#mentioned marcoace

[wordsdrippinginink]

MarcoAce Time travel heist!

Yamato is supposed to be sleeping, but there was someone outside his window and that was more interesting. Way more interesting than sleep.

"Hi."

"Hello Yamato," the man in the window says smiling easily, his arms resting on his knees. He's not anywhere near as tall as Yamato thinks he's going to be one day, or as tall as Yamato's dad, but he looks nice. "Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?"

"Dad says that I'm supposed to report strangers."

"I'm Ace, we aren't strangers now, are we?" Ace asks. Which is true and if they know each other, that means Yamato doesn't have to tell his dad about him. Dad was always killing all the new people. "You look tired."

"Can't sleep," Yamato lies, because he could sleep. Really he could, but Ace was more interesting. "Why are you here?"

Ace's smile is sadder as he shifts, sitting on the window ledge, "someone asked me to do them a favor. It would make them happy but it means that I won't have them anymore. What would you do?"

"Would they be happier?"

"Happier and loved."

Yamato nods, considering for a long minute, "I would do it then. If they get to be happy, isn't that better? Are you here to take Oden's daughter? I'm not supposed to know about her, but I'm real smart."

"You are very smart," Ace agrees and Yamato grins, pleased. "But I'm not here for Hiyori. She said that I couldn't save her. Actually I'm here for someone else."

"Oden's son vanished," Yamato frowns, because who else would Ace be here for? "Did you come for my dad?"

Ace shakes his head, "Not him either. Do you want to come with me, Yamato?"

Yamato blinks slowly, staring at the hand offered to him, "Me?"

"You. I met you when you were older, you know. And we were good friends, but I had to leave and you couldn't come. I promised to come back for you. By the time I did, you were stuck, so you asked me to come and take you sooner," Ace shrugs, but Yamato thinks that he cares a lot. "You could have a whole new life."

"What about my dad?"

"He's gone, where I'm from," Yamato ignores the pinch of grief, because he loves his dad, but he doesn't think that his dad loved him. Not always at least. "But you could stay with me. And my husband."

"Two dads?" Yamato can't help but ask.

"Two dads, but you can just call us by our names, if you want. What do you say? Wanna come with me?"

Yamato stares at his room for a minute, because he could go. He could take the offer and leave and when he comes back, his dad will be gone and he'll have someone else to take care of him. And Ace knew him. He had asked for Ace to come and take him.

"Please, I wanna go with you."

[wordsdrippinginink]

“Listening to you trying to make a spell happen is infuriating.” ace and luffy (i would like it if like marcoace is a thing that exists in this particular au, but like doesn't even have to be explicit, just know that when i read this, i will read it like ace has a bf)

“Listening to you try to make a spell happen is infuriating,” Ace yawns, sprawled across the couch, too tired to try and get up and stop Luffy from butchering the pronunciation of the spell. “Why would you pick this spell?”

“Because,” Luffy answers frowning at the page in the grimore like it had personally offended him.

“Because isn’t an answer,” Ace mutters, scrubbing at his face and rolling onto his side to wave his hand for the book. “What are you even trying to do with this? You are magic, you can’t do magic.”

Luffy rolls his eyes, dropping down in front of the couch, “Just because your boyfriend can’t do magic because he is magic doesn’t mean that I am. And it’s supposed to summon people.”

“Summon people,” Ace repeats skimming the details curiously. “Luffy, Marco didn’t create this theory, hundreds and thousands of years worth of research backs up this theory. You can be magic or you can do magic. There’s a little overlap but you’re Unseelie Royalty, Lu.”

“You’re an eldrich god and you can do magic!”

Ace laughs, “I don’t, I bend reality to my will. And you can’t do people magic, Luffy. You’re not a human, it’s different spells if you have enough power to do magic,” he hums, feeling power curling around the notes. “Why are you trying to use a human spell?”

Luffy shrugs, “Because it was there. He left it here yesterday.”

“Marco doesn’t usually forget his books,” Ace sighs, smiling when he finds Marco’s name written on the inside cover. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Mhm,” Ace wiggles his fingers as the book vanishes, returning to Marco as his phone chimes, probably a text from Marco about banishing things to him when he was in a meeting. “Why did you want to summon someone?”

“Everyone is busy and when they aren’t, they’re too far away. If I could summon them, it would be easier.”

Ace mutters something, willing himself awake instead of taking the nap he had been hoping for, “Let’s do some research into fairy rings, I think those would be more what you’re looking for.”

“Fairy rings?”

“They’re fun, I think you’ll like them more than you think.”

[wordsdrippinginink]

for the prompts: getting relationship advice from people already in relationships don't always work. ASL

“I don’t think that would work for Luffy,” Ace says, pushing Sabo off the couch with one foot to steal the tub of ice cream from him. “I mean, just because you and Koala have known each other for years and can read intentions with a look doesn’t mean that Luffy and his boyfriend have the same level of communication.”

“Oh yeah, and what were you going to suggest?” Sabo demands, trying to get up and failing as Luffy pins him in place. “This is unfair.”

“You’re just not flexible enough,” Luffy states brightly, elbow digging into Sabo’s sternum as he steals the spoon from Ace. “Ace is right.”

“I know I am,” Ace agrees, pulling a second spoon from his pocket. “But I was gonna suggest communication. If you can’t talk to your boyfriend about things, than what’s the point of dating them?”

“Talking is the worst, but I guess it’s important. At least Ace has real advice, unlike Sabo.”

Sabo attempts to twist, unable to escape when Ace twists his leg around Sabo’s and pulls it to keep him from getting enough leverage to throw Luffy off, “It’s not my fault that Koala and I are better than you both. This is unfair!”

“But fun!” Luffy says brightly, offering Sabo a spoonful of ice cream when he pouts. “You’re kinda weak.”

“You’re kinda teaming up on me!”

“That just means that you’re a wimp,” Ace teases, wiggling down the couch without releasing Sabo’s leg. “But I know that Marco and I worked hard to get communication to work. Course, it might be different for you. No two relationships are the same.” He pauses when they both stare at him. “What?”

“Ace is smart sometimes,” Luffy states, Sabo nodding slowly. “When did Ace get smart?”

“I’m not an idiot,” Ace states, twisting onto his stomach and taking the ice cream from Luffy’s reach. “Now was there anything else you wanted to talk about?”

[wordsdrippinginink]

“I made a werewolf friend today.” preslash ThatchIzou

"I," Thatch states, dropping onto Marco's couch and pointedly elbowing Ace away from the popcorn. "Made a werewolf friend today."

"A werewolf friend," Marco repeats, shoving Thatch's hand away from the bowl of popcorn he had just saved from Ace and passing him a different one. "As opposed to another kind of friend."

Thatch nods, "That was mine!"

"Unless you like your popcorn with a hint of," Ace pauses and waves his hand over the bowl Marco had stolen, showing the dark ooze covering it. "Whatever this is."

"It will kill him," Marco answers stealing a handful for himself. "About your friend."

"He's a werewolf and he just moved here. Has really long hair and asked me how I kept mine like this," Thatch gestures at his hair. "Because it looks silky."

"And werewolf is a quantifier how?" Ace asks.

"Because he wants to make sure the product will stay during transformations or can be reapplied during them," Thatch answers. "He was pretty cute."

Ace snorts, "Pretty cute?"

"Shut up, I don't want to hear this from the man who took a week to figure out he was dating my brother."

"Thatch, you know Ace is joking. But also, you didn't know you were dating your ex until they broke up with you."

"Izou isn't dating me!"

"If you say so," Marco agrees. "I hope you introduce us at some point. We like to know your friends."

"If I see him again then maybe," Thatch agrees, making sure to avoid thinking about his arrangement to meet Izou for coffee tomorrow. Sometimes he thought Marco could smell secrets. "Play the movie."

[wordsdrippinginink]

Hey since requests are open would you mind writing something where Ace introduces Marco to Luffy? I love your writing! have a great day!

“You do know that your brother will be upset when he wakes up to find you aren’t beside him.”

Luffy grumbles, turning onto his side and opening his eyes just enough to peek at whoever’s talking. He thinks he remembers that voice, one of the ones that had screamed for Ace when he had almost been caught by Akainu, but he doesn’t remember the face or name.

“Well,” Ace says easily, but Luffy can’t see his face and Ace can always sound relaxed, even if he’s crying or his smile is crumbling. “I seem to remember someone else lingering around.”

“You almost died,” the man, tall and blonde with glasses, says firmly, a hand on Ace’s face. “You-”

“I’m fine, see?” Ace leans into the touch and Luffy feels like he’s not suppose to look at them when they’re like this. “Almost doesn’t mean that I am, you know that better than most.”

The man shakes his head, “I know a lot of things, but almost dying is still too close for me,” Luffy closes his eyes when the man moves closer. “Stay here with your brother. He’ll be more upset if he wakes up and you aren’t here.”

“You need help too.”

“I’ve been preparing to take over the crew for several years now. We knew Oyaji wouldn’t live forever and I had already taken over most of the day to day tasks, I can handle it without help.”

“Fine, but Marco, don’t over reach. You’re going to need help and if you want me to rest and spend time with my brother, that’s three commanders worth of work on your shoulders.”

“Thatch is allowed to do paperwork now, so it’s only yours and my own. I can handle that. Now, please go sit down.”

Luffy closes his eyes again, because if they’re gonna be gross, they could have done it elsewhere instead of here. Lying too still until Ace’s hand is in his hair.

“I know you’re awake.”

“Ace is okay?” Luffy asks, instead of pretending he wasn’t eavesdroppng.

Ace grins, “I’m fine. He barely got my side and Marco helped me heal right up. How are you? When you collapsed like that, I was worried.”

“I’m okay,” Luffy mutters softly. “Is Ace’s crew okay?”

“Ah,” Ace’s smile falls. “My captain didn’t make it. He,” he looks away and Luffy knows that means that he’s feeling guilty. “He died giving us the chance to run. But most of the crew lived. Injured, but they’ll live.”

Luffy nods, “Who’s Marco?”

“So you were awake,” Ace says rolling his eyes. “Marco is the new captain and one of our doctors. He’s the reason that you’re all healed up so quickly, it’s part of his Devil’s fruit.”

“And?”

“And you’re a noisy little brother and I should have let that alligator eat you when we were children,” Ace scowls, prodding Luffy in the side. “You’ll meet him later. It can wait.”

Luffy pouts, grinning when Ace pushes him over and climbs into the bed himself, “Mean.”

“I am,” Ace agrees, letting Luffy hold onto his wrist and ignoring the way that Luffy’s fingers press against his wrist, right over his pulse. “Come on, I want to hear about how you came to Marineford. And after that, Marco will probably have come back and I’ll introduce you.”

“Promise?”

“What happened to the little brother who trusted me?” Ace demands, grinning easily when Luffy’s cheeks puff up. “I promise. Now, come on. Jinbei’s had nothing but good things to say about you.”

[wordsdrippinginink]

Imagine a modern au, Luffy talking up his older brother to be this big bad tough guy because Luffy only ever talks about him in context of when they fight or Ace is fighting others and his friends are low-key nervous (high-key, Usopp and Chopper would like to take a hard out) and being so surprised when Ace is super kind and friendly and nothing like the way Luffy describes him. They're all what the heck why didn't you say he was like this? You guys never asked what he's like only how he fights.

Chopper is nervous, not that Chopper isn’t always nervous because he is that, but today Luffy had promised them that they were going to meet his big brother. The same big brother that Luffy said punched someone in the face last week, which wasn’t included in the time that Ace had broken someone’s fingers and then curb stopped broken finger man’s friends. Or Jinbe’s description of the fight he had with Ace, that was better left forgotten.

“What does Ace do?” Zoro asks curiously, hunched forward slightly as he sharpens one of his swords. “I mean, he has a job, doesn’t he?”

“Ace does something!” Luffy offers easily, but doesn’t expand, which isn’t helpful. “But he’s not gonna be doing his job here!”

“I think I have a case of can’tmeetfamily-itus,” Usopp says standing up quickly. “I need to go!”

Nami pulls him down by the back of his overalls, “Sit down and shut up, or I’ll transfer all of the money that Luffy owes me onto you,” Chopper shivers as she glares at all of them. “When will Ace be arriving?”

“Mhm? Don’t know, Ace said that he would be here after work,” he pulls out his phone, fumbling it briefly, before checking his messages. “Ace says that he’ll be ten minutes late because his boyfriend needs him to pick up something.”

“Won’t he have to run it home then too?” Sanji asks setting drinks down on the table to keep them occupied. “Unless it’s something that can wait?”

“Ace leaves nearby,” Jinbe answers. “He and Marco have a place that’s before you reach the Sunny. If you draw a line it’s Ace’s work, Ace’s house, Sunny.”

Chopper bites his straw instead of his lip, because that meant there wasn’t going to be too much time before Ace was here. He could just imagine him. Tall with scars from all his fights, the scowl that Luffy told them was intimidating on his brother, but couldn’t copy himself, and eyes like fire. It’s enough to make Chopper want to hide under the table.

“Ace is hear!” Luffy shouts as someone knocks on the door, hurrying to answer it and throwing it open. “Ace!”

“Luffy!”

Ace is, Chopper tilts his head, not at all what he had expected. He’s tall, taller than Luffy at least, but he’s smiling and there’s no scars on his face like Luffy has.

“Ace come meet my friends,” Luffy drags Ace towards them and Ace laughs, letting him do just that. “Everyone, this is Ace! Ace, everyone!”

Ace shakes his head, before leaning forward slightly, “Thanks for taking care of my brother. I know he can be a bit of a fool, but he seems to like you a lot,” righting himself and waving. “Hey Jinbe!”

“Ace, it’s good to see you. I heard that you’ve been promoted again.”

“Apparently. I don’t get it, I didn’t even apply for it, but now I’ve got a whole lab! And minions!” Ace says excitedly, which makes Chopper think of super villain labs.

“What do you do?” Zoro asks finally, after a long moment of silence. “Luffy never said.”

“I’m the head of research and development at a tech company,” Ace answers, finally sitting in the chair Luffy is trying to shove him into. “It’s a lot of fun and we end up setting the labs on fire or blowing something up at least once a month. Zoro, right?”

Zoro nods slowly, “Luffy’s mentioned us?”

“Well sure, you’re his best friends. He keeps coming by and showing Marco and I all the pictures that he’s taken of you and your shenanigans,” Ace says leaning back slightly when Sanji places a drink down for him. “Thank you very much.”

“You’re-” Sanji trails off.

“Politer than we thought,” Nami finishes for him, because Nami has no sense of self preservation. “Since Luffy isn’t.”

“Luffy is polite when he needs to be,” Ace says, almost diplomatically. “But he also seems to work on rules that no mortal human can. Sabo thinks he’s one of the fae.”

“I’m not a fea!” Luffy shouts, moving to sit closer to Ace. “So mean Ace! Sabo knows my dad!”

“Dragon is a perfect example of fae,” Ace teases, smiling brightly. He doesn’t look anything like what Luffy had told them about his brother. “And you will not convince me otherwise.”

 It’s Robin that brings it up after Ace leaves, several hours worth of laughter and stories about Luffy’s childhood later.

“I thought that Ace would be less polite.”

“Why would you think that?” Luffy asks looking absolutely puzzled. “Ace is super polite.”

“You never mentioned that,” she counters.

“You only ever asked about Ace’s fighting ability,” Luffy frowns. “Not about Ace!”

[wordsdrippinginink]

Okay but then how do you solve the problem?

Thatch is just about done with moping. He’s had it up to his fucking foulard with moping and pouting and anything else that is in the same damn real as them. He will burn his restaurant down if he has to have Marco or Ace at the bar one more night whining about something. Never at the same time, because that would make his life easier, they could be upset at each other instead and save him from having to listen to their slurred problems.

And neither of them are actually telling him what’s wrong!

He would be so much happier if they would actually tell him what has them both upset, but no. Not a word about it, just comments about ‘how didn’t he see it?’ and ‘why is he upset? i thought we were friends?’ Honestly, what is he suppose to get from something so vague?

If he could help than he can get rid of them and ensure that they finally, finally, stop harassing him a work with their stupidity.

“Maybe,” Izo says slowly folding fan tapping his lips as he tilts his head thoughtfully. “Maybe it has something to do with how often Marco has been on his phone?”

“Slowed down some lately,” Thatch agrees. “Maybe whoever he’s talking to upset him some how. What about Ace?”

“I don’t know Ace, Thatch dear, I would assume that someone upset him too. Maybe you should actually ask him instead of making that face.”

“Stop calling me dear. You think it would be a good idea?”

Izo shrugs silkily, one eyebrow arching up, “You never know. Ace can talk overly much when he is drinking. Maybe that’s what he needs to get some advice.”

“If this works, I owe you.”

“You’ve already sold me your first born, I’m not sure you have anything left to sell me.”

Thatch grins, “I can find something. Thanks for the advice, I’ll see if it works then.”

It does. It does work and Thatch wants to bleach his brain because no. No.

Just because he’s happy that they have stopped moping doesn’t mean that he wanted to catch them making out in the bathrooms with hands not where he could see them.

[wordsdrippinginink]

marco and law: immortality is a curse to those who deserve it and a boon to those who don't. hope this isn't too dark a subject for you! ty if you do it<3

“You’re looking tired,” Marco says taking a seat beside Law and passing over one of the cups in his hand. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t be of more help.”

Law shakes his head, feeling bitter and old, “Your flames gave me extra time to save them. I’m sorry that I wasn’t faster.”

“We would have needed more than three doctors to save them all,” Marco sighs, slipping his glasses into his pocket and glancing up. “Chopper’s with Zoro, I thought since they seemed close, he would help. He’s taking it worse than you.”

There’s a long moment when Law can’t say anything, feeling heavy with the loss of all the people that he had thought he could save, that he had been asked to save from a disease that made him think of Amber Lead. Law is many things, a pirate and not kind, but Law can still vividly remember the end of Fleevance.

“You seem unaffected,” Law says finally, softly as he stares at his cup.

Marco hums, “I’ve been told that before,” turning his cup in his hands but never lifting it to try and . “Why?”

“You don’t look sad, or like the memory of this is too much.”

“Would you like to know a secret,” Marco asks setting his cup down and leaning back further to stare at the sky. “The last person that I told this to, he took it to his death.”

“Secret?” Law asks softly, looking at him in confusion.

“Immortality can be a blessing or a curse. For me, it’s been a curse since the day that I learned exactly what it would take for me to die,” Law jerks to look at him and Marco smiles. “You weren’t expecting that were you?”

“But you’ve still-”

“I promised someone that I would do what I could to protect what little legacy he had, and since I finished protecting what Oyaji wanted, needed me to, I can do what he asked.”

“And after?”

Marco hums, “Death is for everyone. I’ll be too slow or a storm will blow me off course, maybe the marines will learn. Killing myself is an option, of course, but it’s not the one that I would pick first.”

“But you think it’s a curse?”

“You’ve lived through everyone that you’ve loved dying once,” Marco says, not unkind but factual. “Tell me, if you had to live with that, again and again, could you do it?”

Law tries to imagine it, repeating and repeating over and over, “how can you live with that?”

“Because every new person that I love makes it worth wile. It’s a curse, that’s my thoughts on it, but just because I’m going to loose someone doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t love them.”

“Do you ever regret loving them?” Law asks finally.

“No, not ever. I regret that they’re gone, that we didn’t have longer, but never once did I regret loving someone. At least,” Marco almost laughs, it’s broken but almost there. “At least not unless they betrayed me or those I care for.”

“Doesn’t age bother you? I know you can’t mean only platonicly.”

Marco laughs, “God, he asked that too,” he glances at Law, smile soft and bitter. “It’s complicated, but I think all you need to know is that when I love someone, I stay that way for far too long. I fixate on it and when they leave me, death or moving on, I will still love them after. And then someone will come along, amazing and bright and kind, and like a fool, I make the same mistakes.”

“He was recent, wasn’t he?” Law asks, because he can’t imagine staying to protect a legacy for centuries. “The person you’re talking about.”

“Are you really curious or is this to be polite,” Marco sighs. “Perhaps a distraction from all that death?”

Law hums, “A bit of each. But, I was curious, I’ve been focused on my own endeavors to think of something like that, I still am, but you aren’t.”

“He died during Marineford, I was so close, but,” he shifts and one of his hands goes to a wrist, rubbing gently. “Seastone cuffs. He died before someone could take them off me.”

Law can make a guess who he means, the way that Marco had agreed so easily to join Luffy and how he stays close during fights that look too dangerous, “But in the end, it’s still a curse?”

“Yes,” Marco sighs, standing up and dumping the contents of his mug over the edge of the ship. “Because I love people and I’ll always hate they’re gone, even if someone else if there for me. I wasn’t joking, Law. It’s like reliving your life over and over, from the greatest, happiest days, until they’re dead and you’re alone and bitter and spoiling for something, anything to take you too.”

“But you could end it.”

“I could do a lot of things,” Marco agrees, heading back inside. “But I have a promise to fulfill first and then, when I’m alone again, maybe this will be the time it’s finally too much.”