Chapter Text
"Hey look at this white rock I found!"
"What about it?"
"Hehe. It looks like your dads moustache!" The little boy, whose eyes Marco can't see, laughs as he extends a hand.
True to his word, there laid a crescent shaped rock in the palm of his small hand.
The boy smirks as he brings it above his upper lip and does the most impressive impersonation of the older boys dad he has ever seen.
Marco couldn't even help himself as he fell on their sand castle, clutching his sides from laughter.
"Hey, you broke the castle!" The ravenette cried out but ended up bursting into a fit of giggles along side Marco.
Their shared laughter was endless until a woman called the freckled boy over.
"Mom's calling, I gotta go now."
Marco frowns, brushing off his shorts after the boy helps him up off the sand. The older boy sighs and nods solemnly .
"Okay.."
The younger boy grumbles , putting his hands on his hips and leaning down with his chin up to get a good look at Marco's face.
"Oi! Don't be a big baby about it broccoli head." He snorts at the stink eye Marco gives him and smiles wide. "I'll be back tomorrow."
Marco doesn't get a chance to counter that horrible nickname when the younger speeds off, waving at him with a playful grin.
"Hey wait! Ace!" He calls his name, but much to his dismay he cannot hear it. There's a blank space where his name should be.
"Don't you dare build a sand castle without me!" He shouts back.
"I won't!"
"You better keep that promise !"
And just like that, Marco is left behind, standing alone in the sandbox at the neighborhood park.
~
Harsh light filters through the tacky shutter blinds as the afternoon sunlight shines on his bedroom window.
It heats up his face, lighting his eyelids and all he can see is the tissue beneath it. An orange reddish color with black vignette.
Marco sighs, mumbling sleep talk as he turns over and blinks his eyes open. He squints, looking at the pale grey of the wall adjacent to him and thinks about his dream.
He curses the sun for ruining his dream again, even if it was heading in a dreadful direction. He rarely got to dream of his mysterious childhood friend.
His dad still teases him about it. Calls it puppy love, or sandbox love. Somewhere along those lines and Marco can't find a reason to deny it.
Even if Edward said it as a joke, he usually joked with his children despite being considered a wise old man, it was the truth.
Marco's stuck on a boy whose name and face he can't even remember.
Knowing full well that sleep was not going to take him back, he gets up and stretches out his stiff limbs.
How long did he spend reading last night? He thinks while yawning and scratching the stubble on his chin.
With monumental effort, he slinks off the double mattress, cursing his sore neck, and heads to the bathroom to get ready for the day.
He does the usual routine of showering, brushing his teeth, putting holding in his hair to get that certain look and makes breakfast. He fails at the last bit when he realizes that the fridge is empty and his deposit won't be in until the next day.
Marco rummages around his apartment until he locates his wallet, and just as he feared. It's empty with only a few berries left.
Looks like he's going to buy at the dollar store down the street again today. He sighs. Damn the life of an unemployed university student.
Maybe he could go later, he still had a loaf of bread and enough butter on the walls of the tub to scrape up. Yeah, he could do with shopping later.
Settling himself on that decision, he flips on the television and the first thing that blares through the speakers is breaking news.
"It has been confirmed that the notorious king of the underground. Gol D. Roger has been scheduled for death by injection." The news anchor says, eyes blinking rapidly from reading the words on some terminal.
Marco feels his body stand still, there's an ache in his chest and he changes his mind. Eating doesn't sound too good right now, and he just remembers he's run out of ink in his favorite pen.
Dollar store it is then.
~
There's gel pens, fine tips and your generic ball point. Marco keeps switching between the three choices, he's so focused that he doesn't notice the woman behind him until she taps his shoulder.
"Excuse me sir I'm trying to pass through."
Marco apologises briefly and side steps to allow her through, then he moves back in place and continues his struggle.
He ends up with the generic ball point pen and lectures himself internally for taking so long.
There was already a few days worth of cheap noodles and rice placed in his basket so he heads straight for the checkout. There's two tills open, typical of a dollar store. He looks at the lines for both and goes with till number 2, it has more people but they're not with carts full of stuff like the old lady is in till 1.
He's satisfied with his choice when he looks over to till 1 to find that it has finally moved now that the lady was finished. He's too busy staring that he once again doesn't notice the cashier is waiting on him.
"Oi, you gonna buy here or go to till 1?" His voice is cocky but playful. It catches Marco's attention because one, he is next and two, it sounds eerily familiar.
"O-oh, my bad-yoi." Marco stumbles on his words and places his things on the belt. He doesn't look at the cashier until he finishes putting all his items down.
"Good choice, don't wanna line up again now do we?" His voice is deep and that playfully cheery tone has Marco smirking.
"Guess n-" He doesn't finish his sentence when dark brown eyes clash with his own blue ones.
Even the cashier stops for a moment and raises a brow. "Hey, have I seen you somewhere before?" He asks.
Marco momentarily shuffles through his memory as he does the same with his wallet and hums. "I'd ask the same but I don't know."
The stranger laughs and rings up his total after he bags the things Marco got.
"Ah, mistaken identity I guess."
Marco hands him the money and mumbles a thanks. He holds his hand out for the change and notices a couple burns on the mans hand.
He doesn't say a word and grabs his bags. He's a bit shaky when doing so because something about this man seems familiar.
The man rushes to grab Marco's shirt, stopping him with a wide grin and stuffs fhe recpeit in one of his bags. Now Marco has a full view of his face and it's like dejavu.
There's freckles decorating his cheeks, a messy but stylish black mop of hair on his head and that familiar cocky grin.
The only difference is that he knows for a fact that his dream friends name is not Jack. The name just doesn't suit the cashier and Marco has no idea why he thinks that. He's only met him today after all.
"Thanks for shopping with us and enjoy your day!" He waves him off and then quickly switches to the next customer.
Marco let's a small smile play on his lips as he makes for the exit. He also lets the handsome man replay in his head as he walks home.
~
The next few weeks after that, Marco finds that he's in need of a lot of cheap dollar store merchandise.
He frequents the store every other Thursday and it's a hit or miss. Jack is either not there, or he is. Most of the times when he is, it isn't busy and Marco takes up his time by engaging in small talk.
He finds out that Jack is a very charismatic person, he's also sort of a show off. It's strange, but Marco feels comfortable with this stranger and can't help the pull he gets when near him.
"Back so soon? I bet you missed me!" Jack says from behind the counter and leans on his palms as he watches Marco pile is things on the belt.
He doesn't miss the way Marco stalls a bit and feels hope stir in his chest. When Marco doesn't reply he sighs and starts to scan the blondes things.
"I was just kidding pineapple."
Marco scrunchs his face and repeats Jack.
"Pineapple?"
The cashier laughs and nearly drops a box of aluminum foil on the floor. "Your hair." He snickers under his breath.
Marco gives him the most unamused look and he loses it.
His laughter has the empty store feeling lively and the other staff members look at him with bemused stares. Marco doesn't think it's funny but he's over come with the need to laugh alongside Jack and it just feels so right to do so. Like he's done this a million times before.
Jack on the otherhand is blown away by this revelation. He pushes it aside and waits until Marco is gone. He calls on Bonney to take his till and goes on a quick break to make a call.
He paces around the backroom as the phone rings a few times until the person answers it. He doesn't give the person time to talk as he quickly mumbles out,
"Hey, Sabo?"
The person sighs.
"What is it Ace, I'm busy at work right now." There's the sound of papers shuffling on the other end and Ace doesn't feel bad at all but he bites his lip anyways.
"You remember when I'd tell you about my old friend broccoli head?"
Sabo stops his shuffling and hums without interest about his dramatic brothers past life.
"What's so important that you had to call me at work?"
Ace let's out an excited sigh and feels his lips stretch in a stupid grin.
"I think I found him."
There's a beat of silence and then Sabo laughs.
"You still love him?"
Ace rolls his eyes and looks at where his bike helmet is placed. He doesn't need to think about it, he knows he is and he tells Sabo just that.
"I don't think I ever stopped. Even if we were just kids then and things changed, a lot." He takes a deep breath. "I still feel something."
Sabo whistles from his end and although Ace can't see it, he can tell his brother is smiling at the phone.
"You're an idiot."
"I called you to ask for advice and you insult me?" Ace pouts but Sabo refuses to feel bad for the drama queen.
"What am I supposed to say? I don't even know the guys name."
Now that Ace thinks about it, neither does he, or well he used to.
"Shit."