Life's full of secrets.
Chapter 2 and shopping
The two had been walking for about half a mile when they had finally reached the store. They grabbed a cart and started to go down the aisles of food. People stared at Ace because of the fact that his shirt was open and that he didn't seem to care. He was looking at the canned food when a woman approached Luffy. She had wavy black hair and men had hearts pop into their eyes as she passed them.
The woman knelt in front of the twelve year old Luffy (who had walked away from his brother to look at a toy that was on a shelf) and smiled.
"Now aren't you the cutest little thing." She crowed with a thin smile. Luffy looked at her with his unusual reddish brown eyes. The woman was a little taken back by the color but not worried. The kid was still cute even with those demonic eyes.
Ace had noticed Luffy's absence and turned around in time to see a black haired lady pinch the little boy's face which caused his cheek to stretch. The woman jumped back at the sudden shock and Ace quickly grabbed the boy and pushed the cart to a different aisle. He put Luffy down and glared at the boy.
"Luffy, how many times have I told you not to let someone who didn't know your power touch you." Ace said angrily at his kid brother. Luffy looked down.
"I'm sorry Ace." Luffy said not looking up. Ace sighed and patted the kid's head. It wasn't Luffy's fault that he was too damn cute. Even with the red eyes that he himself had. It was something that just happened to run in their family.
Not that they had any. Their parents were dead. Their grandfather, too busy with work, didn't even bother to try and support them. He had claimed that they were the reason that his son and daughter-in-law were dead. That was why he had gotten the job he had.
Ace would support Luffy and prove to his grandfather that they didn't need him. He had been searching for a well paid job with boarding when Jozu had found him. That was when he had joined the WhiteBeards. They were a group of mercenaries who had the right to assassinate anyone the government said that they could. Ace had been only ten when they had found him desperately looking for a job.
The old man who ran the joint took a liking to Ace and allowed him to join. When they found out about Luffy he was wondering if Ace wanted his brother in on it too. Ace had shaken his head immediately. He did not want his little brother caught up in murder and such not. So his little brother remained oblivious.
Ace looked around the store some more. Luffy never let go of his big brother's shorts and Ace couldn't help but laugh at his little brother's cuteness. Many people, all teen girls and older awed at the little kid. Luffy never got why, but he also didn't care. He had Ace and that was good enough for him.
They walked to the cash register. The girl there was obviously new and was surprised to see a kid with the fifteen year old as he shopped. Luffy was admiring the candy when he saw someone ushering him over to him. Luffy took a quick glimpse at Ace than walked over to the man. The man was maybe twenty or thirty.
The man had messed up sand colored hair and naturally tanned skin. He handed a white envelope to Luffy with a red sucker.
"Give this to your older brother, 'kay." The man said with a nod towards Ace. Luffy smiled at the candy and nodded. The man smiled and disappeared. Luffy ran back to Ace with the envelope in his pocket. Luffy knew what to do. Ace had instructed him.
Ace handed the bags that weren't too heavy to Luffy and they headed home. Luffy looked around. He always loved the city during the day. It was at night that made Luffy miss the country side home that they lived in before. Luffy loved the stars and in the city you couldn't see them unless you went to the very worst part of the city around midnight.
They got home and Luffy helped Ace put the things away before they went into the living room to watch TV. Luffy remembered the envelope in his back pocket and pulled it out. He handed it to Ace and asked if he could eat the sucker that had come with it. Ace sighed and nodded. He knew that it had been Marco that had given the kid the envelope. He always gave Luffy something sweet along with the message.
Ace wasn't worried about Luffy getting the messages for another job from the other people in the organization. It was something the old man had said he would do. It was easier that way. Ace had agreed and had explained to Luffy that if someone ushered him over and handed him a blank white envelope that he was to take it without a word and give it to him when it was just the two of them.
Ace sighed as he opened the normal sized envelope. Luffy began singing the theme song to Shugo Chara Party and began to laugh. The note was telling him about a meeting that would take place tomorrow night. Ace didn't want to stay up another night but sighed. That was when a small scribble at the bottom caught his eye.
The small sentence was obviously written by the boss. It only said a few words, but Ace's heart skipped a beat:
Bring your little brother.
Ace read the words over and over again. He tried to make sure that they were still there. He had known the old man for five years. There had to be a reason why he wanted Luffy to come with him to a meeting for an organization that involved assassination. Ace laid his head back against the couch and before he knew it he was asleep.
Luffy didn't notice that his brother had fallen asleep until he looked and saw him snoring away. Luffy was hungry but also tired. He turned off the TV and went to sit next to his brother on the couch. Ace was out cold and didn't fell his little brother get into his lap and snuggle up with him. Luffy fell asleep and they stayed that way for who knows how long. When Ace finally woke up to a snoring Luffy he smiled. He looked at the time on the clock and then slowly looked down at his little brother. It was already six in the afternoon. They had missed lunch and Luffy hated missing meals. Ace slowly moved his younger brother next to him and began to heat up the leftovers from the stew that they had had the day before.
Luffy woke up to the smell of the food and raced into the kitchen complaining that he was hungry. Ace smiled and tossed a hunk of bread at Luffy who caught it easily.
"Stick with that until I finish heating up the stew." Ace said biting into his own piece. Luffy sat down and took a bite of the warm bread. Luffy loved the food that his older brother made him. It wasn't as good as the stuff that their mother had made them, but Luffy never complained about the food he was given.
When it was served, both of them ate quickly. Food never took long to heat up with Ace around. Ace had an implantation when he was found outside of their burning house. Hogback had implanted a fire source into the boy. This allowed the boy complete immunity and control of fire. Luffy had needed one to survive as well.
Ace had protected his brother from the fire so the only damage to Luffy was the multiple shot wounds that he had received. The implantation the boy, who had been seven at the time, received was a rubber source. This allowed the boy to stretch (as seen at the store) and gave him immunity to blunt objects and physical attacks.
Ace yelled at his brother as the boy tried to steal a hunk of meat from his stew. This resulted in the boy to whip his hand back at the pain in his hand from touching the hot soup.
"Serves you right." Ace said sticking his tongue out at the boy who was blowing on his hand. Luffy glared at his older brother as he finished off his stew. When Luffy saw that Ace had no more food, the kid grabbed a roll and threw it the older boy.
Not expecting this, Ace took a direct hit in the face. Luffy burst out laughing as his brother picked up the roll that had fallen onto the floor. Ace looked at the bread and chucked it at the unaware Luffy. The roll bounced off the rubber boys head.
Ace cursed under his breath than noticed that Luffy wasn't in his chair. Ace looked under the table than realized that the boy was hiding. He sighed, put the dishes away, and then went into the living room. There was no sign of the twelve year old. Ace moved a lock of black hair out of his face and walked into the bedroom.
Luffy was trying not to make too much noise under the covers, but he was really failing. He knew Ace would find him, no matter where he was, Luffy just thought it was fun to hide from the teen.
Ace sighed as he saw the moving Luffy sized lump. The kid needed to learn how to hide better. Ace quietly tip-toed to the bed. He jumped onto the lump, which caused a surprised squeal from Luffy. Ace gripped the lump and Luffy tried squirm out from underneath the comforter, he gasped when his head reached the cooler air.
Luffy looked at his older brother than started laughing. Ace couldn't help but laugh too. The kid's laughter was just too contagious. The kid could probably even make Jozu at least smile. Luffy tried to get out of the comforter, but Ace wouldn't let him. Luffy looked at his brother with the puppy eyes that their mother had taught him how to use.
Ace flinched at the look and slightly loosened his grip. It was enough for Luffy to squeeze out of and run out of the bedroom. Ace thumped his head against the bed. He had fallen for the trick again. Luffy always used it when he wanted something.
Ace got out of the bed and went into the living room to find a pillow fort. Luffy loved making them and would never stop. When Ace got close enough, the kid jumped and glomped the teen. If it hadn't been for the fact that Luffy did this a lot, Ace would have fallen back.
Ace grabbed on to Luffy and wasn't going to let go. If he did, the kid would continue to run around the house like an idiot. Luffy wiggled a bit, than looked up at his older brother.
"No fair!" Luffy protested when his older brother wouldn't let him go. Ace chuckled and sat down, still clutching the boy.
"Oh it is so fair." Ace said with a smile. "Who is the one that threw the bread first, hm?"
"You." Luffy said in his usual tone. Ace was about to give the kid a noogie when he remembered what he did before dinner had been served.
"That doesn't count you little brat!" Ace said beginning to tickle his little brother. Luffy began to laugh like crazy and tried to get his older brother off of him. It was to no prevail. The teen weighed more than the kid did and there was no stopping Ace when he wanted to tickle Luffy.
Ace fell off the couch but he kept on tickling the little kid.
It was around midnight before he stopped, too tired to keep going. Luffy was also gasping. He had kept on laughing and couldn't stop.
"Hey Luffy?" Ace began, "Wanna come to work with me tomorrow?" Luffy nodded his head happily before they both fell asleep on the floor. They were both too tired to go to their bedroom.