Since she had gotten her internship, Jewelry Bonney's schedule was nearly the same every day. She got on the 11:03 L train at the station a block away from her apartment, and she rode the train across the city until she got to the one closest to the restaurant where she had her internship. She was twenty-one and an aspiring food critic – she had a deep appreciation for food but she had no talent when it came to cooking, but she did know good food when she tasted it. She wasn't particularly picky (she'd eat most things without complaint) but she knew the difference between good food and bad food, and she had zero qualms when it came to trying new things, regardless of how unappetizing they might have seemed. A job where she ate for a living seemed ideal.
Trafalgar Law had never really left his little corner of the city. When his illegal medical warehouse was busted, he had been forced to relocate but he had been entirely unwilling to leave the city altogether, so he just shifted to the other side of the city. He had managed to find another base for his activities, and this morning he was making an attempt to scope out the area he'd be living in from now on. He wanted to know where the good clubs were, where the good places to eat were (the ones that he could afford, that is), and where the girls were. He was naturally a flirt and it had gotten him into trouble on multiple occasions, but that had never stopped him. As long as he could get an easy lay without any consequences, he was happy. He'd been told that the L train was the most convenient for what he was doing, since he went all through the major points of that part of the city, so he got on that and settled in, incredibly pleased to see that there were plenty of appealing girls on this particular ride.
From her seat, Bonney could see a particularly sleazy-looking individual making passes at any and every girl who even glanced at him, and she shook her head and went back to her phone, her nails clicking away at the buttons as she scrolled through her email. She had no interest in people like him, and she had discovered early on that it was easiest to not even give them the time of day. If she didn't pay him any mind, hopefully he'd get the hint and not even try.
Unfortunately, that was not the case.
He was hovering over her in minutes, hanging off the handrail and flashing her what she assumed was his an attempt at an impressive smile. He just looked like a lecher to her, so she wrinkled her nose up at him before turning back to her phone.
Law was caught off guard by this; since when did girls not show any interest in him? Granted, he was used to dealing with drunk girls who were interested in everyone for the most part, but he was usually successful with sober girls, too. He frowned briefly; this just meant that he'd have to step up his game. "What's the matter? Did I do something?" He paused, waiting for an answer, but she didn't even look up. What the hell was her problem? What if he was just trying to strike up a polite conversation? That wasn't the case, but she couldn't have known that. She hadn't been doing anything but staring at her phone. "Won't even give me an answer, huh?" Still nothing. He tried getting something out of her for a couple more minutes, becoming discouraged when she still refused to even look at him and eventually returning to his seat. He continued to watch her out of the corner of his eyes, completely ignoring the other girls that he had been making passes at, much to their dismay. He didn't have any interest in them anymore. This girl – whatever her name was – had presented him with a challenge and he sure as hell wasn't going to turn it down.
The next day, Law got on that same train for no reason other than to hopefully see that girl again. He grinned to himself when he stepped on the train and there she was, in the same exact seat as before and completely distracted by her phone, just like she had been the day before. Luckily for him, the seat next to her was also open and he moved to occupy it, a bit disappointed when she didn't even look up. Instead, she shifted a bit to the other side and he did the same, but received no reaction. "I think we got off to a bad start yesterday. Sorry about that, heh," he said with a grin, but she didn't even acknowledge him.
He paused for a minute, staring straight ahead and attempting to think of something that could possibly get her to say something. Couldn't she tell that he wasn't just trying to put the moves on her today? He was actually trying to talk to her, and she still wanted nothing to do with him. "My, uh, my name's Traf." He turned his head slightly to glance at her, but she still seemed to be pretending that he wasn't there. She seemed pretty stuck-up. He felt like this might have been a bad idea, because right now he just looked stupid and kind of desperate and that wasn't how he wanted to look at all.
"It's fine," she said curtly, obviously wanting no part of this conversation. It wasn't much, but he was at least happy that he had gotten her to speak. Her voice was harsh, but that might have just been because she didn't want to be talking to him. It seemed to fit her somehow, though. She didn't have one of those flighty, chime-like voices like most of the other girls he came in contact with; he thought it was a refreshing change. Her voice was commanding, almost, like she knew exactly what she wanted and how she was going to get it. He liked it. Law made a couple more attempts but got nothing aside from the occasional nod or shrug.
Instead of continuing to try, he sighed and slumped a bit in his seat, giving up for the day. They sat in silence next to each other; the only sounds he heard were the idle chattering of the other passengers, his own breathing (and occasionally hers, which was oddly soothing to him), and the clicking of her nails on her phone. He would occasionally sneak glances at her as he sat, taking in her features and her mannerisms, though he quickly averted his eyes when she happened to glance up as well, catching him staring.
When she got up for her stop, she didn't look at him again and strode off the train. Law watched her as the train pulled away, still a bit discouraged but also unwilling to give up.
For the next couple days, Law continued to board that same train every day, continuously making attempt after attempt to talk to her. Bonney didn't quite understand why he was still trying, but she found that she wasn't mean enough to simply tell him to get lost, so she just let him sit there and talk without acknowledging him. She hadn't pegged him as the type to be so persistent when it came to talking to a girl (especially since she figured that he was only trying to get in her pants), but she could at least admit that she respected his resilience, at least a little. Either way, she still wanted nothing to do with a womanizer like him, and hopefully he'd get the hint soon and leave her be.
He didn't.
For the next week, he continued to sit next to her and attempt to talk to her. By this point, she'd stopped answering with anything other than a shrug or a grunt, but he still kept trying. She was so confused; was he stupid? She obviously wasn't going to give in any time soon (or any time at all, if she could help it), but he continued to talk to her. Traf. That was the name he'd given her, and she had occasionally wondered what it was short for, but she didn't care enough to ask him.
Law was starting to lose all hope in ever learning anything about this girl. It had been almost a week and a half and he still didn't even know her name. It didn't look like she was going to tell him anytime soon, either, which made him a little sad, admittedly. He didn't even know why he was still trying to make this go somewhere; she obviously wanted no part of his antics, and she was making that incredibly clear, yet he continued to insist. She just … intrigued him, and for no good reason. He liked her, even though she was blatantly ignoring him and he didn't even know her name. He'd seen plenty of attractive girls, but she was different somehow … but he couldn't tell why. He was absolutely turned off by women with artificial enhancements and his medical knowledge granted him the gift of being able to tell real from fake without any trouble, and there was nothing artificial about her, so maybe that was part of it. She wasn't as thin as other girls, but he didn't see anything wrong with that. She also wasn't obese, she just … she had a full figure. Whoever she was, this pink-haired girl was probably one of the most naturally attractive women he'd ever seen.
Days later and Law had still been unable to get a response out of her. By this point, he had taken to boarding the train and simply sitting next to her in silence, still holding onto some pitiful hope that she would instigate a conversation, even though part of him knew that she wouldn't. He continued to watch as she got off the train every day, consistently wondering where she went after she got off the train. Was she a student? Was there a university someone in that direction, or did she have a job? He wanted to know, but he was tired of asking and not getting a response.
For one reason or another, Bonney had started to feel a bit bad for ignoring him. She was honestly surprised that he was still trying to talk to her at all. He was sitting with his head back and his eyes closed, providing her with a good opportunity to get a look at him. He was thin, almost scrawny, with naturally dark skin and prominent bags under his eyes. His hair was dark and scruffy, with sideburns and a patch of hair on his chin to match. She had noticed tattoos on his hands and forearms and she wondered about them, but since she hadn't talked to him despite his efforts she had never asked. He didn't look like the guys that she usually went after but she still found him oddly attractive and she frowned to herself for a minute, staring ahead before opening her mouth to speak.
"Traf, huh? I'm Bonney."
Law heard the name he'd given her but he looked around, not expecting her to have been the one who said it. He looked at her in surprise and found himself unable to speak for a couple seconds, simply staring at her with his mouth open, undoubtedly looking like an idiot. He was surprised, and he was confused; she was looking at him, and she had a tiny half-smile on her features. He was suddenly happy that he'd been so persistent, because now it was paying off. "Y-yeah." He swallowed and reached up, rubbing the back of his neck a bit awkwardly before giving her a grin. "I'm kinda surprised you're talking to me."
Bonney let out a short, awkward burst of laughter before shrugging, looking forward again. "Yeah, well, I felt a little bad for ignoring you."
He grinned as well, much happier than he expected to be now that she had started acknowledging him. He wasn't looking to get her into bed with him at all, at least not anymore. By this point he was ridiculously curious about her. "So …" They talked for the remainder of the ride, until her stop came up. He was grateful to be finally talking to her, and now he was learning about her. They gave each other short introductions and he learned that she took the train to get to her internship, which was at a restaurant. She wanted to be a food critic. She was twenty-one, and she was from the mid-west.
After they started talking, Bonney was a little upset that she hadn't given in before. He was kind of a dork, and he made a couple dumb jokes, but his nervousness was more endearing than anything. His attitude was completely different from the first day he'd talked to her, when he'd been disgustingly cocky and a little obnoxious. He was interested in medicine, but he wouldn't say much else about that. She didn't know if he was in school or anything. He was twenty-two. He had a big dog that he absolutely adored.
She was disappointed when the train got to her stop and she got off, realizing as the doors shut that she hadn't thought to get his phone number or anything. Making a mental note to do it the next time she saw him (which she assumed would be the next day), she headed off towards the restaurant.
Bonney didn't quite understand why her friends weren't being supportive regarding her new friendship. They told her to be careful, to make sure not to tell him too much or anything incriminating. They were saying that he could have been some kind of serial killer, or a stalker, or a rapist, or anything. They kept making a point to remind her just how much she didn't know about him, and to be perfectly honest, she didn't care that she hardly knew anything. If they kept it up, she'd learn more, and she'd be able to prove them wrong. He was turning out to be a nice guy, and she wanted to keep seeing him on the train, and she kind of liked him. That wasn't something she could tell them, so she just kept her mouth shut.
Law's friends, on the other hand, were much more supportive. He only hung out with two people on a regular basis (aside from Bonney, at least), and even though they were a bit weird, they were his friends nonetheless. He almost hadn't wanted to tell them about her, because he knew that they'd get excited, and their conversation would turn into a game of twenty questions and he didn't really want to admit that he didn't know much about her. He caved, though, and told them what he knew, and he reluctantly admitted that he kind of liked her. The two of them were enthusiastic, and wanted to meet her, but he didn't wanna do that just yet. They also wanted him to make a move on her, which he was also a little unsure of, because … he didn't want to be rejected. Especially not when it came to someone that he genuinely liked.
They didn't see each other on weekends. Bonney didn't need to go into the restaurant then, and Law had learned that after not seeing her the first couple weekends. It hadn't bothered either of them, at least not until now. Law had a habit of going to his warehouse when he was bored or stressed or anything really, but right now he had no idea what his emotions were doing. His chest felt tight and he thought that he might have been sad, but he didn't know why. He didn't have any reason to be sad. Bepo – his dog – sat next to his chair as he reclined, twirling a scalpel between his fingers and frowning at the ceiling.
He … he couldn't get her out of his head. Bonney, the girl from the train, the girl that he went out of his way to see every day. He thought about it for a couple minutes and then realization hit him like a ton of bricks; the scalpel fell from his hand, Bepo barked at the sudden movement, and he suddenly sat forward, an almost terrified look on his face. This wasn't something he was used to. This wasn't something he knew how to deal with, but … he might not have known her full name, or her phone number, or even where she lived. But he did know that she had the most stunning natural beauty, that her laugh was ridiculously infectious, and that she appreciated food more than anyone he'd ever met before in his life. He knew that she was anything but stuck-up, and that she had been friendlier to him than most of the people that he had known his entire life. He knew that she was nearly perfect, and he knew that he was in love with her.
He just … didn't know what to do about it.
Come Monday, Law was prepared to actually make a move on her, after much coaxing from Penguin and Shachi. He was scared out of his mind but he was determined; he was going to ask her out, and if she accepted (and he certainly hoped that she would) he would take her out on an actual date. He wouldn't take her to get drunk like he did with other girls, because … he wanted to get somewhere with her. She was different to him, and he wanted to make sure that she knew that. He didn't plan on telling her everything, because the last thing he wanted to do was scare her away. He was nervous as he got on the train, but when he looked up he was confused. At first he thought that he was looking at the wrong spot, but he was forced to accept the fact that she wasn't there. Instead, there was a middle-aged man in her spot and he frowned, taking his usual seat anyway. He took out his phone, prepared to text her when he realized that he didn't have her phone number, nor did he even have her full name to look her number up. Unsure of what to do, he stared at his phone for the remainder of the ride, deciding that he would try again the next day.
It was that day the Bonney was told that her internship was being transferred to a different restaurant. It was new, and it had just opened, and they felt that it would give her more experience and she was grateful for it, except … she wouldn't be taking the L train to get to it. She wouldn't have time to get on that train to let Traf know, and she felt bad – she had realized that she missed him when she wasn't around him, and she liked him (she liked him a lot, honestly, but she had yet to accept this fact), and she felt bad that she wouldn't be able to tell him. She knew he'd be on the train by himself and by this point she was regretting that it had constantly slipped her mind to get his number or anything of that sort. She wouldn't be able to get on the train for a couple days, maybe a week, and she couldn't help but think that by that point he wouldn't be there anymore … and then she'd have no way to find him.
After the restaurant slows down, she finally managed to get on the train. She waited semi-patiently until his stop and she was discouraged when he didn't get on. It might have been a fluke, she told herself. Maybe something came up for him today. She didn't know if she believed that, but she came back the next day nonetheless. He wasn't there. Nor was he there the third day, or the fourth day, or the fifth day. She was reluctant to accept it, but he wasn't there, and he probably wasn't going to be there.
Her friends told her it was for the best. They said that he could have been some kind of creep; that he could have been plotting to do something to her. She knew better, but she didn't feel like arguing with them. She had considered asking around, but she knew she wouldn't get very far with a nickname and the fact that he's interested in medicine. If he was just interested, then the hospitals wouldn't know anything about him. It felt pointless. She sat in silence while they went out for coffee, stirring at the hot drink in front of her and staring out onto the street, as though she was hoping to catch a glimpse of him so that she could run out. That never happened, of course. Why did she even wish that it would?
Law wanted to give up. Penguin and Shachi weren't about to let that happen, and they ended up nagging him until he finally agreed to go look for her. He knew her first name, and he knew that she had an internship at a restaurant. He started asking around, but none of the restaurants he went to knew of her or her internship. After a while, it hit him to go to the stop she got off at and look around there … there had to be something. He found a small, fancy-looking restaurant and he wandered in, getting a dirty look from the maître d' but walking up to him anyway. The maître d' wanted nothing to do with him, mumbling about how Law wasn't fit to be in their restaurant, and Law was about to leave in frustration until the manager came over. He asked, and he was ecstatic to learn that she had been moved to a new restaurant.
Jewelry Bonney. He finally knew her full name. He was grinning widely as he left, since he knew exactly where this new place was. It'd been given a lot of publicity and it was supposed to be really popular, and really expensive. If she was there, he hoped she'd be willing to see him. He didn't want to think about the fact that she might not have told him about her move for a reason.
Law went in, getting more dirty looks. He asked about Bonney and the girl who worked there wouldn't tell him anything at first. He tried to get around her but she continued to block him and his view, until he spotted a flash of pink and shoved past her. He stepped into the dining area and looked straight ahead, unable to wipe that stupid, smug grin off his face. He could see her; she was checking up on tables with a small clipboard pressed against her chest, a polite smile on her face. She was there, across the room, and he could go over right now. That uncomfortable feeling had returned to his chest as he took a couple steps forward, unwilling to take his eyes off her. He didn't want to call out to her. He wanted her to notice him.
Bonney was happy enough at this new restaurant. She hadn't let her think about the guy from the train; it only made her sad. It was busy and it kept her on her feet, but as she was going from table to table she realized that a silence had fallen over the dining room, and she looked up, surprised at what she saw. He was there. Standing in the middle of the dining room. Looking at her, the biggest smile on his face. She nearly dropped her clipboard and took a step forward, feeling her voice catch in her throat.
"Jewelry Bonney. Twenty-one years of age, and an aspiring food critic. I hope you weren't trying to get away from me."
Where had all this confidence come from? Was it because she looked just as happy to see him as he was to see her? Law didn't know, but he was thankful for it.
Bonney looked around, expecting to see her supervisors ready to scold her, but … they weren't. They were watching, they looked almost encouraging. "T-Traf … I wasn't hiding!" Her face was red, her entire body was hot. She was embarrassed, she was happy, and she didn't want anyone to know that her heart was beating a mile a minute. She was more than ecstatic that he had found her, but she didn't know how to properly address that. "How did you—"
"We'll talk about that later." Law was practically oozing confidence by this point, but all he really wanted was for her to come to him so he could finally hold her. It was apparent that she hadn't avoided him. He wanted to make sure that she knew how happy he was. "Aren't you happy to see me?"
Bonney didn't answer. She was tired of talking, of waiting, of everything. She lunged forward and threw her arms around his neck, nearly tackling him in the middle of a crowded restaurant and burying her face in his neck. He returned the affection eagerly, wrapping his arms around her soft body and swaying slightly, chucking under his breath. They murmured to each other, both unaware of what the other was trying to say, and not caring a bit. She raised her head slightly, looking into his face thoughtfully before placing her hands on either of his cheeks and kissing him, happy to feel him smiling into her lips and returning the embrace eagerly.
Neither of them had ever imagined that the L train would be the ideal place to fall in love.