A/N: Hello to everyone who's reading this! So, this is my contribution for Day 7: Random of the MarcoAce week. I had actually been writing this for a while when I discovered of this week and as there was a random day I decided to publish this story for it. The idea came a little bit from a song called Arriety's Song by Cecile Corbel, but it changed so much before I even started writing that now they have nothing to do with each other. This was supposed to be small, but then I thought things were going too fast, started developing more the scenes and it somehow ended like this :P
Besides that, I must warn you that I did some research about a certain creature from the Japanese folklore before writing this, so some terms related to its legend will appear here. I put some further explanations in a note at the end of the story, but anything you need to understand the story will be explained by the characters. Besides that, I also have to tell you that I changed some things in the legend besides using my own interpretation when writing about others, so what's real about it will be in the final note. Just thought I'd say this in case someone reading this knows it.
This has been betaread by Blueh! :D
I guess that's all. Hope you guys enjoy it! ^.^
"And... Here we are!"
The exclamation was soon accompanied by the soft sound of a car engine being turned off. It was only when Marco heard his brother that he opened his eyes with a sigh. Unbuckling the seatbelt that held him, he looked through the car window while holding back a yawn.
They had parked at the end of a dead end street right in front of the gates of a house. Passing his half-lidded blue eyes by the fence that separated the sidewalk from the terrain of the place, he found himself seeing a surprisingly beautiful, old and traditional Japanese house. Looking around, he realized that the whole street was composed of several other houses like that one, some simpler and others much larger and sophisticated.
He raised an eyebrow. "This is where we'll live, yoi?"
"Yep! Didn't I tell you?" Thatch turned to see Marco leaning against the back seat.
The blond snorted. "No, you refused to tell me even a word about it. I'm just surprised you managed to find a good place."
The man with a pompadour pouted while crossing his arms. "Hey! And you don't have to act as if you were the only one who didn't know. Only Izo also came here and approved the place. Oh, and Haruta helped when the moving trucks came here yesterday."
"Come on, the place isn't bad. You'll see." Izo urged them as he opened the car door and got out.
Rolling his eyes, Marco joined his brother in front of the gate while looking around curiously. They had barely arrived in that city and the blond was already feeling the differences from the one where they lived before. The sound of some birds singing and a few cars passing down the street that intersected with that one were the only things heard there. The slight breeze that was blowing in conjunction with the sunrays that were already warming Marco's skin created a pleasant environment.
"It's definitely quieter here, yoi." He mumbled a little uneasy. After living so many years in an apartment in the bustling part of a city, that calmness was strange for him.
Thatch shrugged. "With time we'll get used to it. It'll be a good way to change things. And it's good because we aren't far from the center of the city, so it's not like we're isolated in a place that's too quiet."
In that, Marco had to agree with Thatch. He might like the idea of more tranquility in his life, but the mere thought of being stuck in a place where nothing ever happened was annoying.
"Well, we better start picking up our things," Izo said after grabbing the key that Thatch had left in the ignition. The man went to the trunk of the car and, after opening it, threw one of the backpacks to the brunet. "All the furniture is already in place, so you only have to find the room with your boxes and start unpacking." He added to Marco before giving him a smaller one.
"Right, yoi."
And with that the three began to take some things into their new home. A bit of the contents of his backpacks was taken off and put in some of the cabinets of the kitchen, while the rest helped fill some bathrooms. Only a few small personal items, food and beverages had been left for them to bring there, which meant that soon Marco had already put everything he had been tasked to in their right places.
Walking down the corridor, he peered into the many rooms and not long after found the one where his things were. The process of removing his clothes and other personal items from inside the boxes was very tedious, but he managed to finish it faster than he expected.
After putting the cardboard boxes into a room that, according to Izo, was where they would store things that didn't really have a place, the blond found himself returning to his bedroom and opening the sliding door leading to a balcony in the back of the house. In the garden in front of it, two crooked trees had their leaves swayed by the wind while the wind bell tinkled lightly. Marco frowned and sighed. He really wasn't used to being in such a peaceful place.
A sudden noise of something falling on the ground came from the room behind Marco. Expecting to see one of his brothers, the blond was surprised to find his bedroom empty. After passing his eyes quickly through the room and not seeing anything out of place, he went to the corridor. He remained silent for a few seconds, only listening to the sounds of Thatch whistling somewhere in the house and Izo talking with Pops through the phone.
Weird. I could have sworn I heard something...
Shaking his head, Marco decided to return to where he was before. A few minutes later, Thatch joined him and soon after Izo too. The three brothers talked for a while and, after eating lunch - Thatch complained a lot about how they should have brought more food, since, according to him, that wasn't enough to make good dishes -, the brunet began searching for something.
"Where did I leave the car key?" He asked himself while looking around lost.
Marco's eyes went to the table he knew it was on but also didn't find it there. He stood up and quickly searched the living room, finally finding the set of keys on the floor under a bookshelf in the other side of the room. With a triumphant smile and a thank you to Marco, Thatch turned to Izo.
"If you want a ride back, we really need to leave now."
Izo shook his hand in a gesture that indicated he knew that. "Just give me a minute to get some things." And with that he disappeared down the corridor.
Marco accompanied Thatch to the gates absently listening to him complain about how he had plenty to do at work the next day and how he wished the construction was already finalized.
The brunet stopped at the entrance and turned to Marco with a rare serious look. "You'll remember not to strain yourself, right? We'll be back in two weeks, so until then..."
Marco unconsciously touched his bandaged left wrist. "I'll remember and I know it, yoi. You've repeated this many times."
"Great." Thatch nodded before grinning. "Try not to die of boredom without me here to brighten your day."
"It's more likely that he'll feel relieved without you pestering him every second," Izo commented, appearing behind them.
The brunet gasped dramatically and let out an indignant 'Hey!', making Marco smile. Both soon got into the car and said goodbye, not forgetting to remind him that if anything happened he should call someone from the family. The blond merely rolled his eyes in exasperation and nodded before watching the car go away from the house until it was out of sight.
Finding himself finally alone, Marco turned to the house where he now lived and went back into it. It wasn't too late, so he decided it could be interesting to take a walk around the neighborhood and get to know it a bit better.
Grabbing a jacket, his cellphone and the keys of the place, the blond headed back to the gate, never once realizing the pair of eyes that peered at him through the windows.
Later that night, Marco was sitting on the armchair in the living room reading a book. The television was turned on and was passing some movie that, at the time, was being ignored by the blond. Its only purpose was, in fact, to prevent the house from being too quiet.
Turning the page and reaching out to grab the mug with coffee resting on the table beside him, Marco suppressed a yawn. He'd just looked at the clock and seen that it was only eight-thirty, which meant he'd have to keep waiting until later to go to sleep or he'd end up waking up at dawn, unable to fall back into his blissful dreams.
Taking a sip of the hot liquid and enjoying the warmth it brought to him, the blond turned his eyes momentarily to the television as the noise of an explosion came from the movie. Frowning, he grabbed the remote control and turned down the volume before going back to his reading.
The metallic sound of something being thrown in the kitchen sink was what made him stop. Marco waited a few more seconds to see if he heard something else, but when nothing happened he decided to go back to reading. It was probably only his imagination acting up and creating something that would end his restlessness. The place where he lived before and his old work really contrasted with that quiet neighborhood. Or at least, that's what he told himself.
However, this time he wasn't able to go back to the story. The sound of very real footsteps came from the corridor and stopped near the entrance of the living room. Marco immediately closed the book and was ready to get up when part of a head peered around the doorway.
Incredible gray eyes, slightly tanned skin, freckles decorating his cheeks and black hair were the characteristics that Marco was able to capture before it disappeared again. The blond's half-lidded eyes narrowed even more. It seemed like he had an uninvited visitor.
He placed a hand on his waist while he stood up before mentally cursing the fact that he had forgotten that, as he didn't work for the police anymore, he now didn't have a gun. Hoping he wouldn't need it, he walked calmly to the door.
"Why are you here?" A voice asked from somewhere behind Marco.
The blond quickly turned around and saw a young man crouching on the armchair. Recognizing the face he had seen on the door, Marco quickly realized this was the intruder.
"I live here, yoi." He answered calmly while studying the man who had somehow quickly taken a turn and entered the living room by the balcony, if the slightly open door was any indication. He must have been around twenty years old and was quite handsome if one ignored the scowl on his face. He was barefoot but otherwise nothing distinguished him from any other person.
The dark-haired man clenched his hands into fists and crossed his arms before standing up on the chair. "But you shouldn't. This house has been abandoned since long ago and should remain like that!"
"What's your name, kid?" Marco asked, ignoring what the other had said, and approached slowly.
Before he could understand what was happening, the man with freckles appeared directly in front of him, making his breath catch. Those gray eyes stared at Marco and only then he saw the raw anger that was in them.
"Go away. This house didn't belong to your family in the past, so you shouldn't live here. I don't need contact with another human."
And with that, he left. Marco stared stunned at the door leading to the balcony for a few seconds, confused by what had just happened. The thought that there was an intruder somewhere in the house who wanted to make him leave returned to the blond's mind and finally made him move.
He went to the balcony looking for some sign of where the boy could have gone to but found nothing. Furrowing his brow, Marco went to his bedroom, grabbed a flashlight and decided to search the freckled man.
The house had only one floor but several rooms, so looking around took quite some time. In the end, after having searched through all of them more than once and even the trees in the back garden, he found himself frustrated and still without any clue.
Throwing the flashlight on the armchair in the living room, he picked up his book and the mug with the now cold coffee. He didn't know how that young man had entered the house, but it seemed like he was gone.
After putting the book back on the shelf in his room and washing the mug, he made sure again that everything was locked and that there was no way for him to receive another unwanted visit. Once satisfied, he turned off the TV and all the lights and went to his bedroom. Marco sighed as he remembered that because of that incident his mind would remain alert and make him wake up with any noise.
This is going to be a long night, yoi.
"What? Someone entered the house?!"
Marco held the phone away from his ear while his brother continued talking loudly at the other end. He opened one of the cupboards in the kitchen with his non-bandaged hand and winced when the movement jarred his other injury.
Why couldn't I have broken the wrist of the same arm that was cut?He wondered mentally frustrated with the fact that it wasn't completely healed. At least his ribs were better, though he didn't want to press his luck and start having difficulty talking or breathing again.
"Yes, yoi." He said remembering he still had to answer Thatch. "But I searched around the house and didn't find the kid, so he probably went away."
"How can you be so sure of that, Marco? What if by some chance he knows somewhere to stay hidden there and you just haven't seen him?"
"Then he would have to have a lot of patience, because it's been two days since he appeared and I keep looking around the house."
Finding what he wanted, the blond took the unopened package of noodles and closed the cupboard. He went to the countertop beside the stove, where some water was being warmed in a saucepan, and rested the package.
"Did you at least call the police?"
At this, Marco snorted. "The police, yoi? Seriously, Thatch? If I couldn't find him, the police certainly won't. Besides, he really seems to have gone away so that would be unnecessary."
He heard his brother sigh. "Right, right. I'm just worried." And Marco was well aware of that, though that didn't mean it'd stop him from getting frustrated. He had gotten hurt, yes, but that was no reason to treat him like a child who didn't know how to be careful. "You shouldn't relax just because he is young. Last time-"
Marco slammed a hand on the countertop, ignoring how his wound ached. "I know that already, yoi!"
Realizing he had just yelled, Marco closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath before apologizing.
"It's okay. I'm sorry as well. I shouldn't have touched this subject. Anyway, what did the boy want?"
"He basically told me to get out of here." Marco focused again on making his lunch at seeing the water already boiling but didn't find the package where he had left it. He looked around exasperated but found no sign of it on the floor or anywhere else. After checking the cupboard again and not seeing it, the blond turned off the stove and sat wearily on a chair.
"That's weird..."
"Yeah. He was probably drunk or something, I didn't stop to notice it at the time." Marco added. However, he knew very well that was a lie. If the freckled young man wasn't sober or looked different from normal, he surely would have noticed.
"Let's hope that's the case. Then he probably won't go there again."
He heard someone calling Thatch across the line before his brother said his lunch break was over and he had to get back to work. After a warning to call if something else happened, they said goodbye. Marco put the phone on the kitchen table and frowned toward the countertop.
He hadn't told much to Thatch and acted as if everything was normal so he wouldn't worry him, as he didn't think that simply calling the police would solve that, but there were three things bothering him.
The first was the fact that several things were disappearing only to reappear when he least expected them to. The fact that it had begun after his encounter with the intruder made him think he was somehow guilty of that. The only problem, however, was that they always vanished quickly and he never saw any sign of the young man, which shouldn't have been possible.
The second thing was that, occasionally, some soap or leaves or anything else that could make him slip appeared in his way. Luckily for him, he always saw them and avoided stepping on any, but the fact that they had been placed there was what bothered him.
The third had to do with how that boy had called him. Human. Now, he imagined that with all the anger he saw in those gray eyes he would have been called many things, but human? Moreover, he said he didn't need more contact with another one. What did it mean? Maybe the boy was crazy and had a company...?
Marco slowly shook his head before getting up to look for something else to cook. Something in that assumption didn't seem right in his head.
He opened the refrigerator to get something to drink and had to stop himself from jumping startled when he closed it and saw the freckled young man standing there.
"You again, yoi?"
This time, however, the other said nothing. Both stayed a while only looking at each other and Marco felt he was being examined in a way.
"You're really stubborn." Was the first thing the dark-haired man said. "Even though I'm hiding all your stuff and creating situations for you to get hurt, you seem steadfast in staying here."
Well, that confirmed that he was the one to blame for everything. Now he only had to figure out how he did it all...
"I just moved in, yoi. I don't intend on leaving and returning to where I was." Marco replied harshly.
Anger returned to the gray eyes, this time also showing on his face. "Well, you can't stay here either!"
"And why not?"
"Because only me and this boy should stay here! I won't allow anyone else!"
This made Marco look confused at the dark-haired man. He had started talking in a weird way again.
"Look, my brothers and I live here now. Besides, you must have a home elsewhere. I haven't seen you around since the day before yesterday, so you must have gone back. I just don't understand why you came come back, yoi."
"I live here," The young man stressed with his eyes flashing dangerously. "Because of him I'm stuck here."
Marco tensed, ready to hold the other in case he did something. The blond was incredibly confused by what was happening. Neither he nor his brothers could have done something for this boy in the short time they were there, so who could he be talking about?
"Will you leave now? I'm tired of having to deal with you." The other added crossing his arms.
That managed to annoy Marco. What was the problem with this kid, anyway?
"I said I'm not going anywhere, yoi." He also replied crossing his arms.
The freckled young man opened his mouth again but before he could say anything a loud bark was heard coming from outside the house. Immediately, the young man's posture tensed before, to Marco's surprise, he hid behind him.
The blond turned his head to try to look at him but strangely wasn't able to see anyone. It was then that his blue eyes widened a little. Despite not seeing the dark-haired man, he could clearly feel shaking hands holding his shoulders.
The bark decreased in volume until it disappeared altogether. Only then Marco saw the young man gradually reappear in front of his eyes and look at him uncertainly.
"The disgusting creature's gone?"
Astonished, the blond took a while to form an answer in his head. "You... You mean the dog?"
"Of course! What else could I be talking about?"
Marco nodded in response and relief appeared briefly in the young man's expression before he got away and went back to looking at him angrily.
"What... what was that?" He asked before he had to listen the other man question again if he was leaving or not.
"I don't like dogs, that's all." The dark-haired man said bitterly.
"Not that! You disappeared, yoi!" He exclaimed exasperated. He knew that something very strange was happening, but that was beyond anything he had imagined. "It's almost as if you were a… ghost or something!" He added feeling a little stupid at saying it out loud.
The other only rolled his eyes. "There are other creatures who can become invisible and aren't ghosts. Now, you-"
He stopped abruptly and his expression went blank. He remained like that for a few seconds before he grimaced and approached Marco with distrust in his eyes.
"Maybe this time it'll work..." He muttered to himself after looking Marco up and down disdainfully. "Try it yourself. I don't want to have to deal with another one of you."
Before Marco could understand what the young man meant, his gray eyes widened and rolled back. The blond barely had time to reach out and prevent him from falling to the ground.
The tense silence that reigned in the kitchen after that was overwhelming.
"What the hell just happened, yoi?" Marco wondered aloud while he watched the now peaceful expression on the other's face.
Closing the book with a frustrated sigh, Marco ran a hand over his face. On his bed lied the still unconscious young man who had been giving him trouble ever since they met. Now it was already night and there was still no sign that he would wake up anytime soon.
Maybe I should take him to a hospital...
Sighing at the thought of all the questions that him bringing a young man that had fainted at his house would create, he stood up and put the book on the chair. He turned to his bed, trying to decide whether it would be better to call an ambulance or try to take him there by himself - it was actually very close to there -, when he saw the freckled man finally begin to move.
He squeezed his eyes and grimaced before turning on his side. He used an arm to push himself up and only then opened his eyes. Ignoring Marco's presence in the room, he looked at his hands for a moment before a big and radiant smile appeared and brightened his face.
"Ohh, this is great! How long has it been!" He exclaimed. His tone and expression demonstrated joy, something that contrasted with his state earlier that day.
Marco cleared his throat in order to draw the attention of the dark-haired boy to him.
"Are you okay, yoi?" He asked slowly approaching the bed.
The other's head quickly turned in his direction. "Oh, it's you. Yes, I'm fine. Thank you." He bowed slightly in a show of gratitude, surprising Marco. The young man's personality seemed quite different. "You still don't know my name, right? I'm Ace. And you are...?"
"Marco." The blond frowned before pulling a chair closer to the bed for him to sit. "Now, will you tell me what happened?"
Ace smiled sheepishly. "I figured you'd want to know soon. I'll cut to the chase then." He took a deep breath. "Have you ever heard of Kitsunes(1)?"
Marco raised an eyebrow. "Are you talking about the magical and intelligent foxes that appear in the folklore?"
"Yep." The other nodded. "If you know about their legend then you might remember that Kitsunes sometimes possess people's bodies."
The blond looked skeptically at the freckled young man, not really understanding what he was implying. "And you're saying that a fox is possessing your body?"
"Basically, yes." Ace nodded again before turning to look at his hands and flexing them.
Marco looked perplexed at the young man for a few more seconds. How could he say something like that so casually?
"Are you kidding me, yoi?" The question escaped his mouth showing all his unbelief as to what he heard.
Immediately, gray eyes turned to him and the seriousness in Ace's expression caught Marco by surprise.
"I wouldn't joke about something like that." Ace leaned forward. "Besides..." With that, he held Marco's chin with one hand so he couldn't look away. His expression went blank and his eyes stayed unfocused for a few seconds before he started to disappear right before Marco's eyes. The only way for the blond to know he was there was the feeling of the other's hand still holding his chin. "You saw me disappear and move faster than is humanly possible. What other proof do you want?"
Ace reappeared again and his no longer unfocused eyes fixed themselves on Marco, making the blond's breath caught. Now, at this distance, it wasn't hard to see the different emotions that were going through those eyes that were staring at him. Sadness, frustration and loneliness were the ones that most caught his attention. It was only when Ace moved away that he felt his breath go back to normal.
"Anyway, I have a favor to ask of you." Ace said putting a polite smile on his face. Marco had to hold back a frown. After what he had seen, that smile had seemed pretty forced to him.
"What is it, yoi?" What was happening still hadn't sunken in. One of the legends he knew since he was little was somehow proving itself real right in front of him. How impossible did it sound?
"Since you live here you might be able to do that." The freckled young man began. "Kitsunes carry with them an object called Hoshi no Tama(2) which is basically their life force turned into a small ball, pearl sized. If someone gets their hands on one, that person will be able to control the fox."
"And that happened with the one that possessed you?" Marco raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah." Ace rubbed his neck. "I don't know the details of the deal, but the man bound the fox to the house with orders to protect it and his family members that lived here. It doesn't know what happened, but one day one no one returned to the house and it remained abandoned since then. Now the only thing that prevents the Kitsune from going away is the fact that the man hid the Hoshi no Tama somewhere in the house. Only with it, it would be able to break the deal and go."
Marco nodded slowly, the memory of earlier in that day when Ace - or, more likely, the fox - had spoken to him and sounded irritated with someone who had apparently trapped it there. That thought made the blond think of something. If Ace had been possessed, how was he talking to him? And how did he get into such a situation if the fox couldn't go out of the house?
When he said such thoughts aloud, Marco received a sad and somewhat resigned smile in response. "I was caught by surprise one day when I was exploring the forest behind here. The Kitsune entered my body and has been here ever since. But it's been so long that we kind of get along now. Most of the time I'm not in control of my body, but it lets me come back from time to time."
His gray eyes turned to the ceiling and it was as if Ace was remembering something. Abruptly, he got out of bed and turned expectantly to the blond.
"Well, are you going to help me or not?"
Marco sighed; it looked like he had gotten himself into something quite different this time. His injuries and Thatch's words made him hesitate for a moment. He looked seriously at Ace for a moment, analyzing all he could see in his eyes. Coming to a decision, he also stood up and offered a smile to him.
"Why not, yoi? It's not like I have much more to do."
And the radiant smile came back with full force.
Marco was feeling stupid. At that very moment he was kneeling in the corridor with his ear pressed against the wall, his not-bandaged hand knocking on it. When he heard no hollow sound, he sighed and advanced a bit before repeating the process.
Ace, who was leaning on the opposite wall, had his arms crossed and was watching the blond with a thoughtful expression. He had told Marco that said Hoshi no Tama was probably hidden somewhere that hadn't changed over time, which led the blond to start searching any possible hollow spaces behind the walls and even on the floor.
Turning an annoyed look at the dark-haired man, Marco inquired. "Aren't you going to help me?"
Ace shook his head. "If I could find the ball don't you think I would have already done it? The Kitsune was forbidden from searching it and as it's inside me I'm also affected."
"But haven't you been living here?" He received a nod as an answer. "Then couldn't you have stumbled upon it?"
"It doesn't work like that." Ace slid down the wall. "Even if I saw it, I wouldn't notice. I've tried many times, believe me." And his voice sounded so exhausted for a second that Marco had no doubt that he was telling the truth.
Returning to his task, the blond asked. "If you live here, where do you stay? Especially now that my brothers and I have moved here, yoi."
"On the roof." Was the amused reply. "You have a great view of the sky from there. It's just annoying when it rains, but then I only have to dry my clothes later on."
Marco looked surprised at Ace. "Up there? Then how didn't you get sick sometimes?"
The young man remained silent while he played with the tip of his belt. His gaze turned to Marco and the blond could see the confusion in those gray eyes. "Why..." He stopped and shook his head. "Never mind. No, I didn't get sick and that's because the Kitsune's powers keep me healthy. It's not very easy to find everything a human needs to live well while being trapped in an abandoned house, after all. That means I don't get hungry, sick, hurt and many other things. At least while the Kitsune still has the strength, as it has to feed a bit of me to keep itself alive. It's kind of a mutual help." He averted his gaze to the ceiling. "That makes me wonder if I can still feel some of the other things that would make me human or if I'm too numb from staying like this for so long..."
Marco frowned before leaning slightly forward and pinching Ace's hand.
"Ouch!" Ace moved his hand away while glaring at Marco. "Why did you do that?"
Instead of answering, however, the blond simple moved his hand again until it was cupping one of Ace's freckled cheeks.
"You felt pain and irritation because I pinched you, right? And you can now feel the heat of my hand, can't you?" Marco's blue eyes stared directly at Ace. "Even if you can't stay injured or any of those things, you still feel. That's very human to me, yoi." He pulled away and smirked. "And now you're embarrassed. See, you're still you in the end. The rest you'll get back when we solve this."
Ace, who in fact was blushing, opened and closed his mouth a few times perplexed. He snorted before he got up and started walking away. "You should pause a bit. It's almost lunch time. We can continue later."
And with that he disappeared into a room, probably planning on reaching the balcony before going to the roof, if what he had said about staying there was true.
Marco shook his head, a small smile on his face. It had been fun provoking the dark-haired man. He stretched – making sure he didn't end up harming his injured arm - and headed to the kitchen.
They had begun the search the night before right after Ace and Marco had talked, but as it was too dark, they decided to continue on the next day. That was how the blond saw himself waking up a bit earlier than usual and starting the task after breakfast. It had been a good thing that Ace had suggested he take a break, as they hadn't stopped since they began and the blond was already starting to feel tired.
Upon arriving at the kitchen, he frowned as he saw the untouched glass of juice and the apple resting on a tray on the table. That morning he had asked Ace if he'd like that as breakfast and had received an odd look as an answer. Now it made sense why he didn't even get close to the food.
Putting the apple back in a basket and taking the glass for himself, he opened the fridge. While absently deciding what he was going to eat, Marco estimated that it'd take them a few days to search around the whole house - he also had to keep it clean and do some other shores from time to time, after all. That meant he still had plenty of work ahead, in case they didn't find the object soon.
Marco turned his gaze to the ceiling and pictured Ace sitting on the roof with that lost look on his face he had seen him make a few times. That whole situation was still very surreal for him, but he couldn't deny what he was seeing. Exactly because of that, considering the sincerity he heard in Ace's voice, that Marco decided he wanted to help him. He couldn't imagine how it was to be kept away from those he loved on top of not having total control of his body.
Shaking his head, the blond returned to what he was doing. If all he had to do was find that Hoshi no Tama, then it was only a matter of time.
Yet, there was something bothering him. Upon receiving the Hoshi no Tama back, the Kitsune would be free to go anywhere it wanted. When that happened, would it let Ace free too?
Three days later, both Marco and Ace were getting restless. The blond had searched for any possible hiding spot in over half the house and so far there was no sign of the object sought.
On the morning of the fourth day of the search, Marco woke up to the sound of thunder. He hid a yawn behind a hand and slowly sat on his bed. He probably wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, so it'd be better to get up at once.
After dressing and making a mental note about what he would have to buy later when he went to the market, Marco headed to the kitchen. A good thing that came out of that search was that he now had company. Even though Ace didn't eat anything, he usually joined him as soon as the blond sat down to eat and began a conversation about something.
When he thought of the freckled young man, however, Marco froze. A storm was going on outside. And Ace stayed on the roof.
Mentally cursing, the blond turned around and went to the balcony. From what he knew of the young man, he would still be up there letting himself get wet without even considering entering the house.
"Oi, Ace!" He shouted hoping he'd hear him even with the loud noise of the rain.
When Marco was ready to try again after some time with no response, a blur fell gracefully on the grass in front of where he was. Although the blond had a bit of trouble seeing through the heavy rain, the curious expression on a soaked Ace's face soon became clear to him.
"The breakfast is already ready?" The dark-haired man asked approaching him.
"Not yet, yoi." Marco frowned. "But that's not why I came here. You should get out of the rain."
"I told you before that I don't get sick." Ace reminded while he entered the balcony. He ran a hand over his forehead to prevent the water that was dripping from his hair from falling into his eyes, but otherwise didn't seem to care about the fact that his clothes were soggy and that the water trickling down his body was forming a puddle beneath him.
"This doesn't mean you need to stay soaked. You know you can come into the house." Marco commented before throwing a large towel that he had picked up on the way on Ace's head.
The freckled young man looked at the blond with an unreadable expression on his face before shaking his head and beginning to dry himself. "If you say so."
Marco rolled his eyes. "Come on, I'll give you some clothes for you to change, yoi."
Ace nodded and moved to follow him. However, before he could go much further, he slipped in the puddle he had created. Cursing, Ace tried to regain his balance to no avail before starting to fall. He was ready to fall flat on his face when two arms held him by the waist and pulled him away from the puddle.
"You should be more careful." Marco remarked making sure that Ace was fine. He took the towel from the hands of a wide-eyed Ace and started drying his black hair.
"It's not like I can get injured..." Ace shook his head slowly. He opened and closed his mouth a few times while he watched the blond before huffing. "You don't seem to understand."
Marco immediately stopped. Since they had met and started that search, many other situations made Ace repeat phrases like that, which increasingly frustrated the blond.
"Stop talking like that, yoi!" He took the towel away from Ace's head, revealing the surprised expression on his face. "Just because you're immune to things like this doesn't mean you have to stop caring and start exposing yourself to situations that aren't good for you. At least let me worry about you."
"But that's not necessary!" Ace grimaced. "Look, it's been a long time since I had to worry about things like that. And it's not like I had company during this time to do that. Ever since the Kitsune somehow managed to attract a person here to help it and she betrayed us, it decided it didn't want the help of a human again. It only left you alone because I insisted on asking it to give you a chance to search since you live here. That makes you the first person I'm having contact with in a long time." He looked away, his expression becoming bitter. "Besides, I don't know if this is reversible. I can stay like this even when it is free if the Kitsune decides it wants to use me for something."
Marco sighed before going back to drying Ace's hair. That action somehow relaxed him. He knew he had exaggerated, though, even with Ace being right in the fact that he didn't understand how it was being like that, he still disliked the way he seemed careless about himself.
"Sorry, yoi. It's just... I'm doing this to help you. If there really is a chance of you remaining like this then I can bargain with the Kitsune. If I have its Hoshi no Tama, it won't deny me." I won't fail you too.
Ace chuckled lightly. "You shouldn't say things like that out loud. The Kitsune seems to be sleeping now, but it surely would be angry if it heard you talking about doing the same as the man who imprisoned it here."
"It wouldn't be the same." Marco shrugged. "I'd still let it go free, only asking for it to do the same for you. In any case, if it can't stand humans, then why did it possess you?"
Ace turned a sad look to the still falling rain. "Solitude. It had been lonely here besides having had its freedom taken away. I can understand that, though I don't like its solution of making a human stay trapped with it." His eyes returned to Marco. "Hey, did you know that this house was abandoned for so long that it began to be considered haunted? I imagine its price must have fallen because of that, even with it being so big and beautiful."
"It probably did, yoi." Marco nodded before he walked back into his room and began rummaging through a drawer. "My brothers and I didn't want to spend too much money, so it most certainly wasn't expensive if Izo and Thatch agreed to buy it."
"Are these your brother's names?"
"Yeah." Finally finding what he was looking for, the blond turned to Ace and handed him some clothes. "They're going to come definitely at the end of the next week with some of the others probably coming together to visit."
Ace began taking his wet shirt off before he asked: "Others?"
When the dark-haired man did that, Marco found himself unable keep his eyes from his lean figure and observe the way his muscles rippled with every move he made. Ace was really attractive and somehow managed distract Marco easily.
Realizing what he was doing, the blond shook his head and went to the balcony, sliding the door closed to give the dark-haired man some privacy to change. Upon hearing his question, Marco replied: "Some of my other brothers."
"How many are you, anyway?"
"I have thirteen brothers and one sister, yoi." Marco replied amused.
"That many?!" The blond heard the door open behind him and soon Ace appeared in his line of sight with a shocked expression on his face. He was already wearing the new clothes and was holding his and the wet towel on his arms.
Marco chuckled. "Yeah. Pops adopted all of us, though that doesn't stop us from being as close as a family by blood can, yoi."
"Yeah..." Ace smiled warmly. "Must be nice to be part of such a big family."
"It is. Even if we drive each other nuts sometimes, I know I can always count on them." His smile got a bit sad when he remembered how worried they had been recently because he had gotten hurt. "Anyway, I still have to wipe the wet floor and eat. After that, we can go back to the search."
Ace's gaze turned to the puddle he had created and the trail of water he had brought into the blond's bedroom, making him smile sheepishly. "My bad. Let me help you with that, then."
Together both were quickly able to complete the task before putting the towel and Ace's clothes to dry. Now the freckled young man was sitting on Marco's bed waiting for him to find what he was looking for in his closet.
"Later on I'll go to the market. Do you by any chance want something from there?" Marco asked before getting a long-sleeved open purple shirt and taking off the one he was wearing since it had ended up wet after all that.
"No." Came the answer. He turned around and saw that Ace had been looking at him intently, which made the freckled young man look away with a slight blush when he noticed Marco had seen what he was doing. "Well, actually..."
"Yes?" Marco asked amused. So Ace had been checking him out...
The young man turned his gray eyes to him and grinned. "If you could buy aburaage(3)..."
Marco blinked in surprise. "You want to eat tofu, yoi?"
"Fried and sliced tofu." Ace corrected before rubbing his neck. "I don't need to eat, since the Kitsune keeps me well, but that doesn't mean I can't. It's just that I can only eat the things it likes and that's one of them..."
Marco nodded; somehow, that made sense. "Alright then. I'll try to find it."
Ace smiled grateful before his expression suddenly got serious "Your arm..." He muttered staring at Marco's upper right arm that was wrapped in gauze - the arm that had been cut. The gray eyes turned to his left wrist, which was also bandaged, before flickering to his arm and fixing themselves on his face. "You're hurt."
Marco quickly put on his purple shirt, covering the wound. He had forgotten about it for a second so he didn't think that at taking his other shirt off Ace'd notice it.
"Yeah." He nodded even knowing it wasn't a question.
"Why didn't you say anything before?" The other's gaze turned momentarily to his wrist. "I mean, I knew you had an injured wrist, but apparently that's not the only hurt part."
"I didn't think it was important, yoi." Marco shrugged. "It's not like simply searching for that ball object would make they get worse. It's not a strenuous job, after all."
Ace pressed his lips into a thin line but didn't disagree. Suddenly getting up, he grinned. "Alright then. But that reminds me that I haven't properly thanked you for helping me. So, how about I try to prepare something for you to eat tonight?"
The use of the word 'try' made the blond hesitate before accepting the offer. Hopefully there would be no problem in letting Ace cook.
That was how Marco found himself that night, after yet another unsuccessful search around the house and a trip to the market, sitting at the kitchen table watching Ace walk from one side to the other flustered. It took him a while to finish whatever he had been preparing - he used the excuse that it had been a long time since he had last cooked - but soon the smell of cooked food reached Marco. He mentally sighed in relief when he realized that the not bad smell indicated that Ace wasn't at least terrible at cooking.
The blond stood up and put a bit of food on a plate for him while Ace sat with a big one of aburaage. Soon, both were eating or, in Ace's case, devouring the food in a stunning speed. Marco only shook his head amused. Who'd imagine that the young man could eat so much.
Time passed and soon Marco was putting his plate in the sink to start washing it while watching Ace get more of the tofu that was left. I'll have to buy more tomorrow. He thought as he opened the faucet.
A comfortable silence settled between them, only being interrupted by Ace a bit later. "Hey, Marco..." He began after leaving his plate and silverware in the sink and leaning against the countertop.
"Yes?" The blond looked at Ace from of the corner of his eye and realized that he was watching him curiously.
"If you and your siblings moved here then why aren't they, you know, here?"
"Both still had some things to do before being able to come definitely to here, yoi." Marco put the dishes in the dish dryer and took the dirty cutlery. "Izo is receiving some important packages, so he has to wait in his apartment until they're all delivered before giving the place's keys to those who'll rent it. And Thatch owns a restaurant that he's expanding to this city. While the construction of the new one doesn't end and requires him to come organize everything, he has to stay at the main one helping. But, as I said before, they should arrive at the end of the next week."
Ace hummed in understanding. "And you decided to come alone before?"
Placing the silverware with the dishes, Marco shut the faucet and turned to look at Ace. There were two ways he could answer that. He'd say a simple 'yes' or he'd tell the real reason, which would lead to other questions that'd result in him telling the situation that left him hurt.
Marco watched the freckled young man looking curiously at him while he waited an answer. Seeing Ace there, looking ready to hear him out, made the blond feel that he really wanted to tell the whole story to him. He had summarized what happened when telling his family, since they were already too worried about him at the time, so being able to take it out of his chest seemed like a good idea.
"Yeah, yoi. I was going to be transferred to another unit of my work, but I decided to resign and go to another city and look for another job when I got better. If leaving there sooner meant that I'd have to spend some time alone here, then I didn't mind." The blond took a kitchen towel and started wiping one of his hands - he had had to wrap the bandaged one with a plastic bag to prevent the bandages from getting wet.
"Something bad happened." It wasn't a question, but Marco nodded anyway.
"I worked for the police with investigations for a long time with my partner. We always had something to do as the city was big, but we managed to solve, well, most cases." He took out the plastic bag and closed his hand into a fist. "But in one, things didn't go as planned."
Marco turned his gaze to the window, where he could see the rain had started falling again and was hitting the glass. It was odd remembering in detail what had happened that day after staying so long without talking about it.
"We were investigating a case where a teenager's parents had been assassinated. We managed to find out that it was a case of revenge among coworkers and tried to discover where the culprit had run to." Marco shook his head. "At the time we didn't know, but he had a friend who was part of one of the city gangs and had decided to help him. As soon as we found the apartment where he was in, we decided to go straight there."
"It was a trap," Ace concluded softly.
Marco nodded. "Sometimes I wonder what would have changed if we had noticed that. When we got near the place, a boy appeared crying and desperately asking for help with something. I decided to go with him while my partner went ahead to look around. I don't know why I did it, usually I'd have realized that something was wrong with the boy and ignored him." He closed his other hand into a fist. "I was stupid, yoi. In the end, the boy had been paid to distract one of us, which resulted in me ending up stabbed in the arm." He touched his bandaged right arm. "I went running to the apartment after the boy escaped, but by then it was too late. The man and his friend had killed my partner and, although that friend had already gone away, the culprit was waiting for me so he could do the same to me. I ended up catching him, but not without receiving some injuries."
The blond ran his hand down his chest stopping at the point where his ribs had received a heavy blow before touching his bandaged wrist. He could have avoided it under normal circumstances, but because of the stab wound, he had been feeling a little dizzy from blood loss.
"If I had been a bit more careful and trusted my partner, who had thought something was wrong, maybe he wouldn't have been killed." He squeezed the material of his pants tightly. He hadn't told this detail to his siblings nor to his father, as not to make them worry even more, but the guilt was still there in his mind. "Together we'd have been able to do something, even if we ended up injured. At least then it'd have been two against two..."
Marco ran a hand through his hair while he stared at the floor. He could remember very well the anxiety he felt as he climbed the stairs of the building, saw the apartment door open, entered and saw so much blood spread on the floor while the man stood in the middle with a satisfied and overconfident expression on his face...
Suddenly, Marco felt a pair of arms involving him and taking him away from his memories. It took him a while, but he realized that Ace was hugging him.
"This wasn't your fault, you know." He heard him say, his breath tickling his neck. "You may not believe it, but it really wasn't. You only wanted to help the boy. You didn't know it was a trap." Marco opened his mouth to protest but the other continued before he could speak. "And even though you say you should have noticed, it still isn't. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes."
Ace turned his face up and looked the blond seriously in his eyes. "What's past is past. You have no way of knowing what would have happened if you had done something different, so there's no reason for you to keep torturing yourself over it. Dangers like that are part of that work. Your partner may have thought something was wrong, but he also didn't realize the boy was part of a trap, so he couldn't blame you for it."
They stayed in silence for a moment before Ace's eyes widened and he jumped back with his face blushing before mumbling "sorry" and other things like "I don't know if it's okay to hug someone like that" and "it's been a long time since I last did it". Marco watched him continue muttering to himself for a few seconds before he pulled Ace into a tight hug.
Hearing someone who wasn't his family, someone who had no reason to say it just to please him - as Ace could simply nod and continue the conversation, even if awkwardly -, say that he wasn't to blame was a relief. He wasn't sure he could so easily forget that guilt, but listening that still managed to take some of the weight off of his shoulders.
"Thank you," he breathed shakily before releasing the freckled young man.
Ace smiled softly. "I only told you what I think. You really shouldn't blame yourself."
Marco nodded. It was a thought he needed to keep in his head.
"Hey, how about we play a game?" Ace looked at him cheerfully. After that conversation, he was probably trying to find a way to get that out of the blond's head.
"What kind of game, yoi?" Marco asked with a small smile. Ace was really...
"I dunno." The other shrugged. "Maybe a board game?"
"I don't have any, but I think Thatch might. I'm just not sure if it's already here..."
"Then let's search!" Ace exclaimed and began to pull Marco by his uninjured wrist before stopping. "Well, you can also call your brother if you prefer..." He added as an afterthought while rubbing his neck sheepishly. With that big search they were doing and his time away from other people, he had probably forgotten that they'd be looking through someone else's objects.
Marco chuckled. "I'll call him, yoi. It'll be easier."
He saw Ace beaming at him just before he was pulled in the direction of the living room where the phone was located.
"What are all these things?" Ace asked looking around curiously.
"Objects that have no place in the house but none of us want to throw away. Thatch especially keeps many old things. It's interesting to look through it all, you never know what you'll find. I did that a little after moving here and remembered things that normally wouldn't come to my mind." Marco commented while moving a few boxes away so they'd be able to move more freely through the room.
"So this place turned into a surprise box of objects and old memories?" Ace smiled having fun with the idea.
Marco chuckled lightly. "In a way, I think so, yoi."
Both continued moving some boxes to an empty corner of the room, a slight anticipation in the air surrounding them. Now there were only three places left for them to search, so they wanted to make sure that nothing would get in the way. After a week, they only needed a bit more time before finally finding the Hoshi no Tama.
"What do you plan on doing when you're free?" Marco asked while choosing a place to start. The possibility of it not happening didn't even pass through their minds. They were hoping Marco'd find it without they having to go into any of the other two rooms, but if they had to they'd be patient. The certainty that they would finish it that day was big, making their humor be good.
Ace hummed thoughtfully. "I'm not entirely sure." He grinned carefree. "Eat a lot of something I can't now, that's for sure. And sleep. It's so weird staying awake for so long!
"Oh yeah, you did say you have narcolepsy." Marco didn't miss the hidden meaning in that sentence, however. For someone who was always taking naps, having to spend so much time awake facing lonely nights mustn't have been easy.
Ace nodded before he looked at the floor and his smile became affectionate. "But I mainly want to go find my younger brother. I don't really remember the exact date of when I was possessed, but I'm pretty sure that some years have passed. Luffy probably thinks I'm dead, but I really want to go see him."
"It'll be a big surprise." Marco smiled when he thought about the brother Ace talked a lot about. "Do you think he has any clue about what happened?"
Ace looked at him surprised. "Oh, didn't I tell you about that day?" Upon receiving a negative response, he sat on the floor. "Well, I was exploring the forest near here with Luffy until we found this abandoned house and decided to enter it." He shook his head. "Terrible idea, huh? I remember we went through a hole in the fence and I was the first to enter the house while Luffy was doing something in the garden. After that my memory gets a bit blurred. I remember hearing him yelling my name and suddenly no longer being able to move my body. I think I stayed a little disoriented for a while, but the Kitsune must have made me invisible until Luffy left. I also remember that he kept coming back - our grandfather and the police also showed up at some point - but after a while he simply stopped."
Marco turned to see Ace smiling sadly as he looked at his hands. "Gramps probably decided to take Luffy away from here to make him accept my 'death', which means they have certainly moved out. I just don't know where they went to, so I'll have some trouble. But I will see my brother." He turned his eyes to Marco and the blond saw the determination shining there.
"Well, I can help you with that, yoi. And I'm sure my siblings will too if I explain." Marco knew that at this point all of them already knew about Ace's existence - since they most certainly shared the information they discovered while talking with Marco on the phone from time to time - but had no idea who exactly he was, how they had met or anything else. The problem was how he would explain it, since the entire story would make them think he had gone mad.
"That'd be great! Thanks!" Ace smiled brightly, making Marco do the same.
The rest of the morning passed quietly while the blond continued to look for any sign of the Hoshi no Tama. Ace always stayed nearby, alternating between chatting with Marco and just keeping him company in silence.
They continued for several hours, pausing for lunch quickly before returning to the search. When it was already mid-afternoon, however, Marco rose from where he had been sitting on the floor and looked around apprehensively.
"What's wrong?" Ace asked walking away from a painting with which he had been trying to distract himself with and going to the blond.
Marco hesitated before turning to the freckled young man. "It's not here, yoi."
Ace fidgeted in his place. "Are you sure?"
The blond nodded. "I've been searching patiently and carefully, so I'm sure I didn't pass through any place it might be hidden in." He pressed his lips into a thin line. "Ace, I did that in all the places we searched. And this is the last one..."
Marco noted the understanding of the situation gradually appear in his face before he shook his head. He took a step back, disbelief taking place in his eyes.
"No. It can't be. It has to be here!" Ace's eyes looked wildly around. "There must be a place we missed!"
"Ace..." Marco began to walk towards the freckled young man. However, he was interrupted by Ace, who appeared right in front of him and grabbed his forearms tightly.
"He surely left the Hoshi no Tama somewhere here. He never went out with it for fear of someone stealing it and as there was the prohibition, he always left it here." Ace muttered, a strange expression crossing his face.
At that moment, the dark-haired man had so many feelings passing through his eyes and face that Marco couldn't tell if it still was with Ace who he was talking with or if the Kitsune had taken control of him.
"We'll find it. Don't worry, yoi." The blond said softly.
"But you said it yourself that we've looked around the whole house!" Ace exclaimed before beginning to pace back and forth and mutter to himself - or perhaps he was talking with the fox, Marco wasn't sure.
He could see how it was impossible for Ace to stay calm in that situation. If he had spent so long stuck there with only a mythical being who didn't like humans as company and his only chance of getting free had just disappeared, he'd also be in that state.
Returning his gaze to the expression of despair on Ace's face made his heart ache. There had to be something he could do to help him now.
The blond ran a hand through his hair as he replayed all the search. He had spoken the truth when he said he had been careful when looking around. He had searched on the floor and walls of the corridor and of all rooms for any clue of where it could be, but found nothing. They really had searched all over the inside of the house, so he had no idea where it could be.
"It was always the same thing every time he went out," Ace kept muttering before he stopped and faced the floor. "I had to go close to the gates and wait until he came out and bid me goodbye before being able to come inside again. And that's it."
He went to the door leading to the hallway before turning around and walking back through the room.
"Ace?" Marco asked uncertainly when the young man went around him two time before continuing his walk through the room.
"But that can't be all you know!" Ace completely ignored him and kept talking with a grimace on his face and a lost tone on his voice. Then his expression turned angry. "Well, I heard him walking in the garden at the back of the house and going in the kitchen. But we've already looked through the kitchen and an external place without any protection could result in him losing it. He was very paranoid so he'd do anything to protect it. He kept it in here somewhere, I know that."
Marco frowned slightly. Initially, it seemed like the Kitsune was there again until Ace seemed to answer it. It was almost as if they were exchanging while they discussed.
"Marco, were you able to think of something?" Ace finally stopping in front him, his posture clearly showing how lost he was feeling.
The blond was ready to give a negative answer when a sudden idea flashed through his mind. "Wait. Maybe..."
Without waiting, Marco walked out the door and headed to his bedroom, not stopping until he was at the garden at the back of the house.
"It's possible..." He muttered while looking at the base of the house. Traditional Japanese houses were usually built by erecting wooden columns that were attached to the ground. This created a space between the actual house and the land that was naturally protected from rain and strong winds. A space that was perfect to bury something and be discreet.
"What are you doing?" Ace appeared on the balcony looking confusedly at Marco.
"Testing a theory, yoi." He replied before kneeling and looking for some sign that showed that what he had thought was right. He looked around and just when he was getting ready to accept he was wrong, he saw a slightly obscured pointed stone stuck in the ground a little more to the right side of where he was. The blond quickly moved over and knelt again.
The location of the stone was not far from the edge, which meant Marco only had to enter the space a bit and stretch out his arm to reach it. After pulling and throwing it away, he was able to see a small brown box at the bottom of the created hole. Using his hands to dig and enlarge the hole, Marco soon picked it up. He wiped out the rest of the soil that had been left on it and found himself holding a very dirty wooden box that had a small rusty metal plate attached at its top.
After unsuccessfully trying to read the metal plate, he decided to open the lid and with some difficulty, he managed to do that. The interior was all covered in velvet and in the middle of the tiny pillow sat what looked like a white and gold pearl that emitted some light. So this is what the fox has been looking for... He thought observing the seemingly simple object that brought him an uneasy feeling. He picked it up carefully with one hand, surprised with how heavy it actually was, put the box on the ground and went back so he could finally get up.
"You've found it." This statement came from surprisingly close to the blond, causing him to turn around and see himself face to face with Ace. A mixture of impatience and anxiety pervaded the expression of the freckled young man.
"I did, yoi." Marco nodded looking harshly at the fox - because it was clear to him that it was with the Kitsune that he was talking with.
"Then give it to me!" It practically hissed through bared teeth.
"I will. But when I do that you have to leave Ace." Marco squeezed the Hoshi no Tama tightly so there'd be no risk of the Kitsune getting it from his hand. According to what Ace had told him at some point, the fox was getting weaker with time, which was why it hadn't freed Ace and made him search the object since it feared the boy would betray it. But even knowing all this, the blond didn't want to risk in case it still could do something and get it from him.
It looked at him with narrowed eyes, its gaze going to Marco's closed fist before moving back to his face. "I don't know why you'd want this boy, but keep him. I don't really care. It's a deal."
"I want a proof that you're going to fulfil it, yoi." The blond narrowed his eyes.
Immediately, Ace's face got close to his before he blew softly on him. Marco startled when he felt a strange cold feeling pass through him. "There, now you have your proof. That's how I make deals, you must have felt it." It took a step back and held out its hand. "Come on now, give it to me!"
Marco had barely dropped the pearl-like ball on the opened hand when a satisfied expression appeared on Ace's face. Suddenly, a dark shadow seemed to come out of his skin and jump away. Turning to follow it with his eyes, Marco saw what appeared to be a normal red fox only with two tails. It ignored them, began to run toward the fence that surrounded the house and jumped to the other side, disappearing soon after.
"It... It's gone!"
This exclamation pulled Marco's attention back to Ace, who had a big smile on his face while he staggered. The blond quickly went over to him and helped him sit on the grass so the freckled man could regain his balance calmly.
"I'm actually free!" Ace started laughing after he lied on the grass with his arms outstretched.
Marco smiled warmly while he watched the dark-haired young man. The joy that radiated from him was contagious and made the blond feel good. It was great to see the result of many days of searching around house finally give into a good result.
"Hey, Marco."
"Hm?"
"Thank you." Ace sat up and grinned at him. "For everything, really."
"It was nothing." Marco smiled back.
Now that the problem had been solved, everything would return to normal. Marco would try to get used to the calmness of the place and Ace, even if he still stayed there for a few more days, would find his brother and move back in with his family.
Then what?
They could still talk and see each other from time to time, as with the large amount of time they spent together they had ended up friends. He'd be just another one of the many friends that Ace would make, though. And precisely the idea of being simply another one for Ace didn't sit well with Marco.
At looking at the dark-haired man smiling at him there, it was easy to see what he actually wanted. It wasn't as if he hadn't already noticed that he had fallen for Ace, but it was easier to let that thought aside while they still had to continue the search. Now, with nothing in the way, he could act and do whatever he wanted. Sure, there was the question of whether Ace had fallen back for him or not, but he could worry about that later, couldn't he? Because the urge to pull him closer and kiss him was growing stronger.
Lost like he was in his thoughts, Marco didn't realize that Ace had been calling him until he waved his hand in front of his face.
"Oi, are you still there? Maarcoo!"
The blond blinked in confusion before pulling Ace's hand down. "What is it, yoi?"
"I should be the one asking you that!" Ace pouted making Marco smirk on his mind. He was sure that if he were to comment on this, the freckled man would vehemently deny. His thoughts were interrupted when Ace leaned slightly closer to the blond, making him freeze. "You had this strange expression on your face. Are you okay?"
At that distance, Marco couldn't think straight. He moved his head forward until their breaths started mingling. The blond turned his half-lidded eyes up briefly to look at Ace's and saw that they were widened before turning his attention to those lips that were so close to his, wanting more than anything to taste them even if only for a few seconds.
He was dead set on closing that small distance and was about to do it when Ace surprised him by being to one to get closer to him until their lips brushed up against each other.
Marco didn't think at that moment. He simply placed a hand on the back of the other's neck and glued his lips to Ace's in a hungry kiss. The young man's lips were warm and softer than he expected and, when they began to respond, Marco smiled. The blond traced them with his tongue, encouraging the freckled man to open them, and when he complied Marco attacked his tongue and the inside of his mouth.
If Marco had initially thought that Ace had no experience due to the long time he had spent stuck in that house, then he was completely wrong. After responding hesitantly at the beginning, Ace's tongue soon started accompanying Marco's rhythm until they moved in synchrony against each other. The blond felt a pair of hands surround his neck and pull his body even closer while their owner became more teasingly.
Marco brought his other hand to one of Ace's full of freckles cheek and caressed it, using the moment to gently bite one of his lips. This elicited a soft gasp in response before Ace attacked his mouth back.
The dispute between their tongues continued for a while, each savoring the addictive taste the mouth of the other had, until Marco hesitantly pulled back.
The sound of their heavy breathing and of his heart beating rapidly in his chest were the only ones Marco could hear for a while. Both stayed in silence while they tried to regain their breath, cheeks still flushed and eyes locked on each other.
It was only then that Ace's previous question returned to Marco's head, making him smirk. "Yeah, I'd say I'm okay, yoi."
Ace rolled his eyes and smirked too. "I'd hope so."
Marco felt Ace kiss his jaw before starting to tread a path up and passing his tongue over the blond's lips tentatively. Marco only chuckled before answering eagerly. Now that his previous concern was dissolved, he could concentrate solely on the dark-haired man in front of him that seemed determined to keep distracting him.
"This one is quite different from the old one. At least from what I remember..." Ace commented while he looked at the small house in front of him. He sighed before rubbing his neck nervously. "It probably doesn't have a spare room for me there..."
"Come on, yoi. You haven't even seen the inside yet, so don't start thinking like that." Marco nudged him. "I'm sure that even if there is no space, your brother will find a way."
"Luffy would get the house upside down if necessary." Ace rolled his eyes affectionately before shuddering. "Although gramps would be furious with him after that. And maybe he'd even use his Fist of Love on us!"
The blond shook his head. "Are you going to ring the doorbell or do you plan on standing here the whole day?"
Ace playfully glared at Marco before turning his gaze to the white front door. After days of searching, they had finally found the new place where Ace's brother was living. Thankfully, it was still in the same city, even if in a distant neighborhood, and they were able to easily get there.
"Am I really going to knock on the door and be like 'Oh, hi! I know you thought I was dead for years, but I wasn't! And I'm back!'?" The freckled young man turned around and crossed his arms nervously.
"Ace, it's gonna be alright." Marco smiled as to encourage him. "It's your brother. From what you've told me, I'm sure he'll be at least ecstatic to see you. Of course, this will raise some questions, but he'll surely believe in you if you explain. And we can invent later on something for those who won't."
Ace nodded slowly before taking a deep breath. "Right. You're right. I'm nervous about nothing." He turned back to the door. "I just have to knock and hope my brother-"
"Who are you two?" The sudden voice came from behind them, succeeding in startling them.
Marco turned and saw a boy who should be about seventeen years old looking at him curiously. A straw hat covered his black hair and he was holding a plastic bag full of groceries with one hand while the other held a half-eaten sandwich. The blond also noticed the small scar that was beneath one of his eyes, making him fit exactly Ace's description of his younger brother.
"Luffy..." Ace muttered confirming Marco's suspicions.
"Hm?" The boy turned to Ace and looked at him with a blank expression for a few seconds before his eyes widened. He dropped everything he was holding, which resulted in the noise of something breaking inside the plastic bag when it fell to the ground. "A-Ace? I-is it really you?" The teenager asked shakily, tears beginning to form in his eyes.
"Hey…" Ace murmured softly as he raised a hand in a greeting. He then smiled warmly. "I'm back, Luffy."
"ACE!" And with that Luffy threw himself to his brother and started hugging him tightly. From there on many tears were shed, words were babbled and grins were exchanged.
Marco smiled at seeing both brothers so happy. That was the last piece before everything was finally put into place. Now it was only a matter of time and patience and everything would be resolved.
The blond chuckled when Luffy excitedly pulled Ace to the entrance of the house while exclaiming about how he wanted to show the place to his brother. The freckled young man turned his head to look at Marco and called him to come along too before following the teenager with a big smile. The blond stopped to pick up the forgotten plastic bag and sandwich before entering the house.
And to think he thought his life was going to be too calm after he moved.
Notes:
(1) Kitsune: They are a type of yokai, or spiritual entity, though they aren't ghosts. Fundamentally, they're like regular foxes who possess superior intelligence, long life, and magical powers. It's said that the higher the number of tails a Kitsune has, the older and more powerful it is. Some folktales say that they only grow a new tail after they've lived 100 years and that the maximum they have is nine. They can get invisible and did possess people, though their targets were usually young women. They're said to fulfill what they promise. They're also tricksters and like to hide people's things from them, besides completely hating and being scared of dogs. They hate being stripped of their freedom and will make you pay if you do this to them.
(2) Hoshi no Tama: Translating, it'd be called Star Ball. There are many interpretations of it. They're small and can be round or onion shaped, being identified either as magical jewels or pearls. Some say its color is only white, some that it's white-gold. Some believe that it holds a portion of the Kitsune's magical power, others that it represents its soul and some believe that it's like their life force in a ball. If you get your hands on one you'll be able to basically make the Kitsune do your bidding, though some disagree and say that you can only make it promise to help you with something in exchange of it back.
(3) Aburaage: It's said that those possessed by Kitsunes only ate what foxes were believed to like, which includes tofu, aburaage (it's made from soybeans and produced by cutting tofu into thin slices and deep frying it more than once at different temperatures), azuki meshi (a mixture of rice with azuki - a type of bean that's usually eaten sweetened), etc. Some believe that once freed, those possessed won't be able to eat any of those things again.