2 updates right after each other in this story! a 3th one in dark flames!
It took him just over two weeks to reach the enemy pirate crew. Never once did he stop flying. He had taken no breaks, not to eat or drink and not to sleep. He powered through day and night with his flames burning brightly to keep him healthy.
He had no time to waste, he was on the most important mission of his life after all. Getting the freckles of his baby back.
Withing an hour of sighting the ship in the distance, did he reach the vessel and landed on it.
"Where is your captain-yoi?"
"Who are you?! What do you want?"
People called after him and he just raised an eyebrow, opening another button of his shirt without words.
Gasps were around as they noticed his tattoo.
"Whitebeard- you're a whitebeard!"
"Marco the Phoenix, first division commander. It's not nice to meet you." He introduced himself. "Now, where is your captain."
"Hah! We'll take care of you-"
Before the man could even finish his sentence, Marco was onto him and had him kicked into the sea.
"Where is your captain."
People around took a step back, whispering as one person ran inside. So Marco waited and waited. Just as he was about to go inside and get the captain himself, a woman walked out.
"So, I see Whitebeard needs another beating?"
"Beating?" Marco raised a brow, "As far a I was given information, it was your crew that ran off."
"After we achieved our goal." She grinned, "Boy didn't even stand a chance."
"Right." Marco's eyes turned to slithers, "You have something that I want."
"Oh do I now? I wonder what that is!"
A thick marc appeared as the girl giggled. Playing around him when he felt how weak her haki was. She was nothing. He would have her killed in a second… but he couldn't. He didn't know how her powers worked. If whatever she did would become undone after she passed or if it would be made permanent. He couldn't take any risks.
"You have my baby's freckles. I want them-"
"Baby?!" Her eyes widened before she bursted into laughter, her crew following suit, "You call your second in command a baby! Now that's why it was like taking candy from a baby, so easy hahahah!"
Marco was getting more and more annoyed by the second and he showed it without words. Simple took a few steps forward until he stood besides the main mast and gave it one solid kick.
The wood creaked and by the time he had his foot back on the deck, the main mast was already falling. Much to the horror of the captain and crew.
"YOU- WHAT THE HELL!"
"I tried to say that I came to get my freckles back. If you don't… you and your crew or not leaving this place."
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!"
"Me-yoi?" Marco actually looked surprised, "Nothing is wrong with me. I'm not the one who stole my love's freckles. You did. I should be asking what is wrong with you. But I honestly don't care and just want them back."
"Are you going to leave us alone when you get them back?"
"Maybe."
"Oka- Maybe?!"
"You deserve a beating for taking them no matter if you give them back or not."
"Then- then why would I give them back if you're beating me up regardless."
"I guess it's your own choice." Marco stepped closer, feet transforming into talons and letting them scrape over the wood, leaving deep scratches without even trying. "Theres beating up… and there's beating up. If you know what I mean-yoi."
"I-I don't-"
"You have 5 seconds to give me back my baby's freckles before I'm going to choose which beating you're getting."
The captain paled and ran inside, screaming as Marco appeared before her, blue wings spreading around her foretelling doom.
"I- they're inside! I need to get them!"
"Oh." Marco blinked and stepped aside, "Excuse me then, I thought you were trying to run like the silly woman you are."
"N-no, I- I'll be back!"
"Ofcourse you will." Marco nodded and walked over to a barrel, swiping the log pose and maps off it without a care in the world and took a seat. Waiting patiently before blinking as he remembered something.
"What was on the menu for lunch?"
"…"
"I asked," he repeated, "What was on the menu for lunch-yoi?"
"S-spaghetti!"
"Oh, nice. Bring me a plate."
No questions were asked as men were scrambling to get it, returning far quicker then the captain. Anyway, he had time, until he finished the plate.
He accepted the plate, thanking the one who brought it and eating it. It wasn't as good as Thatch's but not too bad. Meh, he just needed to fulfil his promise to Pops to eat when he got here.
Just as he was finished and handed the plate over, did the door open and did the captain come out.
"I was about to come search for you."
"I had to look."
Marco frowned, "you didn't know where you put my baby's freckles."
"I-I did- I just- here!" The captain got just close enough that her extended hand reached the blond.
Said blond picked up the jar held out, raising it higher to look inside. Eyes widening as he looked inside and saw hundreds of small specks flying around, each speck having the tiniest wings.
"These are-"
"Those are that boy's freckles."
"All of them?"
Marco lowered the glass to stare at the woman who looked away, reaching forward and grabbing her chin, twisting her head to look at him.
"All of them?"
"I-I may have l-lost a handful when- Ah!"
The woman flew from his kick, landing against the railing. He tucked the jar safely into his sash as he walked closer. "How could you loose them. Every single one of them is precious!"
"I-I'm sorry!"
"Sorry doesn't bring back my baby's freckles."
The next minutes were a mix of beating up the captain, as well as getting instructions on how to get the freckles back onto his baby. He wasn't an idiot, if the user herself lost some freckles, they wouldn't just move back the second he opened the jar.
Though, too his surprise, she did say they would stay near Ace, as the freckles somehow knew from who they were. Depending on if their owner treated them right before, they liked to be close.
"It was nice doing business with you." Marco stretched after he felt happy with the state of the captain. Bruised, some broken bones, but alive. "I hope we never meet again. See you." And smiled, leaving the ship without a main mast stranded in the ocean as he made his way back home.
Far too many days later, he arrived back, smiling to see his baby waiting. And while he was sad to see the freckleless smile, he was happy to know that soon he would be back.
So he landed down before him and hugged him.
"Marco! Welcome back. And?"
Pulling back Marco reached into his sash and pulled out the jar, showing it to Ace who looked at it weirdly.
"What's this? Littles flies?"
"No, baby-yoi. Those are your freckles."
"Whaaaaaaaaa?"
Chuckling Marco took Ace's hand, tugging him to inside, "Let's put them back on where they belong."
A bit confused, but trusting Marco, Ace followed all the way to their chamber where Marco sat him down on the bed.
The blond opened the jar carefully, tapping it into his hands carefully until one little freckle fell out. Marco inspected it before very gently he took Ace's chin in his hands, making Ace look up, "stay still for me."
"O-okay."
With utter precision did he take the freckle onto his finger and moved to Ace's face, pressing the freckle down just under Ace's left eye. He held it there for a moment before pulling back, smiling when he saw it was absorbed into the skin.
Leaning in he pressed a gentle kiss to it. "So beautiful-yoi."
Ace blushed madly, "S-so- you need to press them on?"
Marco nodded, "Yes, I'll take each and every freckle." He spoke as he tapped another freckled out. This time taking Ace's arm and pressing the freckle on Ace's wrist, "And will place them exactly where they need to be."
"How- how do you know where they need to go?"
"Because I love every single one of them. They're each a beauty on their own." And once more pressed a kiss to this freckle he just placed.
"Y-you're going t-to kiss every single one?"
"Ofcourse-yoi. I need to show my love. I missed them. I missed every single one."
Ace was a blushing mess as Marco kept going. Repeating the actions of taking out a single freckle, inspecting it before finding it's spot and placing it down. Kissing it gently before moving on.
"Oh?"
"Huh?" Ace blinked as Marco stopped and grinned at the freckle in his hand. "What's wrong? You don't know where it goes? It's okay, Mar."
"Oh no, I know precisely where it goes." The smile grew as he looked into gray eyes, "I'll need you to strip for me, baby."
"S-strip!" Ace eeped.
"This one is right near your yip."
"W-wha- you don't m-mean."
"Baby, you know you're covered everywhere. Head to toe and everywhere in between. It was only a matter of time before I found one of them that belongs in the spots only I am allowed see. Can I not place them?"
Ace blushed, how could Marco look so cute! "Y-you can." Stuttering he tripped down, naked before the other. They had been intimate so many times, yet- yet this felt so much more.
"Thank you, love."
Kneeling down, Marco got before the other, eye to eye with the sweetest part of his lover. Gently he went to hold the appendage up, taking his time to look it over. It was still nice, but freckled was better. After calculating and hovering his finger over the spot, he pressed it down at the exact location. Chuckling as his baby held back a moan. It also didn't stop him from leaning in.
"W-wait!"
"hmm?"
"Y-you're going to kiss it!?"
"I've been kissing every freckle, haven't I?"
"Y-yea but- that one is- I've not washed."
Marco snorted, "Like that matters for me, baby-yoi. I love to taste you, clean and dirty."
While the raven eeped, hiding away his face, Marco simply leaned in. Pressing a soft kiss to the freckle on top of the head, just like he did with all the other freckles. There was a small irk in him to stop placing the freckles for now and play with his baby, but he couldn't get that over his heart. It wouldn't be the same if he couldn't kiss all of the freckles in their love making.
Much to Ace's surprise, Marco let him go and went to take a new freckle. "M-mar? Are we not going to… ya know…" He was already getting hard now, so….
"Once you're my freckled baby again, I'll show you all the love you deserve, and much much more. Can you wait for that, firefly?"
Ace swallowed but nodded, "Y-yea."
"Such a good baby." Marco smiled and placed the next freckle right under Ace's lips. Perfect timing to press a kiss to that one, and one properly on Ace's lips. "You're soon back to the most beautiful man I've ever seen. I love you."
"I-I love you too!"
Marco spend the next hours placing back every freckle in the jar. Kissing every single one that made it back onto the tanned skin. He was sad when the jar was empty, and a few spots that he knew should be filled were left empty. But there was nothing he could do about that.
Still, Ace was beautiful like this. All covered in those little spots. So afterwards? Afterwards he showed Ace how much he loved his freckled body just like he promised. Continuing the whole night showing over and over how much they meant to him.
To Marco's immense happiness, in the coming weeks he would find a small speck flying around Ace's being. Ace's freckles that had been lost were all slowly returning home on their own. Flying over the ocean to re-unite with their owner.
Marco was there to catch every single one of them and placed them back where they belonged. Making sure to show Ace again how much he loved that he was being completed once more.
SURPRISE! There are two versions of this chapter! This was the not gruesome version. And then I've made a more gruesome version! Well, this more happy fun one was made second haha, so the other is the original. If you don't mind some blood, please give the other version a chance! The original, or also known as the more Gruesome and gory one, can be found in the Dark Flame series, chapter name: Those don't belong on your skin! It continues straight after chapter 1.