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Ace hadn’t expected this to happen.
He had set out to find himself, to find meaning in his own life and it had taken a while before he had started to see that it had been there all along.
Luffy had shown it to him, in part, that he didn’t need to be anyone else but himself. Luffy did it, just seeing the world in a different light and being unapologetically himself to the point that Ace couldn’t help but agree that he didn’t need to follow anyone’s path but his own.
Additionally, Sabo had shown him that one could overcome the worst obstacles if you just had the backing of your loved ones. He’d shown that when he arrived back on Dawn despite all of them thinking he had died. Injured and running a fever, but he had come back to them, bringing Luffy’s father with him who explained why he hadn’t been there.
Dragon wasn’t Ace’s favourite person, but he kept an eye out from the side and that was more than any of them expected. Additionally, despite it all once Ace did set out, Sabo kept him up to date and made sure that Ace was aware if something was about to happen.
The Spades, his crew, didn’t know who he had on snail phone, but they soon liked the person on the other side too much to even question it. When Ace finally did introduce them to Sabo meant that they found out Ace had brothers out there and one of them, his twin, kept an eye out at all times. He had taken his time getting to the New World, even if he wanted to prove himself he was reminded that things couldn’t be rushed as such he was over a year at sea before he got to Sabaody.
He found Rayleigh there, and while he didn’t want anything to do with his Father’s crew at first, Sabo and Luffy had been the ones to make him doubt everything he had been told about Roger. After all, especially now that he took to the seas himself, people had a very different opinion of you because of your bounty poster and what the Marines shared in the media. If something like that had happened to his father he had listened to propaganda instead of knowing the real man.
Rayleigh’s look of shock when he entered had been something to marvel at. He had known Rouge was pregnant but between everything, not even Garp mentioning he had saved the baby, soothed him like seeing Ace standing in front of him. Ace stayed on Sabaody longer than he intended, talking to Ray (or Pops as finding out he had been in a relationship with both his parents but hadn’t been in any capacity able to look after a child once Roger’s illness took hold and he went to his execution).
Being introduced to a whole different side of his father, and being told the man was ill and would have never made it to see him born anyway is what made him do what he did. It changed the whole of his worldview and introduced Ace to the rest of his family, namely two older brothers Pops referred to as Red and Blue. Finding out that there had been children on board the Oro Jackson was a shock, finding out they were Redhaired Shanks and Buggy the Clown was even more so.
After leaving Pops, and taking it easy in getting to the New World and keeping emperors on his good side, Ace had looked for Shanks. Had started with introducing himself as Luffy’s older brother who wanted to thank him for saving Luffy all those years ago.
Once they were getting to know the redhaired Pirates, Ace found himself sitting next to Shanks. Fidgeting with his fingers before finally admitting, “I also wanted to meet you for another reason.”
Shanks had looked intrigued, to which Ace smiled softly, “Pops told me you’d like to know you did have a little brother after all, Red.”
The change in the man was instant, his eyes widened and turned a little wet. Before he turned to Ace and just hugged him close, pulling him against his chest before sharing that they had known mom was pregnant but with everything happening on Baterilla and additionally the manhunt on the remaining Roger Pirates he expected the child to be killed. When he asked about mom, Ace turned his eyes away, “I killed her.”
A hand came to clamp on his shoulder as Shanks looked at him, his red eyes intense before they softened, “You didn’t kill mama, Ace… She knew what she was doing keeping you in her womb for so long. She wanted you to live, for a piece of her and Dad to be allowed into the world and she was willing to give everything to make that happen. You didn’t kill her, she chose to give her life for yours.”
Tears run over Ace’s cheeks as he hides his head in Shanks’ chest. Knowing, partly, that this is the truth but for the first time he can accept that as it’s someone who had known mama who told him. Pops hadn’t seen the burden he carried, hadn’t asked too even if it was clear that he had guessed what had happened to her anyway.
He stays at Shanks’ side for the whole night and in the morning, when they part ways it is with snail numbers exchanged and carrying a piece of the other’s vivre card to keep track of each other. His older brother had talked about Whitebeard too, as a part of the rumor mill was that Ace wanted to go after the old Emperor’s head.
Nodding, Ace agrees that he had at one point wanted to do that. Running a hand through his hair with a grin, “Until Sabo, Dragon and Pops all told me that if I did that I needed to be able to fill the power vacuum that would create and I’m not there yet. It’ll be years at this point and I just… I want to enjoy my journey more than I want some title.”
Shanks ruffles his hair at that, “Good, I think you’re well on your way to be something special, Ace, but you aren’t there yet. Enjoy the New World, stick to my territory and maybe slip into the Old Man’s now and again. But don’t go looking for trouble.”
—
He hadn’t been looking for trouble either, except trouble found him in the form of one Marco the Phoenix.
Coming to check up on him and the Spades after Ace had called the Moby Dick to let the Whitebeards know he was landing on one of their islands but had no intention of starting trouble. Captain Whitebeard had mentioned he would send one of his Commanders to come and check up on them and that happened to be Marco the Phoenix.
The blond kept popping up, to the point that they got to talking and Ace had to admit that the older man had a certain charm to him. Once he didn’t know how to go about it.
For a moment he had been scared that Marco had been sent to come check up on him and to try and sway him to be ‘surprise adopted’ by the Whitebeards. They had many a talk about it, to the point that Marco agreed that at one point he had been asked that but he’d declined after meeting Ace and finding that the younger man valued his freedom too much so Marco wasn’t about to take it.
He flushed as he admitted to liking Ace’s company, “I have a chance to just be with you -yoi. There are no tasks as the First Commander or Head Doctor and I quite like that.”
Smiling softly, Ace had blushed, before leaning in and kissing Marco softly on the lips. Admitting to having a crush on the blond and not quite knowing what to do with it as they weren’t on the same crew. They managed and Marco admitted to having mentioned it to Pops and getting his permission as long as he didn’t plan on just leaving the Whitebeard Pirates.
“I’m falling in love with you -yoi,” Marco confessed, “And I want to see where that takes us. Let’s see where that takes us.”
It took them on a whirlwind relationship. Once that stayed between them and on the Piece of the Spadille. Newgate knew, as did Ace’s pops and his brothers. Especially once Luffy also set out it became a pain to keep it to himself and Luffy, the little gremlin that he was, found out within seconds as soon as he saw Ace and Marco together.
Eventually, with Shanks officiating and with Newgate’s approval, Marco and Ace married. They had a quiet ceremony where Ace’s family all threatened Marco that they wouldn’t like what happened if he hurt Ace. But they trusted him to take care of Ace, so all was well.
Until such a time that after Luffy defeated Kaido and Big Mom, that the Piece of Spadille had a broken bow and needed to be decommissioned. Part of Ace wanted to get a new ship, but another part of him wanted to join Marco for real. He had reached out to the man, and had gotten approval.
Except things were different on the Moby Dick.
Ace had been on the ship for three months now and while he and Marco slept in the same bed he didn’t see his husband a lot. In fact, he didn’t see him at all except from a distance. Most of the other Commanders kept him occupied. Never letting him close to the blond. Almost forcing him back to the rooms the Spades had gotten.
Which is why it took him by surprise that someone pulled him to the side to talk to him. Thatch and he got along well enough and he liked the cook. But he didn’t expect him to mention that he needed to stop making eyes at Marco, “He’s taken you see, Pops told us as much years ago, and we want to protect the both of you before something turns ugly.”
Wanting to mention that he was said husband, he was surprised to find that they were pointing at a different island. One that they had married on, but that had someone living on there that Marco went to meet up with now and again. It shouldn’t bother him, but Ace knew that there were times where Marco wasn’t with him and not on the Moby Dick. It wouldn’t be too surprising that his husband had another lover out there?
Things didn’t stay like that, he found out that Marco was never alone with him. Even as they slept in the same bed there was no conversation and he didn’t see Marco trying to speak to him either. When he tried to bring it up, once, the man smiled and told him that things were different here.
So, Ace packed his things and officially moved to the quarters the Spades had been given. Feeling like his heart had been broken, he knew things would change but nothing had prepared him for this. Nothing had prepared him for the fact that he had lost his husband as the family he was supposed to be a part of accepted him, but they didn’t allow him to be free. It became clear that he had made the right choice.
He talked it over with Deuce and the other Spades, all who mentioned liking the Moby Dick and finding their freedom in the protection of an Emperor.
“You… Oh, you want to stay here,” Ace had whispered.
Deuce nodded and Ace had agreed. Slowly his Spades found their places with the other divisions as Ace stayed in the rooms assigned to them. He didn’t allow the Whitebeards to make them a part of their crew. Didn’t take the tattoo like the others had done, and didn’t know what to think about all of this. Marco had still not come by, not in the four weeks since he had left their room. It had Ace doubting that the man actually slept in the same bed as him and that hurt.
The next island they landed on was one of Shanks’, so Ace decided to get off.
Making his way to Marco’s room to give the man back his wedding ring. It was clear after all.
Thatch was there, intercepting him and shaking his head, “Now isn’t a good time, Ace… I don’t know what happened but Marco’s mad and I don’t need you to make him even angrier.”
His lips trembled, before he nodded and went to look for Deuce. Handing the man his rings, both the engagement ring and his wedding ring, asking his former First Mate to give them back to Marco. Finally sharing what had been going on. How he had joined in an effort to spend more time with his husband but that none of Marco’s siblings even knew who he was. On top of that, he had thought things would be different, that he wouldn’t essentially be a stranger on a ship of what should be his family. He couldn’t find his center and he hated that. Given whose island they were landing on, he was getting off and searching for his big brother and seeing who he could stay with.
His voice broke as he admitted, “I can’t stay here when it’s clear that it’s all been a lie. Marco… Marco had another husband or someone who the crew does know about and I… I thought there was something there but the more I think about it the more I’m aware that this was all just a ploy to get me to join. To get me to get on board and then just assimilate us all into the Whitebeard Pirates. Marco hasn’t talked to me in the four months I’ve been here and I… I won’t stay here when I’m not welcomed…”
Deuce was gaping at him, “Captain… He didn’t?”
Shaking his head, Ace looked away, “They won’t let me see him so… I… I’ll be off the ship by nightfall and no one will probably miss me.”
With that he stands to go and inform Whitebeard of his decision to leave the ship. The older Captain looks shocked, asking what Marco thought about it. Only for Ace to shake his head, “Marco hasn’t talked to me since I joined. I slept in his room the first three months but your Commanders told me that I shouldn’t do that as he has a husband out there, on one of the islands, so I… I don’t know what to think there, not when he doesn’t talk to me.”
His eyes look into older ones, “I know you asked Marco to court me, once at least, so that I would join and I guess he did so anyway even if he told me something different. I just wished you’d have told me, to be honest.”
Whitebeard doesn’t say anything, which is when Ace knows he was right all along.
Smiling sadly, he says goodbye to his former father-in-law and takes his leave.
He’s off the Moby Dick before anyone notices, making him track towards the village a little further land inwards. Looking at the vivre card in his hand and sobbing as he finds Shanks and just falls into his brother’s arm crying at the notion that he had been deceived as such. Explaining through the sobs before Beck takes a hold of him to pick him up and bring him to the Red Force. None of them leave him alone and movement on the deck tells him that Luffy and Sabo arrived too.
They all hug him, as he falls asleep knowing that at least he’ll always have them at his side.
—
Deuce is on a warpath. Holding onto the rings in his hand he storms through the door of the messhall to find the Commanders table and slapping down the rings next to Marco’s hand, “I hope you’re ready for what you did…”
Taking off his hand, he turns and makes his way to the table the Spades sat on. Shaking his head as Saber looks at him, getting the memo that Ace left.
A hand takes a hold of his arm and turns him around, to see Marco standing there holding Ace’s rings. Hurt shining through his eyes, “Deuce, where is Ace?”
Snorting, Deuce shakes his head, “He left, as the other commanders were very forthcoming in mentioning that he shouldn’t be expecting things to keep going as it did before. To leave you alone as you had a spouse on some island that you went to visit at times. So, he left, Shanks is on this island so… I hope you know what you unleashed.”
Pulling his arm out of the hold, he stomps to the Spade table and sits down.
Marco stays standing there, before turning and going back to the Commander’s table. His voice was harsh as he asked who told Ace something like that. Looking to be cooking when several people mentioned keeping the newbie away from him, as it was clear he had a crush and Marco had a spouse on one of their islands so… they were trying to protect him.
Slapping his hand on the table, before letting the rings roll out of his hand, it’s Izou that speaks, “Those are the rings you had me make… Did something happen to your husband?”
His lip trembles as he gets out, “Yeah, he left because after years on different ships you all drove him off -yoi. Ace… Ace was my husband and first Teach told me that he needed space and I gave it to him. Only to find out that this was all some elaborate ploy to get him to leave, so you succeeded there -yoi.”
Sighing once, he clenches his fists, “Let’s home that Redhair and Strawhat ask questions first next time we see them -yoi.”
Teach speaks up, what the two other Emperors have anything to do with it.
Eyes dark, Marco simply states that as Ace’s older and younger brother they had made it very clear what would happen to him if he were to hurt Ace. He might not have done it on purpose, as he had trusted his family, but it seemed that none of them made the connection. Ending in Ace getting hurt and leaving.
He nods at the Spades, before making his way to Pops to try and plead to be able to go after Ace, even if it might just kill him.
It takes time, but he does find Ace, on the Red Force. Has to let his brothers, all four of them as well as Rayleigh who came as soon as he heard tear into him. He thinks he still has a broken arm from the hit dealt with him. Before they let him see Ace, finding the love of his love all defeated and obviously depressed. They don’t talk, but Marco explains before sitting there.
“You didn’t even ask me anything,” Ace whispers, “You never… I don’t think I can do this again, Marco, I’m sorry.”
Nodding, Marco accepts that and leaves. He does go back now and again, but all they worked for is gone. It’s the reason he leaves once Pops dies and the crew falls apart when it’s revealed that Teach had been working from the shadows to make them fall. He leaves and he joins Shanks’ crew, gives it all up to be together with Ace again and in a way it heals them in a way they didn’t think they needed.
It’s never the same, but it’s something close to what it could have been.