A/N: Happy New Year, everyone! And of course, happy birthday, Ace and Eiichiro Oda! So of course, One Piece isn't mine.

This fic is for Ace's birthday. A simple drabble showing one of the possible ways he spent his birthday.

Hope you like it!

Ace kept his eyes closed as he tried to calm his raging heart and return his breathing to normal. His mouth formed into a grin as the man above him gave him a chaste kiss on the lips and collapsed to his side, arms circling around Ace's body and pulling him close. Once he regained his senses, Ace turned to the man.

"That was a great way to start the year," Ace said in an amused voice. "I didn't realize you'd pounce on me at the party. At the middle of the deck. In front of everybody." He recalled the events and couldn't help snickering.

The laughter didn't last long as the man pulled on Ace's hair and tilted his head upward. Ace gasped at the suddenness of the action but groaned at the feeling and that it might be the start of another round.

Marco smirked as he met Ace's hooded eyes. "I didn't hear you complain. In fact, you seemed to like it." He trailed his fingers down Ace's spine and circled teasingly at the spot just above Ace's buttocks.

In Ace's mind, there was no use denying practically anything to Marco. Ace couldn't lie to him. The man was too manipulative ... and talented with his fingers. However, that didn't mean he couldn't tease him. "Were my moans not convincing enough?" Ace's eyes glinted in mischief.

Marco replied with a smile and lowered a finger to the cleft of Ace's butt. Ace tensed as he felt pressure at his entrance and waited with bated breath. Marco leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Oh, they were convincing, all right. But they weren't enough."

"W-what do you want me to do about it?" Ace managed to ask.

There was a pause before Marco replied softly, "Wait here."

At first, the words didn't register in Ace's lust-filled mind, but when they finally did, Ace gave a start and a confused "what?" Marco was already standing up and putting on his pants. "Hey, where are you going? I'm not done with you yet," Ace huffed.

Marco gave him a smile but continued dressing up. "I'll be back soon. Just wait here." Once he was done, he went out of the room, leaving Ace bewildered in the bed.

"What the hell was that?" Ace muttered. He lay in bed for a while and wondered what Marco was up to. To Ace, Marco's sudden departure didn't make any sense. The man had attacked him at the party and dragged Ace to his cabin where they had spent the New Year absorbed in each other. Why would he suddenly leave Ace naked in his bed?

Ace smiled when he remembered the party—the first New Year's party he'd spent with his family. He couldn't help grinning when he recalled how his brothers embarrassed themselves when drunk. And Ace felt more proud than ever when he remembered how Whitebeard had complimented him when he made makeshift fireworks with his Devil Fruit ability. No one ever expected something so beautiful from someone so reckless and destructive. Especially his lover, who, like Ace said, had made out with him after showing off those fireworks.

Speaking of Marco, he was taking too long. Ace was getting bored waiting. He contemplated searching for his lover, but Marco's words came to mind. Wait for him? All right. Since it was Marco asking, Ace would take boredom a hundred times if that was what he wanted.

It was no secret to the crew that Marco and Ace were in a relationship. And it was certainly no secret to the two that they'd developed strong feelings for each other. Ace had taken a while to realize his own feelings because before Marco, he had been a dense idiot. Well, he still was, if Ace thought about it, since it was Marco who'd awkwardly made the first step involving mops and pineapples. Ace shuddered and shook his head to stop the embarrassing moment from resurfacing in his mind.

The door finally creaked open, and Ace turned his head to the direction of the door. He raised an eyebrow and sat up when Marco came in with a small candle.

"What's that for?" Ace asked curiously.

"For your birthday, of course."

Birthday? When Marco was a few inches away, Ace noticed that it wasn't just a candle in Marco's hands; it was a cake. Marco brought a cake! At this realization, Ace froze. How did Marco know? Ace was certain he never told anybody.

"You all right? Hey, calm down, Ace." Marco quickly placed the cake on his study table and wrapped his arms around his lover which Ace returned.

"How did you know?" Ace asked in an emotionless tone.

Marco sighed. "Remember that night we were drinking? When I was still unaware you're a lightweight?"

Ace mumbled, "The time I first got drunk around you? Yeah."

"You let your birthday slip, as well as a monologue about deserving to live and ... who your father was," Marco said quietly.

Ace gulped. "Monologue?"

"Well, you won't exactly remember what I'd say so I didn't speak up."

"And now that I can, what do you say? Do I deserve to live?" Ace asked in a small voice.

Marco pulled away slightly to cup Ace's cheeks. "I love you. Of course, you deserve to live, Ace. Never doubt that." Ace looked away from Marco's soft gaze. "Look at me. I don't care whose child you are. You are you. I don't care about anything else."

Ace gave a small smile. "Thanks."

Marco smiled. He straightened up and picked up the cake again. "So, it's your birthday today. What do you want me to do? Ah, but no singing. You know I don't sing."

"Oh, c'mon. It's my birthday!" Ace grinned as he leaned back on the headboard and put his arms behind his head.

Marco narrowed his eyes playfully. "You won't convince me by posing sexily, Portgas."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. That's why I made this for you." Marco gestured to the cake in his hands.

"Really ... wait, what?" Ace's eyes widened and he sat up straighter. "You. Made. A. Cake?"

"Don't sound too shocked, Ace. And the correct term is bake. I haven't made anything like this, but Thatch told me it was fine. I know you have a sweet tooth so I put chocolate—why are you laughing?" Marco asked incredulously.

Ace was clutching his stomach as he tried to rein in his laughter. At this rate, he'd probably wake the others but Ace couldn't find it in himself to care. He was dealing with something rare here. "The ... feared pirate ... Marco ... the Phoenix ... baked ... a cake!" he wheezed before erupting into laughter once more.

"Oh, you find this funny." Marco raised his eyebrows. "Maybe you don't need a cake."

"No!" Ace shouted, still chortling but standing up and going in front of Marco. "You really made this?"

"Of course. Make a wish."

"Don't need to. I got what I want." He blew on the candle before leaning up and kissing Marco. "Thank you. Now, I want you to lie back down in bed so we can finish what you started earlier, 'kay?"

"What about your cake?"

Ace stared at the round cake with Happy Birthday in white icing. Just looking at the cake Marco had baked had Ace grinning and feeling giddier than ever. "Want me to eat it off you?"

Marco let out a laugh. "If you want."

Ace grinned and took the cake. "Nope. This cake is special. I have to preserve it. It's baked by Marco the Phoenix." Still smiling, he carefully put the cake back on the table.

Marco chuckled, but wasted no time stripping off his clothes and going back in the bed. "Happy birthday, Ace."

Once he was standing beside the bed, Ace let his gaze explore Marco's entire body. "Yeah. Happy birthday to me."

A/N: I wanted to include the party and the awkward "get-together" scene but I didn't have the time. I have a fic I'm editing (will probably post it later), so I can't spend too much time with this.

Reviews are loved. :)