Title: Stay With Me

Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Summary: After the events at Marineford, Marco is left alone with his thoughts.

How can everything go so wrong in one day? Let alone in a few hours? How can you be on top of the world, unstoppable, one minute, and the next be struggling to survive?

Marco asked himself these very questions as he looked out at the horizon. After Red Haired Shanks showed up at the War of the Best, it had provided them the perfect opportunity to retreat. They had escaped and regrouped at an island that was a safe enough distance from Marineford. He stood at the edge of a tall cliff on the island's side, grimly reflecting the day's events and trying to come up with something, anything, as to what they could do next.

They had lost so much. Crew members, allies, Ace, Pops...he had to stop his train of thought before they went down that path again. He didn't want to think about that, about how they were so utterly and completely defeated by the Marines, about how they were so crippled by the loss of their father and family, about how everyone was now looking to him for leadership, when he was just as lost as they were.

He heaved a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his blonde hair. A movement in the corner of his field of vision caught his eye. Turning his head, he saw a figure making its way down the beach below him. Even from this distance, he could make out the slim body, and the long, brown hair tied back in a braid of one of his most trusted friends.

Momentarily fascinated, he watched her moved down the shore. She appeared to be lost in thought, gazing blankly out at sea like he was minutes before. Marco briefly wondered what she was thinking about, before realizing it just as quickly: she was no doubt thinking of the same things he was.

As if sensing his gaze, she turned her head up the cliffside where he stood, gold eyes meeting blue in an instant. She didn't say anything, but the look on her face was enough for him to glide down the rocky face, allowing his arms to turn into fiery wings.

She didn't break eye contact with him as he walked to where she waited. The look in her eyes was just so uncharacteristically cautious it made Marco hesitate for a split second. Before he could comment, she spoke up first.

"Red Hair just arrived," she said, "his crew is helping our nurses with the wounded. He says he's gonna arrange the funeral for Pops and Ace."

Marco stared at her. The information didn't surprise him at all; Shanks was a happy-go-lucky man who considered Whitebeard to be his ally, when in fact they were enemies. He mentally cringed at the way he had treated the other pirate captain the last time they'd met. He would apologize later, he decided. Right now, he had more important matters to deal with.

"What's up with you?" He asked her.

Surprise flitted across her features. "Me? I should be asking that about you. You disappeared as soon as we came to shore. No one's seen you in hours."

A sigh. "I know. I needed some time by myself." She nodded in understanding.

"How are you feeling?" The question came after a moment of silence.

Marco looked away for the first time since he had seen her. "I don't know," he lied. "Tired, I guess."

The woman stared at him now. He knew she could see through his lie; they had been through too much together for her to not know him better.

She didn't say anything. Instead she stepped forward until there were mere inches between them. She wrapped her arms around him and drew him into a warm embrace.

Well, this was certainly unexpected. Unexpected, but not unwelcome. After a couple of seconds, he hugged her around her shoulders. He felt her rest her forehead against his collarbone, and he leaned his cheek against the top of her head.

"What do you need?" She murmured against his chest.

There were so many ways to answer that question. He needed his world to make sense again. He needed his father and brother and family back. He needed someone else to take charge for once, instead of looking to him for leadership.

Marco didn't answer with any of these things. Instead, he squeezed her form a little tighter and nuzzled his nose into her hair.

"Right now, I think all I need, Aerie, is everyone to keep being so strong," he whispered.

He felt her nod against him and she relaxed a bit into his embrace. A few minutes of comfortable silence passed before Aerie moved out of his arms. She gave him a smile of sadness and, oddly, relief, and she turned to walk back down the beach.

He reached out and took her hand before she walked away. He smiled back at her and gently tugged her in the opposite direction, where the crew had made camp.

"Stay with me?" He asked quietly, as if afraid someone would overhear.

She intertwined their fingers and nodded. "Of course."

Super fluffy! I didn't think I would be able to write something like this! (Yes, I know what you're thinking: "But Batman, you say that after every time you write something cute." It's true though. I'm just not a real romantic person.)

Did you like it? Favorite, follow, REVIEW! Until next time!

~Batman