The dead silence on the ship is unsettling, and as you straighten up, you can clearly hear someone snort before the entire deck breaks into laughter. Looking up at Marco in disbelief, you feel the bravado drain from you when he turns toward you.
He looks pissed.
Not the kind of throw you over board, and make you clean the bathrooms with a toothbrush for a month kind of pissed, but more like exactly how you'd expect the second in command on an Emperor's ship to look if you'd successfully managed to goose him in front of god and man. Never, in all the years you knew him, and certainly in none of the years you'd been with him, have you seen him so look scary while he was looking at you.
What you were feeling in the pit of your stomach was the heaviest lead ball of regret you could possibly imagine.
"She got you good brother!" Thatch yells, laughter in his voice. You really want to just cut his pompadour off at the moment, but he is also not wrong.
"I really thought you were gonna stop me." You manage to say the words, but over the sounds of the crew you weren't sure he even heard you.
"Hahahaha! A bird! He sounded like a bird!" Ace is gasping for air between bouts of laughter, and it would help your cause immensely if he'd just pass out.
"You've been irritated lately." Marco says evenly. Quietly. For you only. "I was giving you privacy until you were ready to talk."
... well, shit.
"A moment of silence," Izou says, calming down the others. He puts his hands up to his mouth and speaks up even more. "Hang in there little flower, we're all rooting for you!"
The round of laughter that follows is raunchier than earlier. You only hoped that whatever Marco decided for you, punishment wise, it was at least half as sexy as the crew figured it would be. Especially since, as he turns and grabs the scruff of your shirt, you're pretty sure you might just be cleaning the bathrooms with a toothbrush for the next month.
He takes you back to his room, what is quickly becoming your room as well, opening the door and nearly tossing you in. There's just enough restraint in his actions that you didn't go tumbling onto the floor or anything else.
Closing the door, Marco crosses his arms and leans against it. Straightening your clothes a bit you clear your throat and turn the desk chair around before sitting down. There's a moment's silence between you, neither of you apparently really sure where to start.
"Sorry," you say after another moment.
Breathing in, he pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. "I know, yoi." He admits. His irritation softens, the usual neutral look back on his face again. "What's been on your mind lately, pretty bird?"
It's your turn to make an awkward sound, the truth of it is so stupid in hindsight you really don't want to say, but considering what happened, clarity is the very least Marco deserves.
"I was irritated... because you're always so effortlessly in control." You sigh, putting a hand up to keep him from speaking, so you can continue. "You never fluster, you never yelp, you never seem to lose your cool. Ever... And I've been stewing, like an idiot, for the last few days because I couldn't stop thinking about it."
Putting your face in your hands you groan. "I tried to cool off, but when I came up behind you and you didn't notice me, I just... gave in."
A moment's silence causes you to look up from your hands and Marco is red halfway down his neck. He's got a hand over his face, and is trying to compose himself, but it doesn't look like anger - he wouldn't be avoiding looking at you like that if he was angry.