A/N: Hey, guys! So, this is for my OPscifiandfantasy submission this year, which is way shorter than last year's. And I'm sorry for not finishing uploading last year's! I'll get on that when I can. This has just some fluff and angst moments and is in a fantasy setting. I also want to dedicate this to my friend and beta StarPurpleandBlue since she starts working tomorrow!

Enjoy!

Marco

Rain.

Marco loved the rain. There was just something about the sound of drops beating against the window coupled with a dark and empty room that made him relax down to his bones.

There were no customers in the bar tonight, which was a rarity. Usually, his brothers would come up from below to bother him, so it was nice to have a night for himself. He had to watch the bar for the rest of the night, but with peace surrounding him, it didn't feel too bad, but there was one thing that could tie it all together.

His blue fire sparked on the tip of his finger as a he lit the apple scented candle. The flame died down into a soft orange, but it wasn't enough to illuminate the room. Enough to help Marco relax though.

Breathe in, breathe out. Peace.

Letting his magic loose every once in awhile always helped Marco relax. It wasn't safe to use it freely- not with the government conducting their mage hunts every so often. Of course he wished things were different, and that's why he was working with Pops.

The door slammed open, rainwater and mud sloshing onto the floor of his bar. Marco was just glad he set the candle down before the startling entrance of the hooded figure standing in the doorway. After the door had swung shut behind the stranger, Marco could barely make out the figure through the darkness.

"Hi! Sorry for intruding!" Their words came out in a chirp as they stepped into the glow of the candlelight. They flipped their hood off their head, and when Marco saw the man's face, he was breath-taken.

Even from the low light, Marco could see his stunning smile and shining eyes, and the brush of freckles over his cheeks was adorable. "I know you're not open," he said, "but can I stay here for a bit, please? I'll be out of your hair real quick, I promise."

It took Marco a second to gather his bearings to speak. "O-of course, yoi." He held out his hand for the man to take. "Marco."

"I'm Ace. Nice to meet you, Marco!" Ace clambered into one of the barstools, smile never leaving his face. "I'm sorry about the mess. Do you want me to clean it up for you?"

Marco shook his head. "It's fine. Just relax and I'll get you a drink soon. Why were you out in that storm though?"

As he spoke, he started to light the other candles, careful not to use his magic. Magic in front of strangers was never a good thing.

"Mercenary. I travel around, battle mages and dragons and stuff like that. For a fee, of course," Ace answered. He spun around in his stool so he could face Marco. Marco had to squish down a wince when he mentioned battling mages, but he just wrote it off as someone hiring him to do so. It was a common job for mercenaries. "I thought I would be back earlier, so I could see my little brothers, but I had to get the job done."

"Put money on the table, yeah?" Marco poured the drink and slid it over to Ace.

"Someone's got to do it."

"Of course," Marco agreed. "But you have to stay safe before you get home, and traveling out in this weather won't help you."

As if on cue, more thunder sounded from outside. Ace looked towards the door with a frown.

Maybe it was his protective instincts taking over, but Marco could not allow Ace to go back out into that. "If you'd like, you can stay the night, yoi," Marco said.

Ace's expression brightened, his wide smile returning. "You'd really do that? But I'm just a stranger to you."

"So you want to go back outside?"

Ace cringed. "You do have a point. I mean, you really don't mind?"

"Stay safe for your family, Ace. And besides, I don't bite. I'll even make you a snack."

The way Ace's eyes lit up made Marco chuckle. "Well I can't say no to free food!"

Even though they both should've rested, Marco and Ace ended up talking for the majority of the night. After Marco cooked a small meal for the two of them to share (and more once Ace had declared that he was still hungry), they ended up exchanging stories of their families. What could Marco say? He also had siblings, and he could relate. Ace only had two brothers, but just as many intriguing stories to tell. Of course Marco kept Ace entertained with his own tales, and he would testify that Ace's laugh was like wonderful music.

The sun's rays were already peaking through the windows when Marco finally convinced Ace to get some rest for his journey. He had voiced some complaints, but finally agreed when Marco promised another freshly cooked meal (which he left on the table) for him when he left.

Marco himself couldn't rest though. He had to get ready for the day, and Thatch was coming by early to drop some things off. It would be best if he could get it done while Ace was asleep. Thankfully, he was good with working without sleep, and a couple of cups of coffee could get him through the day.

"Marco!" Thatch shouted as he came barreling through the door. "I'm here!"

Marco sighed, not expecting the noise. "I can see that."

"Geez. You don't have to make that face!"

Izo walked in after him with a frown. "Well, if you weren't so loud, then he wouldn't."

"You too, Izo?!"

Marco watched his brothers and rolled his eyes, waiting for them to finish bickering. Although, they were taking too long.

"Ahem." Thatch and Izo finally looked over at him. "You brought the information?"

Thatch pulled out a folder and waved it around. "Of course!" he answered. "Do you doubt me?"

"It's not surprising," Izo said as he examined his nails. Thatch scowled back at him.

"Anyways," Thatch continued, ignoring Izo, "I read it over. Shift schedules, inventory lists. It'll come in handy whenever we decide to do our next raid."

"I'll talk it over with Pops later then." Marco skimmed through the information before setting it down. "Anything else you need before you go, yoi?"

"Marco!" Loud footsteps thundered down the stairs and Ace appeared practically skipping up to Marco. "Morning!"

He wasn't supposed to be up, and Marco couldn't help panicking since Izo and Thatch were giving him funny looks.

"Good morning, Ace," he greeted back, trying to pretend his brothers weren't standing right there. Who knows what they were thinking right now? "Don't you need some more rest?"

"I actually feel fine!" Ace chirped. "Especially with some of that coffee! Sabo never lets me have coffee at home."

That coffee was supposed to be his, but it would be rude to point that out now. "So I guess you're leaving then, yoi."

Ace beamed. "Aw, Marco! You don't have to be so disappointed." Marco wasn't aware he sounded that way. "I'll visit soon."

He stepped closer to Marco, and in that moment, he quickly pecked him on the cheek. The movement was so sudden that Marco thought he was hallucinating for a second, but the lingering warmth proved it all too real.

"Thanks for everything, Marco!" And with that, Ace was out the door.

"Who was that?" Thatch asked, pointing after Ace with mouth agape.

"More importantly, why did he kiss you?" Izo exclaimed. He grabbed the front of Marco's shirt. "How long have you been together?"

Marco groaned. He wanted to ignore their annoying questions, but as always, they were persistent.

"He's just a traveler," he answered truthfully. "I let him stay last night because of the storm."

Izo and Thatch still stared at him for the duration of their time there.

True to Ace's word, he was back to visit a few weeks later. It was good that he hadn't come sooner since Marco had been away on business- not that Ace needed to know.

The bar was full that time, but that didn't stop Ace from making an entrance that drew everyone's attention.

The door slammed open and the bar became quiet, but Ace didn't seem to notice as he skipped right up to the counter. "Hey!"

Marco chuckled. Ace's cheerful behavior was rather contagious. "Hey yourself."

"I told you I would be back," Ace said. Thankfully, the rest of the bar had gone back to what they are doing, leaving Marco and Ace to their own devices. "You miss me?"

"Hm, I'm thinking you missed me, yoi," Marco answered with a smirk.

"Maybe I did."

"Could you maybe wait for us next time?" someone asked. The blond man behind Ace glared at him, adjusting his top hat.

"I'm hungry!" a dark-haired kid with a straw hat whined. Judging from their looks and from what Ace told him, these were Ace's brothers. "Hey, Pineapple guy! Can you give me some food?"

"Sabo and Luffy, right? Nice to meet you, yoi," Marco greeted, ignoring the nickname.

"Yep," Sabo said. "Same to you. Thanks for taking care of our brother, by the way. The idiot would have gotten sick out in that storm."

"Oi, I'm not an idiot," Ace said, grumbling his words under his breath.

"Yeah, yeah. Stop pouting like that." Sabo was right. Ace's lips was jutted out ever so slightly in an pout, and his blush just made him look cuter- well, in Marco's opinion.

"Wh-what?! I'm not pouting!"

"I think it's rather adorable," Marco voiced, smirking at Ace when his cheeks became redder.

"Ugh," Sabo groaned. "Luffy and I will be over there when you two are done flirting." He grabbed Luffy's arm and led him over to a free table, leaving Ace and Marco alone.

"So flirting, hm?" Marco asked, continuing their conversation.

"I guess so," Ace answered with a shrug. "I wasn't really trying to be subtle about it. But I think you're the one doing more of the flirting right now."

"Really? And what about when you kissed me on the cheek last time? Did you think I forgot?" Marco teased.

"Hm, maybe. Should I give you another one then?"

"Moving quickly, don't you think? You could at least ask me out first, yoi."

"Then how about dinner, just you and me?" Ace suggested.

Marco grinned in response. "I'll close the bar early."

A month later, Marco found himself leaving town again to take care of a mission for Pops. There had been rumors of a mage group a few towns over, and because of Marco's speed, he was tasked with confirming the fact and making sure they were properly protected.

It was a rather easy mission, so he returned quickly, though he wasn't expecting Ace to be waiting at the bar for him along with Izo and Thatch. Good thing that Ace hadn't waited at the edge of town though, or else he might have seen Marco land and transform.

"Welcome back!" Ace greeted cheerfully, stopping his conversation with Marco's brothers once Marco entered. He hopped up out of his seat to peck Marco on the cheek.

Marco couldn't help leaning into the touch of warmth. He reached up, carding a hand through Ace's soft hair. Normally, he would've kissed Ace back, but he would've preferred if Thatch and Izo were elsewhere. He should've known they would come around when he was away. It's not that he hated his family or something like that. Rather, it was safer for Ace to have as few connections to them as possible. And he also knew they would tease him endlessly if they ever saw him with Ace.

"Yes, welcome back," Izo chimed, smiling amusedly. "We just wanted to see what this 'boyfriend' business was all about."

"Yeah, who would've thought?" Thatch laughed. "Good luck, Ace. He's a tough one."

"Hm, you guys just don't know him like I do."

"That job is best left to you then, hun." Izo rolled his eyes. "We'll come back later then Marco. Or you can just swing by Pops's place."

It was a relief when they left (though Marco mostly wanted Thatch and his stupid grin out of his bar).

Thankfully, no one else would bother them- well, for the night at least. The rest of his family would probably find an excuse to visit sometime.

"So how was your trip?" Ace asked, leaning against Marco as they cuddled on the couch.

Marco shrugged. "Nothing special, yoi."

"I missed you, you know."

Marco hummed as he pressed his lips against Ace's skin, a reassuring gesture that he was there. "Like I don't miss you when you leave."

"But you're not supposed to leave," Ace said.

They had only been together for a short time, and while Ace was the type to leave town frequently because of his work, he made sure to visit Marco as much as possible. It must've been strange for him that Marco was the one away, yet he found it rather cute that Ace had missed him so much.

"You wouldn't want anyone to keep you in one place, would you, Ace?" Marco asked. Ace didn't answer.

"Take me with you next time," he finally said.

Marco hummed, but didn't say yes. He couldn't promise that- not with the burden on his shoulders.

The burden of changing the world for the better.

"The government has started another mage hunt."

The atmosphere in the meeting room grew very tense as soon as he said those words. Even though they knew the fact already, topping it off with an official statement made things worse.

Marco's eyes swept across the room, looking at the faces of his family. They were solemn, eyes downcast. Marco knew each of them was filled with concern for the safety of Pops, the safety of their family.

But there was no time to mope now. Marco had to continue. "We will have to exercise caution, but this still provides us with opportunity. There will be less security around bases, so we can gather more information as well as destroying them. My suggestion is that we start as soon as possible in order to reduce casualties." He sat down once he was finished, looking to his father for approval.

"Well said, son," Whitebeard said with a nod. "Now then, Haruta. Compile a list of any possible targets."

Marco kept listening, but his mind was on something else: Ace.

A mage hunt hadn't happened since before they started dating. Honestly, two months was a long period of inactivity, so the thought of what to tell Ace in the event of a mage hunt had escaped him. He still hadn't told Ace about his real occupation, let alone that he was actually a mage.

But Ace was such a huge part of his life now. He deserved to know the truth, and he was strong too. His skills as a mercenary would certainly come in handy.

"Marco?"

Before he knew it the meeting had ended, and everyone was off to take care of their own assignments. Well, except Thatch, who was staring at him in concern.

"Is it about Ace?" he asked.

Marco raised an eyebrow at him. "How did you figure that one out?"

Thatch grinned goofily, nudging Marco with his elbow. "You get that look in your eyes when you think about him."

"Do not."

"Sure, sure. So what's the problem?"

"I..." Marco sighed. "I need to keep Ace safe, yoi."

"Understandable."

"But he's strong, and I think he could help us out."

"Well, he is a mercenary after all," Thatch agreed. "He could know some things. And besides, he's your boyfriend. I think he'll support you."

"I hope so, yoi," Marco said, but he remained slightly hesitant. "I'll try bringing him around to the next meeting."

The next meeting just so happened to be after his and Ace's next date, but Marco hadn't wanted to go far since the bar was an easy entrance to the base.

He set up a nice private dinner (courtesy of Thatch) inside the bar. Ace's eyes shined when he saw the whole setup, though Marco wasn't too sure of what kinds of thoughts were in his mind. In his opinion, this was the best setting for a private talk. It helped that it was romantic too.

"Thank you, Marco! I thought this was very sweet," Ace said when he finished his meal. There were still crumbs around his mouth, so Marco chuckled and leaned across the table with a napkin to help him.

"I can do it myself," he protested. He probably would've denied pouting if Marco ever pointed it out, so he decided to keep that fact to himself.

"So what's with all this?" Ace asked, gesturing around. "I mean, I'm not complaining, but we usually go eat out."

Marco took a deep breath. It was now or never. He knew the risks, but Ace deserved to know.

"I have something to tell you, yoi," he said. "Can you come with me for a second?"

When Ace shot him a confused look, Marco took his hand, leading him towards the storage room in the back. "What is this, Marco? You're not taking me to a creepy dungeon now, are you?"

"Of course not. Just wait."

They weren't going into the storage, but rather, there was more to the room. Pressing his hand against a stone in the wall, part of it shimmered and dissolved away.

If Ace was surprised, he didn't say so as Marco continued to lead him through the tunnel. The walk was quiet, footsteps echoing around in the passage, but as soon as they opened the door at the end, noise and light flooded out.

Marco turned, gesturing for Ace to come in. "Welcome, Ace, to the Whitebeard base."

Ace

He had been curious when Marco started leading him into some basement, of course, but he wasn't expecting to be led right to Whitebeard, one of the most famous rebel leaders.

The Whitebeards were infamous for messing with government-sanctioned mage hunts. Whitebeard was reportedly an extremely powerful mage- at least, that's what he heard from his mother when she was telling him stories of his dad. Ace had kept tabs on them in the past, but he never knew that Marco was one of them.

It kinda hurt, really.

Before Marco could say anything, Izo walked up with a smile. "You brought him! It's so nice to see you here, Ace."

"Um, it's nice to see you too," Ace said.

"There's no need to be shy," Marco reassured. He wasn't being shy, he wanted to say, but Marco would probably ask how he was, and Ace didn't feel like talking too much right now. "All my other siblings are here too, so we can say hi later. Right now, there's something we need to do."

As if on cue, a hush washed over the room. Ace looked around and quickly found the reason. Whitebeard had just entered.

Whitebeard was intimidating, that was for sure. He loomed over everyone else in the room- possibly half-giant- but on top of all that, he seemed to just have an aura that demanded respect. There were other reasons that fear sat in Ace's heart, but he pushed those thoughts out of his mind for now.

"Good evening, my sons." Ace didn't know if he was naturally loud, or if he was just amazing at projecting, but Whitebeard's voiced boomed out. "And I see we have a guest."

In that moment, Ace could feel every eye in the room on him. He was left at a loss for words, so he waved awkwardly instead. That didn't stop Marco from introducing him though.

"Everyone, this is my boyfriend, Ace. Some of you have met him already."

The room exploded back into noisiness and Ace found himself assaulted with greetings and welcomes. He took a step back to get some more room, only to find that he had moved into Marco's arms. "Don't pressure him, yoi."

"I don't need to be coddled," he muttered, but it must have been too loud for Marco to hear.

"Settle down!" Whitebeard commanded, and the room went quiet once more. "Welcome, Ace. If you have anything to say, just speak up at any time."

Yet words never came to him. Despite the welcoming words and Marco's comforting presence, he just didn't feel comfortable there. They were one of the top mage rebellion groups in the country and he...

He wasn't a mage. Marco knew this, and yet he brought him here?

It seemed that they were having a mass meeting of some sort, discussing cutting supply lines for the government and preventing the next strikes of the mage hunt. It was too much for Ace to remember with how jumbled his mind felt.

Before he knew it, the meeting had ended, and everyone went back to their chatter and partying as if it had never happened.

"Is everything alright?" Marco asked, squeezing Ace's hand.

"Sabo and Luffy are probably worried," he lied. Marco probably knew this was a lie too (Ace had stayed the night before), but thankfully, he noticed his discomfort.

"Of course. Let's get you home." He kissed Ace on the forehead before taking his hand again. They waved goodbye to everyone as they headed for the exit, but even when they were alone, Ace didn't have the heart to speak.

It wasn't until they reached the bar that Ace said something. "Why didn't you tell me?" He couldn't raise his voice. If he did, Marco would hear his voice faltering.

Marco looked at him in concern, moving his hand to touch Ace's shoulder, but Ace yanked out of his grip. "Ace..."

"Please just tell me, Marco!" Ace yelled. "You trust me, right? Why did it take so long?"

"Ace, you know how people feel towards mages," Marco said. "And I didn't know how you felt, but I see now, I guess." He had backed away from Ace, head down.

"You could have a little more faith in me," Ace argued, crossing his arms. "I wouldn't hate you for being a mage."

"You don't?"

"Marco, we've only been together for a few months, but my feelings are clear. It hurts that you didn't trust me though," Ace sighed. "I think... I think I'll need some time to myself."

"I understand, yoi," Marco said. He pecked Ace on the cheek, but his lips barely touched, as if he was scared. Inside, Ace wished Marco wouldn't act so hesitant, that things would go back to how they were. "Do you want me to walk you home?"

"I can do it," Ace answered. "But I do want to know about one thing. You know I'm not a mage, so why do you want me with your family?"

In that moment, the fear left Marco's eyes, replaced with a gentle hospitality and warmth. It was a look that made Ace feel comfortable for the first time since leaving the base. "We're not all mages. We're first and foremost a family, and all we want is to create a better future for our family," Marco explained. He took Ace's hand as he said this, and his grip was tight and sure.

"And Ace, I would love for you to be a part of our family."

Ace arrived at home still thinking about those words. It wasn't unusual for mages and nonmages to get along (he had personal experience), but to have a whole family, a lifestyle, centered around that, was something amazing.

"You're home?" Sabo asked with a raised eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

"It's not like I have to stay over every night," Ace said, rolling his eyes. It seemed his brothers had pretty low expectations for him. "Everything's fine."

"You can't lie to me, you know."

Ace groaned. Why did he ever think he could hide things from Sabo? He was much too perceptive. "Fine."

He explained what was wrong, spilling out his fears. Sabo would understand. He always did.

"So, Marco is a Whitebeard?" Sabo said, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"You don't sound so surprised," Ace grumbled, frustrated at Sabo's calm demeanor.

"I mean, I've heard rumors in my line of work, Ace," Sabo admitted. "I wasn't sure if they were true, but now that you've confirmed it, he's supposedly Whitebeard's right hand man."

"He didn't tell me that either."

Sabo jabbed a finger in Ace's face. "Yeah, but if you were the second-in-command of a major rebel group, would you tell anyone?"

"Fair enough," Ace said.

"And they're making things safer for Luffy, so there's that too."

"I guess so, but I want to just think about it some more."

"I'll leave you to it then."

Ace decided to head back outside. Even though it was late, the fresh air and night sky would help clear his mind. He knew a little spot near the outskirts of town near the river that would be perfect just to think.

It wasn't just going to take a day for him to get over it, but Sabo helped him understand even a little bit. Maybe he wasn't being fair to Marco. He had met few mages in his life, but every single one of them had been secretive about their power- well, with the exception of Luffy.

They weren't bad people either, and Marco definitely wasn't a bad person, and Ace wanted to protect him too.

Ace had been young when the mage hunts started, but he still remembered them. It had been when his mother died after all. She had gotten sick worrying over Ace. She had been sure they were after them despite the fact that Ace himself wasn't a mage. His father had been a mage after all, the mage that had caused those hunts in the first place.

Would they accept that if they knew? Ace couldn't stand the thought of Marco rejecting him for that, yet he had been the one who had rejected Marco earlier.

"I should've been more understanding," Ace sighed.

A branch snapped behind him and Ace whirled around. No one should've been out at this time, especially not where he was.

"Who's there?" he yelled out, and unsurprisingly, no one answered. He simply dismissed it as an animal, turning his back once more.

If only he knew what a mistake that had been. Without warning, things went dark, and Ace fell into unconsciousness.

Ace awoke bound to a chair, his mind fuzzy. It took a while for the memory of last night to kick in, but once it did, Ace snapped back into awareness.

"Where am I?" he wondered aloud, but there was no one there to answer him. He struggled against his bonds, but they didn't move an inch. His strength hadn't failed him like this before, and it made him want to kick something in frustration,

"Zehaha!" The laugh caught Ace's attention, and he glared towards the doorway. "Struggle all you want, but those are infused with magic. You won't be getting out of that anytime soon, Ace."

"How do you know my name?" Ace growled, attempting to lunge forward.

The man stepped out of the shadows, and grotesque was the first word that popped into Ace's mind. With hair growing almost everywhere and huge gaps in his teeth, it was hard to think otherwise. "It's to my advantage to keep tabs on those close to the Whitebeards," he said. "The name's Blackbeard."

"Whitebeard..." Could they have some connection? Did they send this guy after him? No. Ace believed that Marco wouldn't harm him. "What do you want with me?"

Blackbeard approached and got right up in Ace's face. Ace pulled back as far as he could, wanting to spit at him. "Isn't it obvious?" Blackbeard asked. He reached out to Ace's chin and forced him to look. "You're my bait."

Putting two and two together didn't take long. "You're after Whitebeard then."

"Close enough, but I think going after his second-in-command would crush them just as well."

Second-in-command? But wasn't that... "No! Marco!" They were going to hurt him, and it was all Ace's fault. If only he hadn't wandered off that night.

"Oh yes." Blackbeard said. He pulled a crystal out of his pocket, and with a wave of his hand, it started floating. "Now be a good hostage."

Before Ace could shoot back a counter, an image of Marco shimmered into existence. "Ace!" he yelled. "Sea goddess, are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

"I'm fine, Marco!" That was partially true. Blackbeard had left him unscathed when he had kidnapped him, but on the inside, Ace was a mess. "But you have to stay away! It's-"

"Hello, Commander," Blackbeard sneered, stepping into view of the crystal.

There was a fire in Marco's eyes, an anger, that Ace never thought he would see. It felt as if he were about to leap through the crystal just to rip Blackbeard's throat out. "Teach."

"Zehaha!" That ugly laugh sent a shiver up Ace's spine. "What's wrong? Afraid I'll break him?"

"Let him go."

"Do you really think it would be that easy?"

"What do you want?" Marco asked. His words came quick, and it was easy to tell he was impatient.

"Good." Blackbeard grinned, pleased. "Your life for his. I think that's a fair trade."

Ace's eyes widened. He was going to die here. There was no way Marco would sacrifice himself for him. It hurt, really, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Marco would be safe, and besides, he would be able to see his mother again, right?

Ace hung his head, waiting for the worst.

"Where do you want to meet?" Marco asked without hesitation.

Ace gasped, looking back at the image of Marco. "You can't! It's a trap!" he pleaded, but Marco didn't seem to be listening to him. He hoped that Marco's family was listening as well. "Izo! Thatch! Please stop him! I'm not worth it!"

A cloth was pulled across his mouth, cutting him off. "I should've gagged you earlier," Blackbeard said.

"Don't you dare lay your hands on him!"

"I won't, only if you come to the Western Ruins before sundown."

"I'll be there. Don't worry, Ace."

Marco's image faded away, leaving Ace helpless.

"What? Worried about your boyfriend? Maybe you should blame yourself for being the perfect bait."

Ace already blamed himself, and Blackbeard's taunts didn't help. He would have spit in the man's face if he were not gagged.

"You won't have to worry about that for now. I don't really need you awake anyways." And with that along with a wave of his hand, darkness invaded Ace's vision once more as he fell into a state of sleep.

Blackbeard only woke Ace up once they reached the meeting point: the Western Ruins. Ace had been here once on a job, which had been collecting a material that came from a monster in the area. The ruins seemed to be clear of monsters now though. Maybe if they were still here, Marco would stay away.

While minimal, preparations were already complete for them to meet with Marco. Ace was kneeling on the ground (his hands were now tied behind his back now and the gag was gone), and Blackbeard had a firm hand on his head. To say this position was humiliating was an understatement.

Through one of the windows in the crumbling walls, Ace could see the sun falling under the horizon as the sky turned a bright red. Marco should have been here by now, right? Maybe his family had convinced him that it really wasn't worth it. Ace's heart was breaking a little inside, but at least Marco would be safe.

"Teach!"

The yell echoed throughout the room they were standing in, smashing Ace's expectations. Marco was here, and Ace couldn't do anything to protect him.

It was clear to see that he had come alone as he ran across the room towards them, but when he got close, Blackbeard tightened his grip on Ace's hair, making him yelp.

"So nice of you to join us. And please, it's Blackbeard."

"That cheap imitation of a name? You don't deserve my respect."

The atmosphere in the room became very tense in that moment as the two stared each other down. Ace held a breath, not knowing if he should break the silence.

"Will you keep your promise and let him go?" Marco finally asked.

"This is an exchange, isn't it?" Teach said.

"Marco, please don't do this for me," Ace begged. Why couldn't Marco just stay away? "I'm not worth it!"

Marco turned his gaze towards him, eyes full of love that made Ace's heart flutter. He missed that look and he was glad that he could see it one last time. "You'll always be worth it, yoi," Marco declared. "I love you."

A sob escaped Ace's throat. He didn't even realize that he was crying. For once in his life, someone that wasn't part of his family loved him, and Ace loved him in return. Marco hadn't told him before, but since he was saying it now, it hurt. Ace didn't want to lose Marco, he didn't want to lose the man he loved. "Marco, I lo-"

"That's enough of the mushy stuff," Blackbeard said, cutting off Ace's confession. He held out a hand, dark tendrils swirling in his palm. "And I'd rather skip the goodbyes."

"You're going to turn me in dead then?" Marco crossed his arms. "Is that really wise?"

"Are you going to warn me about 'invoking Whitebeard's wrath?' Zehaha!" Blackbeard laughed. "With my magic, I don't fear the old man! It's a shame. Never got to see your magic though."

The darkness grew, moving closer to Marco. "No!" All Ace could think about was Marco. 'No, no, no!'

Time was slowing down around him, torturing him with the image of the darkness about to swallow Marco up. Why was he so useless? So helpless? 'Please, anything,' Ace pleaded mentally. 'This can't happen!'

"I love you, Ace," Marco said one final time, and those words repeated in Ace's mind over and over.

'Please!'

'I can't lose him.'

And at that moment, something inside of Ace broke.

"Marco!"

Marco

Marco had a plan when coming into this exchange. He was to go in and distract Teach for long enough, and right when he was focused on the kill, his brothers and Ace's brothers would strike. For now, they were taking care of Teach's lackeys outside.

But this... This wasn't a part of the plan.

Burning. Teach was burning, and Ace? Ace was the cause.

It started with a scream, a pained, piercing scream that belonged to Ace. His body had gone up in flames in the next moment, engulfing Teach soon after. The darkness had released Marco then, and he fell to the ground to watch.

A pang shot through his heart when he heard Ace's screaming. Ace should never have to feel that much pain, and yet, the burning would not stop.

"Marco!" Izo, Thatch, and Sabo had run in. "What's going on?"

"He just started burning!" Ace's body was encased in a column of flames, shooting up the the ceiling. "I think he went into shock."

"But Ace isn't a mage, is he?" Thatch asked, unable to take his eyes off of the light.

It was something that hadn't completely processed in Marco's mind until then. He was more concerned about Ace's well being after all, yet he had never heard of a case like this. Someone who wasn't supposed to have magic, turning out to be a mage?

"Damn it!" Sabo cursed. "This wasn't supposed to happen!"

"What do we do?"

By now, Teach was nothing more than a pile of ashes. The flames were growing larger, Ace screams getting louder. Marco couldn't just leave him like this.

"I'll try to get through to him," he said, standing up and brushing himself off.

"It's dangerous!" Sabo protested.

"He'll be fine," Izo reassured. "Ace's fire won't affect him, but the real concern is whether he can get Ace to stop or not."

"I have to," Marco said. "I think it's the only way."

He approached Ace slowly, spreading his arms and letting them transform into his flaming wings. Parts of his chest and legs flickered with blue fire as well. When he got close enough, their fire started to intermingle, blending into purples, greens, and other beautiful colors.

"Ace!" Marco called, but Ace's agonized wail continued. His restraints had burned off too, and he was clutching at his head. "Come back to us!"

"I promise that everything will be fine!" he continued, stepping closer. "I'm fine, see!"

As he stepped into the column of fire, he realized that Ace's eyes were glowing bright. He had never heard of something like that happening either.

"Calm down and come back to me, Ace!" He wrapped his wings around Ace, pulling him close. Ace was screaming right in his ear now, but Marco wouldn't let go until Ace was safe.

"You're safe with me. I love you."

The words seemed to work magic on their own as Ace's flames dissipated and Ace went limp in Marco's arms, scream cut off.

"M-Marco?" Ace whispered weakly, attempting to lift his head to look. "I'm so glad you're fine."

"Shhh. You need rest, yoi," Marco said, kissing Ace's forehead tenderly. "Save your words for later."

"Mm ok, Marco." It was clear that he was nodding off, exhausted. "Love... you..."

Marco transformed his wings back into arms, carefully taking Ace's sleeping form into his arms. He had been through a lot in the past few days and definitely deserved the rest.

"Is he alright?" Izo asked. He along with Thatch and Sabo had finally run up to check on them once the fire had died down.

"He's asleep," Marco answered. "I want a nurse to check him as soon as possible though."

"I'll make a feast for him when he wakes up," Thatch offered. "I'm sure you and Luffy would appreciate that too, right, Sabo?"

Sabo smiled weakly at that remark. That scare with Ace looked like it had taken ten years off of his young life. "Yeah."

"Hey, Sabo," Marco said. "You were saying something earlier about Ace. I think you have some explaining to do later."

Sabo didn't start his explanation until Ace had been checked by the nurses. It was just him and Marco sitting by Ace's bedside as he recovered.

"What wasn't supposed to happen?" Marco asked, recalling Sabo's words earlier when he had run in. "You know why this happened, don't you?"

Sabo sighed, looking over at his brother's prone form. "I do. Don't be mad at Ace for what I'm about to tell you, though. He didn't know since his mother never told him."

"I've never heard of someone being unaware of their magic before."

"I didn't always used to be this way," Sabo said. "Ace has been a mage all his life. He just... forgot."

"Forgot?"

"Though Ace and I aren't blood-related, I've known him for a very long time. I lived with him and his mother for a bit before we met Luffy."

"And he was a mage back then?"

"Well, he definitely loved to show off."

Marco chuckled at that. "That definitely sounds like him, yoi. So what happened then?"

"The mage hunts."

He should have known it was something to do with that. The entire world had changed once the mage hunts had started.

After the capture of Gol D. Roger, mages were deemed too dangerous to exist. Their family had been forced underground at that point in order to protect Pops and the rest of their mage siblings. Marco especially had to keep his magic secret considering how useful it was.

"Ace's mother wanted to protect him no matter what," Sabo continued. "So she sealed his magic and made him forget. He wasn't supposed to be able to break the seal like that."

Marco frowned. Usually, mages' powers were very specific. Something like that didn't seem normal at all- not that magic was a normal thing anyways. "Is that even possible?"

Sabo shrugged. "It worked, didn't it? But I think it's because there was something special about her."

"Special?"

"She told me something when she sealed away Ace's magic. She said that her being was fueled on magic, and she existed because of it. I remembered reading about something like that once, so I believe she was part of a special tribe whose beings are said to be 'manifestations of magic themselves.'"

"No wonder Ace was able to kill Teach," Marco mused. He, having lived a long time due to his power, had heard of the tribe before, but he had dismissed the rumors as mere legend. It was said their magical prowess was unbeatable.

"And it's no wonder that Ace's mother died from it." Sabo looked away from Marco in that moment. Marco could have sworn that his eyes looked wet. "She cared so much for Ace that she put all of her energy into that spell. Ace didn't even remember why she died. He would never admit it, but he cried a lot that day."

Marco remained silent. It was all a lot to process in one moment. Silently, he thanked Ace's mother, wherever she may be resting now, as he reached for Ace's hand and squeezed. "It must've been hard for you," he whispered, and much to his surprise, Ace began to stir.

"Good. He's waking up," Sabo commented. He stood up, placing his hat back on his head. "I think you two need some privacy. By the way, his memories should have returned when the seal broke, so I think he should be able to answer anything else you have to ask."

"Alright. Thank you for telling me, Sabo."

Sabo smiled, finally dispersing the melancholy mood that had briefly overtaken the room. "No problem. Take care of him properly though."

"You won't have to worry about that."

Sabo had left the room completely by the time Ace had actually woke up, though he still looked drowsy.

"Marco...?" Apparently, his safety hadn't fully processed in Ace's mind yet, but once it did, energy seemed to flow back into him. "Marco!" He tossed the covers off, flinging his arms around Marco's neck as if he was going to disappear. Marco laughed at how enthusiastic his embrace was, hugging Ace back and relishing in his warmth. "I thought I was going to lose you!"

"You're the one who worried me, yoi," Marco said. "You could've died getting out of control like that."

At those words, Ace's grip slackened. "I know. I shouldn't have..." His words died in his throat and he pulled away. "I... I hurt you, Marco."

"Ace, you didn't-"

"I just got so out of control! I burned you! And you're going to hate me! I-"

Marco cut him off, letting his blue fire out as he took Ace's hand. Ace's own flames danced against his in response, mixing together.

"What?" Ace gasped. He stared at the flames, mesmerized, though Marco found that the way the light reflected off his eyes was more beautiful.

"My magic is that of a Phoenix, Ace," Marco explained. "There's no way you would have hurt me, yoi."

Ace was still quiet though, continuing to stare at the flames. "Ace?"

"It feels weird," he confessed. "I can't believe I just forgot I had magic for all these years, and now, I can't control it like I used to. Just because I won't hurt you, Marco, doesn't mean that everyone else is safe."

"Yeah, but so what if you can't control it? Don't doubt yourself like that." Marco jabbed a finger at him in a nagging gesture. "I'm here for you, Ace, and I can help you train."

He pulled Ace back into his embrace to reassure him. In that moment, he felt it would do more than words could. For good measure, he pressed a kiss to Ace's cheek and mouthed, 'I love you.'

"So you're a Phoenix?" he heard Ace ask quietly. He let out a giggle after that. "It's like we were made for each other."

Marco pulled back to see Ace grinning at him. "Am I going to have to expect more cheesy lines like that, yoi?" He leaned in to give Ace another kiss, this time on his lips, and Ace let out a full blown laugh.

"Maybe, but you have to show me first! Let's go outside." He was still beaming, and Marco immediately knew his goal. Damn him for knowing his weakness.

"The nurses will murder me if they find out I brought you outside."

"Please?"

Marco really did want Ace to see Phoenix form, and the idea of taking him for a flight sounded tempting. "Ok, you win," Marco said, not that he had put up much of a fight. "You have to be quiet when we sneak out though."

"No problem, Marco!" Ace chirped. Marco shot him an exasperated look at the noise. He didn't seem to notice though, so Marco dropped the issue.

"See?" Marco said. "You and I are just fine. Unless you have anything else to confess before we go?"

As Marco's question hit Ace, his smile turned back into a frown, eyes cast downward. Marco, whose heart hurt to see Ace with such a pained expression, rushed to correct his mistake, but Ace beat him to it.

"Well, there is one thing."

Epilogue

Marco smiled, seeing the tattooed back. He had been looking for Ace ever since he heard the news and he finally found him. He quietly walked up behind him, snaking his arms around Ace's waist.

"So, how do you feel, Second Division Commander?" he asked.

"Hi, Marco!" Ace greeted. He squirmed around a bit so he could turn around and hug Marco back. "I feel great right now, actually!"

"I told you Pops wouldn't care about it, yoi."

"I know, I know, but I can't help worrying about it."

Marco reached for his hand, pulling it up to his lips to kiss it. "You'll never have to worry again while you're with us, especially with all the progress you've made."

"Don't worry? But you're going away on a mission again." Ace's bottom lip jutted outwards in a slight pout.

"You shouldn't pout at me just yet, Ace," Marco said. "Pops said you could come along to learn the ropes of being a commander."

It was hard not to smile when Ace's eyes lit up the way that did. "Really?"

"Yep. Now you won't have to miss me this time."

It was easy to tell Ace was happy with the way he pulled Marco into a deep kiss. Marco couldn't resist kissing back, squeezing Ace's hand-

"Oi, you two! Save that for later! It's dinner time!"

They pulled away, staring into each other's eyes lovingly.

"So, am I finally off the hook for hiding this from you?"

"Hm, we'll see. You have to kiss me again though."

"I love you, yoi."

"And I love you too, Marco."

Please review and let me know what you think!