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Ace was bored. Sabo and Luffy were late and he had nothing to do without them. People of the underground weren’t exactly friendly with him, so when he wasn’t around for some mission, his life became monotonous.
Mind-numbing, he lifted his thin and long tail to scratch one of his horns. Ace hated them. Adults incubus were supposed to have great horns, so heavy they twisted around the head, and climbed down behind the ears until they touched the neck.
Ace’s ones were only small triangle on his head. Another reminder he wasn’t a real incubus, more an abomination.
Ace sighed and his tail moved nervously, slamming on the ground. ì
“Hey, freak!”
Ace turned around and shot Burgess an unimpressed look.
“Boss needs you.”
With a last look at the dark pool, Ace nodded and stood up. He followed Burgess in the dark cave Teach used as his personal home. Teach sat as usual on a throne made of the cherry pie he like so much. Legends said they were the source of his power.
Ace didn’t mind Teach so much. Unlike the other Warlord of the Underground, he treated Ace almost like a real demon and not an abomination. But that was also the reason Teach was one giving Ace most of his tasks.
“Do you need me?” Ace asked.
He had stopped at the center of the cave, but Teach, his mouth full of cake, nodded at him to come closer. Ace stepped forward, until he reached the limit of a small river which divided the cave in half. The water of the river rippled and the dark water were replaced by the moving image of a man.
Ace bent down to look better. From the dark robe the man was wearing, Ace realized he was a priest. The man’s look was pretty strange, with a puff of blonde hair on the top of his head. Other than that, he didn’t look so interesting.
“So?” Ace commented, standing up.
“Name’s Priest Marco, he runs a small orphanage in Switzerland,” Teach explained. “I want you to kill him.”
Ace frowned. “I’ve killed men before, but only because they swing in that way. This one…”
“I wouldn’t have chosen you if I hadn’t think you’re the right demon for this job,” Teach replied. “Or do you have some doubts about killing a priest?”
Ace shrugged. “No.”
“Good.”
He nodded, then he marched outside the cave without turning back.
He returned back to the pool and, this time, Sabo and Luffy were there. The natural light their body emitted was pretty visible in the dark gloom of the underground. Ace smiled and hurried his steps.
“Ace!”
Luffy jumped towards him and Ace moved forward his hand, palm pointed up, so Luffy could landed on it, as he liked. Luffy’s wings were still small to allow him to fly, something Ace was grateful for. A Luffy able to fly would be too hard to be managed.
“You’re late,” mocked Sabo, with a small smirk. He sat next to the pull, his legs moved below the surface.
“I’m late?” Ace protested. “I was waiting for you all morning!”
“Still, you’re not here when we arrived,” Sabo replied.
Ace sat down next to him. “You just cannot accept to be wrong, right?”
Luffy laughed, and jumped on Sabo’s shoulder. “We were late because I got lost!”
Sabo rolled his eyes. “This idiot decided it was a good idea coming to Poseidon’s ship looking for me. You can’t image how much panic was spread before I manage to find him.”
“That’s a pixie for you,” Ace replied, with a smile. Luffy laughed and, soon enough, Sabo followed them.
“Where were you?” Sabo asked, then.
“Teach called me. I have a mission.” Ace moved his hands, as it didn’t matter. “I have to kill a priest.”
“A priest?” Sabo frowned, and Luffy looked at him concerned.
“What?” Ace exclaimed.
“Aren’t priest people who don’t have sex?” Luffy asked. “And you kill people with sex, am I right?”
“Yeah, you don’t look as the right person for this job,” Sabo added.
“Some priests aren’t so pure,” Ace replied. “And Teach believed he’s on the other side.”
“And of course we trust him,” Sabo murmured, not convinced.
“No, but you trust me.”
Sabo sighed. “Of course we do. But, Ace… You know…”
“You know what?”
“Well…” Sabo rolled his eyes. “Ace, you’re so bad at flirting you’re embarrassing.” Luffy laughed.
“That’s not true! I flirt with so many people, and I’ve killed them because of it.”
“Women had sex with you because you’re cute and they found your inability to flirt charming. And the few times you killed men it was because they picked you up.”
“Yeah, like that time you were so sure that man was a demon hunter!” Luffy pointed out.
“And instead he just wanted to ask you out,” Sabo concluded, with a meaningful look.
“Well, thank you. I’m so moved about your trust.” Ace stood up.
“I’m telling you this because I’m worried about you. Gods knows what they could do to you if you fail a task. And this one…”
“I can handle it, okay? I can.”
Sabo nodded, still looking concerned. Luffy jumped in the air and Ace extended his arm so Luffy can land on his hand.
“When will you be back?” Luffy asked.
“As soon as possible,” Ace assured him, as he moved his hand close, so Luffy could leaned his forehead against his cheek.
“We’ll be back in a couple of days, then,” Sabo decided. He wasn’t looking at Ace, but at the dark pool over him. His legs moved underneath the surface, and the natural light of his blue skin turned the water almost clear. “Same place, same time.”
“I’ll be here,” Ace assured.
He bent so Luffy could jump down from his shoulder easily, then, with a last smile, he dived in the dark water. He kept his breath and closed his eyes to focused on the place he wanted to go, while his body floating in the void. Then the image of the green mountain of Switzerland appeared around him, first blurry as a mirage, then it became clear and clear.
Ace opened his eyes wide and landed graciously on a branch. He shivered, as the air of the human world filled his lungs. Maybe it was because he was half human, but there was a part of him that really liked the human world. A small part, which Ace always hid, but the first look at the mountains around him were enough to make him smile.
Then he focused his attention to Father Marco’s orphanage, which, funny enough, looked more like a castle. It was big, surrounded by wall, with three high tower at the end and enough space in the inside for the stables. Ace imagined they survived by himself, since they lived so far from the city and, for a priest, meant not having any followers.
Ace jumped from branch to branch until he got close, then he let himself fell to the ground while he turned in his human form. No horns, no tail, no hair anymore covering almost his body entirely, but that damn freckles still remained on his face. He sighed, as he unbuttoned his shirt, as he wasn’t used to have clothes on him.
He kicked over towards the orphanage. From below, the walls looked more imposing than ever. Still, he was surely normal from a priest protecting himself and his community. Ace walked around until he found a small door with a bell hanging to the next. With a look at the sky, Ace decided it was the right moment, so he pulled the rope and the bell rang.
Twice, until he sensed someone approaching the door. Ace expected to be asked trough the closed door, so he reviewed in his mind his excuse to be there, but when the door opened and Father Marco himself appeared in front of him, Ace was taken aback.
Father Marco scrutinized him with his bored look, even if Ace didn’t miss the little stop on his bare chest. “May I help you?” he said then.
“Oh, hey… yes!” Ace smiled and regained his composure. “I’m… I had to get to Thun. It should be a village in the near and I just want to be sure this is the right direction.”
“It’s the right direction,” Marco confirmed. “But it’s far by walk. At least another half day.”
“Oh. Damn. Sorry,” Ace added, remembering he was talking to a priest. “I thought I was nearer… Well, it couldn’t be helped!” He shrugged, but he shot a small smile at Marco, who hadn’t change his expression for a moment.
“You can stay here for the night,” Marco said. “The forest can be dangerous at night and it’s easy losing the way.”
“I don’t wanna be a bother, really,” Ace said, as he internal exulted. His plan was working.
“Helping another human being it’s never a bother,” Marco replied. He moved aside from the door to show him the inside.
Ace was about to protest again, since he knew he was polite, but his stomach growled. When in his human form, he was unable to control his appetite. He blushed a little, but Marco, for the first time, smiled.
“You’re lucky, we’re serving dinner right now.”
Ace smiled, but he looked away as he entered in the orphanage. That wasn’t the plan and Ace definitely hoped to not having ruin any chance with Marco looking like a lost boy. When he lifted his head again, Marco’s eyes weren’t on him anymore.
Marco closed the door, then walked towards one of the building without any words. Ace followed him. From the near, the main building looked like a mess of other building putting together. Ace was looking at the architecture closed and only at the end he noticed Marco opened another door he hurried to followed.
Ace shivered when he noticed it was the church. Marco walked in the central nave with secure steps, and Ace reluctant followed him. When they reached a small shrine, Ace placed a hand in the pocket, searching for some money. He couldn’t recreate them with magic, but he had some left from the last raid in the human world.
Marco stopped him before he could put them to the shrine, grabbing his wrist. “No,” he said. “You don’t need to pay for help. Keep the money for someone else.”
Ace nodded and put them again in his pocket. As he followed Marco again, he slowly leaned his hand forwards to brush Marco’s back.
“Maybe I can thank you for your kindness in some other way…” he whispered.
Marco stopped and turned around to look at him. Ace make his most innocent face, but Marco smirked. “We’ll find something,” he replied, then he kept walking.
They reached for a room and, when Marco opened the door, Ace met the look of a group of children. They sat around a rectangular table, each one of them in front of a plates, and they simultaneously turned their head to look at the new entry.
“Thatch, we have a guest for tonight.” Marco spoke to the blonde man who was serving the food at the table, before reaching for another room. Ace looked at him with concern, because his main focus should remain with him as much as possible to seduce him, but he couldn’t ignore anymore the looks that were on him.
So his gaze returned on the table. The other man – Thatch – wasn’t dress like a priest. So there were other people inside the orphanage helping Marco. It could be a problem to all his ‘Marco is alone and he needs company plan’, but for the moment Ace had difficult to focus with the smell of food so near his nostrils.
“Hi,” he greeted, lifting his hand.
“Hiiii!” the children answered together.
“Welcome!” said Thatch. “Please, take a seat. I hope you like cabbage soup.”
Ace’s stomach replied for him, triggering a collective laugh from the children. Thatch smiled and hurried to serve the soup to another plate in a free seat.
“Thank you,” Ace commended embarrassed. The smell was wonderful, so Ace didn’t wait and took a big spoonful. It burned his throat, but he was incredible good. He grabbed a piece of bread and immerged him in the soup before taking another spoonful.
“Good, eh?” Thatch looked satisfied, as he served the remained children with the soup.
Ace nodded, but he was unable to answer due his full mouth. Then he shivered as he felt a touch on his shoulder, fingers brushing his neck.
“You won’t have made to Thun in time with this hunger,” Marco said, as he sat in front of him on the other side of the table. There was a smile on his face. He placed a cutting board on the table and he cut a salami.
“Yeah, probably,” Ace admitted. “I was lucky to find this place.” He slowly leaned forward his legs and used his food to brush Marco’s.
Marco stopped his work and looked at Ace, surprise for the first time. But he didn’t move his legs, neither he said something about it. He smiled. “We’re the lucky one,” he replied then, as the passed to Ace a piece of bread with salami on it. Ace grabbed it, but he couldn’t turn away his gaze form Marco, not even when he ate it.
That was Ace’s fastest conquest ever.
“Hey, I want it too,” one of the children said.
“No.” Marco returned serious. “You know the rules, only on Sunday.”
“But you gave him!”
“He’s a guest and guests are exception.”
“Not faiiiiir!”
Thatch ended serving everyone and, as he headed to bring back the pot in the kitchen, he stopped by to whisper to Ace, amused, “Eat fast, because when they stop with Marco they’ll begin to you.”
Ace didn’t need a second advice, and returned back to his soup, his bread, and the slice of salami Marco cut for him. Thatch turned out to be right about the children and their curiosity, since they submerged Ace with a lot of question. For some of them he didn’t even have to lie to them and their attitude remember Ace of Luffy, so he was more than willing to interact with them, until Marco decided it was time for them to go to sleep and, with a lot of protest, he accompanied them to the dormitory.
As Thatch cleared the table, Ace asked, “can I help? Maybe washing the dish…”
“No, no.” Thatch shook his head. “You’re a guest, so stay put.”
“Okay, thank you.” Ace nodded.
Marco returned when Thatch had already left for the kitchen, and the table was clear. In his arms, there was bed sheets, towels and a pillow.
“For me?” Ace asked with a big smile.
“Of course,” Marco nodded. “I guess you may be tired after all the walking. And the interrogation,” he added, laughing. He had a nice laugh.
“They’re cute,” Ace commented, as he stood up. “And I may have some energy for something else…”
“Really?” Marco lifted an eyebrow, but didn’t add anything. “Follow me, then.”
Ace obeyed. They climbed a couple of stair, until they reached the second floor of the building. No windows in the hallway, which was lighten only by some small candle on the walls, only a row of small doors on each part.
Marco stopped towards the end. “This one on the right is your room, and if you need, the last door is a toilet,” he said, passing him the sheets. “But if you’re not sleeping yet, on the left there’s mine. I’ll be back soon.”
Ace blinked. He remained still in the hallway even when Marco’d left. It had happened other time, some other men had picked him up explicitly, but Ace didn’t expect it to be the same with a priest, with someone who should preserve chastity.
The reason for Teach to wanting him dead haunted Ace for a second, but he brushed it away. His work wasn’t thinking about it and, if he killed Marco, he could return back to the underground in time for meeting Sabo and Luffy again.
Ace opened the door of his room and without looking at it he throwing all the sheets and the pillow on the bed, then he reached for Marco’s room. He was small, and bare. A bed, a desk, and a library. A window let the light of the stairs lightened barely the area. Ace moved towards the bed, as he reclaimed his demon form. No reason to stay a human anymore, now that Marco showed interest in him. As a demon, he could spread around his magic better and, when a person was already into him, it was enough for hypnotized him not to turn away.
He was about to sit down on the bed, when he felt something tickling his feet. He looked down at the stone pavement, in time to noticed a chain emerging from it. He dodged, but the small space didn’t permit it a run. He slammed against the desk and he was too slow to turn around. The chain grabbed him from the arm and pulled him down. Ace’s head hit the ground and a groan emerge from his throat.
He shook his tail and pulled with his foot, to regain his balance, but when he managed to get up, the chain had already wrapped all around his torso, securing his arm to his body. The chain grows longer, gliding down his legs. Ace concentrated his energy in his arm, but the bound became tighter as he tried to break it.
He looked at the window, but as he moved his till free legs to reach it, he was raised in the air. He waged his legs, his feet no more placed on the ground, until the chain ended his work securing itself around Ace’s ankles and it stopped moving.
What kind of magic trick is this? What the hell is happening?
He was completely helpless, not at inch of his body could move but the head. Marco entered in the room and, in the same time, the candle on the table flared up, lightened the room.
Seeing Ace, Marco appeared surprise, as he didn’t expect to find him there. Then he smirked and there was something off, something different from the image of the nice priest who take care of orphan children.
“I didn’t expect you to be into this,” he commented. He licked his lips as his gaze passed towards Ace’s body and stopped by his groin.
Ace blushed. He was used to be looked with lust, but only when he was in charge of the situation. He didn’t feel good being a prey. He struggled again and that made Marco lift his head and looking at his face again.
“I admit my methods were a little aggressive, but I wasn’t entirely sure you’re an incubus,” Marco said. “I mean, you’re so bad at flirting.”
Sabo’s word echoed in Ace’s mind and Ace rage out to hide his embarrass. “And who the hell are you then?”
“Just a priest that can do anything for protecting his family and his home.”
Marco took two step forwards. Now he and Ace were just two inch away and, even if Ace was lifted from the ground, Marco could still look at him from below.
“Let me go,” Ace ordered.
“Or what?” Marco replied.
But Ace hadn’t an answer for him, not in the situation he was in, so he just repeated, “Let. Me. Go.”
“You should be a little nicer with me.” Marco’s index finger pushed up the chain, showing up one of Ace’s nipple. His nail brushed it around. “I’m pretty sure we can find an agreement.”
Ace’s breath fastened, so his mind. He wondered if they had sex he could still kill Marco, even tied up like that. And if Marco died, his magic should disappear. Or maybe not, but it was worth a try. Better than just struggling again some chains that became tighter and tighter every time he tried to move against them.
“Well, we… can… You could…” Ace sighed. He wasn’t comfortable at all with the situation. “I mean, I’m naked, and… you can be naked too and… If you’d like…”
Marco busted out laughing. He wasn’t an evil one, he was amused, still Ace’s pride lowered at his minimum. Marco shook his head to calm himself.
“You know, I caught other incubus with this spell in the past,” he told Ace. “Every one of them tried to seduce me. They never thought, not even a second, they were at disvantage. You don’t. You’re angry, you’re embarrassed, and even when I suggested you what to do, you were so incredible bad at flirting.”
There wasn’t mocking in Marco’s voice. Out of everything, he looked positive surprise about the turn of events, but Ace didn’t felt grateful for it.
“Yeah, I’m bad. I don’t like having to kill people with sex, but that’s what I am, it can’t be helped. Now you can go on, kill me and strut about how you defeat a freak incubus who wasn’t even able to do his job.”
He looked down, at the ground where his shadow was projected. He didn’t want Marco to see his weakness.
After his outburst, Marco didn’t say anything. He just looked at him, his head a little bent on the side. Ace breathed hard, but he didn’t move, not until he noticed Marco’s hand was awfully near his horns. He jerked away.
“Don’t touch them!”
“Why not?” Marco replied, quiet. “They’re so small, and round, and cute.”
“They’re not cute. They’re horrible. They shouldn’t be in that way,” Ace replied.
“If you said so.” Marco lifted his hand, in a comfort gesture. “I could touch them now, but I don’t mind a challenge.”
Ace blinked. “What do you mean?”
“The orphanage is big and we can use two hands more.” Before Ace had time to ask for more, Marco placed two finger on his neck and pronounced a spell in a language Ace didn’t recognize. He felt a grip around his neck, but that feeling was soon forgotten as the chain disappeared and Ace was free to move again.
As soon as he foot touched the ground again, Ace moved behind, and that simple movement made him realized something was wrong. He couldn’t feel his tail moving around and, as he touched himself, he found out he was human again. This time, though, he wasn’t his choice and Ace was unable to turn in the demon one. He touched his neck: there was a collar there.
His eyes widened.
“Yes, that’s what you think,” Marco murmured. “It’s a seal for your demon power. You will be human from the time being.”
And being without his power didn’t mean only being a human, but not being able to turn back in the underground. Ace was trapped now even more than before.
“I’m going to kill you. I’m so going to kill you.”
Marco smirked. “Well, to do so you’ll have to seduce me, and I’d really like to see you try. Again.” He moved and grabbed Ace for the shoulder, moving him forwards without him being able to distance. “Now go to sleep, we use to wake up at five here.”
He gentle pushed Ace outside the room, back in the hallway. But before leaving Ace alone in the dark at reflecting about his entire situation, closing the door behind him, Marco leaned forward and whispering at his ear, “even if I wonder if I’ll be the one seducing you.”
Sleeping was easier to say than be done. Ace lie down in the bed, eyes wide opened, still incredulous about all that had happened. His mind needed to cool down before acting again. And definitely he couldn’t sleep thinking that he was human, trapped in the human world with no change at all to contact someone or asking for help.
At the end, the weakness of his human body got him, and Ace felt asleep just when the first light of the dawn came from the window. He woke up later, at the sound of the bell. He blinked, as he counted them. Definitely more than five. He shot a glare at the window, realizing it should be late morning.
He stood up, needing to pee. A new and strange sensation, since Ace hadn’t remained a human for so long to try everything human usually felt. Marco had showed him the toilet the night before, so Ace trailed to it. It was nothing more than a small room with a bad smell, with a bucket inserted in the ground and part covered with a wooden board with a hole in it, but Ace was still grateful when the feeling disappeared as he pissed in it.
There was also a broken mirror and another buckled with clean water, which Ace used to wash his face a regain a little his composure.
Then, still without a solution about his situation, he climbed down and returned back to the dining room. He froze on the door, as he saw Marco sat down eating. He shot behind, wondering if he should come back, but Marco had already spotted him.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” he said with a smirk, as he slid a plate towards him.
There was bread on it, with a knife, and near a jam glass can nearby. Ace’s stomach growled before he could even think how to act so, unwilling, he sat down at the table. He opened the can and spread the jam on the bread.
“You said five o’clock,” Ace commented, after taking a big bite.
“This morning I decided to be nice,” Marco replied, quiet. “I imagined you didn’t sleep too much, too aroused after out little discussion yesterday.”
“What? It should be the other way around,” Ace protested. “I was the one naked in front of you, and you were the one who refused me.”
“Never said I wasn’t aroused,” Marco replied as matter of fact, and Ace was taken aback, guilty to having fall in such a small trap. His tone changed.
“Did you do this with the others, too?” he asked. “You trapped them and then watching their useless effort until you get tired?”
“The others?” Marco repeated, perplex.
“The other incubus you killed.”
“Oh.” Marco nodded, and waited few seconds. “No, of course not. And for the records, I never said I killed them.”
This time, the perplex one was Ace. “So you didn’t?”
“No, I let them go. I’m not a demon hunter and Incubus are pretty inoffensive, once they get they can’t seduce a prey. They didn’t waste their time, so I didn’t need to kill them.”
“Okay, then why are you keeping me here?” Ace snorted. “Let me go.”
“Not a chance. You’re too funny, and we need some laughs here.”
Well, that was it. Ace wouldn’t think about the consequence of an incubus killing a man with something other than sex. He tightened his grasp on the knife and, in a swing, he aimed at Marco’s head.
Marco didn’t move, except for his right left arm, that used to block Ace’s blow. His hand locked around Ace’s wrist, stopping Ace’s arm midair, the knife still pointing at Marco’s face. Ace aimed at him with his other hand, but the punch was stopped at the same way. Marco didn’t even sweat, while Ace was pushing himself.
“Seriously?” Marco chuckled. Then he moved forward his head and liked the blade, which was still stained with the jam. Ace was unable to turn his gaze away, while his mind realized it was the closer think to a metaphor of a blowjob he could image.
When the door of the kitchen opened, Marco stopped and, in a second, he forced Ace to place back his hand on the table.
“Hey, Ace, good morning!”
“Morning, Thatch,” Ace answered, not with the same enthusiasm.
Thatch didn’t mind, or didn’t even noticed. “I’m so happy you decided to stay with us a little more. When you’re done, joined me in the kitchen, we have a lot of potatoes for today.”
Ace shot a glare to Marco. What the hell had he told Thatch, and what the hell it was about potatoes?
But Marco only smiled, as he stood up. “Looks you have work to do,” he said, placing a hand on Ace’s shoulder. “See you later.” And then he left the room.
Ace fumed, as he chomped the last piece of bread. He didn’t believe a word he had said. Ace was pretty sure he had killed those incubi and the only reason he told Ace no was to keep him there. So Ace should leave, should escape and ruined his fun. But of course for Ace running was never an option, and now more than ever wanted to kill Marco and made him pay.
So he went to the kitchen, with the intention of speaking with Thatch. Marco had a weak point. He had to, so Ace was going to find it and defeated him. And if he had to defeated a mountain of potatoes before, so be it.
“They only look so much,” Thatch assured it, even if Ace wasn’t so sure. Still, he sat down on the stool and peeled them. Thatch joined him soon enough, as he finished cleaning the dishes.
Ace looked at him wondering what Marco told him, since Thatch didn’t ask anything about his whereabouts and why he had decided to stay at the orphanage. Was he an accomplice of Marco and he’s using the potatoes to mock a demon? Still, Thatch was his best option to find out more about Marco and his secrets.
“So… Since when have you lived here?”
Thatch smiled, not diverting his gaze from the potato he was peeling. “Since I was a child,” he answered. “Me and Marco were the first orphan Pops took in. Damn, we can say we’re the reason he decided to create an orphanage in the first place.”
“Pops?” And Ace bit his tongue. He should have asked more about Marco, not being interesting in the story.
“Yeah, we called him that,” Thatch nodded, and smiled fondly. “He was the owner of this castle and he treated us as his children. At the beginning, he only wanted a family. Then, more orphans came by, and some of them stayed, like me and Marco, until Pops decided to make a real orphanage.” He laughed. “If it were for him, we would be more than a thousand.”
“And why not?”
“Because we live here, alone, and we survive with what we had. Well, most of the orphan who left the orphanage in the past come back from time to time and helped us, but still… To guarantee a good life, we can’t help more than twelve orphans at once.”
“So you had to reject someone.”
“We took the rejected ones.” And Thatch didn’t explain further, even if Ace looked at him curiously, so Ace returned back to the main argument.
“Marco became the head of the orphanage after Pops died?”
Thatch laughed. “No! Pops is not dead yet! And let’s hope he never dies, because I can’t image Marco as a boss.”
“He looked like one,” Ace pointed out.
“Yes, he’s pretty bossy,” and, in some way, Thatch sounded like he was referring to something dirty. “And we let him because he’s good, but still, Pops’ the boss and I’m very grateful for it, even if he didn’t come along anymore.”
“How so?”
“He lives in his room, which is on the main tower of the castle, and he rarely get out this day.” Thatch bent down, to whisper, “but we still ask him help if Marco becomes too annoying.”
“Oh, I see.” And Ace smiled. First point taken. “Marco’s the only priest around here, right? I guessed wrong he was the head of the orphanage.”
“You guessed wrong he’s a priest too,” Thatch said casually and then he shut his mouth, his eyes wide.
“What?”
“I mean, we’re not exactly religious here, you know?” Thatch chuckled nervously. “Marco thought taking vows could be useful to maintain the reputation of the orphanage, but at the end he never officiates, because we don’t care. He probably stopped praying too at a certain point. So it’s not the kind of priest you’re used to.”
“Yeah, especially because priests don’t make sexual innuendos every time they had the occasion,” Ace grumbled under his breath, and this time was Thatch’s turn to exclaimed “what?”
“Oh, well, I’m not very religious myself, so I don’t care,” Ace shut down the argument. “Tell me more about you and the others.”
Thatch smiled widened and, in the meantime the finished all the potatoes, he explained Ace all about the fifteen people who took care of the orphanage and how it worked, at the point that, when Fossa, Blamenco and Rakuyu entered in the kitchen, Ace knew who they were before they introduce themselves.
Even if his attention was caught more by the prey they brought with them, and he even helped them to skinned them and prepare them for the boil. He was too happy to have meat instead of only potatoes.
“Don’t get used to it,” Fossa warned him, as Blamenco laughed at Ace’s droll as he looked at the meat. “We can’t go hunt too often.”
“Then let me enjoy the moment,” Ace replied, as he didn’t divert the gaze from the flame and the sizzled meat.
The bell of midday rang outside, and the three man looked at Thatch wit impatience. “It’s ready, it’s ready,” he assured them.
Ace blinked.
“We eat at midday, it’s an agreement so we don’t have to warn everyone from all the castle,” Thatch explained, as he grabbed the pot. “The children eat one hour later, because we don’t have enough space for everyone.”
“I see,” Ace commented and, with not surprise, he found the others already sat down at the table. His lips bend in a smile as he saw all the people there talking, bickering and laughing all together. He could felt the warm of being in a family, because it was the same feeling he had with Luffy and Sabo.
The thoughts made his stomach clenched, since he was now unable to see them, and he hurried to sat down and looked around, searching for the source of his problem. “Where’s Marco?”
“With the children,” Izou answered, not before having shooting him a telling look. “We turned to stay with them at lunch and dinner.”
“Why thinking about Marco when you can think about it?” Thatch said, putting in front of Ace the plate with the meat. Ace showed his agreement basically throwing himself at it.
The rest of the lunch went smoothly. All the people there, even if they were Marco’s accomplice, didn’t mock him, not showing any sign of wanting do it. Ace didn’t trust them, not yet, because it could still be a trap, but at least their company was pleasant.
“Ace,” Vista called him. “There is something you’re good at?”
“Why are you asking?” Ace replied, suspicious.
“Here all of us participate at the life of the orphanage, but there also something we are specialize on,” Thatch explained. “I’m the cook, as you saw. Fossa is a carpenter and Izou a tailor. So if there something you’d like to do more…”
Ace stared at him for a couple of second, unsure. “I can adapt,” he said at last.
“That’s it, then,” Namur said. “Let’s do a tour of the orphanage, so we can show you what we do and you can see if there something you like. Before Marco decides for you, I mean.”
Haruta nodded. “Yeah, he can be so bossy sometimes.”
“I’m not bossy.” Marco’s voice came from the door. “But someone needs to be in charge, since you can’t act like adults.” His face was serious, but there was an amused note in his tone.
“At least we’re funnier,” Haruta replied. “I’m pretty sure Ace likes us more.”
“Yes,” Ace nodded immediately.
Marco raised an eyebrow, unimpressed, then looked at Namur. “A tour for Ace sounds like a good idea, you can do it.”
“But today is my turn to…” Namur’s voice trailed off.
“So?” Marco smirked. “It’s perfect, you can do your job and showing Ace around at the same time. Come on, finish your lunch, the kids are waiting,” he added, before leaving the room.
“What are you supposed to do?” Ace asked.
“Cleaning the toilet,” Namur sighed. “It’s the worst job here, but it’s needed to be done.”
“I’ll show Ace around,” Curiel offered.
“No.” Ace shook his head. “I don’t care.”
If Marco thought he could be annoyed with this petty actions, he was wrong.
So he spent the afternoon with Namur, empting the bucket full with excrements in the river outside the walls and washing the ground and the mirror. There wasn’t so many toilets in the castle, mostly because it was useful not having so much place to clean every day. Still, Ace managed to have a good look at the entire place.
“Okay, we’re done,” Namur announced. “Now let’s having a bath.”
“What about those stairs?” Ace asked. He found out one of the tower served as bell tower and the other one as laboratory for Curiel, who was the doctor, but he didn’t visit the last one.
“They bring to Pops’ room,” Namur explained, with a sad tone. “He lives alone now, never get out from his room and very rarely he allows us to visit him. We miss him, but we respect his choice.”
Second point taken. Ace was a lot curious about this “Pops” they talked about, and he wondered if the fact he hid himself in a room meant something more. Still, he followed Namur downstairs and helped him preparing the bath.
They filled a small tank with the water of the river, then they lighted a small fire in the next room. The heat filled the room and passed towards the ground in the room were the tank was, heating the water. Of course he wasn’t as hot as the volcano water Ace found once, but usually poor humans bathed with cold water, so he couldn’t complain.
“Could you please go and take some of the kids?” Namur asked him. “Since taking care of them is hard, we usually bath only four of five of them at once.”
Ace nodded, but when he left the bath he didn’t move towards the court, where he heard the kids’ voice, but he returned back to the stairs of the third tower. Nobody was around, so he climbed. More steps he took, more he felt strange. The air hardened and breathing became harder. Once he reached the closed door at the top of the tower, he was almost suffocating.
The hand was already on the handle, when he heard a step behind him. He froze, then Marco’s chuckle arrived at his ears. He groaned.
“How do you know I was here?”
“An inch,” Marco replied, and Ace doubted him. “Pops is old and tired, let him alone. He can’t help you.”
Ace crossed his arms. “And I should believe you because…?”
“You don’t have to,” Marco replied, with a shrug. “But do not enter in Pops’ room.”
Stubborn, Ace grabbed the handle and pulled it down. The door moved at inch, enough for a flowing air to escape and hit him. Ace fell behind and he lost his balance. He felt no more ground under his feet until Marco grabbed him.
“Told you,” he said with a smirk. He murmured something under his breath and the door closed by itself. “Pops is protecting himself, not even we can go in without his authorization.”
Now that the flowing air stopped, Ace regained his balance and broke free from Marco’s grip. “Or this is another one of your trick and you’re hiding something important in it.”
Marco smiled. “Well, you’ll never find out.”
“I will.”
“I will be there to stop you every time.” Marco bent to him and whispered, “you can’t run from me.”
“I don’t run! Never!” Ace exclaimed, but Marco was already down to the stairs, and his only reply was, “go bath, you smell bad and that doesn’t do your sex appeal any good.”
Ace cursed. His instinct would have opened the door again, but the air in the stairs became even more suffocating than before. Whatever spell Marco had used, it was definitely strong. And, Ace admitted, after cleaning the toiler he needed a bath. In the underground, his fur was easier to clean, but his human form had other needing.
So he returned back to the bathroom. Namur was already washing himself along with the kids, so Ace guessed Marco had called them.
“Here you are,” Namur greeted him. “Come fast, before the water cooler down.”
Ace nodded. He took off his clothes and he put a basket near the door, where he saw the others were. He took the soap Namur passed him and rub himself. Then he sat down in the low tank and used a bucket to wash his hair.
When the water cooled down, only Namur was remained.
“It’s not good to stay so much time,” he told Ace. “But I felt you need to rest.”
Ace nodded, getting out from the tank. “A lot of things happened recently.” And it wasn’t even a lie.
Namur passed him a couple of towels. He opened a top at the bottom of the tank; the water flow in the ground and inside a hole that brought outside, in the yard.
“I’ll bring you some clean clothes,” Namur said, before leaving the room.
His eyes widened when Marco was in front of him, clothes in his arms.
“Where’s Namur?”
“Around,” Marco replied. “I took his place.”
“Look how happy I am.”
“You should,” Marco smiled. “I chose my favourites color, you will look good.”
“I’m not looking good now?” Ace passed his hand from his head to his legs, showing his naked body. Marco followed his hand, tongue passed on his lips.
“You are, but unfortunately for me you can’t go around naked.”
“True. But I can do something else…”
Marco smiled. He put the clothes on the ground and, for a second, Ace thought Marco was about to give up. Instead, Marco unbuttoned his vest. Behind it, he didn’t even wear a shirt, so his bare chest was revealed. But Marco didn’t stop, wore off also his pants, showing off all his naked body.
Ace looked at him with wide eyes. Marco’s torso was muscular, so were arms and legs. A tattoo covered his chest. The priest’s vest didn’t do him justice, that’s for sure. With that body, he looked handsome, even if that strange face of him.
That was not a priest’s body.
“You like what you see, then,” Marco smiled, since Ace was staring at him shameless.
“Only studying the enemy,” Ace replied, with a slight blush. He was used to people uglier than him.
“Please, study me as you’d like.” Marco chuckled, and he was his time to show all his body with his hand. “Do you want to touch me?”
“No.”
Ace was surprised by his own answered. Touching him could have been a great occasion. Marco had to feel something and Ace had saw people turned on by his touch. Marco could lose balance in his game if Ace played well. Instead, Ace found out he didn’t want to play at Marco’s rules. And Marco’s surprise showed him he was the right move.
Ace took the clothes and wore them. A withe shirt and blue pants. “I prefer orange,” he commented, as he headed to the door.
Marco dressed again. “You have some money in the pocket of your old pants,” he said. “I left them on your room.” He chuckled. “Never see a demon with money.”
But it was a weak mock. Marco would make Ace stay, but this time, Ace wouldn’t follow.
“You better did, I hear the money honestly. But I don’t expect you to understand,” he finished. He left the door and Marco behind.
Ace sighed, as he lay down the green. Around him, the goats grazed; the young ones, especially, were running around. In the past days, Ace found out baby goats lived as happy as they could, which made them extremely dangerous to have around. In some ways, Ace envied them and their ability, since he had difficulties to find a moment he was truly happy. Except when he was with his brothers, of course.
He didn't mind the life at the orphanage, actually, especially now that Marco'd stopped with his teasing about his bad flirting techniques. It was a simple life, with a lot of works, but it was definitely better than the Underground. People there treated him with respect, even sympathy, and working gave Ace a purpose, instead of waiting for the next kill. He tried not to forget he was actually a prisoner of Marco's spell, but he had some gratitude. An excuse not to come back in a place he never felt like home. But sooner or later he should come back, with the inevitable - killing Marco and betraying all the people of the orphanage. The less he got attached to them, the better.
A yell made him startled, and he jumped still. A baby goat was running towards the end of the green, almost reaching the forest.
"Stefan, get her!" Ace ordered, but the giant white dog just looked at him, before rolling on a side waiting for cuddles. Ace snorted. How they had managed to find the least useful dog for a flock it was a mystery. "No caress, you don't earn them," Ace commented, then he walked towards the forest.
The baby goat was already disappeared in the thick forest, but Ace heard its yells in the distance. When he reached it, it was near the small river which passed near the orphanage and its head was bend down the water, watching closing the surface. Suddenly, a column of water lifted from the river. Ace jerked forwards, he grabbed the baby goat and covered it with his body, fearing a ferocious animal was about to attack them.
But when he watched again, the water column had disappeared and the light blue body of Sabo was there, with a frown on his face.
"Ace, what the hell?"
A lot of emotions mixed inside Ace's stomach, so the only thing he could answers was, "I though swear was forbidden on Poseidon's ship."
"Screw him," Sabo replied, with a snort. "And do not try to change the subject. Where the hell are you doing? You were supposed to meet us two weeks ago! Luffy was pretty scared and it took me an eternity to find you."
"Well, it took you two weeks actually..." But Ace realized it wasn't time to joking anymore. His hand run at his neck. "I had... an inconvenience..."
Sabo blinked. "What's that?"
"You can see it?"
"Of course. But..." Sabo leaned forward, his fish legs kneel on the ground, but when he touched the collar at Ace's neck, he flinched. "It irks. What is it?"
"A spell," Ace explained. "The priest I was supposed to kill, well... It turned out he wasn't an ordinary priest... So now I'm stuck here, my magic is blocked and..." Sabo heard the story with attention, and his eyes became more and more worried as Ace continued, until he was about to speak out, but Ace anticipated him, "I know, I know, you told me!"
Sabo appeared regretful, but he remained silence. "My magic controls water, I am unable to create a spell to free you," he said, at last. "Do you think someone from the Underground will come for you?"
"Dunno." Ace shrugged. He didn't have much hope about it and he knew mostly of the demon there would be more than happy to get him ride off.
"What are you gonna do?"
Ace looked at themselves. The contrast with Sabo's appearance was overwhelming. Ace smelled like a goat, his clothes were simple and dirty, as he could bath only one day in a week. His hands are black and callouses for the hard work.
"Marco... I mean, the priest... If I seduce him, he'll set me free."
Sabo was still worried, but he didn't dare to speak. He had no solution for Ace.
"I'm good," Ace assured him. "It's not as bad as it appears. Sure, it'll be better when I can back..."
"It will?" Sabo asked, and Ace blinked.
"What?"
But Sabo didn't explain further. "I'll tell Luffy you're okay and that you'll come back as soon as you finish here."
"Tell him I miss him too."
"Sure." And, with a last sad face, Sabo submerge himself in the river. The surface brightened for an instant, then the air returned to normal.
Ace realized he stopped breath and sighed. "Let's go back," he said at the baby goat, which followed the order quietly.
Back in the clearing, the other baby goats were still there, enjoying themselves as usual. He sat down next to Stefan, which immediately took the opportunity to show its belly. Ace submerged his hands in its white furry, as he watched the goats.
When he returned to the orphanage, the time of dinner for the adults was already passed, so only the kids were still in the court, running around. Marco was there too, still on the stable’s door, and greeted Ace with a warm smile.
“Dinner is ready, leave the goats with me,” he said.
Ace nodded and he watched as Marco guided the flock inside the stable. Stephen, useless as the usual, barked and the rushed towards the kids’, who didn’t miss the chance to caress and play with him. Ace shot a look at the dining hall’s close door, where the voices of the others came from, but he didn’t move. The kids couldn’t be left alone and Marco was in the stable, taking care of the goats.
Ace was late. Goats should return at the orphanage before the dinner time, but Ace wasn’t good enough to check time with the sun’s movements, so at least he could check on the kid. He didn’t know why he cared, but he did.
It was the first time he was watching them, and Ace wondered if Marco preferred for them to stay away from a demon. Still, Ace never killed a child. He knew some demons could do it, but not Incubus, something Ace was grateful to.
Luffy wasn’t a kid anymore, and sure he wasn’t a human kid, but he was Ace’s little brother nevertheless and Ace felt pretty protective of youngest people. Maybe because it would have been nice having some adults showing affection.
There were in total twelve kids, from a five years old to sixteen years all. In the weeks Ace was in the orphanage, nobody had come for adoption, and Thatch explained it happened very rarely. They took care of the kids until they were eighteen, then they gave them some money and a reference letter, so they could return in the world. In the orphanage they learned a job and it was easy for them to find one in the nearby towns, especially because the children before them are more than happy to hire other people coming from the Whitebeard Orphanage.
Leaving the place you grew up in should be sad, Ace thought. Still, he was a place to remember with love, something Ace didn’t have.
Once Stephen decided he was tired of all the cuddles he leaves, with a protest groan from the youngest children. In that moment, the kids turned their attention to Ace and they surrounded him. Ace blinked.
“What?” he asked, moving a leg backwards.
The youngest kids started to talk altogether. They were most question, but Ace couldn’t really understand them, which was better for him because he couldn’t answer. The oldest were more calm, but at the same their eyes were curios. They wouldn’t have missed any of Ace’s word.
“Okay, okay.” Ace lifted his arm. “I’m tired and my life isn’t interesting enough. What about we play together until dinner is ready?”
The kids released a yell of happiness. “Let’s play ‘hide and seek’,” one of them proposed.
Squardo, who was the older one, rolled his eyes. “It’s a game for children.”
“We are children,” Doma, who was ten years old, replied.
“We don’t need you to play,” White Bay, the only girl, added.
“No, no, I play,” Squardo said, with a sigh. “But only if Ace here does the seeker.”
Ace lifted an eyebrow. “What does the seeker do?”
“You don’t know how to play ‘hide and seek’? Buuuh,” one of the twin brothers murmured, pouting.
“Sorry about that,” Ace replied, with the same pouting on his face.
“You close your eyes and counted until one hundred,” Squardo explained. “In the meantime we hide and when you’re finish you have to find us.”
“Seem easy,” Ace said, looking around. In the courtyard of the castle there weren’t many place to hide behind.
“The door of the stable with be our ‘base home’,” Squardo continued. “If we touch it before you, we win.” There was a sarcastic tone in Squardo’s voice, as he was challenged Ace. Ace decided he didn’t want to lose.
“Okay. Be ready.” He closed his eyes and covered them with his hands. “One, two, three…”
“And don’t look!” Doma admonished him, before Ace heard the sound of their steps who rushed away. In few seconds, the only sound in the courtyard was Ace’s voice as he counted.
“I’m done,” he announced as he reached one hundred. “I’m coming.”
“You should have said ‘ready or not, here I come!’,” Doma’s voice came behind from one hidden corner of the courtyard.
Ace moved and placed his hand on the stable’s door. “I found Doma.”
“That’s not fair! It’s your fault you didn’t know the rules,” Doma complained, and he didn’t come out.
Ace chuckled, because that kind of attitude remembered him of Luffy. In the meantime, the door of the stable opened and Squardo placed a hand on the wall.
“Free!”
Ace blinked. “For one that didn’t want to play, you sure are a pro in this game.”
“That’s not true!” Squardo blushed.
“Yeah, that’s not true.” Ace smiled and put his hand on the door. “I won, you forgot the ‘base home’ is the door and not the wall?”
“What? No! I meant the stable, all the stable!”
“You said door, and door will be.”
“You cheater!”
Some small laughs came from various places in the courtyard and, with a last satisfied smile, Ace turned to check on them, seeing if he can recognize all of them. But when he was still counting, the dining hall’s door opened and Thatch appeared.
“Dinner’s ready,” he announced.
One second, and all the kids were out from their hideout, screaming and running happily towards Thatch, who moved from the door with an athletic jump for not being run over.
“Hey! What about the game?” Ace protested, but he was ignored. Even Squardo rushed to the dining hall without even close the stable’s door.
Thatch laughed. “You better than anyone should understand the food’s appeal.”
Ace sighed. “Maybe they’re just scared I will steal all their food.”
“Possible,” Thatch smiled. “But I prepared enough. You come?”
“Sure.”
As Thatch returned inside, Ace moved his hand to close the door behind him and realized in that moment Marco hadn’t come out from the stable. With a look at the other building, he entered in the stable to check on him.
The stable was less lightened that the other place of the castle, mostly because it was a place with the highest risk of fire, so Ace waited for his eyes to accustom of the dim air before looking form Marco. The goats were already in their fences and they barely lifted their head as Ace passed thought. Finally, he saw Marco in one of the corner. He sat down in a stool, back turned at Ace, a goat in front of him and he was milking it.
Ace stopped and waited, unsure of to introduce himself.
“What is it?” Marco asked, after a while.
“Oh, eh, nothing,” Ace answered, got caught off balance. He hadn’t expected to be notice. “Dinner’s ready.”
“I’ll come as soon as I finish here. Go first.”
Ace nodded, but he didn’t move. Instead, he watched as Marco stood up, took the bucker full of milk and poured the white liquid in another container. He placed the bucked on the ground and, with an affectionate gesture, he lent the goat on the fence. Then, with the same gesture, he brought another goat in front of the stool and placed back the bucket below its belly.
Before sitting down, he turned to Ace and asked, with a small smile, “do you like a try?”
Ace blinked. He wasn’t interesting in goats, but it was his duty to take care of them that day, so learning how to milk them could be useful. He nodded. Marco pointed out at the stool with his hand and Ace sat down.
Marco placed himself behind Ace and he took Ace’s hand in his. He lent them to the goat’s breast. Marco’s hands were warm and his body was totally leaned on Ace’s, as he spoke slowly in his ear.
“Here, tightened your hands around them,” he murmured and, at the same time, he pressed gently Ace’s finger. “Massage a little, to feel if the goat is quiet and the breast don’t hurt. They’re okay?”
Ace nodded, but it was pretty hard to concentrate on the goat, with Marco so near to him.
“Okay, now use the last three finger to press it. Not together, one after another, but not lift the first finger until you press with the other one, in this way.”
It was easy to do it, when Marco’s own finger were doing the movements for him. Ace felt the pressure and then the breast that moved after his press and the rumor of the milk which squirted in the buckler.
“Very good. Now try alone.”
But despite his words Marco didn’t move his hands from Ace’s, he only avoid to press the fingers as Ace moved them. Marco was too near, his breath tickled Ace’s ear and cheek, while his warm spread all towards him. Ace tried to focused on the milk coming out from the breast. Failing miserabiling.
Marco wasn’t doing something inappropriate per se. He’d stopped being insufferable with his sexual innuendos after a couple of days. He was his presence alone than unsettled Ace: the thought Ace would kill him one day, he had to, and despite knowing it Marco acted as he didn’t mind, as Ace’s presence was fine and appreciated.
Nothing was fine in Ace’s life.
With a sudden gesture, Ace freed himself by his grip. Marco blinked; still, he moved away and waited for Ace to explain.
“I’m hungry,” Ace announced, and it wasn’t even a real lie. Without another word, he stood up and left the stable for the dining room. The children had almost finished their meal and none of them paid attention to Ace. Just Thatch sent it a perplex look, before serving him. Ace was glad he didn’t ask anything and more glad Marco didn’t join them. He needed time to cool down.
Because, he decided, he would face Marco tonight. And if he had to kill or to be killed, then so it be.
After dinner, he didn’t remain with Thatch helping with the dishes. He reached the hallway where the bedroom were: as he expected, Marco was in his, as Ace could see the dim light passing below the closed door. He entered without knocking, fully aware Marco’d noticed his presence. Indeed, Marco didn’t flinch and didn’t move his eyes from the book he was reading, sitting at his desk.
Only when he understood Ace was waiting his move, he lift his head to look at him. “May I help you?” he asked, with a gentle smile.
Ace didn’t answere, at first. He moved his hand to unbuttoned his shirt. He took it off, letting it fell on the ground, and the proceeded with his pants, until he remained naked in front of Marco.
“Have sex with me.”
“No.”
“I’m human now, I can’t hurt you.”
“Which made having sex with me pointless for you,” Marco replied as a matter of fact.
Ace gritted his teeth. “But not for you.”
“As much as I’d like to, answer is still no.”
At that point, Ace throwing himself at Marco, arms curved around his torso, while his naked body rubbed against Marco’s hips. Ace hadn’t an erection and he wasn’t sure he would able too, but he hoped his body would be enough to do the trick. He couldn’t count either on his demoniac magic, which did miracle on other’s people libido.
“Please…” he whispered in Marco’s ear.
He didn’t miss Marco’s breath as it fastened, still Marco moved him away, gentle. “Do you want to have sex with me?” he asked.
Ace blinked. Was he an idiot? He gestured at his own naked body, as the fact he asked directly hadn’t been enough.
“I mean, do you like having sex with me just for the sake of it and not because you want something back from it.”
“Of course I want something back!” Ace snarled. “My freedom.” His hand rushed to the collar, as he tried to take off with his two fingers. “If you don’t like have sex with me, fine. But let me go. Haven’t you humiliating me enough?”
Marco looked at him carefully. His gaze was fixed on Ace’s face, as he bit his bottom lip, lost in his thoughts. Ace waited.
“Do you like it here? I mean, the orphanage,” Marco asked suddenly. Ace was glad he kept talking, because the chance of argument left him speechless for a second. “It’s a simple life and we do a lot of work, that’s true. It’s peaceful. We are a family. Do that humiliate you?”
“No. That’s not what I mean…”
“Then you like here or not?”
“It doesn’t mean if I do. I’m a demon, remembered?”
“Answer me. Please.”
The last word sounded like a prayer, so Ace rolled his eyes. “Yes. I like here. The others are nice and fun. I enjoyed it, but it doesn’t change the fact that I’m a prisoner here. Your prisoner,” Ace pointed out, “even if you stopped mocking me. This is humiliating. So let me go or kill me, I don’t care, but I can’t stay here anymore.”
“I see.” Marco nodded. He released a long breath. “I apologize.”
He lifted his hand and placed it on Ace’s check. Ace’s swallowed at the contact, but he remained still. Marco’s words meant he would kill him. Well, at least that would avoid Ace another humiliating, since he wouldn’t have to go back to the Underground and admit his defeat.
He wouldn’t die like a coward, though, so he kept his eyes on Marco as he murmured his spell, until his eyelids become heavy and he lost consciousness.
Ace didn’t expect to wake up. He did, and he wasn’t sure because the light that hit his face despite the tree’s fronds covering the sky, or because the hard ground he lied still or, more precisely, the shackled he received.
Slowly, he stretched and lifted his back. He realized he was on a chariot, surrounded by goods as goat’s fabric or box full of cheese. Two horses moved the chariot and Ace recognized them as the ones he’d taken care of at the orphanage. His gaze moved to the black dressed figures that governed them.
Ace’d hoped Marco would have listened. He pulled back a sob in his throat.
“Good morning,” Marco said, before Ace had a chance to act. His back was still faced Ace. “I reflected a lot about what you told me yesterday.”
“I can see it,” Ace snarled. “Your solution was to enchanted me and…” He wasn’t even sure what Marco had chosen this time to make fun of it.
“No,” Marco replied. “I will free you,” he hesitated, “at the end of this day.”
“And I should believe you because…?”
Marco turned to him and placed a hand on his chest, where the heart is. “I swear to God.”
Ace glared at him, unsure. Marco hadn’t show much devotion before. “Why not now?”
“Because I need a little bit of time.”
He didn’t give any more explanation, returning to control the horses. Ace would like to ask more, but he felt Marco wouldn’t have answered. He shrugged. He didn’t have any other change than that relied on Marco’s swore. He moved from the back of the chariot to sit down next to him.
“Promise?”
“Promise,” Marco confirmed.
“Where are we going?”
“To Thun. Every two-three weeks we go to the market to sell out goods and buy back what we can’t produce by ourselves. This time will be flour.”
“I see.”
The remained silent from the rest of the travel. Ace almost felt asleep again, but as soon as they reached the town, the sound of human voices woke him up. He smiled: even if he did like the quiet of the orphanage, surrounding by forest, he enjoyed the towns too, the chaos of the people and the color of their house and their clothes.
He watched around at the long road, full of chariot covered by tends. The merchant called the people, showing their goods, and the yells every time a child run away with a stole fruit. Group of women stopped at the center of the road, chatting, with her bags already full.
Enchanted by it, he didn’t even noticed Marco had prepared the chariot at the end of the road, fixing the tend to protect the good from the sun. He didn’t ask for help, so Ace shrugged. He was there only to wait from his freedom.
“I’ll bring the horses to the stable,” Marco announced. “I’ll be back.”
Ace nodded absent-minded. Marco’d brought two stools, so Ace sat down in one of them, keeping his eyes on the marked. Marco returned and took place next to him. He took off a small book and started reading.
An hour later, no clients had arrived yet. Ace grew nervously. “Booring,” he exclaimed.
“We’re in a bad position,” Marco explained, eyes still on his book. “Unlike other towns, Thun’s marked is a long street, so people start looking at the first chariot and they rarely reach the last ones if they find what they need before. We should have arrived before.”
“So we won’t sell anything today?”
“The chariot at the first spot will end their goods at some point. Then, people will start looking for the others.”
“And it will be enough?”
“I can’t say.” Marco shrugged. “The less we sell, the less we can buy back.”
Ace frowned. He didn’t understand how Marco could be so calm. But, he noticed, even the chariots next to their had no clients, no matter how the man yelled to lure them. Ace imagined Marco already knew his efforts were useless.
“Well, I’m bored, so I’ll going around.”
He felt Marco’s eyes on his back as he walked away, but he didn’t turn, neither Marco did something to stop it. So Ace crossed Thun’s marked road, enjoying the smell coming from the chariot. Most of them have cheese, meat, fruit and vegetable. There was a couple of pastry that almost made him drowning. His mind came back at the few moneys he still had in his pocket, wondering if they could be enough for buying a piece of cake.
He reached the beginning of the marked. As Marco’d said, most people surrounded the chariots there and then moved away with goods in their bags. Ace wriggled out the crowd to reach one of the chariot that, with his disappointment, sold clothes. A woman next to him was examined a sweater with a very sloppy stitching. Ace had seen Izou working and he had learned how to recognized a better tailor’s work.
“How much?” the woman asked to the seller.
“Three copper coins. It comes from Germany,” he added, to justify the price.
Ace snored. “I’ve seen better.”
The seller glared at him, but the woman looked interested. “Oh. Really? Where?”
“At the chariot at the end of the street. Made with Angora Goat wool and by a more capable tailor.”
Ace lifted the edge of his shirt, showing the stitching. The woman passed the look from it to the sweater, before put it back on the chariot.
“You won’t find a better offer, madam,” the seller commented, and the woman smiled apologetically.
“I’d like to look around a little bit.”
Ace’s gaze followed her. She met another two women, they chatted a little, then they moved together towards the end on the road. Ace smiled: so there was a way to convince people to reach the end of the market.
“Go away.” The seller gestured at Ace, before turning to another client.
Ace was happy to oblige, since his mind was now focused on his task. The entrance of the market road was on the main square of the town: Ace could recognize the church with the bell tower, the town hall and some shops, including a bakery. Most of the house surrounded the square, so the people gathered there before reaching the marked.
Ace rushed back to the chariot. Marco was serving the three women from before, so Ace waited their leaving before getting near. From the look Marco reserved him, Ace had the hunch Marco realized the three customers weren’t a causality. He shrugged. He cut a cheese in half and he did the same with a salami, then he left bringing along the food, the stool and the knife.
He used his money to bought as much bread as he could, then settled down in the square, nearer the entrance of the marked road. He used the stool as a table: he cut the bread in small slices and he placed a piece of salami on them. The cheese was left alone, in small cubes.
At first, people looked at him suspicious and surprised. Ace smiled at the first girl he individuated.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey,” she replied, with a slight smile.
“Wanna some?” He lent a cheese cube and she, after a moment of hesitation, grabbed it.
“It’s good,” she admitted.
“It was made with goat milk,” Ace explained. “Goats are so undisciplined. You turn the gaze a second and they make a run for it.” Then he proceeded to explain they had a dog named Stephan which was even worse than the goats. “Once, I was running after a goat and Stephan saw me. But instead of following the goat, he jumped on me!”
The girl laughed. Ace turned to offer the bread to another woman who was enough near. “Wanna some? I can assure it’s not Stephan’s meat, not by my choice.”
The girls laughed. “Do you sell it?”
“Sure. My chariot is the last one. We also sell clothes,” he added, showing his shirt.
Ace kept offering a taste of the orphanage’s products to the crown, speaking with them and telling them stories about the children and the goats. Once he finished everything, he kept talking with people. He recognized the ones he’d offered the food and asked them if they had bought something. More people asked him about the orphanage, and if they could make a donation for the children, to whom Ace suggested to buy products from them.
At the end of the afternoon, Ace went back to the chariot. It was empty and Marco was folding the tent.
“A good day,” he commented.
“Thank to you,” Marco replied. “All the customers were blabbering about the cute boy that advised them.”
“You can’t know it was me.”
“Cute boy,” Marco replied.
“I’m not cute. I’m handsome.”
Marco laughed. “Can’t argue about it. Come, help me with this.”
They moved the chariot to his rented spot at the stables, checked on the horsed and then they reached the lodging house. “Since it was a pretty good day, we deserve it,” Marco commented, as he ordered meat pies for both of them.
“None of you ever think about inviting people at the chariot?” Ace asked, mouth full.
“Usually, only one of us come to the market,” Marco explained. “There’s a lot to do at the orphanage, as you know.”
“I know,” Ace confirmed.
“Extra hands are greatly appreciated,” Marco added, then ate his food in silence.
He paid for the dinner and rent a room at the inn. “It isn’t a waste of money?” Ace commented.
“Those are my funding,” Marco replied. “It’s too late to return back to the orphanage and I still haven’t buy the flour. Usually I slept on the chariot, but tonight I need a little more privacy.”
When Marco throw a look at him, Ace understood. He followed him upstairs and in the room, noticing there was only a single bed. So Marco was expecting to be alone for the night. Marco left the small bags he had with him on the floor and left for the toiler, that was at the end of the hallway. When he came back, Ace sat down on the bed, waiting.
Even if he didn’t ask, Marco understood. He nodded and sat down next to him. He placed the index and the middle finger on the collar and murmured a spell under his breath. After that, he proceeded to open it. Once the buckle was off, the collar disappeared.
Ace felt the power returned to him and he transformed back into his incubus form. He breathed hard as his tail pounded to the cover to show his presence. He realized he missed his demoniac blood. He didn’t miss the Underground or the people that lived there, but he was an incubus for flesh and blood. It was his human blood he despised after all.
He looked at Marco, wondering if he should tell him something. Thanking him seemed out of the place, since it was Marco himself that placed Ace in the situation for the first time. He should leave, returning in the underground in a second.
Then Marco’s face bent down and his lips were on Ace’s. Oh, Ace thought. Maybe, after being sealed for so much time, his powers became stronger and Marco was taken aback by them. As soon Marco made a move, Ace released a wave of hormone. His powers only worked if people were already into him, but they managed to arouse people at the point they needed to have sex.
Marco pushed Ace gently, making him lay down. Ace let him, but he grabbed his shoulder to drag him. Marco was now upon him and his erection pressed against Ace’s abdomen.
“You’re hard.”
Marco sighed. “That was your doing.”
“Oh. Good,” Ace purred.
“No,” Marco replied. “If I have to die, I want at least this to last.”
Ace laughed, but inside him he cursed. Sure. He could kill Marco now. As every other men and women before, Marco could have his body and the price of that would be life. Damn. Why the hell he hadn’t left before Marco was aroused by him? Why the hell Marco hadn’t used one of his spell to protect himself?
At that point, Marco was kissing him. He kissed his mouth, he sucked his bottom lips, he passed his tongue, connecting his freckles. His hand caressed his hair: when the finger rubbed one of Ace’s horn, he bit his lips.
To distract himself from the feeling, he lifted his arm and grabbed Marco’s vest. In a second, he tore it apart, piecing of clothes flew around the room and landed on the floor. Soon Marco’s pant ended up in pieces too. Ace’s tail wrapped around Marco’s penis, driving it near his ass as he opened his legs.
Marco stopped. His hands were at both sides of Ace’s face and he was looking at him, seriously. Did I lost my grip on him? Ace wondered. He released another wave of hormone and he noticed Marco trembling.
“That’s what you do?” Marco asked.
Ace shrugged. “That’s what incubus do.”
“I mean, laying down while others take you.”
Ace shrugged again. “They want sex, I’ll let them.” He sighed. Maybe real incubuses were better at sex, they naturally knew how to move and how to act. Maybe they even enjoyed himself. For Ace was a work and a way to feed himself.
“So you don’t participate.”
“They want sex,” Ace repeated.
“And you don’t.”
“Of course I do. It’s my nature.”
Marco frowned. His hand moved down He rubbed his tails until the grip on his penis loose. I lost him, Ace thought. Even though he failed, a part of him was relieved. It was because other incubus had failed before. It wasn’t my human blood’s fault.
Marco’s hands rolled around one of his nipples. The fingers rubbed Ace’s black fur. He looked at Ace with a sweet look. “I want to have sex with you.” At that point, Ace knew he wasn’t anymore on his power effect, but he felt releasing another wave of hormones would make Marco run instead of stay.
“Then what are you waiting for?”
“You.”
Ace looked as Marco knelled down between his open legs. A second later, Marco’s tongue was on his penis. Ace groaned and his hands clawed the cover.
“I like this sound,” Marco commented. “Have you been sucking off before?”
Ace nodded. “Some women… They like making me hard in this way.”
“And you like it?”
“Yes.” Ace nodded again.
“Good.”
“But I don’t want it from you.”
Marco stopped. “Why?”
“Because I like your mouth… in other places.”
There was a slightly blush on Ace’s cheek, so he turned his gaze at Marco’s smirk. “Okay, then.” Marco were again upon him: his hand caressed Ace’s hair and he sucked one of his horns. The tongue followed the line of the face, before Marco started again to kiss him on the cheeks, on the eyes, on the lips.
This time Ace answered at the kiss: he let their tongue touching, as his hands pressed against Marco’s back, feeling the tensed muscles. His tail wrapped again Marco’s penis, together with his own penis, rubbing them at the same time.
When Ace came, Marco was kissing the lower part of Ace’s chest, with his hands submerged on the black fur, and the sperm hit his chin. Despite the situation, Ace chuckled.
Marco smiled. “Well, that was disappointing,” he commented. “You’re supposed to come thanks to my touch, not because you used your tail to masturbate.”
“Sorry.”
Marco’s index finger picked up some sperm from Ace’s abdomen and then he licked it. “Too late. What are you going to do to apologize?”
“Fuck me, Marco. Please.”
“That was already decided, so it isn’t enough.”
“What do you want, then?”
There were some people who liked talking during sex, but for all of them Ace’s power was too overwhelming. They talking hadn’t last for long. Marco was free of taking his time and Ace enjoyed it.
“You’re beautiful. Sorry, handsome,” Marco corrected himself. Ace’s cheeks were red and he breathed with his mouth half opened. Ace took off the hair that the sweater attached to his face. Marco bend down. “Kiss me,” he whispered.
Ace laughed. This time his hands grabbed Marco’s head, keeping him near as they kept kissing. Ace’s lips trailed down and he kept kissing his neck. Marco sighed. “You’re forgiven.”
“I’m not sure,” Ace replied, kissing Marco’s shoulder.
Slowly, Marco lift his back, remained knelling on the bed. Ace followed him, his mouth still on Marco’s skin. Marco’s index finger penetrated him: Ace moaned and leaned the head over Marco’s chest. The finger into his ass rubbed for a little, before Marco settled himself better. He kissed Ace as he penetrated him, and he didn’t stop. His moaning lost themselves into Ace’s mouth.
Ace was grateful of it. Having Marco’s lips on his own skin help him to forget the feeling of Marco fucking him. Because he was fully aware that, once Marco would come, Ace would steal his life. His mind came back to the orphanage, imagining the reaction of Thatch and the others when they would realize Marco wouldn’t come back. Their worries, their researches for him.
He imagined Marco’s lifeless body on the bed, and then on the coffin in the small church of the orphanage. And imagined the grieve they would feel, and the hatred towards Ace. He was used to be hated, after all. Still, he bit Marco’s shoulder.
I don’t want him to die, he thought. They didn’t deserve that. Ace’s nails pierced Marco’s back, but it wasn’t enough to stop Marco. There was a smile on his face as he kissed Ace again. At that point, Ace opened his mouth, but it was Marco that yelled.
He came inside of Ace.
“No… No…”
Marco’s hand caressed his face. “That was worthy.”
“No. No, it wasn’t.” Ace pushed him away. “You left your brother, the children, Pops… All for a fuck. You’re horrible.”
He opened the window and he jumped out, flying in the night. He didn’t go far, actually, he returned into his human form and reached the stables. The horsed recognized him and let him rubbing them.
Ace sighed. What he had said to Marco was true – Marco knew he would die, he could have stopped and he didn’t.
He looked at the chariot and remembered they were there to buy flour. Marco had still the money in the room and Ace had the feeling they would be stolen once the body would be discovered. He could be the one buying flour. He could bring back Marco’s body too. They would have the confirmation Ace was the culprit, but they would have food and they could grieve their brother without having to deal with the town’s people.
He regained his incubus form just before dawn and he flight back to the motel’s room. The bed was just next to the windows, and the first ray illuminated Marco’s naked body. Ace reserved him only a quick look before landing on the center of the room.
“You’re back.”
Ace turned. Marco sat down on the bed and smiled. Ace blinked. Twice.
“I thought you left to return to the Underground.” There was relief in Marco’s voice.
“You… You’re alive.”
“Definitely.” Marco stood up. He shot a look at what remained of his clothes and shook his head. He reached for his bags and grabbed another pair of pants.
“This is just not possible,” Ace murmured, as he watched him with wide eyes. Then he understood. “You did something to me, didn’t you? You didn’t free me at all! You… You stole…”
“No, Ace, I didn’t,” Marco said, serious. “I didn’t die because you didn’t kill me.”
“No way.”
Marco looked at him. “Do you want me dead?”
Ace swallowed. “No,” he admitted.
It was more for the orphanage than for Marco himself, still it was the truth.
“I’m glad.”
Marco didn’t add anything, he took his bags and leave the room. Ace returned to his human form and followed him. He needed answered. Marco reached for the staples, he tied the horses to the chariot and moved to the windmill, where he bought flour. Ace helped him to load the sack on the chariot, then he sat next to him as they left for returning to the orphanage.
“For real,” Ace began, “no more spells on me?”
“No,” Marco confirmed. “But I suppose what had happened was a consequence of my doing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Once you asked me why I enchanted you,” Marco explained. “Truth is, I wanted you to stay at the orphanage a little bit. Enjoying the time there.”
Ace frowned. “Why?”
“Because I felt you belong with us.”
“Yeah, sure.” Ace released a cracked laugh. “I am a demon, remember?”
“Half demon.”
“What?”
Marco was driving the chariot and not looking at him. “You’re a half demon, right?”
“And what does it change?” Ace growled. He already knew he didn’t belong anywhere, because he was an abomination. Not a demon, neither a human.
“When we’ll be back at the orphanage, I’ll show you something.”
Ace realized he wouldn’t get any more answers, so he didn’t ask more. They spent the rest of the travel in silence.
***
When they returned back to the orphanage, Marco didn’t pay attention to Thatch and to the children who run greeting them. Marco gave a brief indication to Thatch about unloading the wagon by himself, before gestured at Ace to follow him.
Ace recognized immediately the path they were followed, realizing Marco was leading him to the mysterious Pops, the head of the orphanage. The force that had made impossible for Ace to reach the door of the tower the first time was almost disappearing. With his demon power back, Ace was able to feel the immense power that emanated from the room.
Marco opened the door without knocking. The room was dark, until two four torches at the four corners. Only then Ace saw the enormous figure sitting down in a chair against one of the wall, facing the big window on the other side. And immediately realized how that horrified smell was generate.
A giant.
But, a better look, Ace revaluated his first guess. He hadn’t met a giant in person before, but in the Underground there was a place dedicated to them and everything was even more gigantic that the man Ace had in front of him. Still, it was impossible that he was a human, because his size was definitely excessive, even for a big human.
“You… You’re a half giant?”
The man laughed. He wasn’t a mocking gesture, the laugh was a happy one. It was even delicate for a man of that size.
“You must be Ace. I felt your aura before, but it’s a pleasure to meet you in person at last. It wasn’t unfair Marco here kept you all for himself.”
Ace snorted, but it was Marco’s reaction that baffled him – he rolled his eyes, looking utterly annoyed.
“I’m Edward Newgate,” the man continued. He leaned forward and stretched the hand. Even if it was enormous, Ace took it. Edward’s grip was delicate for a man of his size. Almost reassuring.
“I’m Ace,” he confirmed.
He had a lot of questions inside his head, but Edward continued by himself, “I apologize for Marco’s behavior. He likes having this cool aura around him but he’s a dork. He doesn’t know how to flirt, really.”
“Pops!”
Ace refrained himself from laughing. Marco was pouting!
“Marco, dear,” Edward murmured, with an amused smile. “You basically kidnapped him.”
“Should I remember you that you did the same thing to me years ago?”
“That was because you were a brat.”
Marco snorted and rolled his eyes, but he didn’t add anything. Ace would have found the entire situation funny, but his mind was too occupied with hundreds and hundreds of questions. Remaining silent wouldn’t resolve the situation, so he spoke.
“How come that a half giant become the head of an orphanage?”
Edward smiled. “Half demon doesn’t have a place to belong. I’m pretty sure you may understand that.” Ace didn’t answer, but his face was clear enough. “So I created one.”
Ace blinked. Twice.
Marco gave voice to his realization. “All people here are half demon, children included.”
“What?” Ace was still surprised.
“My spell protected the area around the orphanage, so we all look like normal human. We don’t want anyone sneaking on and starting hunt us down.”
“What we do is helping the children to understand being half human half demon isn’t something they should ashamed on, it’s just what they are,” Edward added. “Some people doesn’t accept that.”
“That’s why I was send to kill you,” Ace commented, and immediately turned his gaze away from Edward, ashamed.
“Probably,” Marco agreed.
“You are welcome here, Ace,” Edward said.
“Okay.”
He didn’t have much to say, actually. He liked the orphanage, but in his mind he was clear it wasn’t his place. Then it turned out it could be. It actually could be the only place in the world where he wouldn’t be judge or ashamed for being a half breed and, well, he didn’t know how to react.
“I’m tired.” Edward closed his eyed and leaned against his chair’s back. “But feel free to come back whenever you want, Ace.”
“Thank you.”
They left without adding anything, Marco walking before him. Once they reached the end of the stairs, Ace stopped.
“Have you been persecuted too?”
Marco didn’t turn to face him. “Once the village where I lived found out about my magic power, their first reaction was to use me for their own gain. Then they understand I wasn’t a mage, but a warlock. Dark magic. Apparently all I’ve done didn’t matter anymore. I run for my life until Pops saved me.”
“I see.”
Marco sighed. “Listen, Ace… What I did to you wasn’t fair, and I’m sorry for it.” His head turned a little, watching Ace with only an eye. “But when I saw what you are… I only wanted for you to give us a chance. I have the feeling you may belong here.”
“Why did you have sex with me?” Ace asked, his voice harsh. “Were you testing me?”
“No. My feelings for you are sincere. But please, do not let them being a burden for choosing what it’s best for you.”
He left, and Ace didn’t follow him. He waited until the steps disappeared in the dark hallway, then moved in another direction, towards the kitchen. He maintained his human form, letting only his small horns and his long tail to be visible.
The children were there, at the table. He gave them a quick glance and for the first time he noticed the small details of every one of them: purple skin tone, pointed hear, tail, horn. A different bunch of half demons all together. Marco had removed his spell.
The children looked at him with wide eyes. Then, like an only organism, they rushed to him, dragged him to the floor, touching his horns and tails and screaming happily. Ace couldn’t tell if they were happy because they finally realized Ace was one of them, or because they finally had an inch of what kind of demon he was.
For once, Ace wasn’t ashamed of himself, nor he felt disgusted by their touch. He wagged his tail when Doma pulled it, and that earned only a wave of more laughter.
“Come on, kids, give him space.” Thatch towered over him, but his smile was warm. “Look at you.”
“What are you?” Ace asked. It could be rude, but Thatch didn’t mind. He left his right hand and showed the webbed fingers.
“I’m a half Kappa,” he précised. “Here you can find any kind of supernatural creatures that makes you normal in comparison.”
A situation Ace didn’t mind at all.
***
Ace was on duty again, near the river outside the orphanage’s walls, surrounded by goat. He lied down, using Stefan’s big belly as a pillow. He was different, now that he didn’t feel like a prisoner anymore. He touched his neck where Marco’s spell was.
But the feeling about the life of the orphanage didn’t change. He felt like home. He felt relaxed. Other demon may consider that life useless, not exciting at all, but Ace didn’t care. The people he spent time with were the ones that made his life worth.
He wasn’t going to turn back in the Underground.
The goats made a pitch sound. Ace groaned – he had become as sloppy as Stefan apparently – a moved slowly to stood up. The goats were all in front of the river, noticing the brightness of the water. They run away as soon Sabo emerged from the surface and sat down on the bank.
“Ace!”
Luffy sat down on Sabo’s shoulders, protected inside a bubble, but as soon as he saw Ace he rushed in his direction and sank in Ace’s chest. Ace’s heart melted as he noticed how much Luffy’s wings had grown, allowed him to fly. He moved his attention to a frowned Sabo, but before one of them could speak, Sabo found himself catch into a magic net that trapped him entirely.
Ace noticed Marco’s arrival only when he felt someone pulled him backwards, but Marco’s attention was all on Sabo. He put his own body on front of Ace, protective. “Who are you?” he demanded.
Before Ace could restrain him, Luffy flied out of his grasp. “Let Sabo go!” Marco hadn’t noticed him at first, but he wasn’t caught off guard and he clasped his hands together, trapping Luffy inside.
Ace snorted. “They’re my brothers.”
“Your brothers?”
“Yes. Would you mind…?” And he gestured towards Sabo, who was still waving inside the net.
“Oh. Sorry.” Marco waved his hand, releasing Luffy that returned flying to Ace’s shoulder. The net disappearing and Sabo was able to sat again, an unhappy frown on his face.
“I apologize,” Marco said. “It happens sometimes that demons try to attack the orphanage, so I threw some spells around, but they can’t discern malicious intent precisely.”
“Guys, this is Marco, the head of the orphanage,” Ace introduced him. “Sabo and Luffy.”
Sabo’s frown deepened. “You’re the one that casted a spell on Ace.”
“Oh, so you’re evil,” Luffy commented.
“I am,” Marco confirmed. He looked at Ace, as he was asking him the permission to say more.
“Don’t worry, Sabo, we’re okay now.” Ace lowered the collar of his shirt, showing the neck with no sign of the collar anymore. Sabo didn’t look convinced and he still looked at Marco with suspicious.
“Since the situation is under control, I better go,” Marco said. “I’m pretty sure you all want some time alone. But if you’d like to have dinner with us, you’re welcomed.”
Sabo waited for Marco to return inside the wall before shooting a glare at Ace. “Explain.”
Ace sighed. He sat down on the bank next to Sabo. Luffy took place in his lap as Ace told them everything: what the orphanage really was, what had been Marco’s aim, Pops’ history. At the end, he stayed quiet. He had made his decision already, but he still feared his brothers’ reaction.
“So they’re your friends. That’s cool,” Luffy commented.
Sabo moved: he hugged Ace, his arms firm on Ace’s back. “I’m so happy for you. You’re free.”
Ace smiled and relaxed. “Yes. I am.”
“But,” Sabo added. “What about the Underground? What about the person that gave you the order to kill Marco?”
Ace had thought about it. Probably they didn’t even notice his disappearance, or believed Marco had killed him. Or they were even happy to get rid of him. He shrugged.
“It’s not like they care about a freak like me.”
***
The attack took place two weeks after Sabo and Luffy’s visit.
“How can I help?” he asked.
“Go inside with the children, help them be safe,” Marco ordered. “There is a secret passage under the church, if something happen. But it won’t,” he added, looking at Ace’s wide eyes.
Then he launched himself in the battle, his spells bright in both his hands. Next to him, Izou was fighting with his ice power, and Jaws with his fist. Namur submerged himself in the river and attacked the enemies with splashes of water.
Ace hated feeling so powerless, but against those kinds of demon, his list powers were useless. With a last look at the battle, he moved and reached Thatch in the church. He was helping the children to hide behind the crypt.
“I can’t see Squardo,” he told Ace. “He’s the bigger here, maybe he’s trying to help, but his spider powers aren’t developed entirely. He will get in danger.”
“I’ll find it.”
Thatch nodded and closed the door of the crypt, as Ace left from the front door. His powers were based on hormones, which meant he could feel people basing the hormone they were emitting the most. Right now, the scent of adrenaline from the battle was almost nauseating, but it was far, behind the walls. Another strong smell came from the tower where Pops stayed.
He was able to felt another smell, but he was Squardo to find him first. “Hurry, Ace!” he screamed. “Someone is trying to enter from the back door!”
Ace remembered that door, he was the one he’d knocked the first time he’d reached the orphanage. It was a small door, almost hidden, and the one with most spell, visible from the outside only if Marco desired so. How an enemy was able to see trough it was worrisome at best. It meant the enemies were more prepared than ever.
When they reached it, though, the door was closed, as nothing had happened. He turned to Squardo, to ask if he’d mistaken something, and his blood froze. Behind him there was the massive figure of Sakazuki, one of the three knight of the king of the Underground. Definitely not a enemy that could be taken lightly. And he was already inside the orphanage.
“Leave him alone,” Ace commanded.
Sakazuki didn’t pay him attention. “Go,” he said to Squardo. “You did good, but I don’t need you anymore.”
“What does that mean?” Ace asked.
Squardo dedicate him a severe look. “I’m saving my home,” he commented before leaving.
“You let Sakazuki in?” He was a scream, a plea that went unheard, because Squardo was too far, or maybe he just didn’t care to answer him anymore. Ace turned his attention to Sakazuki, as his mind valuated his possibilities. “What do you want from me?”
“Come quiet with me and I won’t harm you.”
“Not a chance.”
Sakazuki smirked. “Your choice.”
Ace looked around, now fully transformed in his incubus form. He knew his only way out was to distract Sakazuki enough to fly away. Sakazuki was an earth creature, his powers didn’t go so high in the air. Ace released a wave of hormones, who startled Sakazuki for a second, but as he jumped, he realized it was too late.
Magma erupted all around him, a spell casted before his arrival, and it closed around him, preventing him to escape in the sky. The magma moved, forcing him back on the ground, and then it sprayed venomous grey gas. Ace, lied down, placed a hand on his mouth and nose, while with the other he tried to open a path in the part of the magma that was already solidified.
His claws dig in the heart and he felt the blood wet his finger. No sound came from outside, only his beating heart. He lost consciousness soon after.
***
When Ace woke up, he realized immediately he was in the underground. For what it seemed, he was trapped inside a small column made of glass. He knocked the glass to test it, realizing it was enchanted, so he couldn’t be broken.
The column was tall; Ace lift his head but he couldn’t see its end. There was also no guarantee that the column was opened at the end. On the left, Ace noticed there was another column, empty. It was the column on the right that took his breath away. The column was filled with some purple material, and there was a figure inside, motionless. The figure, whoever they were, had die suffocating in the purple material, stuck in a terrified expression as they beating their fists on the glass, looking for salvation.
So that was it. Ace had been condemned to that terrible death.
He was still so into the death body next to him that startled as he realized there was a person standing in front of his column.
“Hi, Ace.”
“Teach.”
“I’m sorry it has to end like that,” Teach said. He sounded almost sincere.
“I’m sorry I disappointed you.”
Teach smirked. “Oh, no, Ace. You didn’t disappoint me. You did exactly what I expected you to do.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll survive just enough to see it.”
He didn’t give Ace any more explanation. Fear descended upon him as his mind understood what Teach’d meant. From the bottom of the column, the slimy purple substance started to increase.
Ace sat down, letting the substance lick his legs. His only hope was to die before Marco and the others could do something incredible stupid as coming in the Underground to save him. And a laugh erupted from his throat: as if they really were coming for him.
***
But they did.
The substance had reached around Ace’s abdomen when he heard the explosion. There was smoke and light – especially the light was out of place in the underground. Ace jumped still, splashing the substance in the glass around him.
There were all of them, but the children. Ace gasped as he noticed Pops himself in the middle of the group, Marco next to him.
“No…” Ace murmured.
Pops couldn’t bear a fight, especially in the Underground, where the demon’s powers were strong. And, in that moment, Ace realized that was Teach’s plan all along. He hadn’t never expected Ace to kill Marco. He had expected Marco and the others to become attached to him and then dragged them in the Underground using Ace as a bait.
“No… No!”
His fists clashed against the glass, his only aim to warn them and let the escape. Pops’ attention were already on him and he nodded. He raised his leg and then smashed it on the ground. The entire cave trembled and all the glass column exploded. Ace covered his eyes to protect himself from the splinters.
“Ace, come!”
Curiel had flew to him in his crow form and he was gestured to Ace to follow him.
“You shouldn’t have come. What the hell are you thinking?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Curiel replied and shrugged.
He grabbed Ace and dragged him at the bottom of the cave. Ace’s heard Teach’s laugh and saw Pops rushed forward to block his darkness. Marco was behind him, his spell kept away from Pops the demons that tried to attack him. The others were fighting Teach’s underdogs.
“Finally, this is your end, Whitebeard,” Teach yelled.
Pops didn’t pay him attention. “Marco,” he called.
“Yes?”
“Go back with everyone without me.”
“What? No!”
“This is my last order. Now go!”
“No!”
This time it was Ace. He freed himself from Curiel’s grip and jump forward, his hand leaned forward, reaching for Pops. But before he managed to touch him, Marco grabbed him for the chest. Ace felt Marco’s breath on his neck as he murmured a spell.
A flash of light and Ace found himself back in the courtyard of the orphanage, his arm still leaned in front of him, but there wasn’t any more Pops’ back to catch, but only the stone walls. Marco was still keeping him and he didn’t let him go, no matter how Ace shrugged.
“No! NO!”
Tears erupted from his eyes. Marco moved to hug him better and Ace sobbed against his chest.
***
Marco found Ace hidden in the stable, surrounded by the goats that had accepted him as a part of the family already. Ace wasn’t happy, because he’d chose that place to stay alone, but of course he couldn’t hide his presence to Marco and his warlock’s powers.
“I know you need some time,” Marco said. “But please, there is someone you need to see.”
Ace stood up with a sigh. He followed Marco outside the stable and then in the church. There, in the third bench, sat Squadro.
As soon as he noticed Ace, Squardo jumped still, but he didn’t move, his gaze moved from Ace to Marco, before lowering to the ground. Marco got near and gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. Squardo nodded. With his gaze still lowered, he walked until he was in front of Ace. At that point, he was sobbing.
He hugged him, still crying. The words that came out his mouth were frantic, foggy. “I’m so sorry, Ace, so sorry, I… It’s all my fault. I didn’t… I just want to save this place and… I believed them…”
“It’s okay,” Ace murmured, stopping his rambling. “I know you meant good.”
“It didn’t matter,” Squardo sniffed. “Pops died because of me. And you, almost.”
“I forgive you.”
“I can’t never forgive myself.”
Marco decided it was enough. He placed a hand on Squardo’s shoulder. Squardo finished his tears. He nodded and, with a last grip on Ace, he moved aside.
He left without a word, keeping sniffing at himself. Ace heard him murmured a thank you, and wasn’t sure it was directed at Ace or Marco, who followed him until hel eft the church, before turning to face Ace.
“What was that?” Ace asked.
“He told me what happen,” Marco said. “He wanted forgiveness.”
“I forgave him.” Ace shrugged.
“Then why can’t you forgive yourself?”
Ace moved his gaze from him to the ground. “You know why.”
“No, I don’t. Frankly, I don’t even think there’s something you should forgive.”
“I killed Pops!”
Ace panted hard. Marco looked at him with a soft smile and a sweetness Ace didn’t deserve.
“No,” Marco said. “You didn’t kill Pops. He sacrificed himself to save you.”
Ace snored. “Whatever. He didn’t change the results.”
“It did for you. For us.” Marco came closer. “Pops’s life was ending, he knew that. He couldn’t die peacefully in his tower, but that wasn’t his style. He preferred die doing what he has done his entire life: saving people like us.”
Marco’s face was too close; Ace found himself unable to move or look away.
“You can decide to leave, if you’d like,” Marco continued. “But no one here want that. You’re Pops’ child too. You belong here.”
“I lived in the underground. I worked there.” Ace sighed. “Even if I didn’t kill Pops, fault is on me. Teach used me…”
“We’re glad he did, so you can leave that place behind.”
“Why are you all so kind?”
“That’s what Pops taught us. His legacy. We’re keeping giving people a home where to stay, and you’re no exception. But I have another reason for you.” Marco hugged him, his hands grabbed the back of Ace’s shirt. He kept him close, his grip almost suffocating. “I love you, Ace. I don’t want you to leave.”
There was a vulnerability in Marco’s words and Marco’s voice Ace’s wasn’t used to. His lips were trembled, as long as his arms as he kept Ace in his hug. And that, that was enough to break Ace. He placed his head on Marco’s shoulder and cry.
“I want to stay here. With you, with everyone… I love here… and I love….”
He wasn’t ready to tell yet, but he was sure Marco would understand. Marco’s grip strengthened again, before becoming sweeter. Ace couldn’t see it, but he was sure there was a relaxed smile on his face now.
“You can, Ace. That’s what we want too,” he said. “Welcome home.”
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