Okami06 - Thank you very very much for the compliments! Very happy to hear you enjoy them! Ace is the absolute most adorable being in existence, the crazyness just adds to his charm. And yes! Birdy Marco is funny to see haha, he's a good birdy!

Witch68 - he was scares for a moment yes! But all was well in the end. Ace is really the cutest, innocent, cinnamon bun there is. Santa will definitely give him a present since he's a good kid! (No one dares to tell him he's fake!)

I have no summary for this... This is a crack fic, kind of. That simply came into existence becouse i saw a fanart of Thatch and Marco. Thatch had a hairy chest, i realised a lot of people draw him hairy (i blame the voluminous pompadour, gives the impression of healthy hair follicles) yet... Marco's chest is always smooth. So... He must shave it... Right?

"So..." Izou started, stirring his drink as he watched the flaming duo that was definitely not making out next to him. "Remind me how you two got together again?"

"Marco asked me out. I said yes." Ace stated as a matter of fact after separating himself from the blond who's lap he's sitting on.

A sigh left the geisha, "yes, that would be a very logical step in the process Ace, thank you very much. But what were the steps before?"

"Steps before?"

"We've always loved each other-yoi. Natural attraction, and then I asked him out."

"hmm, after months of pining I assume?"

"Ye-"

"Don't bullshit me, Marco. I'm happy for you two, don't get me wrong, but you guys were simply best friends. No pining. No flirty looks. No dates. And then after breakfast one morning you're suddenly the cutest couple on the whole ship! And I want to know how! What happened, what changed?"

Ace scratched his neck, cheeks growing pink, "well... there may have been one event that influenced us... a lot."

"I guess... you may be right-yoi..."

While he had been the one asking, Izou actually never expected an answer, the duo always seemed to avoid it, so naturally he was at the edge of his seat in an instant. "Tell me all about it."

Reaching out a hand, Ace seemed to touch Marco's heart, the blond's hand instantly moving to lay on top of it, "I guess it started with..."

A few months ago, in the mess hall of a famous whale shaped ship.

"whrmhs mrhaco?"

"Gods Ace, please, swallow before you speak, no one needs to see every single breakfast item in one go."

Like the gentleman he is, the raven did swallow, a bulge moving down his throat the proof.

"You could have chewed more first, you barbarian."

"Where's Marco?" He ignored the insult, very used to hearing so it was nothing special.

"Probably working on paperwork."

"But it's breakfast."

"Yea? Since when has that stopped him?" - "You know how he is, Ace."

"But... did he even come to get his coffee?"

The other glanced around the table if anyone knew, Ace did have a point. Their local turkey did come and get a cup of coffee every morning, even when he skipped breakfast.

"He didn't. His thermos I make for him was still in the kitchen when I checked, which was like 5 minutes ago before I came to eat. And, that can't be called coffee anymore, it's more like sugar with a dressing of coffee."

"He didn't come?" the second commander sounded the tiniest bit worried for his friend, "I'll bring it to him!" Jumping up he ran to the kitchen to retrieve Marco's drink. He could bring it, and check on his wellbeing.

"Ace! Don't you enter my kitch-…."

"You really need to be faster than that, Thatch-dear, that kid literally propels himself forward with fire."

"As long as he doesn't break or steal anything, we're g-"

CRASH

"God freaking damni-"

"I GOT IT!" Ace skipped out of the kitchen, a chicken leg dangling from his mouth and a thermos in hand, "Thank you, Thatch! I'll be back! And oh, lunch is tasting amazing already!"

Before the chef could even complain Ace was already out of the room, and from the empty bone that suddenly dropped on Ace's plate from somewhere, the chicken was already eaten too...

"Marcooo! Marcoo! Open up! I got your sugar coffee!"

…

Strange... Ace thought standing in front of Marco's room, he should be in his room... Well, he'll let himself in then. And no! It's not rude, it's called 'best friend privileges'.

Entering he found no one in the room, the light on Marco's desk wasn't even on so he hadn't been working on paperwork either. Was something wrong? Was he hurt? Where was-

"Yoi! Stupid, idiotic, freaking ra-"

"MARCO! ARE YOU OKAY?!" Hearing cursing from the attached bathroom Ace broke down the door to enter, not even checking if it was actually locked. No time if Marco was in danger... which seemed not... he was just... they were now staring at each other...

"..."

"..."

"Ace-yoi."

"Marco."

"What... Are you doing here?"

"Bringing you coffee."

"... Thanks..."

"No problem..."

"..."

"..."

"Is that a razor?" Ace pointed to Marco's hand, and probably the reason he was cursing.

"Maybe."

"?" why would he say maybe? Was it, or was it not? It looked like one. "Is it... not working?"

"... It's not..."

"Let me see." Ace put the thermos on the sink and grabbed the item out of Marco's hand, carefully inspecting it. "The blade is broken?" There seemed to be a small crack down the middle.

"I know-yoi, I was trying to replace it."

Humming Ace nodded and tried to remove the blade, turning the screw that held it in place, only for nothing to happen, "There's something wrong with the thread, I think. Since the head seems to be alright. I can look at it later if you want, maybe I can burn it out."

"Thank you, Ace, that would be very kind of you."

"Did you still need it now?", By his opinion and quick scan, Marco did seem to be finished shaving already, or well, his chin stubble still there, but it was like it always was.

After a minute of silence Marco answered, "Yes-yoi..."

This made Ace quirk up an eyebrow. Like he said, or thought to himself, the other seemed shaved. Face was in order, his sidecuts were clean and looked freshly trimmed, his legs and armpits were the same hairiness as always, so why? Why did he still need it?

Squinting his eyes he carefully examined Marco's whole being. Looking down he started to point only for Marco to slap his hand away.

"I'm not shaving there, you idiot."

Okay, no smoothness down there then... but wh-…. He took a step forward and reached a hand out again, only for Marco to take a step back. Strange. He quickly followed up and put a hand on Marco's left pectoral. Gently moving fingers over it before moving his hand to the right one... Moments later he added a second hand, now one on each pec, softly rubbing them over the flesh. They felt... different?

"Ace-yoi …. Can you like... not stroke my pe-"

"shh, Marco, I'm thinking."

Really staring at each pec, he moved in closer, almost touching the flesh with his face, how did one's pecs feel different, yet look the sa- !

"Marco."

"No."

"Marco."

"Don't."

"You shave your pecs?"

"..."

"I do it too, you know, kind off, why are you denying it. Did you think I am this smooth, and handsome, without work?"

"... I shave them."

"And you only got to finish one before the blade broke."

"I only got to finish one before it broke-yoi."

Ace thought for a moment, if he shaved his torso... "Are you shaving your abbs too?"

"No."

"Huh? Why not?"

"My shirt covers it."

True, the blond often had a few buttons of his shirt shut. "Your clothes don't cover your legs."

"..."

"Yet you don't shave them."

"There's no tattoo there-yoi."

"What?"

"... Pop's mark. It's only my chest."

Ace made a sound of recognition and awed inwardly, Marco kept his chest clean of hairs to make sure his tattoo looked good!

While Ace was suddenly smiling softly, Marco on the other hand let out a sigh, bringing hand up himself to slightly pull at tiny hairs. "What do I do now? I can't go out like this, Pop's tattoo is only halfway cleared up and... I'm half hairy half not."

"I don't think Pops would mind though."

"I do..."

"I can help."

"Thank you, Ace, but I can't lend your razor, it's unsanitary."

"I don't use a razor."

Marco looked confused, "What? But you said you shaved too?"

"I said that I shaved, kind of."

"Then?"

"I just do this." Ace snapped his fingers, a small spark coming of it.

The next instant a wave of fire went over Marco's chest, making the blond jump back even if it didn't hurt him, he hadn't expected this.

He patted at the flames as he looked stunned to the second commander, "What the hell Ace!?"

"There. All clean."

"What?"

"Your pecs. They should be good now."

Looking down Marco indeed didn't see any hairs anymore. "What?" he brushed a finger over the area he knew had hairs just seconds ago. It felt smooth. And the other side... It was even smoother than before. "What did you do?" Even with having the best razor on the seas, and years and years of practice, one never could get THIS smooth with just a blade.

"I burned it off."

"Burned it off-yoi?"

"Yea. It was an accident the first time. I burned off Skull's eyebrows and then I thought 'hey! Maybe I can do this on purpose!'. Not to Skull's eyebrows! Geez Marco, have more faith in me. To myself, myself!" He patted his own chest, "I also always shaved like you, but it was bothersome, hated it. But since that day I just make my fire go Wooooosh and it's all gone. Look!" He lifted his arm, showing his armpit, a difficult area to fully get hairless with a razor.

Marco inched closer, touching it. "It's... as if there's never even been hair before."

"I know right! Wait wait, I'll do yours too, raise your arms!"

Even if he didn't mind his armpit hair, he did raise his arms, and with another snap of the fingers... gone... it was all gone. It was as smooth as a baby's bumm.

"Marry me."

"What?"

"Ace." Marco smiled and went down on one knee in front of Ace, taking one of his hands, "Marry me."

Ace was stunned, Marco looked... so honest, so determinate, so... in love... He looked kind of cute... nice...h-handsome. Blushing Ace put his free hand on his own cheek. "Ehm, maybe, maybe we should start out as boyfriends... before getting married."

Marco's smile got brighter and he stood up, now taking both of Ace's hands in his own, "Boyfriends-yoi?"

Shyly Ace squeezed Marco's hands and nodded, "B-boyfriends."

"... No... You've got to be kidding me!"

"Why would we?"

Izou looked flabbergasted at the duo, Ace still having his head cutely cocked to the side from his question.

"You two got together because, because you-" he pointed at Marco, "Because Ace shaved you?"

"It was a magical moment-yoi. Wasn't it, love?" Marco turned to Ace, eyes full of adoration. Adoration that Ace returned in the next second, moving his hand over Marco's smooth pec. Not his heart, Izou was sure of that now. "It was."

"... This whole boat is made up of idiots..."