Story Title: Just a Few
Author: The Dark Crimson Blood
Main Characters: Luffy, Ace
Genres: Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Family
Summary: Ace has five friends, just enough to count on his right hand. Perhaps, one more would be okay. AU. Oneshot
Words: 1,109
Ask: Ask me anything! :) ask . fm / CherryLynnn

Portgas D. Ace lived in an orphanage. Surly, it was because of this that he didn't have many friends. He never had any friends before and he likes to believe that he never will. He's never needed many friends, as it's easier for him to trust and form deeper bonds with smaller numbers of people instead of larger numbers. All Ace needed was to be able to count every single one of his friends on one hand; five at the most and two at the least, that's all he wanted. But then, then he met this boy.

Well, he didn't exactly meet the child.

This kid wasn't anything special in Ace's opinion. He had really, really messy black hair. His eyes were huge, and it reminded him strangely of a deer's eyes. He also had one of the tiniest bodies Ace has ever seen, and yet he bounced around and had more energy than anybody else around him. That was besides the point. The most noticeable feature this kid had was his smile, it was big and seemed to stretch his face to notable lengths just to fit properly on his face. It was bright and friendly and was the feature that drew Ace in and kept him from leaving as if they had been glued together from the start.

Ace has never talked to Luffy before.

Everyone around him seemed to have no problem talking to the child; for them it was as natural as the sun and the rain, so it came easily to them. However, Ace was hesitant. He was always watching Luffy; the incredibly small child was constantly alone despite the people who surrounded him whenever he was around. The younger boy would play and cry alone when the people around him left; it was almost as if he didn't have any friends at all, which was strange. It should have been easy for him to make proper friends, but he doesn't. As Ace continues to watch this little boy, he realizes just how much Luffy has been changing people. Shy, quiet people become loud and outgoing while rude and loud people learn too listen better and change their actions. It was amazing to watch.

Luffy was a role model to everyone, both old and young.

Yet the child was oblivious, terribly so. He didn't notice just how much he was changing the people around him. It was almost ironic.

When Luffy comes home from school, he's covered in cuts and bruises and scrapes of all shapes and sizes. He smiles and lies and everyone believes him because he's Luffy; the kid who's always happy and is loved by everyone. Ace soon finds himself wanting to say something, he wants to speak up and somehow show the young boy that there is indeed someone there for him. Someone who cares enough to pass by his smiles and approach the hurt hidden behind it. But he doesn't. He can't. He doesn't know why he can't just go over there and say something; it's confusing. He wants to so badly it hurts but he just can't. It's frustrating and annoying and everything else related, but despite this he can only continue supporting Luffy from the shadows. Coming home dirty, hurt, or soaked in water with his head down became something normal.

A daily activity.

Luffy's smile gradually leaves and his friends leave with it.

Perhaps it's because they believe that they'll be involved in the bullying that they decide to abandon him. Throwing him to the wind and forgetting about him completely; it's almost sickening to watch just how quick they are to leave his side after he's helped and cheered them up for so long. As if the constant bullying at school wasn't enough, somehow, it had begun taking place at the orphanage as well. Ace doesn't pity Luffy, who pushes past the days looking just a little sadder each time. Rather than pity, Ace regrets his own actions for not being able to help him. It wasn't as if he'd be able to help Luffy at school when he doesn't even have the courage to face the child anywhere else in the first place. So again, he can only watch. That's all he can do.

He assures himself.

It's on a random day that it happens, and it's completely unexpected when it does happen. Perhaps Ace should say when it finally happens, but he doesn't. It's because he's walking down the street, head down, not really paying attention to where he's going or who's around him, that he bumps into a certain child he's never talked to before in his life. Having been just a head taller than him, he promptly knocks the tiny child to the ground. Ace doesn't know what overcomes him and why he does it, but he soon finds himself helping Luffy to his feet. Luffy looks surprised. Despite this, it doesn't take long for a blinding smile to take over his face as he looks to Ace with eyes reflecting just how he happy he is with such a minor action. Ace wants to smile back.

"Thank you!"

"You... Your're welcome..." He says, stopping himself. A smile lights up his face, "Hey, do you wanna get something to eat? I'll show you something called a 'Dine and Dash.'"

"Sure! That sounds fun!" The smaller child giggles; his eyes brighten as he nods his head up and down repeatedly. "I'm Luffy, by the way."

'I know' Ace wants to say, but he doesn't. "I'm Ace."

Perhaps it would be okay to count his friends on two hands from now on.

In The World Today, people are bullied and others are afraid to help. A couple of words and a nice gesture can save someone from the torment of bullying. (The World Today #9)

A/N: I decided to keep Luffy alive and give him a happy ending. I kill him off way too much, don't I? Haha.

Thank you for reading, leave a review. They make me happy :)

~The Dark Crimson Blood