In which Marco hides a part of his life,
and Ace believes the worst has come to light.
There was only one thing Ace feared in this world, and it's name was Marco. More precisely his boyfriend, Marco. They'd been dating for two years and Ace had just graduated college. The ceremony had been last week.
Marco didn't show up.
In fact, he had been missing for a week. Ace was terrified. What if something horrible had happened to him while Ace was walking on a stage being handed some fucking meaningless award. He'd called him nearly twenty times today. The first two days he didn't show up, Ace thought he was over at one of his brothers' houses and dismissed it, only sending a 'I miss you' text. But when he didn't show up on the third day, Ace called Marco and, when he didn't get a reply, called Marco's brothers. Only Curiel answered and of course it was to say that he didn't have a clue as to where Marco was.
Ace was pacing around his house. He'd called the police day five, but had yet to hear a word from them. Ace knew he shouldn't expect a thing from them, seeing as he was the son of one of the world's greatest criminals. Probably thought this was their way of getting revenge for their country, by not helping the bastard's son find his fucking boyfriend. Ace needed to calm down, but he couldn't. He was a wreck.
Marco would do this sometimes. He would disappear for a few days and come back looking like hell. He would usually be wrapped in bandages or the like, but would always say that it was nothing. Ace didn't need to worry about it. Marco was fine. Ace feared that one day, he wouldn't come back. This was the longest Marco had ever been gone and that scared him. Ace didn't think he'd be able to handle losing Marco. He opened up his heart to another person, something he had only done with two others, and fell in love. He loved Marco, and that's why he was so scared of him.
He was terrified that he would have to see his heart get crushed again. Watch someone he loved more than anything be carted off with a sheet over their face. That the police would say it was an accident that the fire started even though they knew very well it was an attempt at Ace's life that had gone wrong and killed his adoptive brother instead-
Ace sacked in a deep breath. He needed to push Sabo out of his mind. That wasn't helping anything. He had sat down, stopped pacing, but Ace's mind was racing. That's it, he was going to look for him. He didn't have a clue to go off, but Ace shot from the seat anyway. The door opened simultaneously.
Marco.
Ace leapt at his boyfriend, uncaring of his watering eyes, and wrapped his arms around him. "Marco I thought…" The blond returned the embrace and rubbed his back.
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Marco pulled back and gave Ace a fond smile. "Geez I thought you hated crybabies." Ignoring Ace's remark to shut up, he gave his boyfriend as kiss and made his way over to the kitchen. He tried his best to steady his gait, but it didn't escape the eyes of the younger male.
"Are you limping?!" Ace yelled, pulling Marco into a chair. The older man groaned. "No, no, no! No groaning! No telling me it was nothing, or that you're ffine, or that I s-shouldn't worry about it! What the fuck were you doing?! Where the hell were you?! I was worried sick about you! I come home from my graduation ceremony- which you didn't come to, even though you promised-"
"I-"
"No excuses! I come home and find an empty house! No text, no note, nothing to tell me where you've gone! I have to call every single one of your brothers and only one answers me and even he doesn't know where you are! I think your dead! I thought th-that you'd were lying in a d-ditch somewhere and that I didn't even get to say goodbye…" Ace's head was hanging forward, eyes trained on the ground. His fists and teeth were clenched as tears streamed from his eyes. "You're breaking my heart Marco… I don't want to come home someday and find out that you died th-th-three days ago and I did-didn't know because you don't tell me things…"
Marco sat there bug eyed as he took in Ace's words. Guilt flooded through him and he bit down on his lip. Forgive me Pops, but I'm going to have to break your rule.
Don't tell anyone outsides of the family of your activities. Even family and friends. Unless you think that they'd be willing to risk their life on a day to day basis, it would be better to leave them out of it.
"I'm part of a mafia. Whitebeard's mafia." Silence hung in the air. Ace looked up at Marco with surprise, dry tears staining his cheeks. "We were told not to tell anyone because then they'd be involved. Their life would be at risk and I didn't want to risk your. I didn't realize… I would have told you sooner, I just didn't want you getting hu-"
"SCREW THAT!" Ace shouted, griping Marco shoulders. "I don't care if it's stupid, or boring, or fucking life-threatening! If there's something eating at you, or you're scared, or your life is in danger, I want to know about it! You can tell me anything. If you're being stupid, I'll tell you. If your life is on the line, I'm gonna stand right next to you and fire bullets at the dumb fuck who decided that he wants my boyfriend dead! I love you Marco. More than anything else in the world, I love you! So trust me, when I say that I'm gonna stand by your side until death do us part, I fucking mean it!"
Marco could only stare. Ace probably couldn't realize it, but he was shining like the sun, the moon, and all the stars combined. Marco relished in the thought that this man was his. He smiled and gave Ace a hug. "You're right, I'm sorry. I promise I won't keep anything from you." A thought passed through his head and he grinned pulling back to look in Ace's eyes. "I'm gonna stand by your side till death do us part… Was that a proposal?"
The blush that spread across Ace's face had Marco barking out a laugh, clutching his sides. "I don't know… Is that a yes?" Marco stopped laughing and looked at Ace's timid expression. He didn't hesitate before replying.
"Of course." The smile that stretched across his boyfri- fiancés -face cleared any doubt that may have been there, and Marco could honestly say that he wouldn't marry any other man. "I guess that means I'll have to introduce you to Pops."
"Pops? You mean Whitebeard?! Oh god, what'll I wear?! I haven't got my suit dry cleaned yet!"
Once again Marco laughed. "No need to get so worked up. Geez, did you think all mafia men wore suits twenty-four seven?"
"…No."
"What in God's name gave you that thought?!" Marco was sure of it. Whitebeard would love him.
The two men stood at the altar, priest's words escaping their hearing, and stared into each other's eyes.
"Do you, Marco Newgate, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do."
"And do you, Ace Gol, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
"I do. Or do I?" Marco kicked him in the shin, causing many on the crowd to laugh. "Ow! Ok, ok! I was joking, promise! I do! I do… I really do."
"Then I now pronounce you married. You may kiss."
And they did.
Later, after the partying had started, Marco flicked him on the forehead. "Nice stunt, idiot."
Ace grinned. "Oh, c'mon. You know you love me!"
"You've got me! I guess I can be glad you aren't the biggest idiot around, I mean Thatch is somewhere at this party so…"
"Someone mention my name?" Marco groaned. Ace laughed. Thatch looked confused.
They'd had their ups and downs. They'd seen hell and come back stronger. Ace knew things wouldn't be perfect. There would be plenty of times they almost got killed, but right now, looking at the smile hidden within Marco's groan, Ace couldn't help but think that everything was going to be fine. As long as he had Marco by his side.
A gunshot ran through the air. In an instant everyone from Marco's 'family' and surprisingly everyone from Luffy's 'crew' took out guns. Ace could hear the thunderous voice of Marco's father. "You come to me on the day my son is to be married and challenge me! You're a hundred years to young to challenge me brat!"
Gunshots pounce around the area and Ace ducks behind a wall. It's not that he's scared, he just didn't bring a gun. He didn't think he'd need one. As a shot bounced off the other side of the wall, Ace promised that he would remember to bring one from now on. He watched as Marco and his family danced around the room, dodging gunshots and enemies as they fired back with absolute precision. One of Marco's brothers, Izuo, paused by him and flashed him a toothy grain as he fired back at the other mafia.
"Welcome to the family!"
