A/N: Please enjoy the final chapter!

Azure and Ash

Part Four

Morning seemed to come quicker than usual - or maybe it was simply Ace feeling the strain in his muscles from the previous night. He shifted to try and find a more comfortable position, a soft sigh escaping when he found it. Despite how sore his body felt, he couldn't remember the last time he'd slept in such a comfortable bed. Everything was soft and warm, and it felt like he was sinking into pillows even more plush than the ones in the castle.

Just as it began to register that something was off - that his bed was supposed to be moss and fur, which was comfortable but not luxurious - a feather brushed across his cheek. His eyes snapped open and he was greeted with the sight of luminous blue flames and the phoenix's sleeping face.

For a moment, all Ace could do was lie there, staring. Then he was moving, reaching out to trace the curve of Marco's beak and the softness of his feathers. It was a little strange knowing he was essentially petting fire, but he couldn't help it. Marco's plumage was warmer than any blanket, and the texture was indescribable. He couldn't help snuggling a little closer, marveling at the fact that it really didn't burn.

After a while, the phoenix's eyes opened, lazily watching him as one hand smoothed the feathers near his crest. He allowed Ace to continue for several moments before his body began to change, the flames retracting and leaving hard muscles under Ace's hand. Only his wings remained, the soft blue flames flaring out from his shoulders and keeping Ace wrapped up.

"Good morning, yoi," Marco chuckled, the sound causing a tingle to race through Ace's entire body.

He tried to duck his head and hide his face, but silken feathers brushed over the back of his neck and caused him to lift his head again. His blush only worsened when he found himself looking at Marco's face, at the cocky smirk curving Marco's lips.

"Good morning," Ace mumbled. It was hard to concentrate with their bodies pressed so closely together, with Marco's lips so close to his. It only served to remind him of the things Marco had done with those lips the previous night.

He gave up on trying to hide his blush - or anything else, for that matter. It wasn't like Marco hadn't seen every inch of his body already. Seen, touched, kissed…

"How are you feeling?" Marco's voice drew him back out of his thoughts, and not a moment too soon. He tore his gaze away from Marco's lips and offered a sheepish grin of his own.

"Sore," he admitted. "Hungry. Comfortable. Is it weird keeping your arms as wings?"

Marco laughed, amused by such an innocent and straightforward question. "No, yoi. It feels natural to me either way. Is it alright with you?"

"Yeah," Ace shifted, looking to the wing he happened to be lying on. "It's not uncomfortable for you, is it?"

"Not at all," Marco answered, shifting his body and suddenly rolling them so Ace was draped over his chest and he was lying flat on his back. "But just in case, is this better, yoi?"

Ace tested the new position and found it to be just as cozy as the last, tilting his head so he could grin at Marco. "I like it."

He was answered with more laughter. Marco wrapped both wings a little more firmly around him and he swore he felt heat seeping into his back, soothing his sore muscles.

"I would have done this sooner but I didn't know how you'd feel about waking up next to a phoenix," Marco teased. "Or how long you'd keep your hands to yourself, yoi."

"Hey!" Ace laughed. "As I recall, you didn't exactly keep your hands to yourself last night either."

"There was no reason to," Marco chuckled. "Not once you'd consented."

"I'm consenting right now," Ace challenged with a crooked grin.

Marco snorted, shaking his head. "Don't try to overdo it. I know you're still sore from last night."

Ace opened his mouth to retort, only to find himself focusing on Marco's lips again, too flustered to think of anything to say. He was sore, but that didn't stop him from wanting more of Marco. The previous night… it wasn't a memory he'd soon forget. Things had gotten hazy after a while - touches and kisses fueled entirely by passion - but he could still vividly recall every whispered word, every gentle touch.

What had started by the pool had eventually ended in it. He remembered Marco heating the water with his fire, something Ace had only experienced once before in the castle, and the relaxing soak had escalated almost instantly into another round of amazing sex.

While every second leading up to that moment in the pool was vivid, he couldn't remember what had happened after. The last thing he recalled was an intense sensation of pain and pleasure, the feeling of water splashing between their bodies and Marco's lips claiming his… and after that, it was a blur.

"What happened?" Ace found himself asking, realizing he'd been silent for several moments. He forced himself to make eye contact. Of course, Marco had already caught him staring at his lips multiple times, but he was trying to control himself. "After we were together in the water, I mean…"

"You passed out in my arms, yoi," Marco chuckled. "I washed you off and carried you to bed."

"I passed out?" Ace echoed with a displeased frown.

"You didn't just flop on me, if that's what it sounded like," Marco laughed again. His wings turned back into hands, and while the warmth faded a little, his fingers began working at the knots in Ace's back, causing him to instantly relax. "You kissed me first, and then you wrapped your arms around me and nuzzled."

"I nuzzled?" Ace yelped.

"You nuzzled," Marco confirmed. "It was sweet, yoi. And then you fell asleep in my arms."

"I'm not used anyone calling me sweet," Ace mumbled, hiding his face again.

"You'll have to get used to it, yoi," Marco murmured, dipping down to press a kiss to Ace's hair. "Because when you're with me, you act incredibly sweet."

Ace grumbled again, but it wasn't that he actually disliked being called sweet. It was different, unfamiliar, perhaps a little embarrassing - and hearing it made him feel warm all over. He just didn't know if it was the words themselves or the fact that Marco was the one saying them. Trying to imagine anyone else speaking to him in such a way was completely comical and downright odd, and he decided then and there it would never sound the same coming from anyone else. Much like sex, he was sure it wasn't something he wanted to experience with anyone but Marco.

"Fine, you can say I'm sweet. It's just strange," Ace relented, shifting to press his cheek against the flat planes of Marco's chest.

"Don't forget, this is new to me too, yoi." Marco reminded him, lazily stroking his back once he was sure he'd worked out all the knots. "I'm worried I took things too far."

"Does that mean you're not going to let me go hunting with you today?" Ace griped, flashing a playful smile up at Marco to show he didn't mind sitting out one more day.

"You can come with me tomorrow," Marco promised. He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Ace's head, and while it was a show of affection Ace had performed many times before with Luffy, there was nothing familial about it.

Marco's touch had become much softer - almost reverent - ever since Ace had kissed him. It was difficult not to feel special, almost spoiled when Marco treated him that way. Even though he'd never had a lover before, had nothing to compare it to, he doubted others would be so caring. Or at the very least, would be able to make him feel so cherished.

Ace couldn't even begin to explain how he felt about the fact that Marco could care for him in that way - openly showing him affection and tenderness - without making him feel weak. He still felt as though Marco viewed him as an equal. He'd seen men act protective and territorial around their wives all the time back at the kingdom, and honestly, he could relate on some levels. He and Sabo treated Luffy the same way, but they'd always viewed him as needing their protection.

On the rare occasion where he'd actually wondered about what it would be like to fall in love, settle down and raise a family, he'd always assumed he would fall into the same role. The protector, the one everyone looked to. He definitely wasn't the protector with Marco - but at the same time, he understood that Marco wasn't trying to coddle him. He seemed to be expecting Ace to stand at his side rather than huddle behind him, and Ace hadn't known that was even possible in a romantic relationship.

He sighed softly when Marco's fingers trailed along his spine. Every time Marco reached his upper back, he felt like he was melting.

"You really are affectionate, yoi," Marco teased in a soft voice. "I like this side of you."

"I didn't even know there was a side like this to me," Ace sighed. "Usually Luffy's the affectionate one and I just endure it."

"You mean you pretend not to like it."

"Okay, maybe," Ace grumbled playfully, knowing Marco wouldn't believe him if he denied it. "But I usually don't show affection."

"You never got the chance. If you were living in the Wilds with your brothers, you wouldn't be nearly as guarded," Marco reasoned. "You'd be able to live without inhibitions."

"I'm still going to," Ace murmured. "When this is all over, we still plan to escape into the Wilds."

"Even though your king promised to reward you with riches and glory, yoi?"

"Can you stop calling him my king?" Ace pushed himself up so he could look down at Marco, ignoring the throbbing pain that shot through his hips and lower back from the movement. "He's just a man with a crown."

"Sorry." Marco started to sit up, gently pulling Ace with him and helping him find a more comfortable position.

Once he was settled, most of his weight defaulting to his left side while he sat up and leaned against Marco, he sighed again. "I know you didn't mean anything by it. I just hate being reminded that I have to serve that bastard. Anyway though… I don't want riches or glory. The riches will be used to stock up on supplies, and I've never been one for glory."

"What about leaving the island?" Marco asked, arms changing back into wings to wrap around Ace like a warm blanket.

It was impossible not to snuggle closer and sink into that warmth. While it was still strange to be leaning against a very human - and quite attractive - chest while flaming blue wings encased him, Ace was already starting to get used to it.

"Considering that up until the last few months I thought I'd work myself to death just trying to get us a house in Edge Town, leaving the entire island seems a little ambitious," Ace replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "I can't just ask the King to let us leave on the next ship. I don't even know where the ships come from."

He didn't voice his next thought. If he could leave the kingdom, he'd want to go with Marco, to whatever land Marco was from. To whatever land Marco would inevitably die in. Not only did he not want to make assumptions, but he didn't know if he'd actually want to see Marco's death and rebirth. Whatever it was they had, however long their moment lasted, it was more than mindless pleasure and sex. He cared for Marco, and despite his initial knee-jerk reaction to believe no one could care about someone like him, he knew that wasn't the case with Marco. He could feel it in the way Marco touched him, kissed him - even the way Marco chuckled when responding seemed to be telling Ace he was special.

"Anyway," Ace added after a few moments of silence, opening his eyes. "Even if I did want to leave the island, I don't know anything about the rest of the world. I know I can protect Luffy out here. I don't know that for sure anywhere else."

Marco didn't answer, opting instead to press another kiss to Ace's forehead. Ace was both grateful and disappointed that Marco didn't ask him to come back to his home. A small part of him had still hoped Marco would - to want him to stay close in his final years - but the reality was, Ace wasn't sure he'd be able to handle that.

The idea of watching Marco slowly vanish before his eyes, only to reappear just out of his reach… the very thought tied knots in his stomach. Maybe Marco did want him to come, and he was showing Ace mercy by not voicing it and forcing Ace to choose.

It was much easier to pretend the offer would never even exist and he would never have to decide if he would rather cut ties before it became too painful, or be forced to watch Marco burn away. He pushed those thoughts from his head and sighed again in relaxation, just basking in the warmth of Marco's wings as they snuggled together.

"Hey, Marco?" Ace hadn't wanted to break the comfortable silence, but he'd felt himself growing lethargic. He didn't want to fall asleep drooling on Marco's shoulder or anything; he wasn't Luffy.

"Hm?"

"It's okay, right? For us to do this," Ace clarified. "Until I have to go back to the kingdom, we can stay like this?"

"Your legs might cramp up if we stayed like this, yoi," Marco teased.

Ace lightly smacked his chest. "You know what I mean."

"I do. And it is," Marco answered with a teasing smirk. "Until it's time for us to part ways, consider me yours, yoi."

"Mine?" Ace pulled back again, his eyes searching Marco's.

Marco nodded, one of his wings sliding up Ace's side. He curled the fire inward until the tips of his feathers were brushing Ace's cheek. It was as if the flames were playfully licking against each and every freckle on that side of his face before Marco was drawing him in for a slow, lazy kiss.

Ace lost track of just how many kisses they exchanged. It seemed like each time Marco drew away, Ace was following for more, and as soon as Ace pulled back to breathe, Marco was wrapping him in the safety of his wings and stealing what little breath he'd caught. They were only forced to stop when the growling of their stomachs became too loud to ignore - not for lack of trying, anyway - and a laughing Marco had claimed he would go hunt.

Maybe he'd been pouting, or maybe he'd simply looked too lonely and small on the bed all by himself, because once Marco had gotten dressed, he'd leaned in to steal another kiss with a husky promise that he wouldn't be gone as long as usual.

It was all Ace could do to stop himself from trying to insist he was well enough to come along, the sharp ache in his hips and lower back reminding him that perhaps he'd overdone it for his first time.

Still, he was determined not to just lie around waiting all morning. Despite how long they'd spent in the water the previous night - a thought that had his body reacting before he could help it - he felt like it might not be a bad idea to soak a little more.

Ace didn't want to admit how long it had taken him just to pull on a pair of pants and make his way up the path. His steps had been slow and careful but his legs still shook the entire way, and once he'd allowed himself to sink into the cool, soothing water at the top, he couldn't find the energy to get back out. The water was as clean and clear as ever. After drinking enough to sate his thirst, he found himself attempting to swim to the bottom to get a better look at the crystals.

There was no defining shape or characteristic that screamed 'dragon' when he saw it, but there was no denying the gentle flow of fresh water emanating from the shimmering clusters. He couldn't help wondering if the crystals absorbed water as well, and that was why the pool never overflowed.

When he surfaced after the tenth or so time trying to study the crystal formations, he found he didn't have the energy to submerge himself again. Instead, he practiced floating on his back, staring up at the sky. He doubted the hunting parties would ever stray as far as the mountain unless they absolutely had to - and if Marco really was working on herding the beasts from the other side of the mountain and trying to restore some sort of balance, they wouldn't - which made the mountain an ideal place to consider for a new home.

He tried to picture Luffy splashing around in the water and couldn't help laughing, which caused him to sink and flail a little to regain himself. Luffy hated taking baths in their rusted, broken barrel back home. It was cold, cramped, and often led to splinters and scrapes. The pool itself wasn't exactly warm - unless Marco heated it, which he tried not to think about right then - but there was freedom to move around. No doubt Luffy would try everything from diving headfirst to take running jumps in order to make the biggest splashes.

The image of Luffy somehow overshooting the pool, unrealistic as it was, had Ace frowning with worry. They thought he was uninhibited enough in the stifling kingdom. Out in the Wilds, Ace had to wonder if Luffy would have any form of restraint at all.

Definitely need to think up some rules and run them by Sabo, Ace thought, closing his eyes. Like no swimming unsupervised.

After a while of just basking in the sunlight, grateful that there were no clouds in sight, Ace found that the soreness had started to fade. He was able to climb out of the water and get dressed with relative ease, and the walk back to the cave wasn't nearly as taxing as the walk to the top had been.

True to his word, Marco returned faster than normal, admitting he'd been taking the long way ever since finding out about the trouble his phoenix form had caused for the kingdom. He'd been hauling his kills up the mountain on foot rather than flying to the top. When Ace inquired about what Marco had done this time to make it back so quickly, Marco had simply smirked in response and refused to give a straight answer.

Something about that smirk had made it difficult for Ace to keep his hands to himself, and even though they had beasts to skin and food waiting to be cooked, neither one had been able to resist once Ace had started.

A very, very embarrassed Ace had dealt with the consequences in the aftermath, which involved Marco applying medicine to him in extremely intimate places and then shooting him stern looks from the mouth of the cave while he prepared his kills to be cooked.

Ace couldn't help but sulk a little. He knew he had no one to blame but himself but he couldn't say he regretted his decisions. Even if Marco scolded him, it wasn't like he was stopping him, either. Marco was clearly enjoying himself just as much.

Still, it became a pattern over the next week. Marco remained true to his word in allowing Ace to accompany him in collecting food, which wasn't limited to hunting beasts. Ace helped Marco identify some of the edible plants he was used to eating in the hunting parties, and they even found a river where Marco used his transformed legs to catch fish for them.

The trips took longer on foot, but after a few days, Ace was starting to find a rhythm and match Marco's pace. They hunted, bantering all the while, and generally just enjoyed each other's company during the day. At night, they made love until Ace's stamina would eventually run out and he would fall asleep cradled in Marco's wings. When he'd pouted about Marco's seemingly endless energy, Marco had smugly claimed that it was due to his phoenix side.

It had led to another conundrum that he hadn't considered until he'd gotten used to their routine. While Marco had been more than willing to try anything and everything Ace wanted during sex, there was one position that always ended in the same way.

Ace cast a glance over at Marco, a soft smile touching his lips at the sight of his sleeping face. It was rare for him to wake up and find Marco not snuggling in his phoenix form, and he couldn't help but take a moment to admire how peaceful Marco looked.

He liked to think that he was a contributing factor to Marco's content expression, but he'd never be bold enough to claim such a thing out loud.

The fact that he'd been thinking in terms of Marco as either human or phoenix lately was the troubling part. Marco could shift seamlessly between the two, transforming specific parts of his body as naturally as breathing. He had a phoenix form, but he and the phoenix were one and the same.

Which led to his current predicament. Whenever Marco held him in his lap, their bodies pressed so close and their lips brushing together every time they tried to speak or catch their breath, Ace had started to notice that Marco's arms would become wings to pull him even closer. It wasn't that he disliked the feeling - it was a nice sensation of warmth and tenderness in the midst of passion - but it begged a question he wasn't sure how to answer.

Was his lover a human or a phoenix, or… well, both?

He groaned and buried his face in his hands, hiding his blush from no one in particular. Thinking like that only served to make him even more anxious. After several moments of wracking his brain, he finally shook his head. "Okay, relax, Ace," he said aloud, since his mind was too loud and chaotic. "It's not like you're having sex with a phoenix."

"It's kind of like you're having sex with a phoenix, yoi."

The yelp that escaped Ace's lips was rather loud and high-pitched, and only served to make his blush even worse as he whirled around and nearly tripped over his own tangled legs - an impressive feat considering he had been sitting. He turned to find Marco lying on his side, the fur blanket barely covering his lower body. He appeared absolutely confident in having Ace's eyes roaming his body, and his smirk was a clear indication that he'd been awake for longer than he'd let on.

"That's not helping!" Ace blurted out the second he found his voice, shoving himself up and scrambling to his feet. "Would you just- I'm going to get more firewood!" With one more look - because Marco's body was still amazing, no matter how indignant Ace felt - he turned on his heel and stomped out of the cave, the sound of Marco's amused laughter trailing after him.

He didn't care how childish he seemed, stomping around and huffing, but it was all he could do to calm his blush and try to ignore the fact that Marco had caught him stressing over something that, when stated so teasingly by Marco, was admittedly a little ridiculous.

By the time he returned to the cave, Marco had already dressed and was setting to work on heating up their leftovers from the night before. Just as Ace began to think his nerves were under control, Marco smiled - not smirked, smiled - at him and the blush returned to his cheeks so quickly it made him feel lightheaded.

"Come to terms with it, yoi?"

"It's not like that," Ace protested, scowling. "It just…"

"Sounds strange when you say it, I get it," Marco teased. "It's not like you can tell your brothers you were having sex with a bird."

"I'm not telling them any of this," Ace protested, blush worsening. "And you're not a bird when we have sex!" He paused, staring dubiously at Marco's face for several moments, before adding, "Right? You're not, right?"

Marco couldn't seem to help laughing louder this time, doubling over a little. "I'm not a bird when we have sex, yoi. I'm not even sure how that would work."

"Let's not think about it." The words came out in a tumbled rush as Ace made his way over and sat beside him, pressing into his side. "Deal?"

"Deal," Marco agreed, one hand coming up to catch Ace's chin with two fingers and tilt his face upwards so he could steal a lingering kiss.

By the time the kisses subsided, Ace forgot all about his indignance and embarrassment. There was something about the way that Marco smiled at him. It set all his worries at ease and Ace was helpless to do anything but smile back. It was as if Marco had a natural talent for knowing exactly how to make him comfortable.

He avoided looking in the direction of his supplies. The journal he'd been using to keep track of his days had started to weigh heavily on his mind. It had become a daunting reminder that his days with Marco were limited. That they would eventually come to an end.

No matter how much he ached at the thought of his brothers waiting for him to return, he couldn't deny he was going to miss his carefree days with Marco. There really was no comparing his feelings. He would always, without question, choose his brothers over anything else in the world, but he was starting to realize that his feelings for Marco were becoming equally as strong.

He didn't know if it was love or not. If it was the same way he would have felt with any other partner if he'd ever found himself in a position to have sex with someone he actually wanted.

As Marco caught him getting lost in thought - and subsequently distracted him with another tender kiss that sent heat all the way down to his toes - Ace decided it didn't matter. The less he thought about his feelings, his uncertainties, or his mission deadline, the more he could focus on enjoying himself in the moment.

...

Ace didn't want to make another mark. He was starting to hate the fact that he had a journal to keep track in the first place. The marks were already filling up the pages and the reality of his remaining time on the mountain was getting harder and harder to ignore.

Their rhythm was almost too perfect. Too comfortable. The days were passing in a haze of kisses and talking about their families, hunting and teasing each other at every chance. Marco enjoyed all of the ways he could get Ace flustered so he could soothe him with laughter and kisses and Ace had taken a liking to playing with the phoenix's tail. Marco tried to deny his reaction, but anytime Ace could get his hands on the shimmering golden strands, the phoenix's feathers would fluff up until he looked like a giant ball of blue fire.

The only reason Marco allowed Ace to keep doing it had to be the fact that Ace laughed and enjoyed himself the entire time it was happening.

With a heavy sigh, Ace glanced over his shoulder to see if Marco had returned from disposing of the bones that had been piling up - they'd gotten lazy with cleaning the cave when there were kisses to be exchanged - then reached for his journal once he confirmed that Marco hadn't.

The marks he'd been using to count the days had become less organized over time, but that did nothing to hinder his ability to count them. It didn't matter how many times he started over to make sure he hadn't added incorrectly. He came to the same conclusion every single time.

He had five days left to spend with Marco before he needed to leave - six, if he took the unnecessary risk of allowing Marco to fly him down the mountain. There was no way to push for more. All it would take to ruin everything would be for one citizen of the kingdom to see Marco and the King would know Ace was lying. He couldn't ask Marco to take him any closer.

Ace closed his eyes in frustration and threw the journal at his pack, burying his face in his hands. He'd known from the start they wouldn't have forever, but until that moment, that deadline - five days - he hadn't realized how badly he could want it.

It didn't even surprise him when Marco knelt behind him, placing both hands on his tense shoulders. Whenever he was in pain, whenever he was feeling distressed or lonely, or even just a little less energetic than he had been since the night they'd kissed, Marco would be there for him. He was always subtle with his comfort - a touch, a kiss - but he always offered just enough to let Ace know he had someone to lean on.

Strong hands worked at his shoulders until the tension drained away, and the moment Ace lifted his head, Marco's hands were sliding down his arms, transforming into wings to wrap around him and pull him close. He wound up sitting between Marco's legs, letting his own hands rest on Marco's knees while his wings served as a blanket, and the ache in his chest was acutely homesick. He never could have imagined that the idea of losing Marco would make him feel that way.

"Only five days left, yoi?" Marco guessed.

"How do you always know what's bothering me?" Ace whispered, his voice choked.

"Because this particular worry has been bothering me too," Marco admitted. "I might not have a fancy journal to mark, but I've been counting the days too, yoi." He tightened his wings a little, drawing Ace closer.

"I don't want to think about it," Ace murmured, swallowing the lump in his throat and trying to steady his voice.

"Then don't."

"How do I stop?"

Marco brushed a trail of kisses along the shell of his ear and down to his jawline. Despite how good his lips felt, Ace couldn't brush everything aside and give in to desire to distract himself.

Before he could voice his reluctance, Marco's lips found his ear again. "We keep going like it's any other day, yoi. Nothing changes. We make love whenever we want, we hunt, we talk about our families and the unbelievable stunts they've pulled." A delicate shiver worked its way up Ace's spine. "We sleep in each other's arms, we wake up because you can't resist playing with my tail feathers, and the only difference will be, one morning we leave the mountain with no intention of coming back."

Ace felt the lump rise in his throat again. "Do we say goodbye?"

"No," Marco promised. "We don't say goodbye. We just go home."

Shaking hands came up to hold onto Marco's wings. He'd long since gotten used to the odd texture of the blue flames, and now he tugged them closer as if he could wrap them tightly enough to hold himself there forever. "What if I can't stop thinking about it?"

"Then I'll distract you, yoi," Marco continued. "And if I can't distract you, I'll comfort you."

He hated how helpless he felt in that moment, but he didn't offer up his own assurances. He didn't make any promises, and he didn't try to reassure Marco of his own emotional state. He didn't voice any of the crazy ideas that popped into his head, like Marco staying on the island for a while longer after Ace managed to run away with his brothers, or Marco taking all three of them back to his kingdom. He knew to ask such things would be an act of desperation, and he was still too scared to hear what Marco's answers might be.

"Distract me," he choked out instead, turning himself so he could wrap his arms around Marco's neck, pushing him back into the bed with his own body.

Marco obliged without so much as another word, wings pulling Ace as close as he could get while their lips met. Just before he gave in to the distraction, Ace couldn't help but wonder - if Marco had been just as bothered as Ace by their dwindling time, was it possible that despite his steady reassurances and demeanor, he was also just as desperate and lost as Ace by finally acknowledging it out loud?

...

The days passed just as Marco had described. They didn't hunt as much; it wasn't like they needed to stock up, and Ace had insisted a little hunger wasn't worth wasting time they could be spending together. Surprisingly, they didn't have sex as often either. Despite the fact that neither one of them were very inclined to keeping their hands to themselves, more often than not they wound up snuggled together - under a blanket, in the water, or simply with Marco's wings - talking.

Stories they hadn't yet told came tumbling out with laughter and exasperated affection, as if they were trying to learn every last detail before their time was up. Ace knew he wouldn't remember every name Marco told him, and he knew Marco would eventually forget everything, but that didn't stop them.

When they did decide to share more than stories - lips mapping trails of kisses on bare skin instead - there seemed to be a higher intensity in every touch or whispered word. Neither one of them had expressed any sentiment beyond the pleasure, but each time seemed to drive Ace closer to the edge of admitting that what he felt for Marco was love.

It was still difficult for him to think in those terms. He argued with himself about the fact that he'd never come to care for someone so deeply in such a short amount of time, but as soon as he tried to fall back on that excuse, he would think of Luffy.

While he'd treated Luffy as a nuisance in the beginning, it hadn't been that long before his initial collapse - that terrifying moment when his illness had almost claimed his life - and Ace's reaction had been to do everything in his power to save him. He hadn't needed years of companionship to claim him as family and love him. Even when he tried to tell himself he had needed that much time with Sabo, he knew it was a lie. That had been his own stubbornness in not wanting to admit there was someone he loved, someone he was afraid to lose.

Admitting he'd fallen in love with Marco would be the same thing as admitting he was afraid to lose him.

As the days continued to pass, far too quickly for comfort, that fear worsened. Along with it came a sense of shame, as if he was hiding something important because of his own cowardice. Marco had never asked him for anything he hadn't been willing to give. He had never denied anything Ace had wanted from him.

The thought of parting ways without making Marco understand how much he'd meant to Ace - how much he would always mean - Ace would never be able to forgive himself. He would never stop regretting it.

But the words wouldn't come out. Not on their second to last day, not the night before as they made love, and not as Marco gathered him in his wings and held him close while he struggled to hold back tears - as if doing so could also hold back the sunrise.

When he awoke, Marco was no longer cradling him in his arms. The phoenix was wrapped up in Ace's arms this time, the way a child might hug a doll or a blanket for comfort. Judging from the sting in Ace's eyes as he tried to rouse himself, the only reason the phoenix's feathers weren't damp with tears was due to their fiery nature.

Ace couldn't resist unwinding his arms and locating the golden ovals of Marco's tail feathers, stroking his fingers along them until Marco started to fluff up. When Marco's eyes opened, peering at him through a mass of blue flames that he couldn't control, Ace started to laugh. His laughter quickly dissolved into tears, until Marco was back in his human form and pulling him into his arms to soothe him.

As much as they both wanted to stay there until Ace's tears had stopped, there was no time. He was forced to pull away from the safety and warmth of Marco's arms to gather his supplies. Not all of his armor had been ruined as he'd initially thought. The chestpiece was useless, but while he hadn't taken to wearing his undershirt very often on the mountain, he planned on wearing it to keep himself covered. Marco had also taken some of their lighter furs and sewn them into a crude cloak with sinew from one of their kills - a talent Ace knew he'd learned from one of his brothers, Izo - to help protect Ace from the elements for his trip home.

He had enough food to last as well, even if Marco seemed skeptical about it being enough. Thankfully, Marco didn't push the issue once Ace reminded him he'd survived off a single bowl of mushy grains per week at one point and that he'd probably be forced to sit at some sort of celebratory feast once he made it home anyway.

The only thing that kept them cautious was the small crystal Marco had retrieved from their pool. He'd been careful not to damage the clusters when he'd taken it, but it worked even after being removed. If Ace held it against his bare hand, pure, clean water would flow from the crystal's core. He still filled his waterskin from the pool itself, keeping the crystal wrapped in a small piece of leather and tucked away in case of an emergency. It hadn't rained as much as Ace had expected and the last thing he needed was to be caught in the Wilds without water. The only danger in keeping such a thing was knowing if he got caught in possession of the crystal by anyone in the kingdom, he could find himself branded a heretic.

Ace did his best to smile - and keep smiling after he'd gotten dressed and finished packing all of his supplies - but he didn't think for even a second that Marco was fooled. He only wished Marco would crack, if even a little, and show him that he wasn't the only one suffering. In that same moment, he wished even harder that Marco wouldn't, because seeing it would break his heart.

When Marco caught him looking he offered the same gentle smile Ace had come to rely on, and he knew then and there he would never make it off that mountain without making sure Marco knew exactly how he felt.

Ace reached out and took one of Marco's hands when it came time to trek down the path, intertwining their fingers. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but Ace was sure Marco was holding onto him tighter than usual.

As they reached the base of the mountain, an odd sense of calm flooded Ace's senses. He knew it was going to hit him after the fact and there was nothing he could do but brace for that crippling blow, but for now, he held himself together.

He somehow found the strength to let go first, heart lurching when he looked up and saw reluctance in Marco's eyes.

In that moment, any lingering doubts Ace had about Marco's inner turmoil faded away. Marco wasn't handling it better because he'd come to accept the lack of permanence in his life. Marco wasn't humoring Ace for falling in too deep when they'd only promised each other a moment on a mountain. Marco was struggling just as much and he was hiding it for Ace's sake. He was always doing things like that.

It wasn't fair, and no matter how much it hurt to let go, Ace could at least take solace in knowing Marco's pain wouldn't last as long as his own. In a few years, Marco wouldn't remember so much as his name, let alone the love they'd shared.

Ace would never forget it. To his last days, he would remember every detail of their first kiss, of the ways Marco had taken him, had given himself - he would never forget the sound of Marco's playful chuckle or those insufferable teasing comments and 'yoi's.

He would carve all of it deep in his heart - the joy Marco had given him alongside the pain of losing him - and those scars would always taste bittersweet, but they would be real, be proof that the mountain and the phoenix had been more than a mere moment. Proof that for at least one of them, it could be forever.

His hand came up to cup Marco's cheek, thumb brushing the stubble along his jaw.

"If I asked you to stay… to spend a little more of your time here with me, would you do it, even knowing it would cut into your remaining time with your family?" he asked.

Marco regarded him with a soft look, covering Ace's hand with his own and holding it there. "I would, yoi," he answered without hesitation. "Are you asking me to?"

Ace exhaled, and even though his heart felt heavier than ever, he smiled. It was the answer he'd expected, after all. "No."

He closed the distance between them and kissed Marco, and while it lacked the intensity and desperation of their more recent encounters, he hoped Marco could feel what he was trying to convey.

When he pulled back and saw the tears that had gathered in Marco's eyes, Ace knew he had.

But it wasn't enough, and Ace would not allow himself a single regret.

"I love you."

Marco closed his eyes, a few tears escaping and catching on their fingers. He finally let go of Ace's hand, his other arm transforming into a wing and wrapping around him one last time. Ace had barely started to sink into that familiar warmth before Marco was pulling back in his completely human form, a single feather in his hand. It continued to flicker and sway like a regular flame, with a delicate golden shaft at the base.

It took Ace several moments to realize that Marco was waiting for him to take it - that he hadn't even remembered his original goal - and it was all he could do to keep his hand from shaking.

"I don't want to forget you, yoi," Marco spoke, his hand lingering with Ace's. "But until the moment I do, I love you."

Tears pricked Ace's eyes and he forced a smile, tucking the feather against his chest and holding it there. It was still warm. Even though he planned on wrapping it and placing it in his pack for safekeeping, he couldn't bear to do so while Marco was still in sight.

"I'll remember enough for the both of us," Ace promised, his smile starting to waver. "Make sure to tell Thatch about that root we tried roasting. I think he'd like to try cooking with it."

Marco nodded with a soft chuckle. "Don't show Luffy the crystallized dragon bones until he knows how to swim. He's going to try your patience."

Ace laughed, and it was only slightly forced. "Yeah," he agreed. "But Sabo will help keep him in check."

"Be careful on the way back to the kingdom," Marco added in a soft, concerned voice. "My feather should keep most of the beasts from attacking you, but you shouldn't take any chances."

"I'll be careful," Ace promised. "I'm still not trying to die, you know."

Marco chuckled. "I'll hold you to that, yoi."

He didn't lean in for another kiss or tell Marco he loved him again. They pulled away and then walked past each other as if they were simply splitting up to corner a beast.

Ace kept his pace. He didn't turn back once, knowing the sight of Marco's retreating form would be more than he could take. Any show of hesitancy or doubt would make him falter in his resolve.

It wasn't until his stomach started to growl and the ache in his legs had forcibly slowed his pace that he realized how long he'd been walking. He turned before he could remind himself not to, and the sight of the mountain in the distance nearly knocked the wind out of him. He was already shrouded by the drooping trees of the Wilds.

There was no possible way he would be able to see Marco from where he stood, but he still tried.

And when, as expected, he confirmed himself to be alone again, he finally let the tears fall. He hoped Marco was right about the feather warding off beasts for a while because his strength gave out and he found himself curling up at the base of a tree to ride out his anguish, completely defenseless.

The only thing keeping him from trying to bury the pain and focus on getting home was knowing if he didn't let it out in the Wilds where no one could bear witness, he would slip in front of Sabo, maybe even Luffy, and he wasn't ready to burden them with his broken heart.

...

The kingdom really hadn't changed much in the three months Ace had been gone. At least not outwardly. He hadn't met with any hunting parties on his way in, but he had encountered a few beasts. Like all the others since Marco had given him that feather, they'd backed away once he'd gotten close enough. It had made hunting them difficult, but he hadn't been willing to put the feather down to make it easier.

He hadn't forgotten the pelts from his earlier kills, either. It had taken time to clean them - having a crystal to dispense unlimited water really helped with that - but he'd refused to waste them, even if carrying them all the way back to the kingdom had taken energy he could have used to get home faster.

As Ace approached, the towering gate began to slide open. He could only guess there had been guards stationed on top of the wall in anticipation of his return, but honestly, he didn't care. He'd stashed his crystal in one of the trees a few days' travel from the kingdom, and Marco's feather was still tucked under his shirt, radiating warmth right over his heart. Soon he would be giving that up as well and losing his last keepsake of Marco until he and his brothers made their escape. His stashed crystal counted if only because Marco had been the one to retrieve it.

The thought of Marco's feather - the beautiful blue flame that Marco had willingly given him - in the King's hands made his stomach roll with disgust.

It seemed like the entirety of the slums and Edge Town had gathered upon the announcement of his arrival. There were cheers and gasps, and even accusatory shouts for proof, but there were guards there to escort him before anyone could get close enough to actually touch him.

He absently handed his collected pelts to people in the crowd as they fought and screeched, nose wrinkling as a familiar and unwelcome smell assaulted his senses. It had been such a long time since he'd endured the scent of death and decay, he had almost forgotten it.

Someone had been burned, and recently. Ace had to wonder how Sabo was handling it, given how badly Sabo had wanted to help the heretics before Ace had signed him up to be a prisoner in the castle.

He could only hope his brothers had remained oblivious to it, locked away as they were.

Once the weight of the pelts was gone, he adjusted the pack on his shoulder and allowed himself to be escorted all the way to the gates of High Town. While there were still charred remains, as he'd guessed, it seemed as if the riots had ended. The markets he'd spied were sparse, but at least they were open, and that meant hunting parties had to have been going out. It also meant that whatever arrangement the King had made to feed his starving citizens would officially be over, and the less fortunate families would continue to starve.

Still, as he looked around at the gathering crowd, he could only see those who had willingly backstabbed or cheated their way to survival. Even the people he'd handed pelts to were fighting each other to try and claim more. Those who hadn't gotten anything had tried to tear them from the hands of those who had. The entire kingdom was corrupt and fueled only by greed.

He couldn't help but feel like the kingdom was beyond saving - that the honest, innocent people had already perished and all that remained were the parasites who fed off their blood.

High Town hadn't changed either. Same parasites, different clothes.

It unnerved him how they flocked around him, trying to get closer than the guards would allow to find evidence of the phoenix. Nobles who had once looked at him as filth were now gazing at him like he was some sort of savior. He hadn't really thought about what the term glory would mean other than being paraded around like some sort of spectacle. Looking at the nobles now, he realized that they, along with all the other citizens in the kingdom, truly believed he was a real hero.

Escaping would be harder than he'd anticipated, but it wouldn't be impossible.

As they reached the castle, Ace tried not to focus on anything but the guards directly in front of him. He didn't want to see the lavish decorations and tapestries that served no actual purpose other than to show off. His stomach actually lurched when he saw the design carved into the throne room doors again. Now that he knew dragons were real, the image was gruesome and unsightly.

The moment the doors opened, Ace searched for his brothers. Knowing they were so close had a deep ache - a need to see them - settling in his chest, but they weren't present. Instead, he was greeted by the sight of the King, who was surprisingly not lounging in his throne this time.

King Jalmac immediately leaned forward, and it seemed as though his advisor had to step in to stop him from actually rising and approaching Ace. It was such a surreal sight that Ace almost forgot to kneel once he reached the foot of the dais.

Thankfully, self-preservation kicked in before the King became offended and he sank to one knee, bowing his head.

"Did you bring the feather?"

It wasn't that Ace had expected a welcoming speech or anything, but he was still taken by surprise at King Jalmac's abrupt question. All he could do was nod, lifting his head to look at him.

He wore no mask this time, and the sight of his skin had Ace's brow furrowing. It was pale and sagging, the kind of sickly pallor he was used to seeing in Edge Town during the winter. It was so out of place that it distracted Ace for several moments.

"I said, did you bring the feather?!" King Jalmac's voice boomed as he abruptly stood from his throne.

"I did," Ace lurched to his feet as well, stumbling back a step on pure instinct. King Jalmac may have been a round, portly man with no real strength, but Ace knew he was more dangerous than any beast. A single word could command his death - the deaths of his brothers.

He'd expected to be questioned about how long he'd been gone, or if he'd actually succeeded in his task - despite the obvious disappearance of the phoenix in the last few months - but clearly, all the King wanted was to be shown the proof.

The warmth over his heart burned almost painfully before he was reaching into his undershirt to remove it. He'd secured it to his chest with bandages of all things, because in the end, he hadn't had the willpower to wrap it up and hide it away. Not when he knew he wouldn't be allowed to keep it. The shock of cold air nearly stole his breath as he removed it, fingers trembling as he withdrew his hand and presented it to the King.

"The phoenix has been slain, Milord," Ace spoke, surprised by how steady he managed to keep his voice.

Several guards gasped, and even the advisor took a step back at the sight of the beautiful, flaming feather. The only one who didn't seem to be in awe was the King. In three quick steps he'd descended from the dais to greedily yank the feather out of Ace's hand.

Ace took a deep breath, the loss hitting him full-force, but he had no choice. He had to keep himself composed.

"May I see my brothers?" he asked, the slightest of tremors in his voice.

King Jalmac didn't even seem to hear him. His eyes were transfixed on the feather, giving Ace an irrational surge of anger that such a greedy, disgusting little man was coveting something his hands didn't even deserve to touch.

And in the blink of an eye, everything fell apart. The azure flames reflected in King Jalmac's eyes began to flicker and fade as the feather burned to ash in his very hands.

For several tense moments, no one spoke. King Jalmac's hands, coated in ash, were trembling. Ace himself had no idea what to think. The feather had been real, tangible, and King Jalmac had held it. Unless he was angry he wouldn't be able to display it as a trophy - which was a very real possibility - Ace had no idea why the King would be so upset.

"What did you do?" King Jalmac's voice shook.

"I don't understand," Ace answered, brow furrowing. "A phoenix turns to ash when it dies. I didn't-"

"What did you do?!" The voice had become a roar as King Jalmac closed the distance between them and grabbed Ace's worn undershirt with both ash-covered hands, shaking him.

Ace hadn't thought he would be very strong, given his stature, but his entire body rattled from the movement and he dropped his pack. "I-I don't understand!" he repeated, gasping when two guards forcibly yanked him out of the King's grip as if he'd been the one to instigate the confrontation. Both arms were pinned behind his back, nearly wrenched from their sockets, and he was abruptly forced to his knees.

King Jalmac's hand gripped his jaw, forcing him to make eye contact.

"What. Did. You. Do?" he repeated in a quiet, furious voice.

"I brought back a feather from the phoenix," Ace answered with uncertainty. He didn't understand what the King meant - or why he was so angry.

"Take him to the dungeon," King Jalmac snarled, releasing Ace's face with enough force that his head jerked to the side. He could taste ash on his lips.

"We will get the information out of him, Sire," the advisor quickly soothed, hurrying forward and ushering the guards to take Ace away, as if afraid the King's wrath would extend to them all. "I will personally see to it he confesses."

"I have nothing to confess to!" Ace cried. He couldn't find a single sympathetic gaze in the room, and despite his protests, he was dragged from the room without so much as an explanation or even a glimpse of his brothers.

...

He had no idea how much time had passed since they'd taken him to the dungeon. It could have been hours, it could have been days - Ace wouldn't have known the difference. The dungeons were almost entirely pitch black, save for the small areas illuminated by torches between every other cell. There hadn't been any sounds from the dungeon until Ace had been forced inside, his cloak and shirt ripped away, heavy manacles locked around each wrist to spread his arms and expose his back.

Ace had remained on his knees as the advisor had stepped into the cell. Another man he hadn't noticed following them came in and ducked under one of the chains, disappearing from Ace's view. He hadn't understood at first, but when the advisor had started questioning him about the phoenix - about the feather and why it had turned to ash - the pain had started.

The first lash had been like a white hot brand of fire scorching across his back. His involuntary cry had echoed throughout the empty cells and it was only the first of many. At first, he couldn't even think of how to answer. The feather turning to ash had confused him at first, but once he'd had time to think about what it might mean, the panic had set in. He hadn't known if it meant something had happened to Marco - if he hadn't made it home before he'd gone through his rebirth - or if Marco had known the feather wouldn't last and that was why he'd waited so long to give it to him.

It was almost a mercy that the pain in his back had been so excruciating. It hadn't allowed him time to imagine all the horrible possibilities.

As the interrogation and lashes had continued he'd tried answering honestly, explaining between gasping breaths that he had no idea why the feather had turned to ash, but the truth hadn't worked. He'd tried to lie and claim that the entire phoenix had turned to ash when he'd slain it and the feather had been all that remained, but that hadn't been the right answer either.

In the end, he'd given up trying to guess what they wanted him to say. The pain wasn't stopping. He'd started to believe it never would. In the brief moments where he lost consciousness, his dreams were filled with angry red flames that seared his skin. In the center of it all was Marco. His beautiful blue flames were disintegrating right before Ace's eyes, flesh and bones rotting as if aging him thousands of years in the blink of an eye - and he always turned to ash right before Ace could reach him.

He hated the nightmares more than he hated the lashes, but he couldn't force himself to stay awake. The moment he regained consciousness they came back for him, and the cycle started anew. It repeated over and over until Ace wished he could die so it would stop.

"Did you use the feather to gain immortality?"

Ace opened his eyes, blurry gaze fixing on the blood-soaked shoes of the advisor. He didn't know if it was his blood or not and he honestly didn't even care anymore. It was a much more specific question this time around, yet still more confusing than any of the others. He'd used the feather to ward off beasts and to remind himself of Marco's touch, but to gain immortality? Even if it had been possible - which made no sense, it was just a feather - Ace would have rejected it.

His voice was weak when he answered and he had to try three times to be heard. "No."

The relief at not being lashed nearly brought tears to his eyes. He tried to lift his head to look at the advisor's face, but he was gone before Ace could manage it. In his solitude, Ace tried to make sense of the question. Was it the King who thought Marco's feather should have been able to grant immortality? Had that been the entire reason for the task? He was positive Marco would have warned him if the feather had been that powerful.

In the end, Ace simply didn't have the energy to care.

They left him alone after that, until the blood dripping down his back had completely dried and the cramping in his shoulders had made his upper body go numb. No matter how exhausted he was, he forced himself to stay awake. Anything was better than passing out and watching Marco's beauty turn to decay. Of losing him again and again with no relief when he awoke, because he'd already lost him in reality.

...

The first sound to register in the darkness had him trying to lift his head.

It was almost laughable watching someone like King Jalmac struggling to keep the grime off his robes as he waded through centuries of torture and dried blood to stand in front of him. The advisor was at his side, and Ace couldn't help but tense when the man with the lash stepped behind him again. He didn't think he would survive if they kept torturing him, but if he angered them enough, maybe they would simply kill him and end it all.

"Comfortable living above all this death," Ace rasped in a mocking tone, directing it at King Jalmac, "but can't stand getting it on your shoes, huh?"

The reaction was instant, a sharp lash of pain that he felt all the way down to his bones. He struggled not to cry out, but the involuntary grunt of pain was beyond his control. He tried to take a moment to breathe, to calm himself down, but the second lash hit before he could recover and another pained sound escaped.

His limbs shook in their chains, his throat dry and hoarse, but the third lash never came.

"If you're done barking, perhaps now you're ready to listen," King Jalmac huffed with an indignant air, like Ace was wasting his precious time by getting lashed.

"What do you want from me?" Ace felt the fight draining out of his body as he spoke those words. He just wanted it to end.

"A confession," the advisor spoke this time, kneeling to make sure Ace heard him. "A confession in front of the entire kingdom that you are a heretic."

Ace snorted, but even that sent another rush of pain through his body. "I can't confess to something I'm not guilty of."

"The King could care less if you were guilty or not," the advisor said, dismissively shaking his head. "But you failed in your task, and you must pay."

"I did what I was asked," Ace argued, chains rattling as his arms shook. "I brought the feather back."

"The feather didn't work," King Jalmac spat.

"I don't know anything about that!" Ace finally managed to lift his head, glaring at King Jalmac through his bangs. "I only did what you asked me to do!"

"You're a smart boy," the advisor interrupted, drawing Ace's attention to him. "Why did you go after the phoenix in the first place?"

Ace turned his glare on the advisor, momentarily confused - because he'd clearly only gone at the King's behest - and then his eyes widened, the answer instantly clicking and causing his blood to run cold.

"My brothers," Ace breathed. "If you hurt them, I swear I'll-"

"They don't have to be dragged down with you," the advisor interrupted.

The thought of either of his brothers chained up and tortured had adrenaline and panic numbing the pain and giving him strength. "Don't hurt them!"

"Then you will confess," King Jalmac ordered with a sense of finality. "Tomorrow morning in front of the entire kingdom, before you are burned for your sins."

His instincts screamed at him to agree, to sell his soul if he needed to, all in order to keep his brothers safe - but something stopped him. His eyes were almost wild as he struggled to think about what he could do in his position, and then all at once, the jumble of memories halted in his head. The word 'glory' echoed. He looked to the advisor. "They think I'm a hero, don't they? The whole kingdom."

Neither the King nor the advisor spoke, but the subtle twitch in the advisor's lip was a telltale sign that Ace recognized from bartering in the markets. He'd struck a nerve.

"You can't kill me if I don't confess because the riots will start again," Ace guessed. He coughed, the coppery taste of blood assaulting his senses before he managed to stop. He spat - blood and saliva - right on the King's shoes, and he barely even felt the retaliatory lash.

"You insolent little cur!" The King made some sort of signal, no doubt ordering his death, but the advisor stepped in and the lashes never came.

"If you want your brothers to remain unharmed, you will cooperate!" he practically screeched. "Before the King loses his temper and has you all burned at the stake!"

Ace coughed again. "Then I want a promise," he rasped, the adrenaline already draining from his body. "If he declares my brothers innocent and gives them the reward in my place, I'll confess to being a heretic. I'll say I ate the damn feather, I don't care. I'll confess as soon as the kingdom hears that my brothers are safe."

King Jalmac's face reddened with rage, but the advisor began speaking to him in hushed tones, somehow placating him before anything drastic happened. He couldn't hear their conversation, but he caught the words 'bath' and 'scum' before King Jalmac left.

"I want to see my brothers," Ace pleaded with the advisor. He needed to explain the situation to Sabo, to make sure he and Luffy knew not to try to save him. He needed to have a chance to say his goodbyes, and apologize to Luffy… but the advisor only spared one more glance at Ace, his eyes filled with disdain. Then he, along with the one who had lashed him, were leaving him alone once more.

He shouted after them in desperation, begging to be allowed to see his brothers, but his cries fell on deaf ears. His voice gave way to coughing, and he strained to hear anything else once he caught his breath. The echoing footsteps of his tormentors leaving stopped with the slam of a door and Ace hung his head. He felt completely drained, body and spirit, and while his eyes burned with frustration, he had no tears to cry. He hadn't had any water since he'd hidden his crystal and finished what was left in his waterskin.

Thinking about water only worsened his thirst. He tried distracting himself by thinking of his brothers - no matter how painful that was - and how he was going to spend his last night alone in a dungeon. He could only hope Sabo honored their pact to put Luffy above all else, and stop him from protesting and risking the King's ire.

He'd imagined so many scenarios for his homecoming - mostly to keep himself from thinking about Marco - but he never could have predicted it would end with his execution. Like every time he'd returned after a long hunting trip, he'd looked forward to a joyful Luffy jumping into his arms and smiling bright enough to soothe the pain he'd been feeling ever since walking away from Marco. He hadn't expected to be put in another heartbreaking situation so soon with no time to try to heal from the loss. It felt like he had nothing left to give. There was nothing else they could do to hurt him, nothing left to break him; he was already broken.

The only saving grace was knowing he still had leverage. As long as the King made his declaration in front of the kingdom, Sabo and Luffy would be safe. From the start, he'd been willing to throw his own life away if it meant saving them, and in the end, that was all that mattered. He would die, but he would die knowing Sabo would look after Luffy. He would die knowing he'd gotten to experience a different kind of love and that the last few months of his life had been filled with joy.

He wanted to see his brothers one last time, but as the reality of his impending death set in, he realized he really didn't want that. In order to see them again, they would have to be present for his execution. If they were…

All he could do was hope Sabo covered Luffy's eyes - and that the last thing either of his brothers saw from him was a smile.

...

Ace's body didn't want to cooperate when they finally came to collect him. He couldn't catch himself when they took the manacles off, but he barely felt it when he crashed into the ground.

"Pathetic," one of the guards hissed. "I thought you would have been more attractive on your knees, but apparently not."

Ace didn't even bother trying to respond. He recognized the voice as the guard he'd threatened before he'd left, but the encounter itself felt like a lifetime ago. He didn't care what that guard wanted to say about him. In a few hours he'd be dead and it wouldn't even matter.

He didn't make their jobs any easier as they hauled him to his feet and shackled his wrists behind him. The pain in his back was almost unbearable, but he'd had plenty of time - or so he thought, he was still disoriented - to prepare himself. He didn't give them the satisfaction of hearing him cry out, his feet dragging as they led him out of the dungeon.

The light was almost blinding, but he forced himself not to flinch. He wanted to see the light - wanted to see the sky - before he died. To imagine a phoenix soaring over the vast ocean to return home, still believing Ace would have a long and happy life. It was just another small solace in the hell he was living; that Marco wouldn't know about his suffering or death.

It was eerie how silent High Town was. Ace assumed they'd all been gathered in Edge Town for his execution - the death of a 'hero' would be a mandatory event - but the moment the gates opened, Ace saw that Midtown would be his place of death.

The entire square had been cleared of carts, and a large wooden stake had been placed dead center, surrounded by straw and lumber. The nobles were all on one side to watch the display, but the rest of the audience seemed completely mixed. A line of guards on either side served to keep Ace isolated as they marched him to the stake, and as he got closer, he could see the circle of guards surrounding the area to hold the crowd back.

Amongst the nobles, on a raised platform that must have been built overnight, King Jalmac sat on a throne identical to the one in his castle. He was also surrounded by guards who wore heavier, ornate armor, and Ace's heart lurched when he realized who else stood on the platform with him.

Sabo's expression was pure ice, eyes narrowed and posture tense. He had both arms around a very uncertain Luffy, the two of them dressed up like the King was trying to show them off. Sabo, at least, had worn similar clothing before. Even his usual attire, though threadbare and patchy, was close to the expensive clothing he'd been no doubt forced to wear. Luffy just looked out of his element with his unruly mop of black hair and his fancy red clothes with all the clasps and buckles.

When they caught sight of him, Ace felt a surge of panic. The blood drained from Sabo's face - he barely seemed to hold himself back from rushing to Ace's aid - and Luffy had to be physically restrained. Thankfully, it was Sabo who grabbed him before he made it off the platform, as more than one guard had reached for a weapon when he'd moved.

"ACE!" Luffy shouted. He struggled in Sabo's grip, but he couldn't budge him at all. He screamed for Ace again, and the only thing that stopped the nearest guard from striking him was Sabo turning Luffy so the blow hit him instead.

Despite stumbling from the force - an armored gauntlet slamming into the back of his shoulder where Luffy's head had been moments ago - Sabo managed to cover Luffy's mouth and steady himself before any drastic measures had to be taken.

Ace closed his eyes, choking back a sound of distress. He hated how helpless he felt in that moment. That all he could offer was his silent gratitude that Sabo had done what was needed to protect Luffy.

The crowd started to murmur as he was led to the stake and forcibly dragged atop the large pile of wood. They could still hear the sounds of Luffy's muffled protests as no one else dared to speak. It was as if they were waiting to hear Ace fight back or proclaim his innocence. He answered them with his silence.

At least until he was shoved against the stake. His composure broke in a rush of agony that stole his breath in a single cry. It felt like he was back in the Wilds with the beasts tearing at his flesh, and on top of the ripping sensation was a sting so sharp he couldn't hold back reflexive tears. His vision blurred and the ground swayed, but he wasn't even allowed to fall. His wrists were freed so his arms could be re-shackled behind the stake, and as he tried to catch his breath, he heard Sabo gasp his name.

That seemed to cause unrest in the crowd. The murmurs grew louder, a few bold protests ringing out.

It didn't last long. The guards stepped away from Ace, who barely managed to stay on his feet - he refused to die on his knees - and King Jalmac stood. At the sight of the King rising from his throne, everyone but Luffy fell silent.

The advisor stepped forward from behind the throne and began a speech about how it was a sad day for their kingdom - that a hero would turn his back on their Maker and resort to heresy - but Ace barely heard it. The shocked gasps of the crowd told him they didn't want to believe it, and there were even a few cries of denial, but he ignored it all. When the advisor continued on to say that Sabo and Luffy were merely innocent bystanders with no prior knowledge of their brother's dark dealings, Ace couldn't bring himself to look at them. He looked instead to the King, his narrowed eyes filled with all the determination he had left in his body.

When the advisor finished his speech, King Jalmac turned to the crowd. The weight lifted off of Ace's shoulders when he heard his words. Heard him validate his advisor's claims and declare Sabo and Luffy as the ones who would receive Ace's reward in his place. The King turned his beady gaze to Ace in the silence that followed, and somehow, Ace found his voice.

"I confess," he spoke, his voice raspy and weak. Luckily, he didn't need to speak loudly. The crowd was hanging on his every word. He felt Sabo's gaze piercing straight through him, and he didn't even want to imagine the look that had to be on Luffy's face. "I confess to being a heretic. I've turned my back on this kingdom."

The outrage was damn near instant, but the King didn't seem to mind. He sat in his throne again and nodded to the guards who had shackled Ace to the stake. They lit torches and declared Ace's execution but he didn't even bother watching as the torches were tossed into the pile. He turned his gaze to Sabo and Luffy instead, an odd feeling of peace washing over him. Despite the pain, despite his shame and frustration for how the situation had turned out, he smiled.

Tears filled Sabo's eyes. He didn't bother wiping them away as he turned Luffy so he wouldn't be able to see, keeping a hand firmly clamped over his mouth. Ace wanted to apologize, knowing Luffy would be furious with Sabo for holding him back, but he knew Luffy would eventually forgive Sabo. He knew Sabo would eventually forgive himself. They couldn't save him and Ace would never want them to risk their lives trying.

He kept smiling as the flames began to climb higher, the heat licking at his skin and causing his back to throb in agony. He kept smiling as the crowd shouted their anger at him. He was going to keep smiling because it was all he could do to convey to his brothers that he didn't regret his choices in the slightest. As far as he was concerned, nothing would take the smile from his face, even when the smoke filled his lungs and his flesh burned down to the bone. He turned his gaze to the sky, taking one last look before closing his eyes to await his death.

A sharp trill cut through the entire kingdom. It silenced the crowd and even seemed to quiet the roaring fire. For a moment, Ace thought his death had come more swiftly than anticipated, because he knew that trill, knew that voice - and then the screaming started.

His eyes flew open just in time for him to see the sky being blocked by vibrant blue flames, and then those flames were wrapping around him. The fire that had been meant to end his life slid along the phoenix's wings, transforming into harmless blue. It all happened in a matter of seconds, and Ace was only just starting to realize what he was seeing when the King ordered his men to attack.

Several armed guards rushed them, a barrage of arrows sailing over the crowd. One wing blocked the arrows, which burned away harmlessly, and as soon as the guards drew closer, he turned and swept them away with his other wing. This gave everyone pause. The King held one hand in the air to tell his men to stop, and the panicking crowd began to retreat.

The phoenix trilled again before shrinking down to human form directly in front of Ace. The blue flames continued to dance along Marco's skin as he stood there, his posture defensive and ready to strike, but his tone was light, almost teasing as he spoke.

"I thought you said you weren't trying to die, yoi."

The playful words sent a jolt through Ace's body, snapping him out of his shock as it sank in that Marco was really there, so close he could have reached out to touch him if his hands hadn't been bound. He choked on a sob, somehow finding his voice. "Marco…!"

Marco glanced over his shoulder and smirked, but the look in his eyes promised swift retribution to whoever he deemed responsible for Ace's condition. "Seems like I caused you quite a bit of trouble, Ace. I'm sorry about that."

Ace's throat tightened with emotion - just the sight of Marco's smirk had his heart clenching with relief - but they weren't alone or out of danger. Movement near the King caught his eye and he jerked in his restraints, heart lodging itself in his throat as he thought of what could happen to his brothers - but Sabo wasn't stupid. He'd recognized Marco before Ace had even called his name, and in one swift motion had disarmed the guard nearest to him, swinging the sword in a wide arc and catching the guard who'd tried to strike Luffy with the blunt edge.

Rather than try to hold onto a weapon that would probably hinder him, Sabo tossed the sword aside and grabbed Luffy around the waist, taking a running leap from the platform to put as much distance between himself and the King as possible. Almost as if they'd rehearsed it, Luffy swung himself up and wrapped himself around Sabo's torso, bracing himself for the fall and allowing Sabo the use of both arms. They took advantage of the fact that most of the guards were still in awe of Marco to rush straight through.

As soon as they were close enough, Luffy jumped down and ran straight to the stake, throwing his arms around Ace. It was enough to knock the breath out of him - his back hitting the splintering wood was excruciating - but he was simply too relieved to care about the pain, even as his legs buckled and he sank to his knees with Luffy holding onto him.

"Luffy," Ace breathed his name in relief.

"I'm not asking questions about the phoenix thing," Sabo stated, moving to cover his brothers and stand beside Marco, "but I assume you're here to save Ace?"

"I am," Marco confirmed.

"How…" Ace lifted his head to look at Marco again. "How did you know? I thought you left!"

"I'll explain later, yoi," Marco promised, gaze sweeping the crowd.

The King had finally gotten over his shock, and his entire focus was fixated on Marco. He shouted an order for his men to subdue the phoenix - human or not - and they instantly obeyed. From the back of the crowd, armored guards were beginning to swarm the area, while the panicked civilians did their best to flee.

"Sabo, Luffy, if I distract them, can you get Ace to the Wilds?" Marco asked, arms already transforming into wings.

"If you can break this post so we don't have to waste time picking locks, I can carry him," Sabo replied.

Marco nodded once in confirmation, and with a burst of blue flames he was back in his phoenix form. His sharp talons locked around the stake above Ace and Luffy's heads, and with a loud crunch, it splintered apart. He twisted mid-air to send the top of the stake flying at the nearest attackers, before launching into the sky.

As Sabo and Luffy worked to lift Ace from his knees, helping him maneuver his hands so they were cuffed in front of him, Marco rose up in the sky and began to unleash his destructive fire.

Ace could tell the King's men were mostly focused on Marco. Despite knowing he could heal, Ace also remembered that healing was difficult for Marco on their island. There was no time to worry about it, however, as a few of the guards broke away to pursue the brothers.

"I can walk," he promised Sabo, trying to shift as much of his weight off of Luffy as possible.

"Yeah, well, we need to run," Sabo argued, eyes darting back and forth as he tried to find the safest escape route.

"Then I'll run," Ace insisted. "I can't fight right now."

Sabo grit his teeth, but he couldn't argue with Ace on that matter. "Luffy, can you help him?"

"Yeah," Luffy agreed, tugging at the collar of his shirt until it ripped, sending expensive buttons flying every which way. He sounded healthy, and when he nudged his way under Ace's arm so he could help support Ace's weight without Sabo, he didn't buckle.

Ace barely had time to marvel at how much stronger Luffy had gotten before they were moving, and Ace was forced to focus all of his energy on simply keeping up. With Sabo fending off the guards that came their way and Marco covering them, it seemed like they might actually make it out of the kingdom.

Ace almost didn't notice it. Midtown had become a battleground with most of the kingdom's forces going after Marco, but the few who had tried to stop the brothers hadn't pursued if it meant turning their back to the real prize. While Sabo had his fair share of guards to fend off just to clear a path, Ace and Luffy were, for the most part, out of the line of fire.

It was an instinct - a sharp sense of danger that told Ace to turn - and he was met with the cold gaze of a man whose driving force was cruelty and spite. His sword was raised, but despite the fact that Ace was the one he'd mocked and degraded, that Ace was the one who had threatened him before, Luffy was the one that he aimed for.

There was no time to call for help or try to deflect the blow. The man was mid-thrust and Luffy would never dodge in time with Ace's weight hindering his movement. He heard Sabo shout - knew Sabo must have glanced at them to make sure they were alright - and his adrenaline surged one last time.

Ace lifted his arm over Luffy's head and abruptly twisted, using his momentum to shove Luffy out of the way. The sharp blade sank into his flesh just as Luffy hit the ground, and his attacker didn't stop until he'd jammed the hilt against Ace's chest.

Everything seemed to happen at once; the world spinning as the guard sneered down at him, the phoenix trill piercing the air and sending several people off balance - and both of Ace's brothers screaming his name.

It was Luffy's voice that Ace could hear over all of the others, and when his attacker roughly withdrew the sword and swung with both hands in a wide-arc meant to decapitate him, it was Luffy's voice that stopped him.

Luffy's scream was wordless - a pure cry of rage and denial that seemed just as powerful as the phoenix's trill. Several people froze in their tracks, as if held by some unseen force; a few even lost consciousness. It delayed Ace's attacker just long enough for Sabo to get there, swinging a mace he'd stolen from one of his assailants and catching him right in the temple.

With his helmet crumpling from the sheer force and his body hitting the ground like a rag doll, it was clear Sabo's blow had been fatal.

It was odd. The pain had been so vivid just moments ago, but now Ace only felt numb. Sounds had become muted and it was difficult to focus. He hadn't even realized he'd fallen to the ground until he saw his brothers' faces above him, but he couldn't make out any words.

His hand came up to wipe at Luffy's cheek, trying to dry his tears, but his brow furrowed when his touch left a trail of blood. Luffy's face was never supposed to have blood on it. He tried to say something, but his voice wouldn't work and his attempt to speak only seemed to cause Luffy more distress.

The sky behind his brothers had been a comforting blue, but in the blink of an eye, it became a raging inferno.

Marco appeared next, and his expression had Ace's heart breaking. He'd never seen Marco so worried… so frantic. But he couldn't seem to reassure any of them.

"Ace," Marco's voice broke through his haze, and the sounds were no longer muted. Ace could hear the chorus of screams in the chaos around them, could hear Sabo and Luffy calling his name. "Ace, stay with us, yoi."

"Marco," Ace mumbled, surprised at how weak his voice sounded. "I thought… you went home…"

"We can talk about it later, yoi. You have to stay with us now."

"Sabo," Luffy's voice was shaking, soft sobs interrupting every few words. "I messed up! I didn't protect Ace!"

"No, you did fine!" Sabo tried to comfort him, but his voice was just as frantic. "We need to help him now, though."

"I'll take care of this kingdom," Marco interrupted before Luffy could start again. "Carry him and go."

Ace tried to keep all of their faces in view. He knew he had to be dying, and he didn't want to miss anything - but the world was spinning out of focus again and the next thing he knew, he was draped over Sabo's back. He tried to find Marco, wanting one last look at him.

A swell of anguish rose in his chest as he realized he couldn't see Marco at all, but then the phoenix's enraged trill pierced through the chaos around them, and he realized Marco was still there. With his brothers in sight and the reassurance that Marco was near, Ace closed his eyes and succumbed to the darkness, a peaceful smile on his face.

...

Marco had never been one for needless destruction - as far as he knew - but then, he'd never experienced a rage powerful enough to make him enjoy it. The first thing he'd done once taking to the sky was unleash his fire at the King. Before Ace had been stabbed, Marco had done his best to avoid outright slaughtering the soldiers. He'd only wanted the brothers to escape. His plan had been to cause enough of a distraction that they could make it to safety and then meet them in the Wilds. He'd counted on Sabo being able to defend himself and clear a path. He hadn't counted on the soldier going after a defenseless, unarmed Luffy.

There hadn't been enough time to stop it. Marco had been powerless to do anything but watch as Ace took the blow meant for his little brother. He'd already known Ace was dying when he'd set the surrounding area ablaze to give himself just enough time to speak to Ace in his human form again.

Even now, as his destructive fire raged out of control, indiscriminately burning soldiers and civilians alike, Marco knew it wouldn't make a difference. Ace was gone.

He made sure to savor the King's death, ripping him apart in razor sharp talons rather than allowing him a swift death through flames. He was furious at the King for manipulating Ace, for lying to him about a mission that was impossible to fulfill, and he was furious at himself for risking Ace's safety in an attempt to save all three brothers.

Despite knowing that Ace would have hated him if he'd selfishly sacrificed Sabo and Luffy to ensure Ace remained out of danger, he couldn't help wishing he'd done things differently. The thought of Ace's bright smile being snatched away because of a corrupted kingdom and the scum that lived there was enough to push him over the edge. He wanted to hunt down every last man, woman, and child in the kingdom to ensure the filth would be eradicated, but he settled for making sure to kill everyone wearing armor. Civilians caught in the crossfire were just an added bonus.

He left the cowering survivors to hide in the trash heap, the one place that seemed to escape his fiery rage, before taking to the skies to follow Sabo and Luffy. They were just barely clear of the kingdom's outer wall, having scaled it. All three brothers were soaked with blood - Ace's blood - and Luffy fell to his knees before they could make it into the trees.

"Luffy-" Sabo started to call for him, turning to help him. Marco interrupted by landing beside them in his human form, his arms transforming last. It was too painful to look directly at Ace's prone form, so he kept his gaze on the brothers Ace had cherished so much. The brothers he'd told Marco so many stories about.

The brothers he had ultimately sacrificed himself for.

"Marco," Luffy gasped, sounding relieved despite the dire situation. "You're okay!"

It was almost as if he didn't understand what he'd lost yet. Marco didn't want to be the one to have to explain it to him, but he couldn't force that duty on Sabo, either. One look at the other man's face was all Marco needed to see to know that Sabo was barely containing his grief.

"No one is going to follow, yoi," Marco answered. It was surprising how steady he managed to keep his voice when Ace was within reach, yet already gone. When he'd failed the man he'd come to love. "You can stop running."

"Ace is…" Sabo swallowed, his knees buckling at the reassurance that they were no longer in danger, and his voice cut off before he could finish speaking.

Marco moved to help lift Ace's weight off of him, the rage coursing through his body again at the sight of his lacerated back. They'd tortured him - killed him - and it was Marco's fault. His hands started to shake again, blue flames licking across his skin as he fought back the urge to transform and return to the kingdom to make them all pay for his failure to save Ace.

"You have to help him," Luffy pleaded, crawling closer as they laid Ace on his back. "Please, Marco? Please?"

Luffy's pleas cut through him, and yet he couldn't tear his gaze from Ace's peaceful face. At his final smile.

"He can't-" Sabo's voice cut off with a sudden sob, and he furiously scrubbed at his eyes. "Luffy, it's too late."

"No it's not!" Luffy insisted. "A phoenix can heal, can't they?" He turned his hopeful gaze to Marco. "Phoenix feathers can heal any sickness and make people immortal, right? That's what Nami said!"

"Luffy, what are you talking about?" Sabo finished wiping at his tears, his red-rimmed eyes focusing on Luffy. He didn't even notice the surprised look on Marco's face. "Who's Nami?"

"My friend, Nami," Luffy impatiently explained. "When I helped her escape, we got stuck in High Town all night and she told me stories she heard in the kingdom she came from. She told me all about phoenixes and mermaids!" Ignoring Sabo's confusion, he looked at Marco once more. "You can help him, can't you? That's why the King wanted your feather! But you can give it to Ace instead, right?"

Marco opened his mouth, then shut it. He hadn't expected Luffy to know anything about his abilities as a phoenix… and he didn't know how to tell Luffy it wouldn't work. That if he'd had a way to bring Ace back he would have done it already.

He didn't know how to tell Luffy he would have traded his own life in a heartbeat if it would have meant Ace would have a chance to live, to smile again.

The mask of calm he'd used to cover his rage, his grief, was crumbling before Luffy's innocent, pleading gaze.

Marco could see the fear right beneath the hope in Luffy's large brown eyes, but worse than that was the hope beginning to spark in Sabo's. He couldn't keep them waiting for an answer. It wasn't fair to let them have hope. Just as his lips parted to deliver the bad news, he felt something tug within him, and suddenly, he couldn't find his voice.

A feeling he'd never experienced, before - and he was positive he'd never felt it in any of his lives - began to well up inside of him. His fire was trying to come forth, and it wasn't due to rage or grief this time. The fire was simply drawn to Ace.

Tears pricked his eyes as understanding dawned on him, natural instinct kicking in and guiding his actions. "A phoenix feather can't grant immortality, yoi," he answered Luffy as his hand cupped Ace's cheek. "That's a false myth. It can be used to heal, but only someone the phoenix loves. Otherwise it turns to ash."

Sabo drew in a sharp breath. "Then, can you…?"

"It can't bring someone back from the dead," Marco murmured. "My feathers are useless to him if his heart isn't beating… but I can do something to save him."

"You can?" Luffy's pleading voice cut straight to his heart again.

Rather than answer, Marco took to his phoenix form, curling his body around Ace and hiding him within his wings. His head came to rest over Ace's heart. Warmth radiated from the tips of his feathers, and in one rush, the fire left his body to enter Ace's. The softest trill escaped when he felt the gentle thrum of Ace's heartbeat returning, but as much as he would have liked to keep Ace to himself and simply hold him until he forgot all about his earlier grief, he refused to be that selfish.

...

The first thing Ace noticed was the playful tickling of blue flames against his skin. It felt warmer than usual, but not at all uncomfortable. If anything, it felt better than before.

His eyes fluttered open, hands coming up to stop the fire from pulling away, but Marco was already out of reach. Instead, he was treated to a hug that could have doubled as a body slam as Luffy crashed into his chest.

Ace wheezed in response, but it honestly hadn't hurt enough to bother him. He heard Sabo's admonishing cry of Luffy's name along with Marco's laughter, and he was sitting up before he'd even fully processed the fact that he was alive.

He lifted his bound arms over Luffy's head and held his trembling body close. Luffy instantly started to wail in relief and practically climb all over him. He'd expected to feel pain, but other than the discomfort from his shackles, his body felt fine.

"Thank you, Marco!" Luffy cried, his voice muffled by Ace's neck. "Thank you!"

"What… what happened?" Ace demanded, looking to Marco first, then Sabo.

"You died," Sabo breathed, looking hesitant and uncertain, like Ace might shatter if he tried to reach out and touch him. "You were dead."

"Marco healed you," Luffy explained through his tears, pulling back to look up at Ace. "You're all better now!"

Ace stared at him, then lifted his gaze to look at Marco. "How…?"

"We can talk later, yoi," Marco chuckled, looking exhausted. "For now, let's go."

"Go?" Sabo echoed, frowning at Marco.

"Get off this island, yoi," Marco explained. "If nothing else, then for Luffy's sake."

"Luffy's sake?" Ace couldn't help but stare at Marco at those words, tightening his arms again.

"You said Luffy was always sick," Marco reminded him. "No matter how much medicine you gave him, he was never healthy. You said he was convinced he would die from his illness multiple times, yoi."

Luffy twisted so he could look at Marco without having to let go of Ace, expression curious.

"What does that have to do with this island?" Sabo asked.

"Luffy has dragon's blood in him," Marco answered with a shrug. "Don't ask me how or why. I know you felt it when he shouted earlier - that was a dormant dragon awakening."

"Luffy isn't a dragon," Ace argued, eyes wide. "He's Luffy."

"I didn't say he was a dragon. I just said he has dragon's blood in him. It means he feels the poison in this land even more than I do, yoi. He probably wouldn't feel as sick on top of the mountain where the only natural dragon death occurred, but he'd never feel as strong and healthy as he could if he lived somewhere less tainted." Marco ignored Sabo's incredulous stare and met Ace's gaze. "Come home with me, Ace. I was too afraid to ask it before."

"Ace," Luffy prodded, looking absolutely delighted. "I told you I was strong! I'm part of a dragon!"

Ace didn't bother correcting Luffy - he looked so damn with pleased himself Ace couldn't resist hugging him again - but before he could give Marco his answer, he looked to Sabo.

"You can't do anything simple, can you?" Sabo sighed, shaking his head. "You're gone for three months, you come back with a phoenix for a lover, you die, and then you come back to life with a magic fix for Luffy's illness and just ask us to fly off the island with you? Jeez, Ace. Nothing I do in my lifetime is ever going to be that interesting."

The laugh escaped before Ace could stop it. Sabo's teasing had broken what little tension remained, and while he knew they had a lot to talk about, he'd managed to sum it up pretty well.

He was still laughing when Sabo moved closer and embraced him, trapping Luffy between them. He could feel the subtle tremor in Sabo's body but he didn't call attention to it. Ace had been just as frightened, just as desperate, and the fact that the three of them were all alive was a damn miracle as far as he was concerned. He was unable to include Sabo in his hug with Luffy due to his restraints, but it was enough to simply lean his head against Sabo's shoulder and close his eyes.

"And I'm a dragon," Luffy added, which only had both brothers laughing until their stomachs began to ache, tears mixing with mirth.

"I should probably remove those shackles, yoi."

Marco's voice nearly jolted Ace. It wasn't that he'd forgotten Marco was there - he was acutely aware of every move Marco made - but the sound of his voice was enough to fill Ace with warmth that felt like it could overflow at any minute.

"Alright," Sabo agreed, pulling back and tugging at Luffy until the younger boy finally detached himself.

It was the first chance Ace had gotten to look directly at Marco with nothing else between them. Marco's arms transformed into wings, and like countless times before on the mountain, he pulled Ace into his embrace and wrapped his wings around him like a blanket.

All of the pain, all of the despair, every last remnant of heartbreak melted away in the warmth of Marco's wings. The fire that had once intimidated him built up around his shackles, and it didn't hurt when they heated to the point where he was able to break them off. He didn't spare a second thought to how Marco had done it - he simply brought his arms up to wrap around Marco's torso and kiss him, uncaring of his audience.

Marco didn't seem to mind either. He outright ignored it when Sabo tried clearing his throat to hint at them to wrap it up, and the kisses continued until both of them were pulling back for air with smiles on their faces.

"What about your rebirth?" Ace blurted out before he could help it, tears pricking his eyes from the emotion he'd felt in Marco's kiss. "How long do we have together?"

"Don't worry about it, yoi," Marco answered. His voice, his touch, everything was gentle and comforting. "For now, let me take you home and introduce you to my family."

"Do you have a big family?" Luffy asked. "Do they like dragons?"

Marco chuckled. "Yes, and I'm sure they've never met one."

"I hope they like dragons."

"Well, I like dragons," Sabo answered, hugging Luffy and looking to Marco. "And he'll really get better if we leave? He won't be sick anymore?"

Marco nodded. "I'm not sure what kind of surprises he might have in store like his display earlier, but he'll be healthy if he leaves this place."

"What about your friend?" Sabo asked, looking down at Luffy. "Is Nami still back there?"

Ace's brow furrowed in confusion, but he knew better than to interrupt when Sabo would explain it later.

"No, she snuck on a ship and left a long time ago," Luffy answered.

"Then let's get going," Sabo agreed, his fatigue beginning to show. Luckily, there would be plenty of time to rest on Marco's back if the plan was simply to fly off of the island.

...

They'd covered more ground in a single day than Ace had expected. The island they'd landed on to rest was small and secluded - really just a strip of land in the vast sea - and it offered very little privacy. They were near the shore, and while Ace had tried to take Luffy closer to the water to wash up while Marco and Sabo started a fire, Luffy was too distracted by the sand.

Ace had to admit, when Marco had first told him about the sand kingdom, he hadn't been able to picture it very well. He'd thought of mud and dirt and found the idea unappealing. The texture of sand was definitely different, and it almost seemed to glitter in the light of the setting sun. It was still difficult to imagine an entire kingdom built on the stuff, but at least it painted a more appealing image in his mind now.

"Ace, look!" Luffy waved to get his attention. He'd eagerly stripped off most of his clothes the moment they'd landed, and was currently crouching in the sand, close enough that the water lapped at his feet every time a wave came in.

Ace couldn't help smiling at the sight, making his way over. True to Marco's word - not that Ace could truly doubt him - Luffy already seemed healthier."What did you find?"

Luffy pointed to the indents his feet had left. "The sand remembers what my feet look like," he explained.

"It does," Ace agreed with a laugh.

An odd look crossed Luffy's face, but before Ace could ask him what was wrong he'd moved to tackle Ace into the sand, just in time for a wave to gently break against the side of his body.

"I'm happy you're alive, Ace," Luffy whispered, his arms tight around Ace's upper body. "I didn't think I'd see you again when you left."

"Idiot," Ace scolded, bringing his arms up to hug Luffy just as tightly. "That's what I should be saying to you."

"I really missed you, Ace," Luffy continued as if he hadn't heard him. "We were gonna try and escape to come find you, but I got really sick."

Ace's heart clenched at those words. He sat up with ease, cradling Luffy in his lap just as Sabo made his way over. Much like Luffy, he'd taken great pleasure in discarding his formal outfit, though he'd kept each piece in case he needed it. Survival instinct, Ace supposed. They'd spent far too many years scavenging and salvaging to stop now.

"Got the fire started," Sabo informed them, dropping down to sit next to Ace. "Took a little longer than expected."

"Sorry, I would have helped but I was trying to get Luffy cleaned up," Ace joked. In the back of his mind, Sabo's statement was a little confusing - unless of course, Marco hadn't wanted to startle him with his abilities. He'd been cautious about acting non-human around Ace at first, too.

"You're doing a piss-poor job of that," Sabo teased right back. "He has sand in his hair."

"Sand is fun," Luffy informed Sabo with a petulant frown. "What's wrong with having it in my hair?"

"Nothing at all, it just means Ace isn't helping you clean up."

"Oh, okay," Luffy agreed, placated.

Ace rolled his eyes. "Alright then, why don't you help me?"

"Sure," Sabo chuckled.

Together, they managed to untangle a whining Luffy - who wanted nothing more than to keep playing around and hugging Ace - and haul him down to the water. All three of them were soaking wet and shivering by the time they managed to get all of the dried blood and grime scrubbed from their bodies. Ace was still marveling at the fact that his muscles weren't even sore from his time spent in the dungeon. Even with all of his wounds healed, he'd thought there would be some leftover traces.

It almost, almost seemed like it had been nothing more than a bad dream.

The sun was still barely glinting above the horizon when they arrived at the fire. A smiling Marco quietly excused himself to go wash off once they were there, leaving the three brothers to dry off alone.

Luffy almost immediately fell asleep in Ace's arms - stopping him from crawling right into Ace's lap had been a lost cause, even soaking wet - on the claim that 'water makes dragons sleepy'.

"How long do you think he's going to keep using his dragon blood as an excuse?" Ace asked, open affection in his eyes as he carded his fingers through Luffy's damp hair.

"Probably forever," Sabo guessed, using a fancy vest to dry off. "I wasn't sure what to believe, but he really does look better, doesn't he?"

"He's so used to not having energy, he didn't even know how to pace himself," Ace chuckled, shaking his head as he recalled the way Luffy had jumped around and run in circles from excitement when they'd landed. "Burned himself out."

Sabo tossed the vest aside and watched them for a few moments. It seemed as though Marco was purposefully giving them time to talk without his presence. He shifted a little closer, then wrapped both arms around Ace's shoulders, right above Luffy's head. "You scared me, you idiot."

Ace swallowed. In any normal circumstance, he'd throw a playful insult back at Sabo, or claim that Luffy was the idiot… but he could hear the tremor in Sabo's voice. His impish teasing about Ace's actions back in the kingdom had been a careful mask to keep Luffy from worrying.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, closing his eyes and leaning his head on Sabo's when he felt his brother's arms tighten around him. "There was no time. As soon as I got back… I gave Jalmac the feather, you know. I didn't want to, but I did. It's just, as soon as he had it, it turned to ash and they threw me directly into the dungeon. I don't even know how long I was down there."

"Two days," Sabo answered, startling him. "You were down there for two days before they brought you out to kill you. That bastard announced your execution the day you returned, but it caused unrest with the nobles. He really did tie his own hands by turning you into a hero in their eyes."

Ace snorted, swallowing back the disgust at finally knowing how long he'd spent being tortured and isolated. He was suddenly very glad they'd just finished washing or he wouldn't have been able to stop himself from waking Luffy so he could go scrub his skin until the memory faded. "Yeah, he wanted me to confess so he could kill me without a riot."

"I figured that out the moment I heard our names in the declarations and accusations. You traded yourself for us."

"Did you expect me to do something else?" Ace asked, opening his eyes to stare at the fire.

"Of course I didn't," Sabo retorted, pulling back and rubbing his eyes. "I really thought you were going to die, Ace. You did."

"So I've heard," Ace murmured, swallowing again. "Everything happened so fast… I didn't even know Marco was coming back for me."

"I said he was your lover back then," Sabo reminded him, watching his expression. "You didn't deny it. So the two of you…?"

"Yeah," Ace admitted without shame, even though he could feel the blush spreading over his cheeks.

"I can already tell he loves you," Sabo continued. "It's the only reason I trusted him back there."

"How can you tell?" Ace couldn't help but wonder, glancing back at Marco, who was waist-deep in the ocean and looking to the sky.

"Because I've loved you as my brother for most of our lives," Sabo answered softly, "and when you were dying - when you died and I felt your heart stop beating - his grief was just as strong as mine."

"Sabo," Ace started to speak, guilt welling up at the reminder that he'd caused them all such pain.

"I might not know him very well, but he saved your life. Even if I couldn't see how much he cares for you, I'll never stop owing him for that," Sabo finished, cutting him off. "I like seeing you happy, Ace."

"I was happy before I met him, too," Ace argued.

"But you struggled to accept the idea that anyone might love you as much as you loved them. You didn't think you deserved it. You've always assumed the only time your life had worth was when you were using it to protect or provide for us. Don't you have any idea how happy I am to see you let go of that?" Sabo reached out to place his hand on Ace's shoulder.

Ace opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. Since walking away from Marco, he'd been so focused on how much his heart ached from missing him, he hadn't even realized that he'd never once looked back on their time together and thought he hadn't deserved Marco's love. When he'd faced his own death, knowing his brothers were being forced to watch it, he'd smiled for them. It had been his only real way to communicate that he'd been happy - that they'd made him happy - and that he loved them. Even though he'd thought he was about to die, that act in itself was one of acceptance. He'd finally accepted his worth as their brother. Not because he was dying for them, and not because his actions would have seen them taken care of long after his death, but simply because they were family.

There was nothing he could say to Sabo about it. They both knew he was right, and any attempt to apologize for not seeing it earlier would be met with opposition. The time to apologize had passed, and there was only one thing left to say once he found his voice.

"Thank you, Sabo."

"Of course," Sabo answered, smiling. He reached out to carefully pull Luffy out of Ace's lap and into his own. "I want to know more about what happened back there, but I'll wait until you two are done."

"Until what?" Ace's brow furrowed in confusion - until he realized that Sabo had taken Luffy so he could go speak to Marco. He had to swallow again, but he couldn't deny that his heart leapt at the reminder that Marco was still near. "Oh, right."

"Go," Sabo urged with another smile. "Luffy's out. I'll call you back if he wakes up and asks for you."

"Thanks," Ace repeated, and he stayed there a moment longer to make sure Sabo understood the weight of that word and everything he was thanking him for. His steps felt lighter as he headed back to the sand, smiling at the sight of Luffy's footprints still embedded in the areas the waves hadn't yet reached.

Marco turned the moment he approached the shore, stepping out of the water to greet him.

"Did you have a chance to speak with your brothers?" he asked, reaching out to brush Ace's hair out of his face.

"Yeah," Ace answered, all of his anxiety melting away at the brief touch. He moved forward to embrace Marco, burying his face against Marco's neck at the feel of strong arms wrapping around his shoulders. His hands came up to lightly clutch Marco's upper back and shoulder from behind, and a shaky breath escaped when he felt Marco's lips press against his temple in a soft kiss.

"I missed you, yoi," Marco whispered.

"It feels like a lot more time has passed, doesn't it?" Ace tightened his grip just a little. Marco's skin was damp, and the taste of salty water clung to his lips. He was grateful for the taste, though. Marco had warned them not to try and drink the water from the ocean, and the only thing that had actually stopped Luffy was the bitter taste.

Rather than answer, Marco drew back just enough to lower his head and capture Ace's lips in a sweet, tender kiss. Heat surged between their bodies, and the familiar feeling of hard muscle shifting into fiery wings had him wishing they could slip away to find some privacy.

His mind had been so preoccupied with joy at actually seeing Marco again that he hadn't even considered the possibility of more. Memories invaded his mind of making love under the stars and holding each other by the fire. Whether it was his body remembering how much it had missed Marco's, or sheer heat of the moment, he found himself overcome with desire.

It was Marco who broke the kiss, one wing brushing along the length of Ace's spine and sending shivers through Ace's body despite the heat between them. His own hands slid down Marco's back, kneading and massaging his muscles.

"Ace," Marco breathed, clearly struggling to keep himself under control. His breath hitched when one of Ace's hands slid just above his backside. "If you keep that up, I'm going to transform and fly you to a different island just to have you to myself. I don't think your brothers would appreciate that."

The husky tone of Marco's voice did nothing to help quell Ace's desire. "What if that's what I want you to do?"

"Don't tempt me, yoi."

Ace opened his mouth to protest Marco's noble intentions, but the words never made it past his lips. Marco's mouth was on his again, the taste of saltwater mixing on their tongues. He could feel Marco's wings expanding a little, as if hiding them both from the rest of the world so they could have at least one moment that was theirs and theirs alone.

Marco had to be the responsible one and pull back as the sun dipped below the horizon and the air turned chilly. The warmth provided by his wings could have kept them comfortable, but with a whispered promise of more to come once they got home - wherever that was - he was ushering Ace back to the fire.

Sabo remained graceful about the whole situation. He didn't say anything to embarrass or goad Ace, simply nodding to them as they took their seats.

"Luffy's still out," Sabo explained, transferring the sleeping boy into Ace's arms once more. "He was mumbling your name, though."

Ace 's expression softened. He tucked Luffy against his chest and wrapped both arms around him. "Pretty soon he won't need us as much."

"That means we did a good job," Sabo joked. He flashed Ace a reassuring smile. "He's always going to need us, Ace."

"Yeah, I know," Ace promised. He turned his gaze to Marco once he was sure Luffy had settled, ignoring the trickle of drool going down his chest.

"You both have questions, yoi," Marco stated. "It's time I answered them. It'll be easier if I tell you everything I know before you ask."

"Please," Sabo agreed, gesturing for him to continue.

Marco explained everything from the beginning - more than Ace had expected - for Sabo's benefit. He started with the nature of the phoenix and the natural rebirth cycle, amnesia and all. Ace tried not to look at Sabo's expression at the reminder that his time with Marco wouldn't last very long. The way Ace's heart surged, he knew that no matter how long they had, it would never be enough for him.

The explanation continued on with minimal details about how Marco had crash-landed on their island and struggled with his regenerating abilities, leading to his capture and subsequent rescue thanks to Luffy. He told Sabo what he'd already told Ace about how he'd come to live on the mountain and unknowingly destroy the balance in the Wilds, only to one day stumble on a pack of beasts trying to kill Ace.

Marco admitted to keeping Ace on the mountain - although Ace interjected that he'd willingly agreed to Marco's terms without feeling like Marco had forced his hand - but he paused when it came time to explain why he'd made the agreement in the first place.

"It's not that I have a problem with you," Sabo interrupted, drawing Marco's attention to him. "I think I'm taking all of this in stride, so give me the benefit of the doubt when I say I believe that you're in love with my brother, and that you had good intentions when you made him stay on the mountain. He would have pushed himself and gotten hurt if you hadn't."

Neither blond responded to Ace's indignant snort, although Marco did give a small smirk in his direction.

"It was mostly because I felt I owed the three of you for saving - and sparing - my life when Luffy freed me from that prison, yoi," Marco answered after a moment. "I admit to being drawn to Ace, but I believed I was going to be forced to go through my rebirth soon anyway, and I had no intention of falling in love with him. I didn't want him to fall in love with me, either." His soft blue eyes flickered to Ace again, but he turned back to Sabo to directly address him. "When he specified that his task was to bring back one of my feathers, I knew the main goal was not to restore the Wilds and eliminate a threat. I didn't know if that man thought he would be healed from an illness or if he believed he could use the feather for immortality, but I knew he would be disappointed by the result."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ace asked. He wasn't angry that Marco had kept it secret, but after everything they'd told each other in the end, he couldn't figure out why Marco wouldn't have mentioned it.

"It wouldn't have changed anything, yoi." Marco met his gaze. "He had your brothers as leverage."

Ace sighed, shoulders sagging a little. He looked down at Luffy's sleeping face. "You're right about that."

"I knew I couldn't leave right away in case he decided to take his anger out on you, yoi," Marco continued. "If I'd have known you were going to be tortured, I would have acted sooner." His eyes glinted dangerously, reminding Ace of the first night they'd met in the slums. "I'm sorry, Ace."

"Don't apologize," Ace murmured, shaking his head. "It's in the past, and you're with me now. You still saved my life." His brow furrowed suddenly. "How did you save my life?"

"It's complicated, and I'm not sure how to explain it yet," Marco admitted. "But I'll tell you when we get home, yoi. Once you were breathing, I used a feather to heal you."

"But the feather didn't bring him back to life. You told Luffy it wouldn't," Sabo clarified.

Marco nodded. "I need to speak with my father about what happened, but once I do, I'll explain everything. I promise, yoi."

"That's fine with me. I don't need to know right now. I'm alive, we're out of that hellhole, and Luffy… he's really getting better." Ace's voice thickened with emotion at that last statement.

"I'm surprised I didn't put it together sooner," Marco chided, looking exasperated. "The moment I noticed the source of the poison, I should have realized it from what you'd told me about Luffy."

"When Ace was stabbed," Sabo broke in, distress flashing in his eyes at the memory, "Luffy screamed and it seemed to stun the guards. A few fell to the ground. You said that came from his blood?"

"I don't know as much about a dragon's living abilities. Never met one, yoi." Marco flashed a grin. "But the power in his voice resonated with me and I recognized it. It was also the only explanation that made sense for his illness."

"He thinks he's a dragon now," Ace chuckled. "You're not helping with that."

"I think it's cute," Marco joked. "My family's going to love it."

"When we get to your home, what's the plan?" Sabo asked.

"The plan is to introduce the three of you to my family, and see where things go from there, yoi. I have no intention of hiding my feelings for Ace, and that makes you and Luffy my family as well. My father will welcome all three of you, and you can figure out what you'd like to do after you've rested. It won't be anything like the life you've had so far."

"Is your king some sort of benevolent leader?"

Ace knew Sabo was trying his best not to sound sarcastic, but there was still an edge to his words.

"He is, yoi," Marco answered in stride. "It'll be easier to explain once we get there."

"Alright," Sabo agreed, though he still looked skeptical at the idea of a benevolent anything sitting on a throne. "How long will it take?"

"It should only take a few days. My strength is steadily returning and you three hardly weigh anything compared to some of my brothers, yoi," Marco joked. "That being said, I'd like to leave early. We should get some sleep."

"I can keep watch," Sabo offered.

"It isn't necessary, but you're more than welcome to, yoi."

Ace glanced at Marco out of the corner of his eye, causing Sabo to exhale.

"You can sleep next to him, Ace. In fact, if he's going to sleep as a phoenix, that would be warmer for Luffy, too," Sabo teased.

"I don't have to-"

"I wouldn't mind it, yoi."

There was a brief silence before Marco started to laugh, and a flustered Ace ducked his head.

"Yeah, I'll keep watch for a bit," Sabo snorted, rolling his eyes. "And Marco, at least for now, keep your feathers to yourself, okay?"

Marco's only response was to smirk, taking his phoenix form and drawing both Ace and Luffy into his wings. His blue flames illuminated the area, and as much as Ace wanted to savor the warmth as it wrapped around him, he found himself succumbing to exhaustion and falling asleep almost instantly.

His last thought before the dreams took over was that ever since Marco had brought him back to life, being near the blue flames of the phoenix felt better than ever.

...

Any remaining tension or uncertainty seemed to be gone by morning. Luffy had readily accepted Ace's relationship with Marco, and as predicted, had been delighted with the sleeping arrangements. He'd played around, trying to climb Marco and hide under his wings for much longer than anyone had expected Marco to allow. He'd almost gotten his curious hands on Marco's tail feathers, but Ace had stopped him with a sheepish expression.

He swore he saw the phoenix smirking at him.

Luffy wasn't happy about taking off without breakfast, but he was too excited about their upcoming 'adventure' to complain about it.

As Marco had guessed, it only took them a few days to reach their destination. On one overnight stop he'd commented that it would have taken less time if he hadn't been worried about dislodging them, which had led to Luffy trying to goad him into flying faster.

Thankfully Marco hadn't given in, even when Luffy had pouted and sulked. Instead, he'd placated the youngest brother by flying as low as possible, wings sometimes skimming the surface of the water, so Luffy could lean over Sabo's arms to try and see the fish.

When they reached Marco's kingdom, Ace had expected them to land near the shore, or somewhere on the outskirts so he could transform back into a human form. He'd expected secrecy and a long talk with Luffy to make sure he didn't blurt out anything to give Marco away. Ace was aware that Marco's entire family knew about his phoenix side, but he hadn't expected the entire kingdom to know.

The kingdom itself looked nothing like the one they'd grown up in. There were no towering walls - no clear separation of nobility and peasants. As Marco flew overhead, he let out a joyous cry that echoed through the sky and caught the attention of anyone who hadn't already noticed the giant flaming bird.

Ace could barely contain his amazement as people began pouring out of their homes and shouting with very clear delight, waving and pointing at Marco. Even the children looked excited; not a single person seemed afraid.

"They must all be Marco's friends," Luffy explained, nodding to himself.

Marco gave an affirming flap of his wings, soaring a bit higher before leveling out. Due to the distraction of the kingdom's subjects, it took Ace a moment to realize their destination, and when he did, he couldn't help but tense a little. The castle was larger than the only other one Ace had been in, and while it didn't look nearly as fake or heavily guarded, he hadn't expected Marco to take them before the king.

"Marco, are we going to the castle?" Ace asked, struggling to keep his voice calm so his brothers wouldn't worry. It didn't work with Sabo - it never did - but Sabo didn't call attention to his worries. He probably had plenty of his own to contend with.

Since Marco was in his phoenix form and couldn't answer, he simply dipped lower, gliding towards the courtyard. The phoenix's trills had echoed throughout the entire island, so it was no surprise the castle's inhabitants were aware of their arrival before Marco actually landed. People were pouring into the courtyard like they'd all been gathered right inside the castle doors, and when Marco touched the ground, the brothers quickly dismounted and backed away to give him room.

Ace was anxious about straying too far, especially as Marco transformed back into his much more vulnerable human form. Before he could voice any of his apprehension, a joyful voice cried out from the group rushing their way.

"MARCO!"

One man broke away from the crowd and reached Marco the fastest, practically jumping into his arms. Ace found it oddly reminiscent of the way Luffy would greet him. Something about that comparison had Ace pausing, and then a soft smile touched his lips. The chestnut-brown hair - although not in an oddly shaped hairstyle as Marco had implied, pulled back instead with a plain leather tie - the scar curving along the left side of his face from his brow to his cheek, and the dark facial hair were all features Marco had described when talking about Thatch.

The way Marco accepted the attempted tackle and hugged him in return was the last bit of confirmation needed, and while he wasn't sure why Thatch had been in the castle, he relaxed. The crowd was obviously Marco's family. They'd stopped close enough for Ace to examine their features, not trampling right over Marco despite their clear joy at his return.

As predicted, Ace found several others he could identify from Marco's stories alone. A very tall man with a thick black mustache and curly black hair - Ace was pretty sure his name was Vista - and next to him, a much shorter young man with reddish-brown hair and bright blue eyes had to be Haruta.

Izo was the easiest to identify, if only because he approached while Thatch was still hugging Marco, waiting for them to break apart. Marco hadn't exaggerated his beauty, either. He wasn't dressed in feminine clothing as Marco had claimed was his preference - instead wearing a tunic and leggings that implied he was going to be traveling - but even in plain clothing he gave an almost regal air of beauty. Especially with his long black hair, longer than Ace had ever seen on a man. He wore an ornate pin that appeared to be pure silver, in the form of two feathers with a frosted blue gem at the base, and while it held his hair back on the righthand side, the rest was loose and flowing around his upper body.

The most obvious proof that he was looking at Thatch and Izo came from the matching rings on their left hands. Both wore a silver band around their second smallest finger - the ring finger, Marco had called it - which was a custom to show marriage in Marco's kingdom.

"Marco has a lot of friends," Luffy piped up, drawing Ace out of his thoughts.

"They're his family," Ace corrected, tucking Luffy under his arm. A few had turned to look at them at Luffy's voice. Izo in particular was studying them with a shrewd gaze.

"What happened to you?!" Thatch cried, finally pulling back from the hug. "You look- I mean you look- I mean, look at you!"

"What he's trying to say, is that you look younger and healthier than when you left," Izo clarified, finally returning his gaze to his brothers. "But you found your way home, so you clearly haven't…"

"It's a long story, yoi," Marco admitted. "And I need to speak with Oyaji about it first." He angled his body - as Thatch hadn't fully released him and turning was difficult - towards Ace and his brothers. "This is Ace, Sabo, and Luffy. They came from a kingdom to the far North."

Thatch poked his head around Marco's shoulder to see them better, just in time for Luffy to go up on his tiptoes and tug on Ace's arm, asking him what an 'Oyaji' was.

"It's their father," Ace answered, trying not to shrink under the combined gazes of Marco's family. "Marco said 'Oyaji' is like 'dad'."

"Oh," Luffy said, nodding. "Okay."

"They saved my life, yoi," Marco continued. "And Ace saved me."

Ace didn't even bother trying to hide his blush at those words. He swallowed, then offered a crooked grin. He had a feeling they were all focusing on him, trying to gauge Marco's words, and he only had one chance to make a first impression. "I'm Ace," he repeated the introduction. "Sorry for keeping him away for so long."

Izo chuckled, crossed his arms over his chest and looking smug. Ace had a feeling there would be no hiding it, at least not for long, but he still managed to do his best not to look embarrassed. He still reached up to rub the back of his neck, sweating just a little under the combined scrutiny of so many of Marco's siblings.

A booming laugh caught him off guard - Sabo moved slightly in front of Luffy out of sheer instinct - and the crowd parted on cue to show a much taller man coming forward. Ace instantly recognized him from Marco's stories. He didn't seem as old as Marco had implied, but the giant white mustache and imposing stature was a dead giveaway.

"That's Oyaji," Izo added. "His name is Newgate, but most people call him King Whitebeard."

Ace opened his mouth, then abruptly shut it, whirling to look at Marco with wide eyes.

"Wait a second," Sabo interrupted, staring at Marco. "You mean to tell me you're royalty?"

Marco shrugged. "If you want to think of it that way, then we all are, yoi. I didn't think it was important to mention. If anything, I thought it might make you more apprehensive about come here."

"No kidding," Sabo snapped, pushing Luffy fully behind him. There was a protesting whine as Luffy tried to climb Sabo's back to see better. "Considering what the last king did to Ace, you didn't think it might have been a good idea to tell us?!"

"Sabo," Ace murmured, turning to him. "It's fine."

Sabo sighed, but his frustration was obvious. "I don't want anymore surprises."

Marco watched the exchange, then finally untangled himself from Thatch's clinging grip. "I apologize, yoi. There is one more thing I haven't told you, but we should go inside and rest first. You can get cleaned up and eat something. I'd rather discuss it in private, yoi."

"It was private on the way here and you didn't say anything," Sabo argued. He knew Marco only meant that they should clean up because they'd been travelling in tattered clothing and washing in the sea, but he still bristled at the reminder of being 'groomed' the second they'd entered King Jalmac's castle. "Ace, what do you want?"

"Nothing he says is going to change how I feel about him," Ace stated firmly, meeting Sabo's gaze and cutting Luffy off; the younger boy had perked at the mention of food, and was seconds away from going off on his own as a result. Ace turned back to Marco after a moment. "They're all your family, right? You trust them with whatever it is you haven't told me?"

Marco nodded; nearby, Whitebeard simply waited and listened, his eyes focused on Ace alone. "I don't know how you'll feel about what I have to say, yoi. But I didn't know it was possible until it happened, and it means I won't have to forget anyone ever again."

That got everyone's attention. Even Haruta, who had been trying to get to Marco and had to be held back from running to him and overwhelming their oldest brother, went from squirming to frozen in an instant. The one holding him back let out a colorful swear in surprise, drawing Ace's attention to him. Long blond hair in peculiar rolled knots and a penchant for swearing. Ace had a guess he was another sibling Marco had mentioned by name; Rakuyo.

"Maybe you should explain right now," a woman in a tight gray corset with icy blue hair spoke, moving in front of Haruta and Rakuyo, fixing an intense gaze on Marco. She wore trousers rather than a skirt, and her leather boots laced above the knee.

"Bay," Marco acknowledged her but didn't elaborate, keeping his gaze on Ace.

Ace's attention snapped to Marco again. His mouth felt dry and he suddenly had no idea what to do with his hands. He'd been struggling not to think about Marco's rebirth or how long they were going to have before it happened, but at Marco's statement, all of his thoughts had become a rushed jumble of confusion and hope.

He didn't care that there was a giant crowd of Marco's brothers and sisters - his father, a king - and his own brothers present. He could only focus on Marco, and find his voice.

"You're not going to forget me?" Ace's voice came out small and uncertain. He hadn't dared to hope that they'd find a way to stop Marco's rebirth from happening, but faced with that very reality had him trembling.

Marco stepped away from Thatch and Izo, coming to a stop in front of Ace and taking both of his hands.

"The fire that I've been tethered to for as long as anyone can recall has always been the catalyst of my rebirth, yoi," Marco explained. "When my fire is almost extinguished, my life goes with it, and the only way for the fire to burn bright once more is if I go through the rebirth cycle."

He brought one of Ace's hands up to his lips, brushing a kiss to the back of his hand. "When you died… I gave that fire to you."

"I don't…" Ace shivered at the soft touch, his eyes searching Marco's. "What does that mean?"

"It means you possess the destructive fire I once held. You control it, and I'm tethered to you instead," Marco explained. "And when you die, my fire will die with you. I will never be reborn again."

A jolt raced through Ace's body, his eyes growing wide as those words sank in.

There was no time to speak. The reaction from Marco's family drowned out anything Ace might have tried to say, anyway. There were shouts of joy and disbelief, cries for a party, for celebration - and all of it was a blur in Ace's mind. He couldn't even speak. He could only watch as one of Marco's hands began to shift, blue feathers licking at his skin and calling to the fire he hadn't been aware was inside of him.

In fascination and horror, he watched as the fire answered that call. The orange flames that rose from his skin to meet Marco's were warm, but they didn't burn him. It felt completely natural to command the fire, and that scared him a little.

"Ace, does it hurt?" Luffy asked in a worried tone that instantly distracted him from the sight of his own burning hand - and the fact that the mere act of Marco's feathers touching the fire had sent a thrill through his body.

"No," Ace answered, practically blurting it out in his haste to reassure his brothers. He hadn't torn his gaze from the mix of flames, but he was sure Sabo had tensed at the sight. Fire had never been kind to the brothers, at least not before Marco had come into their lives. Even then, it would take some getting used to.

"Telling you about the fire would have caused it to come forth," Marco explained after a moment. "Now that you're aware of it, you'll need to work on controlling it, yoi. It shouldn't be too difficult for you. You're strong, determined, and already a natural with it. Had I told you about it before we came here you could have accidentally burned one of your brothers. You can't burn me, and you can't burn yourself, but there's a reason I called it destructive fire, yoi."

"Ace would never hurt us," Luffy argued with a huff.

"I know," Marco promised Luffy with a gentle smile that had Ace's heart flipping in his chest when he finally dared to look up. "It's a big change, though, and I didn't know if he'd be upset when he found out, yoi."

In the silence that followed, the flames flickered between them until they went out and Marco was simply holding his hand again. Even though there was no visible proof, he could feel the fire coursing through his body. It wasn't heat or power or anything he'd expected he might feel - just a gentle thrum that became more prominent the more Marco touched him.

Then Marco started to let go of his hand. There was no signal, no sign that Marco felt the need to pull away, but somehow Ace had a feeling it had to do with how tense his own body was and how wide his eyes had become. Marco was pulling away because he thought Ace needed space, and that was the last thing Ace wanted.

That single action was all it took for Ace to realize what Marco was feeling. The words from that first night on the mountain came back to him - you can take back your consent - and he understood that Marco still meant it. He wasn't going to force Ace to be with him because of his fire. He didn't want Ace to feel obligated because of it.

Marco truly believed there was a chance Ace would change his mind about wanting to be with him. It was the first time Ace could remember seeing Marco so uncertain and vulnerable about their relationship, and regardless of the circumstances or audiences, he couldn't let that feeling linger.

His hand caught Marco's before he could fully draw back, and with a single tug he'd pulled the startled man into a swift embrace. "Thank you, Marco."

He felt Marco go still, knew he'd understood why he'd spoken those words - the same ones he'd answered with on the mountain - and then Marco's arms were around him and everything felt right again. The silence that had fallen once Marco's family had realized the gravity of the exchange was shattered by another round of joyful cries, and even though there was still so much to think about, Ace found himself getting swept up in their celebration.

Thatch crashed into their sides in a hug, ignoring Marco's scolding reminder that startling Ace could lead to fire, and immediately started rambling about the feast he was going to prepare once he unpacked.

"Feast?" Luffy was abruptly there, tugging on Thatch's tunic.

"Unpack?" Marco echoed, trying to help Ace escape the throng of siblings converging around them.

"They were gonna go find you!" Haruta's voice was almost lost in the chaos, but Rakuyo lifted him above the crowd and onto his shoulders so Marco could see him. "We were just seeing them off! They wouldn't let me go, but they promised they'd bring you home!"

"Thatch's idea," Izo stated, trying to seem nonchalant. "We were sending messages to all the trading kingdoms, but no one had seen you, and I couldn't let that buffoon go off on his own."

Marco smiled, clearly touched by the lengths his siblings had planned to go to bring him home. "I'm sorry I worried you."

Ace managed to tactfully slip away and pull Luffy with him, moving to stand with Sabo as everyone seemed to take a turn hugging Marco. He was still conscious of his fire - of Marco's claim that he could burn someone if they startled him - but his brothers didn't seem concerned with the possibility. Sabo remained just as close as before, and Luffy probably wouldn't have pulled away even if he was on fire.

"You guys don't mind if we stay here, right?" Ace asked, just to make sure.

"They're making a feast. Why would we leave?" Luffy huffed.

"I don't mind," Sabo answered, just loud enough that they could hear him over the cheers. "Sorry I lost it there for a second. I should have let Marco tell you that stuff in private."

"It's fine. I don't have secrets from my family, and I'm not asking him to keep secrets from his," Ace quickly reassured him. His eyes flickered to Newgate - King Whitebeard - and he was startled to see the old man watching him.

He didn't know what to make of the grin Whitebeard sent his way, but before he could worry about whether he should try to smile back, Whitebeard's attention had shifted to Marco.

It was Bay who approached them to talk about where they could go to wash up and rest if they wanted, claiming everyone else would be too preoccupied with Marco to remember manners. She had to promise Luffy no less than three times that there would be food left when they finished.

As Bay led them inside and Whitebeard swept Marco - along with anyone else who hadn't moved out of the way - into a crushing hug, Ace glanced back to see if he could catch Marco's eye. A smile touched his lips when he did, and he gave a small wave to promise Marco he'd see him soon.

It was only after they'd headed inside, away from prying eyes, that the worry began to set in.

...

The festivities were already underway by the time the brothers arrived. They'd taken the time to bathe - without attendants - and dress in plain clothes that had been left in the room Bay had showed them. Nothing about their attire was fancy or stiff, unlike the decadent styles they'd been forced to endure as King Jalmac's prisoners.

Sabo could see the reluctance in Ace's posture as they approached the dining hall. He quietly conveyed to Ace that he'd take Luffy to the feast and keep an eye on him if Ace needed time to think before he joined, and despite the same urge he always felt to go find Marco as soon as possible, he agreed.

It felt odd to stand near one of the many entrances, almost lurking in the shadows. The dining hall was vibrant and colorful with dishes Ace had never seen and wouldn't have been able to name, laughter and music filling any gaps in conversation. There was no denying that he was witnessing a family celebrating, and even if he'd only just met them, he felt comfortable around them. They were, after all, Marco's family.

His eyes swept the room, immediately focusing on Marco. Thatch's hair was up in the ridiculous style Marco had described, and as he set a tray of food in front of Marco, the entire table laughed. Ace wasn't sure why - he'd never seen the food on the tray, but if he had to guess, he'd assume it was some kind of carved fruit. Green fronds stuck out of one end, and the fruit's meat was bright yellow.

Ace could only watch with an affectionate smile as Luffy caught sight of the new food and hurried over to try it, flailing his arms in excitement when Marco offered him the entire tray.

"Not ready to join in the fun?"

The voice had Ace jumping, fire licking across both arms before he remembered he didn't want to be seen and managed to pull it back in. He whirled around instead, seeing Whitebeard himself standing in the corridor with his arms crossed over his chest. Whitebeard didn't look very kingly - at least, not in terms of the way he dressed - and even though his figure was muscled and imposing, Ace couldn't bring himself to think of Whitebeard as dangerous. At least, not to him.

"I guess not," he admitted quietly. "Everyone's happy to see Marco. Maybe I should wait."

Whitebeard chuckled. Ace couldn't help but think the smile and laughter really suited him.

"They'll be just as happy to see him when you're with him," Whitebeard stated, although he made no move to urge Ace to go out into the open. "You don't need to feel nervous here, my son."

At once Ace was shaking his head and stammering, averting his eyes. "You don't need to call me that. I don't know anything about having a father or being someone's son, and you barely know me. I didn't come here looking for anything like that."

"Whether you came here looking for it or not, you've found it, haven't you?" Whitebeard's grin was filled with amusement. "Marco's family is my family."

"I'm not- I mean, Marco's…" Ace trailed off. "I don't know if you can call us family."

"Not yet," Whitebeard agreed. "But you intend to be with him."

"Yeah," Ace mumbled, fidgeting under Whitebeard's gaze. He wasn't sure if the older man was trying to be intimidating or not, but if he was, it was working.

"You don't have to call me Oyaji unless you want to," Whitebeard continued. "But if you decide to call this place 'home', I will see you as one of my sons."

"Marco told me about that," Ace blurted out. "I mean, that you accept anyone… and that everyone here is family. I just don't know if I'll want that."

"We'll be here when you decide," Whitebeard answered with a simple shrug. "I'd better get out there before they send someone to find me, but first…" He reached into the breast pocket of his loosely fitting tunic and removed a small, worn pouch that he handed over. "You should hold onto this, kid."

Ace opened his mouth to protest being called a kid, but curiosity won out over indignance and he frowned. "What is it?"

"When Marco was your age the first time," Whitebeard chuckled, recalling the memory with a fond smile, "he entrusted those to me. Had 'em as long as he could recall. Never knew where he got them, but every time he awoke alone, he kept them close in his phoenix form."

Ace frowned in confusion and emptied the pouch into his hand. Two silver rings fell out. There were no designs etched into their surfaces like the flowery design he'd seen on Thatch and Izo's, but each ring had countless small nicks along the band.

"Used to gnaw on them with his beak as a hatchling," Whitebeard laughed. "Said it soothed him when he was lonely."

"Marco said wearing matching rings in this kingdom was a way to show marriage," Ace mumbled, expression softening at the thought of a freshly hatched Marco gnawing away on the rings in his palm.

Whitebeard nodded. "Only because he gave me the idea. I'd never heard of a custom like that, but Marco thought the rings could have belonged to his parents. He didn't know for sure."

"Why are you giving them to me?" Ace asked, finally lifting his head to look at Whitebeard.

"Because he asked me to hold onto them until I saw hope for him."

"Hope?" Ace echoed.

"Hope for his happiness," Whitebeard clarified. "He said seeing the fresh marks on the rings was making him tired. Years of being reborn alone were taking a toll on him. As long as he wasn't going to be born alone, he said he didn't need to be the one holding onto them. I've held these for two lifetimes, and it's about time they found their way back."

Ace looked to his palm again, then slowly closed his hand over the rings. "So," he murmured after a moment, struggling to take on a teasing tone to hide the emotion welling in his chest. "I guess this means I have your approval, huh?"

Whitebeard laughed, and this time it was loud enough to draw attention. He clapped a hand on Ace's shoulder, staggering him, and began guiding him out into the celebration. "Welcome to the family, Ace!"

A round of cheers answered that statement, but everything seemed muted as Ace looked up and met Marco's eyes with a sheepish smile. He tucked the rings back into their pouch and slipped them into his pocket, wanting to wait until he had some time alone with Marco to approach the subject.

He wasn't nervous about promising Marco a lifetime when they'd initially agreed on a moment, but even though he knew how much Marco had hated his immortality, he wouldn't be able to feel completely at ease until Marco confirmed that things had happened the way he'd wanted.

...

"Your room's smaller than I thought it would be," Ace joked. "And I still can't believe you didn't mention you were royalty."

Marco leaned against the balcony railing, cocking his head to the side. His siblings had insisted on partying well into the night, and while an exhausted Sabo had carried a very full and unconscious Luffy back to their room, Ace had remained until he could slip away with Marco.

For being a prince, and the eldest one at that, Marco's room was incredibly modest. He had a comfortable looking bed, some shelves with books and rolled parchment, and a wardrobe near a writing desk. There were private bathing chambers through a door on the far wall, and next to the bed was a large opening that led to a spacious balcony overlooking the kingdom.

"Does it bother you, yoi?" Marco teased.

"No," Ace promised. He studied Marco for a moment, then shifted closer and wrapped his arms around Marco's waist. He let his cheek rest on Marco's shoulder. It wasn't often that he was the one to embrace Marco in such a way. Their regular habit for was for Marco to hold him, so he could use his wings to draw Ace close, but Marco just as easily fit in his arms. "Are you sure you're okay with all of this, Marco? I stole your fire… I stole your immortality."

"You can't steal something when it's willingly given, yoi," Marco answered, overlapping Ace's hands with his own. "You act like I made some sort of sacrifice, but I never wanted to be immortal in the first place. No one here thought you 'stole' it, yoi. When they heard I would die a mortal death and never suffer through my rebirth again, they all cheered. It was never a secret. They were happy for me because they knew I was finally free."

Ace tightened his arms, brushing a soft kiss to Marco's shoulder. "And you don't miss controlling fire? It makes a lot more sense now, you know… Sabo said you struggled to light the fires when we made camp. You were using a flint, weren't you?"

"Never too old to learn something new, yoi," Marco joked. "It took some getting used to, but I don't miss the fire. Besides, it isn't gone. I can feel it now, with you. I like it better that way."

Ace let his hand drift a little lower, finding the hem of Marco's shirt and tugging on it. Marco obliged, leaning forward a little and lifting his arms as Ace pulled the fabric up over his head and discarded it on the balcony. "I missed touching you."

"Nothing's stopping you now," Marco replied in a low voice that sent heat curling through Ace's body - and it had nothing to do with his new fire abilities. "Why don't we go inside, yoi?"

"Yeah," Ace agreed, even though every instinct he had was telling him to ignore everything else and tackle Marco right then and there.

He allowed Marco to pull away and guide him to the bed, losing his tunic somewhere along the way, but before they could get lost in passion and drown in each other's kisses, he put one palm flat against Marco's chest to stop him. "Wait."

"That's new," Marco chuckled, catching Ace's lips in a slow, teasing kiss. Ace's hand curled slightly, but he managed to break the kiss to speak again.

"I have something I want to tell you," Ace breathed, flustered.

Marco sat down on the bed, grasping Ace's wrist and pulling him so he had no choice but to join. His knees hit the plush bedding just as Marco released his wrist to grasp his hips, and he found himself straddling Marco's lap in a very familiar position.

In fact, whenever Marco was the one doing the taking, Ace was pretty sure it was their favorite position.

"What did you want to tell me, yoi?" Marco teased, and Ace took a moment to be thankful that Marco had remembered - because he'd forgotten all about talking. He almost forgot all over again when he heard Marco's gentle command. "Lift your hips a little."

Ace shivered and obliged, arching his back so Marco could slide the waistband of his trousers down, hands leaving a warm trail on his skin. He somehow managed to slip one hand into his pocket, withdrawing the pouch. "Marco-"

"You sure you don't want to talk later?" Marco teased, leaning in and kissing Ace's neck.

A low groan escaped as Ace tilted his head back, one hand grasping Marco's shoulder as his hips involuntarily rocked. Marco's touch was making him come undone, and he knew if he didn't distract Marco first, he was going to be the one to lose focus.

"Whitebeard- I mean, your father- he gave me something," Ace stammered out. The mention of Whitebeard was enough to give Marco pause, and as he pulled back, Ace managed to get his breathing under control.

"What was it?" Marco asked, all forms of teasing and seduction gone from his voice.

"Rings," Ace answered, letting go of Marco's shoulder so he could empty the pouch into his hand and show them to him. "He said they were yours."

Marco's eyes flickered to the rings, and he let go of Ace so he could reach out and run his fingers along one edge. Ace could see him trying to discern the cause for all the nicks in the metal, and he saw the exact moment realization dawned on him.

"These marks are from my beak when I'm in my phoenix form, aren't they, yoi?"

"When you were a hatchling, yeah," Ace mumbled.

"Some are much older than others."

"He said you asked him to hold onto them until you had hope again," Ace continued in a rushed breath, not wanting Marco to dwell on anything that might upset him. "Since you wouldn't be waking up alone as long as he was watching over you."

"And he gave them to you?" Marco asked, lifting his gaze to meet Ace's again.

Ace swallowed at the intensity in Marco's eyes. "Yeah. I think he approves of me," he tried to tease.

Marco laughed, his other arm sliding around Ace's waist to pull him a little closer. "Does this mean you're asking me to marry you, Ace?"

"Can I promise you a lifetime?" Ace's voice shook just a little. "It's better than a moment - and as close to forever as we can get."

Marco cupped his cheek with one hand. His smile was just as warm as always. "I've already promised you mine."

Ace's heart skipped. He doubted he'd ever work up a tolerance to Marco's charm. "Then it's only fair I return the favor," he answered in a surprisingly steady voice.

Marco laughed, drawing him down into another sweet kiss, all the while fumbling with the rings until they each had one that fit on the correct finger. As they fell back on the bed together in a tangle of limbs, struggling to rid themselves of any barriers without having to break contact, Ace was struck by a thought.

"Does this mean Thatch is going to throw another celebration feast as soon as he finds out?"

"Probably, yoi," Marco admitted. "We could always hide in my room until you're ready for another night like tonight."

Ace took a moment to look over Marco's body, marvelling in the knowledge that they really did have an entire lifetime to enjoy each other. There was no need to rush, no need to distract - no deadlines or ultimatums. They could take their time. "I like the sound of that."

"I love you, Ace."

Tears pricked Ace's eyes, and he didn't care how big his smile was. He caught Marco's hand, pressing a kiss just above the ring he'd placed there. The answering words caught in his throat, but Marco's lips covered his before he could try to say them anyway. It wasn't like they needed to speak it for the other to understand, and Ace had his entire life to show Marco how much he loved him.

The future was uncertain. They were starting over in a new land with more freedom than they'd ever had before, and there was no telling how long his brothers would want to stay. Luffy had always dreamed of exploring the world, and Sabo's desire to help others had only stayed idle because Luffy had needed them more than anyone else.

Maybe when Luffy reached adulthood he'd set off to chase those dreams, and Sabo would find his own path - but there was no time to worry about it. At least for the present, everything was perfectly falling into place, and they were happy.

They were finally free.

...

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I hope everyone enjoyed

the ride. This is probably the shortest contained story I've written for One Piece (including ones I have planned) and it was such an experience to take part in the OP Big Bang. Another huge thank you to my wonderful artists, my wonderful betas, and of course, to my wonderful readers.

I may or may not have sidestories/prequels/a sequel floating around in my head. If anyone is interested in a sidestory to explain how Thatch and Izo met/married, do tell! They're one of my all time OTPs for this series (right next to Marco x Ace)

~Mithril