Prompt: MarcoAce "Do you…well…I mean…I could give you a massage?", requested by Lunarshores

The clock ticked away the seconds, sounding loud in the silent room, and Ace glanced at Marco, who was sitting next to him in the couch.

Marco coughed, and his eyes darted to the clock. "They're certainly late, aren't they?" he finally broke the silence.

"Y-yeah," Ace replied. "They said seven, right?"

Marco took out his phone. "The text says indeed seven."

"Right."

It became silent again. Ace's ankle rested on his other knee, moving his foot up and down nervously. Thatch and Izo had told him to be at their friend's house at seven, because, apparently, this Marco needed some help moving stuff, after which Ace would go out with Thatch and Izo.

Ace wasn't sure why he had agreed to help to move stuff from a stranger – okay, he did, as there had been food promised. But it was half past seven already, and there was still no sign of Thatch or Izo.

The past half hour Ace had sat in awkward silence with this stranger, who wasn't hard to look at, if he was honest. Still, every time he wanted to strike up a conversation, his mind went blank.

"I could try to call them," Marco suggested.

"Yeah."

Marco took out his phone again and dialled a number. After a few seconds, however, he sighed. "Voicemail. I'll try Izo then."

When Izo didn't pick up either, he put away his phone.

"You think we should be worried?" Ace asked.

"I doubt it." Marco rubbed the back of his neck. "How long have you known them?"

"A while," Ace asked, surprised. "Why?"

"They've never tried to set you up with someone before?"

Ace whipped his head around so fast he feared it might fall off. "What?"

Marco raised up his hands in defence. "It's just something they would do. Why else would they coax you into help someone you don't even know into moving their furniture?"

"I don't know," Ace muttered.

"Look," Marco turned to face Ace, "I seriously doubt they're gonna show up, so you can leave if you want."

Ace pursed his lips as he thought for a moment. "Well, I did promise I would help you. In exchange for food, that is."

Marco laughed, and Ace decided he liked his laugh. "Alright. How about we order some pizza and move the furniture until it gets here?"

"Sounds good," Ace said with a grin.

After Marco had called the pizzeria and made their order, Ace rose from the couch. "Okay, what needs to be done?"

"I wanted to switch the couch with the bookcase over there," Marco pointed. The books had already been neatly stacked next to the case, so Ace only had to lift it.

They moved the couch out of the way and carefully lifted the bookcase. It was heavier than Ace had expected, as it was made from oak wood. They had almost made it to the other side of the room, when Marco suddenly gasped and grabbed at his back. Ace could barely catch the bookcase before it would tilt over.

"What's the matter? Did you do your back in, old man?" he couldn't help but tease.

Marco shot him a glare. "I just pulled a muscle I think."

Ace helped him to the couch that was still standing in the middle of the room. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'll be fine. This would be awkward if this was a real date," Marco said jokingly as he rubbed his back.

Ace laughed nervously, before they fell into silence again. Ace crushed himself for not knowing what to say. When they didn't think about it, their conversation had started naturally.

"Do you… well… I mean… I could give you a massage?" he suddenly blurted out.

Marco looked up in surprise. "Are you serious?"

Ace scratched the back of his head, his cheeks slightly flushed. "Well, I mean, I can't leave you like this, and it'll be a while before the food gets here, so…"

"Ehm, sure then. I guess." Marco turned his back to Ace, wincing slightly.

Ace hadn't actually expected him to agree, but now that he had, he couldn't really back out – not that he wanted to. Carefully, he applied pressure on different places on Marco's back. "Here?"

"A little lower… Yeah, there!"

Ace massaged the spot for a while when he said, "Maybe it would be better if you took your shirt off."

"Wouldn't that be weird?" Marco asked.

Ace shrugged. "If it helps, I can take my shirt off too. I don't like shirts anyway."

"That's not really necesse–" Marco stopped talking when Ace suited the action to the word and pulled his t-shirt over his head. He had only worn it because he was meeting a stranger anyway.

Marco stared at him for a second, his eyes roaming Ace's body.

Ace smirked. "Like what you see?" he asked teasingly.

Marco mirrored his expression, as he started to unbutton his own shirt. "If this was a date, I think it would be going very well."

He sighed happily when Ace started to massage his back again.

Somehow, not wearing a shirt brought Ace's confidence back – perhaps it was the way Marco has stared at him, or the fact that Marco looked very nice without a shirt as well. "So," he started, "maybe this isn't a real date, but would you be interested in going out with me sometime?"

Marco turned around to face him, a smile playing around his lips. "I would like that very much."

Ace grinned and leaned in, feeling pleased when Marco closed the distance between them.

"Sorry we're late. Thatch and I were–" Izo stopped talking when he saw his two friends sitting shirtless on the couch, making out.

Marco and Ace hastily let go of each other.

"Izo!" Marco said, surprised. "I thought you weren't coming anymore."

Izo raised an eyebrow. "Why wouldn't we come? We agreed to meet here, didn't we?"

"You… weren't trying to set us up?" Marco stammered.

"No. But that's a brilliant idea! Thatch, did you hear that?" Izo called over his shoulder into the hallway.

Thatch grinned as he stood next to Izo in the doorway, wrapping an arm around him. "Seems like your matchmaking skills are so good that you can set people up even before you get the idea."