Come with me (so you never have to be alone again)
"Ever since I was a kid, there's something that I've always wanted to have… A family." ~ Edward Newgate
Edward did a final check of the ropes before looking up at the sky, shading his eyes against the radiant sun. Seagulls swirled overhead, little white kites against a clear expanse of blue. All around the sea sparkled like the most precious of gems, extending as far as the eye could see in all directions. Not for the first time, the pirate simply stood there for a long moment taking in the humbling beauty of the sea. People often said the sea was a cruel mistress and that was true, but there were also times like this which were gentle like a lover's kiss soothing a tired brow. Smiling, he pulled off his bandana and let the salty breeze ruffle through his blond hair.
The click of sandals against worn wood signaled the approach of a fellow crewmember. He turned to give the newcomer a nod in acknowledgement and received the same in return. The other man took that as an invitation to join him and easier hoisted himself onto the railing beside Edward's larger standing form. A comfortable silence remained between them, both men enjoying the warm sunshine accompanied by the gentle swish of waves against the hull.
But even the idyllic weather couldn't keep Edward from wondering about this rather unusual development. It wasn't that he disliked the company, unexpected though it was – but Edward was a fairly new member within this crew, and most of them tended to favor the companionship of their older friends, particularly doing lazy days such as this one. So while he had seen the man often around the ship and they had shared many a merry drink in the mess hall with the rest of the crew, he had never been singled out by this particularly crewmate before.
He slid a surreptitiously inquiring look at his companion but the other blond was staring out at sea with a closed expression that even Edward couldn't read. But it was clear at least that the other had sought him out for a purpose. Curiosity aside, Edward was by nature a patient man, so he simply settled back to wait.
"What you said before, about finding a family, yoi… Did you truly mean it?"
Edward glanced again at the other.
He had heard rumors that said that Marco was much older than his appearance gave indication to, that he had been one of the first members of the crew and had never been seen to age since the beginning. Cool gray eyes turned to meet his, and Edward began to believe those rumors. For even though he had the body of a young man seemingly of an age not far from Edward's own, those hooded eyes told of experiences beyond anything he had known.
"Well, Newgate?" The other's gaze felt like it was piercing through his soul, searching for any doubt.
But Edward had no shame, not for this, never for this. "It is my dream. Nothing anyone can say will change that."
He thought he saw approval flash in those eyes, it was hard to tell in their half-lidded state. The other man turned away before he could be sure, and his only answer before the silence fell again told nothing more. "Good."
Several years later, when the crew disbanded under the captain's orders, the first and only man he sought out was Marco. Well, one said sought out but he soon found that he couldn't find the other man in the rabble that made up the farewell party at all. He finally found the blond in a quieter curve of the beach where their former crew's chatter barely reached, setting up a small sailing boat for departure. He ran faster, reaching the water's edge even as Marco's feet kicked off the sand.
"Marco! Come with me!"
Those cool gray eyes surveyed him as the boat bobbed gently in the shallow waters, the waves already gently carrying it out to sea. Edward wanted to wade into the water and drag the vessel back to him, Devil Fruit weaknesses be damned, but those piercing eyes froze him to the spot before he could take the first step.
In that moment Marco smirked as he unfurled the sails, allowing them to snap open in the wind that had started up. Edward was knee-deep in the sea water in an instant but the boat was long out of reach. Gray eyes glittered with a light that matched the quirk that lifted the other man's lips.
"Sail under a brat like you, yoi? It's still a thousand years too early for you, Newgate!" was the final thing that he heard as the sailing boat left the cove into the wide open sea, a voice tinged with quiet laughter and perhaps, just perhaps, a promise to meet again.
It was ten years later that they did meet again, in a quiet pub halfway up Paradise. The smaller blond had appeared within their ranks with a stealth that impressed Edward; he doubted that many, if any, of his sons had even detected the man's presence until he had spoken.
"Fancy seeing you here, Newgate."
Edward's blond hair was slowly turning white and he had grown the pale mustache that had people calling him Whitebeard. Marco, on the other hand, hadn't appeared to have aged a day since the last time Edward saw him. It was rather unfair, in a way.
His sons tensed beside him, their hands twitching towards their weapons once they had noticed stranger in their midst. "Oyaji…"
He waved them down, nodding in reassurance. Obediently they backed away again, leaving the two of them some space. Still he caught the boys sneaking cautious and curious glances their way even as they tried to fall back into their previous conversations, until he sent admonishing looks their way and each turned away, chastised.
Throughout this exchange, Marco simply watched them, amused. Completely relaxed despite being surrounded by an unfamiliar crew, he tossed back the amber liquid in his glass before slanting his gaze up at Edward, a spark of interest hidden in their depths.
"'Oyaji', is it…" he mused. "So, you've found your family, yoi."
"I have."
"You've fulfilled your dream, then."
Now that was a bit more of a difficult question to answer. Edward smiled tenderly, warmth in his eyes as he thought of the children who had taken up his mark. "Perhaps some may say so, but to me it's a dream that will not end until my last days. I don't plan to stop here, or anytime soon at all. All who wish for it will be welcome on my ship."
There was a brief moment of surprise, before Marco threw his head back in laughter. "So turns out you are ambitious like the worst of us. Or should it be the best?"
"Gurarara, I am also a pirate after all." Edward took a huge gulp of his beer as if in toast, then thumped the tankard back onto the bar as he turned to look properly at the other man. "Marco. Become part of this family."
"Ah, more ambitious still, yoi. Will you have me call you 'Oyaji' as well?" the words and tone were faintly taunting, but Edward saw that the invitation had affected the man more than he wanted to let on.
"Only if you want to."
Marco stared pensively at his empty glass. "'Oyaji', is it?" he repeated quietly, and Edward knew that tone, knew it for the loneliness it held, loneliness that he too had once felt. But nothing more was said for the rest of the night, even as they parted ways into the silent darkness.
The next morning, the Whitebeard Pirates scurried about the deck of their ship preparing to set sail. Edward watched the cheerful efficiency of his children with fondness and pride, before moving in to help carry a few sacks of grain down to the hold. Their numbers were increasing so rapidly that they would probably need to find a bigger ship soon to carry them all comfortably.
Reemerging from below-deck, a small commotion drew his attention to a group of his men who had collected at port-side, peering curiously down at something that had taken their interest. They parted to let him through as he approached. At the railing, Edward paused.
Marco stood there, one foot on the shore and one foot on the wood of the gangplank, a rucksack slung over one shoulder. Gray eyes, warmer now as they seemed to reflect the blue of the sky and the sea, met his.
"Oyaji," he said simply, and Edward reached out his hand.
I hope you enjoyed my take on this, and do leave a review before you go!