To Have A Family
Summary: Ace didn't really understand what it meant to have a family that cared for him. Sure he had Luffy and Sabo, and a Shitty Gramps, but they weren't exactly good role models for a picture perfect family, even if he loved them to pieces. Then, he joined Oyaji's crew.
Btw, we all have our anime spouses/boy-girlfriends/fiances(admit it!), and I have my anime dad. I'd never call my father by his name so I'll probably refer to Whitebeard as Pops or Oyaji more than by his name.
Protective!Marco!Thatch!Pops, OOCAce
~?~?~?~
Ace heaved a deep sigh, relaxing as the salty brine entered his nose and the sounds of the ocean and his crew behind him surrounded him. Ace was enjoying both the calm of his new family as well as the sting of the new tattoo on his back; the familiar sting of the ink made him proud, prouder of anything he'd ever had in his life, except maybe Luffy. Ace gave a small smile, his fingers reaching over his shoulder, inching towards the mark. Being accepted by more people, to be loved conditionally; it all felt so good.
"Morning yoi," a lazy voice said behind him.
Ace's face split into a grin and he turned to one of the two men who hadn't given up on his stubborn ass. "Morning Marco!" he replied enthusiastically.
Marco smirked, his lazy gaze lifting slightly as the sight of his happy brother. "Have you had breakfast yet -yoi?" he asked curiously.
Ace paused, but only momentarily, and his smile shrunk a little. "I haven't had anyone care in a long time," he said, more to himself.
Ace jumped as his shoulder was smacked. "Oi!" he barked, turning to his right; that kind of sting was far from pleasant.
Thatch laughed. "Calm down, calm down," he said. "I was just looking for you. You haven't eaten yet."
Ace's eyes widened again before he smiled. "Join me?" he asked his brothers.
"Course," Thatch laughed, and Marco nodded.
~In the Galley~
Ace frowned as he tore a chunk a meat off the bone, glancing around the galley at his brothers and sisters; Thatch and Marco, in front of and next to him respectively, eating as well. The atmosphere was tense and sharp, like everyone was ready for a fight or some big attack. Ace swallowed his load and then glanced at Marco.
"Has an enemy ship been sighted?" he asked, unconsciously going into captain mode as he surveyed the room.
Thatch and Marco shared a secret grin that Ace didn't notice before Marco became serious. "Kind of yoi," he replied.
Ace's eyebrow rose. "Kind of?" he asked.
Thatch grimaced. "He's a marine but he and Pops drink sake from time to time," he explained.
"A marine?" Ace asked in surprise, ripping off another chunk of meat.
"Ah," Thatch nodded, sipping a glass of milk. "Vice-Admiral Monkey D. Garp."
Ace choked, gasping and pounding on his chest. Marco quickly smacked his back and the fire teen swallowed, coughing. Thatch gave his milk to the young man and Ace chugged it before putting it down with a gasp. Marco and Thatch watched worriedly as fear and desperation began to fill Ace's eyes.
"Did you say," Ace gasped gravely. "Garp?"
The two glanced at each other. "Yes…?" Thatch replied hesitantly.
"Don't worry yoi," Marco assured, "Pops and Garp-."
Ace didn't wait for him to finish as he dashed from his seat and out of the galley, ignoring the call of his name from his brother. Without preamble, Ace ran to one of the crows nest, shooting up the ladder to the top. Shoving the watchman out of the room, Ace grabbed the binoculars. It didn't take long for him to sight the all too familiar dog figurehead and marine sail. Ace stared in horror.
Suddenly there was teal flames over taking his view. "Ace!" Marco shouted, flapping his wings.
Ace dropped the binoculars, still staring in the direction of the ship. "Marco I'm gonna die," he said gravely.
"Ace you are not dying yoi," Marco replied firmly.
"What happened back there?" Thatch asked in concern, sticking his head through the trapdoor.
Ace covered his mouth in horror and Marco and Thatch frowned as they heard mumblings of beatings and 'fist of love' and joining marines. Finally Marco flew in through the window and transformed back into his human form. Marco gripped Ace's shoulders, snapping him from his trance. Ace jumped, his flames flaring to attack Marco instinctually but Marco's own flames activated to protect his hands while Thatch ducked.
"Ace, what's wrong yoi!?" he demanded, ignoring the flames that spread.
Before Ace could answer, they both gasped and sputtered in shock as suddenly the crows nest they were in was flooded with water. They stared at each other in shock, soaked to the bone, before slowly making their way towards the window, ignoring steam that was billowing around them. Outside was Thatch, along with Namur, and a dozen other men who were operating a hose and water crank. Thatch looked concerned while Namur was glaring.
"What the hell are you doing up there?!" he barked, switching off the hose valve.
Ace's eyes became shadowed as he slowly backed away, his fists clenched and shoulders shaking. What the hell was he doing? Panicking like a child? Where was the hard captain pirate who was ballsy enough to challenge the Whitebeard head-on? When had he ever ran from a fight!
. . .
And yet had he ever stood up for himself against his shitty gramps…?
Marco cautiously walked towards Ace, putting his hand on the fire user's shoulder. "Ace…?" he asked carefully.
Ace roughly shrugged Marco's hand off before turning sharply and trekking down the ladder, Marco was quick to follow, becoming his hybrid self to beat Ace to the ground. Without prompting Thatch raised his arm, tightening his muscles so Marco could land on the limb before said man jumped down, transforming back to his human form in an instant. Ace was already marching back to his room.
"Ace!" Marco called. "Talk to me yoi!" he nearly begged. This was his precious brother; he just got him, he wasn't about to lose him.
Thatch took his shoulder, looking to the side. "Garp is here," he said, conflicted on who he should deal with first.
Ace flinched at the name and Marco happened to notice, the blonde's eyes widening in realization. Marco wasn't the only one to notice.
As Ace walked by Pop's throne to the door that went to his room, he started as suddenly his hat was plucked from his head. Ace's head jerked up, momentarily forgetting why he was hiding his face. Whitebeard's eyes softened as he regarded his newest son's expression; sad loneliness.
"What's wrong my son?" Pops asked, giving the man his hat back.
Ace slowly took his hat back, putting it on and hiding his eyes again with the brim; he couldn't speak, his throat was choking up. Ace gasped as without warning he was lifted up and onto Pop's lap; a moment later Marco joined them, perching on the man's throne, and a second after, Thatch was there too. Pops took the towel that was handed to him and he gently but thoroughly began to dry his distraught son, who was too lost in his thoughts to dry himself with his flame.
"You can tell me, or any of your siblings anything Ace," Pops swore.
Ace was silent before he whispered brokenly. "Garp is my adopted grandfather."
Instantly Marco and Thatch grimaced, they knew Garp all too well, and how cruel the man could be despite how stupid said man was. Whitebeard frowned, rubbing his finger over Ace's back; the teen couldn't hold back the smile that inched forward at the sting it caused in his tattoo.
"I can tell him to leave," Whitebeard said, drying the man's hair, "however, you've never been one to run away."
Ace flinched but said nothing. "Brothers protect each other Ace yoi," Marco said.
"Ah," Thatch agreed seriously. "We'll protect you; if you want him gone, I'll personally pull my swords on him," he said, gripping the hilt of his saber.
Whitebeard smiled. "You're free here; you've nothing to fear," he assured, thumbing over his mark. "This mark symbolizes our bond that will never go away; that we're nakama."
"Nakama is forever," Marco and Thatch said firmly in unison, touching their own tattoos.
"AYE!" was almost instantly shouted back by everyone in hearing vicinity and Ace jumped, staring at them all in wonder.
"Oi, oi, there's no need to celebrate!" a gravely voice called out. "I know I don't visit often but this is too much!"
Ace started and almost instantly everyone, save Marco and Pops, were giving Garp dirty looks. Garp, as usual, ignored them, keeping his face blank, that is, until he saw a certain fire fist on the captain's lap. Garp's eyes widened before they narrowed.
"Ace!" he barked, "I've been looking for you! You were supposed to become a marine shitty grandson!"
Despite his fear Ace instantly straightened. "Fuck you shitty gramps! I'm a pirate!" he barked back.
Garp opened his mouth to shout something back, like the dog he was, when suddenly Ace was no longer in his view, Marco and Thatch having moved to be in front of their brother. Both Garp and Ace started in surprise but Garp instantly hardened his face as he was met with three intense glares, more intense than any he'd ever received.
"Garp," Pops rumbled, "You are a guest, and Ace is my son. Don't push it."
Garp's frowned deepened. "Do you even know?" he asked, a silent second meaning.
Ace flinched, tipping the brim of his hat over his eyes and Marco and Thatch frowned in worry while Pops gave Ace's back a comforting stroke.
"He is my son," Pops replied firmly.
"And our brother yoi," Marco said, jumping down to stand toe to toe with the marine. "It doesn't matter what Ace has done or hasn't done, it doesn't matter if I go through life never knowing about him yoi. He's family."
"So leave," Thatch finished in a tone that gave no room for argument.
Garp and Marco eyeballed each other for what seemed like forever before the marine finally looked at Ace. Ace returned the look with a glance from under his hat.
"You better hope it doesn't get out Ace," Garp said gravely. "I have no sympathy for criminals if they take you."
"Is that a threat yoi?" Marco growled.
Garp ignored him, looking at Pops silently. "He's in your care now," he said in a defeated tone. "Watch him closely."
A look of understanding went between the two strong men before Garp turned away, marching with a purpose back towards his ship. Marco untensed and Thatch hopped down to stand next to him.
"What was that about?" Thatch asked quietly.
"Ace!" everyone jumped, looking at Garp, who had turned back to looked at Ace one last time. "Don't catch cold," he smirked. Til we meet again.
Finally, after the whole ordeal, Ace gave a small smile. "Fuck you shitty gramps," he replied cheekily. I'll be waiting Gramps.
Garp returned the grin and jumped down.
Ace stared at where his adoptive grandfather was for the longest time and watched as the ship left the vicinity of their own. Marco, Thatch, and Pops were watching him with varying emotions.
"I can't tell you," Ace finally said.
"Don't care," Marco replied without hesitation.
"Well maybe I care a little," Thatch chuckled, adjusting his ascot, "But I care more about you so just know we'll be ready when you do tell."
Ace smiled at them. "Right," he nodded.
End.
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Let me be the first to say that that was a shitty ending, I got to the juicy part and then my brain fell over and went into a writing block coma and then I couldn't figure out how to finish it but I got the idea across so whatever.
…
(and yes that was a run-on sentence, deal!)
Ja ne~! N Harmonic.