As I sat on the bench, I watched them walk past my vision. Holding hands, heads resting on strong chests, happy hands circling the delicate waists. This was not Christmas, this was not New Year's eve, it was a day, the day of love. A day that came into existence because a saint sacrificed himself for love, yet half of the world was busy hating and bombing destruction down.
In general I am a very happy person, I like to take things casually and never sweat much. Right now I am not unhappy, but not exactly happy either. I watch a little boy licking cotton candy and wave at me, I wave back. In a way I am tired, I don't want to sound pragmatic but when one returns from war after twelve years, other's happiness makes him flinch.
My eldest brother sacrificed himself for this country, my father will one day replace my grandfather as the Fleet Admiral and my second brother shall follow the linage. I grew up listening to war stories, watching war films and I became adult in war zone. After twelve years of killing, running and trying to survive. I finally called quits. Here I was a thirty-year old retired army man feeling like ninety!
But I believe in love, so on this cold evening I decided to buy a large bucket of fries, chicken nuggets, sandwiches, macaroni for myself. Beer and booze for my best friend since army days, who was forced to retire after losing an eye, he was to meet to me up with his wife at seven. Tonight I wanted to search for love with my buddies. But if I calculate fine, my buddy is three hours away from me. The cold beer was getting warm and the fries really cold. I loved hanging out with Zoro, he was the guy I could trust my life with and his wife Robin, she loves pampering me. This was the first time I was going to meet them after retirement.
"Excuse me" a guy with long curly hair and noticeably long nose smiled at me with nervousness. "Hello there" I grin. "Would you please click a picture of ours" a blonde besides him smiled at me. Lovey-dovey couple, I love watching them. So fresh of life and untouched my horrors of destruction. "Sure" I unfold my hand and they give me their camera. "Where do I take it?" I ask.
"Anywhere is fine, as long as she is with me" the long nosed guy blushed. "Is this your first valentine?" I asked as the blonde girl melted into her boyfriend's embrace. "Nope, it's our ninth year together" the girl talks. "Kaya, it will be tenth year soon" the guy really is a blushing baby. "Usoop it's still three months to that" Kaya grinned. "Wow… congratulations and say cheese" I clicked. Both were surprised, whenever I took photos I never say get ready, I just click it. "That was fast" Kaya ran over to me and saw the picture I took. "Thank you, it's so good" Kaya hugged me. "You're welcome and happy valentine's day" I smiled.
"Here is my card, please do catch up with us, we are holding a party in two weeks, just to celebrate our new business" Usoop handed me his card and in return I handed him mine. "Wow.. Vice-Admiral" Usoop laughed. "I just retired, currently just living on pension" I smiled. "Nice meeting you Retired Vice-Admiral" the couple waved me bye.
"When I watch happy couple, I too desire happiness. I want a home, a partner and hopefully raise kids with them. A simple peaceful life, definitely free of war stories. Once I prayed on a shooting star to fall in love with someone, alas they did not love me back." I watch them fade in multitude of lovers. "That's really a naïve dream you know?" a tired but magnificent voice spoke behind me.
I turned around, beside my now almost warm beer cans, sat a tall figure in black and was happily helping himself to my chicken nuggets on my bench. "I am really hungry and so I decided to have few bites" the face was half hidden in a fur hat. I decided to sit beside him and placed the bowl of macaroni on his lap. "If you are hungry, snacks wont fill you in, do you want beer?" I asked.
His head rose up and an annoying smirk sat above the goateed chin. "You really are naïve?" this brat had no idea what I have seen. "Just feed yourself, you are too skinny" I looked into his eyes. Grey as graves of my fallen friends. "I will take that beer" and in moments I could see a miniature Zoro in front of me. "Are you sure you won't drink?" he asked. "Nope… I am not into drinking, this was for my friend, but he is late, you can have it all" I grin, he was handsome. Even those dark circles were complimenting the chiseled face.
"If he is not coming, you should start eating too" I don't disagree, I too open my bowl of macaroni and start eating. Soon only munching noise is around us, cutting the giggles of happy couples and I can see my bench mate has not touched the sandwiches. "You don't like sandwiches?" I ask. "Not a fan of bread, my clumsy dad makes them! Its awful" he gruffs. "Then I can eat them to my heart's content" I gobble them up, before he changes his mind.
But he literally crinkles his nose, okay he hates it. "Okay why did you call me naïve?" I blurted out. "Because you spoke out loud your dream of simple life" he smirked. "So what's wrong with it?" I asked. "Nothing, it's just life is not simple or peaceful. Things happen and that peace flies out of the window" he relaxes back on the bench. "I know that okay! But what's the fault in dreaming about a beautiful life" I am a hope filled guy. "A teenager should dream, I am not stopping you" finally the hat rests on his lap. His hair is sticking out, they too were tired.
"I am not a teen! I am a thirty-year-old man" I hiss. "Hah! You look fresh out of high school, anyway you are younger then me, I am thirty-three" he counters me. "Look at me" I stick my neck out towards him. "Baby faced" he smirks pulling my cheeks. "Wanna fight a baby face?" I hiss. "Calm down… its Valentine's Day, let me enjoy my hard earned break" he relaxes back and pats my cheeks and I burn up. "I have seen many deaths, every day I deal with it" he mutters, "I am not being nihilistic there, but life is not bed of roses" he closes his eyes. He really has a handsome face.
"I know, it's not. But we should not give up on our faith" I run my hands through his hair and I feel him relaxing under my touch. "Really soft hand you have there" he mumbles. Only if he had seen me gunning down people in a foreign land. "You can sleep, I will watch over you and I will not steal your wallet" I keep my hand movements intact.
"I know you are a good guy, I can trust you, I just need a little sleep" I can feel him drifting away. "Sleep well Dark Adonis" I whisper.
I wake up, when I hear people shouting and yelling. At first I thought I was in my house and my dad decided to surprise me! His surprise is equivalent to disaster. But I realised I fell asleep on a park bench. I had pleasant sleep, thanks to the naïve guy. He really had a magic touch. When my eyes focus, I see that he was not beside me but the bags of food was right there. My first thought was he was the reason for the commotion opposite me on the road. It was definitely a road accident.
I rushed up on my feet. A naïve fool who dreams upon shooting star and shares food with stranger should never be victim of a road accident, no matter how annoying and stupid they are, just like my dad. What if he died? I never asked his name! I was running, 'what ifs' clouding my mind. That's when my ears heard his voice.
"We need a doctor; civilians please stop crowding the place" that was an authoritative voice. I could see the crowd actually listening to him and making space. "Ma'am please give your scarf, we need to stop patient's bleeding, do we have a doctor here?" not an ounce of nervousness. He knew what he was doing, he was too used to blood, I could see it as he became visible to me. Finally my senses kicked in. "I am a doctor!" I rushed past the crowd.
He was holding a woman with pink hair, in his arms, she was unconscious, her legs were run-over and chest had big injury. "Good, help me" gone was the naïve. I ran, and checked her pulse. "Her pulse is weak, we need to stop the blood loss from chest injury from, have you called an ambulance" he nodded. He took out his cell-phone and was calling someone. "Hello, this Retired Vice-Admiral Luffy, code-3D2Y. Civilian in danger, location- Windmill Street, opposite clock tower, direct the ambulance to area, clear up roads to let it pass, currently a medical hand is here. EMERGENCY. Out" I saw his dog collar peep out.
"Will she live?" he asks. "If we do not move her until proper help comes, I can keep her stable" I was bandaging her with the scarf without damaging the injury further. "A doctor huh? That's why so much of nihilism?" he smiles. "Ain't you TOO hopeful for a Vice-Admiral?" I smirk back. Finally the medical help arrives and we carefully put the girl to stretcher. We both sigh when the vehicle leaves.
"Doctor Trafalgar Law" I forward my bloody hand. "Retired Vice-Admiral Monkey D Luffy" he takes it with his own bloody hand. "It may sound weird, are you open to another date?" I ask. "Only if you wish under a shooting star with me" he points at the star falling in the sky. "What do we wish?" I asked. But he was already wishing with closed eyes. I closed mine and wished his wish came true.
When I opened my eyes he was grinning, there was cut mark below his left eye, an injury from knife. "Happy Valentine's day" he blushes. "Shall we continue with our first date?" I ask. ""First we need to clean ourselves" he entwines our bloody hands. "I agree" I suddenly feel that he was very happy.
THE END
Disclaimer- Not my Manga
HAPPY VALENTINES day. I just wanted to attempt an solider Luffy, not my best. Still enjoy and sorry for typos.
love you