Ace blinked a few times as he looked at the sight in front of him.
On the floor was Luffy's red cardigan. Next to it were spots of a blue, oily liquid. Marco and Luffy were both on the blonde's bed. They were close to each other. His baby brother had his arms wrapped around the big blue Phoenix to hold him still. Luffy also seemed to work on something on the bird's head. On his arms and chest were also spots of the oily liquid.
Ace had to bite his lip before he burst out into laughter. His little brother was helping Marco with the preening. Now that was something new. The bird wouldn't normally let anyone help him with that. As the blonde was very careful with his feathers, as it was important for his flaying ability.
So if his baby brother was allowed to help Marco with the preening, then the bird was most likely interested in Luffy.
„Ace", he heard his brother cheered his name and then and his arms full of Luffy. His eyes gleamed with amusement. So he was able to tease both of his young brothers and a good friend.
„Hi there, Luffy", Ace patted his little brother's head, before he turned to the blue Phoenix. „So you developed a soft spot for my baby brother to let him help you, don't you, Marco?"
The bird tilted his head a bit. It looked like he would raise an eyebrow in human form, well that was just a guess from Ace. The second division commander started to grin.
„You have a crush on my baby brother."
There it was. A tiny hint of purple on the Phoenix's head. So he could blush in his zoan form. It made Ace laugh again. He could feel how Luffy looked up at him and had his head tilted most likely.
He could hear Haruta and Thatch whisper. Not the exact words, but their voices hinted at worry.
„So congratulations Luffy of catching the bird's interest. I always thought he was only capable of being interested in work and doing stuff for the family. Are you already together or were you both too stupid, shy or I don't know, for that, so I have to push you together?"
„Eh?!"
Ace had to try really hard not to laugh again. Thatch, Haruta and Izo looked shocked. The whole head of the Phoenix was now deep purple and it clashed horribly with the usual blue. He looked down at Luffy.
The boy had a little blush on his cheeks and a pout on his lips. „You're stupid, Ace. Marco is my boyfriend. Even if he can be a meanie sometimes and still insist on taking it slow since the beginning, I still love him", his baby brother told him with that adorable smile.
He had to suppress a reaction, which would make the other tease him for his brother-complex. But something his baby brother said, made him wonder.
„Huh, so you are hiding something from your big brother?", Ace said and lifted an eyebrow. Luffy tilted his head.
„It was my suggestion to keep it a secret. I thought it would be better that way, yoi", Marco said. He had finally transformed back to his human form. So now he could question him about his baby brother.
„He thought, he was too old for me", Luffy added and pouted slightly.
This made Ace laugh. He really should expect something like that. Afterall it was Marco the biggest male, flaming mother-hen, the second division commander knew.
„Are you really our Ace who wanted to grill Hody Jones for fighting and hurting his brother?", Haruta asked a bit baffled. Thatch and Izo looked also shocked. It confused Ace a bit. Then he understood.
„Luffy, would you shower quick? You have some of this oily liquid on you. I hope you didn't grease it on me", Ace said and shooed his younger brother away.
