(Disclaimer: One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda, obviously.)

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His breathing was heavy. He swallowed with difficulty, his mouth dry as he watched the scene next to him from the corner of his eyes. He brought his drink to lips to get rid of the dryness but quicky put it back down on the counter after he took a sip, afraid the glass might slip from his sweaty palm.

The person that was the cause of all this turmoil was quietly sipping his whisky, blissfully unaware of the effect he had on the dark haired man. Law gulped reflexively as he watched the man's adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed the amber liquid. He looked like he was thinking about something and was somewhat unaware of his surroundings.

Since the guy looked like he had no idea what was going on around him, Law took his time to silently study him as much as he wanted. The hair had been the first thing that caught his attention from across the room when he was sitting at a booth with his friends a while ago. Law had never seen this particular shade of red hair before, but it definitely suited him. The hair itself looked kinda bushy with the way it was sticking in many different directions, held back by a pair of stylish sunglasses but somehow also give the impression that it would be soft to touch. His pale complexion was contrasting nicely with his flame coloured hair. He was wearing a black leather jacket and what appeared to be a black tank-top underneath it. His black jeans and black combat boots completed the attire. Even though he was sitting, it wasn't hard to tell that this guy was obviously tall and muscular.

Just as Law's eyes were roaming over the stranger's obviously hot body, the guy suddenly turned towards him and Law could barely supress his surprised gasp as he hurriedly averted his gaze away from the redhead's, but not before he could see the start of a smirk on a pair of luscious lips. He knew he was blushing madly, but tried to even out his breathing and act like he hadn't been ogling the guy just seconds ago.

"See something you like?" came the lazy drawl and Law shut his eyes tightly. Great, he thought, just great. Can't even check out a guy without being found out. Way to go, Trafalgar.

Seeing no way out of what was obviously gonna be a sticky situation, he slowly turned his head towards the stranger. He was actually surprised to see that the guy didn't have the cheeky smirk anymore; and instead was supporting a somewhat friendly grin- a very attractive grin, his mind supplied helpfully. He forcefully ripped his gaze from the pleasent sight before him and turned it down to his lap.

"I-I… I just…" Wow, real smooth. Feeling more idiotic than ever, Law tried to rack his brain to come up with a way out of what was appearing to be an inevitible conversation in which he must present an explanation - a believable explanation- that he wasn't, in fact, checking the other out. Maybe he could just say that he thought the redhead looked like a friend of his? Yeah right, the voice in his head teased, cause there are just so many ridiculously attractive tall and muscular guys around that have blood red hair. That would be totally believable.

He was startled out of his thoughts as he heard the guy chuckle. He swallowed thickly. Fuck, even his laugh is sexy as hell. He slowly turned back to the attractive redhead, somewhat afraid of the scene that was going to greet him and sure enough, the guy had the smirk back on. But it looked more playful than anything else.

"You're cute when you're stuttering like that," was what came out of the redhead's mouth and it sure as hell wasn't what Law had been expecting. He was left gawking at the guy's forward manner for a few seconds before he frowned and exclaimed, "I'm not cute!"

The guy threw his head back and gave a boisterous laugh and Law's eyes widened as he saw his words entertain the redhead even further; which in turn proceeded to annoy Law even more. Just who the hell did this guy think he was? Sure, he was the one that had been caught red-handed staring; but the redhead was just pushing it, calling him cute of all things and then laughing at him!

"Oh ho, so he can actually talk!" The annoyingly attractive soft smile was not helping at all. Law felt this stranger was having way too much fun at his expense. But his traitorous brain which had barely managed to function to deny he was anything close to cute had once again abandoned him. So now I look like a creep and a retard. Wonderful.

"It's ok, you know? I wasn't trying to embarrass you or anything, sorry if it seemed that way. But I had to say something before you decided to get up and leave… Though that obviously didn't really work out well either; seeing as you looked like you wanted to run away the moment I opened my mouth," he said in that playful manner of his, but Law didn't notice; his mind was fixated on how the guy said he felt he should say something before Law left… Was he really implying what Law thought he was implying?

He was once again torn from his silent thoughts and brought back to present with the melodic laughter. "You really aren't the talkative type, are you?" Law figured the guy did have a point seeing as all he did was stare at him and blink stupidly. But he wasn't going to admit that the other just might be right. He was surprised at himself when he managed to answer. Finally.

"You came to that conclusion after only a minute? Wow, you must be a genius." A part of him was thinking what the hell, Law? for acting rude to a stranger who had been friendly enough even after catching rome random guy creepily ogling him; but the other part was more like serves him right for calling me cute, damnit!

The guy didn't seem to mind the sarcastic remark as he brushed it off with a wave of his hand. "Not at all, I have been watching you since before your friends left; you didn't seem all that keen on making conversation with them either."

Law just didn't know what to think as the guy confessed he had been watching him for a long time like it was the most normal thing in the world. Huh, so I guess that's why he wasn't freaked out when he caught me doing the same.

"I- well, they were just talking about girls; so I didn't feel the need to contribute to a conversation that didn't hold my interest." Law had no idea what possessed him to answer so honestly and indirectly give away a personal piece of information to a guy he met only minutes ago; but then his brain supplied helpfully (it could actually function when it wanted to), gawking at the hot guy sitting next to you kinda already gave it away, Law.

The redhead seemed to mull over this as he squinted his eyes thoughtfully. "Hmm I suppose you do have a point. It used to be the same thing with my friends until one day I decided enough was enough and threatened to explain in detail just what exactly I like in a guy if they didn't shut up. They've been careful not to mention girls around me since then." He chuckled again and Law felt himself getting addicted to the sound. Get a fucking grip, Trafalgar, you don't even know his name.

Then his mind analysed what the stranger said and his breath hitched in his throat. The guy merely chuckled as he watched the comprehension dawn on the dark haired man's face. Then, as if he knew what Law had been thinking a few moments ago, he extended his hand and said "By the way, the name's Eustass Kid," with his handsome grin.

Law looked down at the pale hand and slowly raised his own to grasp it. The skin of his palm that was making contact with Kid's felt like it was charring even though the hand itself was cold from holding his whisky on the rocks a few moments ago. Kid's hold was firm, and it was only a while later that he released Law's hand. "I'm Trafalgar Law," said Law, thankful that his voice didn't come out squeaky. Much.

"Law… It suits you, somehow," Law almost whimpered at the way Kid said his name; how could the guy make one simple syllable sound this sensual, he had no idea. "Nice to finally meet you then, Law."

"Likewise, Mister Eustass," he was actually amazed that he wasn't stuttering, seeing as Eustass Kid had this weird effect on him that seemed to reduce him to a babbling idiot.

"Aww, none of that. Call me Kid, please," was what came out of Kid's delicious looking mouth and just like that, is it getting hot in here? was the only rational thought Law could form; and if the last few buttons of his black shirt hadn't already been undone, he would blame it on tight collar or something. But no, he knew there was no change in the bar's temperature. The mischievously smiling man in frront of him was the only one to blame.

"A-alright… Kid," the name stumbled out of his mouth much less gracefully than his had out of Kid's; but at this point he was thankful he was at least able to speak.

Thinking about it, Law was actually surprised. Never before had anyone been able to have such an effect on him. On the contrary; aside from his few childhood friends, people in general just couldn't manage to hold his interest even as friends, let alone as something more intimate. Said childhood friends had voiced their concerns over this matter many times in the past, but Law had brushed them off everytime, assuring them that as for friends, he was content with just their company and the relationship stuff just wasn't his thing anyway. So it just didn't make sense for all this to change in span of a few minutes.

But then again, everything about Eustass Kid seemed to scream he was different; he had never meet anyone quite like him before. There was no doubt that he was smoking hot; but there was also something else that Law couldn't quite put his finger on. He was intrigued, and he found himself wanting to know more about this man. And Kid was most certainly giving away vibes that indicated he thought the same way about Law.

And so came the most important question; would it be worth it? Law had always found his much-criticized cynicism to be beneficial, because people proved time and time again to be just as untrustworthy and rotten as he had initially suspected them to be. In the end, he understood he could rely on nobody but himself. His trust issues and detached personality made sure nobody got close enough to be able to cause him any kind of pain.

To someone who didn't know him well (which was just about everyone), it might seem like he was thinking this over way too much, way too soon. They had only met a few moments ago and did nothing more than exchange a few (awkward) sentences. He realized with a chuckle that he was acting almost like a teenage girl that begins to make plans of marriage and three children five minutes after a guy asks her out. But Law knew himself well enough to know taking these necessary precautions was mandatory. With the effect Kid had on him; if this… whatever it was called was going somewhere and they decided to keep in touch, he knew that once he was in even if they were to proceed as only casual friends that met at a bar and had drinks together from time to time, he wouldn't be able to keep it as merely that on his side. And the misery that would come afterwards was something Law just couldn't let happen.

While he was lost in thought, he didn't realize that his overly thoughtful expression that gave him creases on his forehead amused Kid immensely. When his eyes lost the faraway look as he came back to present and focused on Kid, he found the redhead staring at his face with a polite curiousity.

"You seem to be spacing out a lot. I guess you have something important on your mind… Then again, staying at the bar to drink alone after all your friends decided to call it a night usually indicates so," was the disturbingly accurate observation of Eustass Kid. Yes, namely you was the answer Law couldn't possibly voice.

Law himself had no idea what the hell was going through his mind when he decided to stay. The result was him insisting that his friends didn't need to wait for him to finish his drink because they all had someone waiting for them back at home and it wasn't like he would be needing a ride from Bepo -the only person in the group that didn't drink- anyway since his place was just a few blocks away. All for the sake of being able to observe the red-headed enigma that managed to capture his attention a little more.

But now that they had officially met and were even chatting casually (even though Kid seemed to be doing most of the talking), Law had no idea how to proceed from there. Should he just go with the flow and let himself get to know this (still mostly) stranger better? Or should he walk away now before things got unnecessarily confusing for him?

The decision was taken out of his hands when Kid leaned forward, the surprise from his sudden action making Law tense up, and said "Seriously, you seem like you're getting ready to bolt. I can't be that scary." Law let himself relax again and just smiled as he thought, you have no idea, Mister Eustass.

"I don't know Mi- Kid, you gotta admit the part of an underground black metal band look would be considered somewhat scary by most."

Kid threw his head back and laughed again in the surprisingly soft voice of his. Definitely not distorted enough to be the vocalist of the band, Law thought with an amused smile.

Kid stopped laughing at the sight of his smile and for a moment Law thought he had done something wrong. He has been laughing nearly the whole time during our short conversation, most of which was directed at me, if I might add; he couldn't possibly be disturbed that for once I am the one that's amused?

"S-something wrong?" Law found himself asking, growing a bit uncomfortable under the intense gaze.

"Nope, not at all. I was just thinking that you should smile more often. You have a very pretty smile."

Law didn't have any answer to that except for blushing what he suspected was a nice, rich shade of firetruck red. Or a certain someone's hair colour. He never really learned how to take compliments properly… He frowned softly, lowered his head and fixed his gaze on a dirty spot on the bar's floor in hopes of not letting Kid see his blush, but had a feeling that his effort was futile.

"Aw, and you blush easily too. Looks like I was right about you being cute after all."

Law's head whipped up and was about to scold Kid for having the audacity, the sheer gall to call him the c-word again but stopped short as he saw the challenging look on the man's face. He is actually trying to provoke me. Tsk, he's having way too much fun with this.

"I think you will find that I'm not docile enough to be called cute, Kid," Well, two can play this game, Mister Eustass. Or is it "playing with fire" on my side?..

"Really? Hmm will you be showing me the proof of that, then, Law?" Suddenly, Kid's eyes were smoldering with pure, unadulterated lust and Law once again found himself rendered speechless by this man. I just can't win…

But before Law could come up with an answer, Kid's phone started ringing. The redhead sighed at the interruption and reached for his phone in his jacket's pocket, annoyed that the conversation that was just getting interesting was cut off. After briefly glancing at the screen to check caller ID, he answered exasperastedly, "What is it, Killer?" Law nearly snorted. "Killer"? Was I right about the metal band, after all?

Law naturally couldn't hear what was going on, so he settled for watching the reactions displayed on Kid's handsome face. He didn't say a word after the initial greeting; instead listening intently what this "Killer" had to say. His frown got deeper as the conversation went on, then Kid sighed loudly again and said "Ok, I'll be there soon."

Law felt his stomach sink with dissapointment. What were you expecting really, Law? He was gonna leave sooner or later. The phone call just decided it to be the first one. Looks like you didn't even need to calculate this situation as deeply as you did, after all. Of course he was gonna leave after exchanging a few playful words with a stranger he met at the bar just to pass time.

Kid seemed to be unaware of his inner turmoil as he stood up and tossed a few bills on the counter. "Well, I have to get going. My idiotic friends can't seem to function without me around to babysit them… Oh good, you're finished with your drink too. Come on then,"

Law stared up at the man with wide eyes. He's even taller than I had thought… And even more gorgeous… "W-what?" He mentally facepalmed. Could you get any more awkward and uncouth? Utterly charming, Law, bravo.

"Well, you have been drinking enough for one night, right? Plus, I believe this place would get extremely dull real fast after I've left anyway," Kid smirked as he watched Law blush yet again.

Law on the other hand was horrified to realize the truth in Kid's last statement. Not that he would ever let the other know that. No way.

"Is your place far from here? Should we call a cab?" Law's mind was spinning. He almost couldn't keep up with the conversation. Plus, why did Kid seem to act like he cared how Law got home? Did he really look that pathetically wasted?

"I'll be fine, Mister Eustass. You go on ahead," Kid didn't seem to like this idea very much as he frowned softly.

"Go on ahead? No way, I'm dropping you off first." Law's heart skipped a beat and he realized he was dangerously close to stuttering again if he opened his mouth. He prayed that wouldn't be the case.

"D-dropping me off? I am not that drunk, Mister Eustass, thank you very much," he answered as he tried to look angry at the redhead's assumption as to he couldn't make it home on his own. Kid didn't seem to mind the hostile tone of his voice as he grinned hugely and said, "Hmm nope, not really drunk I guess. More like cutely tipsy!"

Law opened his mouth but no words came out. He blinked a few times, closed his mouth and huffed, settling for crossing his arms in front of him instead. Very mature too. You really know how to impress a guy, Law.

"Come on, let's just get going. Oh, and before I forget, type your phone number here," he said as he held out his phone for Law to take. Law stared at it blankly for a moment before looking back at Kid's face. "Phone number?" he asked hollowly. H-he's asking for my phone number? He…he actually wants to stay in touch, then?

Kid snickered at his confused look and reached out to grab his hand, turning his palm upright and dropping the phone in it. "Yes, your phone number. How else will we be able to work out a time for me pick you up at your place for our first date?"

Law's eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. He couldn't breathe. His mind was spinning. He stared unseeingly ahead and realized that he actually wasn't breathing. With a gasp and a cough, he took the much needed oxygen to his lungs and tried to grasp the situation. Is this really happening?

"P-pick me up?! Date?! I- Wha- Mister Eustass, what are you-"

"Aww, didn't I tell you to call me Kid? I thought we'd be on first name basis by now; seeing as we even decided on a date and all," Kid was smirking as he watched Law's stupified expression and Law was sure at that exact moment that yes, Mister Eustass absolutely enjoyed torturing him.

"D-don't decide on a date on your own! Who said I was ok with that?!", Kid's smirk dropped and instead a soft smile took its place. Law found it was getting hard to breathe again.

"Then I'll just have to ask properly, don't I? Law, I really enjoyed our regretfully short conversation and would like to continue some other time. So can I see you again?"

It was almost like he was in a dream, becuase none of this seemed realistic. Law couldn't comprehend anything; it was like he wasn't actually in his body but instead was watching this whole scene from afar. Then, to his shock, he heard himself answer, "I- well, since you asked properly… I…I guess it would be ok, maybe…"

Neon red words that spelled WHAT THE HELL?! was flashing in his mind, but for some strange reason, Law found that he was content with ignoring them for now. He also chose to ignore the subsequent frantic voice in his head that was screaming, what happened to thinking this through?! Are you insane?! When had something good ever come out a rushed decision like this? You don't even know this guy properly! Come on Law, be reasonable! But for the first time, Law felt this was as right as it could get; no matter how rushed and crazy. And strangely enough, for the first time, he wasn't afraid. Because for some unexplainable reason, he felt like he could trust Kid. It didn't make sense, there was no basis whatsoever for such an absurd thought but it was how he was feeling. And for once, Law let himself just feel and not think.

Maybe he was absolutely wrong and it would only go badly from there. But Law just couldn't find it in himself to worry about it at that moment. Kid gestured towards the door with a posture that said lead the way and Law could only grin indulgently at the tall redhead as he said, "No need for a cab, Kid; my place is just a few blocks away and you'll find that this is a very friendly neighbourhood. Plus, the weather is too nice to waste by being stuck in a cab, don't you think?"

Kid seemed almost bewitched as he blinked a few times in surprise and felt is own mouth strech into a warm smile as watched the grin light up Law's face, then he just shook his head good naturedly and answered, "Indeed."