because even he couldn't explain it. He just knew he wasn't.
“Not all pirates are bad people,” Ace finally said quietly. Though even he knew that was a pretty flimsy excuse because while it might be true-
“His bounty says differently.”
-there was that little fact. A little fact Ace couldn't ignore.
“Ace, there is a reason he is wanted dead over alive. There's a reason the Admirals are the ones called on to deal with him and his crew. He can say whatever he wants but you don't get a bounty or a reputation like that by being a good person.”
Hands landed on Ace's arms, making him look up. He hadn't heard Deuce move but now he was in front of him, a frown so deep on his face Ace was afraid it would be permanently etched into his skin. It wasn't enough to hide the fear in his eyes, though, the terror that filled them.
“You're a Marine, Ace.” As if he needed the reminder. As if he hadn't had to give up every dream he'd ever had to be one. “You....even if by some bizarre chance he isn't actually just using you, you are a Marine and he is a pirate. His crew might not care but you know damn well the Marines will. That Archer will. That your grandfather and the Fleet Admiral himself will. If anyone finds out they'll arrest you or kill you or-or something.”
“It's not like I'm dating him,” Ace grumbled. “I don't even like him! He just...he keeps showing up.”
Deuce didn't look like he believed him.
“I'm not!” Ace insisted, straightening up a bit to look his friend in the eyes. “He's an asshole and a bastard and-and I hate him! I don't want anything to do with him he's just not giving me a choice.”
“Then why haven't you just walked away?”
Ace didn't have an answer to that. And he didn't want to think about why that was.
A slow breath left Deuce as he finally released Ace's arms and stepped back. His frown was still there and so too was the fear but there was also something that looked like....resignation.
“Just walk away next time.” His tone wasn't quite pleading but it was close to it. “Find some- find someone else to have a weird erotic rivalry with.” Okay, wait, that was not what was happening here. Sure Ace might think Marco was hot but- “Hell we can hit up a fucking brothel or something but for the love of god, Ace....you have to stop.”
“It's not like that! He just- he just keeps.....I don't know. We just keep bumping into each other.”
“Ace he's probably using you. Sure it might have been a coincidence how you met the first time but when you didn't attack him he probably realized he could use you for information or whatever. It wouldn't be the first time a Marine was tricked by a pirate into revealing things. You have no idea what he might be trying to find out and sure he might be trying to nice route now but there's nothing stopping him from just kidnapping you and forcing the information out of you.”
This was true but Marco wasn't like that. He just....he wasn't.
And maybe Ace was looking at this through rose-tinted glasses or something but Marco was….he was nice. At least, he was to Ace and there weren’t many people that were—actually, at this point, it was really just him and Deuce. Regardless, he was nice and he talked to him like a person and not a fuck-up or an idiot or a waste of space and sure Deuce had never spoken to him like that either but Marco was….it was different with him. Maybe it was because he had literally no reason to be nice to Ace and yet, he was. He had nothing to gain from it but he did it anyway. He was a pirate but he didn’t act like one and yeah Ace knew pirate wasn’t synonymous with asshole but they had a reputation for a reason. He should be just as mean as Archer was and yet, he never had been. Hell he’d let Ace threaten him multiple times and get away with it. Not many people would do that.
Also, while completely unrelated but relevant, Marco was hot. Also, he was distracting. Or at least, his body was—what Ace could see of it anyway. Sure Ace had seen plenty of attractive men before and sure he’d drooled over a few more, but Marco was hot in a different way. Because he was hot and attractive and kind and, not that Ace would admit it, but also a little funny and he found Ace amusing rather than annoying.
Maybe he was just that desperate that a little kindness and some good looks were throwing him off kilter. That was a depressing thought.
“Please, Ace. Just walk away now. You know it's for the best.”
He knew it was. And it was what he'd been trying to do since the start. He just.....he couldn't explain why he couldn't. As much as he wanted to and as much as he tried to make himself, he couldn't and now it was becoming a problem. Because Ace refused to think about most of the things he felt anyway but suddenly he was feeling a lot more and repressing a lot more and it wasn't hard to put two and two together no matter how hard he tried not to.
He was just going to have to try harder.
Chapter 7
Notes:
This got...long. Like real long. Like it should probably be split in two but I'm not going to long. Anyway, enjoy!
Chapter Text
It was easy to try harder when they spent the next month out at sea. They had left the island behind the next day with an angry Archer and a furious Pokorni and neither of them would say why. Though Ace had a pretty good idea of that why because he had gone back to town after his talk with Deuce to hit up an early market and get a snack and he had overheard some of the locals talking. Just like Marco had said, they had called upon the Whitebeard Pirates to help them with their pirate problem when the Marines were too slow to respond and the mayor hadn't been shy about stating that to the Rear Admiral when he'd gone to talk with him. Apparently being told a pirate had done their job for them had massively pissed Pokorni off and he had decided that the island could fend for themselves then. Not that Ace imagined they were going to have to. Not if it was true that Marco's crew offered protection to islands like that.
Regardless, out at sea there was no Marco for Ace to run into and thus he didn't have a problem with being the good Marine he was supposed to be. Well, for the most part at least. This was him, after all, which meant it wasn't smooth sailing but he was trying which meant he was being as good as he could be given the circumstances. Not that Archer appreciated his effort but considering the man had literally never thanked Ace for saving his life, he wasn't holding out much hope.
The end of the month brought a storm and a pirate attack and while they had weathered both—Ace even getting a compliment from Pokorni for how he had sunk the pirate ship himself—their ship was damaged and it was deemed too risky for them to continue to the Marine base they had originally been aiming for. Instead they docked at the nearest inhabited island and hired shipwrights to repair the damage and while Pokorni grumbled about how they weren't all that great, they still knew how to do their jobs and it was that or risk sailing on a damaged ship. Personally, Ace just thought Pokorni wanted to grumble about something and the shipwrights were the first target he could find.
“Dismissed for now,” Archer said as he waved the squadron off, finally conceding in giving them the evening off. He had tried to make them all stay aboard and do random shit but considering there was nothing to do, he had finally given in. Ace felt like they deserved a break no matter what but it wasn't like his opinions were listened to so he hadn't said a word.
“Portgas.” Apparently Ace wasn't included in those dismissed. He should have figured as much.
Turning back to Archer with what he hoped was an appropriately neutral expression, Ace raised his brows in a silent question.
“Considering your past history of getting into trouble on islands-” Ace really wanted to argue that but unfortunately the man wasn't exactly wrong, “-you will either remain on ship or stay with me on land.”
Ace didn't want to do either of those things. He wanted to go drink with his squadron and find some hot guy to hook up with. He couldn't drink on the ship and he couldn't find someone to hook up with if Archer was watching his every movement. And while theoretically he could hook up with someone on the ship or drink with Archer, he refused to sleep with anyone on the ship and he didn't trust the man when one or both of them were drunk.
Forcing his neutral expression to hold even as he sighed internally, Ace offered, “What if I go with the squadron? I won't leave them and-”
“No.” He figured that would be the answer but still, he had been hoping. “You can't fucking be trusted. Don't think I didn't hear about what happened at that last island.”
Ace stiffened at his words. The only thing of note that had happened at the last island had been Ace running into Marco and having a narcolepsy attack, something he hadn't shared with anyone—anyone other than Deuce. As far as he knew no one had seen anything but if he knew what had happened then Deuce had to have said something and if that was true that really fucking hurt because he had thought he could trust him but apparently-
“I heard all about the bar fight and the lump on the head you got left with.”
Bar fight? There was no bar fight. Unless there was one while he was unconscious but he was pretty sure Marco would have said something about it if there had been. “What?” he asked instead, deciding to take the easy road and see if the man would explain.
Sharp eyes narrowed his way before Archer snorted. “Every time I think you can't get dumber you somehow do and I'm starting to wonder if you even have a brain.” Scoffing, Archer explained, “Everyone noticed the bruise on your head, idiot, and as your CO, I went to the medical staff to see if you had gone for treatment.”
Okay that was logical and not something Ace had thought of since no one had said anything. But if he'd gone to the medical staff then he would have found it was Deuce who had treated him and he would have asked him about it. Though....if Deuce had told him the truth surely Archer would have come after him already by now? He had been fuming just from knowing he had interacted with Marco back on Les, surely he would have been erupting like a fucking volcano to find out that he had drank with him before the man had taken care of him after passing out.
Maybe he should put a little more faith in his friend. Deuce must have lied.
“That blue-haired medical intern told me that you'd gotten into a bar fight and had gotten hit in the head.” Oh thank god. He was going to have to give Deuce a heartfelt thanks and a steak or something. Though he did wish his friend could have gone with a different lie. Even if it was just him tripping over his own feet. Anything other than causing more trouble. “And since that makes it three out of three islands you've gotten into trouble on, you've had your privileges revoked. So you either keep your fucking ass here, or you stay in my sight all night.”
At least that wasn't a hard choice to make. Sure Ace wanted to go out but the less time he had to spend with Archer the better. “I'll stay here then.”
He got another narrow eyed look before Archer shrugged. “Your loss.” Turning away, Archer added over his shoulder, “And before you get any ideas about sneaking out, just know I'll be having people check in on your whereabouts periodically. And if I hear you aren't anywhere on the ship, it's your ass that's getting it.”
That....was an interesting way of wording it.
Whatever. It wasn't the weirdest thing he'd said to Ace before.
Turning away from the island, Ace went back into the interior of the ship. He made his way through the mostly deserted halls until he reached the infirmary, poking his head in to look for his friend. Deuce wasn't there but one of the nurses told him he was probably in his room so Ace headed there instead. It wouldn't be as great as if they could go on land, but maybe his friend would keep him company for a bit. It would make the night a little less miserable.
Deuce was in his room when Ace pushed the door open. Like Ace, he shared his room. Unlike Ace, however, he only shared with three other people. Which must be real nice and something Ace wished he could do.
“Oh, Ace.” Deuce turned towards him with a small smile. “I thought Archer was dismissing all of you for the day.”
“Everyone but me,” Ace explained as he stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. “Are you off too?”
“Yeah. I was just about to head out, actually.”
Mm. Maybe Ace would be by himself tonight.
“But I don't have to,” Deuce quickly added and Ace realized his face must have fallen a little. Oops. He'd have to pay better attention to that in the future. “I was just going to go drink but it's not important or anything. I can stay here with you instead.”
“No, it's fine. I was just curious.” Ace fiddled a bit with the cord of his hat, his gaze trailing away from Deuce's to look at the wall opposite the door. “Though, uh, I did want to say thank you. For...for what you told Archer.”
Deuce's eyebrows drew inwards, his head tilting slightly. “Archer?”
“About...you know, the last island.” A look of understanding crossed Deuce's face, a small noise leaving him. “Though,” Ace added, “did you have to make it a bar fight? You could have told him I tripped over my own feet and face planted. He would have believed it.”
A quiet, amused snort left the man. “It's not like I had a lie pre-planned or anything. Hell I didn't even think he'd ask.”
Neither had Ace. He should have known the man would. He seemed to take any chance he could get to embarrass Ace. “He's confining me to the ship for the duration of our stay here—well, technically it's stay on the ship or with him but I'm staying here. Something about me having a history of getting into trouble.”
Deuce grimaced slightly. “Sorry about that. Though,” he added with a thoughtful expression, “at least this way you don't have to worry.”
“Worry? About what?” What was there to worry about? Ace knew how to stay out of trouble. It wasn't like he was worried about getting into it.
“About you-know-who showing up.”
It took Ace a minute longer than he would like to admit to realize who his friend was talking about. In his defense, he wasn't thinking about the man and thus didn't even consider he might be mentioned. He should have known Deuce would say something else about it.
Ace's cheeks heated up slightly and he scowled. “I wasn't worried about that.”
“Well you should be considering he's stalking you.”
Marco wasn't stalking him. The universe just hated Ace was all and kept making them cross paths. And he knew this for a fact—well, the fact that Marco wasn't stalking him, he couldn't exactly prove that the universe hated him even though it seemed pretty obvious. Ace had verified Marco's reason for being at that island and it had absolutely nothing to do with him and since it was only that day that Pokorni had decided to direct them to the island, there was no way for him to know Ace would be there. It proved the man wasn't stalking him.
“He's not stalking me,” Ace muttered after a beat that was probably way too long. Not that he particularly cared but he knew Deuce noticed by the way he scoffed quietly. “Besides, I already told you there's nothing happening there. He's just an annoying gnat that's hard to get rid of.”
Deuce gave him a look like he didn't believe him but didn't press. Instead he let out a soft sigh and shook his head. “Regardless, this way you don't have to worry about being tempted into not walking away since you won't be there anyway.”
“And he probably isn't here anyway either,” Ace countered.
“Considering he's stalking you-”
Maybe it was a good thing Deuce was free to go off ship and Ace wasn't. He was done with this conversation. “You're gonna be late,” Ace interrupted, turning away. “You know our crewmates will try to drink the bars dry and if you don't hurry up all the alcohol will be gone.”
Not waiting for a response, Ace opened the door and left the room, heading back down the halls. He was rescinding the idea of getting Deuce a steak. All he was getting was that thank you.
With nowhere to really go and nothing to do, Ace wandered the ship aimlessly for a bit. The halls were basically empty and the few people he did see were all busy, most not even acknowledging him as he went by. The mess hall too was similarly empty when Ace gave in and went to dinner, eating in a silence that was odd to hear on such a populated ship.
By the time the sun had fully set and the moon risen Ace was beyond bored. Sure there wasn't a whole lot to do on a normal day, but at least there were other people around that he could talk to or play card games with. Hell even just listening to someone tell stories was more entertaining than his pointless meandering was.
He wanted to poke his nose into the navigation room and see what was going on there but he'd been banned from it for being a 'fire hazard'. Which he hadn't actually ever burned anything there but he'd been preemptively banned because of the potential risk. Which was bullshit but considering Archer was behind it, it wasn't a surprise. Ace had let it slip once that he liked navigation and meteorology and not even two days later he was being told he couldn't step foot in the room that housed those things. A total coincidence he was sure.
Their library was another place Ace was banned from though that one did have a bit of merit since he had accidentally dropped a book overboard during a narcolepsy attack and had burned another one when someone had scared him while reading. It wasn't like he particularly enjoyed reading anyway but it at least passed the time.
Really the only place he hadn't been banned from—or strongly encouraged to not visit—was the gym but Ace didn't feel like training. He wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to do, but it definitely wasn't training.
Finally giving in, Ace returned to his room. With the rest of the squadron on land he had the room to himself—not that there was anything he could really do. Sure he could jack off but he wanted actual company not just his hand and there was still always the chance of someone coming back early and walking in on it. Which it wasn't like he hadn't done that to people before but still, not exactly something he wanted to have happen to himself.
Climbing up to his bunk, Ace flopped face first onto it with a groan. He may as well sleep. It wasn't like there was anything else to do.
Unfortunately, sleep wasn't coming easy to Ace. It usually did—doubly so because of his condition—but tonight it remained stubbornly out of reach, refusing to even come close enough to make him doze. It left him staring up at the ceiling, watching the tiny bit of light that danced in as the moon and harbor lights reflected off the waves.
The door to the room opened quietly and, moving his head just slightly to look over, Ace spotted someone peeking in. It took him a second and some observation haki to recognize it as one of his crewmates, one of the ones that they all knew looked up to Archer. The man had said he would have someone check-in on him. Apparently he had been serious about that.
Pretending to be asleep was easy since Ace already looked like he was and after a long moment the door closed, the person on the other side walking away. It gave Ace an idea. It wasn't exactly a good idea, at least, not in terms of following rules, but since he was going out of his mind with boredom, it was a good idea.
Sitting up, Ace climbed back down to the floor and opened the trunk at the end. Pulling out some spare clothes, he piled them under the blanket on the bed, forming it to look like a person-shaped lump. It wouldn't hold up to scrutiny should anyone get close, but from a distance, it would look like he was still there.
Ace hurriedly changed into a pair of black cargo shorts and grabbed one of his few non-Marine shirts to put on, leaving it unbuttoned. He regretfully left his hat hanging on his bed post before he crossed the room and eased the door open, making sure the hallway was empty both ways. Satisfied that it was, he slipped out of the room and began to quietly make his way towards the deck. Once there he stayed in the shadows and the blind-spots of the guards, having long ago figured out where they were. It did mean he wasn't going to be able to just walk down the gangplank, but it wasn't like it was going to stop him.
Near the bow of the ship Ace climbed onto the railing before carefully lowering himself down, using a foot to feel around for the tiny ledge he knew was there. Holding onto the railing with one hand, he crouched down and grabbed a hold of the ledge with the other, letting himself drop down once he was sure his grip was good. He repeated the movement a few times like it was the world's worst ladder before he was low enough that he could drop to the dock below without injury.
“Too easy,” Ace snorted quietly as he made his way down the dock. He had found a multitude of ways off the ship his very first week on it and he was more than happy to use that knowledge to buy himself a bit of free time on land. Sure getting back on the ship would be a little bit harder but he was confident that he could do it. He had grown up in a jungle after all. Climbing up and down weird shit wasn't exactly new to him.
The streets were alive as Ace wandered through them. Not only were there a ton of Marines—people Ace tried to avoid lest anyone recognize him—but it looked like most of the people on the other docked ships were out as well. It made for thick crowds and it was easy for him to slip a drink off a stall when the vendor wasn't paying attention. Sure he could have paid but where was the fun in that?
Drink in hand, Ace pushed on. He idly watched the crowd around him as he moved, debating what he wanted to do. He still wanted to drink and fuck, but his options were going to be severely limited now with so many Marines. The bars were basically out of the question since that was where most of them would be and that would have been where Ace would have had the best luck with both of those things. Sure he could pick up drinks from the vendors along the streets, but that only solved his problem of how to get a drink. It wasn't like people often walked up to random people on the street and propositioned them. Also, Ace would rather talk to someone first before getting to that part. Maybe he'd have to stick to only drinking tonight.
The crowds thinned a bit as he headed deeper into town, the drink stalls less frequent and more shops looking like they were closed for the night. It seemed that they tried to keep the party on the edges of the town and away from the center. Something Ace didn't blame them for. He was sure the residents preferred to have a decent night's rest rather than one interrupted by loud drunks.
Just as Ace was getting ready to turn and head back towards the edges of the city he heard a clattering sound come from an alleyway. Considering the experiences he had had recently with alleyways, he should have kept on walking and ignored the noise. He definitely should have considering he wasn't even supposed to be out and about and if there was trouble and he got involved it would be only a matter of time until word got back to Archer about it.
All of that is to say, Ace didn't walk away. Instead he turned towards the sound, starting towards the alleyway it had come from. He kept his senses on high alert as he got closer, straining to hear even the faintest traces of another noise. He was hoping it was nothing and that he could get back to finding a drink, but he wanted to make sure. Unlike some Marines, he wasn't the type to walk away from someone that was potentially in danger. He was better than that. Also, something in his gut told him that something was wrong.
Another clatter sounded followed by the faintest traces of a grunt. Scuffling almost immediately followed the noises and Ace decided he should probably investigate just to be safe. Sure it could be two someones who hadn't had the patience to make it to a room, but it could also be something much more nefarious.
The alleyway was dark as Ace followed it between the buildings, his senses still straining. He was still too far away to see anything but the sounds were definitely getting louder and it was starting to sound more and more like two people fighting rather than fucking. And when he heard a child's voice yell at someone to leave them alone, he knew he had made the right decision and Ace ran the rest of the way.
Following the alleyway as it turned sharply before opening up onto another street, Ace found the source of his sound. He had been right about it being people fighting, but he was wrong about it being two people. Because there was at least four that he could see and he had heard a kid which would make five and he was pretty sure there was another person or two in the shadows across the street.
A dull thump resounded in the air before a dark blur went flying down the street, landing with several crunches nearly at the end of the block. It made Ace's heart rate spike a bit in anticipation because there was only one person he knew that could throw someone that far and sure he might not be seeing him yet but surely-
Ace moved out of the way as another person was thrown, this time in his direction. The person collided with the wall he'd been near but Ace didn't spare them a glance as he stepped further out of the mouth of the alleyway, scanning the people more closely.
It still looked like there were four people in the street but the dark shapes in the shadows were gone so Ace was assuming they'd joined the fight. He turned away from the sight, though, because as much as he wanted to see if he was right about who was kicking these people's asses, he had heard a kid and he wanted to make sure they weren't involved in this. Whoever was over there with those other people could deal with them while Ace made sure.
Shadows moved in a gap between the buildings across the street before a short, dark shape suddenly sprinted away. A growl of pain followed their flight and almost immediately a larger shape began to give chase, following the shorter as they ran down the street like their life depended on it.
Without hesitating Ace sprinted after the two figures, completely bypassing the fight. His fingers itched to shoot a fireball at the pursuer to slow them down but since they were directly between him and what was likely the kid, Ace didn't want to accidentally miss.
The two figures rounded a corner and disappeared from Ace's view. Just as he reached the same corner he heard another cry of “let me go!” followed by a few dull thumps. Ace sprinted the last few steps around the corner and found that he had been right.
A child maybe ten-years-old was currently being held tightly by a grumbling man, the boy's feet kicking out as hard as they could at the person holding him. It wasn't doing much if the way the man barely reacted was anything to go by but it didn't deter the kid, him continuing to kick again and again.
“Let him go,” Ace ordered, suppressing the flames that tried to spring to life on his fists. Him and his devil fruit weren't known yet and keeping his fire in check meant he could use it as a surprise later. Which he was sure he was going to need considering the fact that in a blur of motion there was a gun at the kid's head and a silent dare to step closer fell into the air between them.
“Who the hell are you?” the man asked, holding the kid tighter when he tried to wriggle free. “Are you with that other nosy bitch?”
Nosy bitch? Huh. Maybe there was someone else that could kick as hard as Marco could. Or maybe those people hadn't been being kicked at all and instead had been being thrown. It had been hard to tell.
“No,” Ace said, doing his best to keep still. “But I could hear what was happening and came to investigate. And since that kid sure looks like they don't want you touching them, I'm going to repeat myself, 'let him go.'”
The man sneered Ace's way before suddenly yelping as the kid dug his teeth into his hand, his teeth sinking in deep. Ace took a step forward only to stop when the man wrenched his hand free and backhanded the kid across the face. Blood splattered into the air as his bleeding hand made contact and Ace's body burned, fire igniting in his veins in his desire to burn the man to ash. It was only the fact that he was still holding the boy that kept him in check, kept him from following through. He needed the kid out of the way before he did that.
“You don't know what's going on,” the man finally said, a dark glower being thrown in Ace's direction. “And neither does that other asshole. So get lost.”
Ignoring the man for the time being, Ace shifted his gaze to the boy. “You okay, kid?” Sure it was a pretty stupid question considering the kid obviously wasn't but no one ever said Ace was good with kids.
He got an angry look from the man as the kid rapidly shook his head no. Which Ace had kind of figured his answer would be but it was still nice to have confirmation. Because now it meant once he got the man away from the boy he could burn him without remorse.
As Ace looked the two over again he got a better look at both of them and a better idea of what was probably going on. It had been hard to tell from afar with all the shadows and darkness, but now that he was close, he could tell the kid was dressed a hell of a lot nicer than most kids his age would be. His clothes looked like he was probably in the upper class and sure there was some dirt on them now and a tear in his shirt, but it wasn't hard to tell that they were relatively new and definitely more expensive than anything Ace could ever afford.
If he had to bet, he was guessing him and whoever this other person was had interrupted a kidnapping plot. Not quite what Ace had been planning to do tonight but it was a hell of a lot better than sitting on an empty ship staring at nothing.
The space between the three of them was too far for Ace to cross without giving the man a chance to pull the trigger. And while it was a reasonable assumption that kidnappers didn't hurt the people they kidnapped until they got what they wanted, considering the fact that the kidnapping had gone so spectacularly bad with the interventions, Ace wasn't going to bet on that assumption. He was sure the man would try and shoot the kid first. Sure it would make more sense to shoot Ace first but that would mean pointing the gun at him and he had no way of knowing if that would stop Ace. It wouldn't, of course, but he wasn't going to know either way. Keeping it pointed at the kid, though, that was sure to keep him away. For now, at least.
“You know it's over,” Ace tried, deciding to point out the obvious. “You aren't going to get away and from the sounds of it, your helpers or whatever are getting demolished out there.”
Eyes flickered towards the mouth of the alleyway before they moved back to Ace.
“Surrendering is your best option,” Ace continued. “You know the Marines always go easy on people who do.”
“Fuck you.”
Ace needed to work on his negotiation tactics. That or he just needed to stop getting into situations where he needed them. That was probably the preferable thing to do.
A slow breath left Ace as he scanned the man again, looking for any sign of weakness he could exploit or any crack in his defense. There wasn't really any of either and the man looked like he was starting to get twitchy, like he was about to do something stupid. They were running out of time which meant Ace needed to do something but he didn't know what.
The man had the boy basically completely in front of him, keeping his vital parts blocked by the younger's body. It meant that Ace wouldn't be able to get any kind of damaging hit in lest he also hurt the boy and if he tried to hit a different area it wasn't going to have enough of an effect to keep the man from retaliating. If it was just Ace he would have retaliated against then he wouldn't have cared and would have gone for it. But since someone else was in danger, he couldn't.
The only part of the man not completely covered was his face. But the boy was still wriggling around to try and free himself which meant that Ace would still run the risk of hitting him and it would be in his face which was something he definitely didn't want to do.
Fuck, what was Ace supposed to do?
A finger tightened against the trigger and Ace decided he was going to have to go with the best of the bad options and hope it worked. He didn't have the time to try and find a different approach and it looked like it was now or never.
Summoning his flames, Ace lit his hand on fire. Before the man could blink Ace was punching forward, his flames shooting outwards like an extension of his fist. The fire hit the man square in the face like he'd been punched and he let the boy and the gun go, both falling to the floor as his hands shot up to his face as he screamed.
Before Ace could move something was streaking past him and between one heartbeat and the next the man was being slammed into a wall and crumbling onto the ground. A glance at his head revealed nothing but a bloody mess that looked like someone had taken a meat tenderizer to it, only shattered bone and oozing blood visible beneath sagging and sunken in skin. He looked like he'd been pulverized.
Dragging his gaze away, Ace looked back towards the boy, finding someone already at his side and keeping his eyes away from the dead man. Blood that looked like ink in the night darkened patches of skin and clothes and there was a large tear in his shirt. But Ace still knew exactly who it was. He had known pretty much since the second he'd arrived in the alleyway. Maybe even before that if he really wanted to think about it and the way he had been so sure something was happening from only one sound.
The boy was crying, his loud sobs echoing against the buildings and bouncing around them. Sure it was scary but Ace didn't think it was worth crying over. Then again, maybe he wasn't the best judge of that. His childhood was clearly very different than this boy's and whereas violence was normal to Ace, it probably wasn't to him. This was probably the most he'd ever seen. Ace, on the other hand, had seen far worse and at a much younger age.
Without sparing him a glance Marco picked the boy up, still softly hushing him. He didn't look Ace's way as he started to walk off, carrying the boy back towards the road before they vanished from Ace's view.
An offended scoff left Ace before he could stop it. He had saved the boy and he didn't even get a fucking thank you. Sure he hadn't done it for a thank you, but it still would have been nice to get one. Especially since without his presence there was no telling what could have happened to the kid. There was no telling if Marco would have gotten there in time or if the man would have just decided the whole thing was botched beyond saving anyway and killed the boy.
Marco definitely should be thanking him.
With a not-pout—because Ace wasn't pouting, he was just annoyed—he walked to the mouth of the alleyway and surveyed the street, taking in the bodies that he could see. Marco had been thorough if nothing else. Even with only the moon as light Ace could see the crumpled and broken remains of the people he had been fighting. There was another one that looked like his skull had been caved in while a different one had a large hole going straight through his chest and to the ground below. Several had body parts twisted in impossible directions and there was one that was just straight up missing their head not too far from Ace’s feet.
It was impressive. It was grotesque, but impressive.
Sure Ace had heard the stories about the man's strength and sure he'd seen hints of it before, but it was a completely different thing to see the full extent of what he could do—not that Ace thought this was all he could do. He was sure Marco could vaporize people if he really tried. But it was still astounding to see and it made Ace real glad he wasn't on Marco's bad side because he knew if he was he would be nothing but a pile of broken bones and skin that hung unnaturally flat.
Damn he was impressive.
Looking back down the alley at the final man, Ace debated what to do. As a Marine he should report this. He should tell Pokorni about the attempted kidnapping—no he didn't have confirmation that that was what it was but he would bet on it—and tell him where he could find the would-be criminals. Sure it would raise a whole lot of questions Ace would have a hard time answering and he would definitely have to admit he snuck out and probably admit that Marco had been the one to annihilate the men, but it was the right thing to do.
Doing so, however, would definitely get him kicked out. Archer was already looking for any excuse to and he knew just the sneaking out alone would be enough for him to try and justify it. And while Pokorni probably wouldn't kick him out for that, he probably, definitely, would if Ace told him he'd run into Marco again. Especially if he admitted that he had helped the man to stop the would-be kidnappers. Even if it was innocuous—which it was—it wasn't a good look and was sure to raise more than a few eyebrows and with Ace's history, they would probably decide it better to just let him go. If he was lucky. There was still the chance that he'd just be carted off to Impel Down as a traitor. Not that it really mattered since he would be dead either way once word was spread about who he was.
It was probably for the best, then, that Ace didn't report this. As far as he knew no one had seen him off ship and no one had seen him here at this fight. He could walk away and sneak back to his dorm and pretend he'd been there the entire time and had no idea about what had happened here. Someone would find the mess at some point and report it and sure there would be an investigation but it was unlikely they'd find anything to tie it back to him.
Well....hopefully. Maybe Ace should make sure there weren't any obvious burns on that one guy's face. Sure it was completely mangled since his skull had been shattered between a foot and a wall, but it didn't hurt to double check.
Ace turned back towards the body only to suddenly find himself shoved backwards into a wall, a hand easily catching the startled, flaming punch he immediately threw. His body turned to flame but his attacker held him easily, his fire cutting out beneath a grip that bruised his skin and kept him immobile. Not that it stopped him, of course. With his hands unable to move Ace brought his knee up, aiming in the general direction a stomach would be. He felt it make contact but whoever held him did nothing but grunt softly, the grip on his arm tightening.
Fuck.
His flames weren't deterring whoever this was and he could barely move and he couldn't reach his dagger at his hip and he could try kneeing them again but he didn't think it would do anything which meant he was trapped and he had no fucking idea who-
“What the fuck did you think you were doing, yoi?” was snarled in front of Ace's face and he instantly froze, his attempts to free himself halting.
“M-Marco?” Ace asked, cutting his flames to try and see.
It took a second for his eyes to readjust but sure enough it was Marco standing in front of him, his hands the ones easily keeping Ace from freeing himself. He looked pissed off though, a look Ace had never seen and one that sent a jolt of fear through him. There was nothing warm about his look right now and it was then that Ace was starting to realize just how fucking stupid he was. Because absolutely no one knew where he was or that he even had left the ship and his previous attempts to get free hadn't gotten him anywhere which meant he was completely at the man's mercy now and pirates and mercy weren't exactly words that went together.
Ace swallowed hard. Fuck.
“What did you think you were doing?” Marco repeated, his grip on Ace's wrist tightening until he had to muffle a squeak of pain.
“Helping you,” Ace growled back, trying to tug his wrist free. It didn't work, of course, but it didn't stop him from continuing to try. “I heard the noise and then the kid and came to see what was happening. Which you're welcome for, by the way. I saved that kid for you-”
“You fucking burned him,” Marco interrupted with another snarl.
Oops. Ace hadn't meant to do that. Though, in his defense, it had been the only thing he could think of to free the kid. Also, why the fuck was Marco so pissed off at him? He should be fucking thanking him for his help, not yelling at him.
“I saved him,” Ace retorted with a growl of his own, flames flaring to life on his shoulders. “And like I said, you're fucking welcome for that. That man was about the fucking kill him.”
Maybe it wasn't a smart idea to argue with the already furious man but what could Ace say. He wasn't known for making smart decisions anyway and Marco was pissing him off. He was acting like Ace had meant to burn that kid instead of doing the best with what he had. He had been trying to save the kid. Hell he had saved him. He'd probably be dead if Ace hadn't been there.
Marco's eyes dropped to his shoulders for a second before they snapped back up to meet Ace's gaze, his flames reflecting back in his eyes until it looked like they were dancing in them.
“I didn't need your fucking help, yoi.”
Oh he didn't need Ace's help, huh? What a fucking lie.
“Yes you did!”
“No I fucking didn't. I had it under control and you burned that kid.”
“I wasn't trying to!” Ace hissed, trying to kick him. He landed a hit to his shin but Marco didn't even flinch, just leveling him with an even more dangerous look that should have terrified him but just made him mad instead. “That fucking man was about to shoot him. If I didn't do anything he'd be dead.”
“He was only about to shoot him because you intervened.”
Ace refused to believe that. Not with the look on that man's face. “He would have done it anyway. He knew his plan was toast the second you showed up.”
“You're the one that pushed him to it.”
“Well I saved your kid for you so there you go. Problem fucking solved.” Also, since Ace was now pissed off, he had something else to add. “And also, you don't get to say anything about me helping you when you keep fucking stepping in when no one fucking asked you to. Consider us fucking even now.”
A small growl rumbled from Marco's chest and it reminded Ace of the tigers he used to fight back home, the ones that would stalk the dark night, searching for weaknesses. “You should be saying thank you for those, yoi. Without me you'd be dead several times over.”
While that might be true, Ace was too pissed off to acknowledge it. “And your kid would be dead without me so there we go.”
There was a dark look in Marco's eyes and for a split-second the fear he should be feeling hit, his stomach curling nauseatingly and his entire body freezing up in a genuine fear for his life. It was a glimpse at the man that had earned that one billion plus bounty, a glimpse of the last thing so many people saw before they were eviscerated beyond belief.
But then the look was gone and abruptly Ace was released as Marco stepped backwards. “You're a fucking idiot,” he growled at him, though it had lost its earlier harshness and anger, sounding more like an annoyed grumble more than anything. “They could have fucking killed you, Ace. Did you even stop to think about that?”
No Ace hadn't. All he had thought about was that someone was fighting and there was a kid that needed help. Nothing else had mattered. He wasn't important anyway.
When Ace didn't respond and just lifted his chin challengingly at him Marco scoffed and rolled his eyes, taking another step backwards so that he was no longer crowding Ace up against the wall. “Yeah I didn't think so. Not with how fast you dove in.”
“What's that supposed to mean?”
An eyebrow rose almost lazily and the change in his demeanor was so sharp and sudden Ace swore it was like talking to a whole different person. Gone was the deadly pirate that even the Admirals dreaded crossing and back was the Marco Ace had met, the laid-back and easy-going one he knew.
“You spent all of, what, five seconds looking at what was happening before jumping in.”
“I did not! I spent longer than that. I just made the decision that you had the people in the street handled and didn't need my help there.”
A vaguely offended look crossed Marco's face. “Of course I had them handled. Unlike you, they wouldn't have hurt me.”
Oh, Ace was pissed now. The anger had been dying down but now it was back and he could feel the flames on his shoulders returning and lighting up higher and he took a step forward ready to snarl back at him only to stop short when his eyes dropped away from Marco's face. He hadn't been paying the man's appearance much attention since he'd been a little afraid for his life—just a little—but now that he was he noticed the large and bleeding cut across his chest going from his collarbone and down to his sternum, cutting through the tattoo that rested there.
Instantly the anger died.
Ace pushed forward regardless, grabbing onto the edge of Marco's shirt and pulling it to the side to get a better look as he tried to gauge how deep it was. He ignored the questioning noise he got as he lit a finger on fire, careful to keep the flame away to keep from burning him but close enough it further illuminated the area.
“I thought you healed,” Ace muttered at him, finally bringing his gaze upwards. “What the fuck is this?”
Marco cleared his throat softly as he shrugged. He shifted slightly like he was about to step away and Ace hastily grabbed onto his arm to keep him from doing so. He got an amused look before Marco gestured to his leg and, confused, Ace glanced down, not sure what he was looking for. At least, he wasn't until he found it.
A faintly blue, almost metal wire looking thing was dug deep into his ankle as it twisted around it, cutting into his skin and making blood ooze out of it. It wasn't something Ace had ever seen before but it didn't take him more than a few seconds to realize the metal was seastone since it was the only possibility.
“The fuck?” Ace muttered. He crouched down and brushed a finger against it, ignoring the blood that smeared beneath his touch to instead focus on the fact that he felt his fire drain away at the brief touch.
“One of them had a whip, yoi,” he explained. Not that it made any sense to Ace since he was pretty sure a whip wasn't supposed to stay in the skin. He ignored that thought for now, though, carefully grabbing onto the end of the wire and carefully starting to disentangle it so he could pull it free. “The end had that attached to it and it stuck to my leg when it hit me.”
It was ingenious if nothing else. Ace sure never would have thought of a weapon like that.
“And you just left it in your leg?” Ace shot back, ignoring the tiredness now pressing down on him as he pulled the sharp wire free.
“I had other things to worry about.”
“What, like yelling at me?”
“Yes.”
Ace looked up with a scoff only to stop when he found Marco wasn't even looking at him, his gaze fixed on the wall off to their side instead. Frowning, Ace pulled the metal free and tossed it away, feeling his fire return as the cut on Marco's ankle began to heal, blue flames mending it closed. He stood up to better look at the man, gaze only lingering briefly on the healing cut on his chest.
“You weren't paying attention,” Marco added in a mutter. “And if you had been, you would have realized one of those men was about to shoot you.”
Shoot him? There hadn't been anyone near him! The only people in the alley had been him, that man, and the kid; and the guy had had his gun aimed at said kid. There wasn't anyone else there.
“The one closest to the mouth of the alley,” he continued when Ace just looked at him. “The one....missing his head.”
Ace remembered that body. It was kind of hard to miss the fact that there was no head attached. He turned towards the mouth of the alley regardless, looking in the direction the body was because he still didn't understand. No one else had been there so-
Oh.
He hadn't paid it much mind since, you know, there was a lot of blood and carnage and all of them had been mangled but the decapitated man was pretty close to the alley and, if he were to have been stood up from where he had fallen, he would have been able to see straight down it to where Ace and the other man was. And Ace had had his back to the mouth, all of his attention focused on the man in front of him. Something he hadn't even realized until just now.
It was starting to get a little annoying that Marco kept saving him. Not that Ace was going to say that right now. He had something more important to focus on. “You decided to forego pulling seastone off of you so that you could heal to yell at me about someone who was already dead?”
Marco's jaw tightened minutely. “Well someone has to apparently.”
“And you should have healed yourself first you fucking idiot.”
The annoyed look was back in Marco's eyes but it was tempered by something else. Something that looked like....something Ace didn't want to think about.
“You're a fucking idiot,” Ace said instead. It was true anyway.
“Well so are you, yoi.”
That was true but it didn't need to be said. Ace had something else to say. “Touch me again and I'll burn you.” It was an empty threat since his flames couldn't do shit to the man and he had just discovered he himself couldn't do anything either. But it didn't stop him from making it because it needed said.
Amusement returned and while it wasn't what Ace wanted to see after threatening someone, he'd take it because it was Marco.
“Oh?” he said, but he said it almost like a.....like a purr.
Ace suddenly found himself crowded back against the wall again though this time instead of holding his wrist Marco's hand was on his chin and tilting his head back so that their gazes could meet. “Will you?”
It was apparently a very empty threat because Marco was literally touching him and all Ace was doing was....staring at him. He should probably do something.
That something ended up being him knocking Marco's hand away before grabbing his shirt and yanking him forward, crashing their mouths together almost violently. He got a second of satisfaction at Marco's gasp before he was being pushed into the wall by a hot body and hands were tangling in his hair, yanking harshly and making him gasp in turn. A tongue slid into Ace's mouth when his lips parted and it slid teasingly against his own before retreating, inviting him to explore. Something Ace did as he pressed forward harder, pressing their mouths together until they bruised as he tried to eliminate the space between their bodies until they were touching from their chests to their thighs.
Pulling back slightly to gasp for air Ace could feel the insufferable smirk on Marco's face when he pressed those burning lips to his neck instead, teeth grazing his skin. He kissed a path up to his ear before he bit the edge of it, making Ace grunt softly.
“Who knew you'd get so turned on by a fight?” Marco teased lowly in his ear, another bite accompanying his words. “Or is just me fighting that does that?”
Ace didn't dignify that with a response as he grabbed a handful of blonde hair and yanked, forcing Marco's head to move so that he could kiss him again. It was a sloppy and violent kiss and Ace bit Marco's lips hard enough to bleed several times but he didn't care. He could heal. He could take it.
“You look hungry, Ace,” Marco whispered against his lips when Ace was forced to break the kiss again to breathe. He would much rather forego air entirely but unfortunately his lungs didn't feel the same and thus he was forced to draw back slightly. Not that Marco seemed to feel the same, his breaths just as even as always against Ace's mouth. “Too hungry for an alley.”
“Then you'd better have a room somewhere,” Ace growled back before he could think about what was happening. He knew it wasn't smart and he knew it was monumentally stupid but he didn't care. He'd deal with the consequences when he could think of something that wasn't Marco's hot body against his and those kissable lips quirking upwards.
“Good thing I do.”
Marco pulled away but before Ace could do anything but whine he was being pulled forward, crashing back against him. Holding his hand, Marco turned and tugged Ace after him, leading him out of the alley and away from the dead bodies still strewn in the street.
The walk wasn't long but it was tinged with such heavy anticipation that Ace kept accidentally lighting tiny flames across himself. He was trying his hardest to hold onto his self control but he didn't have much on a good day and the dark promises in Marco's eyes whenever he looked back at him kept chipping away at the little he did have. It was also long enough to finally make Ace ask if this was really a good idea. Which he already knew it wasn't but it made him ask himself if it was worth it.
But then he was being turned into warm arms and his lips kissed and he decided, yeah, it was.
The door to Marco's hotel room closed with a bang as Ace found himself pinned against it, hands gripping his waist until he was sure there would be bruises tomorrow. Lips were back against his own and it felt like he was being devoured, like Marco was trying to eat him alive.
“I th-think you're the hungry one,” Ace gasped out when Marco turned his attention to his neck. He got a dark chuckle before teeth sank into his collarbone and made him moan, hips stuttering upwards.
“And who knew you'd be so turned on by pain,” Marco retorted against Ace's skin. Hands slid away from Ace's waist before he was abruptly being picked up. He didn't get more than a second to realize it before he was being pressed down onto a bed, Marco's heavy weight completely covering him.
“You're a sadist,” Ace growled back as he put his hands to work shoving Marco's shirt off.
The man got the memo and sat up slightly to let Ace shove it off before his hands landed on Ace's belts, nimble fingers making quick work of the buckles. Ace sat up too and used one hand to undo the button on Marco's pants while the other wrapped around his neck and pulled him down so that Ace could sink his teeth into his neck. He could feel the way the mound beneath his hands twitched and he suppressed a laugh as he focused on getting those pants pushed down and away. Not that they got far due to the fucking sash on his waist.
“So are you.” Marco yanked Ace's shirt off before pushing him back down to the mattress with a hand on his chest, easily keeping him pinned when he struggled. He just smirked down at the glare Ace gave him and quickly suppressed the fire that started to ignite on his skin. “Now, now,” he chided, looming over Ace. “None of that or you're the one paying for the room, yoi.”
“It's your room,” Ace shot back, though he did kill his flames.
He got an unimpressed look before Marco sat up and his pants were pulled all the way off of him, exposing him to the slightly cool air of the room. Ace shivered briefly but before he could make any kind of remark warm breath was ghosting over his hardening cock before a hot mouth was encompassing it, easily swallowing him down.
Ace's hands shot out to grip Marco's hair with a startled cry. He swore the fucker laughed at him but it was hard to care when the vibration felt amazing and pulled a moan out of him. Instead he tightened his grip on those blonde locks and roughly pushed him down, forcing him to go lower. Well, forcing might be a stretch since they'd already established Marco was much stronger than him, but that wasn't important. He went lower and that was all Ace cared about.
“Fuck!” Ace couldn't help the tiny thrust his hips made, trying to bury himself completely into that warmth. He tried to ease his grip on Marco's hair only to tighten it again when he hummed around his cock, the vibration going straight to his core and sending pleasure arching through him. “Fuck. I'm gonna come if you don't stop.”
That mouth pulled away and Ace immediately whined at the loss. He got a cocky grin in return but he didn't care how desperate he looked or sounded. He wanted to get fucked and he wanted to get fucked by Marco. Coming before then would be a waste.
“What, can't come twice?” Marco teased, still on his knees between Ace's legs. One hand slid up his thigh, tracing closer and closer towards his leaking cock. “Because I can. In fact, I can as many times as I want.”
Ace narrowed his eyes at him for a second, his hazy brain not cooperating. “Your devil fruit,” he finally guessed, the fog clearing a little. It instantly returned under the gut-clenching lustful gaze he got at his words and he couldn't help but shiver. “That's fucking cheating.”
Marco just laughed. “Call it an advantage.” He started to lean away as he added, “Though if you can't-”
“I didn't fucking say that,” Ace snarled, grabbing Marco by the hair again. “Finish what you started. Unless you're all bark and no bite?”
The look he got in return should have made him want to run because it was dark and dangerous and full of all sorts of promises he would probably regret. But instead all Ace did was smile sharply before lips were back around his cock and he was throwing his head back again, instantly forgetting about the conversation and why it had even started. All he cared about was the fact that Marco was on his knees for him and he absolutely knew how to use that filthy mouth of his.
Any other time and Ace would be embarrassed by how quickly he came. But considering how pent up he'd been for months now and how fucking hot Marco looked with a bit of Ace's cum leaking from the corner of his lips, he didn't really care. All he cared about was the man making good on his promise of making Ace come at least twice. Maybe more depending on how he felt afterwards.
Marco stood up, eyes running over the heaving expanse of Ace's body. He had the same predatory look as an animal stalking his prey and Ace was, once again, reminded of those tigers on his home island. Though those tigers had looked at him like that because they wanted to eat him, not because they wanted to absolutely fucking wreck him. He still shivered a little regardless.
“You look pretty like this, yoi,” Marco remarked casually and Ace's cheeks burned. “Like some kind of fallen god.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
An eyebrow rose slightly as Marco laughed but he didn't say anything else as he left the bed and went to rummage around on the other side of the room. Ace propped himself up on his elbows to watch, licking his lips a little when Marco bent over and his pants sagged lower on his hips.
“What are you looking for?” Ace finally asked, pulling his gaze away when he realized he was shamelessly ogling the man. His body was still shaking slightly from the force of his orgasm and staring at that nice ass probably wasn't helping any right now. Though it was definitely starting to get blood flowing again.
“Lube.”
“You keep lube in your bag?”
“I like to be prepared.”
“Why? So you can fuck someone on every island you visit?”
Marco straightened up as he gave Ace an unimpressed look. “If I didn't have any I couldn't fuck you.” Fair point. “Also, I prefer it to jacking dry.” That was also fair.
Crossing back towards the bed, Marco dropped the lube next to Ace before he quickly undid the sash around his waist. He hooked his fingers into the belt loops of his pants and pulled them down, kicking out of them as soon as he could. Not that Ace was paying attention to that, his gaze drawn to a certain part of Marco's anatomy and staying there. He might have drooled a little bit.
“I don't know if I should be flattered or concerned.”
Ace made a noncommittal humming sound, not really paying attention. All he was paying attention to was the fact that he could see the way the veins pulsed and the fact that the tip was already shiny with precum. He was also thinking of how good it was going to stretch him out and how much he couldn't wait to feel it split him open.
“You're looking at me like I'm food.”
Yeah, Ace probably was. Who cared.
Reluctantly pulling his gaze away and back towards Marco's face, Ace ordered, “Fuck me.”
He got a sharp smirk in return before Marco was bearing down on him again, pressing their lips together. He didn't kiss as harshly as Ace did but it was still enough to make his lips tingle, pleasure and the slightest bit of pain pushing his body to give a physical reaction. He could taste himself on Marco’s lips and it should be gross but all he could feel was satisfaction.
Abruptly Ace found his legs hiked up and his body bent, their kiss breaking so he could groan at the sudden movement and the sharp stretch. He got what felt like an apologetic kiss but Marco didn't let go, just settling more comfortably on the bed as he further pushed Ace's legs apart.
“You stay there like a good boy, yoi,” he said lowly, that rough pitch to his voice back and making Ace shiver again. He could feel the valiant effort his cock was making to stand back up and the look on Marco's face was certainly helping it along.
The bottle clicked open loudly before wetness was suddenly dripping between Ace's parted legs, trailing a slow path down his perineum, across his twitching hole, and down onto the blankets below. He forced his eyes open just in time to watch the way Marco licked his lips, his gaze fixed firmly on where Ace was fully exposed and where the lube was dripping over him.
“I bet you'd look good like this with my cum dripping out of you. Especially when you're so stuffed full it has nowhere else to go.”
Okay that was hot. It really shouldn't be but it was hot and oddly arousing and Ace moaned quietly, the sound just a bit desperate. “You should- you should get to testing that theory out,” he managed to gasp out and the dark look in Marco's eyes when his gaze snapped back up to his was so fucking hot he could feel his dick twitch. That look promised him he was going to get wrecked and he couldn't wait.
Without warning two fingers were shoved roughly into Ace's body and he broke their eye contact to throw his head backwards with a stifled cry. He heard the low chuckle Marco let out but those fingers were thrusting rapidly in and out of his body and that was all he could focus on right now. Especially when they twisted and started to go deeper, stroking over his inner walls until they hit what they wanted and Ace's whole body jerked with a loud moan.
The fingers started to spread as they pushed in and pulled out, forcing Ace's body to stretch with each movement. Periodically they pushed in deeper to stroke over his prostate again, forcing more noises from Ace no matter how hard he tried to bite his lips to stop them. Warm air brushed over his face before Marco's lips were against his again, a tongue forcing his mouth open so that it could swipe against his bleeding lips. Something cool flickered between their kiss and Ace tried to pull away but Marco just leaned more heavily against him, keeping him still.
Blood was smeared on Marco's lips when he sat back up and Ace could still taste copper but his lips had stopped bleeding and somewhere in the haze of his mind he remembered Marco's healing flames. But then a third finger was roughly pushed into him and his mind immediately crumbled again and nothing felt as important as those fingers were.
Three fingers soon turned to four and Ace already felt so full with just them inside that he vaguely wondered what it would feel like once Marco got around to actually shoving his cock into him. He'd probably feel like he was being split apart. He couldn't wait to find out.
After what felt like an eternity Marco pulled his fingers out and Ace whined at the loss, forcing his eyes back open. He forced his head up just enough to watch as Marco grabbed the lube again and spread it over his now very inflamed looking cock, the tip such a burning red that it had to be painful. Not that he immediately shoved it in like Ace expected him to, pulling up and away instead to give Ace some room.
“Want me to fuck you like this, yoi? Or in a different position?”
It was nice of him to ask but Ace didn't give a shit. Though if he was offering....
With tremendous effort Ace forced himself to sit up. Marco raised an eyebrow at him but shuffled backwards slightly to give him some room, his cock bobbing at the motion and distracting Ace again. Though he was able to pull his attention away when he remembered what he was doing since that was definitely going to be better than just staring was.
Grabbing onto Marco's shoulders, Ace shoved him backwards, falling onto the bed with him but landing on top this time. He perched a bit shakily on his hips, wiggling his ass just a little when he felt that thick length brush against his ass.
“You gonna ride me?” Marco asked, hands grabbing onto Ace's hips.
Giving an affirmative sound, Ace propped himself up a bit more before reaching behind him with one hand while the other landed on that quite frankly impressive chest to hold himself up. He carefully directed the enlarged tip towards his stretched rim, starting to sink down on it the second he felt the tip start to penetrate him. A long moan was torn from him as more and more of that cock pressed into him, a faint burn accompanying the stretch since apparently even four fingers hadn't been quite enough. Or maybe it had just been that long. Regardless, it felt fucking great and by the time Ace had Marco's entire cock in him his body was thrumming with pleasure that threatened to spill over again.
“Fuck, you're tight,” Marco groaned, his fingers flexing from where they held onto Ace's body. “You gonna move or just sit there?”
“Shut up,” Ace hissed back. “I-I need a second.”
“Oh? Too much for you?” There was a tease in that gravely tone and Ace hated him for it.
He purposefully squeezed his walls, enjoying the stuttered curse he got in return. Not that he got to enjoy it for long, not when Marco immediately thrusted up into him and broke the dam Ace had been trying to hold back. He came all over Marco's stomach and chest, a loud and strangled cry of Marco's name on his lips as his whole body shook.
Marco breathed out a curse before his hands loosened their grip to stroke along Ace's sides instead. The touch was grounding as his body trembled, his whole being oversensitive in the wake of his second orgasm as Marco's cock pulsed and twitched inside him, every little movement feeling like too much.
Still panting for breath Ace collapsed downwards, resting his head on Marco's chest. The hands moved to his back, stroking it instead as he twitched and shook. He was trying, he really was, but it had been a long time and it sort of felt like Marco might actually kill him like this.
“Too much, yoi?” Marco finally whispered against his ear, his nose nudging it a bit.
Ace stubbornly shook his head. “Give me a-a second.”
“A second? You look like you need an hour.”
Refusing to agree to that, Ace turned his head slightly and bit down on Marco's collarbone. Skin broke beneath his teeth before his mouth was filled with coolness, healing flames chasing away the taste of iron. Marco shuddered slightly and even if it was unintentional his hips moved and it made Ace squeal, immediately releasing his mouthful.
Forcing out a breath, Ace pushed himself up onto his hands, pressing his knees a little more firmly against the mattress as well. He ignored the look Marco was giving him to tentatively pull his hips up a little, groaning as he felt his cock slowly slide out of him. With his limited range of motion he could only pull up so much so at about the half way point he started to press back down instead, his nails digging into the sheets at the feeling as flames flickered on his shoulders.
It was more of a slow rocking then anything but Ace kept going, slowly pulling the cock in him out before pushing it back in. Every little movement felt like too much but he didn't care, forcing his body to move anyway.
After what felt like both seconds and hours—but was probably only a few minutes—Marco's hands landed on his hips, stilling him. Ace whined as he tried to move but Marco held him firmly, not letting him do much but wiggle around.
“As sweet as this is,” he began around a voice so gravely it could have been a mountain, “either pick up the pace or let me do it. You're killing me like this.”
“M-Maybe that's the point,” Ace shot back even though it really really really wasn't. He just couldn't force himself to move any faster. And it wasn't just physically, though that was definitely part of it since he was sure he would fall if he tried. Ace just knew if he started to go faster he was going to start screaming. Sure his body was starting to calm down but he was still so fucking sensitive that every tiny movement was too much and bordering on painful and full on thrusting was probably going to break him.
Still holding him by the hips, Marco thrust upwards and a choked scream left Ace before he could stop it. Marco almost instantly froze but Ace tried to grind back against him, whimpering when he was still held still.
“Do it- do it yourself then,” Ace growled, finally stopping his wiggling since it wasn't doing much anyway. “Fuck me.”
“Do you have a death wish, yoi?”
Probably but that wasn't the point so Ace glared at him as hard as he could. Which, considering how tired he was probably wasn't much, but it was the thought that counted.
Marco's eyes narrowed slightly and he held Ace's gaze for a long minute. It was so long that Ace was beginning to think he was about to go back on fucking him and pull out instead when suddenly he was being flipped around and shoved face-first into the mattress as Marco pulled out. He only got a second to whine before he was filled again with one thrust and Ace screamed loudly, the sound muffled by the blankets.
“Your funeral,” Marco growled in his ear. Though the sound was at odds with the hand gently stroking his hair and the kiss that was pressed to the back of his neck. The hand pulled away before it caught Ace's and he tangled their fingers together, shifting his weight so that his other arm was holding most of him up instead. He kissed the back of Ace's neck one more time before he began to pull out.
The sharp thrust back into his body made Ace moan loudly and he buried his face into the blankets, his teeth gripping onto one to try and further muffle the sounds. He wasn't sure how much it was doing but he didn't really have a chance to think because Marco didn't hold back, continuing to harshly thrust in and out of his body at a rapidly increasing pace and all Ace could do was scream in painful pleasure.
Lewd slaps rang through the air beneath Ace's loud cries and there was the quietest of filthy squelches when Marco pushed in. The bed creaked repeatedly beneath their movements and thank god it wasn't fully against the wall or the headboard would have been slamming into it over and over.
Beneath the sounds of sex Marco murmured softly in Ace's ear, his words a hazy sound that barely registered against everything else happening. Most of it was lost to Ace's hazed over and gone mind, but a few words trickled in here and there, all about how good he felt and how good he was being for Marco and how beautiful he looked like this. It was at such odds with how harshly and roughly he was fucking him that if Ace could have thought of anything he probably would have laughed. But his mind was so far gone that it was all he could do to try and keep from screaming at every movement that he didn't pay attention, focusing on the sharp rocking into his body instead.
Pleasure burned through Ace's body hotter than any of his flames, sharp nails of it dragging through him like it was cutting him from the inside out. He could feel every movement Marco made, every drag of his thick cock in and out of him and against his sore rim. Air was driven from his lungs every time Marco thrusted in and it was probably the lack of oxygen that finally made Ace stop screaming and moan instead, unable to gather enough spare air to do so. Not that it completely stopped him, a few slipping out when his abused prostate was pressed against. He swore Marco was so deep in him he was in his guts, punching into them and bullying them around.
The grip on his hand tightened and a breathless curse whispered against Ace's ear before it was followed by a low moan. Hips drove harshly one last time into Ace, pressing as deep into him as they could, before his cock twitched and Marco came inside of him, hot cum filling him and leaking out when Marco ground against him.
With a strangled cry Ace also came again, though there was barely anything that managed to come out. Not with how exhausted his body was. It still sent those waves of pleasure spiking through him again, pain and pleasure blurring until they couldn't be separated and all Ace could do was hold on for the ride.
Well, attempt to hold on might be the better phrase. Because almost immediately after coming Ace could feel exhaustion pressing in on his mind and before he could even try and warn Marco he was passing out. If he had been awake enough to notice he would have been both mad and a little embarrassed, but as it was he barely even knew he was before the world was fading away and he was floating off in a pleasured haze of darkness.
Chapter Text
Ace awoke to a dimly lit room wrapped in soft blankets and next to something warm and firm. He was also sore as hell and could already feel a multitude of bruises beginning to form across his skin and he was sure that, by morning, he would look like he went a few rounds in a fight. He was going to have a hard time talking his way out of this one. Not that he cared too much about that right this second because he was warm and content and pleasantly satisfied.
With a groan, Ace rolled onto his stomach, only to stop short when the warmth next to him shifted slightly. Hmm. Forcing his eyes open, he tilted his head up slightly and oh, Marco was still here. And right next to him. And not wearing a shirt which meant his very nice chest was on display and Ace was a little mad none of his bite marks were left because he had very nicely decorated all of that skin. And he was looking right at him with what looked like genuine concern.
“You okay, yoi?” Marco asked quietly, a hand brushing against Ace's hair and mmm, that felt nice. It was like a massage and a gentle scratch rolled into one and he would like for him to keep doing that. “I'm assuming you passed out from your narcolepsy but-”
Oh shit.
Ace scrambled upright, casting a look at the window across the room. It was still dark out thank god but since it had been late evening when he'd left the ship and then all those other things had happened, it was probably getting close to morning by now and he needed to get back to the ship before dawn since he knew Archer was probably going to come looking for him and if he wasn't there he was going to make good on that threat and Ace really didn't want to find out what he had-
“Ace?”
Ignoring him, Ace pushed the blankets off—and the arm on his waist that he hadn't noticed that had been holding him—and moved to the edge of the bed. His body protested like hell but he stood up regardless, looking around for his clothes. He wasn't entirely sure where they'd been thrown to but he needed to find them and put them on and leave right this minute.
God this was a fucking massive mistake.
“Ace?”
Nope, Ace was ignoring him. He didn't want to look at him or talk to him or even acknowledge that he was there. Ace had monumentally fucked up and he needed to leave now before it got worse.
God he was so stupid.
He found his shirt on the floor next to the bed and he hurriedly pulled it on. One of his boots was by the bed leg and he found the other near the wall. His shorts took a bit longer to find but eventually he found them under Marco's and he put them on, grateful his underwear had still been with them.
“I take it you're leaving,” Marco said almost dryly from the bed, his arms crossed loosely against his chest. “And here I thought I should be flattered that you passed out on me after coming for a third time.”
Ace shot him a glare over his shoulder as he buckled up his belts. “Hilarious,” he muttered at him, mentally chastising himself for acknowledging and speaking to the man. Didn't stop him from adding, “If I'm not back before dawn I'm dead.”
An eyebrow rose in his direction but Ace ignored it to start lacing up his boots. He needed to stop talking back to the man. God Deuce had been right. He wasn't strong enough to rebuke Marco's attempts. He needed to learn to be better because this was such a mistake and he couldn't ever let it happen again and honestly he really never should even see Marco again.
“Your CO, I imagine. Archer, wasn't it?”
Ace ignored him as he began to tie his other boot. Well, he tried to ignore him. It was hard to when the bed creaked softly and steps padded towards him. He stiffened as the man got close but relaxed when he realized he was just handing him his knife back. It must have fallen out when he was being undressed.
“Did you get in trouble or something, yoi?” Marco continued, still hovering nearby. If Ace had looked up he would have seen that the concern was back but since he wasn't, he didn't see it.
“Something like that,” Ace said quietly, ignoring the hand that was offered as he stood up. “I wasn't supposed to leave the ship since I keep getting into trouble on islands and I refused to go with Archer for the evening.”
“Saving civilians is counted as getting into trouble?”
Everything Ace did was counted as getting into trouble. But it wasn't like that mattered to Marco. It wasn't like he cared.
“If I'm not back when he goes to wake me up at dawn I'll be in trouble and I really don't want to know what punishment he's got up his sleeve.” Ace could still remember the oddly worded threat Archer had departed with and while he was sure it was just a slip of the tongue or a misspeak, he really didn't want to find out if it wasn't. His ass was sore enough right now as it was thanks to a certain blonde. “Besides, I shouldn't even be here in the first place.”
“Sounds like a stupid reason to keep you on the ship.” It was but who cared. “I could help you-”
“No.” Ace swallowed hard, fiddling with the clip that attached his dagger's sheath to his belt. He didn't want to look at the man. “This was- this was a mistake, Marco. I shouldn't have come back here. With you. It was- it was a bad idea.”
A soft exhale left Marco but the sound didn't give anything away. And with Ace staunchly refusing to look his way, he could pretend the man was agreeing with him. He probably was. Surely he knew how stupid it had been for the two of them to sleep together. Ace couldn't imagine his crew would be thrilled to hear about it but even if they didn't really care, he had to know the Marines would care and that they would murder Ace were they to find out. Unless that was the point. Maybe he slept with Marines just to get them executed. It would be ingenious.
“If you want help-” Marco began again, but Ace was already starting towards the door. He needed him to stop talking if he wanted to keep pretending.
“I'm leaving,” Ace said as he interrupted him again, one hand already on the doorknob. “And you need to stop fucking stalking me. And you need to leave me alone. I'll arrest you next time if you don't.”
It wasn't like Ace could if he tried and they both knew it, but maybe it would get Marco to fuck off. Probably not since Ace had told him that several times already and he hadn't, but who knew. Maybe this would finally get through his thick skull. Maybe he'd finally listen.
The door closed behind him before Marco could respond and Ace quietly left the hotel, careful to keep his face turned away from the sleepy looking worker at the desk. He was hoping that they'd been enamored enough with each other when they'd arrived to keep the worker from looking at them too hard. He knew from personal experience at least that people tended to look the other way when people started kissing. Hopefully this worker had too.
It was cool outside and the night was thankfully still dark, not even the faintest of glows on the horizon yet. Stars were still twinkling high above Ace's head and the moon was still a crescent even if it was starting to slink away. The streets were completely empty, making it look like a ghost town, like something had happened while Ace had been inside that had swept all the people away. Every corner had been filled with people and vendors only a few—maybe more than a few—hours ago and yet there was no one now, just cobblestone streets and a faint breeze that blew a bit of trash around.
Even the docks were quiet when Ace reached them. Something he was thankful for since he would have had a hard time explaining his late presence to anyone had someone been there. Though it did mean he had to be careful and stick exclusively to the dark shadows cast by other boats. With how late—or early—it was he doubted any of their watches were really doing their job, but one could never be too careful. Especially since he wouldn't be able to talk his way out of anything if he was caught.
Ace reached his ship without issue and carefully began his climb back up it, using the same ledges he'd come down some hours before. Though what he hadn't counted on was the fact that his body fucking ached and his legs kept shaking occasionally and his lower back was killing him. Sure he shouldn't have any problem getting back up on a normal day but after getting absolutely wrecked, it was a bit of a challenge.
He almost made it to the railing when he slipped. He managed to catch himself on one of the ledges but it was a bad grip and metal sliced into his palm as he was forced to hold his form instead of turning to flame. While the night watches might mostly be watching the horizon, a flicker of flame along their ship was sure to draw their attention and it would raise a hell of a lot of questions were anyone to ask Ace why he was hanging onto the side of their ship in the early hours of the morning.
Gritting his teeth, Ace clambered up the rest of the way, all but falling onto the deck when he got over the railing. At least here he was partially sheltered by huge piles of ropes and chains. It wasn't a great place to hide but it gave him a chance to catch his breath and to press his bleeding hand into his shirt to keep from leaving a trail.
The deck and halls were mercifully deserted and Ace made it back to his room without problem. He opened the door slowly to keep the hinges from creaking and slipped inside, shutting it just as soundlessly. He could only hear a few faint breaths in the dark and his haki only picked up on a few members of his squadron. It seemed that most had opted to stay somewhere on land. That thankfully meant less people he had to worry about waking as he quietly hurried between the bunks. He stopped off by his trunk for just long enough to grab some new clothes, an old shirt he had in there, and a towel, before he went to the bathroom, going as far into it as he could.
As much as Ace just wanted to go to fucking bed and sleep, he needed to clean up first. He also needed to deal with his still bleeding palm and he was going to have to do something about the blood now on his shirt since he'd been using that to stop the bleeding. He might end up having to throw it away if he couldn't get the blood out.
Stripping, Ace stepped into one of the shower stalls and cranked the water to hot. He got hit with a faceful of icy water instead but his body just heated up to accommodate the chill. It wasn't ideal but whatever. All he cared about was getting clean.
Once satisfied that all the evidence of his mistake was gone—minus the bruises and the bite mark that he really couldn't do anything about—Ace left the shower and hurriedly toweled off. Leaving the towel around his waist he used his knife the cut the old shirt into strips before wrapping them around the still bleeding cut. He tied it off hastily before redressing and crossing to the sink. He tried to wash the blood off his shirt but the dark stain stubbornly remained, seeming to mock him in the low light of the bathroom. Seems he was down two shirts then.
Ace stepped back into the shower, holding his ruined shirt in his non-injured hand. Lighting his hand on fire, he watched as it caught along the material, quickly running across the cloth and burning it away until all that was left was ash. Ash that he washed down the drain.
His shorts and towel were dropped in the laundry basket and Ace finally crawled into his bed. He stopped short at the feeling of the lumps beneath his blankets and with a sigh he gathered them up and quietly crawled back down. Ace dumped them gracelessly into his trunk before going back up and face-planting into his pillow. The mattress wasn't nearly as comfortable as the one back in the hotel room and his body still really fucking ached both pleasantly and unpleasantly but Ace was so tired that he only barely noticed before he was asleep.
It felt like he had only just fallen asleep when the door was thrown open and the lights were turned on, the room quickly feeling like the fucking sun had been shoved into it. The other people in the room groaned quietly at the rude wake up while Ace tried to bury his face further into his pillow. They had the morning off. There was no reason for him to-
“Portgas.”
Fucking asshole.
Groaning quietly to himself, Ace pushed himself upwards and hazily looked downwards. It took him a second to focus in on Archer, the man standing next to his bunk with his traditional glower on his face. How he could look so awake and put together at the ass-crack of dawn was beyond Ace but he was really fucking jealous of him. If the man was going to insist on waking them all up at that time he should at least share his secret with them.
“If this was an attack you'd be dead,” Archer pointed out needlessly. If there was an attack they would have gotten a hell of a lot more warning than the door being opened and the lights turning on—and that was only if they even made it this far. They weren't anywhere near the deck which meant they'd have to go through a lot of hallways and Marines to reach them and Ace doubted anyone would be able to. He didn't point this out though.
“Whadda want?” Ace grumbled as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. A glance at the window revealed the faintest of glows seeping in which meant it was, once again, not even fucking dawn. God Ace just wanted to sleep.
“You at attention would be a good place to start.”
Ace just blinked tiredly. “If you don't have an actual reason-”
“I didn't say that,” Archer interrupted with a bark. “You have five seconds to get down here or you'll be cleaning the bathrooms with your tongue.”
Just once Ace wanted to be threatened with something normal. Hell he'd take corporeal punishment over whatever nonsense it was Archer liked to spout.
Regardless, Ace rolled off his bunk and landed on his feet. He clasped his hands behind his back and sure he might have swayed a little bit but he was at attention in less than five seconds. No he wasn't dressed but since that hadn't been part of the demand, it was good enough. It wasn't like any of them were ever dressed when the man came stomping in.
Archer was oddly silent and at first Ace thought it was because he was impressed that he actually managed to do as asked in the ridiculously short amount of time he'd been given. But when he finally focused in on the man he realized he was staring at his body and that was when he realized he wasn't wearing a shirt which meant the bruises Marco had left him with were on full display.
Fuck.
“Portgas.” Archer's voice was strange when he said his name, his eyes narrowing as they traveled up to his neck and the bite mark there. “You....weren't to leave the ship yesterday.”
“And I didn't.” It was a complete fucking lie but hey, Ace had grown up lying so it was nothing to him. He'd been lying his whole fucking life and he'd yet to be found out. And even if Archer had his suspicions, there was no way he could prove Ace had left.
“Your....bruises say differently.”
His bruises said a lot of things. A lot of things Ace didn't want them to say but it was a little late to think about it now. If he'd thought about it at the time he would have told Marco not to leave any marks. Hell if he'd been thinking he never would have gone with him in the first place.
“I didn't leave the ship,” Ace said, basically repeating what he had already said. Archer could think what he wanted but all he needed to think was that it happened on the ship.
“You expect me to believe you bit yourself on your collarbone.”
Ace blinked, not sure if Archer was stupid or dense. Or maybe he was just being stubbornly obtuse. It was hard to tell sometimes with him. “I didn't bite myself.”
“You literally have a bite mark on your collarbone.”
“Yes.” There was no point in lying about that since the proof was pretty prominent on his skin. It had been dark last night when he'd glanced in the mirror and he could only imagine it had grown darker the little bit he'd slept.
“So how did it get there?”
Apparently it was obtuse that Archer was going with today. What a surprise.
“Someone bit me.”
“I can see that. Who?”
“I don't think that it concerns you who did.”
Eyes narrowed sharply at him and Archer took what was probably supposed to be a threatening step forward. Since Ace had been dealing with him for something like a year and a half now and had had to deal with Garp and bandits and criminals before that, it wasn't threatening to him. Though it did annoy him since it put the man in Ace's space and while he might not usually mind, he didn't like Archer at all and definitely didn't want him in his space.
“No?” There was an undercurrent of a threat in his single word. A threat Ace ignored. He might be Ace's commanding officer but he that didn't mean he was privy to what happened when Ace was off the clock and he had been off the clock last night. Whatever happened didn't concern him since nobody had been hurt and no rules broken—technically, at least, as far as the man was concerned. Though, now that Ace was thinking about it, he wasn't sure if it actually was ever explicitly stated anywhere that Marines couldn't sleep with pirates. Unless they counted that under fraternizing? He should look.
Oh yeah, and Archer was waiting for a response. “No.” And because he was tired and annoyed with the man he added, “It isn't any of your business what I do when I'm not working as long as no rules are being broken and nobody is being hurt. Which means that what I got up to last night on the ship is none of your business.”
“Oh? Is that right?” Archer asked quietly, his voice almost a whisper and something about the sound made Ace's hair stand on end. Especially when it was followed by the slightest tilt of the man's head, a dark look crossing his eyes as his gaze dropped back to the bruises on his waist. Not that Ace let his unease show, of course, just continuing to stand as still as he could while evenly staring straight ahead.
Eventually Archer took a step back and Ace let his shoulders slump slightly. He really hated that fucking man. “I have my eye on you, Portgas. You might have everyone else fooled but I know you aren't as innocent as you claim to be. And I know you're up to something and it's only a matter of time until I prove that.”
Considering Ace literally wasn't up to anything, it was going to be a long time. Not that he would put it above Archer to try and fabricate evidence to get him kicked out. It actually wouldn't surprise him if he did. Though that did mean it would be harder for him to prove his innocence. Maybe he should try staying in Pokorni's good graces. He was sure the man would at least somewhat protect him from whatever bullshit Archer tried to pull. Legally protect, at least. Considering the man never stepped in no matter how much yelling and hitting Archer did he didn't expect any help there but that wasn't the point. Ace could take that. He just would need the help if Archer tried to get him kicked out.
With a click of his tongue Archer turned away and for a second Ace thought he'd be able to go back to sleep. Of course, Archer shattered that hope as he said over his shoulder, “There's a few new reports from our squadron that need written up and I told Smith you'd do his as well so he could take a well-deserved break.” Of course he did. Fucking bastard. They were all on leave and yet Ace was expected to keep working. “Oh, and you should get your hand looked at. I find it hard to believe that that happened over the course of your activities , but what do I know. Maybe you're a masochist. Maybe you're just lying.”
Ace could feel the blood squelch slightly as his fists clenched. The wrap apparently hadn't done much. Or maybe it was just that bad of a cut. Whatever. He hadn't thought of it and now he was sure Archer was going to be digging to try and prove that he'd cut it off ship. Maybe he'd lie and say he cut it sharpening his knife and just hadn't felt like going to the infirmary.
“Also,” Archer added, pausing near the doorway, his voice carrying back across the room for everyone to hear, “you must be a pretty quick lay. I mean, someone checked on you about every half hour last night and they all reported you in your bed fast asleep. I bet that was a real disappoint to your partner when you only lasted a minute. You should work on that.”
The door closed before Ace could say anything and he gritted his teeth, staring at the wall. That was something else he hadn't thought of. Goddammit.
Blowing out a breath, Ace crossed to the foot of his bed and pulled his trunk open. He grabbed a clean uniform from it and hurriedly put it on, buttoning it up to the collar. It felt like he was being choked but it covered most of the bruises so he'd just have to deal with it. The only ones he couldn't cover were the ones near his ear but whatever.
Ace left the room, flicking the lights back off as he went since Archer wasn't considerate enough to do so. While he should head straight to the man's office to get to work on those reports, he instead turned and headed deeper into the ship, following a winding path towards the infirmary. The doctors and nurses all had rooms near there in case of emergencies which meant Deuce's room was there too and Ace was sure he would be back by now. He wasn't really the type to stay out all night and while he probably wouldn't like being woken up early either, Ace would rather he be the one to take a look at his hand. He just didn't trust the other medical staff as much.
Sure enough Deuce was in his room and sure enough he grumbled and complained when Ace woke him up. He did get up and follow Ace out, though, only hurriedly throwing on some clothes when it was pointed out to him that he wasn't wearing anything but his boxers. While Ace didn't care, he was sure the other people in the infirmary probably would. Something about dress codes and professionalism.
“Remind me of what happened,” Deuce muttered as he pulled a pair of gloves on and grabbed some supplies from the cupboards of the private exam room he'd led Ace to. Thank god the nurses on duty weren't the curious type and had barely spared them a glance before they'd gone back to whatever they had been doing.
Considering Ace hadn't told him what happened there was nothing to remind him of. Though he did tell him what happened—at least, he told him the lie he'd decided on. “I cut my hand sharpening my knife last night.”
“And you waited until fucking dawn to have anyone look at it?” An annoyed look was leveled at Ace and he just shrugged, looking down as the wrappings were pulled away and the wound exposed.
He hadn't really looked at it last night but now that he was he could tell that he probably definitely should have had someone look at it last night because ouch. He might not be a doctor but it was still oozing blood and he knew that was a bad thing. And he knew this for sure because he'd gotten a lecture from Deuce over it many many months ago when he had also avoided the infirmary for a cut that kept bleeding. Though considering that was what Ace had done growing up he still didn't quite see the point but whatever.
A deep sigh left Deuce and Ace was sure if his gloves weren't bloody he would have rubbed at his temples. As it was he fixed a level look at Ace, his expression full of disbelief. “Really?”
“I thought it would be fine,” Ace defended. Which was partially true, he just also hadn't wanted to go to the infirmary and explain what happened. Or at least, explain his lie of what happened. “I didn't actually realize it was still bleeding until I woke up.”
“Feral child,” Deuce muttered as he turned away. He grabbed the sterilizing wipes he'd left on the nearby tray and used one to wipe up the dried blood, ignoring Ace's hiss of pain. The more he cleaned the more he frowned and even though he wasn't really looking Ace could tell it wasn't just because of the blood. Sure there was quite a bit of it but that was hardly worth the look which meant- “This isn't a knife cut.”
And there it was.
“Yes it is.”
“Ace.”
Ace pointedly wasn't looking his way.
“You didn't get this fucking cleaning your knife so tell me how you fucking got this.”
“I wasn't cleaning it, I was sharpening it.”
Deuce apparently didn't find that funny, his stare hardening. “You tell me what happened right now or I call your grandfather and tell him about what happened at that last island.”
Ace stiffened. “You wouldn't dare.”
The look didn't let up and while Ace was pretty sure he wouldn't actually dare since Deuce knew how big of a pain in the ass the man was, but it still wasn't a risk he could run. Asshole. See if Ace told him anything ever again.
“I cut it climbing back up the ship,” Ace finally admitted in a murmur, glancing at the door to double check that it was closed.
“Back up? You mean you snuck off the ship after being explicitly told not to?”
Considering Ace had done a lot of things he'd been explicitly told not to, he wasn't exactly sure why Deuce was surprised. He still nodded regardless.
“Are you trying to make Archer mad at you? Because it sounds like he gets mad enough without you trying that I can't for the life of me imagine why you'd make it harder for yourself.”
Ace asked himself that question sometimes. He usually didn't have any answer other than the man pissed him off but he knew that wasn't exactly a good reason since he was the one that got punished. Whatever. He was pretty sure that was a rhetorical question anyway.
Deuce sighed, finally letting go of Ace's hand to step away and throw the mess into the trash. He grabbed something else from the cupboard before returning, setting a suture kit on the tray. “What did you do off ship?” he asked as he pulled a stool up and clicked a light on, illuminating Ace's hand and the deep cut. His voice was oddly stiff as he added, “I'm hoping it wasn't anything stupid.”
All he'd done was get in a fight, stop an attempted kidnapping, and then fuck a dangerous pirate. You know, normal, everyday island activities. Nothing worth mentioning.
“No,” Ace lied because there was no way in hell he was going to admit to his friend any of that.
“You know you have bruises on your neck.”
Yes he was aware of them. Along with the bite mark on his collarbone and the additional bruises on his waist and hips.
“You asked if I did anything stupid, not anything fun,” Ace countered before he hissed in pain at the needle going into his skin.
“Sorry.” Deuce didn't sound sorry at all. “But this will numb the area so I can stitch it up.” He tossed the needle into a different can before sitting back, his gaze fixed firmly on Ace's hand and not looking up to meet his at all. Sure the wound was deep but it wasn't like he needed to observe it. “Anyone I know?” he finally asked after a long minute, eyes still stuck on the oozing wound.
“No.” Which was technically the truth since he didn't actually know Marco and just knew of him.
There was a small hum of acknowledgment before the needle was picked up and threaded. Ace looked away as it was moved closer and he gritted his teeth preemptively. Even with the numbing agent he could still feel each prick the needle made and every tug of the thread, his skin pulling closed with every movement. The thread was tied off with a quiet snip and then thick gauze was wrapped around his palm.
“You'll have to be careful to keep from reopening that,” Deuce finally said, sitting back on his stool. “And you'll have to come back every day to change that gauze and keep an eye on the healing. Considering you already ignored it for who knows how many hours, I'm going to go get you an antibiotic shot to hopefully keep it from getting infected.”
Sounded good to Ace. Or at least, good enough. He was sure he'd be just fine without all the fuss but at least this way when Archer checked on his injury—which he was sure he would considering he had done so for the bruise on his head—Deuce would tell him the lie about cutting it while sharpening his knife and the man wouldn't be any the wiser.
Hopefully.
After the second shot Ace stood up, ready to get going and get to work. He was stopped short by Deuce's voice, the man cleaning up without looking his way. “You're playing with fire-”
“I'm made of fire,” Ace retorted, even though he knew that wasn't what Deuce was referring to.
“-and you're going to get burned,” Deuce finished as if Ace hadn't spoken.
Ace looked away. “I don't know what you mean.”
A slow breath left his friend, the sound almost heavy. Not that Ace knew why exactly. Sure he had admitted that he had snuck off ship but that was it. Deuce didn't know about the rest of it which meant he was definitely overreacting to a little disobedience. It wasn't like he could possibly know what else had happened.
“You're a terrible liar, Ace.”
That was rude. He was a great liar. He'd been doing it his whole life. Sure there had been a few small lies that had been found out, but his big ones, the ones that mattered, no one had ever found out about and he was going to keep it that way. And what had happened with Marco was definitely one of those big ones that would be kept quiet.
“I'm your friend.” As if Ace didn't know that. As if Deuce wasn't basically his only friend. “And that means that I know you pretty well. Which means that it isn't hard for me to put two and two together and realize what you got up to while you were off ship.”
“Considering I all but told you, I'm not surprised. I could go into more detail if you want.”
“You mean you could tell me more lies.”
Ace glowered at the door. It was times like this that he remember why he didn't have any friends. Letting people in meant letting people get to know you and sometimes it let them see through you. Though how Deuce had figured it out-
“I saw him while I was out drinking.” Well shit. “He left as soon as we all showed up. Well, after he looked us all over he did.”
Mmm. “It was a mistake,” Ace finally mumbled after a long, silent minute. “It won't happen again.”
“That was what you said last time.”
So it was. And he had tried-
Okay that was a lie, he really hadn't. He had wanted to but it just....it was hard. There was just something about that fucking man that kept drawing Ace in and maybe he really was just that fucking lonely but if he was being honest with himself, it didn't feel that way. And he fucking hated himself for that truth. Well, he hated himself for a lot of things, this was just the newest one.
“Have you....” Deuce trailed off and when Ace finally glanced back at him he found him staring at the exam table like it wasn't there, seeing it without seeing. “Have you ever thought about not being a Marine?” he finally asked quietly. “You seem to hate it but-”
“I can't,” Ace interrupted. Sure Deuce might be his friend but he had no idea who Ace truly was and if he knew....well, then Ace wouldn't have any friends and he'd probably be dead pretty quickly afterwards. Regardless, it was a conversation Ace couldn't have with him and he needed to stop it now. “I have to be a Marine.”
“You don't have to do anything,” Deuce countered and he finally turned to look at Ace, his jaw set in an oddly determined way. “I know your grandfather is a Marine and everyone loves him but that doesn't mean you have to be like him. You're your own person.”
If only it were that simple. Not that Ace's life ever had been or ever will be. He's playing at a poker table with only half the cards everyone else has and none of them amount to anything. His name might be Ace but he was pretty sure it was some kind of sick joke at this point. Like the universe had wanted to see how unlucky a high card could be. Sure his mom might have thought it would bring him luck or whatever but it was probably the worst name she could have given him since all it did was make him a walking irony.
“I have to be a Marine,” Ace chose to repeat. “And that is what I will be. It doesn't matter what I want, this is what I am.”
“If you leave I'll go with you.”
The air in Ace's lungs felt like it was forced out, like his breath had been sucked away.
“You're my only real friend,” Deuce continued, “and I'm only here because you saved my life in the first place. There's no point to me staying if you leave. I can find somewhere else to train to be a doctor and you can find somewhere else to be happy.”
“I can't,” Ace repeated, gritting his jaw. “I'm a Marine and that's all I'll ever be.”
“But you aren't happy here. I mean, you always get so happy when you talk about your little brother and how he wants to be a pirate and you always get this look of-of longing when you do. And now you're in love with a pirate and I'm starting to sense a trend here.”
Ace's brain came to a screeching halt. He was not in love with Marco. He hated him!
Sure he had slept with him but....that was because he was hot. He was unfairly hot and Ace had made a really bad judgment call because he was pissed off and it had seemed like a great idea at the time because....because it had! Because Marco was nice to him and hadn't turned him to dust even though he very easily could and he seemed to like Ace and so it had seemed like a good idea at the time and he kept saving Ace so he had to repay him someway and it wasn't like he had money he could give him and so his body had been the next best thing and it wasn't like the man had complained anyway and he had shown Ace a really good time even if he had passed out but that was just because it had been awhile and he had never had such an intense partner before and it was kind of unfair that Ace had come three times and he had only come once which kind of made them uneven again which meant he'd need to finish repaying him and.....
Marco was hot and that was all it fucking was. Ace wasn't in love with him. Ace didn't love anyone. He couldn't. He couldn't get close to anyone in case he fucked up and his secret was revealed because then they would be disgusted by him and hate him and they would probably get killed right alongside him through no fault of their own and that wasn't fair. It was safer for Ace to not love anyone and just go through life alone. Hell it was why he really didn't have any friends. He doubted anyone would stand by his side once the world knew who he was but there was always the off chance that a friend would which meant he couldn't have any because if they tried they would die too.
“The fact that you haven't said anything says a lot,” Deuce said and Ace's attention snapped back to him. He didn't think anytime had passed but his friend was standing in front of him now with his arms crossed and a small frown and huh, the exam bed was already cleaned up and ready to go for another patient and everything had been put away.
“I don't love him,” Ace said hurriedly. “He- I hate him! He's annoying!”
“Ace, you just spaced out for five minutes after I said you loved him. I don't know exactly what you were thinking about but considering you didn't immediately say anything says a lot. Also....you know how your eyes light up when you talk about your brother?” Ace had no idea what Luffy had to do with Marco but he nodded slightly regardless. Deuce gave him a small, almost sad smile as he added, “You do that with Marco too.”
That...that wasn't true! Ace didn't get goo-goo eyed over Marco! He refused to believe that. Also- “I don't love him! And I told you it was just a one-off mistake that won't happen again and if I do happen to see him again I'll arrest him.”
“Yeah? Why haven't you tried yet?”
Because he hadn't! Because Marco hadn't done anything worthy of being arrested.
Deuce sighed and his eyes rolled. “Think about it, Ace.” Ace didn't want to think about it because there was nothing to think about. He wasn't in love with Marco and that was- “Just-just think about leaving. You know you'd be happier. And maybe there's something other than your grandfather keeping you here but it isn't worth wasting your life over.”
He didn't want to think about that either.
“Now get out. You've been in here for forever and since I'm awake I may as well see if the other doctors or nurses need my help and I'm sure you're only awake because you were given tasks too.”
That may be true but Ace didn't want to leave. After this conversation all he wanted to do was go crawl back into bed and hide under his blankets until the world forgot about him and life moved on. But he couldn't and he had to go to Archer's office to work and he was sure the man would be in there and he didn't want to deal with him on a good day but he definitely didn't want to now that his thoughts were so jumbled.
But since Ace's wants didn't matter, he just nodded silently and left, heading towards the office and the man that sometimes haunted his nightmares. With any luck he could do his work quickly and then go to bed. He doubted it, but it was a nice dream to have. Because he didn't want to have to think and doing paperwork was so mind numbingly boring that his mind couldn't help but wander and now it was going to be thinking about everything Deuce had said and if he finished quickly he could go to sleep where he couldn't think.
It was sunset by the time Ace finished his paperwork and after a quick dinner, he dragged himself back to bed, collapsing onto it and not even bothering to drag his blankets over himself. All day he'd been going around and around in his brain about why he couldn't leave and why he didn't love Marco. He was sure the paperwork was riddled with mistakes and spelling errors but he just couldn't get his mind to focus, his thoughts so tied up in everything Deuce had said that nothing else felt important. Hell even the weird threat Archer had left him with about accuracy hadn't done anything to snap him out of it. All he could focus on were those two things and it was driving him crazy!
Because he couldn't leave and he knew it and he didn't love Marco and he knew it. There was a long list of reasons as to why for both but it didn't matter how many times he went over those lists his brain just wouldn't shut up. It was like Deuce's words had been a parasite and now it was taking over, infecting every part of his brain until he almost believed that maybe Deuce was right. Maybe he could leave. Maybe they could go somewhere and it wouldn't matter what was said about him and they could be happy.
It was a fantasy, of course, but it was a nice one.
As for Marco..... Ace didn't love him. Because he couldn't. And that was all there was to say about that.
Notes:
Deuce reading Ace for filth and then calling him out? It's more likely than you think. Also pray for him for having to put up with Ace’s bullshit
Chapter Text
Ace didn't see Marco again for several months. It wasn't like he looked for him on every island they landed on or anything, it was just a fact. Because it was usually the man that sought him out and since he hadn't it meant Ace didn't see him and that was just fine by him. He had things to do and they didn't involve that asshole and so the fact that he was staying away was for the best. Though, he was a little mad because he had accidentally left his pouch at that fucking hotel and he hadn't noticed until the next day and it had had his meds in it but it wasn't like he could go back and ask for it and yeah he could get a new one but he had liked that one. He had kind of being hoping Marco would try to see him again and he could get it back from him—if he even had it. There was always the chance he'd left it too or thrown it away.
Archer had tried his hardest to prove that Ace had gone off ship but eventually he had been forced to give in. It was obvious he still thought he had—or knew he had since, technically, Ace had—but he did back off a little. Or at least, he stopped being so obvious about it. He still hated Ace and made sure he knew it but that was normal so whatever. As long as he kept to his weird threats and occasional slaps he was good.
But that was the past few months and all Ace cared about right now was that they were coming up on an island and all of his paperwork was done and sorted and every task Archer had tried to give him had been completed as well which meant there was literally nothing that could be used as an excuse to keep him on the ship when they docked. Sure Archer could try and pull that bullshit about him getting into trouble but considering nothing had happened at the last several islands they'd docked at, Ace didn't think that would work. He was sure Pokorni would override him if he tried.
“I heard they have a great market,” one of Ace's crewmates said excitedly as they sat near the bow, watching the island grow larger. “Like, all of their textiles are made on island and that the weaving is incredible!”
“And their food is to die for,” someone else added, practically salivating at the thought.
“So are the women!”
The squadron laughed and Ace tuned them out. The market might be nice but he didn't feel like going to it. Because he knew for a fact this island had an extensive forest on the eastern half and since they were going to be here for several days he was going to use his time to explore it. Hell he could even camp out there and catch his own food like he used to do as a child. It wasn't like they were expected back on the ship every night.
After what felt like forever the ship finally docked and a wave of marines took off down the gangplanks, more than a few hooting and hollering. If Ace were an islander and saw this he would think it was an invasion or something. It sure looked like it from his perspective.
Ace heard his name being called but he ignored it and hurriedly joined the crowds instead, ducking a little to make it harder for anyone to spot him. He had no idea what Archer wanted now but Ace was off and he was off for the next few days and he refused to do whatever stupid task the man had come up with to cut into that time. He'd just take the yelling and whatever when he got back.
The crowd began to thin the deeper into town they got and before long it was only Ace, everyone else having splintered off to the markets, the bars, and the brothels. He had wanted Deuce to come with him on his hiking/camping trip, but unlike Ace, his friend still had to work. He also hadn't seen the point in traipsing around a forest full of danger and had remained unmoved when Ace told him about how that made it more exciting. Whatever.
They hadn't really talked about leaving the Marines again after that one morning and it was only brought up once more when Ace told Deuce that he could leave without him, that he didn't need to wait for Ace to do it. All Deuce had done was smile and tell him that he wasn't leaving without Ace and if he was going to insist on staying, then so was he. It didn't make any sense to Ace why he would stay if he wanted to leave but what did he know. It wasn't like he was doing the same thing.
Ace got a few curious looks from residents as he meandered through the neighborhoods but they didn't question him. And since he had things he wanted to do, he didn't stop to chat either. This was just the fastest route through town since he had had to join the crowds to avoid Archer. If he hadn't had to he would have followed the shoreline and then headed up from there. But this way was fine too. It gave him a nice tour of the town.
Eventually the houses fell away and were replaced by trees that grew thicker and thicker the further Ace went. Before long he was completely surrounded by them, tall trunks rising high above his head and undergrowth thickening until it threatened to trip him. Even then Ace kept going, putting as much distance between himself and the town as he could. He didn't want to be disturbed.
The ground began to slowly slope upwards as Ace walked, the gentle rise taking him high above the town. The trees were a little less thick up here, more sunlight streaming in-between their leaves and dappling the ground. Bushes still grew thick but sparse clumps of grass did as well, their straggly blades spreading out against the leaf-littered ground. Birds sang as they hopped between branches far above, their songs periodically breaking off into raucous calls before they took flight, wings flapping loudly. Lower to the ground small animals moved through the undergrowth, wary of Ace's presence as they searched for food.
Everything was making Ace homesick. Maybe he could find a tiger or something to fight. That would probably cheer him up.
It wasn't until Ace found a small stream that he finally decided to stop for the evening. The sun's rays were beginning to grow long as it sank and while he didn't mind walking through a forest at night, he'd rather only do that in one he was familiar with. Not because he thought anything would hurt him—he was confident he could fight any creature off—but because he didn't know the land and didn't want to risk breaking an ankle or something. It wouldn't be fun to have to drag himself all the way back to the town if he did that.
Before long he had a fire going and skewers of meat roasting over it. While the small creatures had continued to stay away, a larger deer looking thing had meandered too close and Ace had it dead before it could even think of running. The creature looked a little lean but that was fine, it was still probably spades better than the slop they served on the ship. And even if it wasn't, Ace caught it himself which would make it taste better regardless.
Dinner was done by the time the first stars began to come out and even though he could only partially see them between the trees, Ace still laid down next to the fire to look up at them. He had never really had the time nor patience to do that as a kid—nor could he really see the sky anyway between the thick branches—and while it was still a little boring, it was also nice to be able to relax. There were no expectations or things he had to do and no one was going to be throwing something at him for sitting down and so he was going to stay right fucking here and enjoy himself.
Well, he enjoyed it until he fell asleep, at least.
The sun was already high in the sky when Ace finally awoke. He felt a jolt of panic go through him, thinking he was late and was going to get chewed out, before he remembered where he was and what he was doing. You would think the decaying leaves beneath his head would be a give away but apparently not. Or maybe he was just so used to that feeling that it was ingrained in him now. Who knew anymore.
Sitting up with a yawn, Ace stretched his limbs out. It felt good to be able to sleep as long as he had wanted to and for the first time in over a year and a half Ace woke up actually feeling refreshed. It was amazing what a single night's good rest could do.
With nothing to do and no one to yell at him about not doing anything, he opted to remain sitting there a little longer. It was only when his stomach growled and his bladder protested that he decided he should probably get up. Maybe he'd take a nap later.
Breakfast was some kind of large bird and a bush full of berries that were probably blackberries. They tasted good and his stomach didn't hurt yet so they were probably fine. If not, he could probably turn to flame and burn it away. Probably.
Leaving the stream he'd camped next to behind, Ace pushed on, continuing to follow the sloping hill. He had never really been the type to appreciate the nature around him—mostly because it was usually trying to kill him—but he could admit the forest was beautiful. There were flowers growing in clumps and their sweet scents fought for dominance against the faint smell of decaying leaves and plant matter. Mushrooms sprouted from a few fallen logs and moss grew on tree trunks like it was a thick green coat. A gentle breeze was blowing the branches around which meant the light was constantly shifting and dancing around, forever moving its spotlight from place to place and thing to thing. It made golden dapples appear on the leaf-littered ground and crawl up deep brown tree trunks, incapable of sitting still for too long.
It still made Ace think of home. Of his little brother who, like the light, could never stay still.
The sharp scent of smoke interrupted the tranquil lull and Ace immediately snapped to attention. He was too far away from the town to be smelling anything from there but he also couldn't imagine anyone would come out this way just for fun. Sure he had, but Ace was a little strange and thus not exactly counted in this assessment. Maybe there was a forest fire starting. If that was the case, he should probably go check it out. He might even be able to stop it before it could spread.
Ace followed the scent, periodically looking up towards the sky to see if he could see any smoke. All he saw were blue skies and fluffy clouds but that didn't necessarily mean anything. It might still be small.
A break in the trees ahead revealed gray smoke curling into the sky and Ace hurried towards it, stopping short as he realized he was standing on a cliff. It wasn't a particularly long fall but he would rather not go charging off it and into a fire.
Moving closer carefully, Ace looked over the ledge and he was a little disappointed with what he saw. Because it wasn't the start of a forest fire and was instead actually a small campfire. Which sure that was better for the environment but it didn't mean he wasn't a little annoyed. He might like the chance to relax but it didn't mean he wasn't just a little bored.
Two tents were pitched next to the fire, the canvas material flapping slightly as the wind picked up a bit more. There was a wide clearing around the campsite, only green grass growing for several yards in all directions before the trees swallowed it up, their dark trunks pressing together until only shadows and darkness could be seen between them. The cliff Ace was on took up one side of the clearing, offering him a view of the front of the tents and the little fire.
As fun as it was to stare at what looked like an empty campsite, Ace decided to move on. Maybe if something had been happening he would have-
Two figures suddenly emerged from the trees, the shorter of the two practically dragging the taller one after them. They looked like they were talking about something but the words were too faint for Ace to pick up on and honestly he shouldn't be here watching them anyway. It looked like it was probably just a family that had gone camping.
The people disappeared into one of the tents as Ace turned away, getting ready to continue his hike in a different direction. Something kept him from moving, though, something that made his hackles rise and all of his attention suddenly focus in on his surroundings. It was quiet. Very quiet. The kind of quiet nature rarely was unless there was a predator nearby. A dangerous one.
Ace turned back to the campsite just in time to watch the smaller of the two figures take off from the tent and sprint back towards the forest near where they had emerged from. They were almost immediately swallowed up by the shadows and Ace stepped a little closer to the ledge, narrowing his eyes against the sun glare. Sure kids did odd things at times but that kid looked like they'd been running for their life and the only other person he'd seen had been the one they'd been with earlier but that didn't mean-
The tent shuddered before someone was falling out the open flap. Well, falling out might not be the best word for it since it looked like they'd been thrown out of it, landing off-balanced a few feet away. The tent shook again before another person stepped out, this one taller than the first and holding something that looked an awful lot like a sword.
It wasn't the sound of a sword swinging that filled the air, though, that place belonging to the loud gunshots that suddenly rang out. Ace dropped to the ground before he really knew what was happening, instinct and training making him move before his brain could catch up. But the bullets hadn't been aimed at him and he knew it when the person who'd left the tent first staggered slightly. Ace was too far away to get a good look but he was pretty sure they had been hit at least once and the fact that a hand was now pressing to their stomach more or less confirmed it.
A third person emerged from the shadows, a gun in hand and aimed at the person who had already been shot. Someone was saying something but the words were still too faint for Ace to hear and now he had a choice to make because he had absolutely no idea what was happening down there. Well, he knew of what was literally happening, but he didn't know the why of it. He didn't know if the man who had been shot was a bad person that deserved it or if he was innocent and the other two were trying to rob him or something. Or all three of them could be criminals or pirates or something and this was some kind of fight over territory or spoils. It was hard to tell up here unable to hear anything and while Ace was itching to find out what was happening and stop it, he knew that was a terrible idea.
One, because, like he had mentioned, he didn't know what was happening. Two, jumping into the middle of a fight between three people was a terrible idea—made even worse by his first point. Three, Ace really was supposed to be staying out of trouble on islands and getting involved in this mess was going to be the opposite of that and even if he managed to do something for the better, Archer wouldn't see it that way and he was already an asshole to deal with which meant he really should just walk away now. As long as he saw nothing else he could chalk it up to a fight between criminals and wash his hands of the whole thing. It didn't make him feel good to do but-
“Shut up!” the swordsman yelled, his words echoing as they reached Ace's ears. Since he was glaring at the man who'd been shot he was pretty sure that was who he was talking about but Ace hadn't heard anything. Not that that was a surprise since there was quite a bit of distance between them, but still.
The other man must have said something because the man with the sword suddenly lunged forward, his sword swinging through the air and barely missing the other as he stepped out of the way. Ace had no idea who that guy was but he was a little impressed by him. He'd been shot at least once and not only was he still standing, he had managed to avoid another attack.
“We're not going to repeat ourselves again,” a different voice said and when Ace looked he realized the man with the gun was a lot closer now. “Either surrender now or we kill you. You know we can.”
A sound like a laugh echoed against the cliff and even though it was tinged with pain, it sounded genuine. The wind began to blow again and it must have shifted because now the voices were no longer faint, the words audible and understandable and honestly, Ace really wished they weren't. Because it was just his fucking luck and he should have walked away and now-
“No you can't. You might have gotten the drop on me but you aren't killing me, yoi.”
Why? Why of all the fucking places in the massive expanse of the New World did Ace have to keep running into the same fucking man. There were thousands of islands and millions of square miles of oceans and yet, by some fucking twisted miracle, him and Marco kept running into each other.
Ace sighed heavily, his breath covering up whatever response it was the other two men made.
Logically, he should walk away like he should have done as soon as he had found the campsite. Marco was a pirate which meant whatever shit he was in now was probably related to that and that meant it was perfectly fine for Ace to walk away. The man could finish dealing with whatever was happening and, with any luck, he would leave and then Ace could go back to his relaxing camping trip.
Also, Ace didn't even know if that was actually Marco. Well, that was a bad point since if it wasn't Marco that would put him back to trying to figure out what he should do instead of walking away. And yeah now that Ace was looking the man probably was blonde and he looked about the right height and sure there was that speech tic at the end of his sentence but that didn't mean it was the man himself. It wasn't like he was the only blonde with a vocal tic in the New World.
Honestly Ace should just walk away right now no matter what. He wasn't involved and he should keep it that way.
The man with the gun moved and sure it had already been aimed at Marco—er, the other man—but now it was aimed with what looked like intent. Killing intent. And goddammit Ace had never been one to sit a fight out before and he wasn't about to fucking start now and if that was Marco down there Ace still owed him for something which meant he couldn't just fucking walk away even though he really should.
Erupting into flames Ace jumped down the cliff, disappearing into his fire. He heard several startled gasps and a laugh and yeah that was definitely Marco goddammit but it was too late now so whatever.
Ace reformed in front of the man with the gun and he shot a flaming hand out to try and grab at his wrist. But the man recovered before he could and yanked the gun up to shoot at him, his finger already squeezing the trigger. Sure bullets didn't usually work on Ace but he knew something was up since he hadn't seen any flames from Marco which meant he was going to bet there were seastone bullets in that gun and he would rather not get hit by those. He didn't know how it felt to be shot and he would prefer to keep it that way.
Turning back into flames Ace dove to the side. A bullet grazed his arm as it whizzed past and yeah, those were seastone bullets because Ace could feel the line it cut against his skin. Not that that deterred him, of course. Sure it made things a little more challenging but it wasn't like he'd never faced off with a guy with a gun before. Hell he'd been doing it since he was a kid.
Ace shot a shower of sparks at the gunman, keeping his attention focused on him and away from Marco. The man fired blindly in his direction but Ace had already moved and this time it was a jet of flame he sent out. Most of the fire missed but the man’s skin was reddening along one of his arms and Ace could smell the faint scent of singed hairs in the air.
Behind him he could hear—or sense, it was hard to tell if it was his haki he was using or not—the swordsman swinging his sword and Marco easily dodging the blade. He could also hear Marco taunting the man and sure his breathing might sound a little labored and a few words stuttered but he was probably okay. If he was making digs at someone he was fine.
Though Ace should probably be paying attention to the gunman and that thought came right as another bullet was fired and it was definitely thanks to his haki that he dodged it this time and he really needed to stop getting distracted.
“Who the hell are you?” the gunman growled at him, gun still pointed in Ace's direction. Though he had to be getting close to running out of ammo by now. Ace might not know exactly how much that gun could hold but considering he hadn't reloaded after shooting at Marco nor after shooting at Ace, he had to be low. “Well?” the man pressed when Ace didn't respond.
Ace shrugged because it didn't matter to the man who he was. Though- “Who are you?”
He got a weird look in response to his words before the man's gaze flitted behind him and then back. “Do you- do you even know what's happening?”
“Not really.” No harm in being honest. All he knew was that these people were trying to kill Marco for some reason and it was probably because he was a pirate but since Ace owed him still, he needed to intervene. Unfortunately.
Eyes narrowed his way and the gun wavered slightly and it was enough of an opening for Ace. Slipping his knife free Ace charged, turning back to flame as he did. The gun was snapping back up but he dodged the bullet that was fired and, using his fire as an extension of his hand, he punched out. His dagger sank into the man's chest and Ace reformed in front of him, using his other hand to catch the gun and yank it away while he twisted the blade deeper, ignoring the squelching sound the blood made.
The man dropped at Ace's feet as he yanked his knife free and he turned back to where Marco had been, finding it oddly quiet. He must have already dealt with the swordsman if he had stopped taunting-
Marco had not dealt with the swordsman. In fact, the swordsman was currently dealing with him. And Ace's brain was completely blanking because he had seen Marco fight before and he just couldn't fathom how in the hell this nobody man had taken him to the ground and pinned him there and he was driving his sword towards his chest and it was only bloody hands that were holding it at bay and—oh fuck.
Ace didn't even think if this was right or not or if he should just let it happen. He yanked the stolen gun up and, praying there was still a bullet left and he could hit his mark, he aimed it and fired, listening as the blast echoed around them.
For a second there was stillness and Ace really thought he'd missed and he was already pulling the gun up again but then the swordsman slumped to the side and huh, he had hit him. Not that he was exactly relieved because Marco hadn't moved either and goddammit if that fucking asshole fucking died on him he was going to be fucking pissed.
Dropping the gun Ace crossed towards them in several steps. He dropped onto his knees at Marco's side and roughly shoved the swordsman off of him, his pliable body confirming he was dead. Which was great but not important because now that Ace was looking that was a lot of fucking blood and he had no idea where it was coming from but he was sure most of it was Marco's and his hands had been cut to the bone and there were still no flames which meant something was very wrong.
“Mother fucking asshole,” Ace hissed as he pushed the open part of Marco's shirt away, finding two little round holes in his stomach that were still bleeding and what looked like a shallow stab wound to his side. “What the fuck happened?”
“Can we save that for later?” Marco wheezed out and Ace's heart stuttered. He sounded fucking terrible. It was nice to know he was actually alive because he'd been so still Ace really thought he wasn't but he didn't sound like he was going to stay that way for long if nothing happened. Though what Ace was supposed to do- “Wrist.”
Wrist? His wrist wasn't nearly as important as the fucking bullet holes in his stomach or the fucking stab. It could-
A faint jingling sound caught Ace's attention and he looked to Marco's wrist and oh, that was what he meant. There was a metal cuff on his right wrist and it shone faintly blue in the sunlight which meant it was made of seastone and that explained a lot actually. Ace still wanted to know how in the hell they had managed to even get one of his wrists cuffed but that was a question he was going to have to save for later.
Ace leaned over the dead man and hurriedly patted at his pockets but he came up empty. He tried to hide his grimace as he rolled the man over and checked his shirt but he still couldn't find the key and a faint sound that might have been a laugh left Marco but it was hard to tell because it was so quiet and wheezy and breathy but without the breath part.
“Tent, yoi?” Marco suggested. Which was probably a good suggestion but the tent suddenly seemed awfully far away and there was no guarantee that he could, one, find the key, and two, that the key was even in there. Both of which would waste precious time that Marco clearly didn't have which meant—shit. Ace didn't know what it meant.
Something clinked quietly as Ace moved and he looked down, finding the sword next to his foot. It gave him an idea. A bad idea. A really fucking bad idea. But it might just work.
Without giving himself a chance to really think this through or even ask Marco if he was okay with it, Ace grabbed the sword by the handle and hoisted it up, finding it heavier than he thought. He got a mostly blank look when he glanced down at Marco but considering his breathing was getting shallower there wasn't time to ask anyway and so, lifting the sword higher, Ace swung it down.
The blade sliced clean through Marco's wrist just above where the cuff lay. There was a horrible, wet sound barely covered by the sound of bone being cut and Ace's gagging but the second the cuff was off blue flames were absolutely covering Marco and that was good enough for Ace. Though he did make sure to use the tip of the sword to push the metal cuff away to keep Marco from accidentally bumping into it.
And then Ace dropped the sword entirely and leaned away to throw up and yeah that was a sight he was probably never going to be able to forget.
Ace wasn't sure how long he sat there heaving but it was long enough that there was nothing left to be forced out and all he was doing was spitting. He still felt nauseous, though, and he gagged as soon as he tried to sit up so he stayed hunched over, his eyes clenched tight against.....everything. Honestly he didn't want to see any of it.
A hand landed on Ace's back and he instinctively burst into flames and if there was another goddamn person-
“Can you please not, yoi?” Marco muttered from behind him, the hand pressing down a little harder and cutting through the flames as it began to rub up and down Ace's back. “I've got enough to heal without adding burns to it.”
If he was sure he could have done so without throwing up Ace would have laughed. But since he had gagged again, all he could do was suppress his flames.
“I feel like this is a little backwards,” Marco mused after several minutes, his hand still stroking up and down Ace's back. “I'm the one that almost died and yet I'm comforting you.”
“Shut up,” Ace hissed at him, finally rocking backwards. He misjudged and ended up landing on his ass but he didn't care.
Marco snorted softly but didn't respond. His hand finally left Ace's back only to reappear on his arm, carefully pulling it away from his body and turning it slightly. Ace turned his head just enough to give him a questioning look, not feeling up to a whole lot of moving yet.
“You got hurt,” Marco muttered, a finger sliding against Ace's forearm and oh yeah, he had almost been shot and the bullet had only just missed him and had left a cut on his arm. He had kind of forgotten about it. Blue flames flared around Marco's hand as he said, “Let me-”
“It's fine,” Ace interrupted, pulling his arm away. Like the man had said, he had enough to heal. He didn't need to worry about Ace.
He was vaguely aware of the narrow-eyed look he got but Ace didn't really care. Like Marco had said, he was the one that had almost died which meant he was the one he should be focusing on. Ace wasn't sure if there was a limit to how much Marco could use his flames but he imagined there had to be which meant he needed to keep them for himself since there looked like there had been a lot of damage. And of course Ace had added to it by—mm he didn't want to think about that actually.
With sitting feeling like more effort than it was worth, Ace tipped himself backwards and landed on the ground, staring up at the blue sky. It looked like there were more clouds now than there had been this morning but they were still white and puffy and if it did rain it wouldn't be for awhile.
Silence stretched between the two of them for several long minutes, long enough Ace thought maybe the man had gotten up and left without him noticing. It wouldn't surprise him if he had, it wasn't like Ace meant anything to him and sure he could have at least said thank you but it wasn't like it was a requirement. He probably had better places to be anyway than out in the middle of fucking nowhere and it looked like something was probably going on between him and those men anyway which Ace was sure he would want to report to his captain or whatever. And of course there was the fact that the last time they had seen each other they hadn't parted on great terms and okay Ace could admit he'd been a bit of an asshole but, in his defense, it was all true. Marco would probably be glad to get rid of him again.
But then the silence was shattered because apparently Marco hadn't left yet and he was, in fact, still sitting somewhere nearby. “So are you out here because of some kind of Marine training or are you on the run, yoi?”
If moving his head hadn't felt like such an effort Ace would have glared at him. As it was he raised one of his hands and flipped him off and he knew Marco had seen it by the tiny snort that left him. “I'm relaxing.”
“Relaxing?”
Ace nodded, his hair scrunching up against the grass as he did so. “My squad is off for the next few days but unlike them, I wanted to go camping during my downtime. Which I was having a nice time doing until you ruined it.”
“You find camping relaxing?”
He didn't have to sound so disbelieving. Ace still nodded regardless. “It reminds me of home.”
Marco hummed quietly but didn't respond which was just fine by Ace because he didn't want to tell him about his home or his brother anyway. The man didn't need to fucking know about any of it. Though, Ace did have a question for him. Namely, what in the fuck was happening.
“So what brought you all the way out here?” Ace asked, tilting his head back further until he could look at Marco upside down. He frowned a bit at all the blood that still covered the man but refrained from commenting since it wasn't like there was a shower out here and honestly those clothes were ruined which meant they needed thrown away and sure he had a very nice body but Ace would rather not think about him naked right now.
Eyes flicked his way and one corner of Marco's lips curled up slightly. “Not camping I can tell you that.”
Yeah no fucking shit.
When Marco didn't elaborate Ace pressed, “Well?”
The smirk faltered and he looked away, eyes landing on the dark forest that surrounded them. “If you're out camping you should probably get back to it,” he said, suddenly pushing himself up off the ground. “I'd hate to ruin your experience anymore.”
Ace huffed. “It was ruined when I had to jump in and save your ass so now you can make it up to me by telling me why I had to do that.”
Unreadable eyes flickered over Ace and hmm, maybe Marco was a little mad at him. Which was fair considering he really had been an asshole to him but it was.....well, maybe not justified per se but Ace had his reasons for it. Besides, it wasn't like he was trying to sleep with him again. He just wanted to know what the fuck the man got into trouble for and why Ace had had to save him. Well, he hadn't had to save him but, he had to.
Whatever.
“Bounty hunters, yoi,” Marco finally said around a sigh, a hand rubbing at his temple and smearing blood across it. Not that he seemed to notice. “They weren't actually after me initially but I pissed them off.”
That made sense. The man seemed to piss a lot of people off if even half the stories Ace had heard were true.
“They paid that kid off,” he continued when Ace didn't say anything. “Told them to tell me their dad was dying or whatever and get me out here. And then, well, I guess you saw the rest.”
He had. “How'd they get the drop on you?” Rolling onto his stomach and sitting up, Ace added, “I mean, I don't really know you but from what I do know you can kick anyone's ass. How did two nobodies do it?”
Marco's frown was sharp and that unreadable look was back in his eyes when they landed on Ace again. “Why? Looking for tips?”
Yeah he was definitely mad. He should probably apologize. Well, he didn't have to technically because he hadn't been wrong, but he should do so regardless.
Fiddling with cord of his hat, since it was easier than looking Marco's way, Ace quietly muttered, “I'm, uh, sorry about what I said before.” Even though he wasn't really looking he could still see the way Marco tensed up, his body stiffening. “It was pretty shitty of me.”
A quiet sound that might have been an agreement echoed softly in the air but Marco didn't comment. Instead a soft breath left him, like he had exhaled a little too hard. “I won't be here long,” he finally said, turning away again. “Should be gone by tonight or tomorrow night.”
Mm.
Apparently Marco was done with him. Which was what Ace had wanted since the moment they had met and yet now he was a little hurt. It wasn't like he really liked the man or anything but he was nice and since nice people were severely lacking in Ace's life it had been, well, nice.
Maybe he's just lonely. It was for the best anyway.
It still hurt more than it should.
Pushing himself upwards, Ace stood as well. He cast a glance down at the dead men, hesitating a bit. They were far enough away from the town that it was unlikely anyone would come across them and it just seemed wrong to leave them there to rot away. Surely they had family or friends that would want to know what happened to them? He should probably tell someone. He could always lie and say he had stumbled across the camp.
“Don't worry about them.” Marco wasn't looking his way when Ace looked at him, his head inside one of the tents instead as if he was looking for something. “I'll deal with it.”
Ace was a little wary of what he meant by 'deal with it' but he didn't press. Marco's goodwill had finally run out and he wanted Ace gone. Sitting around and pressing wasn't likely to end well for him and thus it was time to leave. Even if he did want to stay a little longer.
“Stay out of trouble,” Ace called as he walked past the tent Marco had been looking in, aiming for the cliff he'd come down earlier. He heard a quiet sound that might have been a scoff or a snort but he didn't stop to listen closer. Instead he eyed the roots sticking out of the cliff, already debating the best way to climb up it.
Ace's steps sounded loud against the grass and that same feeling from earlier was suddenly back, his hair standing up again. But this time the forest wasn't silent, birds still calling back and forth and the occasional rustle of the undergrowth sounding. It didn't seem like there was any predator nearby and yet there was something dangerous and it was close and Ace's head was snapping up as he started to look around, trying to spot whatever it was that he could feel.
A shout of his name shattered the air and Ace was turning towards the sound when pain erupted from his shoulder. Before he could blink he was on the ground, something warm and heavy covering him and even through the blood roaring in his ears and the blinding pain he could hear the tell tale sound of a gun firing.
The weight vanished as Ace stared dumbly at the ground before he forced his gaze back up, his vision swimming slightly. It took him a second to turn his head towards where the sound had come from, his body not really cooperating with him and instead feeling like it had been filled with lead and weighed down with chains.
Across the clearing was a another man—emphasis on was. Because Marco had gotten to him while Ace had been trying to move and the amount of blood that was now soaking into the ground was obscene and unsurvivable and that wasn't even accounting for the fact that his stomach had been ripped open and his intestines were spilling out and his throat looked like it had been torn out so badly his head was barely attached and deep gouges were clawed into his chest until broken bits of bone were visible.
Huh.
He was definitely dead.
Ace's head swam again and he could feel himself listing sideways and he finally looked down and oh, he was bleeding. His gaze followed the trail of blood up his arm and there was a new hole in his shirt and the material was rapidly reddening. Hmm. That didn't look good.
Warm hands caught Ace before he could completely fall and he suddenly realized he was cold. Like, really cold and now he was starting to shake with it. He also couldn't feel his flames responding and now he was starting to get scared because none of this was right and why was he so cold?
“Breathe, Ace, yoi.” Oh. Marco was the one who caught him. But wasn't he mad at Ace? Why was he catching him?
His shirt was peeled away from his shoulder and Ace hissed in pain, reflexively trying to light on fire only to not be able to. He tried to bat the hand holding his shirt away but his touch was ignored and Ace finally looked down at what his shirt had been hiding and there was a hole in his shoulder that was definitely not supposed to be there.
“You got shot, Ace.” That would explain the hole. And the pain. Definitely the pain. “It's a seastone bullet.” And that would explain why his flames weren't responding. Though he still felt way too cold just for that. That....wasn't right. “Looks like it got lodged in your shoulder.”
Ace didn't like any of those words. Though he liked the bullet stuck in him even less.
Rolling his head slightly Ace was able to look in Marco's direction. His gaze was fixed on the bleeding hole in his arm with a sharp frown and the hand holding his shirt was trembling slightly. He was also a lot more bloody than he had been, Ace realized. Sure it was kind of hard to tell since he had already been covered in so much blood but there was fresh blood on his face and his legs.
Teeth gritted slightly and suddenly Ace found himself pulled sideways. He barely managed to stifle the yelp that tried to escape him at the movement and he was pretty sure Marco muttered an apology but it was hard to hear over the pain. With gentler movements he felt himself being moved a little more until he was reclined slightly against something solid that hadn't been there before and a hand was landing gently near the bullet hole.
“I'm gonna take the bullet out, okay? I can't heal you with it inside so it needs to come out.”
That was logical. Though- “How?” Ace's voice was scratchy when he spoke and for a second he didn't even think it had been his voice. It sure didn't sound like it.
“Don't worry about it, yoi.” That wasn't comforting. “Close your eyes for me and take a deep breath.”
Not comforted one bit, Ace still did as he was told, inhaling deeply as his eyes closed.
For a second there was stillness before he suddenly felt pressure on the wound and a breathless cry escaped his lips. He tried to push the pressure away since it had skyrocketed into agony but his hand was easily caught and pinned, as to was his body when he tried to move.
Something squelched slightly and Ace could feel the warm blood that trickled down his arm and chest. “Sorry, Ace,” Marco murmured. “But I need you to hold still. I don't want to hurt you.”
He was literally hurting him right now and Ace swore he could feel something inside the bullet hole, something moving around slightly. It sure sounded like it when another fresh wave of blood trickled out.
Ace strangled another cry of pain before he finally felt whatever was pushing at the wound pull back slowly. It took a long few seconds before the pressure vanished completely and something pinged off to the side and suddenly his entire shoulder was awash in blue flames before his own red and orange ones flickered to life.
That fucking hurt.
“Fucking asshole,” Ace muttered, finally feeling like he was warming up again. He was still cold, but not nearly as cold as he had been thanks to the return of his fire and the warmth pressed up against his side. He still shivered a little.
A tiny smile pulled Marco's lips up as his gaze flicked away from Ace’s shoulder to his face. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. That felt like payback.”
“Payback?”
“For cutting your hand off.”
Marco's breath stuttered before a low chuckle left him, his head shaking slightly. It was good to see him smile. He frowned too much. “Consider it a repayment,” he finally said. “You help me, I help you.”
Ace would like them to stop helping each other if this was the price. He hadn't enjoyed cutting Marco's hand off and hurting him and he certainly hadn't enjoyed being shot or the bullet being dug out of his skin.
“I can't heal you completely like this, yoi,” Marco said after a minute, his frown back. “I can lessen your pain and stop the bleeding but you need to go to an actual infirmary or hospital.”
Mm. Or, Ace could do neither of those things, patch himself up, and call it good. Because there was no way in fucking hell he was going to seek actual medical treatment because then Archer would find out and Ace had no fucking idea what lie he could even come up with to explain getting shot in the fucking shoulder. He would probably get his island permissions revoked again.
“Ace-”
“'M fine,” Ace said, trying to sit up. For a second he was held still but finally the hold relaxed and he was able to, his vision swimming only slightly. “Can't-can't go to the infirmary,” he added as he set his noninjured hand on the ground to steady himself.
“Ace. This is serious. You just got shot and it needs to be-”
“Can't,” Ace repeated. “Can't-can't get in trouble. Don't wanna get yelled at.”
Marco's brows furrowed and he raised a hand against Ace's back to further steady him when he swayed again. “You....you think you'll get yelled at for going to the infirmary?”
“Mm hmm.” Though Ace didn't think he'd get yelled at, he knew he would. He knew the second Archer found out he'd be stomping down there to scream at him and he'd get his island privileges revoked and he'd probably get extra paperwork as punishment. He was sure the man would probably try and come up with something else but Ace's brain was too tired right now to try and think of what and he didn't really want to think about it anyway because most of those threats lately were just weird.
“You need a doctor.” Cool. Ace still wasn't going. “I don't have any supplies with me so I can't help you. You need an actual stocked infirmary and sanitized equipment.” Yeah, still wasn't happening.
“I'm fine,” Ace repeated, trying to stand up. He didn't make it very far before his legs trembled and he landed back on his ass but whatever. He'd just try again.
The frown on Marco's face grew. He finally released his hold on Ace completely and stood up, offering him a hand to help him up. One Ace took because he wasn't sure he'd be able to get up one-handed otherwise. Well, he probably could given enough time but whatever, it wasn't like it was a crime to occasionally take the easy route.
“Could you- could you go to the infirmary without anyone reporting it, yoi?”
Ace wasn't sure why Marco was so insistent on him getting medical treatment. Sure he knew it was the logical thing to do considering he'd just been shot, but it wasn't like it should matter to the other man. They'd already established that he was mad at Ace and had run out of patience for him. He should be long gone, not helping him out and certainly not arguing with him about going to a doctor. Why was he still here?
Something tightened around his hand and Ace realized Marco was still holding his hand. He was too tired to care.
For the doctor, maybe he could ask Deuce to treat him without reporting anything. The problem was that his friend was probably on duty which meant Ace would have to explain why he was there without giving anything away and then there would be the problem of his friend having to patch him up without raising suspicion.
Marco was still waiting for an answer and the grip on Ace's hand had tightened again and he was starting to look agitated. Ace still didn't get that but whatever. “M-maybe,” he said in reference to Marco's question. “But I don't- I don't know for sure. I can try but....the ship is a long way away and I'd have to get through it and then to him and he's probably working so there'd be questions.”
He still thought his best bet was just patching himself up.
Exhaling slowly, Marco nodded absentmindedly as if thinking. “Can you call him?”
“Call him?”
“Tell him you need him to help you but not in the infirmary and somewhere else.”
He probably could. Though his brain was a little hazy right now so maybe he couldn't.
When Ace didn't respond Marco frowned before patting at his pockets. He dug into one of them and pulled out a small transponder. “What's the number?”
Ace just wanted to fucking sleep. He still relayed the number to the infirmary to him.
“And a name?”
“Deuce.”
That got a slight eyebrow raise but Marco didn't comment and instead just dialed the number.
It rang for a long minute before it was finally answered, a confused voice saying, “Hello?”
Marco looked pointedly at Ace who just stared back at him. He gestured towards the transponder with his eyes and oh, he probably wanted Ace to say something. “Is-is Deuce there?”
“Deuce? Who's this?”
“Ace.”
The transponder's eyebrows rose slightly before there was some rustling and muffled yelling. There were several more minutes of silence before it sounded like the snail was picked up again and this time it was Deuce's voice over the line, simply asking, “Ace?”
“Need your- need your help.” Deuce inhaled sharply and Ace realized he should probably keep going before his friend thought the worst. Though, to be fair, getting shot was about the worst that could happen. “I, uh, I got hurt but can't-can't go to the infirmary.”
“And why not?” Deuce's voice was quiet, like he was trying to avoid anyone listening in. He was probably still by the nurse's station.
“Cause I can't.” It wasn't a great response but short of telling him everything, it was the best he could do. Besides, Deuce knew him. He'd probably understand.
An exasperated sigh filtered over the line. “I'm working, Ace. I can't just- I can't just leave.”
“Please?” His voice was whiny but Ace didn't care. He was tired and in a whole lot of fucking pain. All he wanted to do was sleep but since some fucking asshole was insisting on him getting medical treatment, he was standing here trying to do that. Not that he was getting very far in that. He just hoped Deuce would come around because if not he was sure Marco would drag him off somewhere and that was a fight Ace wasn't going to win and then he would be in so much trouble it wouldn't be funny and he really didn't want that.
The transponder's expression turned pinched but Ace knew by the exhale he let out that Deuce had caved. “Fine. Where are you?”
That was a great question. Ace looked up at Marco for help.
“Near the forested edge of the town adjacent to the main shore there's an abandoned house,” Marco said, not that it made any sense to Ace because they were currently in the middle of the woods in a clearing. Maybe he was planning on walking there. Something Ace quietly groaned at because it had to be far and he was already hurting and he didn't think he could go that far. The hand still holding his rubbed a thumb over his knuckles as Marco added, “We'll be there.”
“We?” Deuce asked around a hiss, the transponder's eyes narrowing to slits. “And just who the fuck are you?”
“Friend,” Ace hurriedly said before Marco could say anything. He had no idea what the other would have said but he didn't want to run the risk of him saying something stupid. “Please, Deu,” he added in a pleading tone when Deuce didn't immediately respond. “I'll explain later, I promise.”
Deuce was going to verbally rip him apart and Ace knew it but it wasn't like it could be avoided. If he hadn't gotten shot then he could have kept this all to himself, but no, he got hurt and now he had to involve his friend and he was going to have to tell him everything and Deuce was going to be absolutely fucking pissed at him. Oh god and if he met Marco-
“Fine.” The single snapped word interrupted Ace's thoughts. “But I swear on all four fucking oceans if Ace isn't okay when I get there I will fucking murder you.” Next to Ace Marco just smiled slightly, even as he made an affirmative noise. “I'll be there soon.”
With that the transponder hung up and now it was just Ace and Marco again. That seemed to be happening a lot lately.
Marco tucked the transponder snail back into his pocket before turning slightly to look at Ace. “I'd offer you a ride but I'm afraid a giant, flaming phoenix isn't exactly subtle, yoi.”
No it probably wasn't.
“I can walk,” Ace assured him even if he wasn't really sure that he could. Or at least, he wasn't sure if he could walk that far. They probably should have called Deuce after they got to whatever place Marco was talking about because Ace was sure his friend was going to beat them there and if he did so he might actually murder Marco on sight.
A doubtful gaze trailed over Ace but, surprisingly, Marco didn't say anything about it. Instead he just nodded vaguely towards the direction the kid had run what felt like ages ago as he said, “The place isn't too far that way. It was maybe a half hour walk out here from the town center so it should be about twenty minutes from here.”
That sounded daunting.
Ace nodded and started to head in that direction. Marco hesitated briefly before following after him and huh, he was still holding Ace's hand.
“Don't you have things to-to do?” Ace asked as they hit the tree line, casting a quick glance at Marco as he pressed a little closer to avoid running into a tree branch. With how thick the trees and undergrowth were there really wasn't a whole lot of room to walk side-by-side but that didn't seem to stop the other man as he just walked closer to Ace instead.
When blue eyes looked his way questioningly Ace shrugged, though he immediately regretted the gesture and growled in pain. He ignored the concerned look and sparking blue flames to add, “You said you wouldn't be here long. Earlier. So don't you have things to do?”
Marco frowned before shrugging himself. “They can wait.”
Right....
“If you just point me towards the place you mentioned-”
“I'll come with you. Just because you're standing now doesn't mean you won't pass out and you're already a little disoriented and you lost a decent amount of blood. I'm worried you'd collapse or get lost.”
Ace wouldn't get lost. Nor would he collapse. Also, why was Marco even worried about him in the first place? Ace felt like he'd asked himself this question several times already but it was worth asking again. Especially after how annoyed he had seemed with him earlier. Surely he couldn't wait to get away from Ace?
“Besides,” Marco added, “I need to make sure your friend is an adequate doctor and won't accidentally make things worse. Because if that's the case I'll take you to the hospital myself and tell your CO to fuck off.”
That was a sight Ace would pay to see. Because he could just imagine the look on Archer's face if Marco were to say that to him. Though it would probably immediately turn into Ace getting yelled at and probably arrested for treason or whatever and then he'd be executed so they should probably avoid that. No Ace didn't like his life but he'd rather not die. Especially since he had a little brother he needed to look out for.
Since talking felt like too much of an effort right now Ace didn't respond. Instead he just kept on walking, letting Marco take the lead. And he let him continue to hold his hand. And he might have enjoyed it just a teeny, tiny bit.
Notes:
I really could have kept going straight into the meeting with Deuce but this is already almost ten thousand words and I really am trying not to make these chapters excruciatingly long. Also, it's like three in the morning. Anyway, look forward to the heart attack Deuce is about to have when he meets up with Ace
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