Well this wasn't as late as yesterday's, but late enough that I feel like apologizing for the lateness~ My mom had a party today to sell some stuff so I had to help her out, hence the lateness~

Open drabbles still available for requests are: Pumpkin, Sweater, Pie, and Cider! SO REQUEST ME OR BE AT THE MERCY OF MY CRAZY BRAIN!

WARNINGS: Not much, but there is protective SaboMarco and pastSlaveAce~ so~ there's that~

ENJOY~

It wasn't normal to see Ace like this. This was the shell they'd rescued so long ago that it felt like decades since they last saw him acting anything like this. But something had to scare him badly enough and whatever it was, Marco was going to destroy it.

Sabo was wrapped around Ace like a demented koala, glaring at anyone that tried to get close…even Koala. At one point, Thatch tried to approach with food and Sabo growled.

All their siblings were shocked and worried but Marco wasn't, not about his blond lover at least. Sabo was only like that because Ace was scared. Sabo always returned to animal-like tendencies when one of his lovers was threatened.

Not that Marco was much better, what with him standing in front of the pair who had their backs to the railing of the Moby. He was keeping everyone away, especially whenever he heard a whimper from Ace.

Something had sent him back in his memory, back to a time before Sabo and Marco rescued him. Everyone knew what Pops' Jolly Roger was hiding so why were they so surprised about this? It was normal for someone like Ace and the childhood he had before the Whitebeards.

"Mmm-ma-Marc-Marco…"

He turned as soon as he heard the soft voice, stuttering through breathy whimpers.

Ace was still wrapped up in Sabo, but now he had a hand out towards him, grey eyes wide with an emotion Marco didn't want to think about.

But he knew what the other wanted and immediately sat on the side of Ace that Sabo wasn't occupying. He wrapped his arm around Ace's broader shoulders and kissed him lightly on the freckled cheek, caressing Sabo's back to let the blond know that he was there too.

Ace pulled them both close and ducked his head, refusing to look at their siblings as he whimpered every now and then, shakes shooting through his thin body.

Marco slowly started to rub Ace's bare back, taking care to focus particularly on the brand hidden by the Jolly Roger. Ace started easing up however he still had his head ducked, but the shakes were slowing and weakening.

Neither of the blonds were going to pry, or even ask what set Ace off, that would just cause Ace to revert further and an emotionless Ace was a scary Ace.

They just sat there for a long while, Sabo and Marco caressing and calming Ace down from his fit.

Sabo kept shooting looks at Marco, though, and the phoenix knew that his younger lover was trying to work out what freaked Ace so badly. The quizzical and confused eyes simply said he had no idea. They'd all been on Moby the whole day so it had to be something on the ship.

Wasn't THAT a frightening thought?

They didn't have to wonder anymore when Ace started whimpering again, louder and more frequently than before, grey eyes locked onto the loading plank. Where Teach was standing.

When the sailor looked over with an almost crooked grin and Ace actually cried out, Marco was up, transformed, and attacking before anyone else could process.

If Ace was afraid of Teach it had to be for a good reason. So Marco was going to destroy him. That's all there was to it.

Hope you liked it~ Come visit me sometime on my tumblr, thatonefanficwriternooneknows, to send a request or just chat~ I'm friendly~ I promise~