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It had been two years. Two long years since that horrific day at Marineford. The day that they watched their nakama die right before their eyes. Watching him die in the arms of his brother. A rookie that they went on to protect. It was Ace’s will and dying wish that Monkey D. Luffy made it out of Marineford alive, and they had made sure of it. From that moment on, they had been watching his movements. Well, lack there of until recently. The Strawhats had made their return in a fashion that only seemed perfect for Straw Hat Luffy. With a bang.
Marco knew that Ace would have been showing off that newspaper to all of them if he had been here. In his place, he had done it for him. Showing everyone the newspaper. They had just as big smiles as he did. Happy that Luffy was making headway into the New World.
As he was smiling, he had to force to keep it on his face. It had been two years and the pain was still there. It hadn’t dulled in one moment. Despite having a new ship as their home, he still saw Ace everywhere. They had his final bounty poster as a memorial. Every picture they had before burned down with the Moby Dick. When their new ship was built, they had rebuilt all the Commanders’ private quarters including one for the Second Division. That room had been remained vacant. Just like it had with Oden until Ace had shown up. None of them were ready for a new Second Division Commander. They were content with what they had.
Yet, Marco wasn’t content. He missed Ace every single moment of the day. Call him selfish, but he had wished that Ace had never reacted the way he had. Though, he knew that nothing would have stopped him. Nothing. Marco hated himself for wishing for it, but he had to go on with his life.
Everything changed for him one day.
One faithful day that they had docked to get more supplies.
It happened.
“Commander Marco, is this everything?” One of his Division members questioned as the boxes moved by, getting ready to go onto the ship.
Marco hummed, looking up from the book in his hand, glasses balanced on his nose. “Yeah, that looks like everything.” He replied with a smile, reaching up and pushing the frame back up his nose. “We can start preparing for dinner then.” He closed the book, handing it over to a nearby nakama. “I’ll let Thatch kn—”
He stopped as he heard a laugh.
A laugh that made his heart stop for a moment. The air catching in his throat. His eyes widening as he snapped his head up and looked in every direction. He knew that laugh. He knew it perfectly. He had heard it so many times in the span of three years that it was like his favorite song being played. Something that he never thought he would hear again. The person that it belonged to was dead. This had to be his imagination. Some sick nightmare that he was having in giving him some belief that it was true.
“Commander Marco?”
He ignored it as he continued to look around. The laugh was gone, but he was sure that he had heard it.
He didn’t even think twice before he was rushing off. Going into the direction he thought he had heard the laugh coming from. He was so sure that it was real. That this wasn’t just some dream. He had seen him in his dreams for two years. He was sure that any moment, his eyes would open, and he would wake back up in his bed. Cold and alone. Ace had given him a feeling that he hadn’t felt in years. Then it was ripped away from him in just mere moments.
This had to just be one of those moments where he was wishing for him so badly that it was just in his head.
“Hey, Marco—” It was Haruta, but once again Marco ignored him.
“Marco?” Thatch.
“Hey—” Izou.
He kept hearing other voices, but that wasn’t what he was concerned about. That’s not what he needed to hear. That’s not what he was focused on.
Then he heard it again.
It was closer. Much closer than before.
Then his eyes landed on him. Standing there at one of the shops, a hibiscus flower tucked behind his ear, a smile on his face as he looked at the shopkeeper. The freckles dusting his face. Stormy colored eyes looking ahead of him. He was standing right there. “Ace…” Marco whispered. It was him. It had to be. This wasn’t some dream. It couldn’t be. Not with how many people were talking to him. “Ace!”
Then he turned. Looking right at him.
Then the confused look came as Ace looked at him, looking back at the shopkeeper before looking back at Marco, and Ace said the one question that crushed him. “Do I know you?”
Marco felt like he couldn’t even breathe.
This had to be a nightmare.
This wasn’t real.
Ace didn’t recognize him. Was he just reflecting Ace onto this man? They looked identical. He also responded to Ace. This had to be him. But it wasn’t. There was no way.
“Your name is… Ace, right?” Marco questioned, finally finding words to say.
He smiled and nodded. “Yeah, well, I think so. It feels right.” Marco was confused. He could feel the pain coursing through him now. What did this mean? “Do I know you somehow?”
“I… um, might have mixed you up with someone.” Marco muttered.
Ace smiled at him again, “Sorry, I must be going. Have a good day, sir.” He replied, giving a slight bow before he started in the opposite direction. Marco could feel his heart shattering with each step that Ace took. It felt like this was in fact Ace. It had to be. He had to be.
He watched his back as he left. A shirt covering his back. That’s where there would be a large, gaping hole in his back. The fatal injury that took him from this world. Where his tattoo would have been that he had gotten as part of the Whitebeard Pirates.
How did this happen?
They watched him die.
They all watched as he was ripped away from each and every single one of them.
This didn’t make any sense, but the Grand Line worked in mysterious ways. The things that could happen here unlike anything in the rest of the world.
This place was far from his grave. Where he was laid to rest. This couldn’t be. There were so many questions going through his mind, but he needed to know for sure what was going on. Who exactly this man was. He had to be Ace. He even reacted to the name.
Amnesia.
That had to be it.
He just had to have no recollection of who he was.
“Ace! Wait!” Marco shouted, weaving through the people as he rushed back up to where Ace was. The man stopping in place and turning to look at him.
“Can I help you?” He questioned, looking put off that Marco was now standing in front of him again. “I don’t know you, so why don’t you just leave me alone.”
A thousand things went through his head before he blurted out, “Monkey D. Luffy.”
Ace froze, looking at him for a moment. “What did you just say?”
“Monkey D. Luffy.” Marco repeated. “Do you know the name?”
Ace looked away for a second, almost like there was trying to be familiarity there before it was gone again and he was shaking his head. “No, I don’t. Now, if you’d excuse me. I need to get home.” Ace had all but shoved past him, but he had seen the way the sleeve of his shirt went up. The underline of a tattoo that was there. Marco’s heart was beating all too quickly. Reaching his ears as he reached out without a thought. Grabbing Ace’s wrist and reaching for his shirt. “What the hell are you doing?!”
Marco pushed up the sleeve, the air catching in his throat as he looked at the tattoo that was glaring back at him. ASCE. All just like the one he had seen so many times before. Even with the X that was over the S. What they had believed had just been an error made by the tattooist. It had been a tribute to someone else. Sabo. His other brother. That they learned off after Ace’s death.
This was not some coincidence.
“You’re… exactly who I’m looking for.”
How was this real?
Ace was dead.
But he was standing right here in front of him.
Was this a dream?
Suddenly, he halted as his head went to the side and there was a sting in his cheek as he dropped Ace’s hand. This was real. He felt that entirely. In all technicality, he deserved that. He looked back over, readjusting his glasses that had loosened on his head and smiled. That hit was real. The perfect thing that he needed to know that this was true.
This was real.
Ace was alive.
“Who just grabs someone like that?!” Ace exclaimed, “Who do you think you—”
Ace wasn’t able to finish speaking before Marco reached forward without another thought. His arms wrapping around Ace as he whispered, “It was good that you were born, Ace.”
The younger man froze completely, the air catching in his throat. He didn’t hug Marco back and his body was tense, but that statement seemed to strike something. “What did you just say?” Ace whispered.
“It was good you were born.” Marco stopped for a second, burying his nose in Ace’s hair. It still smelt like the ocean but there was the scent of flowers mixed in. Which he guessed was from the flower that was tucked behind his ear. “You had so many people who loved and cared for you. Myself included. Even if you don’t remember me, I remember you. I will never forget you.”
He could hear Ace’s breathing picking up as he just kept his arms around him. Ace didn’t remember him, but this was the least that he could tell them. Even if he would have to let him go again. He didn’t want to let him go. He wanted him to stay. He was alive and he was back. He didn’t even care how. Just that Ace was alive, and he was living. That he appeared to be living peacefully. He had heard nothing that Ace had survived somehow, but he also didn’t appear to look any older than he had before. It was hard to know which any little information that he had. Hell, he had none. He just knew that this man was Ace, and he was alive. It didn’t matter to him how. Even if he wanted to know.
Ace pulled away from him. Two hands on either side of his head as tears welled up in his eyes. “Who… who are you really?”
Marco had managed to calm himself as he reached out, letting his hand touch Ace’s cheek. His thumb gliding over his freckles. “My name is Marco. I’m the First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.” He replied, “Your crew. You were our Second Division Commander but… you were also someone I treasured, and we thought you were dead.”
Ace looked confused. Conflicted. Hurt. So many emotions going across his face. Marco looked around, noticing the way that they were being looked at by civilians before he reached out and pulled Ace off towards the side in a more secluded area. Concealing them from the others. “That’s not possible. It can’t be.” Ace muttered.
“Your name is Portgas D. Ace.” Marco went on. “You have two brothers. Sabo and Monkey D. Luffy.” He kept his eyes locked to Ace’s face. Seeing the way that he looked like he was trying to either comprehend what Marco was telling him or if he was trying to believe it. It was hard to tell. Ace had always been a wild card with emotions and letting people in. “Your father is Edward Newgate… also known as Whitebeard. We call him Oyaji. You have many nakama who fought with you side by side. Friends that you had. We fought for you. We wanted you to come home and live… but it didn’t work out that way.”
Ace looked like he was about to hyperventilate before he was grimacing as shaking his head. “No, no, no… that’s not true—that can’t be.” The panic was there before Ace shook his head. Then the familiarity was there. The recognition. “Luffy… he was—is he alive?!”
Marco exhaled sharply before he nodded. “Yes, he is. You’re dying wish came true, Ace. He’s making his way through the New World already.” He replied, smiling softly as he heard a soft cry from Ace. Then the idea struck him. He held his hand out, palm forward as he smiled. Ace eyed his hand, looking up at him with uncertainty. He let his flames come to his hand as Ace’s eyes went to them this time. Looking at them as if they were the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. “They won’t harm you.”
Ace reached up, his hand shaking slightly as his fingertips grazed the flames. A sharp intake of air coming next as he reached out fully and settled his palm against them. “It’s so… warm.” Ace whispered. Ace kept his gaze on them. The flickers of blue, green, and yellow that always counteracted the colors that Ace held. Orange, red, and his own hues of yellow. Marco could remember all the times that they would intertwine their fingers and activate their respective powers to create beautiful colors. Almost like a rainbow effect when they did so. “I know this.” Ace suddenly said, a laugh of disbelief as he shook his head. “I’ve seen this before. Well, in my dreams. They would just be there. I could never figure out why. It was you, wasn’t it.”
“I couldn’t tell you.” Marco replied. “But maybe.”
As much as he wanted to believe that he would see Ace’s fire next, he wasn’t sure if that was possible. He had heard rumors that the Mera Mera no Mi had been found again. Being used as a part of tournament in Dressrosa.
The thought came to mind.
Maybe it was the Mera Mera no Mi.
Maybe, it was the very reason Ace was standing right here.
“Do you remember Luffy?” Marco questioned.
“Sort of.” Ace muttered, “I think.” He shook his head for a second, the flash of pain there. “I just thought… that he needed to be safe. That he needed to be okay. You said he’s my brother?”
“That’s right.” Marco confirmed.
Ace sighed, looking back at Marco’s hand. Watching the flames dance over their hands. “I’ve spent so long not knowing anything about myself. I only guessed what my name was from my tattoo.” He whispered, “It was like I just woke up and I was here. The villagers say they found my on the shore with some driftwood. They’ve been nothing but kind to me since I got here.”
Marco smiled, watching the way that Ace admired the flames touching his hand. His eyes still hadn’t moved until suddenly he was stopping. “Ace?” Marco questioned.
“I’ve… done this before.” Ace muttered.
Marco could see the sweat building up on Ace’s temple. The pain that was in his eyes before he was grimacing again and jerking his hand back. Trying to put as much space between the two of them as he could as he shook his head. “Ace? Are you okay?” Marco questioned, reaching out to stabilize Ace on his feet.
Ace just continued to shake his head, mumbling to himself before he was letting out a shout of pain. Before his eyes were rolling into the back of his head and he was collapsing. The older pirate surged forward, careful of Ace’s head before it could make impact with the ground. His heart was racing again as he looked around. Ace’s face was pressed into his chest. His eyes were closed. The worst-case scenario came to mind, but he had already seen that before. He could still see Ace’s chest moving.
He was okay.
Just passed out.
Without another thought, he used his other arm to scoop underneath Ace’s legs and heaved his dead weight off of the ground before he was starting off towards the docks. He ignored every person he went by. No one tried to stop him though. A few of them looking at him with either mild curiosity or there were even some with smiles on their faces.
Did they know?
He would maybe assume that they did.
Call him selfish, but he wasn’t going to lose Ace again.
Even if he didn’t remember him.
Ace belonged with them.
He belonged with his family.
Luffy deserved to know that his brother was alive. A brother they had watched the rookie have a mental break over. The brother who gave his life to protect him and set the path to ensure that he had made it out of Marineford alive.
Ace deserved to know what his life actually had been.
The life he wanted.
He needed to get the nurses and doctors. He needed to get to someone who could have a better idea of what was going on. With no information, that would be hard, but Marco would do it.
He had headed straight for their new home. She didn’t even have a proper name, but it was their home. Everyone just by default called her the Moby. It was just always on the tip of their tongues.
When he got back, everyone was already back on board or at least moving about the docks. His heart was still pounding against his chest as he rushed between his nakama and headed for the gangplank.
As he made it to the deck, others were stopping at looking at him. Greeting him before they would stop, and their eyes would land on Ace. They wouldn’t be able to see his face since it was shielded by his hair.
“Marco, what’s going on?” Whitebeard questioned, eyeing the man in Marco’s arms.
“This is going to sound crazy but…” He paused as he looked back down at Ace’s unconscious face. “I found Ace.”
He looked up to see all the stunned and confused faces. Izou was the first to step forward, shaking his head, “Marco, Ace is dead. We buried him.”
Marco nodded, feeling a bit more confident now. He was positive that this was Ace. The tattoo. His own words. The slight familiarity to Luffy and his flames. This person was Ace, and no one could tell him otherwise. “This is Ace.” He stated, motioning to Ace in his arms. He kneeled down, moving to kneel down. Lifting his hand up and moving some of Ace’s hair from his face, showing it completely to the others. “It’s him. I know he is.”
The choked sounds came next as he finally looked back up. Seeing some of them standing there with tears in their eyes. Whitebeard was the first to move out of everyone and came by Marco, kneeling down and looking at Ace. “I’ll be damned.” He whispered. “It really is him.”
“Oyaji, how is this possible?” Marco questioned, almost sounding like a scared child as he looked up at the only man he ever had seen as a father.
Whitebeard was shaking his head, tears in his eyes, and a broad smile on his face. “I’m not sure, son.” Whitebeard’s words were cracking from emotion as he reached out, his finger moving across Ace’s hair. “Did he tell you anything?”
Marco shook his head, peering up at his Captain. “He doesn’t remember anything.”
Whitebeard blinked at him. “He doesn’t remember.” He repeated back, like it was trying to convince himself that is what Marco had said. The blonde Commander nodded. “Alright, get him to the infirmary immediately. He might panic when he wakes up.”
Marco exhaled sharply, shuffling, and standing back up before he was heading towards the infirmary.
Ace was home.
He was almost positive that if he opened his eyes, he would be gone again.
He was never letting him go again.
It had been three days. Three long days and nights that Marco had not slept through once. Even if his eyes would try to slip shut, he would force them open. He didn’t even leave Ace’s bedside. No matter what anyone told him. Tried to get him to even just lay down in the bed next to his to get some sleep.
He refused.
He had sat there, his hand wrapped around Ace’s. Not letting go.
He wouldn’t let go.
Not until the moment Ace opened his eyes again.
He was exhausted. He was hungry. There were so many things he needed, but he still refused to move.
It was only on the fourth night that finally, Ace’s fingers twitched, his eyes squeezing tighter as he saw the slight flicker of flames dancing on his fingers. Why was he seeing flames? The Mera Mera no Mi had already recycled. Unless the Devil Fruit in Dressrosa wasn’t real. He froze, staring at Ace’s hand for a moment before looking back at his face. He tightened his grip, sitting up quickly and placing his hand on Ace’s forehead. Pushing his hair back out of his face. “Ace, baby… talk to me.”
Ace groaned, moving his head towards Marco’s palm as he muttered, “Marco, stop. My head hurts.”
Marco paused, a shocked sound leaving him before his face was breaking out into a grin and tears prickled into his eyes. “Ace, do you remember me?”
Ace’s eyes cracked open, giving him a confused look, “Of course, why wouldn’t I?” He suddenly paused as he blinked, “Wait, since when do you wear glasses?” It was like reality was setting in as the air caught in his throat, “It wasn’t a dream.”
Marco shook his head. “No, it wasn’t.” Ace remembered. His memory was back. He wasn’t sure how, but he was going to take it.
Ace pushed himself up, eyes wide as he looked at Marco. “I died.” He whispered. “I actually… died.”
Marco sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed, and reaching out, tucking some of Ace’s hair behind his head. “Yeah. I guess the question really is… how are you alive?”
Ace was in shock as he looked down at his lap, eyes wide as he lifted up one of hands to look at his palm. “It all felt like a dream. That I was at Marineford with Luffy, and I felt my life slipping away.” Marco just sat there, listening to the younger man tell his story. “Then there was this home that overlooked a town… and I met my parents.” He paused, gritting his teeth as he balled his other hand into the blanket that was in his lap. “I remember them telling me that it wasn’t my time. That I wasn’t supposed to be there yet, but they were proud of who I became, and they loved me.” He choked for a second, pulling his legs up to his chest before he exhaled sharply again, shaking his head as he wiped at his eyes. “Then I was warm. Really warm. Like whenever I use my fire. I don’t really remember what happened after that before I woke up on that island and that’s where I stayed. It’s just a big blur.”
The only thing that Marco could think of that might have happened as Ace awakened his Devil Fruit within his final moments. There were many meanings behind the representation of fire. It was so fascinating to him. It was also the only thing that made sense to him. Ace had no heartbeat or pulse whenever they had taken his body from Marine Headquarters.
Either way, it was an absolute miracle that Ace was right here in front of him.
Still, it felt like a dream.
A dream that he never wanted to wake up from.
“I’m so sor—” Ace couldn’t even finish before Marco’s arms were wrapped around him, jerking him forward as Marco buried his nose in his shoulder and neck. “Marco…”
“Is this real?” Marco questioned.
“I… think so.” Ace muttered back.
“I love you. I love you so damn much and if you ever try to leave again, you’ll have to take me with you.” Marco stated, pulling back, and placing his hands on either side of Ace’s face through his disbelief. “I can’t believe you’re here. I feel like I’m going to wake up and you’re just going to be gone again.”
Ace reached up, his arms wrapping around Marco as the older pirate felt a kiss being pressed into his temple. “I’m not going to leave you ever again.”
Marco moved back, surging forward, and sealing their lips just as he felt Ace’s fire ignited against his hand and Marco’s lit up to catch up with it. The beautiful mixture of hues showing up through the corner of his eye as his eyes slipped shut.
This was reality.
His reality.
As he pulled back, he leaned their foreheads together with a smile. “They are waiting for you. They… want you home.”
Ace laughed slightly, his hand coming up to settle on the back of Marco’s neck. “I am home.” He whispered as Marco sat up, reaching out for Ace to take his hand. His warm hand slipping into Marco’s and letting him pull him up. Before they could move, Ace looked up at him, muttering, “I can’t believe that I forgot you.”
Marco grinned, leaning his forehead against Ace’s again, a hand settled on the back of his head. “That would have been fine. I would have loved you anyways.” As he pulled away, he pulled Ace along with him, heading out of the infirmary. His exhaustion long forgotten. His hunger long forgotten.
As they were walking out, Ace turned to look at him again, “I love the glasses. They look good on you.” A soft smile came to his face as he reached up, readjusting the frames to fit better on Marco’s face. “Red. I love it.”
Marco shrugged. “I guess the color red meant something to me.” He made a motion towards his neck, a shy grin on his face. “Your, um, necklace. When it broke… we kept some of the pieces before Izou fixed it. We put them into the frames. So that way… I always had a piece of you with me.”
Ace gave a soft laugh, leaning into his side. “I was always going to stay with you.”
Marco believed him.
Even when he wasn’t here. It did feel like he was. He touched the frames of his glasses before his arm was looping around Ace’s shoulders, pulling his lover into his side. “I love you.” He whispered.
“I love you, Marco.” Ace said back before he was moving and pulling Marco with him. “I have people to see. C’mon.”
“Ace… I wanted to ask.” Marco said as they continued to walk forward. Ace eyed him for a second, a tilt of his head. Marco reached up, pointing at his temple, “What made you remember?”
Ace smiled. The large grin that he would wear when he was inexplicitly happy. “What you said to me.” He replied, “It was always the one thing I wanted to know when I was… I guess, alive? If my life meant something.”
Marco brought Ace close to him again, placing a kiss against his forehead. “Your life always meant something.”
Even if it had been two years. Two years of grieving. Two years of pain. Two years without him. Now, he was here and even if they didn’t have all the answers. Ace was home and that’s what mattered.
Their family was complete again.