I managed to snatch a sizable and elegant looking purse today. Before I could take a look at the loot, I have to run as fast as I can, making a beeline out of many people and entering some obscured alley when I can. The woman already started shrieking "THIEF!" on top of her lungs, that's why I had to run or the police will get me..

I was out of breath and accidentally stumbled on a blond man in black suit and tie about to enter his fancy car. I stumbled. His guards on a black suit grabbed my shoulder. "Watch where you're going brat..! What's this, a purse..! A thief, huh.. We ought to turn you in.." The man also in black suit smiled sadistically at me.

I clutched the purse harder in my chest. If I lost this now, I wouldn't be able to eat today. I haven't had anything decent to eat since a week ago. "Vergo, don't bully the child." The blond man chided the one grabbing his shoulder. "You're quite brave, young thief.." I glared at the man.

"Oh, and you got the guts. What's this? You're also quite a looker even though you're filthy and wearing rags, especially the eyes. You have beautiful eyes." The blond man said, cupping my face to look at him closely .I struggled as hard as I can, but the man named Vergo had me.

"You're still too young for the sex business, but I can see you had the potential. But then again, there are many people who prefer young ones. Your looks can definitely cater special kind of customer.." The blond man smiled at me, but it seems more sinister than reassuring although I didn't understand half of what he just said.

The blond man pulled a business card from his wallet along with a few bills and gave them to me. I was puzzled. "If you ever found yourself in the verge of starving to death with nowhere to go, you know where to find me. I like you.." He laughed and get in his expensive looking car

Two weeks later, I found myself seeking that man.

HOSPITAL

For three days, Luffy had waited patiently for the nameless man to wake up. For reasons that he couldn't quite explain or understand himself, he felt drawn to the man. To the gray eyes, that looked so beautiful yet haunted at the same time. There is something about this stranger that made him want to stay by his side, despite the warnings he got from Zoro.

"My instinct is definitely telling me, this guy is bad news. You already helped him plenty enough, so you don't have to stick your nose to where it doesn't belong.." Zoro said seriously at the time he just finished talking to the hospital about secrecy of the man's admission to the hospital.

Luffy rolled his eyes. "You know its fine. I have you and Sanji. You'll definitely protect me." Luffy grinned.

That's when Zoro knew he had lost the battle. Or maybe he had no hopes of winning from the start once Luffy used his puppy eyes. Luffy rarely asked for anything, and if ever it's not even materialistic, it's always for somebody else. He sighed "If you say so, just be careful okay?"..

"Yep..!" Luffy just nodded absentmindedly. Zoro already sensed trouble a mile away and hoping and wishing that his instinct is wrong, but he had never been.

When Luffy made his way to the hospital that day, he didn't expect the man to be awake, but he was almost humming in anticipation on the way. There is something about the guy, that's all Luffy could say. Because even he himself did not fully comprehend what that something was. It's just getting to him, the beautiful gray eyes, the bloody hand he protectively held and the dangerous air that's coming from the man.

Luffy had always been pretty confident about people. He sees the good and the evil, something that he couldn't fully explain to anybody, but his instinct is always spot-on, even his countless friends commended him for it. But this man is definitely dangerous, Luffy knew that and at the same time, he knew that the man is not evil. A weird combination that intrigued and drawn him.

Luffy found the guy awake and clearly agitated, a wild look in his piercingly gray eyes and disheveled blue black hair. Luffy greeted him normally and when he was about to call for a doctor, he was grabbed forcefully. It was quite painful, but he tried not to wince.

"Wait..! Don't call a doctor. Who told you to save me?!" The man angrily said. Luffy is now confused, of course he would save him. That's what a person is supposed to do when you found someone bleeding to death in an alley.

"Wh-What am I supposed to do? You were bleeding so badly and you might die.." Luffy just said, stuttering because he doesn't know how to answer the question or didn't fully understand because as far as he knows, what he did was perfectly normal.

"You should've just walked away and let me die..! There is nothing for me in this life anyway..! I don't have a family, friends or a decent work waiting for me. Nobody could care less if I died, so why do you have to play nice?! Clearly my existence has no meaning.." The man said. There's a sudden dull ache in Luffy's chest at the man's blunt words. Every living thing has a purpose. Suddenly he felt strangely lonely for the man he barely knew because this stranger truly believed he wasn't needed. That's sad, really sad that he could cry.

Luffy wasn't a least bit frightened, he held his ground and look at the piercingly gray eyes staring intently at him with anger."No, there is no existence that has no meaning. You just haven't found yours yet." Luffy said, tearing up a bit.

This man is alone, he had no other people for him. He was lonely…

"What do you know?! It looks like you're one of those people who never experienced a single hardship in his entire life. I don't even have the money or the insurance to pay for this shit. I don't even have a home to go back to..!" When the man said that, Luffy already knew the course of action he would take. It didn't even take him long and he didn't even think about it, as if it's the most natural thing in the world.

"If that's the case… Then come live with me.."

(Law's POV)

What's with this teen?

That's the things running through his mind, when the teen named Luffy just blurted that out. "Oi, do you know what you're saying?" He asked testily, wondering if he hadn't heard it right.

"Yup. I just said you can come live with me if you've nowhere to go." The teen named Luffy said while grinning. He had an adorably cute smile, is what Law thought, but stopped himself.

"Did you listen to a word I said? I don't have a family or work. I'm broke and I couldn't even pay for the hospital bills because I don't even have a cent in my name." Law said, he was getting annoyed by Luffy's smile. He found it cute but at the same time annoying, because it was full of innocence, something he had lost a long time ago.

"Yeah, I heard you. I'll pay for your hospital bills so don't worry about it and take your time to recuperate, then you can live with me." Luffy said, grinning innocently again.

Law frowned. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, go ahead.." Luffy said.

"Are you my parent?"

"No.."

"Are you a long lost relative of mine….?"

"No.."

"Are you my lover?"

"No, definitely not..!" Luffy answered while blushing.

"Are you my friend, then?" Law asked finally.

"Not yet, but I intend to be…" Luffy said, his voice full of sincerity but Law's eyes only narrowed in suspicion.

Experience in life had taught Law that sweet words always hide a catch. For a person who had worked for everything in his life, for money, for food, for shelter and for affection, to be suddenly offered by something like this by a complete stranger is definitely weird. As weird as suddenly winning a lottery without buying any tickets..

He wasn't awake for so long and that's when he finally took a notice that this is a private room. Based on the bandaged wound in his sides and how badly hurt he is as he remembered, he definitely undergo an operation. The hospital bills is probably astronomical that a person like him would stagger at the bill.

Yet, this kid who looked like a commoner is offering to pay for his bills and even invited him to live with him. Taking in the teen closely, Luffy is only wearing walking shorts, slippers and blue t-shirt, no brand names whatsoever. He had to wonder is Luffy is making fun of him if he can really pay for the bills.

"Are you serious?" Law just asked finally after a moment of silence.

"Of course I am." Luffy said, again with that adorable smile.

"Can you even pay for it?" Law asked suspiciously.

Luffy sighed. "Just leave the rest to me. The doctor said before that you have to stay here for at least two weeks.."

"Two weeks?!" Law had done a quick mental math on how much bill would that be. A private room, expensive operation and two weeks confinement. How much money is that?

"Well yeah. You were shot, almost bleed to death and you've undergone a major operation. Two weeks is quite short, in fact you can only be discharged but you still need to rest at home." Luffy said firmly.

"But the bills-.."

"I just said I'll take care of it. Maybe we ought to have your ears checked as well.." Luffy cut him short.

Law finally sighed and resigned himself. It's not like he could actually escape from a hospital. He finally noticed that this is no small hospital. Probably the biggest hospital in the city, CCTV's every corner. "Are you always like that?"

"Huh?" Luffy looked at him quizzically.

"Do you always help a complete stranger and invite them to live with you? Do you not have any sense of danger? You didn't even ask for my name." Law stated.

"I'm just waiting for you to tell me your name yourself. You look like the kind of person who doesn't want other people prying too much. To answer your question, I do have a sense of danger. At least I know for a fact that a person almost shot to death in an alley, body covered with tribal tattoos and wouldn't even reveal his name couldn't be a respectable citizen." Luffy huffed with pride as he said that.

At that Law's lips twitched upward for a smile. Luffy amused him in a way that nobody had amused him before. But he was still suspicious. Never in his entire life, somebody ever offered him something without anything in return. There has to be a catch.

"My name is Trafalgar Law." He just said simply. He's just going to take Luffy's offer for all his worth, that's how he survived up until now.

"Tora-Taro-Trafo.. Tora-o, yosh.. I'll call you Tora-o from now on..!" Luffy said, with his ever adorable grinning face..

"Don't decide that on your own..!" Law is clearly uncomfortable to suddenly be given a pet name.

"Don't sweat the details Tora-o..! " Seeing him smile, Law knows he already lost the battle.

"Last question. Why are you helping me?"

"I like you.." Luffy said simply. No hesitation or pausing to think. He just told him bluntly.

For some reason, the word 'I like you' send shivers down his spine. The people who told him 'I like you' before, clearly had dirty motives. The first person who told him 'I like you' sold him as one night boy toy in a private auction for rich pedophiles a few weeks later.

Yes, lessons learned. Do not trust anybody. Especially people who could spout words 'I like you' so easily…

2 WEEKS LATER

As Luffy said, he had paid for the hospital bills. When he was discharged, he was picked in a fancy car with Luffy beside him and he couldn't quite believe it, especially when they were dropped on the most expensive looking apartment in the city.

Law was more astonished to know that Luffy is actually living in a penthouse..! Wearing cheap clothes and had no sense of class whatsoever, no wonder nobody could tell that this teen is actually a rich kid,

Law's heart twisted viciously at the knowledge. Here is the person who never knew a single day of hardship, never worried financially, never starved, never slept in the dumps, never work to the bone in his life, never begged in the streets, never stoop so low as to sell his body, never seen the dark side of the society and never in his life knew that life is harsh.

There's a sudden hundred and eighty degree turn in Law. He knew he was being unreasonable but everything is so unfair when Luffy had everything since birth when he had nothing. He was the all smiling, all positive person that Law used to be..

I wanted to destroy you so utterly and absolutely and make you see that life is not all rainbows and paradise. I wanted to tear that smile away from you. I want to take everything from you. Your radiance, your optimism and your kindness.. I wanted to hurt you so badly…

Disclaimers:

I don't own One Piece. Thank you very much for reading. English is not my native language so please forgive my grammars and feel free to correct me. Constructive criticisms and opinions are always welcome. You could also offer ideas, it would help me a lot. Reviews are greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much Psychotriton, AmbertherCat, braquinolive, Lionel Orlando and Lany-chan for the reviews in the first chapter. Also thanks for the follows and favorites. To be honest, if it weren't for those reviews, follows and favorites, you wouldn't be reading this chapter 2^_^ I always lose confidence halfway through writing but I was encouraged by people who claimed they were reading my stories. Also thanks to Daydreamfox, Staticy Fox Atra and Lionel Orlando(again) for the reviews and encouragement in Heart Donor 3, the same goes for the other reviewers to the other Heart Donor parts. Roo17's Feline Prowess inspired me a lot(aww, so cute…)