Please don't read it, if you can get triggered by rape, violence and/ or death. I don't want to harm anyone accidentally! It's only mentioned lightly, but I can't say what could trigger something. So please be careful! And if I forgot to warn about something else, please say so! Thank you.
...
Marco stares at the TV, a look of pure shock, even horror on his face. His body felt like he was thrown in ice. He felt dread overcoming him.
(That wasn't right.) He knows it.
(They were lying.) He thought.
(That can't be true) He wished.
He knew that face. He had seen this man. Just last night. Just yesterday night, he had seen this man. He had smiled at him. Had thought about talking to him, maybe flirt a bit with him... How could that happen?
Marco got up, the moment the news ended and snatched the remote from his fathers hands. He rewound back to the point where the picture of that man showed.
Ignoring the protest and the confusion from his family, he pressed play again, staring at the picture of a dark tanned, black haired, with freckles covered, beautiful, male.
Yesterday, he looked different, not staring in the camera, wearing a Navy uniform. But it was him. Those eyes, those freckles, the hair... Underneath the picture, his name was written. Ace. Portgas D Ace. Commander Portgas D Ace.
Yesterday, he had looked so happy, full of life, dancing and drinking with some people, laughing so loudly Marco had heard it over the music from where he had watched him. He wore a dark blue shirt and black shorts... Looking really good in them.. Marco had wanted to talk to him, but wasn't sure if he could. The raven haired man had looked so much younger than him.. And according to the news, he was way younger than him. 22 they said...
He blinked, now listening to the reporter.
.
»... last night. Commander Portgas D Ace was overpowered by a group of 8 men while he was on his way home from a night out with his friends. "He had texted us he was on his way, but never arrived" one of his brothers said. The ship had anchored around noon and the young Commander had wanted to celebrate. He went to a local homosexual club and after he took his leave, he was attacked. It was a crime of hate against homosexuals and racism, the police said. The body of his was found in a dark alley. He died from several hits against his head and internal bleedings after he was raped. Some of his attackers are still free, so the brothers of this Commander asked us, the news, to talk about his case, as a warning for everyone to be careful. We are honored by this and are greateful to help them by fulfilling the wish of their now dead brother, in making the world a safer place.«
The woman stopped and smiled a sad, honest, smile in the camera.
»Honestly, I am personally touched by this and probably about to lose my job by saying so, but we are not allowed to ignore this any longer. I am ashamed that so many people get murdered because of their skin color or sexual orientation. Nobody should be judged by their appearance ...«
Marco zooned out again.
He was dead. This beautiful man which he almost talked to, was really dead.
.
He felt his knees going weak. Guild washed over him, tried to drown him. He could have stopped that. If he would have talked to him, this man -Ace- could still be alive. He, Marco, could have saved his life if he wouldn't have been such a coward. He-
Then, he felt the hand of his father on his back, bringing him out of his thoughts.
"Son? What is it? What's the issue? Do you know him?" he asked, carefully rubbing circles on his back.
Marco only managed to nod, lowering the remote, now fully aware of all those eyes on his back. If he wasn't it before, he was the center of attention now.
"Yes... I mean no... I.. I could have saved his life. I saw him yesterday while I was clubbing..." His shoulders slumped slightly. "He... I wanted to talk to him.. But I didn't... He looked way too young... And... Pops, if I had talked to him he probably would still be alive! I..." Marco didn't know, why he was feeling so guilty. Why he felt like he had lost a good friend, someone he loves, someone he deeply cared for... But he was. And by now, he was nearly crying.
"Pops... I wanna find his brothers. I heard him talking about them... They are alone now. He... He is paying for their living. I.. Would you help me? I... I don't know why, but I have to help them. We have to help them. They're all alone now... Please, Pops. Ace... He was full of live, it was amazing! The whole club was listening to him, he... He was... His smile, his laugh, his, his stories.. It was just... Wow. I... I was a coward. He, he died!" Marco was almost hysterical about it. Hugging his Pops, sniffling and trying to hold back his tears.
(If I would have been with him... Why did I not talk to him.. It's my fault, it's my fault he died. I was to... To shy? I was anxious. Because of my not doing, he died...) Marco thought again.
He was so sad, so hurt... It was so unrealistic, that this person, this living being he had met just yesterday, who put a spell on him, put him under his ban... Was dead. He was full of life, of love, of so much! And he was just taken away.
Marco felt as if something just died with Ace. With this man, he had only seen from a distance. He can't even explain it.. But it hurts. It hurts so much.
He couldn't breathe. It felt so wrong, everything felt so wrong.
.
His family saw it. Saw the way he felt. They didn't understand why, but they saw how hurt he was, how he was crying, how he was pleading to find those brothers of the dead Navy Commander. How he craved for it, wanting to help them... and it brough them to tears.
Marco had never reacted to something, to anything, like that. Never before. Not once. They had to find those brothers. They where sure, if not, Marco wouldn't be able to smile ever again.
Whatever made Marco like that, it was serious. It was important. And they had to do something, to solve the problem, to lighten the pain Marco felt.
"Sure, son. Don't worry, we'll find them and help them." They would do it.
.
.
.
.
.
.
It hurts Marco so much, because nothing can keep true love apart. It's fate they met. They do it every time. In every life. In every dimension. In every universe.
These souls are meant for each other.
Made for each other.
They where soulmates.
And now, one soul was ripped away, leaving the other one alone. They got parted way to soon. And it was the wrong way. They were meant to part after a long, happy life.
But Fate failed. It failed so badly, and for the first time ever.
Marco hadn't approached Ace.
Ace wasn't meant to have met those men, wasn't meant to die alone after being raped.
Ace was meant to have met Marco at a club, laugh with him, like him, get together with him, love him...
But he died.
And the lone soul, the one left, was now doomed to crave for the other one. Trying to feel it. Trying to find the remaining pieces. Trying to live the life the other one was about to live, to not lose it completely.
.
You can't trust fate. You have to do it yourself. If you want something, do something... Just do it.
Live without regrets.
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Please feel free to point out mistakes I made in wording, logic, spelling, everything.
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Thank you for reading it!