This chapter's kinda meh and sappy but necessary. Don't worry, the next chapter will be much more fun! Sadly we are reaching the end, though. Only 4-5 more chapters and the epilogue. Tragic, isn't it? But I might be making the alternate version! So remember to vote on my profile!
Oh! And keep in mind that this was originally how the fic was going to end before I expanded it with Sabo, Law and a few other things. Yep, be happy. This was going to be the last chapter once upon a time. But I thought you guys deserved to see a little development and wanted to mess around with SaboLaw a little more.
Also, notice our new image for this fic? That's right; I drew Ann :D If you wanna watch the video of me drawing/colouring it you can go to my YouTube channel (link on my profile).
Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece and got nothing funny to say. Sorry.
Marco tensed, finally catching a glimpse of the second commander. He spent a good portion of the day looking for him, but the boy kept going ashore and coming back so he managed to miss him in the morning. There he was, though, leaning against the railing and looking over the docks. He could finally talk to him. But he wasn't sure what to say. What could he say? He wasn't even sure of what he wanted to ask. So he stood a ways away, just staring, trying to phrase a coherent sentence in his head. What did he want?
His hesitation caused his downfall. Before he could approach he saw Ace shout down to someone, waving merrily before hopping over the rail. Quickly Marco went to the edge of the ship to see who he was with, scowling when he saw a female with white-blonde hair. It was the girl from the night before—the one whose fun he ruined.
"So who is he?" Silvia asked, eyes shining with amusement. After their little encounter the day before she seemed quite eager to discover his relations with the first mate.
"He's nobody," Ace replied without so much as a pause, face showing his seriousness.
"Awe, come on! Tell me! You're interested in him, right?"
"W-what?" The freckled man's face heated into a blush. Was it really that easy to tell?
She laughed. "Well he's interested in you, at least. Did you see his face? I can only imagine what his reaction would be if we hadn't stopped."
Oh god. Ace tried to imagine it: Marco catching him inside a woman, her cries echoing out into the night as he—that was a horrible image. Never again.
It was sunset and, as they agreed the night before, they were going to pick up guys. Correction: Silvia was going to pick up guys and Ace was just accompanying her. He needed to get away from the ship for a while and wished to keep himself from thinking of the night before. It was hard to get it out of his head, though. In all honesty, despite how he acted during the day, he was happy Marco gave it a shot. He wasn't sure what went through the blonde's mind back then, nor what made him do it, but he was thankful nonetheless. It made him feel close to the man. He wouldn't allow something like that to happen again, though. It was too disheartening.
"Marco doesn't like me," Ace stated with a half-smile on his face. He stared ahead into the streets, focusing on nothing in particular.
Silvia caught the sad tone and frowned, looking to the much taller male. "What do you mean?"
"He doesn't like men."
Ace returned a lot earlier than expected. He thought he'd be out all night, keeping Silvia company, but that wasn't the case. In fact only two hours later he was making his way back to the Moby Dick. He managed not to have any alcohol that time, probably thanks to a certain redhead not being there. Despite the incident days before, he didn't drink much. That was a one-time thing. All things considered, he felt pretty good.
When Ace arrived on the ship he immediately felt drowsy. Knowing what was coming, he hurried over to the wall of the ship and rested against it, awaiting his next fit. As he sat there, looking out into the dark sky, he felt a bit lonely. Normally it wouldn't bother him but something about the stars that night reminded him that he was alone. Marco used to sit with him on deck when no one was there. They used to go on watch together.
As he looked over the ship he thought he saw something walking towards him, but his eyes began to flutter shut. He couldn't make out who it was or what they wanted. He didn't care, either. He was just so tired…
"Hey—"
Marco sighed. Of course the boy would have a narcoleptic fit right as he walked up to him. Of course. Because the world liked to screw with him. Nothing could ever go as planned.
He looked over the calm, sleeping face of his former lover. When he was asleep he looked a lot like he did before the gender change—a lot like Ann. So, even though it still felt a little awkward, he sat down next to him, waiting for him to rise. They used to do that a lot, didn't they? They would always wait until everyone filed into the hall for dinner and then headed outside just to talk and get some time away from the crew. The silence was nice. The air was nicer. And Ann's narcolepsy never ceased to amuse him.
Except then.
He couldn't help but wonder if Ace was faking his narcolepsy to avoid their talk. If he was then it was futile—the blonde was prepared to wait until morning if he had to because… there was something on his mind. He stayed awake into the small hours of the morning thinking about it and, though he wasn't sure what conclusion he came to, he knew discussing it with the freckled youth would give him an answer. That's all he wanted—an answer.
When Ace finally began to wake, Marco couldn't help the relieved smile that made its way onto his face. He was glad—nervous, but determined. Last night was… confusing. So many things went through his head. Why did he do that? Why was he jealous? Why was Ace so determined to keep away from him? Why was he keeping away from Ace?
"Hey," he greeted simply from his place beside the freckled man, arm resting lazily on his bent knee.
Ace sat up groggily and gave a large yawn, rubbing his eyes as he tried to register the figure next to him in the dark night. He scowled when he realized it was Marco. What did he want? What could he possibly have to say to him after what happened the night before?
"Go lay an egg," he shot, still accustomed to the bird jokes he'd used all day. They were his way of dealing with his frustrations and the only thing that seemed to keep him from thinking of the activities they previously engaged in.
The blonde rolled his eyes and sighed. "Very mature of you, Ace."
The man in turn stuck out his tongue childishly and crossed his arms just to spite him. It wasn't the first time he didn't act his age and it certainly wouldn't be the last. He was known well for his jovial attitude, which became more prominent whenever he was stressed. He had trouble keeping serious in 'heavy' situations, especially ones that upset him—like seeing the chicken who confused him more than the reason they used snails to communicate across long distances.
"I want to talk, alright?" Marco asked.
"Tough," Ace spat, turning away.
Marco groaned. "I'm serious, Ace. We need to talk yoi. About all of this," he stated, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. His grip was firm, a silent warning that he wasn't about to drop the subject.
"About what? About the fact that I have a dick or that you like women? As far as I'm concerned, there's no reason for us to talk." The pirate wasn't used to being so rude to the first mate. They hardly ever fought and he never felt any reason to avoid him… until that moment, that is. He'd rather forget about that stupid incident. They were both just being morons.
"Let's try again."
Ace's eyes widened and he turned to face the blonde, looking much like a child being told a secret. He couldn't have heard that right. No, no, no, his mind was playing tricks on him. He was hearing things. Marco shouldn't want to try anything after that disaster in the bedroom. "…Eh?" Despite his inner protests, that short sound was all he managed to produce.
"Last night… It wasn't so bad. Just… sudden yoi. We can take it slow," he suggested, shocked by his own words. Marco wasn't sure what he was saying but the more he thought about it the more he agreed with his own words. Of course he froze up; they just jumped right into sex without warning. He didn't hate that Ann was a boy—that she was Ace—but he still needed time to adjust. He'd never been with a man, not once. That's why the awkward feeling in his chest wasn't so bad. He was nervous, even excited, being around the youth. Because Ace was Ann and he didn't care what the gender was so long as he had his lover. He'd have to get used to it, that's all.
Ace blinked back his shock and his eyebrow twitched. He twisted around to fully face the blonde, pushing away the tiny bit of hope that found its way into his eyes. "Are you out of your fucking mind? Screw that!" No way would he just suddenly say something like that. It was another lie, just like the others.
"I'm serious yoi," Marco stated, looking directly into grey eyes.
Ace turned away, clenching his teeth as he stared at the floorboards. Marco looked at him. He could never look at him when he was lying, so… But that didn't change what happened last night. It was a disaster. "You… You didn't look at my face," he said in a whisper, curling his hands into fists.
"Huh?"
"Last night you didn't look at me. Despite everything else you did you wouldn't get close enough to my face to kiss me. You're… You're just trying to pretend everything's the same. It's not. I'm not Ann, Marco."
"I know yoi."
"No, you don't! You—" Ace spun his head up to look at the blonde when suddenly his lips felt a familiar pressure. His eyes went wide as he stared at Marco's closed eyes only inches from his own. What? What was happening? Why?
Marco pulled away and immediately turned to look across the deck, trying to hide his blush. "Happy?"
"What… What was that?"
"A kiss," the first mate replied, stating the obvious.
"I-I know that, Pineapple. I just… I mean… Why?"
"I care about you yoi. It doesn't matter if you're Ace or Ann. Let's try yoi. Start from the beginning," he said, still looking away.
"B-but you like women. And I—"
"Just shut up and accept yoi," Marco commanded, sighing in annoyance. Sometimes the boy was too stubborn. He thought about things too much. It would be nice if he could just take things as they were without over-analyzing them.
Ace turned and stared into his lap, heat rising to his face. A long silence dragged on as he contemplated the other's words. He wanted to believe it. He wanted it to be true. If it was… If the blonde was really willing to try, then…
He nodded.
Marco smiled softly, releasing a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Ace accepted. Ace accepted and they could be together. He had his lover back. Wanting the moment to stretch on into the night, he looked at the stars. They were all sprawled against the velvet sky, bringing a little light to the blackness of the sea. How long had it been since the two of them sat out there together?
A touch brought him away from his thoughts. He felt a hand slip into his and looked over to see a rather flustered Ace who was doing everything he could to keep his gaze away from the blonde. Face a light shade of pink, he couldn't help the thought that crossed his mind: adorable. Simply fucking adorable. Like Ann. Really, why did he think they were different? She hadn't changed… aside from her new member, of course. It was actually pretty funny to see the toned pirate make the same expressions as the tiny girl he held only a month before. Smiling, he returned the hand's grip, squeezing it tightly within his own.
Ann was back.
Izo leaned forward against the rail on the upper deck, watching the two below with determined eyes. Then the crossdresser turned to look at her redheaded partner-in-crime, grinning smugly and giving him an I-told-you-so kind of look.
Thatch gawked at the couple on the lower deck, blinking with wide eyes as he took in the scene. After how they acted during the morning he was certain things were over between them; Marco looked like he had given up and Ace just seemed to despise the first mate whom he dubbed 'the chicken'. Yet there they were, hand-in-hand, leaning against the wall to the galley. Together.
He turned to the dark-haired man he'd allied with, still clearly showing his shock. "How did you know they'd do that?"
The cocky look on the crossdresser's face grew with that. "I told you; my plans are flawless."
A/N: So yeah. Told you it was sappy. Don't worry, though, because the next chapter will have more funny, light-hearted parts in it. I just needed to get this out of the way. Bet you didn't expect this eh? I bed you all thought that Sabo was going to show up and bash Marco. Nope, the brother and surgeon have a different role to play :P Also, glad to see that everyone liked SaboLaw! I still find it to be a very random couple but I guess it's not so bad. I guess I'll need you guys to give me your updated opinion on how I write them at the end of the fic, eh? If you're wondering about the chapter title, it's a play on the saying "like a moth to a flame" so... yeah.
Oh! Recommendations, right! Well I'm sure I've said it before but So I Can Be the Snake has recently been updated and it's an amazing MarcoAce fic. Seriously, beautiful and adorable and a must-read.
Only 22 reviews away from 200! Let's do it! :D (I want all of my fics to pass Skip hehe...)
To my lovelies~
Portgas D. Paula: Lol so can I. It a hilarious image. They would indeed. At least in this fic :P Not so much in Divide or the surprise I have for you guys.
Kitsune Foxfire: Hehe well they don't really have that type of relationship in Divide either, it just looks like that because I haven't revealed anything about their shared pasts. In fact, I just realized I haven't mentioned Law's past to you guys at all. Oops, I was supposed to do that by now ahahaha... Oh well, I'll fit it in somewhere. Hehe maybe he is, maybe he isn't. Yep, she's coming back. She'll be in the next chapter, too, with a bigger role. And I had fun writing that part :P
Gundum-grrl: Hehe oops, sorry XD Sabo didn't need to :P He figured it out on his own! We should give him a cookie.
Son Goshen: Lol XD Well I'm glad you enjoyed it, then. What a weird debate o.o I will, don't worry. Since the most angsty part of the fic is over I'll have room to add them in. Lol probably. Who knows? XD I never ignore reviews!
Jellyfish-Chu: It's weird, isn't it? In my other fic people kept saying they should be together and I was like "o.o" but decided to try it out in this fic and this is what happened. Lol you do that! Glad you like~
spoons-are-evil: Hehe glad you did. The little jokes are the reason it was my favourite chapter to write. Lol that would be VERY entertaining. Now I wanna try that out... But I can't. It wouldn't go with the plot, sadly u_u And now I have finals NEXT week. The university messed up on the dates they sent out *sigh*
Haruka-desu: Everyone's been saying that XD Well here's an update~
Swinging Pendulum: Well I'm glad you finally decided to review ^^ Hehe glad you enjoyed it! And thank you!
StrawberryGirlKairi: Lol yep they got along pretty well, which was weird for me to write since they don't get along at all in Divide XD Yep, poor Marco. And the chicken jokes will continue from here on out, even though they're patching things up *sigh*
Stelra Etnae: No it doesn't :P I don't know why so many people from Divide want them to end up together. Don't worry, Sabo and Law should be showing up next chapter. Haha I watched it and loved it XD That was awesome, thank you for showing me.
RoXaS707: Hehe glad you like! Don't worry, they'll be showing up sometime next chapter~
Mugiwara Otome: Yep he has :P Here's an update~
Cyborgnetics: If you reread the last chapter carefully you can find out who tops :P Haha I know what you mean. Kitsune is a genius!
WeissDragon: Lol awesome reaction XD Don't worry, they'll be back next chapter!
Starry Roses: There, they made up. Happy? :P Funny thing is they messed up the dates for finals. I have mine on the 24th even though the 11th is the last day of school o.o Lol yes he did. Remember early on in the fic? Thatch told Ace that, which is what got Ace all depressed. Lol if they're idiots then how did they (or rather Izo) know that they would get back together?
alniyat: Good! Now let's hope the voting continues like that. I'm glad you think so :D They shall meet next chapter! And I have a few funny scenes planned for it muahaha. Well he sorted it out! Now they can try to adjust :P
RexLink: Glad you think so!
sairakanzaki: Don't worry, Marco will be VERY jealous next chapter over many, many things. Is that a spoiler? Oh well. Here's an update~
teengens: Lol I think you're the first person who said they couldn't see it XD But I understand how you feel. Even I don't get it.
azab: You are quite welcome :)
pumpkintofu: Lol you're exaggerating XD Personally I find them very OO, especially as the story goes on :P But glad you like! Hehe seriously you're exaggerating, the end wasn't that big of a deal XD Well it causes them lots of issues later on (if you've read more you'll know this) but I don't plan on it being a tragedy so it's fine. Well... I can't really say that. The epilogue is pretty sad at the end, but only if you read between the lines.
Ern Estine 13624: Glad you like!
(We got... *counts* 22 reviews last chapter! Yay~ That's seriously impressive. Pat yourselves on the back! And now that this is updated I shall take a very long, well-deserved shower. Why do I deserve it? Because I'm awesome. Why am I awesome? Because this is my third update in three days. And I shall work on more writing once my shower is over and I delve deeper into the plot of Bioshock Infinite. Such a beautifully animated game~ Ah, but I don't have the money to buy it =3= Sigh, that's life I guess. Crap, I'm rambling again. Really need to stop that. I'll go now so, um... if you're waiting for another update feel free to spam my DA and YouTube, just not here. Okay? Okay. Fair enough? I'll shut up now.)