Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that there is a Dark Carrier AU chapter update before this, in case none of you saw it. I think there must have been an error because I had uploaded a story (a Halloween fic for MarcoxAce) that very same day which never showed up until today in my own listings and on the fanfic search.
Thought I'd let you know in case any of you read that AU and missed out on it :)
(Carrier AU) (16 Weeks)
Ace didn't want to open his eyes. If he did he might wake up to find himself back on Teach's ship, locked in that damn bedroom, chained to a bed. He might wake up and find out that his rescue had all just been a dream.
He didn't want to lose this. All Ace wanted was to be home with his family, somewhere safe for himself and his baby, safe with Marco.
A thumb brushed over his hand, the hand holding his tightening their grip. It was Marco's hand, he could feel it, and whimpered, crushing Marco's hand in his grasp. It felt real, it felt so real, but what if he woke up and found out it was a dream?
That would crush him.
"Ace, it's alright. Open your eyes yoi."
"What happens if it's a dream?" Ace whispered, pressing his face deeper into the pillows.
They didn't feel like his normal pillows, they felt like the medical room's set within the Moby Dick.
"It's not. I promise yoi. You're home now," Marco reassured.
Ace felt a hand brush through his hair, gently tugging loose the knots. He couldn't help but melt, relaxing further into the bed beneath him, that didn't feel like the one on board Teach's ship, but that didn't mean that this wasn't a dream.
"Take in the smells, the bed beneath you, my hand in your own," Marco continued. "Think of your wrists, they don't feel so heavy anymore, right love?"
Ace nodded. They didn't feel heavy, they felt sore and stiff but no longer weighted down by shackles. Slowly he forced his eyes to open, that was the hardest part, trying to force himself to look, to hope that he wasn't about to be disappointed.
Thankfully though, he wasn't, Marco was sitting in front of him, smiling fondly. Ace could see that he was tense though, how his back was straightened out, how his eyes looked strained, probably from being awake endless nights.
Ace winced at the thought. Marco had probably been terrified for him, all because Ace had gotten himself captured.
"Morning, Ace."
Ace tried to push himself up into a sitting position but Marco held him in place, instead he sat Ace up, making sure the pillows were pressed comfortably against his back. Ace made a confused protest, however Marco took Ace's hands, showing him his bandaged wrists.
"You need to rest your arms yoi," Marco frowned. "They were overexposed to seastone, it's left them in a rough state. So don't try use them too much, alright?"
"They're a bit sore and stiff, but it's not that bad-" Ace began.
"That's because they were treated with some creams, they've dulled the pain. All you need to do for now is rest them," Marco explained.
Marco still looked stressed, and it made Ace's guilt double in size.
"Marco, I'm so sorry-"
"What for yoi?" Marco asked, tilting his head.
"I endangered myself and our baby. I could have gotten us both killed all because of my temper. How could I possibly be a good parent when I could have gotten my own baby killed?" Ace cursed, feeling the tears burn his eyes.
He roughly wiped at them, frustrated. He didn't want to cry, he wanted to have a proper conversation, not burst into tears.
"Ace, you didn't even know you were pregnant. None of us did, otherwise there would have been no way you would have gotten off the Moby Dick yoi," Marco frowned.
"But still, how can you all expect me to be a good parent when I don't even know how to be one? I don't know how to raise a child, all I know is how to get angry and storm off!"
"Ace, you pretty much raised Luffy," Marco pointed out. "Tell me yoi, if you had known you were pregnant, would you have gone after Teach?"
Ace shook his head. "No! Of course not."
"And if the baby had already been born? Let's say, a week before Teach showed his true colours?"
Ace hesitated. "I... They're only a newborn baby... I don't think they'd be safe to be left without their parents... Would they? I don't know..."
"The fact that you're questioning it instead of just charging straight into the situation shows that you're not going to go rampaging off without checking on the well-being of our baby yoi," Marco smiled, and then a pair of hands went to cup Ace's cheeks, gently brushing away the tears.
"But, just in case yoi," Marco grabbed the back of his neck, making sure their eyes met, even as his voice grew choked up. "Never do that again. No matter the situation yoi, you do not go racing off on your own like that. You stay here, with your family. You don't terrify us. Because I don't know what I'd do without you."
"I'm sorry, Marco. I'm so sorry-"
Marco must have been terrified, because he pulled Ace into a tight embrace, and Ace's guilt tripled when he felt tears drip on to his neck, even as Marco laid kisses on it. Ace tentatively brought his arms around Marco, rubbing his back with soothing circles.
"I could have lost you yoi. Both of you," Marco breathed out. "Teach could have done anything to you, anything and I wouldn't have been able to do anything about it."
Marco pulled back, and smiled, despite all the tears running down his face, despite the tears burning Ace's eyes.
"But you're home now yoi," Marco grinned, nuzzling his neck. "You and the baby. Just don't do that again."
"Run off or give you a heart attack?" Ace tried to joke.
"Both would be nice yoi," Marco chuckled.
Ace snorted. "With me and my temper? Not sure how that'll work out."
"Well if it happens again we'll get Jozu to sit on you yoi."
