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Lue finally reached the hideout. Dadan came running through the doors and she was met with sheepish smiles of the four idiots. Sabo and Ace came down from Lue but Luffy was still hugging him closely, Lue didn't mind that, he even placed a hand under Luffy's butt for him to not fall.
"Lue..." She whispered with wide eyes.
"Dadan. I am back." He smiled and waved to her coming closer. She placed a hand over her eyes and she smiled too. "Idiot..." she murmured. Luffy laughed. Ace and Sabo turned to Dadan.
"You made our deer?" Ace asked.
"Whaat?!" She exclaimed with eyes out of pockets.
"Tsk...you didn't." Ace murmured with crossed arms. Lue came closer to them and placed his hand on Ace's shoulder. The boy looked up to see him. He saw his father's smile and he huffed.
"Dadan, you make the best wild meat in the world!" Lue said and Dadan blushing came into the house. The bandits there were minding their own business. But they all waited for a fight for food. Lue and the boys came into the house too. He kneeled and placed Luffy on the wooden floor. He then sat near the pot, the boys came closer to him quietly...for no one to see them. Ace looked from behind Lue's back and he saw Sabo.
"What are you doing?" He asked through his teeth.
"The same to you!" Sabo answered with his own. They started to glare at themselves but what stopped them was Luffy running onto Lue's back.
"LUFFY!" Sabo and Ace exclaimed.
"Shishishi!" Luffy was holding on his neck, Lue took his one hand to amortise him.
"Done!" Dadan exclaimed and the fight began. Lue wanted to eat too and he went to the mountain of the meat, he took one stick and began to eat it, then Luffy was knocked from the crowd and Lue saw it, he took one of his meat sticks and handed it to the boy. He had stars in his eyes when he got it. Lue then ruffled his hair. After their 'meal' Dadan ordered for them to wash. The boys whined and Lue too, but well...he and the boys were really dirty.
In the bathroom.
"Gh..." Luffy was holding a bucket with water and tried to pour the water inside on him, but he was not effective. Lue then, with his own towel around his lower parts, took the bucket and washed Luffy effectively. Ace and Sabo in the bathtub narrowed their eyes and took their own buckets. They came out of it and ran up to Lue who was washing Luffy's hair with some shampoo.
"We too!" They exclaimed and Lue sweatdropped with a smile. He took one bucket then the other and poured the water on them as they giggled. Luffy was all red and sweaty and he lost any energy. After Lue tried to apply some soap on them they came to dry themselves up.
"Here." He said as he dried Ace's hair with a tower. Ace stumbled over, because the drying was really rough. "Next." Lue looked at Luffy and Sabo and they smiled. After that they wore their pyjamas. Lue didn't have one, but he was handed a shirt and tracksuits from Dadan, he didn't know why she had it.
"Done!" Ace exclaimed as he tugged one of the sleeves on his arm. Lue was standing over them.
"Ugh..." Sabo groaned. "I am stuck!" He sat down with a hand sticking out from a wrong hole. Lue saw it and he came closer, helping him put it properly. Sabo's eyes lit and he remembered when he was younger and he couldn't wear some shirts because it was hard to put them on alone. "Thanks!" He said and Lue patted his head. They came to the main room where Dadan was sitting, slurping some tea.
"You're done?" She opened her one eye and was shocked seeing them fully clothed. She glanced at Lue and smiled. "Sleep here today, tomorrow you will go to your house." She said and Lue sat in front of her, the boys hanging on his sides. They all yawned at the same time, nuzzling into Lue's arms. Dadan looked at them with a smile.
"They really like you." She commented. Lue looked at them and patted Ace's back.
"And I am thankful for that." He answered.
"Last time Garp was here was 6 months ago." She said suddenly.
"Father?" Lue tilted his head.
"He dragged Luffy here." She pointed with her chin at the child, already sleeping in his arms.
"Luffy." Lue said. His old name.
"Yes and the blonde is Sabo, you know Ace." Dadan added.
"Hm." He hummed in response. She placed her cup on the plate.
"I am really...glad..." She murmured and Lue glanced at her with eyes wide. "That you are safe." She closed her eyes. Lue smiled.
"Thank you...for worrying about me." He closed his eyes too.
—
Lue was walking upstairs with the three devils in his arms. They all were sleeping. He opened the doors to the room he remembered was Ace's and Luffy's. He laid down one and another, Luffy was weirdly sticking to him. He couldn't take him off him. He gave up and laid at his futon that Dadan prepared earlier. He placed the 7-year-old beside him, his one little hand still holding onto his sleeve. He grabbed it in his own and squeezed it lightly so the boy knew that he was here. He then laid his head on the pillow and looked up at the ceiling. Lue closed his eyes and fell asleep.
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