The chapter-title says it all, nothing to add. Only... It's all thatch's fault, as always.
Ace wants to swim with Marco, and who can resist a mer as cute as him?

This is kind of the prologue I guess, I got too tired to write the actual swimming part already. I'll update that tomorrow of the day after though if someone wants to wait for this to be completed before reading. This chapter is getting Marco to join Ace in his swim.

Just as info, these bonus chapters of Mer!Ace don't have a chronological order or anything. Like this one will be +/- a year from when Ace joined, so he'll probably already have a tattoo and such while there's no story of that yet.

Also, as you can guess, this is the start/story of bonus stories of Fiery Scales. Ace's adventures as a mer on the Moby!
Okay, now i'm done talking, enjoy the prologue!

Thatch clapped his hands before turning to their newest addition at the commander's table. Well, newest is maybe a bit of a stretch, he's been sitting here for a while already or better yet, has never the spot since Marco had put him down there the very first meal.
No one minds if he isn't a commander, the table isn't commander's only exclusively, if a division member is chatting with a commander, or pops, they'll simply eat here too and continue the talk. It's simply become a habit of the crew to call it the commander's table since it does kind of look like that, but everyone knows they're welcome to join.

"Ace! My absolute favourite mer on this boat!"

"He's the only mer on this boat."

"... My dearest fishbrother of the whole ocean who I love the most!"

"Goodjob Thatch, you made Namur cry."

"Wha-no, NAMUR I DIDN'T MEAN IT THAT WAY! I LOVE YOU TOO!"

"Just go on with it Thatch-yoi. You know that you're going to accidentally insult someone with everything you add. And get back here Namur, your food's going to disappear into said fishbrother soon otherwise"

Namur who had been dramatically walking,… almost crawling, away seeming to be in agony, got up of the floor and returned as if nothing happened, giving Thatch a slap on the shoulder before sitting down again. Others praising him on his very good acting skills.
Everyone knows Thatch never means things to be hurtful, and they most of the time really aren't, but the chef often just doesn't think of what he says and it's fun to poke fun of.

Thatch cleared his throat, gaining attention again. "So, what I wanted to say is- Ace... Ace... Ace... ACE!"

"Hmm?"

The one who's attention Thatch needed, he hadn't gotten, Ace is still a bit oblivious to some common human gestures, like that clearing your throat is often a way to make people look at you. Of if you tried to high-five him, he'll or just stare at it and something look at his own palm for some reason, or he'll just grab your hand and cradle it. Which was very weird, very weird to have the mer just cradling you hand when u had simply wanted to high-five... How the mer even got the conclusion that that was what he was supposed to do was beyond him.

"Ehm, you can chew your fish first, it's okay."

This was another thing, did the mer not know how to multitask?! If you called for him, like now, when he was eating, he would stop. Literally stop at whatever he was doing, even if he was at the point to swallow, he wouldn't, he would simple let it sit in his mouth, waiting for you to finish whatever you wanted to say.

After Ace finished his bite, Thatch continued "So, tomorrow you've officially been with us for a year and-"

"Oh it's been a year already?" - "It really feels like yesterday doesn't it?" - "Ahaha, remember him splashing Mar-AH" - "ah... he's gone..." - "May he rest in the peace for the incident is not yet forgotten, what an amazing memory chickens ha-AAH" - "... Maybe we need to stop talking."

"Son, isn't that a bit much, it's been a year since when Ace spl-"

"I'll confiscate all of your sake-yoi."

"Wha-, son, no."

"Yes."

"... I said nothing."

"Good-yoi."

"AHEM! As I was saying if no one interrupts me with comments or kicks please?" The commanders all held up their hands as a show of no harm at the chef's glare. "Thank you very much. Now, Ace. Since it's almost been a year, is there something you want to do?"

"Do?"

"Yea, as a celebration kind of thing. Tomorrow you can ask for anything you want!"

"Ehm Thatch..." Someone started at the table, offering literally anything isn't really a smart thing to do and Marco for some reason felt like a target already when he hasn't agreed to anything yet. Hell Ace has never even pranked him, the opposite, he always tries to protect him from stuff. So whatever Ace will ask, and if it's of him, it shouldn't be that bad... right?"

Ace's eyes started to sparkle "Anything?"

Thatch smiled brightly at seeing Ace so happy, he knew this was a good idea, the mer would probably ask for lots of food, he loves food! "Yea! I could make you chocolate cake or a fish special or oohhh with your help we can even catch the legendary -"

"SWIM!"

Or he wants to swim "... Swim? But you swim almost every day already? You can choose something more."

"WITH MAHKO!"

A mug falling to the floor was heard, drawing attention to said person "Excuse me-yoi." He said while picking up his luckily unshattered mug, at least it was almost empty so only a few drops fells, nothing that won't dry of its own.

"Hhihihi swim swim!" Ace laughed while attaching himself to Marco's arm and rubbing his cheek on his shoulder. Both was easy to do since they sat next to each other.

The first commanders looked towards the table for help. Ace knows he can't swim right? Right? He must have noticed? They have told him the devil fruit users need saving?

While in his inner turmoil, Marco was, out of habit, petting Ace's hair, which the mer also leaned into smiling. "Ehm Ace."

"?"

"I ehm I can't swim-yoi."

"Swim swim, together!"

"Yeeaaa... no... I can't."

Oh no, Ace was getting tears in his eyes and his grip was slacking and a sniff was heard "Mahko don't want to swim with me... Ace bad."

"A-Ace no, you're not! I- I would love to swim with you!" -why is he saying this, no he doesn't, he hates the water!- "But I can't move in the sea, I ate a devil fruit, remember? I can't swim with you if I can't move." He hoped this explanation would work and make the mer stop crying, it was too sad and adorable all at once!

The mer wiped his nose and eyes on his sleeve –okay, ew-yoi, but it's Ace, accept it!- "Mahko want to swim? Still like Ace?"

"Of course, I still like you Ace! I could never dislike you!"

"Swim with Ace." The mer was backed hooked on his arm and looked up at him with the biggest puppy eyes.

"I- I-, Ace, I don't know how-yoi." -Damnit, why is no one even saying anything, Thatch who triggered this all is also just watching on! Prepare yourself chef for you'll take a dip too!-

"Ace pull!"

"Huh? What?"

The mer was nodding to himself, agreeing to whatever he was thinking. "Ace and Mahko in sea, Ace swim well, Mahko swim bad, Ace pull Mahko!"

Wait wait wait, was Ace insinuating that he just go into the sea and be uselessly floating around while Ace pulls him along like a ragdoll? Ah hell n-

"That's a great idea Ace!"

"Thatch, I'll freaking ki-"

"SWIM!"

"Look at him Marco, can you really keep saying no to that? Everyone knows you'll eventually crack yourself. It's actually a miracle you haven't been pulled under before." -And it wasn't for the mer's lack of trying, thank you very much.-

Marco made the mistake of looking down at his attachment. The puppy eyes had gotten bigger and with a slight dewy and teary look they were 1000% more intense than before. He could also see, and hear, the mer's tail patting softly on the bench. The moment he agreed they time in between pats would probably decrease and the hits would become harder.
"I-I"

Click click, click

Marco closed his eyes and swallowed, the mer really knew how to get him. Those clicks, soft enough right now for only him to hear, the teen knows he loved the sound and that he thinks it's so adorable.

"Mahkooo~"

The mer shuffled a bit closer to hold more of his arm and made a small whining sound.

"I-… Okay."

"YAAAY!" Ace was instantly in Marco's lap, nuzzling his face. Happy clicks and tail pats could be heard throughout the whole galley, brightening everyone's day who heard it. Even after a year these sounds don't fail to bring a smile to many people's faces.

Someone of the commanders patted him on his shoulder while getting up to leave. He really needed all the support he could get... and he smiled nervously while his fingers weaved through the merman's hair. The mer was happy, that was for sure, but what had he gotten himself into...

I had wanted to update an existing thing like 'SHINY' or 'You're not Whitebeard', but it just wans't hitting. I'ma try to put another chapter of one of those up next weekend though! Instead, I made this, since it's been a little while since I posted and I wanted to post something! Suddenly working all day in different shifts really kills ya more than I expected haha

Also... I'm going to probably keep Ace his speech a bit broken... he can speak by now properly, BUT I FIND IT CUTE OKAY and it adds to his character.