Part of Shadow's creative exchange! Drawing for this one was made by Bakachwaan (AO3 and watpadd)

It is a well-known fact that birds and cats do not get along. This alone should have been an indicator of how the introduction between Marco and Kotatsu would go... yet it seemed that this important information was forgotten by Ace. But since Marco got into a relationship with Ace, he was determined to become best friends with his lover's loyal companion!

The story ends in Kotatsu's POV if anyone is unsure.

Marco will admit that they had started off on the wrong foot... talon? Paw?... Anyway! His first meeting with Ace's loyal companion hadn't gone well. It's not his fault... it was Phoenix's and Ace's.

Because first of all, who in their right mind would shove a cat, a lynx, into someone's face without warning. And second of all, who did that when this someone has a bird living inside of them when it's a known fact that bird and cats don't get along.

Flashback

With Ace officially joining, the Moby 2 was sailing over to join up with them and the Spades were coming over to the main ship to reunite with their old captain.

When they approached, as the first commander, Marco was there when the boarding planks were connected. Not only to welcome everyone back, but to ensure it all went well.

He had smiled just a bit when the small crew came aboard and all the Spades hugged it out with Ace. This was the most affectionate they had seen the feral teen and it was nice to see Ace's crew had a lot of variety in member.

Of course introduction soon came and Marco amused them even if he already knew a few by name already since he had been tasked to follow up on the crew by his Pops.

What he didn't know, or he did at the back of his mind, was that the Spades had a pet. It was logical he wouldn't know a lot, pets weren't really featured in the newspaper. The only pets ever mentioned were those that were vicious killers and even then, they were almost always just mentioned with the captain of the ship or a specific crewmember. If he really put some thought into it, he could re-call only one pet that had a real bounty and moniker and it was some kind of racoon thing.

So... he was not prepared when Ace suddenly reached into the mass of Spade pirates and pulled out a lynx. A fucking lynx! No small cute kitty or a little doggy. NO! A huge ass giant predator. For some reason wearing pants, but okay.

Said predator was held up by its armpits and cuddled like he was a baby before he was pushed into his face.

"Marco! Meet Kotatsu!"

He actually had barely seen the thing pushed into his face with how quick it went and at first thought he may have been a mink. Some always looked more animal than others and going by the size of it...

That was until he pushed it away to properly say hi and shake hands. What greeted him was the most unimpressed looking cat ever, staring into his very soul.

"Say hi Kotatsu!"

Meow

And that was the cue for all hell to break lose. He felt Phoenix push to the front if his mind and take over. The next minutes were a mess of Phoenix and Kotatsu fighting it out on deck.

Screeching and screaming from as well as Phoenix as Kotatsu resonating over the seas.

People around tried to separate them, but losing your hand was a big chance when you wanted to break up a fight between a huge ass bird the size of you with talons as sharp as knifes. And a lynx with razor-sharp teeth and glistering nails also wasn't very inviting.

In the end it was Pops and Ace who separated them. Pops just snatching the screeching Phoenix while Ace grabbed his companion from lunging after the bird.

"Oh my lil baby!"

RRROOOOAACHH!

"He's so hurt! Deuce! Help him!"

Deuce made a little jog over, worried for their furry friend. Kotatsu was still actively swinging paws in front of him and towards the screeching Phoenix, but Deuce didn't let it scare him as he knew the lynx was smart and wouldn't hurt him.

"Where, cap?"

"Right here!"

Deuce looked to the spot Ace nosed, as his arms were full of cat, and blinked and blinked again. Squinting his eyes. Ah a tiny scratch. "I'll put some lotion on it and a bandage."

The blue haired doctor rummaged in his bag and pulled the items out before sticking his hand into Ace's blue pouch attached to his pants and pulling out-

"Look Kotatsu, treat."

Meow? Meow!

The fighting stopped and Ace put his friend down as Deuce handed over the treat and treated the small wound.

"Will he be okay, Deuce!?"

"Just fine, cap, he doesn't even realise. Maybe they were play-fighting, a real fight and he would have been hurt m-"

"MARCO!"

Eyes turned towards the scream and up to Pops hand were Marco was transformed back into a human and Deuce's eyes dropped. The blond's face and chest were covered in scratch marks, blue flames seeming to have difficulty healing.

But- but he's a phoenix! He can heal from everything- DID KOTATSU USE HAKI!?"

Deuce looked wide eyed to the cat while Kotatsu was just licking off his paw from- WAS THAT BLOOD?!

"A-ace- Kotatsu mauled commander Marco-"

"Ah?" Ace was seen looking to the blond and back to his cat with shining eyes, cuddling up to him, "My baby is so strong!"

"C-cap! He's the first mate! We just joined!"

"Yea! And Kotatsu won! Aaah my lil sweetie is the strongest on the seas!"

"..."

They were so going to be kicked off already. Wanting to apologize in his captain's name he turned to their now new caption, "Mister Newgate, we're so sorry-"

He stopped speaking as he saw the elder not even looking at him and was scolding Marco who was sitting on his knees on the big palm. The first mate was being scolded like a little kid for attacking first. And- was their dog scolding Marco too?! He was barking at him after every sentence Edward said as if to agree with it.

... Atleast they weren't kicked out... "Let's ehm.. Why don't you show us your room, cap..."

"Oh yea! Let's go!"

End flashback

But now... now was the day he was going to be-friend Kotatsu! He had been in a steady relationship with Ace for a couple of weeks now and the lynx would often be by the Raven's side. Sleeping on top of his naked chest, purring while rubbing himself on Ace's legs, anything to be in close contact with the Raven.

But whenever he would come close, Kotatsu would hiss or glare at him as a warning, nails already popping out of his paws. He always tried to give the lynx his space, not letting Phoenix out near him again, but even then the cat didn't seem to like him.

That was all about to change today though. Soon Ace was leaving on a mission and it was his job to take care of Kotatsu, to feed him and brush him... Okay the Spades could do that too, but he should be able to take care of his lover's companion! And... he maybe wanted to pet the lynx too, he looked to soft and comfy to be cuddled up with.

So, he had come up with a plan to gain Kotatsu's trust. It all starts with-

"Marco, why are you taking off your shirt?"

"For kotatsu-yoi."

Deuce raised a brow, "You want to flash him?"

"What? No. I'm imitating Ace."

"... What?"

"Feel me."

"I'm not feeling you."

"I order you to feel me-yoi."

Well... can't refuse a commander's order. So he swallowed and reached down-

"Why are you moving so low-yoi?"

"Huh? To feel you?"

"Just feel my bicep."

"..."

"..."

"Okay..." Deuce slowly reached out and put his hand on the man's bicep. "What do I need to feel."

"Tell me if I get hotter."

"Like... attractive?"

"Temperature."

"... Are you having a fever- oh you are getting hotter. What are you-..." Deuce stopped as he saw Marco's concentrated face, blue flames sparking off him in different places.

"Am I as hot as Ace yet?"

"... I don't think you're ugly per say but-"

"Temperature-yoi!"

Deuce hummed, "You're warmer than a regular person, but still a long way to go before you reach Ace- You're going to pop a blood vessel commander, please stop. I didn't even know your flames could be warm."

"I didn't either, but they need to be, for Kotatsu."

"... Okay?"

"I have this brilliant plan." Marco said as he pulled his arm back, feeling it over himself with a proud look, "I'll make him love me-yoi! I have to feed him and brush his fur when Ace is away."

"Ace already asked the Spades to- Goodluck..." Deuce murmured as Marco ran off, probably in search for the feline somewhere onboard.

After some searching he found the cat in the laundry room, sleeping on top of the freshly washed towels. Usually he would chase the cat out... or no, he just had to make his presence known and he would scoff and leave himself... as if Marco polluted the air by being there.

Very slowly he got closer, closer then he's been in a while. If others saw him right now, they would grow scared by the creepy smile on his face.

"Hi Kotatsu." He whispered when he got next to the shelf where they stored the towels and where the cat was resting on.

Not waking he reached out his hand, focusing on the heat on it that he could and put in on the cat's head.

Purrrrrr

O-oh! Kotatsu is purring! "Y-yes, that's nice isn't it? Shall I scratch behind your ear?"

PRRRRRRRRRRRRR

"O-oooh you like that. Such a cute kitty-yoi-AH!"

Out of nowhere Kotatsu's purr of happiness stopped and he was up, swiping a paw at him. He gave a little wave before reaching out again.

"Sorry, did I pet too hard? Let me-AAAAH!"

Kotatsu lunged at his face and he grabbed the big cat and tried to pull him off. "K-kotatsu! Let go-"

WOOOOF!

"Stef-ah!"

In the next second he was knocked to the floor by his captain's huge dog, lil puppy stefan the half-giant called him.

In his fall he had let Kotatsu go. He tried to reach after the run-away cat but Stefan blocked his way and sat on top of him. Barking when he moved.

"S-stefan, please- you're crushing me-yoi. I need to get Kotatsu-"

WOOF!

"Cmoooon!"

Lil sneakpeak into Kotatsu's mind while sleeping on the towels.

While sleeping peacefully, a hot hand suddenly landed on his head and he instantly purred. The only human this warm was his own captain, Ace. He was a little bit colder then usual, but maybe because he was controlling himself as last time his captain had set the lint on fire in the laundry room. Stupid bird-pineapple-man had been mad.

Oh- ear scratches, yessssss. Ace really knew the good spots!

'-kitty-yoi'

YOI!?

Twisting around he was greeted by the ugly human mug of that bird! HOW DARE HE TOUCH HIM!

His first attempt at petting Kotatsu had been a success!

...

In his eyes it was a success! Before he was attacked, he patted his head AND scratched behind his ears! So heating up was a good thing! Maybe the thing wrong was that he spooked the cat and the cat didn't see that he hadn't been wearing a shirt and now had a cuddly hot chest just like Ace.

Yes, that must be it. Next time he'll make sure Kotatsu knows he's a good place to sleep on too!

In the coming days Marco was seen waltzing around close to naked on deck, making kissy noses and holding out treats for the feline, fighting off Stefan when he tried to block his way or take the treats.

He thinks he's been getting closer to the cat as he's not really hissing at him anymore and is now just rolling his eyes and laying back down again, letting- LETTING HIM pat his back. But only a few times before he scratched and was gone.

He was becoming best friends!

And right in time as Ace was going to leave.

"Mar, are you sure? Deuce and the others wouldn't mind to take care of Kotatsu."

Marco shook his head and smiled at his boyfriend and the big cat in his arms, reaching out the pet the furry belly, just laughing when backpaws scratched open the whole of his arm.

"I'm sure, we're grown very close-yoi. We're practically best friends."

Ace was silent for a second as he watched the deep laceration on Marco's arm mend shut. "I don't know..."

"Fireflyyy, You know I've been patting him! And I've fed him too. Kotatsu doesn't even hiss at me anymore, he hasn't hissed for the duration of this conversation and hasnt' fled yet!"

'Yea, he ate your own bird-butt, literally' was a thought that went around the deck.

"That's true..."

"See, we'll have the best time together."

Ace hummed, looking down to his cute friend who looked up innocently. "Kotatsu, you'll be good right?"

Meowwww

The raven melted and leaned down to burry his head into the furr, enjoying the vibrations of Kotatsu's purrs before pulling back and kissing his furry head. "I love you my furry baby. Have a good time with Marco, okay?"

Mrrrwww

"Okay... hold him carefully, Marco, he's fragile." Ace said softly while handing the cat over to his boyfriend. Smiling a little when Kotatsu stayed still in his arms. Maybe they really became friends after everything.

While patting Kotatsu's head, Ace leaned in to peck Marco's lips. "I love you, thank you for taking care of Kotatsu."

"Ofcourse my love, we'll have a great time together."

Nodding he pulled away and gave Kotatsu one last kiss before he jumped onto striker docked next to the boat and surged off into the distance.

The second Ace was out of sight, Kotatsu jumped out of Marco's arms and wanted to go back to his bed to nap, but ofcourse stupid bird-man called him.

"Oh! Hey, kotatsu!"

Just to be nice, like Ace asked him too, he turned around, already regretting it as he was picked up.

"Hi!"

Urgh, why he has to be so happy. His stoic look is already annoying but this smiling even more.

"-tatsu? Oh you're paying attention again." Marco laughed, "We're good right? Kotat-Ooof!"

MEW!

With a stomp with his front paw to the blond's face, Kotatsu escaped the hold and jumped down, licking his paw to clean it. Oh blood, nice, by the blue fire he broke his nose. This haki Ace learned him was nice.

After he was clean he walked away again but his stomach grumbled so he meowed back. Looking straight at the blond.

"W-what Kotatsu? Me?"

Meow

Yes you, stupid. You were gonne feed me.

Meeeeoooooooowwwww

He meowed loudly and brought one paw up to pat his belly, knowing its what everyone did as a sign when hungry.

"Food? You want food?"

Nodding he turned around and headed to the kitchen, watching the blond run passed him and saying he would prepare him something. Yes. Prepare the best food for Kotatsu. Kotatsu will be nice like Ace asked as long as this peasant worked for him. He'll work him to the bone.