Author Note: This was written last week as I impatiently awaited the airing of episode 663.

Warnings: None

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Connect the Freckles

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"I'm bored!" Luffy whined, face planted into the dry ground outside Dadan's hut, straw hat wafting in a gentle summer breeze.

"Shut up, Luffy," Ace mumbled, tiredly. The freckled boy was laying prone on the ground in the shade of the bandit's hut, arms and legs spread wide. "We're all bored."

"Can't we go hunt something?" Luffy lifted his face and glanced up at his blond brother who was carefully cleaning his pipe next to him.

Sabo shook his head. "Sorry. Its midday, it's far too hot to be running around." Luffy huffed in annoyance.

Makino looked up from where she was carefully sewing some new shirts for the brothers.

"Why don't you boys play a game?" She suggested, setting aside her needle and thread before gesturing for Sabo to stand up for measurements.

"Games are for babies," Ace proclaimed, rolling onto his side away from the young barmaid. Sabo sent a kick flying at the back of his brother's thighs.

"Don't be rude to Makino, Ace," he chastised, shaking his head slightly.

Luffy sat up. "Yeah, don't be rude!" Ace merely snorted. Luffy frowned again. "I'm still bored."

"Not all games are for babies," Makino smiled. "Why not play charades? Or bowling. Or Hide and Seek? I could set up a hopscotch for you if you want."

Luffy tilted his head in serious consideration. "Are any of those meat?"

Sabo burst out into laughter as Makino shook her head despondently. "No, Luffy. No meat."

"Are they exciting?" Luffy asked, as he launched himself at Sabo. "Can we do something exciting?"

"Exciting, hm?" Sabo slowly studied the clearing outside the bandit's hut but there wasn't much to be seen. They could always dig some more pits for the unsuspecting bandits but that would involve some grunt work and it really was far too hot under the burning midday sun to be digging. He was about to suggest to Luffy they go on a beetle hunt, that never failed to entertain the rubber boy, when Ace caught his attention.

Their brother had apparently fallen asleep again. Sabo wasn't too sure yet if he should be concerned or not at the increasing frequency at which Ace seemed to be able to drop off into such a deep sleep. But the slumbering son of the former Pirate King had given his brother an idea.

Sabo grinned at Luffy. "I've thought of something fun." Luffy perked up immediately and latched onto Sabo's arm, jerking it quickly up and down.

"What, what, what?"

Sabo shushed him quickly. "It involves being quiet. And I'll warn you now, both success and failure are going to result in a painful beating."

"Don't care. What is it?" Luffy pleaded. Sabo shook him off and dashed inside. Luffy frowned. "Is that the game? Sabo runs away?" He asked Makino who shrugged slightly but before she could reply, Sabo reappeared carrying an ink pot and a couple of quills.

He uncorked the ink and dipped in a quill before carefully and quietly approaching Ace. Luffy frowned as Sabo gently nudged Ace's shoulder until he rolled flat onto his back. Slowly, Sabo placed the quill against Ace's cheek and drew a thin black line between two freckles.

Luffy clamped a hand quickly over this mouth to stifle the laugher threatening to burst forth. Sabo's own shoulders shook as he passed the quill to Luffy who took it eagerly.

"You have to be gentle, Lu," Sabo whispered, grabbing Luffy's hand and guiding it down to draw another line. Luffy nodded quickly as Sabo took the quill back and drew his own line before handing the quill back to Luffy.

Out the corner of one eye, Sabo caught Makino giggling into her own hand as they passed the quill back and forth, slowly filling their brother's cheeks with thin black squiggly lines. Finally, Luffy's hand pressed down too hard onto the bridge of Ace's nose as his shoulders shook hard.

The blacked haired boy jerked awake and stared up at his brothers with bleary eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ace grumbled, reaching up to push Luffy's hand away.

"We were playing a game," Sabo announced cheerfully. Ace frowned as Luffy snorted with laughter. Sabo stood quickly and grabbed Luffy's hand, pulling the boy up with him. "Oh, by the way, Ace," Sabo grinned. "I think you have a little something on your face."

Luffy practically screamed with laughter as Ace quickly swiped a hand across one cheek. Ace stared at the smudged ink on his fingers.

"You two are dead!" He screeched leaping to his feet as the pair made a dash for the trees, cackling all the way.

"We never got to finish the game, Sabo," Luffy panted a short while later, whilst nursing his bruised head.

"We'll try again another day," Sabo told him, far too cheerfully for Ace's liking.

"You will not," Ace growled, before stalking off.

It would be a long time before Ace slept peacefully in his brother's presence again.

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Please let me know what you guys thought and if you see any glaring mistakes. I have proof read but I always seem to miss something!

This was inspired by real life, as I have freckles myself and a friend took it upon themselves to 'connect them' when we kids. Thankfully, they used facepaint and not actual ink!

Also, to anime viewers, who else has fallen head over heels for adult Sabo?! That voice!