Parties on the Moby Dick were a thing of legend, on par with those of the Redhair Pirates, even. Mostly due to the rambunctiousness of the crew and nothing to do when sailing long journeys, but also because alcohol flowed freely from the barrels kept down in the storeroom.
Special occasions, birthdays and such, served as great excuses to break up the monotony of the many weeks of sailing empty seas.
Lively, off-key songs were sung from drunk companions, the crack of tankards right before the contents were messily chugged, then slammed onto the makeshift tables followed by raucous cries for more...it was quite a sight.
Marco's birthday had come around once more, and the man in question was somewhere in all this mess. You tried making your way through the crowd of pirates dancing and singing and celebrating their nakama's birthday, careful to avoid the drinks being spilled all over the place.
Your eyes scan over the heads of your crew mates, finally settling on the blonde hair of the man in question. Shaking your head with a grin, you take a more direct route to the front of the ship.
Despite being the man of the hour, Marco sat on the sidelines of the celebration, drinking casually from his own tankard, but clearly not drunk. That regenerative ability of his made it extremely difficult to get drunk even when drinking heavily. At such a slow pace, he might not have even been buzzed.
Perched on the railing of the boat, casually watching the festivities from the others, his gaze switches to you as you approach. He offers a lazy smile, lifting his tankard in greeting. "Enjoying the party, Y/N?"
"Yeah, it's great." You say, eyeing the others for a few moments, before looking back up at him. "But, shouldn't you be in the middle of it all?"
"I was earlier. But it's nice to have a little time to myself too, yoi."
"Hmm." You ponder his answer, listening to the cacophony of noise from the deck of the ship, before reaching into your pocket. "Well, I wanted to give you something. A little gift. It isn't much, but..."
"You didn't have to, Y/N." He reassured, setting his tankard beside him and hopping down from the railing. He straightens and leans in front of you on the railing, hands in his pockets in a casual pose. "I never take birthdays too seriously. They're just another day."
"But I wanted to." You say, taking out the little box and holding it in your hand. "You're important to me, and I...just wanted to show that somehow. So, please take it. It would make me happy if you did."
Marco is silent, watching your expression for several seconds, before smiling and taking the box from your open palm. You stand there and wait as he inspects the little box a moment, then lift the lid to see what it contained.
You see the corner of his mouth lift further in an amused and endearing grin, and he reaches in to pick up the chain from within. The blue-beaded silver chain dangled from between his fingers, the bottom ending in a small feather.
You waited while he inspected it with interest. But when the silence grew a little longer than you could handle, you shifted on your feet. "It's not a necklace or a bracelet. I wasn't sure if you'd like either of those. I figured maybe you could wear it around your sash?" You give a nervous laugh, trying to play off your anxiety. "Like I said, it isn't much, and you don't have to wear it-"
"I love it." He says, putting the box next to his tankard and looping the chain around his cloth belt. He puts his hands on his hips, standing there for you to appraise the look, and smiles wide. "I think it suits me."
"It does." You say, glad that he'd enjoyed your gift after all. "Happy Birthday, Marco."
"Thank you, Y/N."
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