Much shorter chapter this time. I should have divided last chapter and this one more evenly. Oh well. Enjoy~
Marco woke up wrapped in Ace's warm arms, his black hair falling across his cheek. Marco blinked sleepily before a soft melody was in his head, and he remembered Ace's singing him to sleep. Marco knew he'd never be able to speak Ace's language. He didn't even know if he could make the sounds he heard Ace's language include. And he had a beautiful singing voice. Marco wanted to listen to it all day.
Ace's perky nose scrunched up a little bit in his sleep and Marco just thought he was adorable. He stayed in his loose grip, content to just lay there in Ace's arms when it was usually the other way around. He let Ace sleep for as long as he could, knowing it was a rare night to sleep through it. Marco barely moved other than breathing.
After about an hour and a half of him waking up, Marco watched as Ace slowly woke up. His relaxed face started to move little by little, eyelids twitching before opening. Marco had never watched someone sleep or wake up before Ace. "Morning, sunshine."
"G'morning. You sleep better?" Marco nodded, and kissed Ace's freckled cheek. Ace smiled and yawned before sitting up. He wiped the little bit of drool in the corner of his mouth. Marco had seen him and been drooled on before, so Ace didn't seem to mind having just a little bit.
"You have a beautiful voice and your language is interesting," Marco said while Ace stretched. His face burned a dark blue, and he looked bashful and embarrassed. "What was the song about?" Ace twiddled his fingers, looking a bit embarrassed but also amused.
"It was about making paper baskets." Marco laughed loudly, and Ace couldn't help but join in. "Not the best lullaby, but when you don't recognize any of the words, anything can be a lullaby," Ace said with a smile. Marco felt a small burst of haki. Marco was about the say he loved Ace before he said, "Love you too."
"How'd you know I was gonna say it?" Ace raised an eyebrow, and Marco realized it had been a stupid question. Since it was in the immediate future, of course Ace had seen a glimpse of what he was going to say.
Both of them got dressed, of course in different areas to make Ace feel better. "How are you feeling today?" Marco asked while they left the room, shoes on, and Ace's hat resting against his back tattoo. He had his arm around Ace's waist loosely.
Ace smiled. "Better today. I slept well, and didn't wake up with a headache," Ace said happily. "It does hurt a little before the whole vision thing happens, but it hasn't happened much this morning."
"Good," Marco said happily. "Did you want to go back on the island today?" Ace frowned, and Marco wondered why. But he didn't press, and waited for Ace to answer. He didn't expect what he'd heard.
"Do you think Katakuri is still here?" Marco didn't know what that had to do with his question, but replied truthfully.
"No, his ship left not long after we got back to ours yesterday. Why?" the phoenix asked curiously. "You can tell me," he prompted kindly. Ace shook his head, saying it was stupid. "Nothing you do or can say is stupid. Not even singing me to sleep with a song about making paper baskets."
"I kinda wanted to talk to him," Ace confessed. Marco was surprised, but didn't let it show. He kept his tone conversational. Letting Ace talk to Katakuri may have been a bad thing to do, but the man was gone so they'd never know. He could guess why Ace wished to speak with him, for there was only one reason. In person, Marco would have never allowed it. He'd have been controlling, but he wouldn't put Ace in such danger just for wanting to talk to the man.
"About?" Marco prompted quietly. Ace frowned.
"What else? About the future glimpsing. Whitebeard has the haki I have and everyone has observation haki so I can talk to you all. But none of you have the stupid future seeing thing, so I have no one to talk to about it. To compare with. I wanted to ask him some questions. How to control it? How to see it on demand or stop it? Can you stop it or does it come no matter what? I just want some guide, knowing what it will turn into later. You know? I can tell the guy isn't friendly or on good terms with our crew, but I just… I don't know," Ace finished weakly.
"I understand why. No one here knows what you're going through with the newest form of haki. You'd never be allowed to meet him in person, though. No way the captain would allow that. And Katakuri may not like having someone else having that power. But he's not stupid and wouldn't dare attack a Whitebeard."
"So?"
"Maybe Pops will allow you to send him a letter and see if he responds? I think that's as good as you're going to get, if he ever gets it or replies. But we shouldn't wait too long or he'd make it back to Totto Land and may have to show Big Mom, who may not appreciate the letter, asking her son for sensitive information," Marco replied.
Ace protested, "I only want to relate, I wouldn't ask sensitive questions. Just my own questions." Marco gave him a reassuring smile.
"I know, baby, but Big Mom is irrational. I think you'd have to put your information first, though nothing about what you really are or where you came from." Ace nodded, saying he'd be careful if he sent any letters. "We'll ask Pops after breakfast, in private." Ace smiled at him, and then looked curious. They were just entering the galley. They'd slept in late so there were people eating already.
"Why suddenly calling me baby?" Ace wondered. Marco blinked twice, honestly not even noticing he'd done it. Did Ace not like it? "I don't have a problem with it, but we've been together for a couple months and there have been no cute names."
Marco grinned. "Does that mean you want some more names? My fire?" Ace's cheeks darkened, and Marco knew what he'd be calling Ace from now on. It sounded cheesy as hell, he knew. But if it got Ace pleasantly flustered it was worth it.
"Do I call you 'my bird' or something?" Marco lost his smile, not wanting his lover to adopt bird jokes as well. "My feathery fluffy-kins."
"No," Marco said forcefully, making Ace laugh. A little burst of haki came, but nothing major that affected anybody, even the ordinary pirates. The two got their food and sat at the commanders' table, where Atmos, Rayuko and Blenheim were. Atmos still hadn't warmed up to Ace and the other two were neither for or against him. He was just another crew member to them.
Marco and Ace were quiet throughout breakfast, Marco lost in his thoughts, still hearing Ace's singing (about making paper baskets) in his head. He wished he'd recorded it with a tone dial he had. His singing was worth recording over whatever was in it at the moment.
He wondered if it was a good idea to have Ace actually send a letter to Katakuri. Surely Big Mom would not attack a fellow yonko due to a letter sent from his son to hers? It might make Ace feel a lot better to have someone to tell him anything, not that it was guaranteed that the sweet commander would reply or even get the letter. Sending letters in the New World was hit or miss. The only reliable way to communicate was through the transponder snails.
"Pops, can Ace and I talk to you after breakfast?" Marco asked once they were starting to finish up the meal. The captain looked surprised, but said, "Of course." Predictably, the commanders at the table wanted to know what was up, but it was between Ace, Marco and Pops. They didn't need to know unless Ace was given permission to send the letter.
Ace drummed his fingers on the table in impatience, before Whitebeard stood and Marco did as well. The three took their plates to the kitchen and then headed to the meeting room. Ace looked nervous and hesitant to say anything, but Marco wasn't going to say it for him this time. He gave him a reassuring smile, and the sayla began to speak.
"Well… I, um, wanted to ask if I could send a letter to- to Katakuri? Not to meet in person cause Marco said that'd be a bad idea," Ace asked awkwardly. Pops was surprised, genuinely.
"And what would you be saying in the letter?" the captain asked lightly.
"Stuff about the future glimpsing. I don't know if he'd tell me, but I have no one else to ask anything about it. And he said he wasn't stupid and wouldn't kill me and start a war with you. So he wouldn't kill me for it, right?" Ace asked nervously. He didn't want Whitebeard to say no, that was very clear.
"I doubt he will actually tell you anything, but no, I do not think Big Mom or her children are stupid enough to attack one of my crew members," Whitebeard said. Marco couldn't help but think Nice save, Pops. He was clearly going to call Ace his son, but caught it at the last moment, and Ace hadn't seemed to notice.
"Really? Thank you!" Ace exclaimed. Whitebeard laughed.
"Don't get your hopes up, Ace. I don't know Dogtooth too well, so I don't know if he'd actually respond or not. But you may try. It's much safer than trying to talk to him in person. I'm frankly surprised he put up with you when he didn't know you were a Whitebeard," the captain said with a chuckle. Marco agreed. It had been surprising to see Ace just talking with the man and then him telling Marco to teach Ace to be a better pirate. He still thought it was hilarious. Only Ace could get away with that. Friendly talks with enemy pirates and enemy marines.
Ace nodded with a grin, showing off his white teeth. Not ten minutes later, Marco was helping Ace write out a letter, since he wasn't good at writing human language, even if he could read it. There were multiple crumpled up papers as Ace tried to get the right message across.
After two hours, they settled on one. It was mostly Ace's words with Marco's suggestions thrown in.
"Charlotte Katakuri,
This is the kid you met on Kokoru island. I want to ask some questions and am hoping you will reply. I recently unlocked the kind of haki only you have, and I'm having trouble controlling it. I'm seeing the future randomly, for things that are unimportant. I don't want to ask you to give me important secrets, but does it get better? Will I be able to control it later, or will it always be like this? I don't like it, but I don't think I can get rid of it or ignore it how it is right now.
I don't want to see my crew mates shuffle papers, or sit up in bed when it gives me a headache. I'm not sure if this is appropriate to send a letter to my crew's enemy, but I don't know of anyone else with this power.
I'd really like you to respond, even if it's just to tell me to piss off.
-Ace.
"I think this is as good as it's going to get. Not pushy, but honest. Well send it in a couple days here before we leave the island. Hopefully he won't be back in Totto Land by then," Marco said, sealing the letter and putting a Whitebeard stamp on it. "I wonder if he will actually reply. I doubt he's ever gotten a personal letter from an enemy."
"I'm not his enemy personally," Ace pointed out. Marco smiled. Ace was so cute and innocent sometimes. Slightly clueless about some things, but that was fine. It was Ace, and Ace was perfect to Marco.
"That may be true, but you're an enemy by association to him, part of our crew, which isn't on good terms usually with Big Mom or her crew/children. Want to go out and practice sparring?" Ace nodded, and they left to spar lightly, not too hard. Just Ace dodging and trying to turn into fire. It had been pushed aside since the haki turned up. He'd been distracted with other things, but it was best to get back on top of that.
Ace rarely used his fruit or his powers besides when he wanted it to be quiet around him in the library. He didn't need to use his powers if he didn't fight. Marco was glad that no one was trying to convince Ace to be a fighter.
After a short while, Thatch came out with a huge crate full of balls. Ace took a break to see what it was. "What's that for, Thatch?" he asked curiously. The chef grinned widely.
"Dodgeball!" he exclaimed, and Ace asked what it was. It sounded fun, but also dangerous. "Want to play with us? It'll be fun!" The crew were gathering around, excited to play the game. Haruta put a line of yellow tape across the deck, Whitebeard watching with a grin as his children acted like children, dividing into teams.
Ace looked uncertain about playing, and Marco assumed it was because he knew he'd be unable to keep up. The physical activity would be too much for him. It made the phoenix zoan sad, and his phoenix cooed in sympathy and worry. "No, I don't think I'll join in," Ace finally said with a sad smile. Thatch frowned.
"Okay. Well, join in if you change your mind." Ace nodded in response and went to sit against the railing to watch. The game was brutal, and Ace knew he wouldn't stand a chance. He'd be out in a second. Too much was going on for his haki to have been any use. Marco wanted to join in, but didn't want to leave Ace alone. He sat next to his lover to watch quietly.
"You can go play. I'm not going anywhere and will be fine," Ace said.
"I'll play the next round," Marco replied, arm around Ace's shoulders. His partner nodded, and the two watched in comfortable silence, Marco's arm warm against Ace's bare back. He glanced to the side to look at his freckles sprinkled across his shoulders the most obviously. He still loved them, and especially the ones in his tattoo that were made to look like constellations.
Ace fell asleep during the game, resting his head on Marco's shoulder, dozing softly even as pirates shouted and swore at each other while playing dodgeball like kids. Marco smiled, content to stay with Ace and skip the game.