Hello everyone!

It's been sometime, again, but here's another chapter! This will, hopefully, be a short author's note because I am so tired and I really want to sleep and I have work tomorrow and still have so much work to do...

Thank you so much for your reviews, favourites and follows! Thank you, I love you guys, I love your support and I'm rambling again.

A forewarning, however. I have been working on this request, and it's a little hard to put it in as a chapter as there isn't really a plot, but this is what I did manage to cough up. It's not that long, but I hope you guys would still deign to read it and let me know what you think. Most importantly, please enjoy it.

Also, WARNING: this chapter may contain OOC-ness, may be boring, but I already wrote it out so ta-daa! I was writing a different chapter, initially, but that would take too long to write out, so I finished up this one first. To be frank, I'm not quite sure how Ace would react to being left alone, but this is my take on it.

And for all of you who gave me your support, thank you. I know I don't have to write if I don't want to, but I really do. I love writing. I may not be great at it, but I do love it, and I love that somehow other people like what I did write too. A quick update on Bleeding through the Seams & Stuck: I most likely will update it within the next month (hopefully!), so do keep a watch out on that. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of its characters.

Chapter 10: When Ace is left alone

"Hey, have you seen Marco?" Ace asked, his head slightly tilted as he watched Fossa tend to his various (and dangerous) plants.

The commander barely looked up from his task, and the fire-user could have sworn he saw an eyebrow twitch at his question. He resisted the urge to shuffle his feet in discomfort.

"He's in his rooms," Fossa answered not a moment later. He reached down to pick up a purple bottle spray. "Just leave whatever you have to pass to him by his door. He'll get back to you when he can."

The teen mumbled a thanks before he made his escape. He had heard that Fossa didn't appreciate company whenever he checked on his plants (that were all over the ship too), but he hadn't thought it would be to the extent where even a simple question would bother him. He wasn't the only one. It had become apparent since a few nights before that everyone was, well, busy.

Whitebeard's health had taken a hit a few days before and the nurses had all but forced him into bedrest, and even if Ace could have visited him for company, he wouldn't have wanted to disturb the old man. No one had seemed too worried, though, and so the teen had forced himself to relax too when Thatch told him it happened sometimes, and their captain was strong. But then, what did bother him was how all the commanders and most crew members were suddenly so busy, as if someone had dropped tonnes of work on them and left them to drown.

Ace kicked a loose pebble, all the while grumbling under his breath. They wouldn't even let him help.

"You're still new to the crew," Vista explained. "There's not much you can help us with since we haven't taught you the ropes yet." He grinned. "So do whatever you want in the meantime. Just don't burn down the ship, eh?"

Right. He was the Captain of the Spades pirates. He had brought them through the Grand Line and Paradise, into the New World and had made a huge name for himself even before he was initiated into the Whitebeard pirates. Heck, the marines had wanted him to be a Shichibukai.

Annoyance rippled through the teen. He may still be lacking, but he wasn't some rookie that couldn't do or didn't know anything. And maybe, just maybe, it was time to remind them.

Thatch shouted, "Watch the flames, watch the flames! The flames!"

Cursing when all his subordinate did was give him a blank stare, the commander jumped over the counter and quickly lifted the pan away from the flames that fanned the stove. He lowered the heat, glanced at the simmering mess in his hand, and then switched it off altogether.

"And this," he said as he shook the frying pan, "is why you never leave your food unattended if you're not confident you can multi-task." He moved to throw the burnt food away. "We are at sea. Every morsel of food is important to our survival. I would rather each and every one of you take a longer time to learn properly, than to have this happen again. Are we clear?"

"Yes, commander!"

The head chef grinned. He clapped his hands. "Great! Now, to-" A knock at the kitchen entrance interrupted him. "Oh, we have a guest?" He waved at his trainees. "Look through page 54. I'll be right back."

Thatch hurried to the door. He had an inkling as to who it was. Everyone was up to their elbows prepping for that seasonal change in duties and the like. And very few were uninvolved, and that included one…

"Ace?"

The commander suppressed the urge to frown when (and he was right) the fire-user gave him a flat stare. "Hey, are you okay?"

Ace regarded him with a measured look, but acquiesced. "I'm fine. I just wanted to check with you on something."

Thatch nodded. "Go on."

"There's a town nearby. Marco's too busy for me to ask him, and you were the only one I could think of." Ace shrugged. "Think you could let me off so I can drop by the island for a bit?"

The older man had to suppress the instinctive urge to answer an immediate 'no', his surprise at the question notwithstanding. He carefully kept his features calm. The kid looked too serious to be kidding, and somehow something told him that Ace would wreak havoc on the ship should he refuse the request.

…on the other hand, their resident mother hen would flay him alive if he agreed.

"Why do you want to go to the island?" he asked instead.

The kid's shoulders rose and fell again. "I feel like it."

The commander lifted an eyebrow. "That's not a good enough reason, Ace. We don't have enough people to send you out with, and we'd still have to clear it with Marco and Oyaji first. And you know they'd never allow you to-"

"That's why," Ace cut in, his grey eyes bright with something sharp, "I'm asking you."

Thatch took in the tense fire-user. The kid's arms were folded, hiding what appeared to be clenched fists, and, alarmingly, the kid had that look of stubborn determination that the older man knew only Marco or Whitebeard could ease. He resisted pulling the kid into a hug. "What's wrong?" He reached out to lightly brush against the younger's chin. "You seem angry."

Ace looked away. "Nothing's wrong. I just want to go to town and do some stuff."

There was a momentary pause.

"Are you," Thatch began slowly as an idea started to form in his mind, "are you bored?" At the look of silent anger thrown at him, he raised his hands in surrender. Oh, he knew what this was about. Lucky for the kid, he wasn't Marco. The blue chicken would have sent the kid straight to his rooms. "Come on, come with me." He looped an arm around the teen's shoulders and dragged him to along.

"What? Hey, you didn't answer the question."

The commander shrugged. "Seems to me you just want someone to hang out with, or you want something to do around here."

Ace turned red. "That's not true!" he spluttered.

Thatch let out a laugh. "No need to hide it, Ace-kun," he teased. Oh it was so easy to rile the kid up. No wonder Marco disapproved of anyone messing with the kid too much. That idiot mother hen. "I've been there, and the feeling sucks, I know."

The fire-user's glare toned down a notch. An uncertain look replaced the previous irritation. "Really?" he asked hesitantly.

"Of course! You're relatively new to piracy and you want to do anything but sit down and relax. You want to help out but no one's giving you the time of day." Thatch chuckled when Ace shot him an incredulous look.

"But you're a commander."

"Commander schmander. I had to start from somewhere. It's not like I came onboard all strong and cool like this, kiddo."

A snort. "You're not cool. You're just…Thatch."

Thatch snuck him an amused look. "And that's why you love me." He steered the younger into the mess hall and gestured for him to sit down. He headed over to the leftovers for breakfast, scooped what he could into one of the larger bowls, and brought it over the fire-user. "Here," he said as he handed the other a spoon.

Ace raised an eyebrow. "Porridge," he muttered. "You'd think I was hungry every second the way you feed me." Despite his words, the fire-user dug in.

The two fell into comfortable silence and the commander took the time to watch his younger brother thoughtfully. He had learnt (as had his other siblings) many, many things about Ace during their admittedly short time together. He had learnt the kid was fiercely independent, that he had an adorable love for mischief, and of course had that weird attachment to one first division commander. He loved to spar, had a knack for fixing things and nothing could stop him from listening to Oyaji's stories.

Ace had adapted so well to them once he took up the mark that it was hard to imagine them without the kid now, hard to remember that just a few months back this little kid was captaining his own crew miles away.

Something uneasy settled in his stomach. Thatch didn't like thinking of that. He didn't like remembering that once, members of his family hadn't been his family.

And this young boy – man, he grudgingly corrected – would grow to be a great pirate one day. Put some years on him and he'd be one of the strongest and kindest man to sail the seas. Until that time though, Thatch was going to savour these little moments. He almost sighed. The heartbreaks of an older brother.

"Ace?" he suddenly said.

The said pirate looked up to glance at him, but took a double-take when the brunette smiled.

"Don't go to the island, okay?" the commander went on. Okay, so maybe that wasn't the best way to convince the kid, but Thatch didn't think his heart could accept the idea of the kid taking off on his own. Not then, at least, not while his insides were melting into goo at the wide-eyed look Ace was sporting.

"T-that's-" Ace rolled his eyes. "Why not?" he demanded, a spoon lifted halfway to his mouth.

Thatch guided the spoon into the kid's mouth, chuckling when the younger gave a muffled protest. "For me?"

Ace coughed. He brushed aside the glass of water that was offered to him and dropped his spoon with a loud clang. "Why not? Everyone's busy and it's not like anyone needs me here. Let me do my own thing if you won't give me anything to do!"

"You're free to do whatever you want, Ace," Thatch said patiently. "As long as you stay at home."

"Home?" the fire-user repeated in disbelief. "My home's not-" He clapped a hand over his mouth then, eyes wide. "I mean, that's not what I, Thatch, I-"

Thatch waved his words away. "It's fine, kiddo." He offered the kid a small smile. "I understand. There's no need to explain."

"But I-"

The chef held up a finger. "Shhhh. I understand."

Ace seemed to shrink under his gaze. His shoulders slumped. He picked up the spoon again but, instead of eating, he played with the remaining of his post-breakfast.

After a while, he broke the silence. "I won't go to town," he mumbled. He spared the other man a short glance. "I promise."

…

A hand reached out to ruffle black locks. "Thank you."

"You have to understand that all of us have our own individual responsibilities. There's no hurry to learn the ropes. Make use of this time for yourself, Ace. It's hard enough to spend enough time with so many siblings, let along for yourself, so take this time for you. Okay? We'll come get you when we're done."

Ace scowled to himself. That stupid, annoying chef. It seemed like Marco wasn't the only one who knew how to pull his strings. They always seemed to know what words to spout to get him to back down.

Ugh. So annoying.

It was just about half an hour before lunch, before everyone would start gathering at the mess hall. Already he had wandered through the many hallways and empty rooms on the Moby Dick. He had trained for a bit, and then decided it just wasn't worth it when he was surrounded by so much silence, with the only sounds his own pants and curses.

He supposed it had much to do with his past. Having a little brother who couldn't shut his mouth to save his life kept him accustomed to noise (not that he would call his brother a noise pollutant, but the kid was noisy, had to give him that), and the only times they weren't talking at one point or another was when one of them was injured. Or when someone was hunting them down.

With the Spades, they had always been rowdy too.

He sighed. Silence just wasn't good in his book.

"Stupid idiots with their stupid rules," he muttered. And they wouldn't teach him yet either.

A small part of him entertained the idea of going to Marco. The blonde had offered him company when he had found him balancing on a railing, saying that the teen could hang out in his room while he worked on his paperwork. At least, he wouldn't be alone.

But Ace didn't want to burden the older man. He may be the youngest in the crew, but that didn't mean he had to go out of the way to prove just how childishly young he was.

Another sigh. What was he to do now?

Marco rubbed at his eyes tiredly.

He closed the door to his room, albeit louder than was necessary, and leaned against it. His blue eyes immediately focused on the piles of reports on his desk. Part of him wanted to get Ace to burn the offending papers to the ground, while another entertained the idea of chucking them into the sea. To his annoyance, however, the more serious part of his mind contemplated how Oyaji would deal with him later if he chose to indulge.

He snorted. The poor Captain would probably send him to the infirmary.

And that, he told himself, was enough evidence that he had been spending way too much time with Ace. He moved towards his desk. Not that he could blame the kid he was thinking of him now. Just moments ago he had taken a break, convinced that the numbers swirling in his mind's eye would be banished should he just take a short breather.

What he didn't expect was to see Ace…balancing on a railing that overlooked the sea.

A jolt ran through him even as he was running a hand through his hair. His boots pounded against the wooden flooring and he leapt to grab at a thin wrist and the next moment, he found himself on the floor, above a wide-eyed teenager who had the audacity to gape at him when he just put him through that.

"What…are you doing, yoi?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Ace's features drained of almost all colour. "Uh, playing around?" he answered, though it sounded more like a question.

Marco had to breathe through his mouth. "On the railing? With no one around? What were you thinking, yoi?" He glared at the little brat. "What if you fell in? You can't swim, in case you conveniently forgot, and no one would know until it's too late!"

The kid rolled his eyes. "What's with the 'what if's? You're never going to live life if you keep thinking of what could happen!"

"Living life is balancing on the railing of a huge ship, yoi?" Marco raised his voice. "With a 50-50 chance of falling into the waters and then proceeding the long, tedious process of drowning, all for the sake of a few precious seconds of balancing on a freaking railing?"

A heavy silence. A warm palm pressed against his chest and he allowed himself to be pushed back to his feet. Ace turned away from him.

"I…want to start living before I start dying, Marco," he said softly. "I can't do that when I have nothing to do."

When he had… Oh. It was about that. He pressed two fingers against the bridge of his nose, kneading the skin to ease off the oncoming headache. "Ace, yoi. Why don't you…why don't you come with me? I won't be much company, yoi, but you can stay with me until I'm done for the day."

Ace barely graced him with a glance. "I'll think about it, Marco. I'll see you around." He took a step, hesitated, then threw over his shoulder, "I won't jump on anymore railings, if that's what you're so concerned about."

…

Now that he thought about it, he really shouldn't have been that surprised. Even within the safety of his rooms, Marco still couldn't step the slight increase in his heart rate when he recalled that moment where Ace had been fooling around on deck. Two feet on the very thin railing, arms up high, and his childish freckled features scrunched into an expression of utmost concentration.

He should have known Ace wouldn't be happy when left to his own devices. He was too used to being surrounded by them, and if by how happy he looked when he was was any indication, of course he wouldn't have liked being alone. Then again, the Whitebeards were usually busy this time of year, and they hadn't yet taught Ace anything. He was still a regular member of the crew, regardless of how close he was to the commanders.

On that happy topic, the commander wasn't sure how to knock some sense into the kid, but he knew with dreaded certainty the day would come whereby he would have to sit Ace down and explain to him why they were so careful with him. It wasn't going to be pretty.

The blonde picked up a pen. He'll finish this up real quick and then go search for Ace.

Somehow, the idea of a fire-wielding teenager loose on the Moby Dick didn't seem that safe anymore.

Ace had avoided going for lunch.

It wasn't that he was avoiding his family- no, he just wasn't hungry. He was never hungry when he was feeling a little upset.

Instead, he had opted to train in his room. His crew thought him weak, so clearly that left only one option: train. He would have just headed to the nearest island and maybe kick some poor soul's butt, but he remembered the tender bordering on pleading look on Thatch's features. He couldn't do that to his brother. Not when he had already promised.

466, 467, 468, 469, 500…

He let out a breath and pushed himself to his feet. He wrinkled his nose at his sweat-soaked body.

Maybe next a shower?

"Something's missing," Namur commented.

Haruta looked up from his meal. "What?" he asked in between munches.

A sigh. "Chew before you eat, Haruta."

"I'm a pirate, Vista! I can do whatever I want!"

Another sigh. "All of you are noisy, yoi."

"Oh, you're finally here," Namur said in greeting. He took in the dark circles and weary nod in his direction. Feeling a little bad, he wondered if he should still-

"You were saying, Namur?"

And that went that plan. The fishman cleared his throat. "Something feels…strange. Like something's missing."

The pirates at the table, mostly commanders, paused. They eyed each other curiously, as if waiting for someone to get it and then break it to them, when a look of realisation dawned on the first commander's features.

Before he could voice it, Thatch came over to the table and dropped into his seat. "Hey, where's Ace?"

Thatch was right.

It did feel great being left alone once in a while. Maybe it was the refreshing stream of cold water that hit him full on, but he did well and truly feel…refreshed. Ace started drying himself off, half contemplating setting himself on fire to quicken the process when he shrugged. It was nice feeling all wet and cool now and then.

Tying the towel around his waist, he started for his room. A low hum played at his lips. Maybe he should write a letter to Luffy next. Or, and get some sleep. It's been so long since he could just sleep and while away the day. His narcoleptic attacks really didn't count.

Just then, he tripped over his feet and was sent sprawling to the floor. His towel fell in a heap around him. Oh, damn. This has got to be embarrassing if someone saw me.

And as fate (or luck) would have it, the pounding of boots against wood rang in his ears. A heated flush reddened the fire-user's features. Damn damn damn! He scrambled to his feet and darted into the nearest room.

He barely got the towel through when a group of pirates ran past. His heart in his throat, Ace pressed his ears against the door. He probably should have wrapped himself up then, but oh no no no, there's another group of them…

"Check the showers. Maybe he's there."

"Got it!"

"The rest of you, spread out. Meet in front of the mess hall in twenty minutes."

Running footsteps...and okay, they were gone.

Ace looked down at himself. "Phew. They almost saw you naked."

He shook his head. Way to live on the edge, Ace.

Izo eyed at the group critically. The other commanders were standing in a circle in his room, after having discovered that he was the only one commander missing from the mess hall as well. One short explanation that he had not seen hide or hair of one particular fire-user all day had left them as they were now.

That is, after sending out a couple of their siblings to quietly search the ship for their missing fire-user.

"Maybe he's just loitering somewhere on the ship. No need to panic, right?" Haruta asked.

"What's the big deal though?" Izo cut in. "He hasn't been busy like the rest of us. Let him use this time as he pleases."

"Except," Marco interjected, a hint of frustration coating his words, "I did see him earlier, and he hadn't been very happy, yoi." At their questioning looks, he continued heavily, "He was playing on the railings. Balancing on them until I pulled him back on deck."

"What?"

"Is he mad?"

"What if he fell asleep?"

"Wait, wait," Rakuyo said. "You mean, on the railings that overlooks the sea?"

A flat stare from the first commander answered his question and the room fell once again into hushed silence.

Izo mentally slapped himself. Of course the kid would get into trouble. See? This was why he suggested teaching the kid a thing or two so he could help out, but no, the others wanted to baby him so he could enjoy life a little more.

"I'm going to check the waters, just in case," Namur muttered. "I'll get some of my division members to help out. Let me know if you have any updates."

Marco nodded in thanks. "Anyone has any news?"

The fourth commander waved at him, his expression grim. "He came to me this morning," he said seriously. "Wanted to head over to the nearest town. I said no. He promised he wouldn't go after that."

The first commander's form, which had gone rigid, relaxed. His lips parted. "Fine, yoi. Anyone else?"

"Wait, we aren't going to check the islands?" Curiel asked.

Marco waved his concerns away. "Ace promised," he said dismissively. "He won't go back on his word, yoi."

There was a momentary pause. Some of the commanders looked ready to argue but a stern glare from the blonde kept the silence.

"The rest of you check the ship. The kitchens, the mess hall, even your rooms. If any of you catch him doing nothing out of the ordinary, yoi, then just let him be. Otherwise, bring him to me," the first commander ordered.

…

"Oh, and before you go, please take care not to let him find out why we're searching for him in the first place, yoi. Update to me in an hour."

Ace hummed under his breath. He tapped the tip of his quill on his desk.

Dear Luffy,

How are you doing, dear little brother of mine?

Did that scare you a little? I hope it did. I swear being around these morons are making me a baby. Pretty much like you, really. On that note, I have so much to tell you.

I know, I know. I should have told you ages ago, and I hope you're not too worried when the Spades just disappeared from the news months ago. Then again, it's not like we make the news all that often and I know you know I'm strong so you're probably not worried anyway. BUT, on the off chance you ARE worried, please go dunk your head in cold water right now. And do it under someone's supervision. Makino-san, or even Dadan. Don't choose that old man, okay. He'd probably let you drown while he laughed till it's too late. But, seriously, I'm your big brother. I promised I wouldn't leave you, so I don't want to hear about you being unnecessarily worried. That's my job.

That's right, little bro. You're stuck with me forever.

Okay, back to the topic, I'm not sure if this would come as a surprise but, well, I'm no longer captaining my own crew. Now, don't freak out, okay? I'm fine. I'm actually a member of the Whitebeard Pirates. Knowing you, you wouldn't know who they are. Just know they are one of the strongest crews over here and my Captain – Whitebeard – considers everyone family. Even me. He calls me his son, you know? And I, well, I sort of like it.

ANYWAY, before you throw this letter away cause goodness knows your attention span is a wide as my toe, don't worry about my crew either. They joined the Whitebeards too. So we're all together and happy.

That's right. Happy. I'm sorry I broke my promise to both you and Sabo somewhat. I promised to be free, and somehow the three of us had this idea that being free entailed being the captain of our own crews. While I'm no longer captain, I can honestly tell you I do feel free, Luffy. Sure I can't do whatever I want, but I trust that my crew mates have my best interests at heart. And if they happen to do it wrongly, I should think I'm enough to set them straight. Nothing like a good fight among nakama, right?

In any case, I hope you're doing well. I trust you are training hard and not getting too beat up by Grandpa. (By the way, next time you see him, tell him my captain hopes for another visit from him, okay? I'll tell you more about that another time.)

I know I've already told you, but this place, the Grand Line, Paradise, New World and absolutely EVERYTHING here is wonderful. There are so many adventures just waiting for us to find them and I can't wait for you to experience that too. I wish I could be part of your journey, Luffy, and you a part of mine. I really do. But our dreams have put us on different paths and that's that.

Just know that you will forever be my brother first before anything and anyone else. Train hard, and I eagerly await the day I meet you on the seas.

With much love (that's right, you grinning maniac, my crew members are HUGE sentimental idiots),

Your older brother, Ace

P.S. Hope you like the dial attached. Press the button on the side. It's a song I learnt back on this island called Little Garden or something.

Ace paused and took a moment to re-read the script. There. Knowing Luffy, he'd probably get bored about halfway through, but he'd read it till the end, he was sure. It was from his older brother, after all.

He carefully folded the letter and sealed it in an envelope. He'd send it out the next morning when the mail came in.

Hmmm. What was next? A nap? Or maybe he should get some food?

"Did you find him?"

"No. He's not in the training facilities and his Striker was left untouched."

A disapproving grunt. "You checked on his mini-boat?"

"What? Maybe he was fiddling around with it. Doesn't hurt to check."

"Ugh. That kid. Doesn't know how to keep out of trouble and spare us a freaking heart attack!"

"I'll go check his room."

"You mean you haven't checked yet?!"

…

"Like you have either."

Ace froze, a piece of bread clutched tightly in his arms at the sound of running feet. Damn, did they find out? Thatch did say to ask first before he took some food.

Not that there was anyone in the kitchens for him to ask, and finding any of the chefs was too much of a chore. The footsteps grew louder before it began to fade. Huh. They must have been turning around the corner. Jamming the rest of the sandwich into his mouth, Ace began to laden his arm with food.

He shoved away the idea of finding out just what had the others running all over the ship like this. They were probably training and he had lunch to catch up to.

Thatch really was right. He was beginning to appreciate these moments for himself. Goodness knows how busy he would have been when everyone wanted his time.

And next on the list? A long nap.

"He's not in his room either!"

"Where could he be? We're on a freaking ship!"

"Get Namur, yoi. Vista, get the navigators to stop the ship."

…

"Should we tell Oyaji?"

…

"Not yet, yoi."

Ace patted his stomach with a sigh. Oh, the Whitebeards really had the best cooks. Too bad for Luffy too, really, 'cause who could top that?

He dragged himself to his bed and flopped onto the mattress. Proceeding to drag the blanket over himself (because this was a proper, proper sleep!), he shoved the voice in his head that chattered at him to get back up and train). He groaned to himself as he felt the similar tugging of sleep at the edges of his mind.

It had been way too long since he well and truly rested.

"The kitchens, yoi?"

"Checked."

"The navigators' room? The figurehead? All the hiding places we know of, yoi?"

"All checked."

A curse. "Damn it."

Thatch. "Dinner time's long past. We have to tell Oyaji."

"I know, yoi. Thatch, you come with me. We'll give his room one last check before we go to Oyaji."

"You got it."

Thatch glanced at his brother from the corner of his eye. He noted the clenched fists and the frown that threatened to add more wrinkles than a man Marco's age should have. His own eyebrows furrowed.

Honestly, where did that kid go? How far could you end up on a ship, albeit a large one?

And somehow, Thatch couldn't help but feel a slight, very slight tendril of pity for his blonde brother. The man already worried about thrice as much as the rest of them, and everyone knew he had a soft spot for their newest brother.

"We're here, yoi," Marco announced unnecessarily.

Thatch hastened forward before the other could open the door and he pushed open the wooden appendage, silently hoping Ace was inside and possibly doing anything except not be inside.

The room inside was dark. The windows were closed off by simple wooden blinds, and what little light were allowed into the room turned into tiny slits of dim brightness that did little to lighten up the room. Pieces of scattered paper littered the desk to the side, and a pen nearly rolls off the desk when the ship swayed to what must have been a particularly big wave.

However, what caught both pirates' attention was the figure innocently curled up on his bed. Marco expelled a sigh next to him, this time of relief, as he moved forward to kneel next to the bed.

Thatch didn't move, instead choosing to allow his two brothers some time with each other, regardless that one was currently unconscious and in his dreams.

"You little brat," he heard Marco whisper. "You've been here all this time, yoi."

The blonde lifted a hand and gently brushed it against the wisps of dark hair that peeked from under the blankets. Light breathing answered him. Ace stirred for a moment, moving to further bury himself under his blankets until only the tips of his eyelashes and hair was uncovered. Marco frowned at this, as if unhappy with the development.

Thatch chose this moment to speak up. "See?" he whispered. "He's fine."

The first commander ignored him in favour of pressing a palm against the kid's forehead. "Should we take him to the infirmary, yoi?" he wondered out loud. "He's a little warm."

The chef mimicked his actions. "Nah, I just think it's his devil fruit acting up. He usually is warmer than most people."

"He missed dinner and lunch," Marco pointed out.

That was a valid point. Ace never missed his meals.

"So what? You're suggesting we wake him and then take him to the infirmary? What if he's not sick? You know how he gets when we treat him like a kid."

"He is a kid, yoi," the blonde grumbled under his breath. A pair of blue eyes closed in mild frustration. Thatch gave him a moment, knowing it was simply the result of a nearly an entire day of pent up stress.

"We should just leave," the chef suggested after a moment. "He'll wake up when he's hungry."

Marco shot the youngest pirate a long look. "I'm surprised he didn't wake up earlier."

Before either commander could decide, the object of their concerns stirred again, though this time, grey eyes fluttered open.

Ace tried to shake the remains of his grogginess away. He felt so tired, and it felt so good.

…if not for the two hovering commanders who were staring at him with wide eyes.

"What's wrong?" He moved to sit up.

Thatch recovered. "Ace," he said, his voice low. "You're awake."

And stating quite the obvious too. Ace tilted his head as he shifted his attention from one commander to the next. "What's wrong?" he repeated. His gaze swept across his room. "Why didn't you switch on the light?"

"Uh, didn't want to wake you," Thatch laughed awkwardly.

Confusion flitted across the fire-user's features before he smoothed it with an amused smile. They didn't seem to be in any urgency, so no one was in danger anyway. "Then why did you come?"

Marco answered this time. "You didn't come for dinner, yoi. You've never missed it before and we haven't seen you almost all day…" he trailed off.

The three once again fell into silence. Ace rubbed the back of his neck. Maybe he was seeing things, but he could have sworn his oldest brother had looked uncertain for a minute there.

"And…" he prompted. Something began to nag at the back of his mind, incessant and slightly disturbing. They didn't think he had…

Thatch cut off his thoughts. "And, this is a little embarrassing, actually…" He laughed when Ace fixed him with a pointed look. "We kind of, well, it wasn't just you who were used to being around us, eh, Ace?" The chef moved forward to pat at messy black locks. "We sort of missed you, you see, and we didn't think you wouldn't be at dinner too, and that's a long, looong time to be away from each other and-"

A sigh. "Thatch, yoi. Stop rambling."

"You…missed me?

Both commanders looked towards him, and Ace felt a tiny part of him warm like flame in snow. Both older men sported what appeared to be a flushed look on their cheeks, and if he could see himself then, he knew he had reddened too.

He coughed. "Morons," he muttered. "I was in my room almost the entire day."

Marco chuckled lightly. "We know."

A loud grumbling interrupted them and all three glanced at the source.

Ace's countenance reddened further. "Um."

"Come on, kiddo. Let's get you some dinner. See? Looks like you were hungry after all."

"Shut up! And I'm not a kid!"

…

And as the two older pirates led their youngest brother from his room, if anyone had stopped by to give the fire-user a hug, neither said anything.

And if Thatch had quickly shoved a pirate whose mouth had run away with him, neither commander said anything either. Instead, he had taken one look at Ace's confused expression and answered his unspoken question: "They were playing hide and seek. We should play sometime!"

And if Marco had silently whispered in the kid's ear an answer to his previous question, neither said anything on the subject either.

"You…missed me?"

And Ace would forever keep Marco's words close to his heart.

"Of course we did."

He supposed there were perks to being left alone after all.

Well, once in a while.

Ta-daa. That's it. Please let me know what you think?