The sunlight what shines through the Window of the room woke the first division commander. Tired and with a light headache tried Marco finally to wake up. He rubbed his eyes and got up slowly, something seems not right but he didn't know what it was. "What was going on last night? I can't remember some parts…" muttered Marco and yawned. He noticed just right know that he hasn't any cloths on at all, and this fact gave him a serious and shocked look. If he was naked in the bed, and he can't remember what happened last night, something strange was going on. Marco was turning around, carefully and scared at the same time, to see if someone was also laying there. To his misfortune there was someone laying in his bed, still sleeping and not worrying about anything. It was the 2nd division commander Ace, one of the youngest and most annoying crew members.
"Oh my god…" whispered Marco and slapped this hand against his head. Not knowing what he supposed to do, Marco left the room. Of course with cloths on now.
The door of the little room next to the kitchen was slapped open. But it seems like it didn't matter to the guy who was sleeping there. Marco, who looked pissed closed the door more carefully now. "Wake up Thatch!" yelled Marco, but Thatch was still sleeping like a Baby. The 1st Division commander looked around the room; he was looking for something to wake up his friend. 2 small pans were lying next to his bed. "What the hell are these doing here?" asked Marco himself, but he kind of didn't want to know that. Carefully lifted Marco the pans and slapped them not that carefully together. A loud annoying noise was heard throughout the whole room. "Jesus Christ! What the Hell are you doing?" yelled Thatch who finally woke up. "Like I though, you do have a hangover!" said Marco in his monotone voice. "If you know that I have a hangover why are you doing crap like that?" asked Thatch angry and rubbed his head. "I have to talk to you!" explained Marco, he looked away. It seems like something is bugging him, something that he was ashamed of. Thatch also noticed that; "wow… okay… what happened?". Marco stared his story.
"You fucked ace?" yelled Thatch laughing. "Stop yelling that!" yelled Marco back. Thatch was still laughing and could not stop. "That's not funny! I seriously don't know how this happened" Marco, whose face went kind of red, was looking angry at his still laughing friend. "Well, I would say you got drunk!" laughed Thatch. The other gave him an annoyed look and smashed the pans together again. "Jeez, dude! Stop that! My head is going to explode!" yelled the 4th commander. Marco said nothing, just gave him an angry look. "Okay, okay… I stopped laughing! I'm serious now!" stared Thatch. "So, you…" he tried not to laugh but there was always that amused smile on this face. "I do it again if you are not going to stop!" warned Marco the guy in front of him. Thatch took a deep breath. He was sitting on the edge of his bed and looked up to Marco who was standing right in front of him. "I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of it. If you don't want him to think that there is something more, than you should just talk to him!" gave Thatch an advice. "And maybe, Ace was also just drunk and is thinking the same like you do". Marco didn't say anything; he was just thinking about that what Thatch was saying. "Man, that was a night! Holly molly. I can't remember shit…The only think I remember is that hot new Nurse what spent the whole night with me, if you know what I mean… but it seems like she is already gone… oh… and where did you got those pans anyways?" asked Thatch but he didn't get an answer. Marco was still thinking about last night and tried to remember what and how that could happen. It was quite in the room for a moment; Thatch noticed that Marco was still thinking about that, that it was still bothering him. He sighed and shacked his head slowly. "Say whatever you want, but I know that you really like him Marco" said Thatch quietly. Marco just looked at him, but didn't say anything. "I know you since you where 9, you can't hide stuff like that from me" he giggled a little and took Marcos hand carefully. "You shouldn't resist stuff that can make you happy. Yes, I know that Ace can be pretty annoying but even if he is an annoying, reckless little kid, I see in your eyes that you care for him!". A little "tsk!" came out of Marcos mouth. Even if he didn't want to accept that, he knows that Thatch was right.
Thatch pulled the younger one a little bit closer to him, still holding his hand. "Lucky guy this Ace. He came a couple mouth ago and already got you! And I tried that for years!". Marco pulled up one eyebrow "Now, you're just talking stupid shit!". Thatch laughed and hugged the one in front of him. A little smile formed on Marcos lips, he looked down to Thatch and run his fingers carefully through his hair.
"I think you should go now! Ace is probably awake and spreading the happy news all around" laughed Thatch and let go of Marco. The 1st division commander winced, that was a terrible imagination. If that's really what's going to happen he would kill Ace with his own hands.
Marco went back to his room hoping that Ace was still there so he could talk to him about what happen last night. To his unfortunate he was already gone and Marco had a long working day in front of him, like always. "I hope he is not going to do anything stupid!".
Couple hours later on deck the Moby Dick. The sun was almost on its highest point, it was a good sunny day and a young black haired boy was looking out to the sea. It seems like something is bothering him too, something he didn't want to tell anybody either. "I didn't saw you at Breakfast today, is something going on?" asked a voice from behind. Ace turned around to see who the voice belongs to. It was nobody else than the cook. The boy didn't answer him. Thatch leaned his body on the border of the ship next to ace. "You cannot tell me you weren't hungry, Ace. So what's the matter? Maybe I can help you". Ace looked away; he was not sure if he seriously should going to tell Thatch about that. He sighted. "Say Thatch, how do u say or show someone that u really like them?" asked the black haired one with a shy voice. Thatched grinned, he already knows what Ace was talking about but he played along not telling him that he was aware of his situation. "Well, you know… If I like someone I just gonna bang them!" , "What?" , "You know, like big boys do! Bang bang boom boom and stuff. Have some really nice Sex". Ace locked kind of shocked. "That's…" Ace started. "Really gross!" finished another voice for him. "Please don't listen to him Ace. Thatch is a big, nasty asshole!" said the voice again and joined into the conversation. It was Izou who this voice belongs to. "Jeez, Izou! That's not true! Who asked you anyways?" said Thatch pissed off. "Ace, you should know that Thatch had almost every nurse on this boat. Some of them already quit working here because of him!". The 4th commander rolled his eyes annoyed by Izou's recriminations. "That's not true! Don't believe him Ace. They quit working because it was too much from them. Dad is also not easy to handle, you know…", "Yeah, exactly! It was too much from them to keep up with Dad and with you!". Thatch wanted to say something when someone interrupts him. "Oh, are you talking about Thatch's bitches?" said a very young voice. It was Haruta who now joined this circle. Izou laughed "See, even Haruta know about that! But anyways, Haruta you are too young for this conversation!", "I'm not too young! I'm very aware of all that stuff. And of course I know about Thatch's bitches, he tol-" Haruta couldn't finish his sentence, Thatch hold his mouth close with his hand and laughed a little bit shy. "I, I don't know what he is talking about". Izou just gave him a pissed off look and pushed Ace away "Come on Ace, you really should not listen to these two! I gonna tell you what you really need to know about love!"
Both of them started to go away and Thatch let go of Haruta, Ace could still hear these two talking about the Nurse from last night. Thatch was telling the little boy every little detail what happen when he did something and how she was build.
"So, you wanna to say someone you love them, right?" asked Izou again. "Yeah, I think so…" answered Ace. "Well, whatever you do, don't be pushy! Believe me girls hate it if guys are pushy. You should be nice and give her some time if she wants it. Oh and be romantic, girls love that!". Ace grinned, it was kind of funny that Izou thought it's a girl. Whatever, he wouldn't tell him who it was anyways. Both of them stopped and Izou placed both hands on Ace's shoulders. "I really hope you going to be happy with your girl!" he smiled, a really nice cute smile and Ace smiled back. "Thanks Izou! That helped a lot!" said Ace even if it didn't help him at all.
Still kind of sad and all in thoughts went Ace all around the Ship. He hoped not to meet Marco, because he was not ready for this kind of conversations. Not noticing where he was going he bumped into Jozu. "Be careful Ace-kun" said Jozu with a smile. "Sorry!" said Ace and went on. "You look so sad, Ace-kun". Ace looked up to the big guy next to him; he saw a worried face on the 3rd division commander. "No, it's nothing… I was just thinking about something!" grinned Ace a fake smile. "so what is it?", "What is what?", "The thing you were thinking about?". Ace hesitated a little "well, you know…" he stared. "I wonder how I supposed to tell someone that I really like him… or her". Jozu thought about that too. "Give that person a gift!" he said. "A gift?" Ace asked and Jozu nodded. He rummage in this poked and pull out a little flower. "I found that on the last Island, you can have it if you want to!". Ace was not sure if that's the right thing to do but he took the flower. "Thanks, Jozu!", "I hope your loved one will understand what you trying to say" smiled Jozu and Ace smiled back. He went on, to go another round, around the ship. The black haired boy stopped when he was closed to Marcos room, a strange feeling came to his body. It felled good but at the same time Ace was nervous as hell. Should he go inside and try to talk to the 1st division commander or should he not. The boy was starring at the door the whole time, till it went open and Marco came out.
It was an awkward moment where Ace could not stand there anymore; he noticed that he was still not ready to talk to Marco. So he rum into the next room what was close to him. Unfortunately it was the Bar. And Vista was still in there. "Don't tell me you slept in here?" said Ace, Vista looked up to him. He said nothing but had a huge smile on his face. "What are you doing in here? It's Lunch time isn't it?" asked Vista back. Ace looked away. "I'm not feeling good" he said and Vista was shocked. "That's … unusual… did you drunk to much last night?" he started laughing "first experience with alcohol?". Ace smiled and nodded. That was not the reason for that bad feeling Ace had, but as long as Vista thinks that is the reason, everything was alright. "Don't worry boy! Someday you gonna grow up and you gonna drink as much as I do!" laughed Vista and took a sip of a glass of wine. Ace sat down next to him, still with the flower in his hand. "What's that?" asked Vista and pointed to the flower. "Oh that? Jozu gave it to me, I should give this to the person I love…", "the person you love? So who is it?". Ace noticed just right know what he said and could punch himself in the face for that. "Nobody… I was just wondering what I should say if I meet the… girl I love!" explained Ace. "Oooh…". Vista smiled and Ace just pulled an eyebrow up. "I gonna tell you what you should say!" he took the flower out of Ace's hand and put it in-between his teeth. Slowly opening Vista his shirt, more than it was already and put his hat back on. "First of all, you have to know if it is that girl!", "That girl?" asked Ace. "That girl you would die for! The one n' only you will ever love", "And how do I supposed to know that?". Vista laughed. "You gonna feel it! Right in here!" he pointed on Ace's heart. "Well let's gonna say I know that, that's the one… so what next?", "That's step 2! You have to impress her!". Ace rolled his eyes "and how the hell do I supposed to do that?", "Just listen boy! Don't interrupt!.. You have to show her that you are the men! What you are build of" said Vista and run his right hand other his body. All the sudden Ace felled weird to be here, alone with Vista. "After she saw you, and you drunk a little together, you should dance!", "dance? You are kidding right?" said Ace totally confused. "No, I'm dead serious! Woman love to dance!". Ace sighted. "I think I have to go now" he said and went to the door. "Oh, and you can keep the flower if you want to! It suits you more than me" then he left the room.
"Jeez, why is that so complicated?" asked the boy himself and went through his hair. "So you didn't even go to lunch huh?" asked Thatch who was sitting on the stairs not far away from Ace, smoking a cigarette. "There are still leftovers if you want to!". Ace was shaking his head and sat down next to Thatch. The older one looked at him, kind of amused about the whole situation he was going through. "Marco was searching for you!" he said. "Oh…" answer Ace. "Oh? That's everything you have to say?", "What do you want to hear?". Thatch thought about that. " I dunno, maybe something like: okay I gonna go to him! I mean he probably wants something, maybe it's something important", "yeah maybe. But I don't know if it is important or not and I'm not feeling like talking to someone right now" explained Ace. "You are talking to me right now" laughed the 3rd commander. "You are different…" said Ace and but his head on his knees. Thatch laughed more than before. "Well, I think I gonna take that as a compliment" he looked to the boy next to him, who didn't even moved no matter what he would say. Thatch put his arm around him. "Don't be sad Ace, no matter what it is, time is going to make it better… or maybe just a conversation is going to make it better. You just have to trust in yourself and go ahead, whatever it might be that gives you a problem!". He stood up and though the cigarette in the water, Ace still didn't moved at all and Thatch left.
The feeling he had every time he thought about Marco won't go away, it was a strange, new feeling. Maybe it was the feeling that Vista told him, the feeling when you know that this person is the one. Ace looked up, looked the whole time at the sea. Nobody in the crew could tell him something what would help Ace. The only person who might know what to do is the Captain, Whitebeard.
Ace stood up. Went to Whitebeards room where the nurses were all around him doing blood tests and stuff like that. "Dad, can I talk to you for a minute?" said Ace quietly when he entered the room. "of course son, what's the matter?" asked whitebeard. "Well, I kinda ashamed to say it loud" he looked at the nurses and went a little red. "leave us alone!" said whitebeards and the nurses looked shocked to him. "Captain! That's…" tried one nurse to explain. "You heard what I said right?" asked the Captain back and the nurses just went out, quietly and pissed off. "So, what's the matter son?" asked Whitebeard. "did... did you ever fell in love?". Whitebeard started laughing. "That's what you are ashamed off?" he asked back and Ace didn't answered him, his face was all red and he looked away. "You shouldn't be ashamed of that Ace. That's something naturally that everyone has to go through!", "So you did fall in love with someone right?". Whitebeard has a huge smile on his face. "Son, the only one I fall in love with is the sea! And my son's", "you fall in love with us?" asked ace deprecated. "Of course. Every father is falling in love with his children!" laughed whitebeard. Ace sighted. "that's not going to help me…" he said and wanted to go outside again. "Ace…" started his Dad and Ace stopped; he turned around and looked up to the Captain. "I know that you want to hear some answers. But nobody can give you these… Love is an independent thing. You have to make your own experience". Ace thought about that for a while. He was right, he had to make his own experience, and he had to talk to Marco, no matter what. Even if he didn't feel like that, even if he was scared, there was no way out.
The boy smiled at his foster father. "Thanks dad!", "Always happy to help you, Ace".
He left the room. Took all the courage he had und went to Marco, to talk about last night.
It knocked on the door. "Come in!" said Marco and Ace went slowly into the room. "I... have to talk to you!" he said shy and Marco moved his hand to tell him to sit down. He didn't looked at Ace at once, was still writing something on the paper. It was quite in the room, the noise of pen scratching the paper was the only noise you can. "well… I…" started Ace, to stop this quietness. "I already know what you want to say Ace" interrupt Marco the black haired boy. Ace looked shocked at him. "I also already know that you were talking to the whole crew about "love" and that you were avoiding me the whole day…" he finished the writing and turned slowly around to Ace who was looking away and getting a little bit red. "It was not the whole crew!" he mumbled. "And they kinda didn't leave me alone…". Marco sighted "I was searching for you to talk about that anyways…" Marco stood up and walked through the room. "You know, last night…" , "Wait! Before you say something… I want to say something too!" interrupt Ace. Marco looked surprised at him. "I was thinking about that the whole day. And I talked to some of the people on this ship. And everyone was telling me completely different stuff, so it confused me even more…" Marco put one eyebrow up. "Nothing what they said helped me so I went to the old man…", "you talked even with dad about that?" Marco slept his hand against his forehead but Ace just ignored that. "Well, he told me that I have to make my own experience… and that's what I'm doing right now… I …" Ace started to get red and looked down. "Every time I'm here… it… feels weird… it's like a happy feeling but at the same time…" Ace smiled a shy smile when Marco interrupts him: "Oh my god, Ace… please say you're not seriously falling in love right now…" he put his hand on his forehead and shacked his head a little. Ace looked away. He didn't know what he supposed to say and Marco sighted. "Ace, listen…" Marco started and came closer to Ace, he put both hands on Ace's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "I… like… you too…" it was unbelievable hart for the 1st commander to say this words to the younger one but it was a load off his mind. "but… if we gonna start anything in this way… it's gonna change a lot!" he explained. "so, we should just forget about that all?" asked Ace quietly. "That's not that easy" said Marco.
"I can forget about that feeling…" said the 2nd commander with a lot of self confidence. "No, you can't, Ace", "yes I can!" said Ace with a little bit angrier voice. "No! You can't!" repeated Marco. "Yes, I can!". Marco rolled his eyes, put his hand behind Ace's head and pushed him closer to himself. The lips of these boys touched each other and Marco started to kiss Ace carefully. Ace who was shocked at first closed his eyes and allowed that kiss. His blood went fast through his whole body; his heart was pounding faster and louder. That feeling that both of them had in this moment was a feeling and should never ever stop. Ace put his arm around Marco neck, the other hand on this cheek. After a short while both of them stopped kissing for a moment, they looked at each other, heavy breathing and not saying a word. They were still close to each other because they could feel the hot breath of the one in front of them. "Do you still think… it's that easy to forget?" asked Marco quietly. Ace didn't know what he should say. He tried to form some words but his lips where shaking. Marco grinned when he saw that. "I take that as a no!" he said and kissed the younger one again.
Not only Ace noticed that he could not ignore that feelings, Marco also noticed that he liked Ace more than he expect.
At the same time in the dining room.
The dinner time was almost over. Thatch who was sitting at the table with the others smiled all the sudden. "Why are you smiling Thatch?" asked Izou suspicions. "Is there something in the food?" asked Haruta and looked strict at the noodles. Thatch shacked his head "no it's nothing… I just thought about something…" he said. He was thinking about Marco and Ace, both of them weren't at dinner and he knows that Ace went to Marco to talk to him. Vista who was just finished with his food looked at Thatch "You know what's strange?" he started and everyone was looking at him. "Ace and Marco are not here… I wonder where they are…". Everyone started talking about them. "Maybe they forgot about dinner?" said Izou. "How can Ace forget about dinner?" asked Haruta implausible. "Maybe we should go find them…" suggest Jozu and stand up. "wow, wow, wow… wait a minute…" said Thatch and everyone stop there discussions. "Why are we going to get them? I talked to Ace before and he said he was not feeling good. I mean, I know that he loves food but I think the nurses told him not to eat a lot… after last night…" fabricated Thatch a story. "And Marco… well… he… probably has a lot to do. And he hates it if we are interrupting him by doing work, especially if it's nothing necessary. I know him; he is going to be really mad". Everybody thought about Thatch's words. "I think he is right, they know when dinner starts…" said Izou and everyone agreed. Thatch breath relived out. "They gonna do something for me, covering their backs like that. I hope these guys found a way out of their situation" though Thatch.