So here it is, even if I did have some thoughts to keep you waiting for it a bit more^^'. The chapter most of you have been waiting for. The one with Ace's reaction. Please be honest at the end, when you decide to leave a comment. Did you expect his reaction or not, and if not was it logical for you? Just something that interests me.

Also, it is still open who will find out next. As now I can spoiler you, who do you want next? Atmos or Rakuyo. For both chapters are the baselines ready, so I guess it will take me a few days (depending on when I start writing and how many time I have) to get the chapter ready. So leave your opinion in the poll (when you read it on FF) or in your review (that goes for both pages;) ).

So, were there other things I want to tell you before? Well, I could tell you that I have the baselines for all commanders done. The Flashback chapter-baseline is worked on and then only one chapter is left. Makes me kinda sad that it is over soon. But well, one extra chapter is safe for you. ;) But too much ramble at the beginning. To the chapter, enjoy it^^

Aboffy: Well then, I hope you like this one and it was worth the waiting =)

CelinaB: You're welcome ;)

~Chapter 16 – the overprotective brother~

Ace blinked a few times as he looked at the sight in front of him.

On the floor was Luffy's red cardigan. Next to it were spots of a blue, oily liquid. Marco and Luffy were both on the blonde's bed. They were close to each other. His baby brother had his arms wrapped around the big blue Phoenix to hold him still. Luffy also seemed to work on something on the bird's head. On his arms and chest were also spots of the oily liquid.

Ace had to bite his lip before he burst out into laughter. His little brother was helping Marco with the preening. Now that was something new. The bird wouldn't normally let anyone help him with that. As the blonde was very careful with his feathers, as it was important for his flaying ability.

So if his baby brother was allowed to help Marco with the preening, then the bird was most likely interested in Luffy.

„Ace", he heard his brother cheered his name and then and his arms full of Luffy. His eyes gleamed with amusement. So he was able to tease both of his young brothers and a good friend.

„Hi there, Luffy", Ace patted his little brother's head, before he turned to the blue Phoenix. „So you developed a soft spot for my baby brother to let him help you, don't you, Marco?"

The bird tilted his head a bit. It looked like he would raise an eyebrow in human form, well that was just a guess from Ace. The second division commander started to grin.

„You have a crush on my baby brother."

There it was. A tiny hint of purple on the Phoenix's head. So he could blush in his zoan form. It made Ace laugh again. He could feel how Luffy looked up at him and had his head tilted most likely.

He could hear Haruta and Thatch whisper. Not the exact words, but their voices hinted at worry.

„So congratulations Luffy of catching the bird's interest. I always thought he was only capable of being interested in work and doing stuff for the family. Are you already together or were you both too stupid, shy or I don't know, for that, so I have to push you together?"

„Eh?!"

Ace had to try really hard not to laugh again. Thatch, Haruta and Izo looked shocked. The whole head of the Phoenix was now deep purple and it clashed horribly with the usual blue. He looked down at Luffy.

The boy had a little blush on his cheeks and a pout on his lips. „You're stupid, Ace. Marco is my boyfriend. Even if he can be a meanie sometimes and still insist on taking it slow since the beginning, I still love him", his baby brother told him with that adorable smile.

He had to suppress a reaction, which would make the other tease him for his brother-complex. But something his baby brother said, made him wonder.

„Huh, so you are hiding something from your big brother?", Ace said and lifted an eyebrow. Luffy tilted his head.

„It was my suggestion to keep it a secret. I thought it would be better that way, yoi", Marco said. He had finally transformed back to his human form. So now he could question him about his baby brother. „He thought, he was too old for me", Luffy added and pouted slightly.

This made Ace laugh. He really should expect something like that. Afterall it was Marco the biggest male, flaming mother-hen, the second division commander knew.

„Are you really our Ace who wanted to grill Hody Jones for fighting and hurting his brother?", Haruta asked a bit baffled. Thatch and Izo looked also shocked. It confused Ace a bit. Then he understood.

„Luffy, would you shower quick? You have some of this oily liquid on you. I hope you didn't grease it on me", Ace said and shooed his younger brother away. „I want to hear Ace's answer", Luffy protested.

The older of the D-brothers sighed. „Okay, I'll explain and then you shower." Luffy nodded.

„If I understood your question right, Haruta, you are surprised that I didn't attack Marco because he is dating my baby brother?" The female commander nodded. „Well, I knew that Luffy has a crush on Marco since Fishman Island. So I had time prepare myself because it is Luffy we are talking about. He doesn't know how to give up on something or someone if he makes up his mind." Ace shrugged. „So I took my time to prepare for this moment when Luffy would tell me that he wants to date Marco or something like that. It's fine as long as the bird keeps my baby brother safe and doesn't harm him. I tolerate it at the moment."

„Thank you, Ace", Luffy cheered and hugged him again. „Luffy shower", Ace reminded his little brother. Luffy grumbled but went to take a shower.

„But for keeping it a secret from me and some of the others knew earlier, you do some of my paperwork, Marco", Ace grinned. „Ace!", Luffy shouted. The second division commander cringed. He knew that tone of his baby brother. This meant a pout adored Luffy's face. „But you can do that if Luffy isn't on the Moby Dick any longer", he said. Just to make his brother happy.

„Ne Ace, want to join in a harmless betting pool?", Thatch asked. The second division commander lifted one eyebrow. „Well, since Marco and Luffy kept this a secret, we set up a betting pool of the order who would found out. So want to join? Atmos, Curiel, Fossa and Rakuyo still don't know", Thatch said. „Who said we are going to keep quiet now, Thatch, yoi?", Marco asked and crossed his arms. „You get the berries if no one gets the right order", Thatch offered.

„I'll join. Can I have a paper, Marco?", Ace said with a grin. This was going to be an easy win. The blonde didn't seem happy but nodded towards the desk. The black haired division commander went over and took a paper. He wrote down an order and gave the paper to Thatch.

„But before I forget, Marco. Just in case, hurt my baby brother in any kind of way and I swear I'll call Sabo and we have a feast with pineapple-phoenix as the main dish", Ace threatened his friend.

„No, you don't eat Marco", Luffy said and rocket himself into Marco. The blonde seemed used to his brother's antics. Marco caressed Luffy's spine.

Brown eyes looked at him with mixed emotion.

„Don't worry, Luffy, yoi", Marco said and kissed Luffy's forehead. „Stop being cute together", Thatch complained.

„You want a change of the subject, Thatch? Well, Ace, you should teach your little brother the meaning of sex. I don't know how many members already thought about it and I don't think any of us is around Luffy twenty-four hours to make sure he doesn't get in this situation", Izo said.

Ace blinked. „Who asked my little brother?" Little flames danced around him. „No need to know that at the moment. But explain it", Izo said.

„Okay, Luffy. Remember Makino's teaching when were younger?", Ace asked his brother with a sigh. He hoped his brother remember. Then it would be easy.

He felt Luffy on his back. „Yes, I remember. Why? She never used that word", his little brother said. „Sex is making love but without any romantical feelings. Mostly just out of frustration or the fun or something you wouldn't like", Ace told him. Luffy blinked at him.

Had he understood? Ace wasn't sure.

Then his brother turned his head to Marco. „No sex for you, Marco. Only making love, if you stop taking the relationship slow", Luffy said.

He looked at the Phoenix. A dark red blush was on the blonde's cheeks. But he noticed the hint of a smile.

Ace felt a grin on his face. So the blonde was taking this relationship slow to not force his brother to anything if he understood that right. Other people would have forced Luffy to do something he didn't know. But Marco's smile also hinted that he seemed to share his baby brother's view on it.

„So, with this topic, I have another bet in mind", Thatch said and whispered something into Ace's ear.

His eyes twitched. He didn't hear that right. Little red flames danced around his body. „Thatch", he growled and darken his face a bit with his head.

Quick steps told him that Thatch started to run. „Come back here!", Ace screamed and started to run after him. Luffy still clinging to him.

Fossa relaxed with a nice new cigar on the deck. He would enjoy the few minutes of peaceful silence. This wouldn't last long.

Afterall, Ace was back. That meant they had now their own prankster duo, Haruta and Thatch, plus the D-brothers, Ace and Luffy, on board. That meant the quiet times would be over until he would get a mission or they were away.

The 15th division commander sighed as he heard angry screams and steps. Fossa took a step to the side only to have Thatch passing him with an angry Ace on his heels. A laughing Luffy hanging around the shoulders of his big brother.

The second division commander stopped his chase to put his baby brother down before he returned to chasing Thatch. „Come back here, Thatch!", Ace shouted.

Luffy laughed with his torso shaking while he sat on the floor. The boy was joined by a devilish grinning Haruta with a camera.

„Okay, do I want to know what is going on?", Fossa asked. „Just Thatch being Thatch." Haruta and Luffy both giggled and watched amused how Ace chased Thatch around and threatened him.

„Do you catch everything on camera, Haruta?", Izo asked as he appeared with Marco, who looked annoyed, and Jozu, who was unreadable. „Yep", the female commander chirped. Fossa looked a bit sceptical at them.

„What did exactly said about this betting pool?", Izo asked and cringed slightly as Ace succeeded in catching Thatch. Both commanders rolled over the deck. „Don't know. But I bet it has something to do with …" „He asked Ace would be on top when Marco and I would make love", Luffy said.

„That sounds very much like a stupid Thatch-bet", Fossa mumbled.

Wait…

What had the boy said? Fossa turned his head to look at Luffy, who was apologizing to Marco, and then at the blonde division commander, who was slightly red and looked even more annoyed before a grin appeared. The 15th division commander didn't want to know what exactly was going on the Phoenix's head.

„Oi, Ace, leave something for me to mess up, yoi", Marco said and walked over to the two commanders, who had stopped rolling. Ace was on top of Thatch. Making it impossible for the cook to get away. A shriek was heard from the fourth division commander.

„Everything alright, Mister Cigar? You dropped your cigar."

Fossa blinked and only noticed now that his mouth was opened. His cigar was between Luffy's fingers. The boy looked up at him with his head tilted.

„I did hear that right?" „That Thatch is interested in betting on other people's love life? Then you heard it right", Izo said and sighed.

„So can we plan a party to make them public official? Afterall, Ace knows now, so we could plan one and then made it public to the crew", Haruta said with a grin. But Izo shook his head. „No, I have a better idea than a party. But I'm sure it will be also lots of fun and you only say that because you are out of the bet now", the cross-dresser mused. Haruta pouted.

„A party? Because Ace knows?" „That Marco and Luffy are together. Well like a couple", Haruta mumbled, before she stopped. „Wait, you didn't notice it until now? Fossa couldn't you have said you have no idea. Now I'm out because I said it", the female commander protested.

Before Fossa could say something, Luffy shouted: „Ne Marco~ is it later now? Your feathers are fine now, aren't they?" The boy had some hopeful look in his eyes if Fossa had seen that right.

Both Ace and Marco looked up from torturing Thatch. „What did you promise my baby brother?", the second division commander asked. The grey eyes fixed on the first division commander.

„Just cuddling with some kisses", Luffy chirped happily and grinned, as the blonde moved over to him. „Needy, little brat", Marco whispered, before he kissed the pouting boy shortly.

Fossa now felt his cigar slip again. He caught it but didn't put it back to his mouth. It was one thing to hear that they were a couple. Some part of him had thought it was a joke based on Marco's protective nature towards Luffy. But to see them kiss, being confronted with a fact was something different.

„Oi, don't insult him! I may have given you two permission to date, but you are not allowed to insult him!" „He is a brat. That won't change, also you can't say that he is not a little needy and little, but Luffy is my needy, little brat, yoi." „Meanie, the kiss was too short", Luffy protested, not paying any attention to his brother who seemed torn between messing up Thatch more and chasing Marco for ‚insulting' his baby brother.

Fossa could only shake his head. Ace must be in his overprotective big brother mode. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so aggressive in his voice when someone called Luffy a brat. Most of the crew did it and Oyaji called everyone a brat. So it wasn't really meant as an insult on the Moby Dick if you were called a brat.

„Hey, give back the camera, Izo", Haruta suddenly said. Fossa turned his head to the young woman and the cross-dresser. „You filmed enough, Haruta. Ace fell asleep just now." The second division had fallen asleep standing. „So I will take care of that big child, who for some reason I call my lover. Marco and Luffy look like they want some private time. So you and Jozu will make sure that Ace is fine until he wakes up and you should also make sure that Fossa stops losing his cigar", the cross-dresser said and put the camera somewhere in his kimono. Haruta pouted.

„Jozu?", Fossa asked, as Izo, Marco, Luffy and Thatch were away and Haruta was poking Ace. The third division commander grunted as a sign that he was listening. „That was not a messed up prank with everything that happened?"

„No prank."

Please remember my question at the beginning ;) I'll wait a bit before I start typing the next chapter, so the next two chapters will be quicker perhaps.