Ace woke up in a cold sweat. He couldn't believe he'd had that dream again. It was ridiculous. Fire had almost killed him, but he hadn't died. He'd thought that he'd gotten over it, but something today had triggered the nightmare. He couldn't explain to others about his nightmares. He couldn't explain adequately about how his nightmares were feelings and sounds. He could feel the heat of the fire, could feel it licking at his skin, and eating away at his flesh. People who could see just couldn't fathom a dream without pictures.

Ace moved carefully so as not to wake up Luffy. He walked silently through the ship, and made his way to the galley. He and Luffy had been on board the Moby Dick for a day. Everyone had been very welcoming, but there was one guy that neither he nor Lu liked. His presence was dark, and his laughter was edge-setting.

Ace entered the galley and grabbed a cup of water. It felt wonderfully cool going down his throat. He closed his eyes and a small sound of appreciation escaped him. He finished his drink and then exited the galley. He thought about making his way back to the room where he'd left Lu, but instead he turned at walked to the smooth whale head figure at the prow of the ship. He sat down close to the edge, and lay on his back. He enjoyed the idea of looking up at the stars, even though he couldn't see them. It was an activity that he'd always done with Luffy. His brother was always ready to tell him about what he saw.

Ace felt someone move to stand beside him. The presence was strong, he wondered if the sensation "bright" was like this. It was overpowering, and yet soothing. It felt warm, and he just wanted to stay by it. He'd felt the presence around him throughout the day, but he hadn't learned the name of the person. He moved his eyes up to the person. "Who are you?" he asked.

"My name is Marco yoi." The presence said. "May I sit next to you?" he asked.

Ace motioned to a spot beside him, and he heard the person sit. "You feel different than the others on the ship." Ace said.

He heard a chuckle, "That is probably because of my devil fruit yoi. I am a Phoenix." Marco said.

Ace sat up, and held a hand out towards Marco, and just held it there.

Marco looked at the kid who was holding a hand out. He knew the kid was blind, so he had an idea what he was doing. He leaned his face into Ace's hand, and the kid's fingers instantly started moving. "Will you show me your Phoenix form?" Ace asked quietly.

Marco was a bit surprised at the request, but he smiled, "Sure." He changed, and felt the blue fire cover his body, and his wings spread.

Ace felt the man's body shift, and a sharp beak replace the man's soft lips, and his skin was soon covered by feathers, but the feathers weren't like normal feathers. The seemed to slightly flow up his hands, and arms. They seemed to almost caress him. "What are your feathers made of Marco?" Ace asked, curiosity extremely evident in his voice.

Ace wasn't sure if the words were actually spoken aloud, but suddenly they were there, brushing against his skin, "Fire." Ace felt elation flood his senses. He wasn't afraid, rather, he was drawn closer. "Do you want to fly?" the words were there, brushing over his nerve endings.

"May I?" Ace asked, his hands stroking down the soft plumage of the creature in front of him. Marco just swept his wing around Ace, coaxing him on. Ace didn't need to be told twice. He lifted himself onto Marco's back, and held on tight, careful not to hurt the man.

Marco felt touched by how gentle the kid was being. It was rather wonderful as he'd had no idea what to expect. He'd never let anyone ride him before, and he really couldn't explain what made him offer it, but he had. He waited until Ace was secure, and then he lifted off. He was surprised by how little extra work he had to put into flight. He had thought that flying with another on his back would be much harder.

Ace felt the jolt as they lifted off, and then he was weightless. Wind rushed passed his face, and stung his eyes. He closed them, and smiled. The ocean smelled like home, and it was all around him. He could almost imagine that he and Marco were swimming, even though he knew that Marco couldn't swim. No one with a devil fruit could.

He pushed his head down into the soft feathers of the Phoenix, and let them tickle his skin. "Thank you." He whispered.

Marco heard the soft words, and warmth spread through him. He was sure if a bird could blush, he'd be doing it. It was a bit ridiculous as he never blushed. This boy was getting under his skin, and it was happening fast enough to scare him, but he didn't want it to stop. Just one day and the kid was making him happy. It was terrifying.

"I'm going to fly in a loop. Hold on tightly." Marco's voice brushed over him. Ace wrapped his legs around the Phoenix, making sure not to constrict his wings, and then he was upside down, his stomach rolling giddily, making him giggle. He could feel his body lift slightly off of Marco's, only to slam back down when the loop had finished. He was full blown laughing by that time, and the sound of it made Marco smile inside.

They flew around the ship a few more times, up and down, more loops, and some barrel rolls before landing. Ace slid off, and Marco shifted back only to find himself with an armful of Ace. His arms automatically went around the male, catching him.

Ace hugged Marco, "Thank you for that. It was probably the best experience of my life." He said. Marco's bare chest was warm against his cheek, and he smelled of smoke and mint. It was pleasant. He shivered suddenly, and realized that it was chilly out. He'd been so busy having fun that he hadn't noticed until he'd felt how warm Marco was. He pulled away and smiled up at the man.

Marco felt the boy pull away shivering, and realized that he was probably cold. If Marco was being honest, he was cold too after being deprived of Ace's warmth. The kid smelled of cinnamon, and rain. It was the weirdest combination that Marco had ever smelled, but it made his blood burn.

"Tomorrow I'm getting my tattoo. Would you be there with me? Izou said that it is best to have someone with me when getting the tattoo where I am. I don't want Luffy to see me in pain." Ace's voice suddenly rang out in the silence of the night.

Marco started to nod, then remembered that Ace couldn't see, "Of course. Now, it's late, and you should get some sleep. Getting a tattoo can be exhausting." He said, smiling.

Ace reached out his fingers, and they drifted across Marco's face, shaping it, learning it, before drifting up to his hair, and feeling how it was cut, then they drifted down to his neck, before leaving his skin. He could hear Marco's sped up breath, and realized that his own was rather fast as well. He felt his face heat up, and quickly turned away. "Good night Marco. I'll see you tomorrow."

Marco watched him go, and tried to will away the red that was staining his cheeks.