So many people said they wanted this story that I decided to try typing it out, let me know what you all think. Anyway long chapters compared to my other story, and not in anyway related. Enjoy.

Chapter 1

It had been nearly two years since Ace had left home to become a pirate. All but half of a year of those two years had been spent as a Whitebeard pirate. And for nearly an entire year he had spent on the Moby Dick he had been the infamous Marco the Phoenix' lover. Ace had never had a lover before Marco and had been more than a little nervous to be with Marco in that way, but had never been happier than he was to be with the older man.

Smiling as he looked out at the ocean, he recalled their first time and the conversation that accompanied it.

Flashback

It was the second week of March. The weather was beautiful and everything on the Moby Dick seemed perfect. However Ace would have told you otherwise. Marco had been avoiding him since the beginning of March and it was starting to scare him. At first he had been annoyed, and then the anger had started to form. However when he had confronted him about it, Marco had just turned and walked away as if nothing had happened. Now he was nearly in tears as he asked Thatch about it.

"Come on Thatch something has to have happened to make him like this. Has he said anything to you? Did something happen in the past to make him act like this?"

Thatch stood looking thoughtful while rubbing his chin, and one by one shook his head at each of Ace's questions. Ace was actually starting to cry at the next prospect as to why his boyfriend was ignoring him, and voicing it just proved how upset he was over the entire thing.

"Did I do something? Do you think he's sick of me? Is he going to break up with me?"

Ace and Marco had come out to Whitebeard and the crew a few months into their relationship, and the entire ship had been more than supportive of the couple. Thatch had taken particular pleasure in bothering the couple about their relationship, but even he could tell how happy the two were together. So with the new questions asked Thatch stopped, just to stare at Ace in shock. Then anger flooded him at the realization of how upset Marco had made the youth.

Hugging the younger man to him as he began to speak, "Look Ace I don't know why he's acting like this, but it definitely isn't you. He's always gotten real quiet and reclusive around March. I don't know why, but I know it has nothing to do with your being here. Maybe you should talk to him? You should have the right as his lover to know why he's avoiding you."

Shaking a little, but comforted at the idea that Marco's weird attitude wasn't his fault. Nodding to Thatch he decided that he would talk to Marco, and collecting himself he headed to his room.

Standing at Marco's door having just knocked, he entered after hearing his boyfriend call for who ever it was to come in. Walking in he noticed that Marco was laying down in full Phoenix form on his bed. 'That's weird, is he not feeling well?' Was all Ace thought before Marco lifted his head from the bed to look at him. Marco obviously perked up a bit at seeing him, and quickly transformed himself so he was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Hey yoi. What's up Ace?"

Though he was smiling, Ace got a more careful look at his boyfriend. He looked terrible, the man's were even more tired looking than normal, and darkness under his eyes gave away that the man had not been sleeping well. His skin was almost a sickly pale color, and Ace had to wonder if he was ill.

Noting Ace's frown and puffy eyes, Marco's smile fell, "Ace what happened yoi? Have you been crying?" Getting up, with some difficulty and obvious pain Ace noted, Marco moved over to where Ace was standing. The concern on Marco's face and the gentle loving hand Marco placed on his face, wiped all thought of Marco leaving him from his mind. So he just asked.

"Marco why have you been avoiding me? And don't tell me you haven't. Are you sick? Is it something that happened to you in the past that's bothering you? Talk to me damn it. I'm worried about you."

Seeing he was the cause of his younger lovers pain and previous crying, Marco obviously felt terrible, by the way his face fell. Sighing Marco moved back over to the bed, sitting down he motioned for Ace to join him.

Ace happy that he may be about to get an answer from his lover was more than happy to join Marco. They sat in silence for a bit, Ace remaining quiet, as it was obvious that Marco was looking for the words to speak. When he finally did speak he startled Ace a bit, as he was starting to think Marco was going to never talk to him about it.

"How much do you know about Zoan Devil Fruits, yoi?"

Ace was a little confused, but understood that there must be some basis behind the question and answered. "Well I know that they turn a user into a specific animal, and most users have three different forms, including their human form. And carnivorous animal Zoan's are normally stronger and more vicious than their herbivore counterparts."

Marco nodded at all this, before he spoke, "That's all true, but it's not all. All Zoan's in essence become the animal that they eat the fruit for, just like Logia's become a certain element. So when I ate the Tori Tori no Mi: Model Phoenix I became a phoenix." Ace looked confused. "So I have all the instincts of an animal. I can sense weather changes before they happen among other things. It's like having another living being inside your head at all times, but they are also you. Most of the time I don't notice the phoenix in my head, but if something that effects it, but not me as a human, happens then I'm effected because the phoenix makes it that way. Understand?"

Ace nodded. "So the phoenix part of you has been making your life hard?"

"Exactly yoi."

Ace's brow furrowed a bit, "But why?"

Marco looked a little embarrassed, and scratched the back of his head looking away as he began talking. "Well one thing that most Zoan's don't tell people about it, that because we are the animals we transform into we are effected by the time of the year. So like a bear Zoan would probably sleep all winter away, other Zoan's and myself included have a time of the year where we feel 'off.'"

Ace looked confused. Sighing Marco elaborated, "March is apparently mating season for Phoenixes."

Marco's POV

Mating season. It never changed, and Marco had always hated it. Being out at sea the majority of the year, made it difficult enough for him to deal with, but the fact the even if he did want to try and find someone he had to be careful. Those Zoans he had talked to had warned him about it; that as a bird Zoan he stood the chance of mating for life. Very few animals in the animal kingdom did mate for life, however the majority were birds of some kind, and somehow, call it instinct, he knew that Phoenixes would fall into that category. Thus he had always been very careful to avoid contact with people as much as possible during the month of March. He had of course informed Whitebeard, whom had laughed quite a bit at the information, and had thus been given a sort of annual vacation period. It was hardly an ideal vacation period though. His inner Phoenix, devoid of a life mate, and pining for the person to complete him, had made it nearly impossible for him to sleep, eat, or do anything other than; well the only word to describe it was 'mope.'

So here he was explaining this to Ace, whom at first had found some humor in the idea of his lover having a mating season, but after hearing the complications that came with the time of year he could see the concern lighting his lovers eyes.

Had they been together more than a few months he might have asked Ace to be his mate. He did love the brat, more than he was almost comfortable with. However he was not going to ask the boy to be stuck with him for the rest of their lives after only having been together the short time they had. They were pirates, Ace a young and new one, and he could not expect him to give up the chance to be with other people all for some old man.

Ace was a little shocked at the revelation the Marco had brought up. However having heard the reason, the cure seemed simple to him. Sometimes he could only think Marco thought things over too much, he could see Marco working away in his brain all the reasons not to take Ace as a mate. Well he could fix that.

Leaning in and grabbing the lapels of Marco's shirt he dragged him in for a kiss. Marco's eyes widened for a second before he let himself enjoy the kiss. His Phoenix was enjoying the attention from his young lover, and pushing him to take the brat, but the logical and human side of his brain was screaming at him to stop this before it could get to that point. Then Ace straddled his hips and his hands started wandering downwards. He grasped Ace's hips pushing him away, even though he'd done that Marco could only breathe heavily, while Ace looked hurt at having been pushed away.

"Ace we can't do this yoi. I told you what will happen yoi."

Ace just smiled leaning in again looking Marco in the eyes, "I know and I don't care. I love you, and I know I'll ever want to be with someone else. So you don't have to worry about me regretting this."

Marco could see it in Ace's eyes that he was telling the truth, and it was like something snapped at the conformation that he had found someone to be with. Not caring anymore about the consequences, he quickly pulled the youth in for another kiss, and then another and another after that one.

*End of Flashback*

The rest of the night was a blur, but Ace and Marco had been together since that moment, and not once had either ever regretted it.

Still looking out at the ocean, he felt a pair of arms come to rest around his waste and he let himself be pulled back into a familiar chest.

"Were almost at the Island yoi. You going to come a shore?" Smiling widely he nodded, and the two left to finish with the shore briefing.

Little did they know that they lives were about to change drastically.

Oh, cliff hanger. If you haven't been able to tell by my other story...I love doing that, but it's what keeps bringing the readers back. So enjoy and I'll try to update as soon as possible, but between this and the other story not sure how often they will get updated. I will promise to try and keep up my once a week updating, but school sadly takes priority.