Hey, guys, I'm here with the next chapter. I'm sorry it's taken so long, life has been a pain these last few months. I hope you like it :D

Chapter 13

Ace has decided to start writing a list of things Marco should learn before they go to town. He has it on his phone, and adds items as they come to mind.

Number one amongst them is how to avoid being run over by a car. Unfortunately, that explanation will be much easier using the videos he recorded during his trip into town than it will be with any drawing Ace can come up with.

Ace takes a deep breath, reminds himself that he can't avoid this forever, and goes to retrieve the camera. He transfers the videos back there from his phone and sits next to Marco, who is trying to write random things down.

Marco looks up at him.

"I took some videos in town," Ace says before he can talk himself out of it.

Marco puts the notebook and pen down.

"Show me?"

Ace nods and brings the camera to his lap.

"They are…" he trails off, unsure of how to express that they will be odd and overwhelming. "Just trust me, okay? I promise it's all okay."

Marco nods without a second's hesitation. Ace hopes he won't regret trusting Ace so much eventually.

Ace looks for a short recording of a street and turns to Marco.

"There are lots of people and vehicles. And noise, too. Towns are very noisy."

When Marco nods, Ace hits play.

Once Marco gets over the shock of the video's contents, which takes a few replays, the lesson turns into a session of questions, explanations, and an impromptu vocabulary class. Marco pauses the video constantly to ask all sorts of questions, from clothes, to window displays, to stores and buildings. He writes down all the new vocabulary. Marco knows what buildings are, even if he seems to think the ones in the video are odd (Ace manages a very patchy explanation of 'odd' and 'weird' using Marco's own reactions, even if he doesn't manage to explain the differences between both words). Stores are hit or miss with Marco; he understands a butcher, but the need for a florist escapes him. Marco is overwhelmed by the sheer amount of different clothes, but he asks for all the names anyway. When Marco asks about a street lamp, they are back in the realm of electricity, and Ace is once again thankful for their flashlights.

All in all, it takes them a week to go over Ace's small collection of videos, and a handful of realizations come to Ace during that time. Ace explains rules and laws (Marco knows about them, but they change everywhere and Ace mentions the ones he finds relevant as the lessons go on; he's undoubtedly missing all sorts of important things), he tells Marco about cops and how they don't want to draw their attention, he advises to avoid fights ("unless they attack you first, of course, but don't kill or maim." An interesting explanation follows that sentence), and he finally explains the necessary traffic rules that prompted him to bring the videos out.

There is one particular conversation that Ace expects to be hard, but it is surprisingly easy.

"Marco… don't tell anyone about the blue fire and the… bird thing."

Ace expects him to be offended, but Marco just nods.

"I don't want to," he assures Ace, and Ace is reminded of Marco's reaction when the blue fire appeared. There is definitely a story here.

"Sabo and Luffy have to know," Ace reminds him, and Marco just nods. Marco doesn't look like he wants to tell them, but it's clear that he understands that it is necessary.

All in all, Ace is putting more effort into studying —well, teaching— than he has ever bothered with during any school year.

It's weird, really, how time passes. Two months seemed like a very long time when Ace left home, and yet there is only a little less than a week left before Marco and Ace leave this forest.

Ace can tell that Marco is growing anxious.

Marco has been putting more and more effort into studying as the days pass, revising his vocabulary and asking Ace for confirmation about facts of the world that Ace has already explained. It's been three days since the last time they trained before dinner, and last night Ace practically had to drag Marco to bed.

Today, after dinner, Ace grabs Marco's arm before he can stand up to go back to his studies.

"You're in no hurry, you know?" Ace says, and Marco tilts his head sideways at him.

Oh, yes, vocabulary. Well, Ace isn't going to stop to explain 'being in a hurry' now, that's not the point. Ace shifts to sit facing Marco, still keeping his hand on Marco's arm.

"You don't have to learn everything now. You'll be home. You won't have to do anything you don't want to."

"I want to learn," Marco argues.

"I know. Just… do other things, too."

Ace watches realization dawn on Marco's face, immediately followed by a tiny embarrassed smile. Then Marco hugs him.

"Sorry."

The next morning, Ace is woken up by the delicious smell of meat being cooked. That's Marco's way of apologizing, and as much as Ace appreciates the gesture, it brings up a very important issue. Hunting and civilization.

Marco is extremely puzzled when Ace explains that he can't hunt in town, and he looks skeptical of the concept of buying the food. He relaxes a little when Ace explains that the food he has in the food bag was bought.

Still, this is a very serious issue. They can't risk having the cops called on them because Marco killed someone's pet or was seen carrying a dead animal.

"I need you to promise me that you won't hunt," Ace asks, because by now Marco is well aware of the meaning of 'promise' and seems to take them very seriously.

It takes a moment, but Marco nods.

"I promise."

Ace grins.

"And I promise to teach you how to get food and cook in town. You can't just light a fire there."

Marco's frown is so comical that Ace starts laughing.

Sabo calls one afternoon to tell Ace about the train schedules, because he worries too much and doesn't trust Ace to handle it himself.

"Try to arrive in the afternoon, or Luffy won't sleep."

"I know," Ace says. Really, Sabo worries too much. He acts as if Ace doesn't know that Luffy gets so excited the hours prior to someone's arrival that he doesn't stay quiet.

"Have you thought about how Marco will handle the trip?"

Ace grimaces, because yes, he has thought about it, and he has no idea of how that will go.

"I hope it's okay," Ace says, and keeps to himself that, if that isn't the case, he will drag Marco to one of the train's bathrooms to distract him.

Ace sets aside food for their trip through the forest, and they spend the last few days relying on Marco's hunting to eat. Ace has the feeling that Marco is relishing as much as he can this last chance to hunt in who knows how long.

Two days before their departure, they start packing. They could have left it for the last day, as Ace usually does whenever he has to pack, but he figures that Marco's nerves won't appreciate the extra fuss of last-minute packing. Marco is trying to act calm and collected, but Ace can tell that he is nervous.

"It's going to be fine," Ace says at dinner.

Marco looks up at him, and for a moment Ace is sure that he will play down his nervousness, but finally Marco just nods.

Ace shakes his head and moves sideways to press himself into Marco's side.

"Okay, let's talk about life at home," he says, laying his head on Marco's shoulder.

He feels Marco's cheek rub into his hair, a sign that he's moved his head, and he wraps an arm around Ace's shoulders.

"Say," Marco prompts.

"First, I don't have school for two weeks, and Sabo and Luffy will be home, too. We'll have some time for you to get used to things."

"Get used to things?" Marco repeats, and oh, new one. At least this explanation will be easy.

"Learn to live home and all that," Ace says. It's a vague explanation, but that's what he means.

Marco nods.

"How?" Marco asks.

Ace, unsure of how things will go once they are home, starts talking about what life is usually like at home, and tells Marco of the things he has planned for him to learn. The concept of new books fascinates Marco, and Ace decides that it's a good way to ensure Marco is entertained.

Ace has a mental image of Marco sitting on their bed surrounded by books. It's a nice objective.

On the last night at their camp, they decide to stay outside. The sky is clear and the temperature is warm in a nice way that will allow them to sleep well. They, of course, don't go to sleep right away.

Marco is the one who reaches out first, placing a hand on Ace's cheek before kissing him soundly. It's an amazing kiss, just like all others they have shared so far, and Ace slides a hand behind Marco's neck and pulls him down on top of him.

"Marco," Ace starts, suddenly reminded of something, "no sex where my brothers can see." Ace could deal with Sabo's reaction, even if it would be embarrassing as all hell, but he doesn't even want to think about Luffy's reaction. He'd die.

Marco chuckles —Ace is certain that his expression has something to do— and buries his face between Ace's neck and shoulder.

"Okay," he says, and kisses Ace's neck. Then he starts licking and sucking, his hands slide under Ace's shirt, and soon any thoughts other than Marco flee Ace's mind.

He moans, grabs Marco's shirt and starts pulling. That shirt is in the way, and Ace wants it off.

Marco seems to share his thoughts, because he pulls Ace to a sitting position and they make quick work of their clothes. Marco only stops long enough to pull the lube and condom out of his pant pocket before pushing Ace back on his back.

Ace should totally introduce Marco to sex toys. That is the last thing he thinks before Marco pushes two fingers into him (and isn't it proof of how they've spent the last month that Marco can go straight for two fingers without it bothering Ace at all?) and he slides down, kissing over Ace's chest and stomach while he moves his fingers in Ace. He hits Ace's prostate one, two, three times before Ace lets out a loud exclamation.

Marco has wrapped his mouth around Ace's cock. Ace would have frozen, except that Marco is still hitting his prostate and so he can't. They have never openly spoken about sucking each other off, they just haven't done it, and Ace was sure they had a silent agreement about not doing it. He wants to, really, but he needs to drag Marco to a doctor first (he doesn't think there'll be any problem, magical bird that heals himself and all that, but sex is one of the few areas where Ace is actually careful). Except that, apparently, the agreement only existed in Ace's mind.

And Marco has somehow swallowed him full with no apparent trouble, as though a gag reflex is no issue for him.

Before Ace can so much as think that he has to react somehow Marco stops. He pulls back, both his mouth and his fingers, and looks up at Ace. Ace doesn't whine, that's definitely not him.

Ace raises his head to look down at Marco, and it's then that he notices how his muscles have tensed up. It's from the surprise, no doubt, and Marco has noticed. He is giving Ace a worried look.

"Was that wrong?" he asks, and Ace thinks he hears a note of insecurity hidden in the mostly curious voice.

"No!" Ace says immediately, because he doesn't want Marco to think there's anything wrong with blowjobs, or that they will never be an option. "It's not wrong, it's just… I…" And how the hell does one explain this with so little vocabulary? They have never even mentioned a cold, forget other illnesses.

"You don't have to do it," Marco says, perceptive as ever. "I just…" He runs a finger over Ace's cock, "I like it," he says, and pulls his finger back, "but it's okay."

For a moment, Ace thinks that Marco is saying that Ace doesn't have to return the gesture, and yes, he is certain there is that, too, but there is more. Ace suddenly realizes that Marco is expecting Ace to tell him he doesn't want a blowjob.

Okay, what the hell? Ace thinks, very much puzzled. A single denial wouldn't have made Marco assume that, it would have taken more than one time. Ace can't think of a single guy he knows who's into sex who would refuse a fucking blowjob.

He is missing something here.

Ace reaches out to tangle his fingers into Marco's hair and pulls him into a kiss.

"Of course you can give me a blowjob," he says when they part, making sure to convey just how confused he feels by the fact that Marco has assumed Ace wouldn't want it.

"Blowjob?" Marco asks, but it seems to be more for confirmation than anything else. He appears to be much surer of himself.

Ace grins.

"That's what it's called."

"Okay," Marco whispers, and he doesn't waste any time in going back to where he was.

To be continued

And next chapter Marco will finally be introduced to the 21st centuries. Any theories on how that will go? :)

Also, if anyone is interested, I've started a sideblog on tumblr to focus on my stories. There I'll upload information on how writing is going and everything. Here's the tweaked version of the url so ffnet won't delete it: maisstories (here goes a dot) tumblr (here goes a dot) com