Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece

The two were currently still at the docks of Saké Island, waiting for the Log Pose to set. Marco felt as if this was the longest twenty four hours of his life, it felt as if he had been waiting for that damned Log Pose for a week already with all that happened on this alcohol filled island.

After their little spat, Marco had healed himself completely then immediately began applying first aid to Aiko, dressing all her wounds as best he could and using the effective salves given to them. Once he was sure she wouldn't suddenly die on him he went out to see the town. He had given the townspeople all of the money they had received from Velveteen Island so that they could rebuild, not really caring all that much since they still had the gems they got from the Rice Kingdom. He helped clear the streets of most of the unconscious Marines and Pirates lying around, luckily they hadn't hurt any locals in their little tussle.

No one bothered him because he had given way more than what it would cost to rebuild this town, or it could have also been because he was a feared pirate. Now that he thought about it, it was probably the latter. By the time he got back to Aiko she was awake, fresh from a shower and applying more of the salve on the already healing bruises. He had to admit, they had an extremely good doctor. His medicine worked like a charm.

So now, here they were. Waiting another two hours for the Log Pose to set so that they could head off to Peak Runner Island.

"OOOWWWW MOTHERFUC-!" Aiko yelped, not even able to finish her swearing from the stinging pain. Marco just fixed her broken nose, cracking the thing back in place with no warning whatsoever.

"Stop complaining, yoi. It's the last one." Marco reprimanded as he began rubbing the salve that Aiko had gotten from Rho before the start of their mission on the bruises decorating her face.

"You almost killed me." Aiko grumbled with a grimace.

"You weren't exactly aiming for any non-lethal spots, yoi." Marco shot back, checking the bandages over her left arm, before moving to bandage her forehead.

"I hate your healing." Aiko said with disdain as she looked at his perfectly healed figure. Her words made the Phoenix smirk.

"It's not my fault your ugly right now." Came the blunt reply.

Aiko gaped at him.

GAPED.

"IT'S DEFINITELY YOUR FAULT!" She yelled loudly, Marco swore everyone on Saké Island heard her. She hit his sternum straight with her Haki, gauntlet nowhere in sight and he took it head on, not letting his face contort in pain at the bones he felt fracture before his blue flames licked away the damage.

"I was joking, yoi." He muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose as she continued glaring at him, grumbling obscenities that would have hurt him had his ego been less resilient. She suddenly grabbed his wrist and without any warning or reason, snapped it. The blond gave her a hard glare, not showing any signs of pain as he let his blue flames go over the area. "Stop hitting me, you need to rest."

"Oi, what's with that 'no reaction?'" She mumbled, "Didn't I just break you wrist? You're just going on as if nothing happened."

"Go to bed." He said, completely ignoring her. "You need rest."

"You need to put on a shirt." She said with a huff. The man was half naked now that his precious jacket was torn, which she didn't really mind, but he couldn't walk in the town like that. He just couldn't. Marco sighed reluctantly and to Aiko's utter surprise actually followed her advice and put on a shirt. An actual, legitimate, shirt. It was the same eye catching purple, but it was a shirt. "I don't think I've ever actually seen you wear a shirt… it's… unnerving."

He shrugged, answering simply, "I don't like covering the mark." He then pointed with a finger towards his torn purple jacket on the table in their shared room next to a small sewing kit. "You're fixing that, yoi."

She smiled widely and nodded.

"All right, Hon." Marco said to the fuming woman, handing her two small tonics, one that would put her to sleep and the other for the pain. Without asking what it was for, she drank them both right after the other, in one go. Her face scrunching up in disgust right after doing so. The blond placed his hand on her good shoulder and the other at her hip, pushing her form down on the sheets as he sat by her side. "Time for bed, yoi."

"It's too early for bed." She murmured, eyes already half closed as she snuggled deeper into the pillow under her. It smelled an awful lot like him. He grabbed her dressed hand, running his fingers along the bandages. He wasn't a doctor, but he knew enough for her to heal without problem.

"Rest for a while." He said quietly, watching as she desperately tried to keep her eyes open. "Leave the ship to me, yoi. I'll get her ready to set sail."

Aiko nodded slightly, relieved that he was so capable. Then again, he wasn't the first division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates for nothing. She could feel the pull of sleep lulling her to its side as she stayed in that blissful state of conscious and unconscious. Just as she was about to drift off, she could have sworn she felt something brush against her lips.

Marco walked around the port of Saké Island, he had just finished pouring the most expensive sake he could find over Gin's grave in place of Aiko. Apologizing for her for not being there to do it herself and for bringing a fight into the town. He had spent his time there, telling him what had happened and telling stories of how he and Aiko first met and how they continued to do so over the years. He didn't really know what he was doing, he just continued to talk. Something he wasn't all that known for. But, the grave sitting there under that old tree looked so forgotten, so lonely. He doubted others even knew it was a grave; and the way he had seen Aiko brushing her face against it as if it was the most precious thing in the world had him unable to just quietly leave. So, he sat there speaking to it, wondering if the one that treasured Aiko so much as a child was even listening to him.

He hoped so.

After his visit, he began watching the townspeople busy at work. Some were ordering the Foxy Pirates around as they were forced to help rebuild the city. Marco had blackmailed them quite easily, saying how he had saved them from a trip to prison. He let the mayor of the town do with them what he wished until the place was finished being rebuilt, then the mayor would provide them with a ship so that they could set sail. It wasn't really a bad deal for those pirates, at least they'd be getting a new ship. The Phoenix made sure not to leave the docks, keeping Tofu in his sights at all times. He had been watching the sun slowly rise for the past hour, reminding him that he had not slept all night. The Log Pose would set in the afternoon, he was sure Aiko would be sleeping late into the night because he had given her a rather potent tonic. One he usually gave Pops when his illness would catch up to him.

The thought of the passionate kiss she gave him right before punching the shit out of him entered his mind. He'd definitely taste those lips again as revenge for the shit she pulled.

"Marco!" He turned at the sound of his name being called, seeing a head of dark red brown hair as the unpleasing visage of Shima entered his vision, the man getting closer with each step he took. He had the urge to sigh loudly, but refrained from doing so. "So… I didn't think the ones in the newspapers were you two."

Marco watched as Shima shifted, embarrassed. This was always something he didn't understand. How could people not tell it was them? They looked exactly like their pictures. Exactly like them. Did their brains just completely deny the possibility that they would come across such big shot pirates? This was the Grand Line. New World or not, they were bound to come across some big names in their lives sooner or later.

"About that…" Marco began, observant eyes noticing how much taller he was than the man before him. Then again, not many were taller than him, not even Ace. "Sorry about the town, yoi."

He looked surprised for a moment before saying, "Ah! This town needed some modernization anyway." He laughed a bit, now he at least knew the truth behind the blond and Aiko. Were they enemies or were they really travelling together to elope like what the news kept saying? He wanted to know. So badly wanted to know, but he made sure to be careful with his words. "Did you and Aiko get into an argument?"

"Something like that, yoi." Marco answered with a shrug, rubbing his chest as if it still ached. "That punch of hers is something else."

Shima's eyes widened, who got into an argument and completely wrecked an entire town? Plus, deal with a bunch of pirates and Marines in the process? Could the Aiko he once ran around and played with as a child actually do something like keep up with the first division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates? It seemed almost surreal.

"W-Wh-Where is she now?" He asked, hating the fact that he stuttered in front of the intimidating man who was regarding him with bored eyes.

"Why, yoi?" Came the quick reply, an impossibly arched eyebrow rising even higher to give him a look that had him swallowing the dry lump in his throat.

"W-Well, I-I thought I'd go and see her b-be-before you two l-l-left."

"She's resting, unlike me she can't heal instantly, yoi." Marco said, immediately denying his request. "I put her to sleep some time ago, she doesn't need unnecessary disturbances."

"B-But—" The protest died in his throat, he had so much to say, but for some reason it wouldn't leave his mouth. What was the blond to her anyway? For this pirate to deny him, Shima, her childhood friend, the right to see her and worry about her wellbeing. He was the one that hurt her and yet he could so easily call him an unnecessary disturbance? His cocky demeanor pissed Shima off, he was a grown man damnit and that meant he could see whoever he pleased, it's not like they were married or anything, in fact, all the things he said back in the bar were probably lies.

"Look, yoi." Marco began, he could feel the hostility of the man towards him. It was beyond irritating, especially since Shima was the one that came up to him. "As if I'd let someone like you go and see her. She did tell me about her childhood."

"What do you know?!" Shima quickly snapped, somehow forgetting that he was speaking to a man largely regarded as one of the strongest in the world for the past two decades. "I was a kid, okay?! A kid whose friends hated Aiko! If I didn't lie back then I'd be the outcast! Do you think I don't regret all those things back then?! HAH?!"

The man was fuming and Marco could feel the eyes of a few locals staring at them. He kept his usual composed face though, not giving away a thing and not giving into the annoyance that surged through him at the man's words.

"You've got some nice excuses, yoi." He could see the anger reignite in Shima's eyes. Marco's next words were blunt and scalding, completely merciless, his tone hostile. But, through it all, he was able to keep a neutral face in the way only he could pull. "Live with them your whole life because as long as she's with me you'll never see her. Did you think everything I said in that bar was a lie? She's mine, yoi. Left in my care. So, I get to decide who gets to see her and who doesn't."

Shima's eyes widened at the statement and he opened his mouth to protest only to be cut off. Marco swore that this day was the most he'd ever spoken continuously without interruption, first to Gin then to this grown man acting like a teenage brat.

"Who do you think I am, yoi?" Marco bit out, using the authoritative voice he used to reprimand idiots placed in his division. "I'm not some forgiving idiotic pirate. I'm Whitebeard's first division commander and I don't let anyone that I don't trust near my family."

The Phoenix didn't know where the word family came from, but it felt right to use it. At least he was certain that Aiko wasn't around to hear him or else she'd definitely tease and bring up his Pops' order that he had once jokingly agreed to see through.

Shima was glaring at him, completely speechless and completely powerless against the blond commander. Marco was about to side step the annoying man and leave, but once again his name was called and when he turned to see who it was this time, he let the sigh he'd been holding back come out full force. There, with stupid grins on their faces was Ruhi and Thatch.

"Yo!" Ruhi greeted -thankfully wearing men's clothing- as he and Thatch came up to the blond commander. The young brown haired boy was gazing in wonder at the place, his first time on an island without chains holding him back.

"What are you doing here, yoi?" Marco asked, raising an eyebrow at the duo. He just wanted the damn Log Pose to set already.

"We're here to reopen trade, we plan on using our rice fields again and we thought about negotiating with Saké Island." Ruhi explained, though he had on a grin that indicated that he really didn't know much about what he was doing. "They always need extra rice for their saké after all."

Marco nodded slightly in understanding, he watched from the corner of his eye as Shima stormed off back into the town. "Oh! Sorry! Did we interrupt something?" Ruhi suddenly asked, his eyes on Shima's retreating form, the man spouting curses as he walked back into town and away from their sights.

"Nothing, yoi." Marco answered with a shrug, hopefully that idiot wouldn't think of doing something stupid out of spite.

"If you say so." Ruhi didn't bother prying and quickly dropped the subject, before he let out a long whistle as he stared at the glory that was once Saké Island. "Maaaaan, this place is a dump."

"Their renovating, seems there was some kind of fight here." Marco supplied as to why the place looked horrible at the moment. He didn't say that he and Aiko were the reason for this place's total destruction though. That would just lead to question he didn't feel like answering, especially with the annoying conversation he just had with a certain man.

"That so…" Ruhi's voice trailed off, before he exclaimed. "That reminds me! About that girl! You know, the one back at home?!"

Marco raised an eyebrow at the sudden topic change, "What about her, yoi?"

"She's not digging him." Thatch answered with a huge grin as Ruhi clamped his hand over his mouth repeatedly telling him to shut up. But that didn't work because as soon as the little guy was free of his hand he continued, "He tried your suggestions, but always ends up blowing it and stuttering."

Marco closed his eyes in amusement, schooling the smirk threatening to leave his lips. "Well, you could, and I know this is a radical suggestion…" The Phoenix said as sarcastically as he could, "Oh, I don't know, yoi. Be a man."

Thatch openly laughed as Ruhi began to sputter nonsense.

A comfortable atmosphere settling between the three.

"Uhm…" Thatch pulled on the hem of Marco's shirt to get his attention. Ruhi rolled his eyes at the totally different attitude the kid had when in front of the blond pirate. "Aiko? Where's Aiko?"

"She's sleeping right now, yoi." Marco explained and the kid seemed to deflate, his mannerisms reminding him so much of his late brother whenever Marco told him that he couldn't help him pick up some women. Reminded him so much that it hurt. "Did you want to see her?"

He nodded eagerly, brown hair getting in his eyes.

"She's a bit unresponsive right now, yoi. It won't be good to disturb her." Marco told the kid, feeling a bit guilty about not letting him see her. If they saw her in the state she was in now, they'd definitely worry needlessly over the woman. Marco didn't want the kid to be worrying so much over her and bring Ruhi's spirit down with him, especially since they had something important to do on this island.

"Is everything alright?" Ruhi asked with a quiet voice as if he wasn't sure if he should have been asking such a thing.

"Yea." Was the simple response. "Did you want me to give her anything, yoi?" Marco asked, his focus on the small Thatch that seemed was in his own little depressed world at the thought of not being able to see Aiko even though she was so close.

"A kiss!" Thatch said with the innocence of a child.

"HAH?!" Ruhi immediately shouted as Marco just continued staring at the kid. He was looking up at the Phoenix with determined eyes, did this kid not know what it meant for two older people to kiss? Or did he and he was actually some super evil mastermind like his late brother and wanted Marco to admit feelings that weren't there? No. It couldn't be. The blond was just thinking way too much into this. But, then again, Thatch's couldn't be underestimated. That was a known fact, one all Whitebeard Pirates knew.

"You wanna take her from me, kid?" Marco asked with that usual indifferent mask. Roger, help him. Just how many suitors did he have to talk to or chase away today? Who was next? Akagami? He already spoke to Gin, chased away Shima and now some little brat was contending with him for Aiko's affection. As if he could win too. It was cute and at the same time annoying beyond belief.

Thatch only nodded resolutely.

Marco shrugged broad shoulders. "You could try, yoi. But I'm quite serious."

"So am I!" The small Thatch said with a fire burning bright in his eyes. A fire Marco used to see in his fellow commander.

The Phoenix smirked, "Then come after me and beat me, yoi." He could see Ruhi's surprised face from the corner of his eyes. "I'm Phoenix Marco, remember that name, kid."

"I won't lose!" Thatch said, complete with a nod of his head. The power he could feel just coming from the blonde in front of him was amazing. He wanted to beat him, but at the same time was awed by his mere presence. It was as if the tall blond was in a completely different league, a league he wanted to be in as equals.

Marco grinned to himself, ruffling the young boy's hair, before turning with a hand raised in farewell. Saying one last thing as he walked off.

"I'll be waiting for you, yoi."

Marco walked into their shared room, he had just finished setting the ship up. The two were now officially on their way to Peak Runner Island. He was extremely pleased that they were, because that damned twenty four hour stay at Saké Island felt like an eternity. They lost a bunch of money too.

The blond took off his annoying shirt, not used to the feeling of being fully clothed. He threw the thing over the small table that sat in the middle of their room, before making his way to the sleeping Aiko. Sitting on the mattress by her side as he rearranged her position, so that she wasn't putting pressure on any of her more serious injuries. He watched her as she began to squirm. As if she could feel his presence beside her. His presence that she always had to react to.

"Ma…r…co." Aiko called. Said man immediately snapped his head towards her, her eyes were half open and she was trying to find him. Obviously, still groggy from the tonic. She tried to get up only for the Phoenix commander to immediately try to make her lay back down, her stubbornness causing him to fail and instead, he ended up helping her into a sitting position. Her half lidded honey eyes were still drowsy as her body ached in protest at her sudden movements, obviously still in need of rest.

"I told you to rest, yoi." He said in a low voice, hoping that she'd just give into the damn tonic and go to sleep. She was practically leaning on him already, her breathing deep and slow.

She spoke slowly and choppily. "D…did we l…le…leav—"

Marco cut her off the moment he got what she was saying, not wanting her to speak any more than necessary. "We just left, yoi. I handled everything." He said in her ear, her head completely falling onto his shoulder. "You can go back to sleep. I'll wake you soon."

"G…Gi—"

"I went to see him for you, yoi. I brought sake and everything." He reassured her and the hot breath of relief she let out over his neck, spread a shiver throughout his body. He was slightly regretting taking off that purple shirt now. Especially with her lithe body so close and pressed against him in an all too tempting way, her current vulnerability only added to the temptation. "So go back to sleep, you need to rest." He tried again, hoping she wouldn't be needlessly stubborn, he didn't want to do anything to her that he'd regret.

"Do I… get… breakfast in b…bed?" She teased, mind becoming more coherent as she focused on speaking to the Phoenix.

"Whatever you want, yoi." He said into her hair, moving her fragile frame carefully so that she was once again lying down on her back. He touched her forehead to check for any signs of a fever, before fiddling with the bandages on her shoulder. He wondered if his talons would leave a scar, a twisted part of him hoped they would. So she'd have something –even if it was an ugly scar- to remember him by once this mission was over. A part of him was almost disappointed that he couldn't get any scars, nothing to remember their little fight together.

"Ph…Phoenix…"

"Stop being stubborn and go to sleep." He scolded, he probably should have been taking that very same advice. He hadn't slept yet and he could feel his lazy side taking over.

She yawned and closed her eyes. "Tell me… a story… hot stuff."

He looked down at her, watching as she tried to fight a losing battle with sleep.

"Well…" He began, saying the first story that came to mind, without a care for how stupid it was. "Me, Thatch, Ace an' Vista once had a drinking contest, yoi. I don't know how many barrels we had, four dozen at least. I was pretty wasted, yoi. Next thing I know Ace begins picking a fight, letting this pillar of flame out and completely toasting the main sai—"

Marco stopped himself when he saw Aiko sleeping peacefully, watching her chest rise up and down in slow motion. He hoped she'd heal quickly. It wouldn't do if they suddenly ran into Ace and she wasn't in top form. He was about to lay down by her side to get his own much needed shut eye, but his head immediately snapped up towards the West. He had felt a presence nearing, a powerful one. With a sigh, he stood, not bothering to grab his shirt as he made his way out the door and onto the deck. Body alert and at the ready, fully prepared for the oncoming threat.

Lethargic eyes spotted a ship in the distance, his body instinctively tensing at the legendary figure of a man standing on the deck. New World or Paradise that man's face was a sight he never wanted to see.

A/N: I want to clarify that Marco won the last fight. MARCO WON! He can heal and Aiko passed out so MARCO WON. Ooo, lots of action next chapter :DD This isn't an early April Fools prank yo! This is a legit update!

Go to my profile and check "Announcements" if you haven't already. Its important, yo. I'm gonna make a livejournal soon where you guys can see previews of stories and one shots and stuff.

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