In which Ace confesses his hesitations and Marco makes him laugh: Set in the One Piece world.

If someone were to ask Marco what Ace was doing, he would reply with "being a stubborn idiot." If someone were to ask Thatch the same question, he would say "probably a running gag?" with minor reassurance. If that someone were to ask Whitebeard the question, he would say "it's his way of showing his love." Before promptly deflecting the consequent assassination attempt by that same logia and asking somebody to fish their newest brother out of the ocean. If that same someone were to ask that very Ace that same question, he wouldn't know the answer.

One hundred assassination attempts earlier and Ace would have said he was dead set on taking the old man's head. But now, he wasn't so sure. The Whitebeard Pirates had shown him an unforeseen unneeded and unwanted kindness that Ace had ever only seen in Luffy. He didn't know how to respond to the hellos that greeted him throughout the day, or the invitations to join in a game of cards despite the fact that he'd tried to kill their captain not hours earlier, or that incessant need for them to make sure he ate and bathed and wrapped up all his injuries, though he refused all of these kindnesses. He didn't understand why they were doing this for someone who'd rather see them dead. Or had.

For the second time in his life, Ace was clueless. And the cause for the first time? Back in East Blue.

For the moment, Ace was by himself. He gave the starry sky one more glance before pushing away from the ships sturdy railing, something that Ace had become well acquainted with, and slunk inside the ship, making head for a dark corner that he could sleep in.

"So this is where you've been sleeping." Ace jumped at the voice, becoming alert and ready to attack. "You know, we gave you your own room for a reason." The First Division Commander didn't receive a reply. "Come on, get up, I want to talk."

"Go to hell."

Marco sighed. There were times when he hated his brother's hot headed temper. Despite his words, Ace stepped out of the shadows and looked towards Marco, waiting for him to take the lead. "What? You said you wanted to talk and I know you won't leave until I do so let's get it over with."

Well he wasn't quite there on the "accepting us as his brothers" part, but it was something.

They walked onto the deck just as the moon peaked out from behind the clouds, basking the deck in light. Marco stopped in front of Ace and tilted his head up, eyes closed, enjoying the moonlight before it disappeared once more. "Ace why do you want to kill pops?"

The fire user stopped in his tracks, not expecting the question. "I'm not obligated to tell you."

The blonde turned his head to look back at the other pirate, a serious look on his face. "You're right, humor me."

"The fame?" Ace replied, though it came out as more a question. It wasn't a complete lie. He wanted to do it to prove that he wasn't his father, but Marco didn't need to know that. "I don't know, why do you care?"

"If I know why you're pushing us away even though we've been nothing but saints around you, then maybe I can help you so you'll stop looking so god damn afraid and angry every time you're around us!" The Phoenix closed his eyes after his outburst and turned to the railing, staring down at the lapping water. "I know that it may be hard to believe, Ace, but we really do like you. We really do want you to be our brother. I just don't know why you don't want to be ours…"

Ace gripped the wood so hare that his knuckles turned white. He let his bangs cover his face as Marco's words sunk in. He didn't know when or why he started crying, only that his chest really hurt. If Marco noticed the tears, he didn't say anything. They seemed to be standing there for hours before either said another word.

It was Ace that broke the silence.

He even surprised himself when the words came out of his mouth, but he didn't dare look up, didn't dare see the seething hate that was surely on Marco's face. But then he did, he caught a glimpse of Marco's face shadowed in the starlight and saw anger. No, not anger, but irritation. Then a tired smile.

"I know this is a big secret for you. Something that has probably been tearing you apart for a while now, but Ace I honestly… I don't care. At all. Zero percent."

Ace snapped his head up to meet the other's. "W-What do you mean you don't care?! But.. He was Whitebeard's-"

"Rival?" Marco finished. "Being someone's rival is different from being someone's enemy, Ace. Sure, he was an idiot and didn't think before he said or did… anything, but I, nor anyone who actually met him, hated Roger." Marco chuckled fondly. "Close your mouth before you catch flies."

The black-haired teen's face heated up as his close his dropped jaw. It took him a moment to regain his mind back after Marco's declaration. "I won't tell anyone, promise." The commander said, as if reading his mind. "You just need to do one thing." Ace glared at the man. "Please stop refusing the food we give you."

"That's it? Eat?" Ace asked, tilting his head. "In exchange for keeping the secret that could destroy my life, you want me to eat?" Marco nodded.

They both burst out laughing. It was a sound Marco hadn't gotten to hear often from the rookie.

Marco decided that would no longer be the case.