Prompt: MarcoAce - "Wanna dance?", requested by captain-yue-raccoon

This summer, I went to a congress for medievalists (people who study the middle ages, such as myself). There were papers from Monday to Thursday morning, and on Wednesday evening there was a dance, dubbed "the Dancing Bibliography", because quite respectable scholars went all out there XD

The story takes place at a similar congress

"And this concludes my presentation for today," Marco said.

Applause arose before the session moderator announced it was time for questions.

Ace had been listening so intensely to the way Marco replied to the questions that he almost yelped when Sabo elbowed him in the ribs.

"Are you gonna ask him something?" he whispered.

Neither Sabo or Luffy were medievalists, but they had decided to come to the congress with Ace nonetheless. Luffy didn't have enough concentration to sit through an entire session, so they let him run wild. Sabo alternated between accompanying Ace to sessions, going to a few on his own, and babysitting Luffy.

"Shh, I'm trying to listen," Ace whispered back, but he could feel the tips of his ears turn red.

"Yeah, it would be inappropriate to ask him out now," Sabo said with a smirk.

"Shut up!" Ace elbowed him back. "He was very clear, is all."

Sabo rolled his eyes. "Are you at least gonna talk to him afterwards?"

"M-maybe. If he is not too busy."

"How did you pass your exam if you were crushing on your teacher this bad?" Sabo asked with a sigh.

"'Cause, he's a great teacher. And he's not my teacher anymore. I'm as good as graduated," Ace hissed back.

Sabo huffed, but didn't reply.

When the session time was up, Ace and Sabo started to pack their things. It was lunch time, so they had to hurry and meet Luffy at the tent where they could pick up their food. Ace was taking his time, though, because as he had feared, several people attending the paper were flocking around Marco.

Marco had taught several of the classes Ace had taken, but he didn't know Ace was at the congress as well, as far as Ace knew. He had given his own presentation on the first day, but unfortunately at a time when most people were still traveling. Marco hadn't shown up either, but Ace was sure he would have if he had known or could have.

Ace had been dying to attend Marco's paper, not just because the subject was interesting, but also because he hoped to talk to him again. Sabo was right, he had a crush on Marco for a while already, even when he was Ace's teacher, but now he wasn't anymore, and with his graduation coming up, Ace feared this was the last time he might see Marco.

"Are you going or what?" Sabo asked him impatiently.

"There are a lot of people who want to ask him something. It doesn't look like he has time," Ace said bitterly.

"I don't know, he might," Sabo said with a smirk.

Ace looked up confusedly, when he heard a voice say, "Ace?"

Fuck, he hadn't prepared for this. Nonetheless, Ace turned around. "Hey Marco."

"I didn't know you would be here," Marco said with a smile.

"Yeah, I had a presentation as well. On Monday morning," he clarified.

"Too bad I wasn't here yet. I'd have loved to see it." Marco smiled.

Ace smiled back, until Sabo cleared his throat.

"We really have to go, unless you want Luffy going on a rampage."

Ace sighed. "Right." Then his face brightened. "You could join us for lunch if you want," he said to Marco.

"I'd love to, but I have a meeting," Marco replied.

Ace tried not to look too crestfallen. "Okay. Ehm, so, are you going to the dance tonight?"

Marco smiled. "Yeah. Even if I didn't want to, my friends would drag me there. And it's kinda fun. Have you been here before?"

Ace shook his head.

"Then you're in for a treat," Marco said with a smirk. "I'll see you tonight, then?"

Ace nodded eagerly and ignored Sabo's smirk.

"So are you gonna go to him or what?" Sabo asked impatiently that night.

They had arrived a while earlier, and Ace already had several beers. He had spotted Marco soon enough, but decided he needed some liquid courage.

"I'll go when I'm ready," Ace muttered and took another sip.

"Do you want me to go talk to him?" Luffy asked while twirling around on a bar seat.

"No!"

"But I'm bored," Luffy whined.

"Go dance or something," Ace snapped nervously.

Sabo sighed. "Look, we came with you for moral support, and I've been entertaining Lu all week so you can get in this guy's pants. The least you can do it try to make that happen."

"Okay, but–" Ace didn't get a change to finish his protest, because Sabo and Luffy had already pushed him towards Marco.

Reluctantly, he stepped up to him. Marco was talking with two other people who looked vaguely familiar to Ace.

"Hi Marco," he said, his voice barely audible over the music.

Marco turned around, and his face brightened. "I was starting to think you changed your mind."

Ace smiled, and his heart skipped a beat when Marco wrapped an arm around him to introduce him to his colleagues.

"This is Ace, one of my former students. Ace, this is Thatch and that's Izo."

"Hi," Ace said, turning to Izo. "I've been to your presentation. It was really interesting."

Izo smiled, but Thatch said mock-indignantly, "What, you haven't been to mine?"

"Well, I–" Ace started, but Thatch's started to laugh.

"I'm kidding. There are so many papers. It's your first time here, isn't it?"

Ace nodded.

"It can be quite overwhelming. Well, I'm gonna get some more beer. You want some too?"

"I still have beer," Marco said and showed his half-empty glass.

"I think I have had enough," Ace said sheepishly.

"I'll join you," Izo said as he followed Thatch through the crowd, turning his head and winking at Ace.

Now that their company was gone, Ace started to get nervous again. He looked at where he left Sabo and Luffy, but didn't see them anymore. Until he noticed Luffy, seemingly stuck with his head in a bin, if Sabo trying to pull him out was anything to go by. Ace sighed and was about to go help, when Sabo saw him and gestured he had everything under control.

Sabo had done a lot for him this week, so the least he could do was dial up his flirting a little. If Marco wasn't interested, he would find out soon enough.

"Hey, wanna dance?" he asked.

Marco emptied his glass and placed it on a table. "Sure."

Felling quite giddy, even more so when Marco grabbed his hand not to lose him in the crowd, Ace led them onto the dance floor.

It became more and more crowded as time passed, and Ace was pushed closer and closer to Marco – not that he minded.

They were almost body to body when Marco leaned in and yelled in his ear – to be heard over the music, "It's too bad I missed your paper. You think you can maybe give me a private presentation sometime?"