On New Year's Day, 277 days before Marco turned 24, the name appeared on his wrist. Gol. He'd been with Whitebeard long enough to know whose name it was. Or rather, whose name it had been. But he was dead now. Had been for 15 months (not that Marco was counting), so it was impossible for it to be him. Besides, the name on his wrist was Portgas (Marco had asked once, and the man hadn't been shy to reveal it. Apparently, his soulmate was beautiful.), so it couldn't be him. But he'd been dead for 15 months, over 1 and a half times the length of a normal pregnancy, so it couldn't have been his child either.
(He asked Pops about it once. He smiled and said, "some things can be overcome by the love a mother has for her child." Marco didn't believe this was one of them, but it seemed Pops did.)
It was 19 years later when he met Ace, and 3 months after that when Ace joined their crew and Marco learned his full name. Portgas D. Ace. It was 4 weeks after that when Ace told Pops his name was actually Gol D. Ace, though he already knew. It was 3 hours after he told Pops that Ace told Marco. Marco told him his own name in return. Phoenix Marco. Ace cried. ("You knew?") Marco comforted him. ("Of course I knew, Ace.") Ace cried some more. ("How could you still want me?") Marco nearly cried as well. ("How could I not?") Ace wrapped his arms around Marco's middle and buried his face into the blond's shoulder. ("Thank you.") Marco raised his arms and wrapped them around the boy's shoulders. ("Anytime, Ace.")
They kissed once that night, but it was enough. They were happy (or at least, they would be), and that was all that really mattered, in the end.
---
("Roger was executed 15 months before you were born, how did that work?"
"My mom, Gramps says she waited 20 months to give birth to me so that no one would find me. She died because of it."
It seemed Pops was right, though Marco would never tell him that.)
YOU ARE READING
We Found Love (In A Hopeless Place) {MarcoAce}
同人小說Marco knows who Ace's father is. He loves him anyway. (Or, that soulmate au where your soulmate's last name is tattooed on your wrist. Ace has Phoenix. Marco has Gol.)
