Thanks MyLadyDay and Vergina-spva for beta'ing

There was a knock on Marco's office door, and Marco pulled his feet of his desk. Ace was early. In the reflection of the glass-doored bookcase, he checked his hair, and on second thought opened the top button of his dress shirt. Now just to hope it was really Ace and not some student, because that might give the wrong impression.

He checked his reflection one more time, before taking a relaxed pose and called to enter.

It was, unfortunately, not Ace who opened the door, nor any of Marco's students. In fact, as far as Marco could recall, he had never seen this man before – and he had a pretty good memory. The man had grey hair and a matching moustache. With his broad frame, he blocked almost the entire doorway.

Marco straightened, subtly closing up his top button again. "May I help you?"

"Are you Marco Fenwick?"

Marco stiffened, the conversation being eerily familiar. There was only one reason why this man would use that name, and that was to talk about the book.

"It's Newgate," Marco said stiffly. "You must have me confused with someone else."

"So this," the man held up a copy of The Truth about Mythological Creatures and Marco could see the webs between his fingers, "isn't yours?"

"I'm a zoologist," Marco said calmly. "I study real animals. If you have no other business here, please leave."

Much to his surprise, the man just turned and left, taking the book with him. It did nothing to put him at ease, though - rather, it put him on edge.

He didn't have much time to ponder, as Ace entered his office just moments after. "Did I see Hack leave just here?" he asked.

"You mean the man who was just here?" Marco asked, his eyebrow raised. "He never introduced himself. Do you know him?"

Ace scratched the back of his head. "I just saw his frame as he walked away, so I'm not sure. I thought he looked like Hack. He's Sabo's karate instructor. Why, what did he want?"

"Ace, did you tell anyone I wrote the book about mythological creatures?" Marco asked sharply.

Ace thought for a moment. "Sabo and Lu, of course. Oh, and Koala. Why?"

Marco rose and started pacing up and down, his hands behind his back. "That man, who was just here, he asked if I wrote it. If he's really Sabo's karate instructor..."

"Sabo wouldn't tell him," Ace said firmly.

"You just said you also told Koala," Marco pointed out. "Doesn't she also do karate?"

"Well yeah, but... I don't see why she would tell Hack. I mean, she seemed to think mythological creatures were just silly. And I told her it was just a hobby of yours." He pursed his lips. "Maybe it wasn't Hack, I don't know. What do you think he wanted?"

"I don't know."

"Do you think he was like me, a mythological creature looking for help?" Ace asked, almost sounding accusing that Marco sent him away.

"I don't know, Ace." Marco sighed, exasperated. "He may have been a mythological creature, but he didn't seem to be looking for help. He did have webbed fingers, though."

"Hack has that," Ace said pensively, "but Sabo says that's a medical condition."

Marco sighed again. "It might as well have been. And he might as well have been a government agent getting way too close."

"No way, Hack is nice."

"You can't trust anyone, Ace."

"Right, 'cause all humans are evil, right?" Ace asked, deadpanned.

"Alright, alright. Just maybe don't tell random people I wrote that book, okay?"

"Koala isn't random, but I get your point," Ace said. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. He might just have been a fan. Or it wasn't Hack at all."

Ace nodded and shuffled closer. Marco smiled, put his hands on Ace's rear, but then realised where he was and pulled back. "Let's go before they think I'm fondling my students."

Together, they walked outside, but only when they were a safe distance from the university, they started holding hands. Even though it was a pleasant evening, there were few people in the park, and it wasn't hard to find an empty bench at the back of the park.

Ace grinned suggestively, and Marco gladly took the invitation. Ace crawled into his lap, wrapping his arms around Marco.

Marco was just starting to wonder if the bushes behind them would provide enough coverage, when Ace's pants, pressed against his thigh, started to vibrate. Ace rummaged around in his pocket, retrieving his phone. Much to Marco's dismay, Ace moved off his lap and sat down next to him, picking up the phone on speakerphone.

"Hey Sabo, what's up?"

"Hey, Ace. If you're near a supermarket, could you buy some milk? We're out." Luffy's voice said something muffled in the background. "Oh, and bacon," Sabo added. "I just heard we're out of that too."

"We're always out of bacon," Ace replied. "Besides, we just ate."

"So? Like you don't always want bacon. Oh, I get it," Sabo continued mischievously. "Marco's there, isn't he? Relax, you tried to eat him, multiple times. I think he's okay with your appetite."

If Marco didn't know any better, he'd think Ace blushed.

"Whatever. I'll get you milk and bacon. Anything else?"

Luffy said something again, but Sabo said, "Nah, we're good. See you later."

"Later. Oh, wait! Sabo?"

"Yeah?"

"Something weird happened. Marco thinks Hack came to visit him."

"Hack? Why?"

"Well, I think I saw him leave, and Marco said the man visiting him had webbed fingers," Ace said.

"He asked me if I wrote the book on mythological creatures," Marco said.

The other end of the line stayed silent. "I didn't tell him," Sabo finally said.

"I know, but maybe Koala did?" Ace suggested.

"Why would she?"

"I don't know, man! That's why I said it was a weird thing!" Ace exclaimed. "Look, can't you ask her if she's a vampire?"

"Koala is not a vampire! She doesn't sparkle when she goes outside, and she hasn't showed an unusual amount of interest in my neck, either."

"Then why don't you just ask her, if you're so sure?" Ace asked challengingly.

"Yeah, 'cause that's a normal question. 'Hey babe, I was just wondering if you were a vampire?'" Sabo said, mocking.

"You're just scared she'll say yes."

"Of course I'm scared she'll say yes!" Sabo exclaimed. "Or worse, she'll say no and turns out to be something worse that'll eat me. I don't want to get eaten, man! I should be eating her!"

"Dude, you're still on speakerphone," Ace reminded him deadpanned.

"Whatever."

"Just ask Koala if she told Hack," Ace said.

"Fine. But maybe ya'll are just paranoid. He could have just been there for an autograph, you know. Later." With that, Sabo hung up.

"Well then, if we want to make it to the supermarket in time, we still have," Ace checked his phone, "oh, fifteen minutes." He grinned mischievously. "There's a lot we could do in fifteen minutes."

"A lot," Marco agreed, mirroring his expression.

"I know how you can find out."

Marco, who had sensed Shanks' presence, sighed, but Ace obviously hadn't noticed him as he yelped and fell off the bench on his butt.

"Shanks, the hell! Why are you lurking in the dark?!" Ace exclaimed.

"Isn't that what vampires do best," Shanks said, waggling his eyebrows.

Ace looked annoyed as he rubbed his butt and sat back down on the bench. "Yes, yes, I was wrong about you. How long have you been hiding in the bushes?"

"I wasn't hiding, I just happened to overhear," Shanks protested. "And long enough to hear Sabo's a tad sexually frustrated."

"What did you mean with what you said? Find out what?" Ace asked. "Oh, you know Marco, right?"

"I sure do. Marco," Shanks said gravely.

"Hello, Shanks," Marco said in the same tone.

Ace looked from one to the other, then shook his head. "So what did you mean?"

With an impressive leap, Shanks jumped over the back of the bench and slid between Marco and Ace, much to Marco's annoyance. "Well, you want to know if Sabo's girlfriend is a vampire, right?"

"If you're gonna make fun of me again for thinking you were one, you can just leave it." Ace crossed his arms before his chest and pouted.

"I would never! Okay," Shanks corrected himself after seeing Ace's deadpanned look, "I'd always. But not this time! Look, Benn may be human, but he is... overly sensitive for mythological creatures. You know, like gaydar."

"That's what I said!" Ace exclaimed triumphantly, leaning forward to look at Marco. "So he'd know if Koala is a vampire?" he asked Shanks.

"Well, it's not like he can shake her hand and determine her species," Shanks said. "But he does have a certain intuition. I mean, he did know I was a demon before he knew I could be a demon, but that's 'cause he's got a fetish going on." Shanks smirked.

"Didn't need to know that," Ace said. "But you really think Benn can determine if Koala's not, you know, human?"

"Sure he can."

"Isn't that a bit of an invasion of privacy?" Marco said.

"It's not like he's gonna follow her around with a newspaper with holes cut into it," Shanks protested. "Just a handshake."

"Just a handshake?" Ace asked sceptically.

"Just a handshake."

"Alright, I'll keep it in mind," Ace said.

"Great! Just bring her by the bookstore sometime." Shanks rose from his seat. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to disappear into the night." He held his cape in front of his face, eyes just visible, not unlike a vampire would do, looked suspiciously around, waggled his eyebrows, let out a sinister laugh and then, indeed, disappeared into the night – insofar half past eight was night.

"Well then," Marco said. "Are you gonna take him up on his offer?"

"Dunno yet," Ace replied, scooting closer and into the place Shanks had occupied before.

"You can't just let Benn sort out if anyone you encounter is a mythological creature, though." Marco leaned back and placed his arm on the back of the bench behind Ace.

"I know that. But Koala isn't just anyone. Sabo likes her a lot, and I like her too, but I need to know her agenda. So she won't put Sabo into danger. Or bite his neck or something." Ace sighed. "Anyway, it's the last resort. Sabo's gonna ask her if she told Hack about you and we'll see from there."

Marco nodded slowly.

"Now," Ace changed the subject, "where were we?" He grinned and straddled Marco again, but then checked his watch and frowned. "Oh, we need to go." He moved off Marco's lap again, much to Marco's annoyance. "Store closes in half an hour. We promised Luffy bacon and if he doesn't get it, someone's gonna get eaten."