Law wasn't one for unexpectancies. He was meticulous. He laid everything out onto a table and observed every little detail and tried to think steps and steps ahead. He was a planner. He created and followed his plans with ulterior motives behind ulterior motives. No move was unplanned. No actions was without any thought (usually). He wasn't the type to go off plan. He watched and observed, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He tried to avoid those unexpected things that would unravel his perfect plan. He tried to include those factors for the best way to avoid them. There was no need for those useless factors. They were unwanted distractions.

In this twisted world, Law planned his every move out ever since his family was unrightfully stolen from him. He swore he would kill Doflamingo above everything else. He went to college and became a famous surgeon. His name was an important name in the medical world. On the flip side, he gathered important allies and comrades to take down Doflamingo's Mafia. Everything had to be planned perfectly. As he was revered for being a valued surgeon in his daily life, he would create a new gang and make the name Surgeon of Death be whispered in fear throughout the city in his criminal life.

There were no unthinkable factors in his plan. He had to do this for Corazon. That was his way of life. On this chess board, every move was calculated. There were no unthinkable factors. Those factors were discarded. They were just extra. They were pushed to the back of his mind and avoided.

Too bad this was one factor that just couldn't be avoided. Even the smallest tear would soon unravel his plans before his eyes. Some things just couldn't be avoided. Some things just couldn't be calculated. Some things are just fated to happen. Those some things are named Monkey D. Luffy. Even the smallest action or coincidence may have just altered one's entire future.

~OoOo~

Giving a polite smile, Law sipped his glass of wine. How many glasses have it been already? One? Three? Five? Wine was very much needed with this headache of a man. The overweight man gave a loud bark as he talked about his business.

"I am a genius," the overweight man bragged after many glasses of wine. It may have taken a while, but his tongue was slowly unraveling. In this high class party, there was bound to be certain people who have certain… connections, you can say. This wealthy businessman was one such example. His family has run a well-known company since way back when. The man in front of him was the third son of the president, but in an unfortunate 'accident' the whole family perished, leaving this man in front of Law the sole heir.

It was easy to think that he had connections to the Underworld. Especially since any police member who investigated whether it truly was an accident were mysteriously killed or missing.

Strangely enough, much of its weaponry stock go be missing with no records of being shipped out.

This obviously stunk of Doflamingo all over it. Law gave a polite smile to the man as he continued the talk about how smart he obviously was to be so wealthy.

How men like him made Law sick.

As he moved his wine glass around, Law imagined the idea of dissecting this sick bastard. No one would miss him anyways.

Sighing, Law was stuck to the fact of the matter that he still had to hang around this man and weedle any information out of him.

He sipped his wine at the buzzing chatter in front of him. To another night of torture.

~OoOo~

It was by chance. It was a complete coincidence. Law was returning from that headache of a party. He was able to gather some information, but not without some losses. Law groaned as he felt a bit buzzed from all the alcohol he drank. He really allowed himself to run away with that, didn't he? He should've known better about how to contain himself. He drank just the right amount to still have the ability to (somewhat) think clearly, but not safe enough to drive.

Maybe he should ask Bepo to pick him up instead of taking his car? Law didn't feel safe at the idea of driving with the amount of alcohol he just consumed. He knew what alcohol did to your brain and the mere thought of getting behind the wheel was what led to a car crash.

Law didn't feel that drunk, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He picked up his phone and typed in the familiar number.

"Hey, Bepo, can you pick me up from the party? Yes, that rich business party in the northern area. I consumed a good amount of alcohol. Yeah, uh huh. Mind picking me up? Oh, my car? I parked it at a parking lot nearby. I can pick it up later, but I might need you to drive me there later. Yeah, got it. Meet you at the diner at the corner of the street. Never been there, but it is the one with the giant meat poster on one of the windows. Thanks, Bepo. See you in 15 minutes." On that final note, Law hung up.

He shivered silently as he walked in his suit towards the restaurant in question. Patiently waiting, Law rubbed his arms at the cold temperature on this winter night. Deciding it was much smarter to wait inside the diner, he opened the door and stepped in.

The soft hum of the heater warmed him to the bones. He sighed contently as he surveyed his surroundings. There wasn't much around. A few customers were milling about at this time of night. There was a student studying for exams tucked away in the corner while a young couple was talking over their meal. There was a young man snoring away on the table with a bright red cowboy hat, but he wasn't bothering anyone and the employees didn't seem to mind.

"Hello. What can I get you?" A cheerful voice approached Law. A young man with a scar under his eye in a waiter uniform and straw hat approached him with a sunny smile. It was as if a breath of fresh air after that stuffy party.

"Perhaps a cup of coffee," Law replied suddenly feeling much more cheerful. The waiter bounced over and led him to his table. Never mind the fact that the waiter gave him his menu after asking for what he wanted at the door. Law didn't quite have the heart to point out the black-haired boy's mistake. His enthusiasm was kind of… cute. Not that Law would ever admit it.

"The food Sanji cooks are the best in the whole world! You should try the burger or the cake! Those are absolutely amazing…" the waiter started to drool at the thought. Law couldn't help but hide a small smile. You would think he was the customer instead. Law looked closely for a nametag, but couldn't find one, to his disappointment.

"I would want to drink the coffee," Law repeated. The waiter's eyes lit up at the reply.

"Oh yeah! I will get that out right away. Saaannnjjjiii!" the waiter yelled as he ran towards the kitchen.

"You idiot! Don't yell at indoors! Don't cause any trouble for our manager, Nami-swan!" someone yelled inside. Law snorted in amusement.

There was probably never a quiet moment here, he noted, as he saw the cashier yell super when the couple paid. There was an older man with an Afro playing a violin in a chair, laughing loudly while singing. There was some shouting from the kitchen from someone named Sanji, a cook, he gathered from the yellings, at the delivery guy named Zoro. Apparently Zoro got lost for half the day? They also tossed in some insults at each other and a loud crash was heard. Some pots and pans clattered onto the floor, while glass shattered.

Law winced at the loud sound and looked around. The college student was inside his own world and didn't seem to notice. Suddenly, a woman with very loud lungs, were yelling at the duo from inside the kitchen about how much beri it would cost them to fix the damage. By some miracle, the freckled man was still peacefully inside Dream Land despite the total chaos inside the diner.

Strangely enough, there was something soothing about this chaos. It kind of reminded Law of his own hospital. There was never a quiet moment in the city with people milling in and out of the medical building. There was always kids crying or the constant noise of medical instruments. It was kind of like home here.

"Here is your coffee!" the mysterious waiter exclaimed and plopped down the cup. He still seemed cheerful despite there must be hell behind him.

"Aren't you...going to check on everything behind you?" Law tentatively asked waving toward the door leading to hell.

"Nah. Shishishi. Nami is scary when she is angry. Might add some interest to my debts if I interrupt her right now. I might be the one getting punched instead of Zoro and Sanji. Sanji and Zoro are some of my closest friends! Sanji is a bit weird though with the way he fawns over the ladies. While Sanji might make the best food, but Zoro is the coolest! He is a SWORDSMAN, ya know? He volunteers in the dojo and works as a delivery guy, but he keeps getting lost. One time he drove toward the east part of the city and ended up in the south, north, then west! Then he ended up circling in center for a long time. Shishishi. They're all the best!"

Well, this Nami character was certainly a colorful person, as was this Zoro and Sanji person. In fact, Law would bet his life savings that at least every employee had at least be a bit weird or crazy to work here.

Sipping his coffee quietly, Law quietly decided to come here more often.

With no customers to help, the waiter stuck around and chattered about everything from meat (You like meat? No real opinion? YAHOO! MORE MEAT FOR ME) to his friends (Usopp makes the coolest stories EVER! He told me about how he fend off a giant Labrador who was trying to steal his delicious hamburger with just a plastic knife!) to his cool brother, Ace, and it was kind of nice.

Law felt quite disappointed when he realized that he reached to the bottom of the cup on his coffee. It was a sign that he had been here for much too long. Sighing loudly, he asked the waiter for the check. Looking a bit sad (or was that just Law's wistful thinking when a huge smile was plastered on the mystery waiter's face?), the waiter disappeared only to quickly return with check. Easily paying with some cash, Law gave it back to the waiter with a heavy feeling in his chest.

Feeling his phone vibrate, Law quickly look it out and saw that he received a few messages. Scrolling through his messages, apparently Bepo was about five minutes away. He was apologizing for being half an hour late (has it really been 45 minutes? It was hard to believe) and he could pick Law up soon.

Frowning at the knowledge that he had to leave much too soon, Law texted a quick thanks and he will be standing outside the doors. Standing up with a heavy heart, he caught the sight of his waiter talking with the blue haired man. Seeing the male tilt his head back and laugh, almost glowing because of his bright smile, Law honestly thought it was Cupid's arrow hitting its target.

Feeling much more cheerful at the sight of the smile, Law slipped a generous amount of beri underneath the pepper and salt. Now walking away with the determination of someday seeing that waiter once again, Law exited the diner.

Funny how just entering one place could alter your entire life.

The familiar sight of his best friend's car, Law hopped in. Beto asked about how recon went, and Law answered out the usual. Bepo, in turn, talked about what happened at the hospital while he was gone and about the next crazy stunt the Strawhats gang have pulled. He curiously also asked when it was the best time to go back to the Underground.

Law replied not just yet and how it was better to wait and watch to see what will happen.

~OoOo~

The next time Law went to the diner, it was bustling during the breakfast rush. Looking around for his mysterious waiter, Law asked about a straw hat worker. With a knowing twinkle in her eye, a waitress named Robin informed him that his mystery waiter only worked part-time, as did the rest of them, and he was currently in classes.

Law tried not to show his disappointment. On the bright side, Robin was a great person to discuss books with, even if it was for a short while.

~OoOo~

Law entered during his lunch break and tried to talk to a short waiter named Chopper after failing to find his mystery person. Despite looking a bit young, Law found himself chatting to the teen instead about medical history and theories after learning the teengaer was studying medicine.

Only after exiting the diner, did Law realize he forgot to ask Chopper about his mystery waiter.

~OoOo~

Several times, Law entered the diner with only returning with disappointment for a variety of reasons, like he couldn't ask because everyone was too busy or he himself had only ten minutes to get something and leave.

Several other times, Law drove past the diner, wondering if he should enter only to face disappointment or would finally meet his grinning waiter.

Several times have Law always wondered the words: what if.

~OoOo~

The next time Law went to the diner, it was during one of his breaks and he brought Bepo, Shachi and Penguin with him.

Perhaps that wasn't such a good idea.

"Oh, is this the place that the waiter you are crushing on works?" Shachi said a bit too loudly for Law's tastes.

Law hissed loudly and kicked Shachi. Shachi gave a small yelp, but still smirked at Law because he knew he was right about Law's crush.

"Oh please, you are absolutely smitten and don't even deny it!"

Penguin decided to jump into the conversation.

"You don't even know his name and only met like, once! How about you go meet some other lovely girls or guys instead?" Penguin suggested. Law snorted at the thought.

"I barely have the time to stop by here, much less go to bars and meet people," he replied. Law had the feeling that none of them could be as a unique character as Luffy though.

"Okay, okay," Penguin quickly consented, "but I am still right. You don't even know his name! Why haven't you asked anyone yet?"

"You don't think I haven't tried," Law muttered. Everyone was always too busy or seemed to brush his question off. Perhaps everyone, or just the world, had it out for him. Law couldn't help by sigh at the thought. This wasn't like him. He wasn't the type to get all lovesick, yet here he was, pining away. He was the Surgeon of Death! Honestly! What was wrong with him?

Shachi and Penguin exchanged looks because of what started as some teasing made Law even more depressed. Luckily, Bepo was there to steer the conversation away and remind them that they had to get going or else they would be late again.

~OoOo~

Perhaps it was better to not have waited. Deciding to go to the middle of a war between the police and mafia wasn't the best idea he has had, but he was smart. He was planning to observe and perhaps catch a glimpse of the famous straw hat gang.

Unfortunately, a huge surprise awaited him.

Law cursed loudly when he saw that Firefist Ace was now dead. He directed Jimbei to come to his car so they can whisk Strawhat (Luffy, his mind whispered) away to his house, where they could patch him up. Bepo was navigating them through the dark streets of the city and Shachi was driving the car. In the van, there was some medical equipment and Penguin helped Law keep the patients stabilized.

Law tried to push his emotions down as his hands began to tremble at the familiar sight of the face he has been longing for. It was hard to focus when one of his patients was someone he knew. Luffy's life, his mysterious waiter, was in his hands.

No pressure at all.

Law knew he had to focus. Law pushed away all emotions as he focused on the blood and the organs.

He was the Surgeon of Death. He was one of the best surgeons around. Surgery was something he knew best and was something he know he could do. He was a doctor and he needed to be strong for his patient.

Surgery was the one thing he could do for Luffy right now.

~OoOo~

If only Luffy would stop moving around or else his wounds would reopen! Thank goodness Jinbe was there.

Law felt kind of helpless as he watched the male rampage. He wanted to help, but… just couldn't. He wasn't good with comforting other people, much less talking about the dead people in their life or his own.

Law sighed and covered his eyes. He could hear and feel the grief in Luffy's voice ringing in his ears. He could understand Luffy's pain though. Law could picture the smiling face of Corazón's face.

Law couldn't help but hide inside distant memories as he thought about all his losses and why he had to keep going. Why he had to live.

Hopefully Luffy will remember too.

~OoOo~

Someday, Law would meet Luffy, his mysterious waiter, once again, two years later, in an underground lab. Perhaps, after all these years, fate was just waiting for the right moment for the two to reunite.

Perhaps it was finally time to introduce himself properly as Luffy's long-ago customer and his new ally (and now reluctant friend... and perhaps even more).

FIN

IT IS THAT TIME FOR YEAR PEOPLE! I missed the MarcAce event because I was away, so I need to try my best in my second favorite pairing's time to shine! STRAWHEART PROMPTS FOR THE WIN! Time for to dump all my AU ideas into this event! I know that aren't canon, but hard to fit stuff canon wise. Despite how all my ideas are AU's so I hope you may enjoy them. I am so excited to join in and can't wait to read all the wonderful submissions! I don't feel very confidant with my writing (way too rushed of an ending, but oh well), but I hope you enjoyed my crappy writing either way.

This was based VERY loosely on canon and was obviously set AU. There are many differences, but I was too lazy to do my research. Sorry! One Piece has way too much information for me to remember. I feel bad if anyone was out of character, but again, I tried! I hope you enjoyed it all the same though.

THIS IS UNEDITED! I would if I could but I am sick and feeling awful...

I don't own anything of OP or the cover image on FF. Hope you all enjoyed and leave a fav, follow, comment, or kudo. Thanks and I hope you enjoy the ride!

-mysteryreader6626 signing out