concoursec | Because Kidnapping is Pirate Speak for "Hello"

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Because Kidnapping is Pirate Speak for "Hello"

Characters: Marco & Espio
Location: ON ~~Pooh's~~ A GRAND ADVENTURE
Rating: PG-13
Open/Closed/Finished: Closed!
Summary: Marco kidnaps Espio for Marco's birthday. What? It's a legit reason.

Marco didn't announce his plans, of course, he never did. And if his brothers remembered him well enough, they'd remember how much he hated parties on his birthday. Ace might not remember, because Ace was always happier surrounded by more and more people that loved him, but Marco just wanted some peace and quiet, and in this case, red velvet cake and heavily spiked milkshakes. So, for all that he loved having Thatch, Ace, and Namur constantly around, there was only one person Marco wanted to abduct and drag out for some time alone.

He planned it weeks in advance, staked out Espio's schedule, and without warning on the day of the fifth, Marco abducted everyone's favorite grumpy chameleon.

Because in pirate language, kidnapping was hello.

Now to make their escape before the others could find him.

"Shh, don't say anything or they'll hear us. It's a jailbreak, yoi. Just stick with me and we'll be free before you can say 'Oi what the hell, Marco?' eh?"

Clearly this plan was flawless.

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"You're wrong," it was another growl and Marco flicked Espio's forehead, but at the weak smile he let go some of his own rage so that it drained out of him.

"Come here," he picked Espio back up into a tight hug. "You didn't hurt Toby. Toby hurt Toby. Toby was hurt by the world. You did nothing, but protect him. My brothers still consider you a brother, but they forget that we weren't just bound together by my father. We were bound by our own ideals too. Espio... Just because you hate them, doesn't mean you take it out on them. Do you really think that doesn't make you strong? To deal with all that rage and not lash out? If I had as much rage as Ace, the world would never stop burning. You hate them, but you still fight with all your strength to protect them. Even now, you're fighting yourself. I don't share that kind of passion. To protect everyone, and everything. But because you have it, I work better at it. You protect all those people would them ever knowing or giving a damn. Why the fuck do you think that you don't deserve far more happiness and protection in return?"

Marco sighed softly and leaned his cheek on Espio's head. "It doesn't matter that we disagree with you. Because you stick to it, you get us to help you do what you need, what you want. Ace is also a lot more protective of total strangers than I can ever be. He rescues marines, his grandfather was a marine, as I told you, and he actually cares about people who call him a monster for being born. I don't get him. I really don't. But I want to help him, and that means helping his convictions too. You're strong enough that your convictions won't become mine just because my will is around you. That is strength. I think it's okay to hate people. To be jealous, to feel hurt, to really resent them for the bullshit they do. But you need to stop hurting yourself for it. Even though you hate them, you still love them enough to protect them in a way someone like me can't. And more than that, you pull me into helping you, got it?"

Marco set Espio back up on the top of his head and pet him gently. "You're not alone. Thatch and Namur are old pirates like me. But we listen. Especially to the future. Our Pops taught us that." More pets. "And it's the nice thing about being a pirate, you can be family with whoever you want to, you don't have to let pesky things like biology or laws or justice get in the way. My justice is not yours. It can never be that strong. I am too old and jaded, and I've never been that adaptable to change. But, and I mean this with all my heart, so long as you're around, I will always fight for your convictions, even if we disagree. Because I trust you. Because you're my brother. Because we're family. If it's important to you, then it's important to me. And I meant what I said. I wanted to spend my birthday with you. I don't want you to hurt, and I'm sad that you are, but I wouldn't have this day any other way."

Again, it seemed as though Espio wasn't really listening, though he did shuffle a little on Marco's shoulders, again hiding his face in his arms and resting on Marco's head. He wasn't sobbing, but there was definitely a distinctive wetness coming from his eyes. "I don't think I have it in me to fight anymore," he mumbled. "...come on. Let's go."

"Then we'll fight for you and you can rest. That's what family does, yoi."

Marco spread his arms and jumped high, switching into phoenix in one fluid movement as he went.

"I'm sorry." Espio knew his mumbled repeat of an apology was most likely unnecessary, but he felt the need to offer it anyway. "I'll try to cheer up a bit. ...I'm gonna start cooking again, too."

Definitely unnecessary. Marco nudged Espio with his head as they flew off, another attempt to hug him and remind him it would all be okay. If nothing else, Marco wasn't going to be giving Espio much time alone for the next month.

"Ah, but... aren't there things you want to talk about, too? We haven't really had a chance to talk for long in ages..."

There was a slight accusatory tone in his voice, though he tried to hide it - he still was a little jealous of the attention all the rest of the family were getting.

"...but don't chirp it at me."

Marco opened his beak to talk to Espio -- to chirp at him, but closed it again with a slight huff before laughing in amusement a little.

He nodded his head. It could wait until they landed.

"Dumb sparklebird."

Espio shuffled a little on his back, apparently deciding to just hold on and snuggle a little into the feathers and rest until they got to wherever they were going.

Another laugh and Marco snuggled back. Espio couldn't be too bad if he was able to act like he was back to normal, he figured. The phoenix adjusted his wings to puff around Espio more like a blanket and settled in to let the chameleon have a quick nap until they got there.

He picked out a good place for milkshakes and cake and made sure to land someplace that wouldn't be too noticeable by anyone who simply bothered to look up into the sky. Phoenixes were less rare in this world than in Marco's own, but it still wouldn't do to be seen that easily. He switched to human with Espio still wrapped around his shoulders and tousled the Stetson hat on his head to put it back in place before climbing down to the streets below.

"Cranky chameleon," it was an extremely late retort, but still, had to be said.

To tell the truth, Espio felt a tiny bit better for the moment after getting all those worries off his chest to someone who mattered, but a simple mumble of 'dumb sparklebird' was still only a shadow of himself.

Woken by the tousling, Espio checked the hat to make sure it was where he liked it. "Mm. So...?"

He looked around. "Where are we?"

"Cake and Shake," Marco gestured to the shop's sign, "They also have tea."

Obviously this made all the difference.

Espio tilted his head, a little confused by the choice - he had kind of expected a bar, it being Marco's birthday... but since Marco seemed fond of treating his sweet tooth, he shrugged - he should be used to this by now. Eh.

"So I see." He didn't point out that he meant what town. "Did I fall asleep? I don't remember getting here."

"Aye, you did, but I take it as a compliment. It means I flew smoothly, yoi." It was also a common sign of depression, but c'est la vie.

"Feeling better?"

"A little... now that I've talked about it..." Even so, he looked at the floor as he said it. It probably wouldn't last. "You know. To someone more important than a doctor."

That is adorable and Marco is almost overcome with his intense desire to glomp the chameleon on his shoulders. He settles for reaching up to ruffle the hat instead.

"I'm glad," his voice is quiet, and incredibly less intense then when he was mad. Intellectually, Marco knew it was his desire to kick whatever problems came their way to protect his family and when he couldn't kick the problem, he wasn't so sure how to protect his family, so he acted less rationally, but it didn't fix it. Still, he's genuinely happy that it helped, however slightly. "I'm not going to be giving you much space for awhile. Not because I don't trust you, but because I want to reinforce the idea of how important your company is to us, got it? And since Ace has been sleeping in my bed on account of nightmares, don't be surprised if we start kidnapping you for that too, yoi. The more people he has around him, the better he'll be."

And helping Espio wasn't going to be a quick thing. The problems had taken years to develop, they wouldn't be cured in one conversation. It was still a start.

"I am not sleeping in your bed," Espio said, after a moment of trying to figure out if he just heard that correctly. "And what is Ace - five? Geez."

Marco just tugged on Espio's cheek. "I'd still sleep in Thatch's bed, if I wasn't married." And we're jut not even going to bring up the times that they shared beds anyway, because it's weird, and possibly brain scarring.

"So? That's because you're weird."

Espio's reasoning was absolutely flawless.

"Aha!" Marco smirked evilly, "But so are you. Therefore, it's settled then."

Nothing was settled and never would be, but that was how Marco expected it, for all that he claimed to the contrary.

"Nuh-uh," Espio responded, a little childishly and lacking in a better retort. "Besides, I think I'd get chainsawed before Grell'd let that happen."

"She lets Ace in, what's one more?" Marco shrugged. "But if it makes you feel better you could always join in on the Ace patrol. Between his narcolepsy and a few other things--" PTSD, flashbacks, prison, torture, whatever the fuck Blackbeard did to him, dying, guilt, Marco being a lousy brother who was more liable to yell at him than fix things, "He needs someone to keep an eye on him at night."

"Yeah, but Ace is hot," Espio argued, without thinking. "I'm a lizard."

It seemed like a fairly reasonable argument to him when he said it, though after he'd said it he tilted his head a little trying to figure out why it seemed even slightly reasonable. Surely a better argument would have been that Ace didn't argue with Grell for 75% of their daily interaction.

"What does he need me to keep an eye on him for? I'm not gonna be any help."

"So use him as a heating lamp. You can't say he won't be helpful dealing with winter, right? And of course you'll be a help, you both have shared experiences," Marco rolled his eyes. He was about to point out that Grell chose bedmates on their cuteness, not hotness, but even Marco knew that was incorrect. Which begged an entirely different question.... "Even you think Ace is hot?!"

Everyone always did. Damn shirtless brat. Where did people think he got that from anyway?!

"Uh..."

That was not the hesitant, awkward 'uh' of someone who slipped up and was trying to backtrack and pretend they never said it. That was the flat 'uh' of someone about to say 'well, duh.'

"In other news, the sky is blue. But just because he's hot doesn't mean I have any intention of lying underneath him."

Marco kept his face deadpan only through years of infamous deadpan composure.

"I'm not sure he's into lizards anyway, even if dark messy-haired brats who are younger than they look is your thing," actually that was a lie. Marco was fairly certain Ace was about as pansexual as they came, but he didn't really want to think about it too much. Even if both Espio and Ace could comfort each other in more ways than one. "You're making too big a deal out of it. Think more like a pirate and less like a marine, eh?"

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