Hi! So here is the second part of VisitorNo.18's requested 'Ex-Au'. I hope you will like this. It might not be what you expected, but hopefully, it fills your cup of tea for a little bit.

Notes: I am not trying to own everything and English isn't my friend. Ace really loves wide shoulders and handsome men.

Enjoy


Sweet and Hot Tale Twenty-Two

Interrogating the Ex: Marco

"So it happened like this..."

o0o

Marco was sitting near the windows of the library, watching the leaves of the trees swaying. Breathing for some air and smiling, feeling the soft touch of the wind to his face. He looked over the mountains to the other buildings, when he spotted a young man on the other side of the building. This young man was following around a blond man. 'It seems like they are arguing' He thought to himself. He continued to stare at them until he was astonished by what he just saw.

The raven man had hugged the blond man from behind and suddenly flipped them for a back arch throw. His left brow rose when he suddenly saw the man had flipped over again and was now standing on his feet. There was amusement in his face when the two started to fight and got scolded by a passing professor. Failing to notice someone had called his name repeatedly, as he was fixated on staring at the raven-haired lad who was apologizing profusely together with the other lad.

"Earth to Marco, where are you staring at?" He heard a familiar voice call out to him, turning his attention to Thatch who was staring at the exact place where he has been staring.

"Ohh, I see. No wonder you've been staring. I can see your type on the other building." His brother commented, grinning as he watched the two bowing repeatedly to the professor and then started to walk as if nothing had happened. He then turned his head back to his glaring brother, smiling widely as he teased him.

His brother on the other hand just rolled his eyes at him and closed his book. He started to pack his things and stood up. Carrying his bag by his shoulder, he ignored his brother who continued teasing him.

"You know, I actually know the guy"

o0o

"And a few days later. I introduced them to each other." Thatch explained, not exactly lying about how Marco met Ace. The blond man continued to glare, repeatedly imagining on the back of his mind on kicking Thatch.

Ace, on the other hand, was stunned by what he heard, he then turned his attention to Marco who nodded to him. Agreeing on what his brother just said. Not realizing that he just indirectly confessed a small part of his interest towards the younger man. His brows then frown in worry though, when he saw Ace turned beet red.

"Then how did they end up together?" Ace heard his childhood friend asked. Groaning in worry about Thatch making up stories that aren't true.

"Well that my friend is very interesting" he lied. Thatch felt a cold run down his spine and turned his head to Marco, who was seriously giving him dagger from his eyes. The man just grinned and continued to tell his tale.

o0o

It has been four months already since Marco had met Ace, and to him, he started to fall more deeply towards the young man. Walking towards a cake shop, he bought a chocolate cake. He then left after a few minutes and started to head to their house.

Humming the tone from his phone. He smiled as he skipped his way back home.

o0o

Thatch shiver again, but continued.

o0o

Once he arrived, he was happy to see a familiar shoe at the entrance. He immediately took off his shoe and walked inside the house. Greeting his lovely brother who was preparing in the kitchen for a cooking lesson.

Thatch grinned as he watched his brother frown, not seeing the person he has been excited to see again.

"He's in the toilet if you're wondering"

Marco rolled his eyes and set the cake on the countertop.

"Aren't you excited to try his dish?" Thatch continued to grin, leaning over with his elbow on the countertop and his chin resting on his hand.

Marco blushed, "Whatever" he replied while opening the fridge.

"Is this for Ace?" he teased. Marco was about to respond when he heard Ace enter and asked if someone called him.

"Oh Hi Marco! Hope you don't mind me intruding"

There, his favorite freckled lad, wearing a v-neck black shirt pairing it with pale blue tattered pants and an orange hat hanging by his neck. He continued to stare at the young man, who was now tilting his head to his side in worry.

There was a fake cough from his brother, that got him out of his trance. He then coughed as well, turning his back to Ace and head to the living room as he waved his hand. Thatch grinned as he watched his brother's face hinting a tint of red on his cheeks.

Ace frowned and turned his attention to his close friend, "He doesn't really mind that I'm here right?"

"Nope, not at all. Actually, he bought a cake" he wanted to add that it was for him but omitted not to say anything for now.

Ace smiled widely and walked closer to the kitchen, in an attempt to learn how to cook.

o0o

"And, how did they get together?" Deuce rolled his eyes, starting to get annoyed with the storytelling.

Thatch smiled widely towards the lad, "Now, now. Don't be impatient. We are almost there." He grinned, his eyes averting to Ace who was now covering his eyes in embarrassment. Marco in turn just continued to sip from his glass, his eyes not leaving the freckled man. Though he was a bit surprised that most of what Thatch said had not been lies yet.

The brown-haired man then turned his attention back to Deuce, "So, as I was saying..."

o0o

Thatch let out an exaggerated sigh as he glared at the meal his friend had plated. "Seriously, cooking is not your forte."

Ace sheepishly smiled, rubbing the back of his head. "That's what my twin brother told me" he laughed awkwardly.

"Oh, you have a twin? Does he go to our school?"

Ace nodded and smiled. Picking up a spoon, as he tried to taste his failed cooking. He then turned and run towards the trash can and spit out the food. Making the other man laugh. Marco who was nearby heard their conversation since he has been there since they started the lesson.

"I haven't seen someone who looks like you at the school, though." It was Marco who said it, grabbing for a spoon as well and tried Ace's cooking. Ace was about to stop him from eating it, but then Marco plopped it into his mouth.

Both Thatch and Ace opened their mouths in shock, watching how Marco's face changed from widening his eyes, to frown as he swallowed the food.

"It's good though" he lied. "Though it needs more salt and less on the heat side"

Thatch opened his mouth to speak when he heard Ace squealed in happiness. "See Thatch I told you it was missing something" Thatch facepalmed and just nodded his head. Bringing up the topic of his brother again.

"Oh that, we don't look alike. We're fraternal twins" the younger lad explained. Grabbing for another plate and took a slice from the chocolate cake that Marco Bought.

"Was it the blond that you are always almost every day?" The pompadour man asked. Ace nodded and explained how his brother got into an accident and now has a scar on his face and the right side of his body.

Marco didn't fail to notice the younger man's flushed cheeks and eyes averting back to him repeatedly. He then smiled at Ace when their eyes met. Making the younger man turn even redder than he was earlier.

It was already night time though after they had dinner when Ace decided to go home. And here they are walking side by side as Thatch had forced Marco to accompany Ace towards the train station. The young man had tried to decline, but his attempts didn't work when Thatch had just thrown Marco and him out of the house.

"Sorry, you had to accompany me" Ace awkwardly apologized to the older man. His hands were inside the pocket of the purple jacket that Marco had lent him.

Marco shook his head, "Nah no worries. I'm actually very happy that we could talk. I like your voice" Marco felt his cheeks heat when those words left his mouth. Flustered, he turned his attention to Ace. Trying to take back his words from a blushing Ace.

Squeezing his eyes, he cursed at himself. "Well, your voice is relaxing and you know, not like loudmouth Thatch" he smiled weirdly towards the younger. Who chuckled after a few seconds. He continued to stare at the younger lad as he spoke, his words muffled as he was fixated on the beauty before him and without a second thought, he pushed the younger lad by the wall and claimed his lips.

o0o

Thatch exaggerated hugged his body, making kissy faces towards Marco. While Marco and Ace had their eyes wide and mouth hanging open from the overly fabricated stories that Thatch had just delivered.

Ace was about to rebuke and exclaimed that it was a lie. But his words were cut off when he saw Izou arrived and stood behind her lover.

"Mind telling me what you are doing here and acting like an idiot?"

Thatch felt his muscle tensed from her voice, turning his head, sweat dripping from his forehead. "Oh dear love, you're just right in time." changing the topic right away.

"In time for what?" Izou glared.

"Well this boy here, is Ace's childhood friend."

"And?" his lover asked impatiently

"Well, he's here wanting to know why Ace and Marco broke up"

Izou raised a brow, watching Marco facepalmed. He turned his attention to Ace who was shaking his head. Mouthing words of begging to make Thatch stop his lies. After a few more seconds of observing, she grinned towards Ace and sat down between her lover and Ace.

"Well you should have asked me since Ace confides in me a lot when we're alone"

This made Ace drop his jaw. Shaking his head towards Izou, begging for her not too. Her eyes met her lover's eyes as he wiggled his eyebrows at her. She then let out a chuckle and shared some that she knew of.

"Well, these two dated for what? Like almost a year or so?"

Thatch nodded in agreement, holding his lover's hand. Happy that she played had joined him on his fun. While ignoring Ace's pleads and Marco's glare at them.

"True, they went on a lot of dates. Especially that one when they went to the amusement park, right?" thatch added, while Izou fiddled with her phone and showed Deuce a picture of Marco placing his arm around Aces shoulder, while Ace had it behind the older man's back.

Deuce hummed, as he raised a brow towards the picture he was shown, "They do look very happy, but why did they break up?"

"Well, it happened like this..." Izou trailed

o0o

After a year of dating Ace, everything has been good for the couple. Meeting up every day to have lunch and go on dates almost every weekend. Though it has been a month already since they have seen each other.

Marco let out a sigh, his currently alone in the library. Books placed around his table, as he writes notes on his notebook. Grabbing for his phone and frowned when he still hasn't received any messages from Ace. This has been happening a lot lately, unable to meet due to workloads, their schedules not matching up, and the time they usually spent together started to deplete.

He placed his phone back in his pocket and started to focus on reading from the book again. When he suddenly felt his phone buzzed. Annoyed he picked it up and rudely asked what they wanted even without reading the caller.

There was silence on the other end when Marco started to get pissed. "Thatch if this is you. I'm very busy right now so please stop bothering me." He was about to end the call when his lover spoke.

"Oh, I'm sorry Babe, I thought that you have time. So I was just wondering what you were doing. Sorry"

Marco had his eyes wide, he was unable to speak as Ace had ended the call right away after apologizing. He then stood up from his chair and ran outside, as he felt the librarian's glare towards him. He then dialed Ace's number and luckily the younger man had answered the call?

"Yes?" he heard him speak.

"Ace. I'm sorry. I thought it was Thatch, where are you right now?"

He heard Ace chuckled, and that made him smile. "I'm with my brother, we decided to have lunch together instead." Marco let out a disappointed tone. "Is it okay for me to join?" he asked sheepishly, hoping Ace and his brother wouldn't mind.

"Nah, no worries babe. Sabo and I just took a bus, heading to the mall. Coincidentally, most of our classes are canceled. So we decided to meet up with our younger brother for lunch"

"But I-" The blond man trailed off.

"It's fine. I know you have a class thirty minutes from now. And you also hate being absent or late."

Marco sighed and nodded. "Fine, then what about dinner later?"

There was silence on the other line before his lover spoke "I'll think about it. Since it's Luffy we were talking about."

"Okay, text me later then. Have fun with your lunch. Love you"

Marco then placed his phone back inside his pocket and walked back inside the library, looking sad and heartbroken like a kicked puppy...

o0o

"looking sad and heartbroken like a kicked puppy." Izou narrated from a book that she just read, though changing the characters to Marco and Ace.

Both boys are now flabbergasted, and embarrassed. "That did not happen" Ace exclaimed, huffing in a pout as he disagreed with his friends. Izou turned his attention to him and smirked, "Oh hush you. You don't have to be ashamed about it"

Marco continued to stare at them as they argue. Staring at Ace, acting all cute and adorable as he huff and pouted towards Izou.

The two continued to quarrel and Thatch would support his lover when Duece asked them again. "And how did they break up?"

Izou turned his attention to him and smiled wickedly as he continued.

o0o

Four months had passed and their situation has started to get worse. Meeting less, less conversation since Marco lost his phone, unable to make time as they have packed schedules.

Ace was sitting by a fountain looking grim as he waited for Marco to arrive, releasing a breath that he had been holding. He raised his head and huff in sadness. Ace continued to wait for an hour. Waiting for Marco to arrive, another hour later. His lover had finally arrived.

"Sorry Ace got held up." Marco greeted in between breaths, trying to regain his breathing as he placed both his hands on his hips, inhaling and exhaling. Ace shook his head and said not to worry. Tapping the place beside him, he gestured for Marco to sit.

The man complied and placed his bag on the ground, he then kissed Ace's cheek and asked how he is. Ace remained silent though and stared at the ground. Releasing a shaky breath as he prepared his words.

"Hey, Marco. Do you think that this is working?"

"Working what?"

"Us," Ace added, frowning as he played with his fingers.

"What do you mean?" he heard his lover asked him worriedly.

"You know. How we have less time for each other, unable to meet or even talk. Only get to talk at least once or twice a week."

Marco pressed his lips thin and breathed through his nose. He then grabbed Aces' hand and squeezed them. "Don't worry love, it will work out somehow."

"No, it's not"

"Why?"

Unable to say anything, he closed his mouth. Tears started to gather in his eyes, as he felt the insecurities, uneasiness, and the doubt had started to gather in his mind. Unable to carry this again, the pain of missing someone, and fear of Marco losing interest towards him. Thus he decided to end it first before Marco breaks his heart.

"I think we should cool off for a bit"

Marco's eyes bulged after hearing what his dear lover had just said. Frowning towards the younger man he shook his head. Not agreeing with Ace's plan.

"I think we should cool-" Ace repeated but was cut off by him.

"No" Marco muttered, glaring at his lover for thinking of breaking up with him.

With sadness printed all over his face, Ace stood up. He placed his hand on Marco's shoulder and inched his face closer. He then pressed a kiss on Marco's lips and stayed there for a second. Ace then stood up properly and started to walk away.

Marco who was left behind by the fountain felt numbed and tears started to fall from his eyes, as he cried in public.

o0o

"I do not cry in public" Marco retorted with a glare, arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Of course you do" Izou responded, smirking at the blond man.

Deuce who was silent while listening hummed again, and raised a brow at his childhood friend. Mouthed a word at him. Ace glared back at him and pouted, his cheeks flushed red and a warm face.

"Seriously Thatch, Izou. Stop this you're making Ace uncomfortable with your storytelling" Marco added, averting his eyes to Ace who was beet red from the supposed to be love life that the couple had shared with his childhood friend. It didn't take long for Ace to notice his gaze, their eyes met. And Ace could feel even hotter than before, not sure if it was the alcohol or the embarrassment that his friends had been lying about.

The young lad immediately stood up and excused himself to the bath. Marco continued to stare at Ace, ignoring Izou and Thatch that was talking to him. Once Ace's back had disappeared from the crowd, Marco decided to stand up and followed the younger man. Izou and Thatch cheered as they watched Marco left and followed where Ace disappeared.

Thatch who was still cheering turned his attention to Duece who was sipping his Alcohol like a tea.

"And that's what happened" he concluded. But he was puzzled when Deuce just hummed and continued to drink.

"Then I must tell you something about me then" the light blue-haired man responded, placing the glass back on the table and then faced the couple. "I work as a writer you know, and due to curiosity I read some psychology books, and can sometimes tell if someone is lying to me"

Izou raised a brow, "So you are aware then?"

The man nodded and smiled, "Though I didn't mind. I've been uncomfortable about that guy glaring behind me as I talked to Ace though, and I have known Ace for a very long time to know what his types are. Ace types are men with strong looking wide shoulders and handsome."

"So you set this up?" Thatch asked grinning.

"A bit, though I actually just wanted to speak about this Marco guy that he's been talking about for months"

They then let out a chuckle as they clank their glasses for a cheer.

o0o

Ace was facing Marco who had followed him after he left. Standing by the stairs, as Marco had dragged him towards the emergency exit when he caught up with the younger lad.

"Ace about Thatch and Izou."

Ace blushing red from his face to his neck, shakes his head and smiled at the older man. Apologizing as well on behalf of his childhood friend for being nosy.

They chuckled for a bit and soon their laughter died down. There was an awkward silence around them when Marco spoke first.

"About what Thatch said, fifty percent about it is true"

"Oh"

"Though as for Izou, that one was A hundred percent lie"

ACe laughed again. Giggling as he nodded his head in agreement. Marco continued to stare lovingly towards him as he inched closer. Ace had unconsciously stepped back and was shocked when Marco had suddenly placed both his hand on each side of Ace's face, making the younger male, even more, redder than he was.

Ace could feel his heartbeat loud, worried that Marco might hear it. His eyes had widened when Marco inched his face closer to him. It didn't take long for Ace to feel his eyes starting to shut, opening his mouth he responded the kiss back.

They continued to passionately kiss, as they move their hands at each other's body. Groping and grabbing at places that they could reach. After a minute or two of tongues meeting and mouth sucking each other's tongue, they both let go and pressed their foreheads together.

With a giggle, Ace commented on how they are doing a reenactment of Thatch storytelling about them. Marco only chuckled back and kissed the freckled lad's forehead.

"I don't mind though. Just not the breakup or cool off part."

Ace laughed and grinned towards him. "So-" Ace trailed off, drawing circles on Marco's arm, as the older man had placed his hands on Ace's waist. "So I take it that you also have a crush on me?"

Marco smiled his face heating, heart beating fast. Slowly he nodded his head, "I do, I've been in love with you since I saw you acting like an idiot with your twin."

Ace frowned but it was then replaced with a smile, "I'll ignore the idiot part then" he replied and grabbed for Marco's collar, pressing their lips together again.


So that's that. Anyone who is interested to put any suggestion. I'll be happy to write.

That will be all for now. Next up will be Lemons.

Then,

B27