Happy birthday, ImperialMint ^^ The long overdue second (and final) part of this story :D

Thanks MyLadyDay for beta'ing

Warnings: mentions of human experimentation

Ace woke up because of a loud noise that had suddenly echoed around him. The sound did nothing to soothe the headache that was pounding behind his eyes, and his memory was hazy. What had happened again?

Right, Marco had fed him some kind of Earth beverage. It had been stronger than he was used to, which explained his current state. It also explained why he was lying on the couch in the living room instead of in his bed.

The only question that remained was where that loud noise was coming from. From outside, that much was obvious, but if Ace didn't know better, he would say he was hearing the engines of a space ship.

His eyes widened.

Suddenly very awake, Ace ran outside. Marco's words from the previous night came back to him. Today, a ship would come to deliver food and the like. Would Marco sent Ace away after all? Why else would he have gotten him drunk? That bastard!

A bastard with wonderfully soft looking lips…

Ace stopped in his tracks, shaking his head violently, causing his head to throb harder. He cursed. He shouldn't have become attached to Marco. Even if he had warmed up to Ace in the past days, it didn't mean Marco wanted him to stay.

Ace snorted. Well, tough luck for him. Ace was going to give him a piece of his mind. He wasn't about to let himself be chased away, thank you very much. He liked it here, even if the company left something to be desired, and he wasn't about to go anywhere.

Content with his decision, Ace continued his search for the source of the noise, that had subsided by now. As expected, he found a spaceship landed on the spot where Thatch's had been only a few days ago. However, another sight made Ace stop in his tracks once more.

Marco was standing near the ship, his arms wrapped around a black haired woman. A woman with orange hair was standing near them, looking endeared.

It suddenly felt like a stone dropped on his stomach. Why hadn't he considered the possibility that Marco had a girlfriend? Because he's a cold bastard, his brain helpfully reminded him, and he snorted. Well, better her than him. His nose turned up, Ace made his way over to the group.

The woman with orange hair seemed to notice him first. "Look at that," she said, "Marco's got company."

The black haired woman let go of Marco and turned to Ace, her lips curled in a mysterious smile. "Indeed. It's a good thing he hasn't been devoured by the man-eating animals on the ground. Well, not yet anyway."

Ace gulped at her disturbing remark, even more baffled by the fact that she kept smiling politely. "Hello," he finally said.

"Hello~" the orange haired woman said, her tone suggestively, but what she was suggesting, Ace wasn't sure.

"Hello," he just repeated, slightly nervous.

Marco cleared his throat. "Yeah, well, Pops deemed that I needed an assistant, so I got Ace. Ace, these are Robin and Nami." He gestured to the black haired woman first, and then to the one with red hair.

"Nice to meet you," Nami said.

"Pleasure," Robin said almost simultaneously.

"Hi." Ace looked from one to the other, unsure what to do. Marco probably wanted to be alone with his girlfriend, wouldn't he? "Well, I'll just leave you then."

"Not so fast, big guy," Nami said when he had turned around. "If you're his assistant, the least you could do is help unload."

"You're the delivery people?" Ace asked, surprised. It made sense, in a way. Marco wasn't the type to leave his planet often, so how else could he meet a girlfriend?

"Yup. Your presence explains why we have more food than usual, though the amount suggests there should be even more people." Nami scratched behind her ear as she looked at the list of contents.

Ace looked at Marco, who just shrugged. "Wait, does that mean I can stay?" he asked disbelievingly.

"I told you that last night."

Ace snorted. "You also got me drunk."

Robin chuckled, while Nami said, "Marco, you sly dog."

Marco coughed, probably to cover up his embarrassment about what they were implying. "Let's just get to unloading, shall we?"

Nami opened the hatch, and one by one, they went inside to get out the supplies. While working, Nami explained that they had deactivated the robots that usually unloaded, because they didn't work well on this planet.

The delivery consisted mostly of food, meal pills, and other things they had run out of. There were some clothes for Ace as well, but nothing to his liking or if it was, it didn't fit.

Marco looked at Nami. "Would you mind taking Ace to the nearest planet with a store to get him some clothes that fit?"

She shrugged. "Sure."

"What about Robin?" Ace asked confusedly.

"Don't worry about us. We'll enjoy ourselves here," Robin replied with that mysterious smile of hers.

Ace puffed his cheeks and had trouble not to pout. Of course they wanted time alone. Marco had a great excuse, because Ace still needed clothes and other things.

"Come along then, Ace." Nami was already standing on the gangplank, tapping her foot impatiently.

Ace looked over his shoulder, but Marco was already on his way to the house along with Robin. A feeling of sadness washed over him. Stupid Sabo and his ideas. If he hadn't said that Ace liked Marco, Ace might not have figured it out. He wouldn't feel so rejected then now.

Nami led the way to the command room and took the wheel. Ace flopped down in the seat next to hers and crossed his arms before his chest after fastening his seatbelt.

"What's up with you?" Nami asked after they had left the atmosphere of the bird planet.

Ace shrugged. "Nothing. Do they always send you away like that?"

"I don't mind. They go way back, so I understand that they want to talk. It's not like they see each other that often. Besides, we can't leave the ship on that planet for too long, as the engine would die and we'd be stuck."

"Marco wouldn't mind that," Ace muttered.

Nami raised her eyebrow. "Someone's in a mood."

"He just never mentioned you two, is all. If they're such good friends, why haven't I heard of you?" Ace looked at her challengingly.

Nami focused back on space to see where she was flying. "Look, Robin and Marco might be close, but she does brings up bad memories, as does he for her. So I guess he doesn't like to talk about her, even if he does like to talk with her, you know."

"Bad memories?" Ace asked. "What do you mean?"

She shook her head. "If he hasn't told you, it sure isn't my place to do so. All you need to know is that they are good friends."

Ace perked up at that word, even if the rest sounded a little worrisome. "Friends?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Nothing." With a grin, Ace leaned back in his chair.

Nami looked at him with a raised eyebrow, when it suddenly seemed to click. "Oh, I see."

"N-no, you don't see. There is nothing to see," Ace said hastily.

"So I don't see that you thought they were dating and are now relieved to know that Marco is single because you secretly have a crush on him?" Nami inquired.

Ace felt his cheeks flush. "No."

"I see."

Ace was about to retort when Nami made the ship ready for landing. They had arrived on a small but busy planet with lots of stores. Nami parked the ship, and they walked outside. The atmosphere contained enough oxygen to walk around without a spacesuit. It made shopping easier, no doubt.

"Would you mind if we grab a bite first? I haven't had breakfast yet," Ace said to Nami.

She shrugged. "Sure. Marco's paying anyway."

"Does he know that?"

She shrugged again. "He should by now. Like you said, they always send me away, and I need to fill the time in some way. Sometimes I can make some deliveries, but I can't go too far since I need to pick up Robin again. So in a matter of speaking, he's paying me for the inconvenience." She held open the door of a café. "Shall we?"

They were served by a green space creature with eleven tentacles, and Ace immediately dug into his food. Finally something else than the weird Earth food Marco gave him. Instead, he had good old space jelly.

Nami made a face when he had started eating. "Has Marco seen you eat like that?"

He looked up. "Yeah, why?"

She rolled her eyes. "Good luck wooing him then."

"I don't want to woo him." Ace felt his cheeks heat up again and he carefully looked up from his plate. "Are you sure there is nothing between him and Robin?"

"Positive. Believe me, I know."

Something in her tone convinced him, and he let the subject rest.

After they ate in silence for a while, Nami placed her elbows on the table and rested with her head on her hands. "So, tell me, how long have you been staying with Marco?"

"Only a few days," he said with his mouth full.

She made a face again, but apparently, her curiosity won from her disgust. "Only a few days, eh? He must fancy you too if he's allowing you to stay already."

Ace looked up from his now clean plate. "You think so?"

She nodded as she indicted she wanted to pay to the waitress. "Well, I don't know him well, but from what I understand from Robin, he doesn't really like people. His reasons for that are obvious, Robin has trouble making friend as well, at least with humans."

"It's not obvious to me," Ace complained.

She waved with her hand. "Anyway, his brothers are the exception. And now you, apparently. It does make sense, in a way, though," she added thoughtfully.

"Why?" Ace asked.

"Aside from the fact that you're cute, you're also young."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

She patted his hand. "You'll understand in time. Come on now, let's go shopping." Her eyes glistened.

Ace ended up having a great time with Nami. His headache had subsided after eating. Moreover, he found out some things about Marco, but only what Nami had heard from Robin, and apparently, Robin wasn't much of a gossip. Nami, on the other hand, was. She ended up buying more things than Ace did, and Ace felt sorry for Marco, or at least for his wallet. However, having company aside from grumpy old Marco and the birds was kind of nice.

They spent all day together – counting days in the amount of hours it took on what was now Ace's home planet to rotate around its sun – before Nami brought them back. Robin came out of the house, as she had probably heard the engines of the spaceship. She waved at Marco as she switched places with Ace.

Ace waved at Nami, before she took Robin's hand and they entered the ship together. Not long after, the craft lifted up from the ground. Marco was standing outside the house and watched the ship leave.

Ace waved until they were out of sight and then sighed contently.

"I take it your shopping trip was successful?" Marco asked.

Ace help up his bags proudly. Usually, he would have teleported the clothes into his room already, but since that didn't work on this planet, he had to carry it. "I've got all the stuff I need now. Look at this!" He took a bright orange hat out of one of the bags and placed it on his head. "Do you like it?"

Marco stared at him for a moment with an expression Ace couldn't place, before he finally said, "It suits you."

Ace grinned and tipped the hat back. "You do know you paid for all of it, right?"

Marco sighed. "I do, unfortunately. Have you eaten yet?"

Ace nodded. He and Nami had gone out to dinner after the shopping. When Marco turned to walk back to the house, Ace called him back. "Marco?"

He turned around.

Ace looked at his new boots before taking a deep breath. "Nami said you and Robin were close and that she brings up bad memories for you."

Marco's back straightened and he became tense. "I see," he said with clenched jaws. "What else did she say?"

"That it wasn't her place to explain what that meant. But since it is yours, I just wanted to ask."

"If I chose to tell you, it would be my place." Marco turned around again.

"I figured that was the case," Ace said. "I didn't mean to pry. We only know each other a few days. You have no reason to trust me with your personal things." He stretched himself. "Anyway, I'm beat, so I'm off to bed." He walked past Marco, but froze when he started to talk.

"Thank you for understanding," he said softly.

Ace turned around and grinned at him. "Thanks for letting me stay."

Over the next few days, Ace noticed a change in Marco's behaviour. He had seen one once before, after Marco had talked to Pops and Ace's status had gone from 'definitely leaving' to 'maybe staying'. Marco had seemed to warm up to him a bit, especially after he had talked to Ace's brothers.

Lately, he seemed even more comfortable around Ace, and Ace couldn't help but wonder if it was because of something Robin had said, or because of his drunken night. Marco hadn't fed him anymore rum, or any other alcoholic Earth beverage for that matter, but he did spend more time with Ace. He helped clean the poop deck or just came by for a chat during the day, instead of only spending time with Ace in the evenings while teaching him a new language. Ace even caught Marco looking at him from time to time, though he always looked away when Ace looked back. He also still locked himself into his room at night.

Still, Ace couldn't help but feel that maybe, just maybe, Marco started to like him as well. He decided to put his theory to the test, first by dropping things near Marco and bending over to fetch them. After he had concluded, much to his satisfaction, that Marco was indeed staring at his ass, he decided it was time for more drastic measures.

One evening at dinner, Ace tried to touch Marco's hand as often as he could, though he always made it seem like an accident. He let their fingers brush together when Marco passed him something and 'accidentally' threw over his glass of water, dabbing it off Marco's chest. Unfortunately, Marco batted his hands away and left to change his shirt. Ace sighed. This wasn't going to be easy.

After dinner, Ace decided to go a step further. When Marco grabbed the books for Ace's daily language lesson, Ace sat down on the couch, closer to Marco than strictly necessary. However, while Marco was testing him, Marco moved away a little. Ace didn't have an excuse to slide over as well, until he made tea – Marco had taught him how to do that – and sat down again rather close. Marco switched his position soon after Ace had sat back down, once more moving over.

Ace was starting to get desperate. Either Marco was completely dense, or he had no interest in Ace after all. Still, he wasn't ready to give up.

Another day passed in which Ace tried his moves. He added some more, like licking his lips when he knew Marco was watching, and leaving the bathroom door unlocked when he was showering. Unfortunately, Marco wasn't as stupid as Ace was to walk into the bathroom when it was occupied.

By now, Ace didn't think he could be more obvious unless he was lying naked on Marco's bed with a rose clenched between his teeth – this type of Earth flower was still bred and had maintained its romantic connotations, or so Ace had heard. While it was tempting, Ace put that thought aside as a last resort. For now, he would do the mature thing and talk to Marco. At least then he would know for sure if Marco liked him or not.

It was after dinner, a little before sundown. Marco had left the house to check up on a bird that had been sick lately, and Ace had stayed behind to do the dishes. He did them in record time, and instead of drying them right away, he left them to dry on the counter. He couldn't wait any longer.

He found Marco on what he had dubbed as the poop deck, because the birds for some reason chose to do their business there a lot. Marco was leaning on the rail, watching the sun go down.

Cautiously, Ace approached him. He didn't want to startle him, because falling over the edge meant certain death. Fortunately, Marco seemed to have noticed his presence, as he turned around.

"Done with the dishes already?" he asked.

Ace shrugged. "You know. It's a stupid chore anyway."

Marco snorted, but Ace noticed a hint of a smile on his face. "As long as you did them. Did you want something?"

"Eh, yeah." Ace took a step closer, but lost his nerve. "How's the bird doing?"

"Very well, actually." Marco pointed up in the tree closest by them. The bird was sitting on a branch.

Ace smiled. "That's great."

They were silent for a while, before Ace took a deep breath and stood next to Marco. "Do you like me?" he asked flat out, before he would lose his nerve again.

Marco looked at him for a moment. "I let you stay, didn't I?" he finally replied. "I wouldn't do that if I didn't at least like you a little."

"Oh." Ace deflated a bit. "Good."

"It's been… nice to have company," Marco continued. "Nicer than I expected." He looked at Ace.

Ace smiled at him. "It's been nice staying here."

"Good."

They fell into silence once again. Ace was searching his brain to think of something to say. "I was thinking," he finally started, at the same time as Marco started.

"We should–"

They both laughed. "You go first," Marco said.

"No, that's okay. You go," Ace insisted.

Marco shook his head with a smile. "I was just thinking that–"

Suddenly, Ace couldn't take it anymore. Perhaps it was the setting sun, or the birds singing their last song before nightfall, but he couldn't help himself. Wrapping his arms around Marco's neck, he pressed their lips together.

The kiss only lasted for a second, and Marco looked thoroughly confused when Ace let go of him. He was just thinking up an excuse for his behaviour, when Marco's head shot forward and he kissed Ace again. Ace stumbled backwards, trying to find his balance back, but Marco's arms firmly wrapped around him prevented him from falling. Ace's hands clawed at Marco's back as Marco deepened the kiss, and Ace felt himself being pressed up against a tree. Birds flew away startled.

Ace couldn't help but moan into the kiss. He should have done this ages ago, if he had known Marco would respond like this. It felt so good to kiss him.

As suddenly as it had started, Marco pulled back again. They were both slightly out of breath, and Ace was sure his lips were as swollen and red as Marco's were.

Marco looked at him, something akin regret in his eyes. "It's getting dark," he finally said. "I'm going to my room."

Somehow, that didn't sound like an invitation for Ace to join him, and Ace's suspicions were confirmed when Marco walked away briskly without looking back. Ace stared after him, trying not to be too disappointed. Maybe Marco just needed some time to process what had happened. Ace did, in any case. Subconsciously, he touched his lips. Kissing Marco had been so great. He had never had a kiss quite like this one. Then again, he had never liked someone like he liked Marco.

It was no use wondering whether Marco liked him back or not. He had kissed Ace, so there had to be at least some kind of attraction. Ace would just have to sit him down to talk with him about what happened.

While Ace had been musing, it had become dark. Ace returned to the house, where he cleaned up the dishes. Then, he hesitated. Should he talk to Marco now? Marco always locked himself in his room at night, but this was important.

Ace took a deep breath and knocked on the door of Marco's bedroom. "Marco?" There was no reply. Carefully, he tried the doorknob. Much to his surprise, he found that the door wasn't locked. Opening the door, he peeked inside. Marco's bed was empty and looked untouched. "Marco?" he called again, looking around the door. He had never seen Marco's room. It was as soberly decorated as Ace's own, with just a wardrobe and a bed. Marco, however, was nowhere to be seen.

Perhaps he had gone out to clear his head. Ace decided not to worry. Marco knew the planet like the back of his hand, and he doubted anything could have happened to him. He had lived alone in this place for years, after all.

Closing the door again with a sigh, Ace resolved that he would just have to try again tomorrow.

Ace was up early that morning, making breakfast for Marco and trying not to burn anything. He wanted to surprise Marco. He hadn't heard him come in last night, but the sound of the shower running proved he was home, and Ace was glad he hadn't been worried.

As soon as he put the plates on the table, he heard the lock of the bathroom door turn – Marco had learned from his mistake – and Marco came out. He was dressed already, but was still drying his hair. Surprised, he looked at the table.

Ace tried, but he couldn't fight the grin that crept up his face. "Hi," he said.

"Hey."

"Breakfast is ready."

"So I see."

A silence fell, before Marco finally said, "You didn't have to go to all that trouble. I was planning on taking a pill and feed the birds." He hang his towel over the back of a chair.

"You don't want to talk about last night?"

Marco froze on his way to his room. "Is there anything to talk about?" he asked, but didn't turn to look at Ace.

"Of course there is." Ace walked over to him. "I wanted to talk last night, but you weren't in your room–"

"You went into my room?" Marco interrupted him sharply.

"I didn't snoop around or anything," Ace said, slightly indignant. "I didn't even go in, just peeked around the corner. Anyway, I assumed you went for a walk or something. I mean, I was kinda surprised about what happened." Ace bit his lip with a smile and looked at the ground.

"Ace…"

He looked up, his smile disappearing. "If you want to leave it as a onetime thing, you should tell me now."

"I don't." Gently, Marco caressed his face and smiled when Ace looked up. "I admit I was hesitant at first, but…" He looked at Ace and sighed with a smile. "I just really want to kiss you again."

Grinning, Ace pulled him close, uncaring about the breakfast that was getting cold. Marco led him to the couch, placing his knee on the cushions as he laid Ace down, all the while never letting go of him. Ace moved with his hand through Marco's hair, gently pulling it. Marco's tongue entered his mouth. Ace was never one to miss a meal, but right now, he couldn't care less about the food on the table.

Finally, Marco pulled back, panting heavily.

Ace made a pleased sound and played with Marco's hair. "I've wanted to do that for a long time."

Marco smiled. "You did?"

"You didn't?"

Marco moved so Ace could sit up. "For a while, yes."

"How long?" Ace asked cheekily.

Marco hummed and leaned against the back of the couch while Ace crawled in his lap. "Not right away, if that's what you're asking. I mean, I thought you were cute, but I really didn't see the need for you to stay. Until Pops made me promise I'd give you a chance."

"I'm glad he did," Ace said and kissed Marco's stubby chin.

"I'm starting to as well," Marco replied with a grin.

Ace raised his eyebrows. "Starting to?"

Marco just grinned at him.

Ace punched him playfully against his shoulder, before settling more comfortably in Marco's lap. "Anyway, you were telling a story."

"Right." Marco placed his chin on Ace's shoulder. "Well, I guess it started when you talked about your brothers. Just the way you love them so much even though you're not related – or perhaps despite of it – I could relate to that. And they are easy to talk to."

Ace grinned.

"And it all went downhill from there," Marco said with a dramatic sigh.

Ace elbowed him in the ribs. "I'm starting to think I preferred you as your grumpy self." In reality, however, he was glad Marco had loosened up, even if he hadn't expected such a sudden change.

Marco laughed and kissed his cheek. "Anyway, when you started to flirt with me, I figured you felt the same."

"I'm glad you noticed after all. I was beginning to think you were really daft," Ace said teasingly. "My next step would have been to lie naked on your bed."

Marco was silent for a moment, his head cocked to the side a little as if he was imagining it.

Ace elbowed him again. "Pervert." Marco smiled and pulled Ace close. Ace hummed pleased when Marco kissed him. "Play your cards right and you might get to see it after all," he said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. He was surprised when Marco suddenly let go of him and sighed. "Is something wrong?" he asked, forehead pulled in a frown.

"Before we go any further, there is something you should know," Marco said. He didn't make eye contact.

"What is it then?"

Marco pushed him off his lap and rose, before starting to pace up and down. "I've talked with Robin about you, and she made me see that I need to be completely honest with you. That you should accept me."

"I do do that," Ace said, confused. Marco wasn't making any sense. "I like you, whether you're a grumpy old man or not."

Marco just shook his head and continued pacing. "That's not it. There is something you need to know…"

"Then tell me," Ace pressed. He was really getting worried now.

"I can't." Marco stopped and turned to Ace. Ace was startled by how sad he looked. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. I need to show you."

"Then do that," Ace said. He couldn't help but feel a little jealous that Robin apparently knew Marco's secret.

"I can't. Not now, in any case. Tonight."

"Is it the reason why you always lock yourself in your room?" Ace asked carefully.

Marco nodded, still looking sad.

Ace rose and wrapped his arms around him. "Okay, then show me tonight. I promise that you don't have anything to worry about. I'll accept you no matter what."

"Don't make promises you may not be able to keep," Marco said softly, before taking a deep, albeit shaky breath. "You'll see tonight what I'm talking about. If you change your mind about staying here, I'll understand. I'm sure Thatch'll be willing to pick you up."

"I'm not going anywhere," Ace said firmly.

"Just keep in mind that you can."

Ace wasn't pleased with how the conversation went, but Marco didn't seem to want to talk about it anymore and Ace respected that. He would see it tonight. Silently, they started to eat the now cold breakfast.

Ace didn't see much of Marco that day. He got the feeling he was avoiding him, and in all honesty, he couldn't blame him. He couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't ask questions about the thing that Marco could apparently only show him. He wondered what it could be. In the vast universe, he had seen a lot of things, and nothing seemed impossible to him. Still, Marco seemed convinced that Ace would only believe him if Ace saw it for himself, whatever it could be. Why only at night?

The suspense was killing him, and for once, he was glad that he could scrub the poop deck. It was hard work and took his mind off whatever Marco was going to show him.

Dinner was as quiet as breakfast, but Ace knew they wouldn't work on his languages tonight. Neither seemed in the mood. Instead, they watched a movie, though Ace barely saw anything of it, and he knew Marco was the same. He tried to distract Marco with kisses, but it didn't seem to work.

Finally, Marco rose. "It's almost sundown." He went to his room, and for a moment, Ace thought he had broken his promise to show Ace his secret. But soon enough, he came out again, wearing a robe.

Ace looked at him confused, but Marco held out his hand.

"Come."

A weird mix of emotions was rushing through Ace as he followed Marco to the poop deck. He was partly relieved that the waiting was over, partly curious about what he was about to see, and partly scared that he would never see Marco in the same light.

When they had arrived at the large deck, Ace could hear the birds sing their last song before dusk. Marco stood with his back turned to him, staring at the setting sun. The air around them was heavy, and for once, it had nothing to do with the hot, humid weather. Ace felt his heart beating fast.

"I know you're curious about what happened on Earth in its last days," Marco said suddenly. "And how I know Robin."

"Those two are related?" Ace asked surprised.

Marco nodded, but still didn't turn around. "When you asked the first time what Earth was like, I'm not sure what you expected as an answer. It's been a beautiful planet for millions of years, until it had been at its limit. People of Earth had then not inhabited the planet for decades, because scientists knew what was about to come. However, that didn't mean that the planet was uninhabited in that time."

"Do you mean the animals?" Ace asked.

Marco shook his head. "Of course, those were there as well, though Pops' evacuation plan was already underway by then. No, there were secret labs on Earth. Only the Universe Government knew about them and what they were doing. Humans were warned about what would happen to the planet, which was true, but the amount of time they still had left was false. The Earth would exist for decades longer than what they had been told. One couldn't go back to Earth anymore without explicit permission from the Government. Because they didn't want anyone to know what they were really doing there."

Ace barely dared to breathe. The fact that Marco knew all this, could only mean one thing. He had been there.

"I was an orphan," Marco said. "So was Robin. We had no one to look after us, and, more importantly, no one to miss us. Along with many others, we were taken to Earth, to the laboratories there. We became human guinea pigs. We were tested upon and cast aside if we couldn't take it anymore." Finally, Marco turned around.

Ace was startled by his face, the pain, the sadness, the anger that was written all over it. He took a step in Marco's direction, but stopped then. He didn't know what to say or do, so he just waited for Marco to continue.

"Do you know what a Devil's Fruit is?" Marco suddenly asked.

The name did sound familiar, but Ace had to search his brain. Finally, his school history provided the answer. "Weren't some kind of superchips used in the Third Intergalactic War, the first in which the Earth participated? Humans had invented them to artificially boost the strength of a human and gain weird and unpredictable powers. Weren't they made illegal?" Ace asked.

Marco nodded slowly. "And the method of how they were made was destroyed. Or so everyone thinks."

Ace's eyes widened. "You don't mean…"

"The first chips used destroyed the user from the inside out, which was the main reason why they were banned. The chips also couldn't be controlled. But on Earth, experimentations were continued and the chip was perfected. This is what I wanted to show you." Marco looked over his shoulder at the two moons that had risen at the horizon. He shed his robe, letting it fall on the wood of the deck. He was only wearing boxers. As soon as the light of the moon hit his bare skin, a shockwave went through his body. Ace could see streaks of light going through his veins, looking like lightning. Marco gasped when another wave of lightning hit him and he fell onto his knees.

Ace didn't know what to do. Subconsciously, he took a step forward, but Marco held up his trembling hand.

"D-don't," he managed to bring out. Suddenly, he let out an animalistic scream.

Wide-eyed, Ace could see his body changing. Blue feathers grew out of his body, covering him all over. His arms became longer, changing into wings. His nose grew, forming into a beak.

Before Ace stood nothing other than the enormous blue bird he had seen on his first night.

He didn't know what to do; he could only gape at Marco. Or what had ever been Marco. He didn't know if Marco could still understand him, much less recognise him. He hadn't attacked Ace on the first night, but perhaps he hadn't seen him.

Marco, or the bird, took a step back, like it regretted showing itself to Ace. Ace knew he had to do something, or at least say something, but his body didn't listen to him. He knew of aliens that could transform, but nothing as drastic as this. Was Marco still in there?

The bird turned around and started flapping its wings almost desperately as it fled away.

Ace realised how stupid he had been. Standing like that, gaping at him, Marco had assumed his worst fear had come true; that Ace didn't accept him, that he was scared of Marco.

"Marco, wait!" he yelled.

The bird turned around, still hanging in the air between the trees, ready to sear away at the slightest indication that Ace wasn't okay with this. Ace smiled at him, trying to put him at ease, when Ace suddenly noticed a shadow from the corner of his eye. A giant wormlike creature came into sight, clenching its round mouth filled with sharp teeth around Marco's leg.

"Marco!" Ace yelled again.

The momentum of the worm, its prey safely clenched between its teeth, along with Marco's surprise caused both of them to fall down.

"Marco!" Ace ran to the rail and looked down, but it was completely dark down there. His heart beating in his throat, Ace prayed that Marco would come flying up again. He could surely lift the Raiku, or at least pry himself free? Right?

Minutes passed, and nothing happened. Ace had to stop himself from jumping after Marco. That would do no one any good. He needed to think straight, but the whole thing felt so surreal. Marco had been a test subject for some kind of forbidden chip that transformed him into a bird, only when the light of a moon hit him, it seemed. And now Marco had fallen prey to one of the most dangerous creatures on this planet. Or the most dangerous one that could leap to their level, only because Ace had been too stupid to respond sooner. If he had, Marco wouldn't have doubted him, and he wouldn't have been flying above the ground instead of the safe deck.

Fighting back tears, Ace turned around and ran back to their little house. He needed to calm down, to think about what to do next. He needed to go after Marco, of course, but first he should warn someone. He didn't know who to call, so he took the general phone and dialled a random number that was in there.

"Hello?" said a voice. A pretty but sleepy looking man came into view. He seemed to wake up a little when he saw Ace. "Oh, you must be Ace! Thatch has told me so much about you–"

"There's no time for that!" Ace interrupted him rudely. "Marco's fallen over the edge!"

The man's eyes widened. "What?! Press the red button on the wall. The person closest to you will come as soon as they can."

In the background, Ace could hear a sleepy voice asking something. That must be Thatch, since he was fairly sure the person he was talking with now was Izo. Izo replied, but then turned back to Ace. "Ace, I'm on my way as well. Don't do anything stupid!" He hung up.

Like Ace was going to do something stupid! He was going to get Marco back, that was all. He started packing some things he thought he would need. Water and food pills, of course, and bandages, since Marco was likely hurt. He needed something to see as well, but he had been told that the closer to the ground, the worse electronic devices worked, so he settled for a torch and a lighter. Lastly, he took a gun Marco had shown him once, for self-defence. It didn't shoot lasers, like Ace was used to, but metal pieces, or 'bullets'.

When he had everything he thought he needed, he hastened himself to where Marco had fallen down and drew a large arrow on the wood with a crayon, so if help came, they knew where they had to be. After that, he went to the lift that was located behind the house. It was for emergencies only, if someone or something of value fell over the edge. It didn't work on electricity. Instead, Ace had to turn a handle which brought a rope into motion via a pulley. Slowly, he lowered himself closer to the ground. It had been dark near the tops of the trees, but the lower he came, the darker it became. Still, Ace didn't want to waste his torch. He could only go in one direction now.

Several disturbing sounds reached his ears, and he suppressed a shiver. He couldn't give in to fear. Marco was the only thing that was important right now. As long as he could get Marco to safety, it would be okay, no matter what happened to him.

The lift hit the ground suddenly, and Ace had trouble keeping upright. With shaking hands, he lit the torch. From now on, he would need it. Without it, he wouldn't have been able to see a hand in front of his face. Cautiously, he stepped out of the protective surrounding of the lift. He wasn't immediately jumped by some kind of blood thirsty animal, which he took as a good sign.

"Marco?" he called out carefully. "Marco, are you okay?"

There was no reply.

Swallowing harshly, Ace started to move in the direction he thought Marco had fallen. He couldn't be sure, because it was dark all around him, but standing in the same spot wouldn't help Marco. Ace only hoped his torch would last.

Suddenly, he heard a sound behind him. A large creature ran up to him and tried to jump him. Ace lifted his torch and hit the animal with it. The beast howled and ran off in the darkness. His heart beating loudly, Ace tried to calm himself. It was so dark down here, these creatures probably weren't used to light, which should work to his advantage.

"Marco?" he called again, louder this time. He shone his torch around to take in his surroundings, but by doing so, he didn't look where he was going. He bumped into a blubber like mass. Immediately, he stumbled back and tripped over his own feet. The torch rolled away, but by some miracle, it stayed lit.

Eyes wide, Ace looked up to the Raiku that was in front of him. The monster had its mouth aimed at Ace, his pointy teeth shining in the light of the torch. Slowly, Ace reached to the gun that was in his pocket.

The animal let out a shriek, which was the only warning Ace got before it attacked. Ace pulled the trigger of the gun. The recoil almost caused him to topple over. The Raiku fell forward, and Ace had to shuffle backwards so it wouldn't fall on him. Hastily, he grabbed the torch and walked backwards away from the creature, ready to shoot again if necessary. The Raiku didn't move anymore.

Panting, Ace continued his search. He didn't know how many Raikus were down here, but he hoped not too many. He hadn't seen them jump that often, though Marco had explained that they only jumped once a day, and only then if they hadn't found prey.

"Marco!" he shouted again.

A soft, plaintive sound could be heard, and Ace turned to where it had come from. Close to him was a thing that looked mostly like a giant mushroom. On top of it was a large silhouette lying, shaped like a bird.

"Marco!" Ace called again and ran toward the mushroom. In front of it, he stopped. How was he supposed to climb it?

Clenching the torch between his teeth, he tried to reach the cap by jumping, but it was no use. A slightly disturbing idea came to him. "I'll be right back, Marco," he called. "Don't move!" Hastily, he made his way back to where the dead Raiku was lying. It took some effort to roll its body to the mushroom, but it functioned as an excellent trampoline. After a few tries, Ace could grab the cap of the mushroom and hoist himself up.

His torch had been extinguished while he was jumping up and down, and hastily, he lit it again. Marco, still in his bird form, was lying spread out on the cap of the mushroom. One of his legs was covered in blood. When Ace peered over the other side of the edge, he could see another body of a Raiku lying still. Marco must have managed to fight it off.

"It's okay, Marco, I'm here," he whispered.

Marco made a soft sound.

Ace jammed the torch in the soft cap of the mushroom so it was standing upright. "I'm really sorry about what happened," he said softly. "I was just surprised, but if I had responded quicker, none of this would have happened." He looked up. A tiny bit of moonlight was visible, high in the sky. "I'm going to get you back home, I promise."

Marco whimpered.

Ace bit his lip. He had no idea if Marco understood his words, or maybe just his body language. "I'm going to touch you, okay?" Carefully, he held out his hand, ready to pull back at the first sign of Marco being uncomfortable. Gently, he caressed the feathers on top of Marco's head. They were softer than he had expected.

Marco turned his head his head so he could look at Ace.

"You must be in pain." Ace pulled his hand back and grabbed the bandages. Marco made another sound, but Ace didn't understand what he meant. Instead, he started cleaning the wound on Marco's leg. Marco screeched when the disinfectant made contact with the open wound and started to writhe. Ace pulled back the cloth he was using and started talking in a soothing voice.

"You need to calm down, Marco, or you'll make your wounds worse. Please, I'm trying to help you."

Marco stopped writhing, but Ace could see he was still in pain. "I'll try to make it quick, okay?" He did as he had promised, cleaning the wound as quickly as he could. Marco tried to lay as still as possible while Ace bandaged the wound. After the blood had been washed away, the wound had looked less severe than before, though no less painful.

After Marco's leg, Ace disinfected all Marco's other cuts and scrapes that had been caused by branches and tree bark on his way down. Aside from his leg, Marco's wounds didn't seem too bad, fortunately.

"Can you fly?" Ace asked softly. It would be the easiest way to get out of here, at least for Marco. Ace could always take the lift back up. If he could find it again.

Carefully, Marco sat up, trying to avoid putting too much strain on his wounded leg. Ace supported him as well as he could. Marco spread his left wing out as if he wanted to show something. Trying to remember his lessons about birds, Ace tried to figure out what was wrong with the wing. It didn't appear to be broken, but something didn't seem right. Then it hit him. Some of Marco's primary feathers were damaged or missing, which probably happened while Marco was fighting off the Raiku. It meant Marco wouldn't be able to fly, but fortunately, the damage wouldn't be permanent. The feathers would grow back relatively fast. That didn't help them now, unfortunately. Ace didn't dare to take Marco on his back in bird-shape, afraid to hurt him. Besides, he had no idea how heavy he was. No, it would be better to wait until Marco transformed back. If he transformed back.

"When will you turn back? You will, won't you?" he asked softly. Marco pointed his beak to the sky, as if he was trying to say something. Ace hummed. "Your transformation has something to do with the moon, right? Will you turn back when it turns day?"

Marco seemed to nod, and Ace sighed in relief. "That's good to know. I think it's best to wait till then, don't you?"

A howl sounded near to them on the ground, and Ace grabbed the torch to see what it was. The creature fled as soon as it saw the light. Ace heaved a sigh of relieve and placed the torch back into the hole he had made in the mushroom's cap. "Don't worry," he said to Marco. "I've brought your gun, so we should be safe."

Marco brushed his head against Ace's cheek, and Ace wrapped his arms around Marco's neck. He hadn't realised how tired he was until he felt Marco's soft feathers and warmth. "'m just gonna shut my eyes for a bit, okay?" he mumbled. "Do you need to sleep? You can wake me up in a few minutes…" He trailed off as sleep overtook him.

Ace woke up with an arm around his waist and a warm body beside him. At first he didn't question it and just snuggled closer. It wasn't like he was cold, but the body heat was soothing.

Something brushed against his forehead, and Ace opened his eyes. Marco's face was suddenly very close. With an excited shriek, Ace wrapped his arms around him and flipped their positions so that he was on top. He kissed Marco intensely. It was good to see him again in human form.

It took him a while to realise that Marco was naked.

When he did, he pulled back, slightly embarrassed, but he couldn't help but steal a glance. Damn, Marco was hot. Ace had already seen him naked once, when he had accidentally walked into Marco in the shower, but now it seemed that Ace's kiss hadn't left Marco entirely unaffected.

Marco coughed slightly embarrassedly so Ace hastily focussed on something else. It seemed Marco had redone the bandages on his leg himself, as dirty pieces of gauze were lying next to them.

"I'm glad you're okay," Ace said, looking anywhere by Marco's naked form. "I'm sorry about what happened."

Marco smiled. "It's okay. I should have trusted you." He leaned in to kiss Ace again. "We can talk more when we're back home, okay?"

Ace nodded, but before he could say something, he was cut off by an angry voice.

"Ace!"

It took a while for Ace to remember why that voice sounded familiar, and why there was someone down here in the first place. He had called Marco's brothers for help, and it seemed Izo had found them.

An angry Izo was a frightening sight, even the animals cowered away from him. Izo had his hands on his hips, guns in either of his hands. "I told you not to do anything stupid, and what did you do? Go right after Marco! Do you know how dangerous that was? You could have been killed!"

"I was worried about Marco," Ace whined, looking over the edge of the mushroom with Marco lying beside him.

"And I wasn't? Now I was worried sick about the both of you." Izo stamped his foot on the ground. "Get down here so I can kick your ass!"

"Are you the only one here?" Marco asked.

His gentle tone seemed to have a calming effect on Izo. "What? No. I should probably warn them I found you." He took a horn that was hanging from his belt and blew it three times. "God, this planet is primitive. Will you get your asses down now?!"

Ace climbed down first, but Marco hesitated. "I'm not dressed."

"Oh, for the love of…" Muttering, Izo took off his jacket. Ace wondered why he hadn't thought of bringing extra clothing, as he had known Marco was naked when he transformed. Maybe because he had been covered in feathers at the time that he fell down. Still, Ace could have at least put a shirt on so he could give it to Marco.

Marco climbed down, careful for his leg, and took Izo's coat gratefully.

Izo looked at his bandaged leg disapprovingly. "Are you gonna tell me how this happened?"

Ace exchanged a look with Marco, who smiled at him. "It's okay. He knows."

"It was my fault," Ace started as Marco wrapped an arm around his and Izo's shoulder for support. "He showed me, and I didn't respond quickly enough–"

"I was grabbed by a Raiku," Marco said to Izo, interrupting Ace's rant. "He messed up my leg, but I managed to fight him off. I landed on that mushroom there, which was lucky."

"You bet it was. Dammit Marco, don't ever do that again! I hate to miss my beauty sleep!"

It was clear even to Ace that missing sleep had nothing to do with Izo's anger.

Izo had brought a compass, a device that Ace had never seen before outside of a computer. This thing didn't even need electricity! Having no electricity certainly made you creative. They soon reached the lift, which was hanging a few meters off the ground, without meeting any animals. Izo explained that they had done that so that the animals couldn't reach it easily. Another thing Ace hadn't thought off.

It turned out that with Izo, three of Marco's other brothers had arrived. Two of them were human, but Namur was a humanoid alien with blue coloured skin. The others introduced themselves as Rakuyo, and Haruta. Ace had heard of Haruta before as the person taking care of insects.

It was a tight fit in the lift, but they made it up. The brothers carried Marco inside, and Izo started making tea like he owned the place. Both Marco and Ace were washed thoroughly because they had touched a mushroom that was poisonous – which Ace hadn't thought about when he climbed it – though Ace had the luxury of taking a shower himself. Since Marco's leg was bandaged, he received a sponge bath by Izo, and Ace didn't envy him.

It was nice to have more people around the house, as Marco was ordered to stay in bed. Rakuyo, Namur and Haruta helped Ace with his chores and taking care of the birds, though it soon became clear that out of them, Ace was the expert. Izo had assigned himself to be Marco's nurse. Several others called in to see how Marco was doing, including Pops and Thatch. Thatch couldn't come since he couldn't leave the animals alone too long, but he had dropped off Izo, like the other brothers had been dropped off by their partners. It turned out everyone worked in a team, and Ace was glad Marco now had him.

However, no matter how nice it was having others around, it did mean that Ace didn't have much time to talk to Marco. He decided not to worry about it too much. After all, their kiss after Marco had transformed back had proven everything was okay between them. Besides, they would have time alone soon enough.

Soon enough turned out to be a week. When Marco's leg was as good as healed, the brothers finally left the small house to go back home to their own planets, but not before Ace promised he would visit soon.

With a sigh, Ace let himself flop on the couch. The house suddenly seemed strangely empty, and it was eerily silent. Marco sat down as well, and Ace smiled as he snuggled up to him. It was nice to sit like this.

Marco leaned in to kiss him, and Ace eagerly responded. Soon enough he was no longer content with sitting together, and he crawled on top of Marco. His mind drifted back to their kiss on top of the mushroom, and how Marco had gotten aroused. He moaned into the kiss. He would love to see Marco like that again. Though, to be fair, he had seen Marco naked twice and Marco hadn't seen him yet. He would have to fix that.

But first there were some things that still needed to be cleared up. Reluctantly, Ace pulled back and sat back beside Marco. "So… Do you change every night?" he asked.

Marco nodded. "My chip is activated by moonlight."

"Wouldn't it be better to stay on a planet without a moon then?" Ace inquired curiously.

"I've tried that, but it makes the next time transforming more painful the more I postpone it," Marco explained.

Ace made a face. "It already looked painful."

"It's not pleasant, but I'm used to it. At least my chip is working regularly." Marco sighed. "No Devil's Fruit is alike. Some activate randomly, some are active almost all the time. Only a few, the last batch made on Earth, are able to work on command and can be controlled by the user."

Ace looked at him wide-eyed. "But if you change every night, don't you ever sleep?"

"I don't, actually. Somehow, being in bird form recharges me, even if I'm still conscious."

Ace was silent for a moment, trying to process the information. "You never told me how you escaped," he said softly.

Marco pursed his lips and was silent for a moment. Finally, he asked, "Have you ever heard of Gold Roger?"

Ace's eyes widened, and he became pale. He hadn't heard that name in a long time. What would he have to do with Marco? He looked down to the floor. "He was a space pirate, executed by the Government."

Marco must have sensed his change in attitude, because he asked, "Ace, are you okay?"

Ace nodded, but continued to evade eye contact. He knew Marco was okay with petty thievery, otherwise he wouldn't be here, but Gold Roger had been the most wanted criminal in the entire universe. He had been despised by all, and his offspring had as well…

"Ace…" Marco touched his jaw, and finally he looked up. Marco looked worried.

Ace bit his lip. This was Marco's story. He shouldn't wallow in self-pity right now. "I'm fine. Go on with your story." He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear it. It didn't surprise him that a lowlife like Roger would do such horrible experiments on humans. Though, Marco had said the Government knew about them…

"Alright. I had been in the laboratories for years, which is where I met Robin, as I told you. In our laboratory – there were several scattered around Earth to see what effect different weather conditions and altitudes had on the chips – there were about ten test subjects. One day, the laboratory was under attack. The attacker was none other than Gold Roger. Somehow, he had found out about what was happening and was determined to put a stop to it. He was the one who saved us, and that was the reason the Government had to stop him. No one could find out about the experiments that had been done on us, or there would be another war. They hunted down the escapees. It was only because I came under the protection of Pops that they weren't able to hurt me." Marco sighed.

Ace's eyes had grown wider during Marco's story. Gold Roger, the most wanted criminal in the universe, had saved Marco?

"Ace," Marco said again.

Ace cast his eyes down. "R-Roger… He was my father." He looked up, his bottom lip trembling. "I thought he was the scum of the universe. I never knew…"

Marco pulled him close. "He is the reason I'm still here. I never thought I'd end up with his son, though." He smiled at Ace.

Ace nodded and kissed Marco's lips.

When he let go, Marco asked, "Do you want to go feed the birds?"

Ace nodded again, and hand in hand, they made their way to the poop deck. As Marco told him something about birds, his arm slung around Ace's shoulder, Ace couldn't help but sappily think he was happy. He would spend his life with birds, and with Marco.

They talked, interrupted by kisses more often than not, until the sun was setting. Marco started to take off his clothes, reminding Ace about his resolve. Well, he was too late now, so he'd better enjoy the show. Unfortunately, like last time, he didn't have much time to look at Marco before he transformed into his bird form. Ace wrapped his arms around his neck. "I'll see you tomorrow then." He took a step back to give Marco some space, but Marco turned his back to him and gestured with his head. "You… want me to get on your back?" Ace asked disbelievingly.

Marco nodded.

Excited and nervous, Ace carefully climbed upon Marco's back, afraid to hurt him. When he had taken a comfortable position and was holding on tight, Marco spread out his wings and ascended. He flew between the trees, and Ace looked down with a grin on his face. This was so much better than flying with a space ship. He could feel the wind in his face and Marco's soft feathers against his skin.

Marco flew further and further, and soon, they left the forest. Ace had never seen the rest of the planet. Marco had told him that it was mostly wastelands with dangerous creatures roaming it, but now he could finally see it for himself.

They flew all night, and by the end, Ace was dead tired, but happy. He had never flown like that before. Marco transformed back in his human form and helped Ace to bed. He lied down next to him, still naked. Something in the back of Ace's mind reminded him that he should be naked as well, but he was too tired right now. "When I wake up, I need to show you something," he said yawning.

Marco smirked. "I was hoping you would say that. But you should sleep first." He pressed a kiss on Ace's forehead. "Sweet dreams."