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"Would you look at that, Newgate," Rouge said. Her grin was, as Oden might have said, "shit-eating."
"What am I looking for?" he asked. At Rouge's gesture, he noticed them.
Marco was sitting across from Crocodile at a little cafe table in the marketplace. Both of the boys were smiling widely, and Newgate noticed that there was a slight red tint to his son's cheeks.
"That's cute," Rouge said. "Really cute."
Newgate had to agree. "It really, really is."
It looked like a date. Newgate had noticed that Marco was much more proactive in getting to the News Coos before any of his siblings could, and now his suspicions were placated. His first son was engaged in writing letters to his boyfriend, was all.
"We're not going to crash their date," Rouge said suddenly, like she'd gone through the same thoughts that Newgate had.
"I... wasn't thinking that?" he said. One of Rouge's delicate eyebrows raised slightly. "Why would that be one of your thoughts?"
"Roger."
Ah. That made sense. "You've been spending a lot of time with him lately, Captain Portgas," Newgate teased.
"Shhhhh, don't say that too loud. My crew has ears." She looked off in one direction and, curious, Newgate looked that way as well. A man in a tattered tricorn and long coat gave them a thumbs up and melted into the shadows. Rouge sighed. "Bastards."
Newgate smiled. "You do adore them, though, Rouge."
"Oh, I'd burn the world for them," she agreed. "Just as I'm reasonably sure they'd burn the world down for me." There was a forlorn look on her face, soft and full of longing. "I did burn down a slaver's place with the slavers still in the building to save Crocodile." She shrugged lightly, as though it were an everyday occurrence.
Newgate's booming laugh brought the boy's attention their direction. Marco looked annoyed and Crocodile looked vaguely scandalized. "As If I wouldn't do the same thing for any of my children," Newgate stated.
A trickle of sand and a flash of blue were the only indicators that the two teenagers were approaching without the use of haki.
"Captain!"
"Pops!"
"Captain, I just want one - one! - day to hang out with Marco," Crocodile grumbled. He held up a finger to emphasize his point.
"Pops stop following me around," Marco hissed.
The two teenagers were definitely scandalized by the fact that they'd been caught while out on their date.
It hadn't even been on purpose - Newgate and Rouge had happened to see one another while they were both in the marketplace and decided to do their shopping together.
"Shoo," Rouge said, waving one gloved hand. "Get lost, Croco." Her grin sharpened again and Crocodile eyed it warily. "Have fun on your date. Let me know if the cafe is any good; I might take Roger there later."
The indignant noise the teenage apprentice made set Rouge off, and her laughter filled the street.
"Pops..." Marco trailed off warningly. There was a slight crackle of blue to his hands and arms, and Newgate couldn’t help but think it was adorable how Marco was trying to threaten him so he could spend the day with his boyfriend.
“Alright, Marco,” Newgate said. Giving in was easier than making Marco listen, and it had the added bonus of throwing his first son off his groove. “Have fun. Don’t be out too late.”
Marco faltered, the flickers of blue dissipating. “Thanks?” His head was tilted slightly, much like the bird he could shift into.
Newgate shooed the boys off much like Rouge had but with less teasing. The two teens gave them one last glower and went back to their date.
“That was cute. Well. Shall we continue doing our respective supply runs?” Rouge said.
Newgate gestured. “After you, Captain Portgas,” he said.
Rouge snickered. “Why, thank you Captain Edward.”
They set off to finish collecting the last of their supplies.