~Marco’s POV~

                I’d told her once we couldn’t progress our relationship until she was eighteen, but once she was of age, it seemed things only got more complicated. She was still practically a babe compared to someone like me. The exuberant youth that was once so full of light had changed, yet save for Thatch, Izo and myself, no one noticed. Something in that haunted house awoke some dark crippling fear within her.

                “You’re leaving again, aren’t you?” Her timid angelic voice chirped from behind me. The mess hall was surprisingly vacant. How long had I been sitting here like this completely lost in my thoughts of the exuberant youth behind me.

                I turned slowly to face her and felt my heart drop at the desolate look in her baby blue eyes. “Not for a few days, I’m not.”

                “You’ll be gone longer this time, won’t you?” She pouted.

                I couldn’t lie to her. Truth was one of the islands under our protection was being threatened by Kaido. Oyaji worried he was trying to stir up trouble and wanted me to stay on the island for awhile and clear things up. Reluctantly, I gave her a slight nod.

                “Take me with you.” Her voice came out pleading.

                “It’s too dangerous, Talia.” I sighed and forced myself to look away from her as I felt my heart begin to crumble. She looked so broken. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.”

                “You say that, but you always leave me behind.” She wrapped her arms around herself as if she needed the strength, as if she needed the comfort of another person’s touch. For such a radiant girl, she was quite possibly one of the loneliest people I’d ever come into contact with, and no one else could see it.

                “Talia.” I rose to my feet slowly afraid I’d spook her and opened my arms.

                She darted forward almost desperately looking like a terrified child just awoken from a nightmare and realizing the dark was closing in around her. Her small delicate body molded against mine as she threw her arms around me and buried her face in my chest. What darkness haunted her? Just what was it that she was so afraid of?

                “I’ll talk to Oyaji and see what he says.” I attempted to reassure her.

                “Do I really need permission to leave the ship?” She asked quietly.

                “Eh? You were awake?” I stared down at the girl in my arms in disbelief.

                She avoided my gaze guiltily, “You two were yelling by that point, it woke me up.”

                I smiled and gently smoothed her untamable frosty pink hair away from her face to get a better look at her. “I said some pretty embarrassing things.”

                Her baby blue eyes lifted to meet my gaze. My heart stuttered in my chest as I spotted tears welling in her eyes. “I’m glad I heard it. I was beginning to worry you no longer had feelings for me.” She admitted with a blush.

                “Eh? Why would you think that?”

                “I’m not a child anymore, yet it feels like you distance yourself from me more than before.” She dropped her gaze to avoid making eye contact with me.

                Of course she caught on. How could she not? She was brilliant. I was speechless. There was no excuse for my recent behavior. I didn’t have any reply that could possibly make her feel better.  Despite how she had changed over the past two years, I still saw her as a child.

                Desperately her baby blue eyes latched onto me begging for me to deny the insecurities she was feeling. She scanned my face and heartbreaking realization dawned on her. Her body trembled against me and I struggled to hold her as she tried to pull away from me.

                “I’m so stupid.” She choked as she finally managed to break out of my grasp.

                “Talia!” I darted after her, but she was too fast.

                Gracefully she turned and sprinted away from me, disappearing in a frosty pink blur. Why did I freeze up like that? My heart hurt as I recalled the desolate look in her bright baby blues. Because I couldn’t admit my feelings to myself, I was causing her pain.

                “Talia!” Panic began to settle in. Everything around me slowly began to turn dark and I realized a world without Talia in it would be a vast wasteland devoid of light. The very idea of a world without Talia terrified me. I’d been in this world long enough to know, it’s brightest with her at my side. Why couldn’t I have come to this conclusion seconds ago?!

                I tore out of the galley and raced toward the library. Somehow I’d allowed myself to get so busy that I was neglecting her and leaving her behind. She was in constant distress because of me. A few crew members called out to me as I sprinted past, but I paid them no mind.

                “Talia!” I called her name again as I spotted the library door shift slightly as she slipped inside no more than a blur.

                “Eh?! What’s with all the shouting?” Thatch dropped down from the crow’s nest.

                I ignored him and bolted into the library, “Talia!”

                All the crew members casually occupying the tables jumped at my sudden outburst. “Commander? What are you doing?”

                “Marco? What’s going on?” Thatch appeared in the doorway with Izo and a few others in toe.

                Everyone was beginning to worry for my sanity. As they should be, I was hopelessly and in every aspect madly in love with the most radiant girl. She was in here; I could sense her presence up in the loft trying to hide away from it all.

                “I have an announcement.” I called loudly.

                “Eh?!” Everyone stared at me cautiously.

                “You feeling okay, Marco?” Thatch asked worried, “You’re acting a bit strange.”

                “The idiot has finally come to his senses.” Izo smirked, “He’s finally stopped lying to himself.”

                I ignored the pair behind me and looked up to the loft, “I’m unfit to be a commander.”

                Everyone froze and stared at me in awe.

                “Marco, what are you-?” Izo gaped.

                “Definitely sick.” Thatch paled.

                I had to keep going, “Before, I could never think of putting anything or anyone else before my crew, before my family…”

                Movement from the loft caught my eye giving me hope and spurring me forward. Talia inched into view and perched near the ledge of the loft watching everything unfold curiously as she struggled to keep herself composed.

                “I can’t do that anymore. I’ve found someone who will always come first.” I met her gaze and found the strength to go on. “Talia.”

                A single tear slid down her porcelain cheek.

                “I love you.”

                The entire crew erupted into loud whoops and cheers as my arms turned to bright flaming blue wings and I projected myself to the loft and caught the mesmerizing pink haired beauty in my arms engulfing her in healing blue light.

                She melted into my embrace with a muffled cry. Her delicate frame shook from heaving sobs as she threw her arms around me clinging to me as if her life depended on it.

                “I love you, Talia.”