[Marco's quiet thinking it all over for a bit, before he drops his foot and turns in a dance move to face Thatch.]
[Then he just grins, grabs his face in both hands and kisses him hard.]
[Maybe it'll snap Thatch out of it, maybe it'll put him in a darker mood, but Marco doesn't care.]
[He is also a terrible boyfriend jeez.]
You're so spoiled. [But he's grinning happily as he puts both their cigarettes back.]
Trust is built, Thatch. You weren't around when I first had to get used to Pops and vice versa. You know how I'll kick most people who wake me up, but you're an exception. You didn't become that way overnight. Pops and I couldn't share the same space as each other for a long time. Hell, how long did it take Ace to go from wanting to kill him to adoring him? Did you know that before we adopted Haruta she had a different father? She doesn't talk much of him now, of course, but she was like an abused animal at first. She hated pirates, she wouldn't talk to anyone and she lashed out a lot, eh.
[He leans back next to Thatch again and wraps an arm around his shoulders tugging the other man close.] You and Ace... why do you always think you're some big horrible dark thing no one can love deep inside? [Marco is still a little high on Ace's realization & recognition that Marco does indeed love Ace for Ace.] I love you for you, mate. Inside out. [He pokes Thatch's sternum.] The parts you think you hide well, most of all.
[He leans his head against Thatch's shoulder in thought.]
[Maybe that's why Thatch is hurt? Is he hurt or just angry? Or no... bitter. Yes, bitter is the word.]
[Was there someone he tried to show his dark side to, only to have it summarily rejected? Especially since Thatch seemed to be thinking he had to go do things alone.]
Do you think...
Do you think it was a mistake? Pops and us giving all that love and trust to Teach? Even when we saw his bad shit, we didn't stop and think, "Gee this is really unacceptable." Someone asked me why I have to be so all or nothing. I don't know if I am. I think it's built up. It's just that once I have to close a door on it, it doesn't matter what was built, I close that door for good. I think Ikki's that way too, but I'm not sure. [He shakes his head. Too many thoughts and he needs to narrow them down.] My point is, they think they know what they want. Some of them know some things about themselves, but they're still too young Beehive-hair. They have a lot of misconceptions about the world and they don't know how to reconcile it yet. They don't prioritize people over ideals yet. Because they've never had to before. Fuck that, they've never even had a chance to before. They're hardened because they think they'll be betrayed so they try to put their trust in something that can't betray them, thinking that won't hurt as much.
That's why we'll never ever ever forgive Teach. He hurt you most of all... [And Marco. And Pops. And Ace. Ugh.] But we gave him complete faith and trust no matter what, and he just used it. I will never have a punishment enough for him. An eternity of loneliness and being stabbed. Che....
[He drops the arm around Thatch's shoulder to hold Thatch's hand instead and takes a deep breath, which was probably dumb with all the smoke in the air but he's a phoenix and flames have their own kind of addiction for him.] The only difference in the kids here and back home is that they're even younger, even wilder, and come from even stranger backgrounds than we're used to. And yet they're still somehow just as jaded, just as cautious, and just as scared as men twice their age. So we have to give them that safe space for them to get comfortable in.
[Swings the hand a little and grins.] Are you up to it? Don't go getting old on me yet, eh.
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[Then he just grins, grabs his face in both hands and kisses him hard.]
[Maybe it'll snap Thatch out of it, maybe it'll put him in a darker mood, but Marco doesn't care.]
[He is also a terrible boyfriend jeez.]
You're so spoiled. [But he's grinning happily as he puts both their cigarettes back.]
Trust is built, Thatch. You weren't around when I first had to get used to Pops and vice versa. You know how I'll kick most people who wake me up, but you're an exception. You didn't become that way overnight. Pops and I couldn't share the same space as each other for a long time. Hell, how long did it take Ace to go from wanting to kill him to adoring him? Did you know that before we adopted Haruta she had a different father? She doesn't talk much of him now, of course, but she was like an abused animal at first. She hated pirates, she wouldn't talk to anyone and she lashed out a lot, eh.
[He leans back next to Thatch again and wraps an arm around his shoulders tugging the other man close.] You and Ace... why do you always think you're some big horrible dark thing no one can love deep inside? [Marco is still a little high on Ace's realization & recognition that Marco does indeed love Ace for Ace.] I love you for you, mate. Inside out. [He pokes Thatch's sternum.] The parts you think you hide well, most of all.
[He leans his head against Thatch's shoulder in thought.]
[Maybe that's why Thatch is hurt? Is he hurt or just angry? Or no... bitter. Yes, bitter is the word.]
[Was there someone he tried to show his dark side to, only to have it summarily rejected? Especially since Thatch seemed to be thinking he had to go do things alone.]
Do you think...
Do you think it was a mistake? Pops and us giving all that love and trust to Teach? Even when we saw his bad shit, we didn't stop and think, "Gee this is really unacceptable." Someone asked me why I have to be so all or nothing. I don't know if I am. I think it's built up. It's just that once I have to close a door on it, it doesn't matter what was built, I close that door for good. I think Ikki's that way too, but I'm not sure. [He shakes his head. Too many thoughts and he needs to narrow them down.] My point is, they think they know what they want. Some of them know some things about themselves, but they're still too young Beehive-hair. They have a lot of misconceptions about the world and they don't know how to reconcile it yet. They don't prioritize people over ideals yet. Because they've never had to before. Fuck that, they've never even had a chance to before. They're hardened because they think they'll be betrayed so they try to put their trust in something that can't betray them, thinking that won't hurt as much.
That's why we'll never ever ever forgive Teach. He hurt you most of all... [And Marco. And Pops. And Ace. Ugh.] But we gave him complete faith and trust no matter what, and he just used it. I will never have a punishment enough for him. An eternity of loneliness and being stabbed. Che....
[He drops the arm around Thatch's shoulder to hold Thatch's hand instead and takes a deep breath, which was probably dumb with all the smoke in the air but he's a phoenix and flames have their own kind of addiction for him.] The only difference in the kids here and back home is that they're even younger, even wilder, and come from even stranger backgrounds than we're used to. And yet they're still somehow just as jaded, just as cautious, and just as scared as men twice their age. So we have to give them that safe space for them to get comfortable in.
[Swings the hand a little and grins.] Are you up to it? Don't go getting old on me yet, eh.