Fake Dating

To get out of dating Domino after being set up again with a possible candidate for marriage, Marco had immediately grabbed to a close friend of his after claiming he was gay—the woman not believing him. When he states out how he was dating Ace, it had the younger male staring in shock and seeming to nod, slowly reeling in to go along with it. Ace went on about him telling people so publicly, but he had been okay with it and grabbed to a hand while leaning into the arm. When Domino had left, Marco apologized about it all and his friend understood, but now he had to keep up the act because one of his brothers overheard and they had been ecstatic and confused.

"What about Sabo?" Thatch asks with an eye to both and they both had blurted on how it was all three of them. "Oh? Cool, you guys! Come by the restaurant and I will cook for your date!" A hand waves up as he grins while dashing off, no doubt to tell the other brothers and Marco slouches with a groan.

"It will be alright…" Ace mentions nonchalantly, not bothered by the suddenness. "We can just ease them that we broke it off."

"No, you don't understand, yoi." Marco says with hands out and look to his friend with tense shoulders, desperate blue eyes. "I think this is the closest I have been to getting out of all those candidates, it's tiring." He complains with a soft groan as he knew he would get peace, but to just have it all again was not something he wanted.

"We could just keep pretending until you find someone?" Ace offers with a serious gaze, something lingering as well.

"I couldn't do that to you two, especially since you are with Sabo and he is going to have no clue how to go about this when it lands in his lap." The mentioning comes out while Marco shifts to lean against the nearest wall with head going back. "I'm doomed… why can't I just live?"

"Because you are the heir of the corporation? And everyone wants you to be happily in love?" The questions have Marco tilt his head with a glare towards the freckled face man who is pursing lips to keep amusement away. "It'll be fine. We date a little while, you find someone, 'we break up' and you go with them." A shrug shows like not a big deal and Marco sighs before shifting to smile a little.

"Only if Sabo is cool with it and I won't do anything intimate, yoi. I will just claim new relationship stuff." He states while receiving nods in agreement before Ace grabs to his forearm with a grin.

"Come on, honey~!" Ace's laugh bellows into the air while Marco is joining with his own.

-o-o-o-o-

After Marco was dragged to the apartment the two share, Sabo had taken it well while commenting on being fine with it. He knew just as much about the pressure for getting with someone and have a child. It's not that Marco didn't like kids, he just wasn't sure about it as he was strongly for adopting more as his Pops had done for all of them. Being an inspirational thing and that at least could happen with anyone, not that Marco was sure what exactly his preference was. He always figured he would just find them one day, not pushing into anything unless it feels right.

"Your kicking me, Ace." Marco mentions lowly at the table and gets a chuckle from both before both legs are caught by each.

"It's called footsie, babe." Sabo points out and they are giving their all on the name call for the fun of it. If anything, it brings humor to the situation and he can't help but to snort. "Anyways, Ace likes contact with his boyfriends as much as he is allowed." The mentioning has the other flushing at being called out as such and has hands to the table with a frown.

"Really?" It's almost a hiss before Marco looks down to the table to notice the two hands on the table from each and easily reaches over to grip them. They both look to him in surprise before he keeps a neutral face.

"Is this fine, yoi? You are going to scuff my shoes." They laugh lightly before feet are away and easily twine fingers with Marco's to grip.

"So sweet, letting us eat but not him?" Sabo teases and gets blue eyes flickering to realize before smirking.

"You two have to hold hands, too." Marco comes back with, and Ace wastes no time snatching the freehand with a grin.

"Right! I will just shove my face into the plate!" Laughter leaves Marco and Sabo at the other pretending to shove face into food and moving it around to let dark hair shake with the movement.

If one thing Marco has learned with being with them through the years, he was comfortable with both of them and always found himself laughing and smiling. Saying they are his best friends was probably the correct word as he could be found around them and never felt like a third wheel as they kept the romance part at bay while he was around. This was a little different, seeing and being included into the dating related things has him wondering on why he felt his heart flutter at the way they interact.

"Here you all go!" Thatch comes out with the plates on a tray and flawlessly serves them out with each having a little perk. "Each has something that you catered to more, hope you enjoy!" The chef claims while holding the tray to his side now and loves seeing hands together—about brimming in joy for his brother finding some great people to be with finally—and they shortly part to dig in.

"Amazing as always!" Ace mentions after a bite and is easily back to digging in and Sabo is humming in agreeance.

"Thanks, Thatch." Marco states while smiling to his brother and turning back to his plate before wincing. "Don't scuff my shoes, brat." The bite is towards Ace, who is covering his mouth and trying not to choke on food as a laugh is leaving him. Sabo is laughing now at Marco giving another complaint to him then and Thatch can only smile—just wait until Izo hears about this.

-o-o-o-o-

They 'dated' for the following month, Marco finding not too much difference as he went to hang out with them and they did what they usually did—video games, tv, food, and talking. Everything was working out, Marco going on about his life along with mentioning of their outings to appeal his brothers' curiosity when they would come ask. They always splurged on how happy they were that he found another, and in this case two. He never really thought much on it and even that evening he was going over to his 'boyfriends' apartment to spend some time.

Leaving work, it didn't take long to get to the complex and had a key to get in easily. Marco had the key before the whole dating fiasco as he hung out with them often or tried to find solace from his brothers when they are being a pain in his back side. Getting the apartment opened, he hears music streaming through the home and it's in Spanish. A smile finds him as he recognizes Ace's voice sing out to the song and Sabo is giggling like crazy. It wouldn't be a first seeing Ace singing and dancing to a song he is into, most ending up being in Spanish as he used them to work on the language as he figured if he could sing them quickly then he could pick up on it quicker—they never questioned his logic as everyone's brain worked differently.

What Marco hadn't expected when getting to the doorway was the two of them dancing together. Ace shirtless with a pair of gym shorts on had a hand to the other's lower back and his other hand gripping to Sabo's—him dressed in a loose t-shit and pajama pants—as they move feet back and forth in a small strut dance as Ace sings. A clenching goes through Marco, he wasn't really surprised of the two dancing together, it was just the fact that this stirring was in him this time. In a way, he guesses he could describe it as… jealousy?

That wouldn't make too much sense, but seeing the two so happy and obviously in love had Marco crave it. The only time he wanted something with someone is when he was with these two and they had their moments. The past month have been full of them and with Marco noticing a little more has him feeling his heart ache. He couldn't understand why he found it so hard to love someone, or give someone a chance to love them with all his heart. He feels bad for interrupting the two's life with this sudden lie to get his family off his back, it wasn't right of him to do.

"Marco!" A call has him shift his head to focus on Ace as he quickly comes up to grab at arms to pull on. "Come on!" Confusion flares on Marco as he notices the hands move to grab one of his and the other to his lower back. The face looks up to him as that beaming grin has his heart race and lets a hand go to a shoulder as feet are beginning to move and he notice the song had change at some point before they were dancing. "Quiero respirar tu cuello despacito~!" The Spanish rolling from that tongue makes his heart race as he moves along with Ace. "Deja que te diga cosas al oído~!" Sabo is cheering and has Marco showing a smile as he grips more to the man before him. "Para que te acuerdes si no estás conmigo~~!"

Laughter is ringing out as Marco can feel himself soaring, taken in by the voice singing to him as Ace is wiggling eyebrows. It was like a serenade, but Ace being goofy about it as he dances around the kitchen easily before Marco is spun to be with Sabo. They are easily moving feet as Ace is dancing around them in sways and singing easily. At the end he wraps arms around both of them with a wide grin, leaving them all to be laughing.

Marco wouldn't mind life like this.

-o-o-o-o-

After a couple more weeks, Marco finds himself on the couch at the other two's apartment as he escaped being dragged into a night of drinking. It wasn't his style, and felt bad that the other two felt the need to stay home as well. Ace liked going out to hang out with his brothers as Thatch was practically the best friend, but they declined and said it was now a 'date night'. Though, Marco appreciated it a bit as he had a stressful week and wanted to relax in the couch with comfortable clothes on, enjoying some peace with two people he likes and not out in a dance room with a bunch of people he doesn't know.

Each sat on either side of him, not too bothered as both leaned in while watching the moving and sharing the popcorn in his lap. The movie is interesting, something about vampires and the world was almost like a dystopian. They continue to watch as the popcorn bowl becomes empty and he offers to refill it, knowing these two and they deny. Marco is surprised at that, but only shrugs it off as the bowl is moved from his lap and to an end table. As the movie continues all the way to the end, they comment on it being good and they were sure to put it on the shelf as the ones they don't like are put away somewhere else.

"Nah, Marco…?" Ace begins, and the mentioned man turns to look to him as they are on the couch still and Sabo has only shifted forward to stretch arms up.

"Hm?" The hum lingers while noticing as his face is grabbed before pulled over. Confusion shows on Marco before it flickers to surprise as lips press to his and it sends a flurrying in his senses. When Ace pulls away with a curious look, flushed cheeks, a small sputter lingers from Marco. "Wh-what?"

"My turn!" Sabo cheers, moving Ace's hands to pull the face towards him to join lips. A noise leaves Marco as he wasn't expecting a kiss from both and is soon released to breathe shakily. Sitting back he stares to Sabo with mouth parted lightly as he wasn't sure what to say in this situation. That's when Sabo sighs while Ace melts over his lap with a whine. "I told you, idiot!" Sabo complains with a jab to the other that is along his back and facing up at the two as Marco watches in shock.

"I thought it was clear enough~!"

"He's more oblivious than you were," Sabo comments before Ace jerks up hands, grasping to blond hair to drag him down with a growl.

"You shut it, stupid!"

"I love you, too, babe~!" The words come back before Marco makes a noise as he wants clarification and gets both looking to him as Sabo is released. "We were hoping you would catch onto our flirting," he starts with a smirk and Ace is sitting up next to him with a cheeky grin.

"Yeah, you were returning it, so we thought maybe you wouldn't mind actually making this a real thing?" Blue eyes show surprise still before moving his mouth a few times, heat swirling through him as he feels his chest inflate, like he was floating in bliss.

"Really, yoi?" It's a soft whisper as he flickers his gaze to the two who are soon beaming and shifting to grab at him from each side.

"Of course~!" Ace cheers while hopping slightly and Sabo is laughing.

"Now Ace can officially cling to you!" Sabo comments, getting whines from the one mentioned and Marco snorts as he was already used to it. Though, the way his heart flutters at the thought of actually being with the two brings a whole new feeling in him.

Marco really did want this.