A/N: Written for the opscifiandfantasy event on Tumblr. Thank you to lunarshores, who created this wonderful event :) It was really fun.
So, I had some problems deciding what my story should be about, and when I finally decided and started writing, I saw I wouldn't be able to include all I wanted and still finish in time. Long story short, I cut a lot from the plot and used a different organization of the scenes as a way to help me, and this is the result. It's seriously much bigger than I wanted it to be without all the world development and adventure I had planned, but hopefully you'll enjoy it either way.
One last thing. When you reach the ending you'll see it hints on a continuation, but I'm not sure I'll write it (if I do - and it's a big if, sorry - it'll take a long time to appear, and it'd have what I cut from this one).
A big thank you to shockandlock for helping me with some things, giving me a lot of support and betareading this!
Words to know: Cocox – A hybrid between a fox and a rooster (official One Piece name).
Snabbit – A hybrid between a snake and a rabbit (not-official name).
Zestrich – A hybrid between a zebra and an ostrich (not-official name).
Giragon - A sort of hybrid between a giraffe and a dragon. It looks like a green giraffe with black hair on its long and flexible neck (official One Piece name).
"We do not remember days, we remember moments." - Cesare Pavese
- ONE (the separation)
It was chaos. Actual pure and untamable chaos, and Marco couldn't do anything.
A crack sounded from up close, and he cursed. He threw himself to the ground just in time for the column that once stood tall behind him to fall to the ground in little pieces, sending a wave of dust towards him and clouding the air for a moment. Marco would have cursed loudly if that wouldn't have given away his position, and that was one of the last things he needed.
He took one second to check his surroundings before taking off, dodging a few fallen chairs and a swipe to his face. He ended being pulled into a fight when he saw a comrade almost fall, and covered for them while they caught their breath and stretched their wings. Marco only moved away again when they were back in the air and took out the closest attacker, giving him enough assurance they'd be fine for a while.
He went back to running and searching, but the clashing of swords around him resounded from a multitude of places, making it difficult for him to move about without entering into a fight by mistake. It was only thanks to a familiar roar that guided him to the right way.
He found Thatch by another pillar, and the fury on his usually carefree face was a sight Marco hadn't wished to see again. How had it come to this? Whenever Marco tried to think of any details of the last week that could have been a sign of this nonsense, nothing came to his mind. This was becoming a hassle to deal with.
"Thatch!" Marco blocked an attack to his right and used the momentary distraction of the attacker to jump over a bench and get closer to his brother. "How are you?"
"As fine as I can be!" Thatch grunted as he blocked another attack. Marco absently noticed that his hands were clenched tighter around his swords than normal, and his black tail twitched as if to show impatience. It said a lot that he still hadn't switched to his claws. "And you?"
"Same." With one last swipe, Marco's attacker fell to the ground. He spared the man one fleeting and saddened look before his attention was diverted again. "Izo and Zoro?"
"They're to our left. Safe, last I saw them, though Zoro's leg has seen better days." Thatch ducked just in time for an arrow to pass straight where his head had been, and it hit the ground a few feet away. Thatch hissed, his fangs slightly showing. "Tsk, they're above as well? This is starting to cross the line!"
"It's crossed the line a long time ago. Now, it's just plain nonsense."
"And there's no talking that can stop it," the bitter tone on Thatch's voice couldn't better represent what Marco felt.
It was chaos. Complete and utter chaos, and Marco didn't think he'd ever forget his helplessness and confusion on that day, even after night turned into morning, then into weeks, months and years.
That was the moment when everything around him started breaking.
- TWO (the reencounter)
Marco sighed deeply, passing a hand down his face and getting rid it of the rest of the water drops that had been sliding slowly. He looked up with half-lidded eyes, watching the sunlight slipping through the leaves on the treetops, illuminating the area with a warm glow. The chirping of a couple of birds and the sound of the river beside Marco were relaxing for him, and he found himself leaning against a rock, sleep tugging his eyelids closed even with the sharp edges poking his back.
It wouldn't be bad if he took a few minutes to rest, right? He could allow himself that much…
A piercing screech coming from somewhere close startled Marco, who got up in a second, all traces of sleepiness disappearing from his eyes. He ignored the twinge of pain from his arm and hid behind a tree, his things thrown as silently as possible behind his legs, ears alert for any following sounds and breathe almost still.
After a few seconds, he realized the noise must've come from an animal being hunted, and judging by the shouts of excitement, it seemed it had been caught. Marco almost sighed in relief, his grip on his sword loosening. He wasn't in the best of shape after more than a month of wandering around being followed and entering into fights. He thought he had fooled his pursuers in the last city, but he wasn't about to let his guard down until he was sure they had lost his trail.
The sudden sound of a twig breaking got Marco's attention again, and he cursed mentally when he realized whoever had been hunting was much closer. He pulled his hood further down to throw his face into more shade.
"Hey, let's stop here! There's a river, we can get some water." A voice, strangely familiar, commented. Marco didn't have time to ponder, for it was getting near, and with each step closer he tensed further.
"We can't take too long if we want to get home until nightfall." A second voice added, this time seeming to be female.
"Right! We have to get to Sanji before dinner! He said he'd cook us a cocox and this snabbit if we caught it. I can't wait for it! Ohh, and maybe a zestrich too!" A third one joined, its excitement clear to Marco even when he wasn't seeing the speaker. Something was dropped on the ground, and one of the three beings seemed to be searching something on a bag.
Someone snorted. "There's still a few hours until then, so control yourself. And preferably don't try to eat it now!"
There was a bonking sound and a whiny complaint. "But it smells so good!"
"That's the poison, you idiot. Snabbits release a nice smelling hormone when it's scared, and it's deadly to us. It lasts until a few hours after it's killed, so don't try anything until it's edible and on the table."
"That's not fair…"
Marco sagged a bit against the trunk, hoping that these hunters could just go on their way and leave the area free for Marco again. Maybe he'd even follow their lead and kill some animal to eat, and he could feel his stomach quietly grumbling in agreement.
A movement on the edge of his vision made Marco's head snap to his right just in time to meet widened slanted eyes. It only took him a second to react, and in the blink of an eye, his sword was out of its sheath, clanging against another one. Marco didn't let his surprise at the speed of the hunter show on his face, instead sliding his sword to the side to follow up with another attack.
The hunter ducked and pulled out another sword to join his first one, and a series of attacks Marco easily blocked came after. He moved his arm up, intent on disarming his opponent quickly so he could decide what he should do about the other two, and winced when the movement aggravated the wound on his arm.
The hunter seemed to take notice of this and used the moment to attack, and Marco barely avoided it. He cursed when his hood fell down. He couldn't be recognized now!
"Wait, Marco?!"
Marco's muscles locked and he froze in the middle of a swipe. His eyes observed as his opponent took off his black bandana to reveal spiky green hair, and suddenly the familiar voice made a lot of sense.
"Zoro!" This time, Marco couldn't suppress his surprise. "What are you doing here?"
Zoro hadn't changed much since the last time he had seen him. The scales on his skin, a few shades lighter than his hair, seemed to have spread around much more and his tail had grown a bit more, but otherwise he looked the same, with his three swords by his side and his usual black bandana.
"I could ask you the same," Zoro sheathed his swords, and Marco followed his lead.
"I guess we have a lot to talk about." It's been almost two years, after all.
"Hey, Zoro." Marco turned to see a teen with black hair staring at him curiously. The straw hat on his head was the only unusual thing about him, but Marco knew better than to judge from so little. "Who's the old man?"
Marco glared at him. "Who are you calling an old man, you brat?"
Zoro laughed, and Marco had to roll his eyes, feeling somewhat nostalgic. "He's Marco. He's my friend, we've met a long time ago." Then he turned to Marco. "This is Luffy, and the witch over there is Nami."
Marco nodded in both of their directions, smiling amused at the annoyed shriek Nami gave and at Luffy's curious laugh. It seemed like Zoro had found interesting friends.
"Why don't you come have dinner with us?" Nami offered, rolling her eyes.
Luffy nodded in agreement, eyes shining in excitement. "Yeah! We've never met someone Zoro knew before, and if he trusts you then you must be cool."
Marco couldn't avoid smiling back at Luffy's bright grin. The sheer trust he had for Zoro was warming to see.
"Sure. I'm not in a hurry anyway." As long as he didn't see any signs he had been found, he didn't see any problems with accepting the offer. It'd be good to have a proper dinner after a while.
The walk was quicker than Marco had expected, and in a few more hours they arrived in a city and were soon entering through what seemed to be the back door of a bar. While Nami and Luffy went to give their hunt to someone named Sanji, Zoro lead him to the front, stopping on an empty table.
Marco sat down with a relieved sigh and let his bag fall close to his feet. He had taken a first look at the ambient of the bar when they first entered to search for possible threats – a habit too ingrained on him to avoid repeating -, and now he used the time to observe everything better. It was quite full with loud conversations ringing in the air, but somehow it still seemed like a pleasant space.
It didn't take long for him to meet Sanji, who decided to come serve them two beers and introduce himself before going straight back into the kitchen. Two others seemed to be helping him, but they seemed too busy to pay them attention besides a few fleeting looks here and there.
"So, where have you been during this time?"
Zoro's question took Marco from his reverie, and he turned to look at him. "Nowhere in particular. I've been wandering through many cities, sometimes sleeping on a forest or close to a mountain." He sighed. "It seems the king's squad" - here he couldn't avoid bitterness from coloring his tone – "hasn't given up on finding us, and they've been relentless on their search. I've lost them again, but who knows for how long. It's really bothersome."
Zoro scowled, and Marco could easily spot his distaste. "Aren't they ever going to stop? They got what they wanted. Our group was dissolved, some joined them," Zoro's frown deepened, "and some aren't even here anymore."
"It's a way to prevent any futures risks of the rest of us banding together and planning a counter-attack." Marco ran a hand through his hair. "I admit I've been thinking about it a lot, but I've only managed to keep in contact with Thatch and Izo all this time. Besides you, now, I have no idea what happened with the others, and even if you join us, four people aren't enough against the new renowned king's squad."
"Well, damn." Zoro sighed before taking a large gulp of his beer. "I don't know if I should call it luck or unluck that they completely lost my tracks."
A loud crash made Marco tense, but at Zoro's simple roll of eyes he stopped in the middle of his automatic response to get his sword. Not a second after, shouts could be heard coming from the kitchen area, and some of the clients started laughing.
"That's just Luffy." Zoro explained at Marco's confused look.
Marco shook his head, amused. "How did you meet these friends of yours?"
"It was by mistake, actually." Zoro chuckled. "I ended up sleeping on a carriage with merchandise one night only to wake up and find it was coming for this city. It was an easy ride, so I took the opportunity. I met the witch and the shitty-cook when they went to buy some goods from the owner of the carriage. It wasn't a great start, but we ended up friends somehow and I joined them in their hunts. It pays surprisingly well in this small city."
Marco raised an eyebrow at the strange nicknames Zoro seemed to have given his friends, but nodded nonetheless. "I see." Then he straightened on his seat, eyes sharpening as an old streak of protectiveness grew. He knew Zoro since he had been fifteen, and though the last time he had seen him was when Zoro had been nineteen, his old habit never died. "And haven't you had any problems while here?"
He knew Zoro would understand, and the dawning on his eyes showed as much.
Zoro smirked. "Not at all. For a small city they certainly are more evolved than the capital. I haven't had one measly problem by not being human, even if some get curious."
"Heh, I'm already starting to like it here. You've found quite the lively bunch." Marco smiled.
The conversation went on for a while, changing to lighter subjects as the time passed. Marco ended up meeting a few other of Zoro's friends: a woman with a mysterious smile called Robin, a man with a love for constructing things called Franky, and a shy teenager called Chopper. Marco had his suspicions that, between all of them, some had mixed blood, and that made them an even more interesting group.
"Here you are! A freshly cooked cocox and a bit of a snabbit's tail for everyone" One of the waiters appeared by their table and left two big plates, and Marco's stomach grumbled at the delicious smell coming from them.
Before he eat anything, a hand appeared on the side of his view. He turned only to see the waiter looking at him with a smile. He used his other hand to put a strand of his fringe behind his ear, Marco couldn't help but wonder how he hadn't paid more attention to the handsome man before.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Ace."
The man's introduction reminded Marco of where he was, and deciding now wasn't the time for such thoughts, he cleared his throat and shook the man's hand. "Likewise. I'm Marco."
"I know you just arrived in the city, but any thoughts about it yet?"
"Well," Marco chuckled. "It's definitely lively here, or at least more than the last city I visited."
They talked for a some minutes, but soon Ace was excusing himself to go back to work. He stopped by their table a few more times, and the blond waiter - Sabo, if he wasn't mistaken - also appeared to introduce himself.
Overall, it was an interesting evening, and Marco felt more relaxed than he had in a long time. The problem came not long after, with the question of where he'd sleep.
Marco stared at his mostly empty pouch of money with frustration. It hadn't been in his plans coming to a city until two days later, when he'd reach a town not far from this one. There, he'd search for a quick job where he could be paid immediately or that offered a place to sleep, but now he had none of that. That's what he got from getting too sidetracked from re-meeting Zoro.
"It's okay, I can sleep in the forest. That's what I was going to do in the first place, anyway." He said finally. It'd be great to sleep on a bed, but he could endure one more night before he could afford a room in an inn.
"Why don't you stay with us?" The voice came from Ace, who approached their table with a smile and a raised eyebrow as he put the rag he was holding on his shoulder.
"Are you really willing to let a stranger inside your home?"
"You're not much of a stranger if you're Zoro's friend. He wouldn't bring someone he didn't trust here." He made a movement with his head on the direction of the counter, where the other worker, a blond man, was talking with Nami. "I've already talked with Sabo and Luffy, and they don't mind."
"You live together?"
The dark-haired man made an affirmative sound at the same time Zoro said. "They're brothers."
Marco nodded in comprehension. "I'll accept the offer then, thank you."
After a few more words, Ace claimed his turn had already ended and that he was going to head back. Marco decided to go with him, preferring to continue his conversation with Zoro after a well-rested night, and soon they were walking on the streets in silence.
"So, you work on Sanji's bar?" Marco asked after a while. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, but it'd be better to know more of the person in whose house he'd be sleeping in.
"Nah, not really." Ace rubbed the back of his neck. "I was actually doing that to repay him for some stuff I broke recently. It's harder than it looks. I prefer fighting over going around equilibrating all those plates anytime, and I can't even eat any of that delicious food while I'm at it…"
Marco couldn't help but chuckle. "Then you're also a hunter?"
"No. Sometimes I accompany Luffy, but Sabo and I are mercenaries, or at least that's how some call us. We do many sorts of jobs, but it depends on the request we choose and if the reward is something we want. It varies a lot, truthfully."
"At least you don't have to repeat the same routine every day."
"True. As much as I like to complain that some jobs are boring as hell, they're never the same. Plus, I get to go around many different places, even to neighbor cities."
Ace sent a bright grin towards him before stretching, and Marco found his eyes trailing the stretch of skin that showed when his shirt went slightly up. As soon as he noticed what he was doing, he shook his head.
At Ace's confused glance, he smiled apologetically. "It was nothing, don't worry. But it does seem like a fun job."
Ace's grin returned. "It is. Anyway, here we are." He stopped in front of a simple two-story building. "It's not a big place, but there's a good spare room, so I hope it'll do."
"It's already good enough that you're letting me sleep here, so thank you."
He received a soft smile in answer before being lead inside, to Marco's apparently new home for the time.
That was the moment when the tides changed for him.
- THREE (the job)
Marco blinked at the paper thrust in front of his face, before his eyes turned to Ace. His mischievous smile didn't help much, and when the silence stretched between them, Marco noticed Ace was waiting for a reaction. "What… is this?"
"It's a request, of course!"
Sure enough, when Marco analyzed better the words written on the paper, it held the information needed for a request. "Alright… You're doing it next?"
"We are doing it." Ace proclaimed, excitement shining on his eyes.
Marco blinked a few more times in confusion. "Wait, we?"
Ace rolled his eyes. "What, are you finally going deaf, old man?" He chuckled when Marco glared at him and snatched the paper from his hand.
"I already have work, remember? As much as I wouldn't mind doing this, I can't just stop suddenly to go on a one-time job with you and hope it'll be okay." Marco looked at the request paper again. "Besides, it doesn't seem that hard."
Marco heard Ace sigh beside him, and tried to hide his sudden urge to go back on his words. Ace had been nothing but helpful and friendly ever since Marco arrived a month ago, and he supposed they were turning into good friends, so it left him unease not to accept it. Besides, it had been so long since he had gotten closer to anyone beside his family that now that he had the opportunity, he actually wanted to tighten his bond with Ace, or at least spend more time in his company.
Marco wondered if it sounded as weird as it seemed to him.
"Then what if you change jobs?" Ace continued, leaning closer. Marco wondered if that was a good idea, seeing how badly balanced Ace's chair seemed to be.
"You mean just quit working on Makino's bar?" Marco raised an eyebrow when Ace nodded.
"Yeah, pretty much." He smirked. "I think a job that doesn't tie you to one place suits you much more, and I might or might not have already talked with Makino and gotten her okay. It seems one less worker isn't going to be a problem for her."
Marco paused for a moment. At Ace's encouraging nod, he sighed and looked at the request once again. It was true, he wouldn't mind a change of jobs for something more exciting, and if it wouldn't bother Makino…
"Alright…" he started slowly. "I'm in."
The excited grin Ace sent him made Marco feel quite satisfied with his decision, and he smiled back.
After reading the request once more, making a quick trip to Makino's bar and preparing what they'd need to complete it, they went to the streets and began their way. As Marco had said it, it was simple, and a quick visit to the eastern forest with enough patience to avoid the wild animals (or maybe enough strength to fight them) should do it.
In a few more hours, and with the afternoon having gone mostly as Marco had expected, both he and Ace were heading back with all the herbs and a few flowers towards their client's house. They were much welcomed and thanked, as Ace mentioned was the case after a successfully done request, both receiving a small pouch with money before going on their way.
It was strange, but Marco was feeling oddly satisfied with the results of the day. It might not be his old job with his family and friends as they surpassed problems and grew into something Marco had been proud to say he was part of, but as he looked at the people he had met in this friendly city and at the new bonds he was forming, he couldn't deny he also liked it.
He smiled fondly at Ace, who paused in the childhood tale he had been sharing to look at him in confusion. "What? I know it seems stupid, but it actually happened. That giragon was crazily possessive of those apples."
Marco chuckled. "I believe in you. I once came across one who wanted to bite my hand off for getting too close from some flowers. I think it was guarding them or something."
Ace huffed. "It probably was. Who knows what goes through that mad animal's head? And it didn't stop at that! It-"
Marco shook his head, amused, and listened with attention. At one point, his eyes strayed to Ace's hair, where he saw a petal hiding between some strands. He took it carefully and let the wind blow it away.
When Ace missed a step while looking at him with wide eyes and a gaping mouth, Marco worried that he had done something wrong for a second. The meaning of some habits and actions changed from city to city, so what if it was negative here?
Then Ace's expression changed, leaving Marco to watch with wonder as a slight tinge of red appeared on his freckled cheeks and he diverted his gaze. Nonetheless, a soft smile was growing on his face.
Marco felt warm.
"L-let's hurry up! I'm getting hungry, so let's see what we're going to have for dinner!" Ace then hastened his step and entered the house first, leaving the door open for Marco, who could only be amused by Ace's strange behavior.
Later, after a fulfilling dinner followed by a long conversation full of laughs, and all four occupants of the house were hiding yawns, they decided it was better to go to sleep. Marco went to his room with a soft smile on his face after helping organize the mess they made during dinner, and put his first small pouch full of golden coins inside a drawer. It was the first time in months that he didn't have to worry about hurrying in the morning to pay someone while counting what he'd have left.
That was the moment his stability finally started growing back again.
- FOUR (the fall)
Marco wondered how it had come to this.
He couldn't see them very well from his position on the ground, but he definitely felt and heard them as they clustered around him, jumping and barking with excitement.
The bigger dog, one with black fur, had its front paws set on his chest as it licked Marco's face with glee. The medium and smaller ones had brown fur with black dots, and while one was intent on jumping on Marco's arm, nudging him with its wet nose sometimes, the other was barking nonstop as it sat on Marco stomach.
The fourth and last one, which Marco decided was his favorite, was sitting beside the opened door of the house, waiting for its owner to come back from inside to deliver Marco his reward whilst it watched the scene. Maybe it was grateful for Marco's help, so it decided not to follow its sibling's example, but it certainly wasn't enough to make it move from its position to help him.
Marco groaned in frustration. On the other hand, maybe that was him just overthinking. How long had he been under these heavy and insistent dogs?
"Have you always been this popular with dogs?" The familiar voice coming from somewhere behind him startled Marco.
He leaned his head back and managed to spot Ace crouching near him with an amused smile from between the thick fur of the black dog. "It's not a talent I knew I had." Marco answered dryly. "I'm sure it's just because they're happy I helped their friend. And I think I might smell like dog food too."
Marco rolled his eyes when Ace started laughing hard, almost joining him on the ground. One of the dogs turned its face towards him, curious at the noise, and Marco used the opportunity to force his way to sit up. Excited barks followed him, but from that point it was easy to fold his legs under him and get up.
"No." He looked firmly to the bigger one, and almost felt pity when it made a whining noise and looked at him with big eyes as it sat. The other two followed the first's lead, and soon there were three big dogs staring at Marco.
"Heh, you're actually good at dealing with them." Ace seemed to be struggling to regain his breath as he joined Marco.
"More or less." Marco took a loose piece of cloth from his bag and used it to get rid of the slobber left on his face. "They were doing a good job of ignoring me until now."
Ace nodded, still looking amused. "You know people will remember you for that for a while, right?"
Marco looked around them and sure enough, a few passersby were looking at them, seeming a bit too entertained in Marco's opinion. "Oh well, nothing I can do about that." He sighed. "Where were you heading to?"
"To the closest river from here. And you?"
"Home. I want to rest for a while." Marco held back a yawn and turned to receive the reward from the dogs' owner as he appeared. He should have tried sleeping more last night instead of losing himself in his thoughts. "I suppose we're going in the same direction for a while, then."
The way was filled with a light conversation about the season and a few animals that were being spotted more often, and Marco felt himself relaxing. This was something common whenever he was with Ace, and made Marco ponder a lot. There was a high possibility he had developed a small crush on Ace with time – and didn't it make Marco feel like he was a teenager again? Although it was a nice feeling, he didn't expect it to last much longer. Of course, he found Ace extremely handsome and hard not to look at, but that should be it. Besides Zoro, he shouldn't have any lasting connections with anyone here, no matter how nice it seemed. Which reminded him…
"By the way, did Zoro say if he managed to deliver the letter?"
"Yeah, he said the bird got it and left you something back," Ace nodded.
"Okay, thanks." Marco smiled. It had been a while since Izo's bird had visited him, and it was about time to tell them of his encounter with Zoro and to get news from their positions.
"Why do you always use that bird to send letters?" Ace asked, curiosity written on his face.
Deciding it wouldn't be a problem if he told Ace this much, he answered. "It's a bird my brother trained. It's a sort of hybrid as well, but since it looks like a simple white bird, it goes unnoticed most of the time. Its sense of smell is amazing, though, and it can find anyone it's gotten used to, so my brothers and I."
"Not Zoro?"
"No. For some reason, it's much easier for it to follow humans than creatures. It remembers my other brother's smell, and he's also a creature, so I think it has to do with the amount of time Zoro was with us. I think he was fifteen when we first met."
"Heh, fifteen years old Zoro? Now that's something that seems interesting." Ace laughed.
"He was stubborn," Marco smiled. "And definitely didn't have this much discipline. He's gotten much better with time, though, and the last time we were together he could beat most of us in a spar."
"You too?" Ace nudged him with a raised eyebrow.
Marco chuckled. "No. Who knows, now? It's been a long time."
Marco had to admit he missed those times, back when everything was going fine. They trained a lot and grew together to achieve better positions on the squad they were part of. There had been some obstacles on the way, but they still advanced, and not long after they were put into action… that fight happened. No matter how much strength their group had, against such a big number of adversaries, they stood no chance. It was a miracle they managed to get out alive.
Marco was startled when a hand fell on his shoulder, and part of his mind was surprised his instinct to fight back didn't react. He turned to Ace only to receive a serious look back.
"You know, the past is in the past. It's nice to remember things that happened, but they're just memories in the end. Striving to enjoy your present and create a good future, whether it has to do with your past or not, is much better, don't you think so?"
Marco remained in silence for a moment before nodding. Ace grinned brightly before latching onto a story, and soon Marco found himself getting lost on his voice as it described an adventure from a few years ago.
It was only when he suddenly stopped walking, a few minutes later, that Marco noticed they were in front of his house. Hadn't Ace said he was going to the river?
The question stopped on Marco tongue when he saw Ace's grin softening, and it dawned on him that he had been trying to cheer Marco up this whole time.
Warmth enveloped him, and a wide smile grew on his face, more heartfelt than it had in a long time. He couldn't help but take notice in Ace's every little detail in his glee; how his grin widened at Marco's positive answer, how his gorgeous grey eyes seemed to glint in the light, and even how the skin next to them wrinkled a little. He looked stunning under the afternoon's sunlight, and as Marco's heart was filled with fondness and, dare he say it, care, he couldn't think of a more wonderful person to be together with.
That's when the realization that his seemingly little crush wasn't just that hit him, leaving Marco almost breathless.
He had fallen for Ace, and hard.
That was the moment he realized his feelings wouldn't be swayed, wouldn't go away. Without him noticing, that changed the course of his future actions.
- FIVE (the truth)
The tapping of the water drops on the window was soothing for Marco. He looked at the streets through it, observing a few passersby running around trying to escape the thickening rain and quickening wind.
Marco rested his cheek against the cold window and closed his eyes, letting the muffled sounds from outside relax his tense muscles. Behind him, the main room of Sanji's bar was packed and noisy with their friends, closed to anyone from outside of their circle for the night, and Marco was quite thankful for the familiar and somehow calming sounds.
For a while, he sat on that windowsill with a glass of beer on his hands, lost in memories he didn't want to remember, nostalgia and a somewhat numb sense of frustration surrounding him.
The front door slammed open, bringing the full sound of the rain and the hollering wind inside the room. Marco opened one of his eyes just in time to see the person that had entered raise a hand in greeting while Sanji shouted complaints and a few others laughed, the mess of voices around going up a few notches. Marco couldn't help but join them in chuckling as the door was closed, leaving a puddle of water in front of it.
Sanji sighed before throwing a rag at the person's direction, who after catching it lowered their drenched hood, revealing that Ace's hair was as wet as it. "Damn it, Ace. Don't I always tell you to enter through the back door when it's raining?" The fact that his voice was more exasperated than annoyed proved how much that had already happened.
Ace grinned brightly in answer. "Oh, come on, it's not so bad! I'll even dry it." He peeled the wet coat from his body and dumped it on top of a chair. "It's not my fault this is the closest door to where I was. Did you see how much it's raining out there?"
"Yeah, and you're always closer to here somehow," Sanji rolled his eyes, getting one of the towels from a hidden drawer and throwing it towards Ace as well. "Dry yourself too. There's no point in cleaning the ground when you keep leaving a trail after you."
"Yes, sir!" Ace mock saluted before ducking away a kick aimed in his direction.
Marco watched with amusement as Ace finished his task, and in a few more minutes, he was pulling a chair to sit beside him. "So, how was it yesterday?"
"Two jobs finished and a pouch full of golden coins." Marco moved his head in the direction of the table closest to them, where a pouch lied innocently together with a few papers, a coat and a sheathed knife.
Ace immediately scooted closer and dropped a pouch of his own beside Marco's, frowning in concentration. Marco couldn't help but observe him in the meanwhile, how his slightly damp hair stuck to his face in a few parts, how the low lighting of the candle on the table did wonders to his freckled cheeks, how his gorgeous gray eyes seemed so concentrated on the pouches.
Ace left a sigh pass through his lips before stretching, and Marco shamelessly followed the movement. "Damn, you won again."
Marco's attention was broken, and he turned his eyes to Ace's almost pouting face. He couldn't help the smug smirk from growing on his face. "I told you you're not gonna beat me."
"But I should!" Ace huffed, crossing his arms and glaring at him playfully. "How long have I been living here and how long have you? I should know more than you to get the best requests, not those silly ones to gather mushrooms in the forest."
"So that's what your last request was?" Marco raised an eyebrow when Ace grumbled something in answer. "I suppose you could call it luck."
"Luck my ass. I'm still going to discover what your secret is." Ace turned to Marco, a determined glint shining on his eyes and a confident smile sending shivers down on Marco.
Marco cursed his reaction inwardly and hoped it didn't show, deciding to smirk in response. "We'll see about that."
Ace huffed. "Well, anyway. Are you ready?"
"You can't be thinking of going now." Marco looked incredulous at Ace, before pointedly motioning towards the window. "You didn't forget how much it's raining, right?"
"Of course not." Ace rolled his eyes. "I just want to know if we're going to have to stop at home before going."
"I have everything." Marco patted his sheathed sword by his side and nudged his bag on the ground with a foot.
"Good, me too." Ace grinned. "Do you have the paper request?"
Marco took a folded paper from his pocket and offered it to Ace, who opened it and hummed in thought while going over the details.
"It seems like a good one. We just need to go talk with the client before nightfall to see if they have any further information, then head northeast of here."
Ace nodded. "The path that goes around the forest, right? I think I know a city that way, it's close to the mountains."
"From what I've heard, it's an excellent place for trade, so it makes sense the thieves went there. Let's just hope they didn't change directions or were too hasty in selling what they stole."
"Man, it'll be a pain to track the things if they were already sold," Ace groaned.
"Look at the bright side. At least it won't be boring like picking mushrooms." Marco chuckled when Ace crossed his arms on the table and hid his face on them.
"Don't even remind me of that. When the request said they needed something very important to be collected, I didn't think they meant mushrooms. And they weren't even for healing, just a stupid ingredient for lunch!" Ace lamented. "I could've spent my time doing something better than a beginner's job."
Marco patted Ace's shoulder sympathetically, earning a huff from him as he turned his head to the side to look at Marco. "But you did a good deed for a poor somebody who was too lazy to go by themselves," Marco offered, half-serious and half-teasing, and got a punch to his shoulder in retribution.
"Ha ha," Ace deadpanned before going back to his partially covered position.
Their conversation went on for a while, and Marco was telling a story he heard in one of his travels when he noticed Ace's breathing had evened, his visible eye closed. He shook his head and smiled fondly, leaning closer to brush aside some strands of hair that had fallen over Ace's eye.
When he straightened again, he saw the amused looks coming from Nami and Robin, and immediately looked to the side, embarrassed to have been caught. He knew he hid his feelings well from Ace, but from the others not so much, especially after a few months.
Marco's thoughtful gaze went back to the window. It had been almost a year now since he first arrived in this city, and although he had seen signs of his pursuers a few cities from this one, they hadn't been getting closer and thus there had been no reason for him not to stay more. Now it was getting to the point he was seriously considering finding his own place to live instead of occupying Ace, Luffy and Sabo's house and paying them a sort of rent every month. Maybe if he did that, he could even find a way to convince Izo and Thatch to slowly make their way here.
Either way, he knew he should do something about his feelings before all that, and by their friends' reactions and continuous teasing, Marco had his suspicions it wouldn't end bad. He needed to shove his apprehensiveness aside and act, lest he find a way to ruin it all. But then again, did he really want to bring Ace to the mess that surrounded him when he wasn't sure it was over?
A few hours later, the rain stopped and, after checking if they had everything they needed one last time and making a quick visit to their client, they went on their way towards the city northeast of there.
It was only when they decided to stop by the path to rest, that things went wrong.
Thanks to Marco's keen hearing, he heard the familiar but almost imperceptible sound of a sword being taken out from its sheath, and he threw himself to the ground. Not a second later, he felt a swipe above him before a dull sound followed.
Ace's loud curse alerted him of the presence of other attackers, and he wasted no time in turning his leg around, grunting when it collided with someone else's legs and making them fall. He quickly got up took out his sword, deviating from an arrow and blocking another attack.
Not far from him, he could hear the sounds of another fight, and looking with the corner of his eyes he saw Ace had found the archer. He seemed to be doing well, and considering he was a close ranged fighter, he had an advantage.
Marco wasn't able to spare another second to Ace's fight, for his attacker continued with his relentless blows and the other one seemed to have recuperated.
In the end, the fights didn't last for long, and soon two of attackers were knocked out while the third one was leaning against a tree with Marco's sword by his neck.
"Who are you? What's the meaning of this attack?" Marco asked harshly. Ace stopped by his side, panting.
"I owe you no explanation, rebel. Just know you can't run forever"
"Rebel?" Ace softly inquired. At the same time, Marco huffed.
"So you're part of the king's new squad? No, better yet, you're just a novice. You're being trained by them, aren't you?" At the man's glare, Marco rolled his eyes. "Seems I am right. They're getting lazy if they decided to send newbies to find me."
"Don't act like you're so high and mighty! You don't compare to the king's knights, they're much stronger and much more efficient than you! They're definitely going bring peace to this kingdom, unlike you lot!" The man slightly tensed, and by Marco's experience he knew he was planning on lunging for his fallen sword.
"Don't even think about it." Marco sword pressed more against the man's neck, almost at the point of drawing blood. "And I think you're highly deluded by the actual squad if you think so. Just take a look at all the battles going on around the kingdom, and tell me if they're doing a good job."
"That's your damn fault!" the man hissed, and Marco's eyes narrowed in attention at his teeth.
"Are you…" The question was left hanging in the air, but by the widening of the man's eyes, he had understood it.
"So you are a half-blood, huh?" Marco looked at the bandana the other was wearing and spotted two slightly bumpy areas. "Why were you even hiding your ears?"
"Shut up! That's none of your business!"
"Well, then answer me this. If you know who I am, I'd expect you to know that we weren't rebels, so why do you call us that?"
The half-man snorted. "Hah, you weren't! All you did was participate in a few battles, claim you were doing a lot, and then laze around. You bothered more than helped, and went against the king's orders! Look at the state our kingdom is in now! Look at what you left for the squad to take care of! Of course I can call you rebels! Or do you prefer traitors?!"
"For years," Marco started slowly, taking pleasure at seeing the man's mouth snap shut at the fury in his tone, "we did our best to stop those ridiculous rebellions and fights against mixed bloods and creatures. For years we succeeded and they were diminishing, and yet you say we did nothing?! We are not traitors, that you can be sure of. Learn about what really happened before you talk shit about it." By the end of the sentence, Marco's voice had lowered to a chilling tone, which coupled with a glare left the half-man trembling.
"Now, tell me: do any of the real members of the squad know where I am?"
"N-no, it-it's just us. They told us to f-follow your last trail and we-we ended up on that small city by mistake. It-it wasn't hard to disco-cover about you from the rumors." The half-man gulped, and then gave a pathetic excuse of a smirk. "When-when they hear we've go-gone missing here, they'll know exactly where you are."
Marco sighed and mumbled a curse under his breath; he was right. "Thank you for the information. That's all I needed." And with a punch, he knocked down the last attacked.
Marco sheathed his sword before running a hand through his hair. Suddenly, all his problems had come crashing down, but this time it wasn't something Marco could solve by just going to another place. Whether he stayed or not, the trail of those three lead to Ace's city, and he wasn't about to leave Zoro, much less any of the others, to fend by themselves. He needed to think of something, and quickly.
He turned to Ace and opened his mouth, to say what he wasn't sure, only to stop mid-action at Ace's crossed arms and almost glare.
"Care to explain what was all this?" Ace motioned to the unconscious attackers and the marks left of their fight on the surroundings. "And why were you talking about the rebellions and fights of the kingdom?"
Damn, he had forgotten Ace had been listening to everything. "I guess I do owe you an explanation." Marco took a deep breath and walked to a nearby tree, sitting down on its large root and patting the place beside him. Ace sat and looked at Marco with a serious expression while keeping in silence.
"You might have already gotten it from the conversation, but I worked for the king a few years ago." At Ace's nod, Marco continued. "Me, my brothers, Zoro and some others were part of something called the king's squad. We had trained hard to achieve that position, and our forces were well balanced and in synch after long periods of time working together. After a while, the king ended up sending us to pacificate some of the rebellions and fights throughout the kingdom, stop that nonsense about separating the nation into two so humans and creatures could live separated."
Marco sighed and pinched his nose. "It was… complicated, to say the least, but we were trying hard, and with mixed members and time it seemed to be working, since less and less problems arose."
"I think I remember hearing about that some years ago," Ace hummed to himself. "But it didn't last long."
"No, it didn't, unfortunately." Marco scowled. "I think that was around the time we started having problems with the king. The orders he started sending us were starting to become more and more rigid, to the point we were almost killing innocent creatures and humans. Of course, we stopped following his orders completely, and our leader, Whitebeard, even tried to talk with him once as they got along well."
"And it didn't work?" Ace frowned at Marco's negative answer. "But isn't the king known for his usual kindness?"
"He is, and that's why we thought it was strange." Marco sighed. "Well, we didn't get to wonder for too long, anyway. The problems between us lead to an order for another squad to assassinate us. We had no idea they existed and had such big numbers, so we were at a heavily disadvantage and lost." Marco's hand clenched on his pants as he closed his eyes. "Some of us were killed, some joined the enemy, and some escaped, like me, Zoro and my two brothers. Whitebeard wasn't with us that night, but later we heard he was also killed."
Marco grinded his teeth and took a deep breath. It still hurt when he thought about his unbearable helplessness on that night, and how he wasn't able to do anything to help Whitebeard, the man who was like a father for him. Some part of him blamed himself for his carelessness - he was practically the second in command, he should have done something! - while the other repeated that there had been nothing he could have done, that there had been no hints whatsoever for what had been coming. Marco still didn't know which side was correct, and to this day he spent nights awake as old memories of his families and friends plagued him, a bitter sense that he'd never have it all back again accompanying them.
The sudden feeling of a Ace's hand above his and of a thumb moving in circles on the back of his hand were soothing, and Marco opened his eyes to look at Ace's.
"We were separated while escaping, and I've been wandering around since them. The squad didn't stop following us to this day, it seems, and that only made it harder for me to meet with any of the others. It was only by sheer luck that I found Zoro and that he's managed to stay here for so long in safety." Marco bowed his head. "Unfortunately, it seems that my presence here for so long attracted them, and I don't think they'd leave you alone even if I left now. I'm deeply sorry for that. I even dragged Zoro back into this mess..." He sighed at the end.
"I don't think Zoro would appreciate you saying that…"
"What?" Marco raised his head to see Ace frowning at him.
"You saying that you dragged him into this problem. You know, he was part of your group, which means it's his business too." Ace turned fully to him, making Marco straighten up. "I might not know him for as long as you do, but from what I do know of him, I'm sure he wouldn't blame you. It's a danger he could be subjected to anytime, and he was lucky to avoid it until now."
"I could've helped prevent that for longer by not staying in the same place for too long. They were following my trail, not his."
"Okay, listen here." Ace almost growled, taking Marco by surprise. As Ace held both of his hands in a firm grip, Marco could feel his surroundings blurring, his eyes focused on Ace. "Stop saying that. You can't carry this burden alone all the time! You stayed by yourself for too long, so isn't it time to rely on others again? Trust that you and Zoro will think of something to do, and that we will help you in any way we can!"
"Wait, we?" Marco look incredulous. "You can't be possibly-"
"Oh, yes, I can." Ace narrowed his eyes. "Aren't friends supposed to help each other? We're not that weak or stupid Marco. I'm sure we can be of some use. Or are you saying you we aren't your friends?"
"What, that's not-wait, no, I-" Marco cut himself with a frustrated groan. "Ace, I don't think you understand how serious this is. You'd be risking your lives. You don't have to do that, alright? I can think of some other way to avoid you from getting involved and…"
"And what? You'll disappear after that?"
Marco held in a wince at that, instead turning to look at the side, anywhere but Ace's hurt eyes. He didn't like this idea, but it was the most probable consequence of any plan he could come up with.
"Ace, I don't doubt you'd be a great help," he started slowly. "But I have no idea what's going to happen. Who'll help, who won't, I still don't have any guarantee that it'll be like I'm imagining. The most information about the actual king's squad I have is that they have few creatures as members and are ruthless, but besides this telling me that that's possibly why they're not as successful with the kingdom's problems as us, I know nothing." He looked back straight into Ace's eyes. "The danger is high, and I'm not willing to let any of you go through this risk for something that you don't have any actual ties to. Can't you understand that?"
Ace scowled. "No, I don't. Aren't you considered enough of a tie for us to get involved? We're the ones who have the right to decide that, not you. Even if I'm sure the others would want to help you no matter what, at least I can say that I am willing to go through it. Let me help you."
Marco eyes narrowed before he sighed and shook his head. "I'm not going to risk your safety. You're too important for me to let that happen." Let Ace think whatever he wanted from that. He just couldn't imagine what he'd do if Ace got hurt when he couldn't do anything, he wouldn't be able to stand it knowing it was his fault.
He heard Ace growl beside him. "Stop being fucking stubborn!"
Marco turned to retort that statement when his face was held by two warm hands. He looked at Ace's disgruntled face and the determined glint in his eyes with slight confusion, but before he could utter any word, Ace's lips crashed against his.
Any and all thoughts escaped from Marco's mind in that moment, and he barely had enough presence of mind to reciprocate the soft kiss. It couldn't have been simpler, just lips slowly moving against each other, but it sent a wave of warmth through Marco and a shiver went down his spine, that couldn't compare to anything else.
Then the urge to get closer, to feel more of Ace, feel him against his body grew in absurd proportions, and it was only due to the last sliver of his control inside his mind that stopped him, even as he felt Ace slightly move, as if wanting the same. However, this was neither the place nor the right time for that, and with reluctance and an almost physical ache, he separated from Ace.
"You're too important for me as well, do you believe me?" Ace started in a low voice, as if he was about to pronounce a secret, as it might as well have been one. "I love you."
Marco didn't think it was possible for him to feel warmer, but as his stomach kept doing flips a if he was a teenager, a smile full of care grew on his face. "I love you too." Then he straightened and sighed. "I suppose it'd be extremely egotistical of my part to still say you have nothing to do with my mess now."
Ace smirked. "Yes, it would."
"Alright, we'll… talk about this. With the others as well." Marco finally relented, an exasperated smile on his face. Nonetheless, he felt lighter than he had in too long, and he couldn't convince his mouth to stop twitching upwards.
"Great. You'll see I was right." Ace grinned. "Now that that's decided, what do we do with these guys?"
Marco could only shake his head and chuckle as Ace looked pointedly at their unconscious attackers. Meanwhile, old ideas started being sewn together, and the start of a plan began to take form inside his mind.
That was the moment when Marco realized things were looking brighter than they had in a long time, and he had hopes that even the impending problems wouldn't be able to bring them down.
* SIX (and finally, they moved)
And so, it began.
What started as a quiet extermination of a rebel squad, fueled by the strange orders of a supposedly kind king, lead to bitterness and anger, death and dissolution.
What took so long to grow inside the mind of a lost man was finally maturing and would be put into practice, and Marco couldn't wait to see the results.
It was only a matter of time now. As a new adventure started to form to reveal the truth, as Marco finally started seeing old familiar faces whilst things looked progressively brighter, and as his plan started to unwind, he stayed strong by Ace's side, who brought new experiences, ideas, and excitement into the mix. Marco couldn't have asked for more.
And as new moments started being committed to memory, they moved.