Marco X Ace: Genderbender Ace

Part VII

The clouds drift by sluggishly and the heat of the afternoon was comfortably bearable, that between skin and fabric is smoothed flesh excluding sticky sweat. It was a stable and peaceful day for the many weather-beating days of a pirate. The seagulls safely flying over the ship ensures no dangerous destination, which is any land they can  land on since supplies were running out.

On the deck, it was barren except for two pirates, staring over the horizon with their backs against the railing. One with a tall pomodor takes the cigarette out of his mouth as a puff of smoke exits his lips. They were both rivaling each other's exhaustion over the day's events.

Most of the crew members were injured after their last crazy exploration from the recent island. Unlike Marco and Ace, the others weren't so lucky, as they ended up in ditches that proved very deep with snapping beasts awaiting at the bottom or mermaid-impostors or live plants eager with swallowing them whole. The higher ranking members had to help out, circling the injured with busy nurses at their sides because they only received minor wounds.

White Beard wasn't in the ship and they were careful to hide that information as he was being treated someplace completely justified and they will return to him after a top-secret mission.

Thatch takes a look at a Marco who was just happy with staring into the horizon, and keeping the silence. His arms are crossed and he appears to enjoy the soft breeze brushing over him.

Peaceful day...

So," Thatch began, with his honey voice, a puff of smoke leaving his mouth again, "What happened between you, in there?"

Marco's peace is now but a memory that has gone past ages ago, after it was shattered just then.

On the other hand, while Marco was tired and he only wants peace and quite, Thatch's lips can't be sealed too long by the mere peacefulness of his surroundings. Marco doesn't amuse him by answering and yet, Thatch pushes on.

"C'mon~"

Marco almost growled, but his vocals didn't grate out. He accepted it like it was something to be annoyed about but not be received seriously.

Finally, Snatch snickering like an over sized child reached his ears.

And Marco growled. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Thatch is being Thatch, the curious and often times, the observative one. And very observative he was when they broke down the wall and saw a sight to debate—questionable position with a woman on top and a regal pirate below but of obvious intentions, at least, that was what Thatch has carved into his mind now.

"I know what I saw~"

Thatch currently estimating his hold of an advantage to tease him.

Marco gave off a sigh of man defeated by exhaustion of physical, mental and emotional pain. And oh, almost forgot, Thatch pain has got to be one of the worst, like a raging fever. Or a large mosquito that can't be swat, that keeps veering his direction.

Marco tries to explain the situation. "You saw a dazed Ace that was turned to a girl who clearly wasn't acting on her own, but on self-defense stimulants of those native plants. That was all there was to it, as I happen to be the victim if you weren't looking at us...that way."

Thatch nodded, pretending to be listening intently as he narrowed his eyes on the Phoenix who doesn't look his way, but still to the horizon across the deck. He does not sound satisfied with Marco's answer.

"I see. But I saw something else..."

Oh no, here it comes.

Lay it one me, Thatch.

That sentence seems to be the only way to prepare himself for what Thatch has bore in a mind to tell him now.

"I saw a half-naked Ace. No offense, he is always half-naked but then he happened to be a girl..."

Going over the obvious specifics, Marco is beginning to feel the pressure of his blood over his ears, to announce his annoyance boiling in anger. Thatch continues uninterrupted but surely, for how long?

"And I did get some information, about those glowing mushrooms. Something about them releasing condensed substance with complicated properties, amplifying emotions that pretend to be hidden, to agitate its victims and turn them against each other. Mostly, the maze would help build up frustration."

Marco couldn't believe his ears, with Thatch's scientific effort to make what happened, something to REALLY FOCUS ON.

Marco lets him continue speaking, wishing that he had something to plug his ears or be engaged in a situation where a sea monster comes up and bites Thatch off the boat.

Thatch is a very difficult person to ignore, and even if Marco tries to ignore this man, it will prolong the agony of the situation. He'll continue speaking about it non-stop and the phoenix figured that the only way to counter such assault is by trying to outwit his words.

"I kind of asked the nurse about some other stuff and it appears it was something else Ace was feeling, that frustrated him."

Thatch smiled wide, and the sparkle in his eyes were wild. He was waiting for Marco to speak.

Ace was frustrated by something else aside from the anger which the island feeds on?

Marco sighed, and words grit through his teeth. "And what did you think of Ace's emotions?"

Thatch giggled like a little girl behind his hand.

"Ace might have been attracted to you."

A rush of red bursts in Marco's cheek. Urg! The conversation was veering that direction in the end!

And Thatch will now feed on the teasing that is actually affecting Marco.

Thatch wiggles the finger he was using to point at Marco. "Hihihihihihi. How does it feel now that I exposed someone's little crush on you?"

Replacing the red on Marco's face, is a dark sinister shade that obscures his eye sight. And his teeth grit againts each other.

Thatch continues to torment him, blushing in achievement that he was unravelling a love that was blossoming between two people. Or so he thought.

"Awww...I didn't know you attracted young men. And Ace? Hehehehe, you should know—ACHK!"

Please Wait for next update! 😳