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One thing that Portgas D. Ace didn’t mind was the cold. Whenever he was around, even the snow that was falling would cease. The warmth of his body alone seemed to change the weather around him. He liked the cold. It worked well with his Devil Fruit. There was just something about a snowy climate that felt great. He still had to cover his body up due to the elements, but he was his own personal heater. He was just never cold. There had been more than once that his nakama had asked if he would start a fire just to warm them up or they would linger a bit closer to him to get the heat off of his body.
Ace would find himself playing in the snow. It melted faster in his hands, but he found himself enjoying the child-like tendencies of just throwing snow around. Falling into it and just… living his life. He lived his life one moment at a time. He never knew what to expect. For all he knew, he could die the next day. A day was never promised, but he was going to live his life to the fullest.
Alive and free.
Even if those questioning thoughts would linger in the back of his mind. He found that he could shove them away temporarily and look out to the others. It felt so nice. Sometimes, it made him miss home. Other times, he enjoyed his life out on the sea. This was all that he had ever wanted.
The taste of freedom.
The fun that he could get to have.
This was all that he ever wanted, and everything else could be left forgotten.
Marco had been watching him. Portgas D. Ace, his young lover, was dancing around in the snow. Ace had a bright smile on his face that could rival the Second Division Commander’s flames. He had his arms up as he spun around and was kicking up snow with him. Ace was laughing. He looked like he was utterly enjoying himself as Marco leaned against the rail and watched him. Ace had this child-like innocence about him that never went away. Even with the harsh realities of their lives as pirates on the sea. Marco had to admit that he loved taking the moment and just stopping as he watched him. There was this charm about Ace. He was like this beacon of light that would illuminate even the darkest of times.
There had been heavy snowfall until Ace had stepped outside and then it slowly turned into light snowflakes and eventually none at all. They were all outside. They were on an island for the time being and they were taking advantage of it. Some of them had even gone off to the hot springs that were on the island. It looked like Ace was dancing in the snow. He looked so lively doing it.
Marco could be doing a number of things, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of Ace. The way that Ace would laugh would make his stomach twist and a warmth would fill him every single time that he saw Ace smile. Ace really had no idea what kind of light that he was. He was truly like the fire that kept people warm, and he just didn’t see it. Marco might never understand that.
Ace was a light in Marco’s life that he never knew he needed until he had met him. And damnit, Marco was so beyond happy that he had met him. Ace had singlehandedly changed his life, and Ace was none the wiser to it. He didn’t think Ace would ever realize just how much that he meant to him.
Marco had moved from where he was standing and started to head down to where Ace was. He crossed the snow-covered ground to get to where his lover was, and Ace had stopped what he was doing as he laughed. “Marco!” Ace sounded so excited as he reached out and grabbed Marco’s hands, “Dance with me.”
Marco laughed softly at it and started moving with him. Realistically, all they were doing was going in circles. Marco reached out and placed his hands onto Ace’s waist as Ace threw his hands out. Ace closed his eyes and threw his arms out as Marco spun on his feet. He focused on every single freckle on Ace’s face. The way that they dusted over his cheeks was kind of like the snow was doing to the ground whenever they arrived. Marco had counted them so many times that he knew exactly how many were on Ace’s face. He looked so at ease. Peaceful. A bright smile was on his face and his body was so warm. Quickly warming up Marco’s own cold ones from the frigid temperature.
A bit of flames started to flicker off of Ace’s fingers and causing a circle to go around them each time that Marco spun on his feet. Ace stopped what he was doing as he laughed and threw his arms over Marco’s shoulders. Ace’s eyes were twinkling so brightly. His eyes always looked like this mixture of wine and the clouds of a thunderstorm. Sometimes, they had more of that wine color and other days, they looked more like a grey-ish color with specks of wine color to it. He had some of the most beautiful eyes to him. Ace’s hair fell back into place and some snow had been kicked up into his hair that was already quickly melting away from Ace’s elevated body temperature.
“You look happy.” Marco murmured.
“I’m just having fun.” Ace stated. His face softened a bit as he leaned closer to Marco. There was no need for a jacket or anything whenever he was around Ace. He still had one on due to the climate, but he felt entirely too warm within the jacket as Ace pushed himself flush against him. “You?”
“Always.” Marco shot back.
Quietly, they had just started to sway a bit as Marco hummed Bink’s Sake underneath his breath. Ace was singing softly to it whenever he picked up the tune of it. Marco’s stomach fluttered again from hearing Ace’s voice. Ace was so carefree at times. These were the parts of him that he really liked to see at times. The moments were Ace would smile so freely as if nothing was going on. Sometimes, Marco couldn’t read him. He never knew what Ace was truly thinking but Ace could wear his emotions on his sleeve. His heart was always in it. He had this fiery temperament about him that Marco loved seeing.
Ace kept going for a second as he reached up and started twisting some of the blonde strands in his hair. Marco didn’t say a word as he leaned in and captured Ace’s lips. Ace still had that smile. God, he never wanted Ace to lose that smile. That smile was perfection. The best thing that he could ever see. Ace’s lips were warm against his as they danced together. It was like that fire was ignited inside of him as Marco grinned as he stepped back. Ace watched him for a moment as Marco held his hand out to him, “Want to go for a fly?”
“Absolutely.” Ace whispered.
Marco grinned a bit more and stepped back as he activated his phoenix point. He twisted into it as his body started to morph into the form of his full phoenix point. Once he was in it, he moved and positioned himself in a way that Ace could get onto his back. Ace had slipped into his normal spot on his back and curled his arms around him as Marco kicked his talons off of the ground and went up into the air.
The entire time, all he could hear was Ace’s laugh. The laugh that made him feel so good. These were the quiet moments that he liked. The little bit of times that he got to see Ace living his life so free. There didn’t need to be the fighting where he would see Ace thrive. It didn’t need to be the roughhousing on the deck of the Moby Dick. It was whenever he wore that smile.
Marco put his focus ahead as Ace adjusted on his back and he knew what he was doing.
Ace had changed him for the better, and Ace might never know that, but he would show him one day.
Ace’s stomach was fluttering as the cold wind hit his face and hair. He leaned back and looked at the hues of blue, green, and yellow that he could see of Marco’s flames that engulfed the wings of his phoenix point. His lips were still tingling from where Marco had kissed him. It felt like the world was melting away as Ace threw his arms out and let the wind hit his face and move through his hair.
It was like every other thought was gone for the time being as he ignited his own flames on his fingertips, and he watched the hues of the flames change in color whenever his own orange and red ones hit them. Turning it into more of a rainbow color with a mixture of purple laced in as they soared across the sky.
Ace never wanted to lose this feeling. It made him feel so good inside. He might be made out of fire, but Marco was the one who really kept him warm.
Ace leaned down and let himself sink into the warmth as he continued to watch the flames. Marco had such beautiful flames. Even if they weren’t like his. Ace smiled a bit as he murmured, “I love you, Marco.”
And he actually meant it.
Marco meant so much to him. He was one person that Ace never wanted to lose, and he would do anything to ensure that it never happened.
Marco made him so happy.