The final chapter is finally (or already, depending on your POV) here :D

I'd like to thank everyone who read, reviewed, followed and favourited ^^ This story was initially only supposed to be a three hundred word drabble (i.e. the first chapter), so I can safely say, it got out of control XD Yet here is the end :D

Thanks MyLadyDay for beta'ing and approving

The Half-Naked Truth

For the umpteenth time, Sabo checked the address that Marco had texted him. Why he had invited Sabo and Luffy – though he had said Luffy was optional – to come to what seemed to be an abandoned building at ten at night was beyond Sabo. He had seen people go in, so it wasn't completely abandoned, but still, it looked fishy.

However, Luffy was bored, so Sabo decided to find out what Marco wanted. He didn't think Marco would send them on a wild goose chase or endanger them deliberately; after all, he liked Ace too much for that.

Sabo smirked at that. It had been a week since those two has started dating, and even though Sabo had scolded Ace thoroughly for making Marco lose his job – and Marco too, he should have known better than to kiss a student in his office – they were cute together. And, more importantly, Ace seemed happy.

What exactly had made Ace scared or at least weary of Marco at first seemed to have been completely resolved, so Sabo had decided he wouldn't ask.

However, it had been a surprise when Marco had suddenly texted him that evening. Ace was at work, but apparently, he was not invited anyway.

"Sabo? Luffy? What are you doing here?" Izo's voice suddenly sounded behind them.

"What are you doing here?" Sabo asked with a raised eyebrow when he had turned to Izo, who was accompanied by Thatch. "Marco invited us."

"Really? Does Ace know about that?" Izo asked.

Sabo shrugged. "How should I know? And why would he care?"

Thatch and Izo exchanged a glance. "Well," the latter started, "never mind. But Ace invited us."

"Is this the right address, though? There doesn't seem to be much here."

Sabo wrinkled his nose when Izo suddenly patted him on the head and said, "Such innocence! You'll find out soon enough."

Izo and Thatch led them to the building. Sabo heard Thatch mutter to Izo in a whiny voice, "Why do I have to be here?"

"Shut it. Ace invited us both," Izo hissed back.

At the door, there was a bouncer, but after one look over his sunglasses, he let Izo, Thatch and Sabo through. Only Luffy had to show his ID, which made Sabo even more suspicious about the place.

Those suspicions were confirmed as soon as he stepped inside. Loud music hit his ears and suddenly, there were a lot more scarcely dressed men than there had been before. Sabo hastily covered Luffy's eyes.

"Welcome to the Red Force, the best male strip club in town," Izo said in a dramatic voice.

Sabo's mouth fell open. This explained a lot. Ace had invited Izo and Thatch there. Sabo had had his suspicions that Ace wasn't working as a night security guard all along, with his vagueness on where it was and never allowing Sabo or Luffy to come with him. But did that mean that he worked here?

And what did Marco have to do with it all?

He didn't have much time to think about it, as the music suddenly died away. Fire flared up from the edge of the stage, beautiful orange and light blue coloured flames. As soon as they had disappeared, Sabo noticed two figures on stage, their back turned to the audience.

Music started to play, and the figures slowly turned around.

Sabo's jaw dropped even further, if possible, and he was sure Izo and Thatch mirrored his expression. Because, on stage, were none other than Ace and Marco.

Ace was wearing nothing but shorts and a cowboy hat, while Marco was wearing shorts too, with a sash tied around his waist, but a jacket as well, though it hung open and revealed his abs.

In Sabo's shock, Luffy managed to squirm loose from his hold. When he saw Ace and Marco, he cocked his head a little and said, "Oh, Ace is here too!"

Sabo covered his eyes again, while he couldn't tear his own from the stage. Ace and Marco had started dancing, swaying they hips seductively. At the same time, they made their way to a pole on either side of the stage and pulled themselves up on it. They wrapped their legs around the pole and let themselves slide down. When their feet hit the ground, they made a cartwheel while still holding on to the pole, before walking to the centre of the stage again. Marco stood still, while Ace walked around him, one hand touching him. When he was standing behind Marco, he pulled off the jacket and discarded it somewhere on the stage.

The audience went wild.

Marco turned around, wrapping his arm around Ace's waist and dipping him. Ace held on to his hat and grinned at the audience.

Marco pulled him back to his feet, and they made their way to the poles again. Marco pulled himself up, swinging his legs in the air with the pole between it and flipping himself over until he was hanging upside down.

On the other end, Ace danced around the pole. He threw off his hat, pulling himself up and sliding down again.

They moved back to the centre. Ace let his hands slide across Marco's chest and slowly moved to his knees in a suggestive manner. When he was sitting down, he grabbed the waistband of Marco's shorts and tore them off. Obviously, the pants was made to do that, but it still left Marco in nothing more than skimpy shorts with the sash still tied round his waist.

Marco smirked at Ace, helping him up and turning him around so Ace's back was against his chest. He let his hands wander Ace's thighs and up across his chest, while Ace closed his eyes and leaned back at Marco.

They turned away from each other one more time in favour of the pole. They grabbed it above their head while standing in front of it, rotating their hips, before grabbing it with both hands and pulling themselves up so their body was parallel to the ground.

After they had let themselves drop to the ground again, they walked back to the middle. Marco wrapped his arm around Ace, pulling him close. Their faces moved closer together, but before their lips could touch, the music stopped.

A thunderous applause arose. Marco and Ace bowed slightly and after gathering the articles of clothing again, they left the stage.

Sabo stared at the stage long after the show was over.

Thatch was the first able to speak again. "I need a drink," he said.

Izo and Sabo nodded in approval.

They sat down at a table. Thatch ordered the strongest they had for him, Izo and Sabo. The waiter smiled and turned to Luffy. "Would you like something too?"

"Do you have meat?" Luffy asked with a serious face.

"Ehm, sure. We have chicken wings, spare ribs, steak… What would you like?"

Luffy thought for a moment and then grinned. "Yes."

The waiter looked confusedly at Sabo, who sighed tiredly. "Just bring him everything."

When the waiter had left, Sabo turned to Izo and Thatch. "Did you know this?"

They exchanged a look. "We… knew about Ace," Izo finally said. "That's actually how Ace and Marco met in the first place. We took him here on his birthday and… Well. But Marco… We had no idea."

The drinks were brought, and Thatch had drunk his almost before the waiter had let go of the glass. "Another one please."

Marco and Ace approached them, Marco only wearing slightly more than he had when he left the stage.

Ace smiled sheepishly. "Glad you could make it." But when he saw Sabo's glare, he looked to the floor. "I'm sorry I never told you. I didn't think you'd approve."

"Dammit, Ace!" Sabo sighed. "I just can't believe you worked here, while I was restocking the supermarket."

"You could work here too, if you'd like," a voice suddenly sounded from behind him, and Sabo almost spilled his drink.

A red haired man was standing behind their booth, a grin on his face. "I noticed you when you walked in. I could use someone like you." He waggled his eyebrows.

Ace sighed. "Shanks! You can't recruit everyone I know!"

The man, Shanks, apparently, shrugged. "What? Let me know if you change your mind." He handed Sabo a business card. He then eyed Izo and Thatch critically.

"Shanks," Marco growled dangerously.

"Fine, fine. Boys, don't chat too long. You're working. Though the show was great." With that, Shanks left.

Izo handed Ace a bill and patted on his lap. Ace sat down.

"Good, now you're working again. Marco," Izo looked at him, "were you 'persuaded' like that too?"

"A little, but–"

"Were you that desperate for a job? It's only been a week!"

"Technically, I was hired the same day as I lost my old job. But," Marco hastily continued, "Shanks's a good boss. And I enjoy it here."

"Aren't you a little old to be wearing outfits like that?" Izo asked disapprovingly.

"He's not that old. And you saw it yourself, the crowd went wild for him." Ace smirked at Marco.

"I just don't understand. You walk in here and you get the job? I don't buy it. Not after seeing what you did with that pole," Izo said.

Marco looked away guiltily. "I… I've worked here before. When I went to university."

"You did what?!" Izo jumped up, throwing Ace off his lap.

"Dude," Thatch just said to Marco.

Marco sighed. "I just wanted to help Pops out."

"Did he even know?!"

"Of course he did. Like I could keep something like this from him." Marco crossed his arms before his chest. "Shanks used to work here too, that's how we met, and he later took over the management."

"So, what? You're just gonna work here for the rest of your life?" Izo asked, still sounding indignantly.

"Of course not. For a year, maybe a little longer."

Izo huffed.

Thatch wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Come on, don't be like that. Marco didn't want to worry us, like Ace didn't want to worry his brothers." He gestured to Sabo and Luffy, who was currently stuffing his face with meat and wasn't paying attention to the conversation.

Izo sighed. "Fine. So why tell us now?"

Marco looked at Ace, who said, "We figured it was time. No more lies." He then looked at Sabo. "I'm really sorry I didn't tell you."

Sabo scratched the back of his head. "I always had my suspicions you didn't work where you said you worked. And I have to admit, you're quite good."

"So good," Luffy echoed with a sigh.

"Oh?"

Luffy looked up. "Yeah, the meat here is great!"

"You think I let him watch?" Sabo asked.

Ace sighed in relief. "I wasn't sure if we should invite him. But it seems he's enjoying himself."

"But wait just a minute," Izo interjected, "this all means that it wasn't your first time here on your birthday!"

"It was as client," Marco replied.

"Still, I'd think you would be used to scarcely dressed men." Izo smirked. "Yet you were immediately infatuated with Ace."

Ace smiled when Marco looked at him.

"As I recall it, that feeling wasn't mutual," Sabo said as he took Luffy's neck in a hold to steal a chicken wing and rubbed his head with his knuckles. "How come? Did Marco do something inappropriate?" he asked sharply.

"No, no," Ace hastily said. "He was actually kind of cute." He ignored Marco's glare and sighed. "I just jumped to conclusions and thought he was stalking me."

"Why?" Sabo asked and finally let go of a whining Luffy.

"Well, he was where I studied, where I did my groceries and where I lived. Besides, at the time," Ace hesitated, "I already had a stalker."

"Dammit, Ace!" Sabo called out slamming his fist in the table. "You don't even tell us when we need to beat the crap out of someone?"

Luffy perked up at the thought of beating someone up. "Yeah!"

"It wasn't a problem. He was harmless."

Marco snorted at that.

"Well, he was until he thought you were a threat," Ace said to him.

"What?!" Izo jumped up again. "Dammit, Marco!"

"It's cool, he's gone now," Ace hastily said.

Izo huffed and sat down again.

Luffy tapped Ace's shoulder. "What's a stalker?"

"That's someone who follows you around."

"So am I your stalker too?" he asked.

"No, Lu, I like you."

Luffy cocked his head a little. "But you like Marco."

Ace smiled. "I do now."

Izo sighed. "Well, Marco, if this is what you really want. But look out for all those perverts who come here."

Marco smirked. "Perverts like you?"

Izo looked actually insulted.

Thatch patted him soothing on the shoulder. "So are you gonna tell the others the same way as you told us?" he asked Marco.

He sighed. "I don't think so. Besides, Izo knows, so the rest will know soon enough."

"Oi, I resent that!" Izo exclaimed.

Thatch wrapped his arm around him. "It's a little bit true, though." He turned to Marco. "As long as you're okay with it, we'll support you."

"What he said," Sabo said to Ace. "Just don't keep stuff from us anymore, okay? Unless it's whatever the hell you two do," he gestured between Ace and Marco, "in your own time. I do not need to know that."

"Oi!" Ace said, his cheeks slightly flushed. "But I got it."

"Good." Sabo rose. "But after seeing all these men, I think I need to see some boobs now."

"There is a female strip club across the street," Ace suggested.

"Sound good."

"Do they have meat too?" Luffy ran after him.

"Wait for me!" Thatch shouted and followed too.

"Thatch! How dare you! Come back right now!" Izo stormed after them.

Marco and Ace stayed behind, shaking their heads with a smile.

"Are you okay with this?" Marco asked.

"I am. Are you?"

Marco smiled and wrapped an arm around him. "Me too."

"Alright then." Ace grabbed his hand and pulled him along. "We've got perverts to entertain."