Brats & Chickens

[firefreckles]

Who: Portgas D. Ace [firefreckles] & Marco [burningfowl]
When: Saturday, early afternoon
Where: Sector 11, docks
Summary: Marco approaches Ace when the teen is watching the sea; different timelines for the two make for an interesting meeting.
Warnings: Pretty big spoilers for the One Piece series (revolving around the Whitebeard pirates) and a bit of language from a

Comments

....MY HEART WILL GO OOOOOOONN ANNND OONNNNNNNN?

[firefreckles]

When Marco's eyes lock with his, Ace can read raw pain, sharp as a snakebite, in them and it startles him for a brief moment.

He's relieved, so relieved that his brother hadn't...died. He could never forgive himself if that happened, even if it was two years in the future and could yet be prevented.

"Alive" still meant that the idiot would make it..

Ace figured that Marco worded it in such a way because of the wounds Luffy had obtained; he really didn't look good at all.. but Ace wouldn't let him die, not while he was present and especially not for him.

The freckled pirate lets out a huge sigh, lowering his head as the heaviness of anxiety lifts from his chest, barely hearing what the other was saying about admirals. The grip he has on Marco's shoulder loosens significantly but he does not remove his hand yet, isn't really aware that it's still there as he's lost in his thoughts.

His attention is hooked back when Marco's tone seems to grow thicker and he starts to really hear the words again right around "the two of you were held up".......

Attention is fully on Marco just in time for the bombshell to hit and Ace isn't really sure he heard that right at first. One eyebrow quirks a little in puzzlement.

"Ah....." Ace starts to speak but trails off just as quick, unsure of the words he wants to respond with and distracted anyway by the look on the other pirate's face.

As he watches the normally stoic man struggling with his emotions, Ace hears Marco's last sentence echo within his mind: You.... sacrificed your life to protect your brother.
His eyebrows rise, expression no longer looking angry in the slightest as something akin to surprise widens his eyes and brightens his entire face, highlights falling on his freckles as the sun chooses that moment to break free of the clouds overhead.