"Back in the Cold Heat"
Written by: Doctor Strangelove

A/N: This story takes place pretty soon after #54. It's not exactly slash, more like post-slash, but it does contain some slashy themes. You've been warned. Also, to people that have read my other stuff; this is very different from my other Marco/Ax fics. I own nothing.

My name is Marco. God, it's been a while since I've said that. Too long of a while. Anyway, this is my (and to a lesser extent, the other Animorphs') story. Or more correctly, a continuation of our story. Seems like we're never really done.

We beat The One. I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but it did. We won. Again. We didn't come out entirely unscathed, but we did pretty well. No casualties this time. Santorelli and Jeanne got their first taste of a real battle, and they did pretty well. They've certainly changed, though. Any innocence they had is gone now. Tobias fell right back into the fighting game and kicked some serious ass, he got hurt pretty bad as a Hork-Bajir, but it healed. And Jake… well, he didn't really use his left hand that much before anyway, so I guess he's okay.

Then there's Ax. Okay. He was… well, he was pretty out of it. And I guess that makes sense. He went through a lot. But he was okay now. He wasn't part of The One any longer. He was back with us.

It was pretty weird. I hadn't seen him in; I guess it really was years. It was… It was something, all right.

It was a few days later on the Rachel when Ax finally awoke. He'd been unconscious ever since we had rescued him. I was by his side when it happened.

"Ax? You finally up, buddy?"

Marco? He said after a short pause. Is that you?

"Yeah, it's me, Ax-man."

Where am I?

"You're on the Rachel." I noticed the confused look on his… head. "It's our ship."

You named it after he. She would've liked that.

"Yeah, we thought so too."

After another moment, You came to rescue me.

"Of course."

How'd you find out?

"Menderash. Came and told Jake what happened."

Yes. I remember seeing Menderash.

"How much… how much of it do you remember?"

The One? Not a lot. It's all fuzzy and vague.

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter too much now, does it? You're safe."

I'm safe. He said in an almost disbelieving manner. You saved me.

"Yeah, man," I whispered. "We saved you."

I walked across the bridge of the Rachel to where Jake and Tobias were resting. "He's awake."

Jake looked up at me. "Who's awake?"

Tobias didn't need an explanation. Ax? When did he wake up?

Jake nodded. "Oh, Ax. Should've known. Who else is there to be awake?"

"He hasn't been up that long." I answered Tobias. "He's still kinda hazy. Doesn't remember a lot of what happened."

Jake thought for a moment. "Someone should watch over him for a while. Make sure he's okay. Marco, you mind?"

"No. No problem."

I did kind of mind. Just a little. But I was also a little excited.

After the war, I started spending some time with Ax. Good, close time. Some real male bonding. It was nice. I didn't get to hang around with a lot of people that weren't obsessed with the Animorphs.

The actual Animorphs were ready to take a break. Jake was busy doing the leader thing, Cassie was all about the Hork-Bajir, and Tobias was…

So that left Ax and me. We hung out. We played games, watched TV, ate all the time, and pretty much said nothing about the war. We didn't talk about that when we were alone.

So pretty soon, surprise surprise, we became a little bit closer. It was never anything really serious. It was more like… comfort. We were there for each other, in every way.

And then Ax decided he wanted to go back home. He needed to be back with the Andalites. So he left. And it was then that I realized how much I would miss him. It was then that I figured out I was in love with him.

And now he was back. Jake, Tobias, Menderash, everybody came to visit him. We all talked for a while while Santorelli piloted the ship. Then after a few hours, they left and we were alone.

"So, how you doing, Ax-man? What you wanna do now?"

I'm tired. I'm very tired. I want to sleep.

"Oh, well if you want me to leave-"

No. Can you stay?

That was a little surprising. "Uh, sure. Whatever you want."

So Ax slept. And I lay there, staring at his dozing form, and I tried to sleep. But I couldn't. I couldn't sleep seeing him there. Not knowing how good and warm that blue fur felt pressed against my bare flesh. Not wishing to have those delicate arms wrapped around me. I couldn't sleep seeing him there, so close to me, and not being able to get any closer.

That was a little tough.

So, I spent the next few days catching up with Ax. We talked about, you know, just stuff. About Earth, the Andalite home world, cinnamon buns, and The One.

"I'm just saying the whole thing was pretty wild. It would make a great movie."

Ax laughed, he was getting back to normal pretty quick. Well, that would help. I assume your TV show has been cancelled by now.

I was a little surprised by that. "You know about my show?"

I've kept some tabs on my friends. It was a pretty good show. No The Young and the Restless. And the last season was going down a bit.

"Yeah, new writers. But I think the movie idea would be cool. I would play me of course. We get like Ben Affleck to play Jake. Johnny Depp is Tobias. Charlize Theron as Jeanne."

What about me?

"Oh, well. Nobody could be you. Not a lot of Andalite actors. You could do it."

Ax was silent for a minute. No. I couldn't.

I didn't get that he was starting to get serious. "Why not? Camera shy?"
No. I'm not going back to Earth. I'm going back to my planet.

That was a bit of a shocker. "Oh. You're… Yeah, I guess that was stupid. I don't know why, I just kinda figured you'd be going back with us." Ax didn't say anything. He just stood there, averting all four of his eyes. "Ax?"

Marco, I met someone.

I didn't understand what he meant for a while. Then it hit me. "Oh. Who? When?"

His name in Tarula. He's a pilot. We met at a seminar on a new line of ships. He's a little older than me, but I love him. And he loves me.

"So that's why you're going back."

Yes. I haven't seen him in over a year. I'd like to get back.

"Oh, well. That's good for you. How do the Andalites handle all of… that?"

Good. Pretty good. Better than humans.

"Good. Well, I'm doing pretty good too."

No, you're not.

"What?"

I've been keeping track of you Marco. You go from girl to girl to model, never keeping one for very long. They're all pretty and famous, but they don't know you. They can't, because you're still lying to them. You're lying to everyone you know. You're even lying to you.

Marco, you are a wonderful person. You are handsome, loyal, loving, and especially funny. But you can't even acknowledge something so simple in yourself. You're gay, Marco. It's part of who you are. But it's not everything.

Everybody already knows the rest of you. Why can't you show them that too? It's only love, Marco. It's nothing to be scared of.

I need to go tell Prince Jake my decision.

He turned and started to walk away. "Wait, Ax." He stopped and turned to face me. "Before you go.

"I, uh…"

Ax did that little Andalite eye smile I love so much. I know, Marco. Me too.

And then he left.

We got to the Andalite home world very quick and I had to say my final goodbyes to the Ax-man. It took us forever to get home. And I had a long time to think about everything Ax had said, and to realize how right he was.

When I got back to my mansion I wandered around the halls for a while before finally stopping. I grabbed a phone book and dialed the number I found.

"Hello, National Enquirer. This is Debra speaking, how may I help you?"

"Hi. This is Marco. The Animorph. I've got a story I think you guys might be interested in."