Chapter Text
“Hey. Are you hearing me?” Newgate wasn’t sure when in the conversation, Ace’s eyes had closed. “Ace.”
The second commander had been quiet today. To his credit, the current had dragged the Moby Dick further north than they expected. For the past four days, the crew had been waking up to a deck covered in frost.
Ace ran hot regardless. The kid would refuse a shirt in the middle of a blizzard and deny feeling it until he was blue in the face. Freeze him long enough though, and he’s gonna get pretty fucking cranky. All that to say, Newgate insisted on sharing a drink with him before they turned in for the night; his boy seemed off. “Son?” Ace’s bangs hung like curtains over his eyes and his hands laid still in his lap. They started to gain the attention of the crew members within ear shot. Marco, in particular was curious enough to approach the table.
“What’s wrong with him?”
Newgate encouraged a little life back into him by grabbing his shoulder. Ace’s eyes opened slowly. “You’re freaking out the crew, kid. You feel alright?”
“Yeah. Yes.” Ace waved him away. His eyes took in the Moby Dick slowly, as if he could have woken up anywhere else. Half the crew stared at him with their laughter hardly contained.
Thatch called from somewhere in the back, “Too much to drink, commander?” and earned himself a few chuckles.
Despite the amusemed crowd, Whitbeard’s stare had been unmoving. Ace’s finger tips blackened the wooden table. “Man,” He sort of laughed, “The dumb ass I am, huh? I’m fine— Pops, I’m alright, give me a second.”
“You looked far the fuck away, kiddo.”
Marco waved the crowd away, entirely unimpressed with the crooked smilie Ace typically used to disarm people. Whitebeard’s loyal son, the crew’s hot headed commander, Luffy’s overprotective brother— It’d been a while since Marco had seen him so out of gas.
“Yeah, I spaced.” Ace smiled to make it more convincing. He stood up.
“Spaced on what?”
“Ah.” The second commander threw his hand away, “Did you try what Thatch made? The guy can slow broil a lamb like nobody else.”
Apparently not the right answer because Marco pressed him further, “You fell asleep thinking about lamb?.”
“I wasn’t sleeping.”
“Yes, you were.”
Ace shrugged, fully aware of the heat he was getting from the physician. Denial typically stopped Marco in his tracks so it was a strategy be used often. “I wasn’t. I’m fine.”
Ace was a little slow to walk away. His hands didn’t hang quite naturally at his sides. Marco debated calling him out right then, grabbing his arm and dragging the dumb ass into the infirmary but he hesitated when Luffy came bolting up the stares. The kid’s voice could be heard a full ten seconds before they saw him. His footsteps were heavy on Moby’s old deck, and he flew through the crowd of pirates to reach his brother. “Ace! Thatch said the next island we’re docking at is covered in Rambutan trees! Have you had those?”
“The little fuzzy things?” Ace took his new distraction in stride.
“Little. Red. Freaky looking balls. Yeah yeah, and they got fuzz.”
Ace felt the looks of concern still burning into his back. Luffy might have noticed it too but he spoke with radiance anyway. He releases his over abundance of energy by shifting his weight back and forth. He let his wrists bounce around at his sides and swung a few light punches into his brother’s open hands when given the option.
“I don’t think so, Lu.” Ace’s sleepy eyes didn’t match the sincerity in his voice. He brought his hand in to catch a hook from Luffy’s right hand, then backs up to catch a swing from the left.
“Thatch mentioned smoothies.”
“Sure.”
“It’s a good idea, it’s good. But, what we should really be considering is grilling ‘em. They’re sweet, they’re creamy. Add a little watermelon, a little cheese, and those leaves that really taste like leaves. But in a good way.”
“Basil?”
“Yeah, basil. Do you remember when you told me the watermelon seed I swallowed would grow into a parasitic plant that would eat me from the inside out?”
Ace laughed.
He meant to swat at Luffy’s shoulder for exposing him for being a shit starter, but he grabbed him instead. His laughter faded. His eyes unfocused from Luffy to stare right through him. He took a bizarre and unbalanced half step forward. His grip dug into Luffy’s shoulder.
The second commander could still hear his voice echoing in his head despite the fact that he’d stopped talking. The Moby Dick shifted beneath his feet.
Luffy had barely recognized what he was seeing. His brother’s expression could have been anything from suddenly drunk or sick, to gravely concerned. The grip on Luffy’s shoulder slipped and in an instant, Ace’s legs gave out.
Luffy partially caught him. He certainly, stopped Ace’s head from cracking against the deck. But, his older brother was taller and heavier than he was and frankly— Luffy hadn’t been ready. So, they both crumbled to the ground. “Hey!!” Luffy shook his brother by the shoulders. When Ace didn’t respond, when his head was completely dead weight on his shoulder but his eyes were still half open, Luffy’s expression twisted up as if he’d been slighted personally. “Hello?! Ace. Get up!”
Luffy’s attention jumped to the crew watching them. He was looking for an adult.
“Is he unconscious?” Newgate pressed.
“I don’t think so. Ace, you can hear me, can’t you?”
Ace blinked in an attempt to get his eyes to focus on any of the people in front of him. Only Marco and Luffy were close enough to hear him mumbling “Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry. Im good now.”
“You’re good now? Shut the fuck up—You’re good now— you’re not good.” Marco wrapped an arm around Ace’s torso, braced himself, and stood them both up. The kid’s body didn’t just feel warm, he felt hot. Though, Marco knew the difference between Ace with a fever and Ace feeling embarrassed as all hell.
“Marco, I appreciate it, you’re so nice to me. But, I can stand on my own.”
“I’m taking you to lay down. Relax.”
“I’m not sick. I feel great.”
“I didn’t say you were sick. You’re going to lay down for a few minutes, that’s all we’re doing.”
“Really?“ The nervous laughter wasn’t working so he dropped it, “You’re over reacting. Let go of me.”
That shift in tone, Luffy picked up on. He joined Ace on the side Marco wasn’t and walked with them, “It’s freezing out here anyway. Can I come?”
“Yeah, Lu.”
Newgate followed them a few paces, “Marco, what the hell is the matter with the boy?”
“I think… Luffy might be onto something.”