Marco

Marco would have been lying if he denied being frustrated, especially when he was one of the last ones to know, which was absolutely ridiculous. The council had already informed the guests so they would arrive on time, of course, but they probably knew that Marco would protest if he had found out beforehand. It was just like those slimy bastards to pull something like this.

He and Robin didn't get to go to the library like they had originally planned. Instead, they had hastily been pushed into a wedding rehearsal, and everything was meticulously practiced until they recited all their words perfectly. There would be no need for such a fuss if they hadn't moved the wedding, Marco wanted to point out, but it was too late now. That didn't change the fact that he blamed the council. They were supposed to have a week, but now that had been cut down to two days and the first one was over in the blink of an eye.

Preparations were all crammed into the second day, and this is when Marco began to get increasingly worried. He had already "accepted" Robin's challenge to ask Ace about his feelings, but with the time crunch, there was no way that was happening now. He hadn't even the time to see Ace at all really as he- along with Robin- was whirled all around the castle to oversee the menu for the wedding feast, finalize the flowers and clothing measurements, greet the guests… He had collapsed from exhaustion by the time the day was done, though he couldn't say that he got much sleep.

Marco woke up halfway through the night, the weight of everything finally hitting him.

He wasn't ready to get married! Especially after he had resolved himself to at least say something about his feelings towards Ace. A week would have been perfect for him to figure things out, but now he was awake, and he was getting married today.

Part of his mind screamed at him that he could just reject Robin at the altar and thankfully, she wouldn't mind, but he knew how both of their councils would take that decision, especially at this point in time. Robin's council especially, with the head council member Spandam, would definitely take it as a sign of ill will, or maybe even a declaration of war. Sakazuki would probably do anything to yank the throne out from underneath him and his whole family. Honestly, they both had terrible councils, and it had been one of their many topics of discussion in the past- they also complained about it to each other when they found out the date had been switched.

He tried thinking of a solution in the few hours he had left- even considered going down to the barracks right now to tell Ace, but something kept him back, and before he knew it the sun had risen, and his feelings for Ace were still bottled inside.

A quiet knock sounded on his door, and Izo entered, carrying Marco's wedding clothes. "Marco? It's time to get ready," he said, but he gasped when he saw Marco's state, gray bags under his eyes. "What happened?"

"Couldn't sleep, yoi," Marco muttered. "I… I just don't know what to do."

He was thankful when Izo brought him in for a warm and comforting hug. "Gods, I wish there's something I could do."

The two were quiet for a few moments as Izo pat Marco's back gently when a sudden thought struck Marco. It was now or never.

He pulled away. "Izo," he started, "There is something you can do for me right now."

Izo nodded in acceptance. "Of course. What is it?"

"I want you to bring Ace here. Can you do that for me?"

When Izo frowned hesitantly, Marco's heart sunk. "Marco, I want to, but you really need to get ready."

"Please," Marco begged, bowing his head down, "I need to see him."

Thankfully, Izo sighed in defeat, giving into Marco's words. "Alright, Marco- just because you know I want you to be happy, right? I'll send Sabo over to help you prepare if that's fine. Thatch is busy with preparations."

He was barely able to crack a small smile. "That would be great, thanks."

Knowing that he would see Ace before the wedding was a relief at least, but he would have to think of the right words to say. He ran his hands through his hair, running over different scenarios in his mind.

Best case scenario was that Ace would return his feelings, but he highly doubted that, and besides, there wasn't much he would be able to do from that point on. Ace could reject him, and while Marco's heart panged at that thought, he would be able to live with the reassurance that he could carry out his duty, and that Ace would be happy.

Gods, everything hurt right now.

"Izo wasn't kidding. You look terrible," Sabo commented when he entered the room.

"Thanks," Marco groaned. He would've made a note to have some words with Izo about that later, but it wasn't a lie. "I'll just have to grin and bear it though, yoi."

"Does this have anything to do with why Izo sent me?" Sabo asked. He unfolded the top, holding it open for Marco to slip his arms through.

"There's someone I needed to see," Marco admitted, "and I'll probably just stress even more if I don't, yoi."

Sabo patted him on the back sympathetically. "It'd be hard not to be stressed right now. A good pep talk with the right person will be good for you."

Marco didn't exactly have a pep talk in mind, but close enough. "Is that how you get stress of your mind?" he asked trying to make small talk. He was hoping that it would calm his nerves before Ace and the wedding, and well… everything really.

"Not really, but I know it works." Sabo shrugged. "I usually write things down," he said, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a journal after he had handed Marco the pants. "My brother actually sent me this new one recently."

"That's not actually a bad idea, yoi." Marco stored the idea away for future use. "Luffy gave that to you?"

"No, actually," Sabo said. "We both have an older brother. Haven't we ever told you about him?"

"You haven't. What's his name?" Marco answered. He adjusted all his clothing, taking one last look at himself in the mirror as Marco pinned the grand, red cape over his shoulders. A small crown would be placed upon his head later so the ensemble was not complete yet, but besides that, he looked ready- not that he felt the same way.

"His name-"

The door slammed open. "Marco, I couldn't find him!" Izo exclaimed, panting out breaths.

Marco whirled towards him, his heart racing. "What do you mean that you couldn't find him?"

"He wasn't in the barracks or the training yard or the library! And I kept asking around, but the only person that could tell me was Agatha!"

"And what did she say?"

"She gave me this-"

A bell rang suddenly, cutting off Izo's words. Marco knew what that meant. They all did.

"No," Marco whispered. "No, no… I can't. I need to see Ace!"

"Wait. Did you say-"

"Your Highness."

Izo was shoved out of the doorway, rather rudely he might add. Sakazuki had come.

"I was wondering why you haven't come down yet," he grumbled in his low voice. He seized Marco's wrist. "Come now. There's no time to waste. Your father doesn't have much time after all. He needs to get to bed."

Marco growled under his breath. Did he really have to bring that up?

He was helpless as he was dragged towards the altar. Ace would never know, and from what Izo was saying, Marco would never know how Ace felt either.


Ace

Ace felt shivers all over his body when he awoke, which was strange. Ever since acquiring his powers, he hadn't felt cold, and it didn't help that there was a breeze. Slowly, he opened his eyes only to find that his world was turned on its side. He tried to move, but his arms were restrained. His power must have been suppressed too.

A loud click sounded, and Ace felt something cold press against his neck. "Don't even try anything."

He turned his glare to Teach, who was lounging against the nearby stone wall. Staying silent, he tried to examine his surroundings. It seemed they were atop one of the towers, but he recognized the stairs in the corner. This was Marco's tower.

"Wh…" he paused to cough, as his throat felt a bit dry. "What did you do to me?"

A sinking feeling grew in his stomach when Teach grinned at him again, gaps in his teeth showing. He cried out when he was suddenly grabbed by the hair and forced to stand up, but he wisely quieted when the barrel of the pistol pressed into his flesh harder. Teach forced his head to look towards the ground. There, he saw that many people were gathered around the front of the castle. Thankfully, they were up high so the crowd wasn't paying any attention to them, but why were they…?

It was then he saw who they were all looking at. They were far from the ground, but he recognized that head of hair anywhere. "Marco…" he whispered.

"Listen here, Ace," Teach said, yanking him away from the edge violently. "See that? Your precious prince is about to get married."

Married?! How long had he been unconscious? More importantly: "How did you know that I-"

"Oh, please," Teach scoffed. "You're too obvious when making heart eyes at him. Cerberus isn't too pleased about that either."

"To hell with Cerberus!" Ace growled, earning another hard tug on his hair.

"Do you think you can say that when you haven't even made one assassination attempt? We sent you here to do a job and all you do is train. We set things up so nicely for you when you took Marco into town too."

How did they even hear about that? He and Marco were alone when they made those plans!

"Bastard. What did you even expect me to do? Between training and carrying my weight around the castle, I didn't have time to think about any stupid assassination attempts!"

Teach must not have liked the back talk because he threw Ace onto the ground, Ace grunting when his spine hit something. He rolled over to get a look at what it was, only to discover that there was a rifle lying on the ground next to him.

"What is this?" he asked.

"This," Teach started, picking up the rifle, "will be your assassination attempt."

Ace snorted. "Can't do much assassinating with my hands cuffed like this."

"I'm not stupid enough to free you," Teach countered. "Here's the story: You precious Marco is about to marry the Oharan princess to unite the two kingdoms when suddenly, bam!" he yelled out the final part. "A shot is 'fired' by Portgas D. Ace, who was actually attempting to sabotage this union, and the throne itself!"

"You wouldn't dare."

Teach ignored Ace, continuing his ramblings. "Then I, so graciously, will come down, the traitor apprehended. Zehaha!" he laughed. "Just wait until you see how everyone reacts when they find out the truth!"

"You won't be telling them the truth! All you'll be doing is feeding them more damn lies!"

"But who will they believe, hm?" Teach hummed. "The man who's been part of the family for years, or some wet-behind-the-ears kid?"

'I'm not a kid,' he wanted to argue, but he knew that Teach had a point. Though he had befriended most everyone, he didn't have as much credibility with them as Teach did.

Teach's grin grew wider when he realized that Ace had no response. "Exactly."

With that, he turned away from Ace, readying the rifle by poising it over the wall. All Ace could do was close his eyes, and he hated that hat was the only thing he could do in the moment. He had never felt so useless, so powerless, and now they were all going to hate him.

He heard another cock of a gun and…

"Don't you even think about pulling that trigger," a familiar voice hissed.

Ace's eyes shot open, almost not believing what had just happened. "Izo!" he cheered, but then Teach's pistol was shoved against him again.

"How- why are you here?" Teach cried. "You're supposed to be down at the wedding!"

Indeed, Izo was decked out in an elaborate gown. Ace wondered how he made it up here with all those stairs.

"I figured something was off when I couldn't find Ace…"


Izo had already gotten dressed after Marco had been taken away and it was almost time for the ceremony. As one of Marco's brothers, it was important that he attend, yet something didn't quite sit right with him. How could Ace just vanish like that only leaving a letter?

"The letter!" Izo gasped to himself. Marco hadn't been able to take it, and right now, his mind needed answers, though he would have to read quickly.

Dear Marco,

What would you be willing to do to protect the ones you love? I didn't mean for it to be a threat, so if it sounds like one, I apologize. It's just something that I have to know, though I suppose it's not as if you're going to give me an answer.

I've been hiding the truth from you, and I don't want to lie anymore. So much has happened over these past few months. I feel blessed to have met you and everyone else too. You must think I'm a traitor now, and you're right.

I am here for myself, and at the same time, I am not. I wanted to train with you Marco, but I did not come here of my own accord. When I acquired my powers, I was captured by the assassin group Cerberus. They were the ones that sent me here, and they wanted me to kill you, Marco. Cerberus threatened my family if I didn't, so I was to go under the ruse of your new student.

But it was real, I promise. I really did love training with you and helping you. I also liked getting to know everyone. If circumstances were different…

Anyways, it's because of this that I have to leave. I just can't kill you, hurt you- I don't want to. I need to find my brothers as quickly as I can before Cerberus hears about this and gets their hands on them.

I know you may never believe me and that I may be forever branded a traitor against the kingdom of New Edwards, but I've grown fond of this place, and I'll miss you all.

I'm sorry,

Portgas D. Ace

After reading the contents of the letter, Izo was absolutely speechless. So Ace really was gone? But he could've sworn that he felt his presence in the castle yesterday. Something really wasn't right.

"Think, Izo. Think," he muttered to himself. Had anything seemed out of place? "That's it!"

"Izo?" Thatch called, stepping into the room. He smiled, walking over to kiss Izo on the cheek. "You look beautiful."

"Not now, Thatch." He felt a tad guilty at dismissing the affections, but there was something he needed to do. "Can you cover for me?"

Thatch raised an eyebrow at him. "Why? Shouldn't we get going?"

"There's something I need to check on," Izo said. "I just have a bad feeling."

Thatch still looked hesitant, so he pulled him into a hug. "Stay safe, okay? Just in case."

"I'll be fine, you big oaf."

He made sure that he had a loaded pistol with him, and he clutched the skirt of his dress, taking off down the hall towards the library. He had a sneaking suspicion that he had seen something there.

And he was right. The book of poems was out of place. "Gotcha!"


"I admit that you almost got us, but you really should've put the book back properly," Izo said, smirking. "Now let Ace go."

"I can't do that," Teach shot. "You're not the only one with the gun."

Ace could hear his blood rushing through his head right now. While Izo had come to save him- and now he would have a chance to explain himself- they were both still in danger, and one wrong move could mean both their deaths.

"Really, Teach?" Izo continued. "You know that they'll believe me over you."

For a moment, the roof fell silent, and all Ace heard was the distant chatter of the crowd below, but suddenly, Teach said, "Not if you're dead!" He whipped his pistol towards Izo.

"No!" Ace yelled.

But much to his relief, Izo was a faster shot. Teach's pistol flew out of his hand, and he desperately sprawled to the floor to retrieve it.

Silence fell again, as Izo pointed his pistol at Teach again. Relief washed over Ace now that he was no longer in danger.

"Thanks, Izo," he sighed. He was about to take a step forward towards his savior when Teach started babbling again.

"You think this is over?" he questioned, and Ace was unnerved when he realized that his grin was still there.

"Wh-what?"

"Cerberus will still go after your brothers, and I promise you, we'll deliver you their heads!"

"Shut up, you!" Izo growled, but Teach didn't listen.

"And you know, you're still a traitor to the kingdom," he pointed out. "You were sent here by Cerberus and you'll be put on trial. How do you think that will go?"

As much as Ace hated to admit it, Teach had a point. Though he had saved Marco from that attack, he hadn't done much other than that to prove his loyalty to the kingdom- and that would not look good to whoever was judging him.

"And we know who you really are."

At those words, Ace felt his body go cold. He knew that Teach wasn't kidding because he wouldn't have said it if he didn't know the truth. But how? How could they know about his father?

His brothers… His identity… How could this have happened?

There must've been something he could do to escape this.

Izo hesitated a bit, eyes boring into Teach. "What are you talking about?"

Meanwhile, Ace turned around, studying his surroundings. What to do... Marco said something to him once. What was it?

That was it.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Teach chuckled darkly. "But Cerberus will win! Cerberus can take this country! Just wat-"

"You can't!" Ace yelled out, interrupting him and trying to keep his legs from shaking.

Izo's eyes widened upon seeing Ace's position. "What the hell are you doing?"

Ace was standing on the edge of the wall, ready to fall backwards.

And even Teach didn't seemed pleased. Probably because Cerberus would be losing their source of blackmail, but now Ace had the power to control the situation. "Get away from there!"

In spite, Ace took another step backwards. Teach grabbed out as if clutching the air would save the situation. "What, Teach? Scared?" Ace challenged. "If I'm not here anymore, then you have nothing on me! You'd have no reason to hurt my brothers, and now that Izo knows the truth, Cerberus has no chance!"

"You son of a bitch!"

"Ace," Izo said, carefully reaching out a hand as if to coax him down. His other hand still gripped his pistol, keeping Teach in his place. "Please rethink this. There has to be another way!"

One more step back…

Ace smiled, looking up at the sky. "The sky is so beautiful," he whispered to himself. If only it was night, and if only Marco was beside him.

"Don't worry, Izo," he reassured. "This will all work out."

"How can you say that?"

But Ace didn't answer. Instead, he leaned back…

"NO!"


Marco

Marco was still a bundle of nerves when he was standing at the in front of the priest, Robin looking at him in concern. He wasn't ready and he just could not focus. He barely heard the words being recited, and words left his lips naturally, without much meaning. There was a numbness in his body, and he had a feeling he would be leaving the wedding with this same numbness.

All eyes were on him, yet he wanted to say no. He wanted something that he would never have, so all he could do was carry out what he was meant to do.

His family knew though because out of the corner of his eye during quick glances backwards, he could see how they were staring at him- Pops especially. They wanted him to be happy, and while he could be marrying someone worse, he couldn't say that he was happy right now.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Marco felt his muscles seize up. Had they really reached this point already? He hadn't even gotten the chance to say no- not that he could've now- yet he felt his body acting on his own, lifting Robin's veil.

"Are you sure you're fine?" she whispered.

"I have to be, yoi." So he leaned in and…

A sudden and loud bang rang out through the air, and they jumped apart. Several of the crowd members screamed, and a wave of panic rushed through them.

"What the hell?"

"We're not safe here!"

Marco looked around frantically. What was that? And why now?

Councilman Sakazuki stood up, yelling out. "Quiet!" A hush settled over the crowd at the demand. "Just get on with the wedding!" Marco looked to the rest of the council to see what they would do, but as usual, they said nothing.

He stood up straight. "You expect me to continue this wedding when my people and my guests are in danger?"

"The ceremony is almost complete. It is ridiculous not to finish now!"

"And if someone dies?" he challenged. Marco knew it was a poor argument, but he refused to put anyone in danger for a wedding. The council had been the ones to push it forwards anyways, so they had time to wait. Besides, this would give him another chance to think things over.

"If you finish this now, then we won't have a problem!" Sakazuki snarled.

"Councilman Sakazuki!" Marco's next argument fell short when Whitebeard attempted to stand, but he swayed on his feet. Jozu and Vista had to help him stand as he hacked out loud coughs. "Now that we know there are assassins in the area, we must bring the people to safety. They are more than likely after my son and the princess, which further puts this union at risk. You must stop pursuing this issue!"

Even when sick and dying, Pops was so strong, yet Marco couldn't bring himself to words like that. Maybe he was being selfish right now since his thoughts were also on Ace.

"You're brave, old man," Sakazuki mocked. "It could be you that dies today."

"Is that supposed to be a threat?"

The atmosphere grew tense as the two men stared each other down, even though everyone knew that for each second that passed, danger grew closer.

True to those words, a scream broke out from the crowd. "There's someone up there!" someone cried.

Gazes turned upward, and Marco gasped. He couldn't completely make out the details, but his heart pulsed when he finally recognized the familiar presence, and that mop of raven hair. But why was he standing at the edge like that?

"Ace…" Marco whispered. "What the hell is going on?"

"Is that him?" Robin asked. "Ace?"

Marco gulped, attention still fixed on the figure on the tower. It seemed to sway and his heart skipped a beat. "Y-yeah." He couldn't stop his voice from shaking.

Robin laid a hand on his shoulder comfortingly, and the touch of his friend reassured him. "Go to him now," she said.

Marco knew he had no time to waste, but part of him hesitated. Was Ace the one that fired that shot? Why would he jump if that was the case, and what would Marco say when he got up there?

"Don't you dare, Your Highness."

Of course Sakazuki had to interrupt his decision now. He was seething when Marco turned around. "If you leave now, you will ruin the relations between these two kingdoms!"

"Don't listen to him, Marco!" Haruta yelled.

"Go! Protect Ace!" Thatch agreed.

More of his brothers yelled out encouraging words, and Marco's heart felt light, especially when Pops smiled at him. "Be happy, my son."

Flames started to sprout from his arms and back, and he and Robin shot each other one last smile. He would've screamed and panicked, but the support of his family had calmed him. He was fast, and he could save Ace.

He could fly.

"ACE!"

"MARCO!"

Wings sprouted from his back, and as fire washed over his body, he transformed completely into his phoenix form. Pushing off the ground, he flew up high, then proceeded to dive back down. Building up maximum speed, he flew closer to Ace's falling form, and what he saw, surprised him.

Ace was smiling.

Marco's body was still moving automatically, so he dived lower and under Ace, spreading out his wings to catch him. If he were in his human form, he would've sighed in relief when he felt the weight of Ace's body hit his back as Ace breathed, "Thank goodness."

He was really speaking for the both of them then.

Marco descended as carefully as possible, so Ace wouldn't fall off. Thankfully, Robin was there to help him down when they landed, though Marco ignored her comment about how cute they were together. He transformed back as fast as possible so he could take Ace into his arms, frowning when he realized that Ace's arms had been restrained behind his back.

"What were you thinking?" Marco whispered, pressing a kiss to Ace's hair. He didn't care that he hadn't told Ace about his feelings yet. He just needed to express his feelings in that moment.

"I knew you would catch me," Ace answered, pressing into Marco's warmth.

"But I never-"

"Yeah, I know you haven't shown me your magic yet," Ace continued before Marco could say anything else, "but I remember from after I was stabbed that you told me something. You told me that you flew."

"Now, how could you possibly have remembered that?" Marco questioned.

"I had to think in the moment." Marco almost laughed at how casual Ace sounded.

And then the words spilled out before he could stop them. "I love you, yoi."

When Ace pulled back, Marco felt his stomach sink. He should've know that- even after all that- Ace would reject him, but to his surprise, Ace didn't look angry or disgusted. Instead, he was staring up at him with wide eyes…

The moment just felt so right. "Can I kiss you?" Ace had beat him to the punch on that question.

As his answer, Marco leaned in, loving the feeling of how warmth danced across his lips before their lips connected, and-

"Stop this at once."

Marco could see that Sakazuki's magic was bubbling to the surface as he approached. He tightened his grip around Ace protectively. "I won't allow you to harm him. You've pushed around this family quite enough!"

"You're a fool," Sakazuki growled. "He's the assassin!"

At those words, Marco's grip loosened and he took a step back, so he could take a look at Ace "Is this true?"

Ace looked down, and for a second, he felt as if Ace had struck him through the heart. "I didn't fire that shot, Marco. But… didn't you read the letter I wrote to you?"

"Letter? What-" He cut himself off. That must've been what Izo needed to give him earlier.

"I d-didn't think that I'd have to say any of this face-to-face after writing that, but he's right. I was supposed to assassinate you. They had my brothers!"

"Guards!" Despite Sakazuki's call, Ace continued, words speeding up desperately.

"But I really was there to train with you! I never faked any of it!" he cried out. "And couldn't kill you Marco, because I-"

"Are you really going to believe someone like him? He's a traitor to the crown!" Sakazuki yelled, pointing at Ace accusingly.

Marco knew that deep in his heart Ace was telling the truth, and maybe he really was making a bad decision, but Sakazuki's anger… something just wasn't right.

"I believe Ace," Marco declared, words strong, unshaken. "What he has done is in the past, and who he is now is a whole other matter. In fact," he paused, turning to smile at Ace, "I'm putting an end to this wedding. I would like to be with him."


Ace

When Marco said those words, Ace couldn't keep his jaw from dropping. Had Marco really called off this entire wedding just for him? Sakazuki didn't look too pleased about it though.

To be honest, Ace had a sneaking suspicion that he had really died when he had fell off the tower, but there was no way things would feel this real if that was the case. Right now, things were perfect.

Well, If Sakazuki hadn't been glaring at them it would've been, but no. That wasn't right. He wasn't glaring anymore. He was smirking.

"I know I have to marry into royalty and produce an heir, but I don't care about that!"" Marco continued, seemingly unaware of what had now changed. Ace saw that his gaze was fixated on him. No wonder.

"Marco-"

"I'm sure we can find a solution, and there are alternatives to this union, right, Robin?"

"Yes," she agreed. "I don't see the harm in just being strong allies."

"Fine." Sakazuki had become oddly calm, and Ace did not have a good feeling about it. "You won't have to worry about marrying into royalty if you pick this scum though."

It was then that the reason why Sakazuki was smirking hit him. He knew. "No, don't!" Ace screamed. If Marco knew- if all these people knew- they would hate him, kill him.

"Marry the prince of Raftel if you must!"

The crowd began to hiss and whisper, but Ace wasn't paying attention to them. He had become enclosed into his own bubble, cold, scared. That was the one thing he had avoided his entire life. It had never mattered before, and now? It was about to ruin his life.

Calling him a prince was just mockery. Raftel had fallen eighteen years ago, the land having been split up to the surrounding kingdoms. It had only been obvious that they would lose the war they had been in. Everyone hated the king after all.

Ace didn't remember the war- he had still been a baby when it happened after all, but he vaguely remembered the stress his mother went through trying to protect him when they fled, fire razing the kingdom around them. Her voice had been broken as she sang him lullabies, and she had finally been put to rest when she found a safe place to leave Ace where he could grow up without any burden of the old kingdom. Ace wondered what she would be thinking now if she were still here.

Because people still hated the king, and now, they would hate Ace.

He didn't want to think about what would happen now. It was always known that relations between New Edwards and Raftel had been shaky. There was no way that he would be allowed to stay here now that they knew who he really was.

"You see! This man is a parasite! He must die!" was

Maybe those words were right.

"You're the fool here, Sakazuki," a loud voice boomed out. Ace's head whipped up to look at Whitebeard, who had spoken. "I- and I hope none of my sons and daughters- don't care about that. I have already accepted Ace as one of my sons."

"I know Ace, yoi! So none of that matters!"

"That may be what you think, but the world would be better off without him!"

Ace suddenly felt everything grow hot around him, and he gasped as he turned to his attacker. Sakazuki's fist was glowing with red, hot magma- his magic no doubt. There was no way that Ace could survive this with his magic sealed like this.

"Gods, Ace! Move!" he heard Marco cry out, but with the way he was kneeling, arms still restrained behind his back, his fate was sealed. And so he closed his eyes…

But the attack never hit.

"Get away from my brother!"

Ace's eyes flew open. He knew that voice, and of course he recognized that ridiculous coat and top hat.

"Sabo!"

His brother, who was blocking Sakazuki's attack with shiny, black hand- was this Counter Magic?- turned his head back to grin at him. "What have you gotten yourself into, Ace?"

"Ace!" a joyful voice yelled, and suddenly, Luffy- there was no doubt that it was Luffy- tackled him, resulting in an even more uncomfortable heap on the ground.

"Hey, Lu," he chuckled.

"Wait," Marco interrupted. "These were the brothers you were telling me about?"

"Yes…?" Ace said hesitantly. "Wait. What are you guys even doing here?"

"Well, first of all, you know Luffy makes all sorts of friends, but I'm one of Robin's retainers," Sabo answered, as he shoved Sakazuki back "We can talk about this later though."

Sabo's friendly persona from seeing Ace had vanished. "How dare you talk about my brother that way."

"Brother?" Sakazuki snorted. "Don't make me laugh. All of you are god damn traitors to this country. This throne no longer belongs to this family! The council, the people will see to it!"

"If anyone's the traitor, it's you!" someone from the crowd cried out. It was that pink-haired servant that Ace had spoken to.

"Oh! Is that Coby? Hi!"

Luffy was really good at ruining the moment.

"The king is dying because of him!" Coby yelled.

Sakazuki growled. "Boy…"

"He's been poisoning Whitebeard! Th-that's why he's been so sick recently!" he continued babbling, despite Sakazuki's lividness. "And I've heard him making plans to assassinate you. He's the traitor!"

"Shut your mouth!"

"I always knew you had it out for me, yoi,"

Everything just clicked into place in Ace's mind. No wonder the man had felt so familiar. No wonder he also knew about Ace's lineage. "You're him!" Ace exclaimed. "You're Cerberus!"

Who knew that all this time, the real enemy was right there in the castle with him? Teach wasn't the only inside agent they had, but the leader himself was there to keep tabs on him as well.

"The assassin that went after us was from there, right?"

"Yeah…" Ace said, but he trailed off when he noticed that Sakazuki was strangely silent.

His magma appeared again and Ace scrambled back.

"Do you think this changes anything?" Sakazuki readied his fist, but no one knew his target. It could've been anyone at this point. "I can still destroy you all!"

Yet suddenly, clicks of pistols sounded, weapons were pulled out, and magic activated; despite the event and the fancy clothing, Marco's family as well as Luffy and Robin's friends were all ready to fight, to prevent this monster from doing any more harm.

"Sakazuki," Whitebeard said, voice ringing out clear. "I will give you a chance. Leave. You are outnumbered."

For a moment, everything grew still and all Ace could do was take in the scene in front of him. The crowd looked a bit rowdy, but that's not what he was paying attention to. Marco's beautiful blue flames were flickering along his shoulders, Sabo's pipe was held out in front of him, even Luffy and Robin had dropped down into defensive stances. Jozu had already transformed his arm into diamond, Haruta, Thatch, and Vista were pointing their weapons forward, and how did Whitebeard even bring that bisento?

"Leave." he repeated.

Ace wasn't sure how much time had passed as everyone surrounded Sakazuki, staring him down, but soon, the magma along Sakazuki's arm vanished slowly. "This isn't over, you old fool. This means war."

It was as if the world was holding in its breath as Sakazuki began to walk off. The crowd parted rapidly, no one wanting to aggravate him now. It seemed as if hours had passed before someone finally said something again.

Councilwoman Tsuru stood from her seat. "I hate to be a killjoy," she started, "but what now?"

At first, it seemed that no one had any answers, but Marco somehow took charge. "Coby."

"Yes?" Coby squeaked.

"Did Sakazuki ever say what poison he was using?"

"H-he had some in his house."

"I see. Chopper," he called. A small reindeer like thing jumped up. Ace recognized him from when he met up with Luffy earlier. "Can you go with Coby so you can develop a cure?"

"On it!"

"Robin?" Marco turned to her, and she nodded, though Ace was only left to wonder what that meant.

"People of New Edwards, honored guests!" Marco yelled out, voice echoing over the crowd. "I know today has turned out much different than you expected, but I promise that this day will not go to waste!"

"The kingdoms of Ohara and New Edwards have not become a union through marriage as planned, but I assure you that this will not damage the relations between our countries."

"Today still marks a celebration!" Marco continued. He held out his hands towards his father. "I think I speak for us all now. Long live the king!"

"Long live the king!"


Marco

Things had gone relatively smoothly after the failed ceremony. Well, except when Ace and Izo also informed him that Teach had been a traitor as well. The news had been striking to say the least, but right now, joy was the most overwhelming feeling in Marco's heart.

It was strange celebrating after such a dire event and knowing that war with a group of assassins was looming on the horizon, but the kingdom as a whole did have reason to celebrate. Pops wasn't going to die thanks to Sakazuki's carelessness and Chopper's medical prowess. Marco had to thank him later, and Robin too for having such great friends.

The feast hadn't gone to waste. Later that day after everything had calmed down, they had moved into the ballroom. Drinks flowed freely and music echoed throughout the room. Marco had made sure the common people had been invited too- there was enough food for everyone after all- though some of the haughtier nobles kept off to the side.

Afternoon had turned into night in a whirlwind of chatter and celebration. Marco hadn't realized how much time had passed until he looked up from his card game when Robin offered him a hand.

"Dance with me?" she asked, a smile playing on her lips. "As friends of course."

"I don't see why not." Though Robin was his friend, he still had no problem dancing with her. Besides, it gave them the opportunity to talk- something they had lost earlier.

"You made the right choice," she said, curtsying formally. "Who knows what could have happened if you didn't listen to us?"

"We would've been married, first of all," Marco answered. "And Ace would be…" His voice quieted, but they both knew. Ace would have hit the ground, and no one would have been happy in this day.

"Would you have broken our promise?" Robin's sudden question almost made him stumble over his steps. Marco liked to say that he was a man of his word, but under the circumstances, it would've been hard.

"I don't know," he said, and that was the truth. Now that everything had passed, it was hard to say. "I didn't think Ace would actually want to be with me, yoi."

"And why would you think that?" Robin frowned.

Marco didn't have a response for her that time.

"That's what I thought," she said, smirking at him. She released his "You should go talk to him then." Robin left him with those words, rejoining her friends and taking the hand of a certain redhead in particular.

"I was wondering when you too would follow up," Marco whispered to himself.

He was approached by Whitebeard, whose cheeks were just a bit rosy, after that. Of course he would take this opportunity to drink- not that Agatha as happy about it- now that he knew he wasn't going to die.

"I'm proud of you, my son. You showed the mark of a true leader today- not that you haven't before, of course," he praised.

"Thank you, Pops," Marco said. Praise from his father had always been uplifting, and now was no exception.

"I'm proud of you. You'll be a great king someday."

"Someday?"

"Someday, but not today," Whitebeard confirmed, laying a warm hand down on Marco's shoulder. "I'm not done just yet, Marco."

It was hard not to choke out his words over his joy. He didn't have to become king now, and he would have years to prepare and be ready. "I know, yoi."

Sometime later, Marco decided to finally seek out Ace, his heart racing. And so he approached Ace's brothers, but to his surprise, Ace was not with them.

Sabo shrugged. "You just missed him."

"Ace went over there!" Luffy yelled through a moth of food, pointing towards the balcony.

Marco had to shield himself from the spray, but he nodded in acknowledgement nonetheless. "Er- Thanks."

He approached the balcony, and true to Luffy's word, Ace was leaning over the railing of the balcony. Just as Marco was about to walk up to him, he was stopped one final time.

"I used to work in Raftel, you know." Agatha said, leaning against the wall. "You better take good care of him."

"I won't ever hurt him, yoi."

"I'll hold you to that then."

Now, they could finally, finally be alone.

Even though they were not atop the tower, the stars looked as beautiful as ever, but Marco wasn't sure what he wanted to stare at more- since both the shooting stars painting trails of light across the sky were equally as beautiful as Ace's awestruck, shining eyes as he gasped in wonder at the sight above them. He ultimately chose to stare at the one he loved the most.

His staring soon caught Ace's attention, and he turned to Marco beaming with a wide smile- a sight even more breathtaking than the stars tonight- as he asked, "What did you wish for, Marco?" with excitement clear in every syllable.

And Marco couldn't resist any longer- obeying his urge to pull Ace close take in the wonderful warmth the other provided, he brought his lips up to Ace's ear, and kissed it gently with a whisper of "I wish for you."

It worried him though when Ace tensed up in his grasp, and his heart sunk for a moment when Ace pulled away. "Is something wrong?"

The way Ace looked down and bit at his bottom lip made Marco want to take all that doubt, that apprehension away. "Are you sure?" Ace asked, voice quiet. "I… I was the prince of a rival kingdom once upon a time. Everyone knows now too, and they probably don't want their prince to be with someone they all hate."

"They don't hate you," Marco said.

"How do you know that? I shouldn't even-"

Marco lunged forward, cutting him off by capturing his Ace's lips with his own. Neither of them realized until later that it was their first real kiss.

"It shouldn't matter what they think, yoi. They're strangers,and we've already accepted you here, " Marco breathed as he embraced him once more. "Just know that I love you."

A chuckle bubbled up in him as Ace gasped out, and he pulled back a bit to get a good look at Ace. Starlight was reflecting in his beautiful eyes, and his freckles looked more adorable than ever. His lips closed and opened ever so slightly as he breathed, "I love you too, Marco."

An impossibly wide smile broke out onto Marco's face, and he felt better than he did when he was flying. So it was true then. Ace really did love him back, and they could be together. Now, it didn't matter what some stupid council thought. For once, Marco's feelings actually mattered.

The beginning notes of a waltz drifted outside, and Marco stepped back, holding out a hand for Ace to take. "May I have this dance?"

"I thought you would never ask."


Later that night, Ace ended up in Marco's room once again. Apparently, they hadn't been too discreet about what they were about to do since they were nonstop teased about it. It was totally worth it, Ace would say later, naked and panting as he snuggled up to Marco.

"So what now?" Ace asked, voice quiet.

"Well," Marco started. "I don't have to be king anymore. Not yet anyways, but we still have a fight to prepare for."

"You're right, I guess," Ace sighed.

"What?" Marco kissed his forehead.

"I just thought that we might have some time to relax, or travel," Ace answered, sounding disappointed. "There's so much to see, and I want to see it with you."

"Well, after we will," Marco reassured, wrapping his arms around Ace tighter. "I would go anywhere with you, you know."

It would be years later after things had finally calmed down when they would follow through on that promise. It would be when one of their servants went to wake them to prepare for their impending wedding, only to find the bed empty. It would be met with much panic from their brothers and the rest of the castle (with the exception of Pops, whose laugh could be heard all throughout the grounds).

"You ready to go?" Ace asked, squeezing Marco's hand.

Marco smiled at him from under his hood. "Yeah. It's just weird leaving, yoi."

"That is called freedom, Marco," Ace laughed as he started down the path. "And don't worry your pineapple head. We'll be back soon!"

"Hm," Marco hummed, suddenly lunging forward to seize Ace, who squealed, around the middle to lift him. "I thought you agreed to stop calling me that."

"Hey! It's just how I show that I love you," Ace argued lightheartedly. "You won't deny me that right?"

"Don't pout at me like that, Ace," Marco said, running a thumb over his cheek. "You know I can't say no to you that way."

"Wh-I don't pout!"

Marco didn't try to argue back. Instead, he pulled Ace into a warm kiss, their lips sliding against each other perfectly, as always. It seemed like an eternity until they broke apart, starting on their journey hand-in-hand.

Marco and Ace didn't leave without a word though. They had left a note for everyone. And at the end of the note, this was written:

So we can run together

When we'll be back, who knows?

But we'll be catching starlight in the palms of our hands.

We'll be catching starlight in the palms of our hands.


A/N: So, that's the end of it! I really hoped that you all enjoyed and I'd love to hear what you all think, so please remember to leave a review! And make sure to read other OP Big Bang fics!