Chapter Text
How it started
It all begun in a not so sober night.
In the middle of chaos there was Ace, swinging and singing at the same time, holding his knife as a microphone. All his old crew accompanying him with vocals.
“…The waves are our pillows, the ship our roost. Flying the proud skull on our flags and our sails…“
White beard laughing along, watching entertained as their ship was echoing with music and life.
Izou and Thatch were chatting near the bar place, looking at the scene
“Don’t you think we should stop him? I mean he’s funny as hell to watch rocking back and forth but I fear he’ll break his skull from how drunk he is.“
“Izouu you’re sooo boring, tch but I think you’re right“ amusement forming between the lips of the pompadour drunkard
“just let him finish the song“
“that’s fair“ said the 16th commander as he gently cupped the glass, drinking the last remains of beer.
“…Doesn’t matter who you are, someday you’ll just be bones. Never-ending, ever-wandering. our funny traveling tale! Yo hohoho Yo hohoho…“
That was the last verse, Izou got up. He was probably the only one sober in the field, (not being a lightweight like cough Thatch cough)
he approached Ace.
The latter stumbled on himself, but for his fortune the commander held him in place.
“You should really burn the alcool in you, dancing fire“ that full-hearted advice received a sloppy
“uGh, I don’t wanna“
Ace’s head fell over onto the side, eyes fixed on a general point into the horizon
“why this?“
…
“nothin’ “
…
Not wanting to insist Izou took the hint and offered, at least, to get him to his room.
Of course Ace refused.
“kid…you are so so much wasted“ Izou insisted
“I don’t need your help, you manly geisha plus I’m not… that wasted“ the fire bearer said, taking a fumbling step forward and almost falling over again.
No more complaint was added
With an annoyed look, the commander walked with him, as a crutch, till he was at least safe from the sea.
“There you go, mind to not fall over“
“yes sir“ the boy brought his hand up like a marine
“and wreck your empty head“
“ye…hEy that was uncalled for“
The older man reached for his head and ruffled his hair, not even defending himself for the comment
“your room is the fifth on the right…do you remember that?“ a little smirk was tugging on his bright red lips, eyes shining
“ yesss IzoU, i can manage, now thank you and PleasEe leave me to my despair“
Ace’s wording was exaggerated but the mocking tone suggested a shy don’t worry and thank you, for the care…or maybe for reminding him where his room was.
The 16th commander left the scene, perhaps a little less concerned
Ace begun to walk, starting to count. His vision blurry and the cloudy night not helping at all
“…1…2…i guess, so 3…4 and the next is mine…“
He started to speed up the pace and with his (by then) barely balance he fell, his face nearly plastered on the floor for he was fast to put the hands, at last, in front of him.
“UgH the ground is all moving, stupid alcohol“
He couldn’t transform in fire, or else, the drunkness will be gone and he wasn’t ready for that.
He managed the fall only with some bruises on the knees and some ache on the hands, but he recovered quite quickly for a person that drunk.
Still it wasn’t a day to celebrate his sixth sense for sure.
At this point the sky was almost black, cloudy, only the mere shine of the stars keeping him company; the feast seemed so far away.
He begun to look around, and tried to re count the chambers…but in this barely pitch darkness was impossible to be sure, and let’s admit that he didn’t even put that much effort.
He entered the first room he felt right.
Stumbling through the frame he made his way in, aiming for the bed.
His brain floating. He walked with his arms forward, hoping to not goddamn fall over a 4th time.
Turning the lights on wasn’t an option, or rather, he preferred to not blind himself so he kept touching around.
After minutes and minutes of useless attempts and arms spasming into the air, he found what seemed to be a bed.
It was really comfortable and silk to the touch.
-I could swear my bed doesn’t feel like this- but yes, he remembered that maybe he was in someone else’s room.
Well, he decided that the sensory hint was enough to get him lying down on that bed-like thing.
It was the best feeling ever, it was so fluffy and soft.
The light of the now peeking moon, shining through the small window made it look gigantic and the color was fucking amazing:
blue like the calm ocean and yellow as the gold of pirates.
-Some strange bed covers huh?-
The colors were now swinging as Ace's vision began to blur even more. He giggled at the sight, but still amazed.
-these colors normally would be so fucking terrible together...-
His thoughts were interrupted by a movement.
The bed was not quite happy about the sudden weight and, frankly, a little scared. It tried to move away-
“don’t move, pleeease, I’m tireed“
Strangely enough the bed seemed to understand and didn’t move again after that.
some minutes passed
wait what?!
He opened his eyes wide
the bed moved?? Ace freaked out internally
he was sure there wasn’t any other person in the room, they were all at the party (which was still going strong), so in an attempt to calm himself down he reasoned that yes, that was indeed a fucking drunk allucination or stuff like that, so he slowly let that sink in, not really bothered.
He found a comfortable position and collapsed on the spot. A narcolepsy attack or something regarding this weird bed that felt warm and cozy, a unfamiliar feeling for the boy.
———
That night was a sleepless night, Marco kept tossing and turning in his room. Every position made his wounds burn.
Eventually he slept a while, (very little may I add) for he was waken up by the clear sound of a person falling on the hallway, near to his room.
He heard a muffled swear.
Outside was still night so, annoyed at the sound, Marco regained his composure and closed his eyes again
-probably some wasted brother of mine, i’m sure he’ll manage-
He was right but oh man, he did not expected what came next.