And here it is the next update as promised, or maybe not but whatever. Also THE POLL CLOSES ON FRIDADY! PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO VOTE ON THE POLL! Your vote could make the difference between you reading yaoi, yaoi, even more yaoi, or a father daughter relationship.

Chapter 4

Haruta's Pov

"Why did Marco have to leave me with the kid, couldn't he just watch after the brat himself? I swear I always get stuck with the sucky jobs cause I'm the youngest. Screw the oversized chicken." I said as I kicked the wall next to me ending my rant.

"You know, throwing a tantrum won't help." I heard a voice say. Looking up I saw Thatch leaning on the infirmary doors. "What do you want Thatch?" I asked. My voice coming out flat and uncaring. "It's your damn fault I'm stuck in this mess in the first place." I told him matter-a-factly ignoring the mock hurt expression he gave me.

"Come on Haruta don't be like that. You know I didn't mean anything by it." He responded pouting slightly. "Besides it's not like I expected Marco to choose you for Luffy duty." He pointed out as if that somehow made me feel any better about the situation.

"Though I can see why he chose you." Thatch said absentmindedly. "It because I'm the youngest isn't it! So you all think you can't dump all the boring jobs on me!" I yelled back at Thatch, though I was sure he wasn't directly addressing me when he made that comment.

"Hey now, there's no reason to shout." Thatch said trying to calm me down. "Yes there is!" I yelled back at him. "It because you guys think I'm too young isn't it! That's why you left me in here to watch after him!" I continued point at the sleeping mound on the bed for emphasis.

"Now listen, no one said anything about you being too young." Thatch stated, his voice rising slightly. "Now what this really about Haruta?" Thatch asked looking at me eye to eye. "You- You guys left me in here because you don't think I'm mature enough. I'm just a little kid to you guys." I bit out turning my head away from Thatch and breaking eye contact.

"Is that what you think?" I heard Thatch asked for some reason surprised. "If that isn't the reason then why else would you leave me with him?" I questioned looking back up at Thatch's face.

"It's because you're small." Thatch said as if that answered all the world's questions. "Shut up, I'm not small." I retorted. "Alright not the best choice of words but hear me out." Thatch continued trying to brush the blatant insult under the rug. "Yes you're the youngest there's no denying that, but compared to Ace and Sabo you what? Two three years behind."

"So what you're calling Ace and Sabo kids now to." I ask not getting the point of what he was trying to say. "If we go by your logic then yes. But all of you are able to do what the rest of us can right?" He pressed asking me an impossible hard question. "Yeah" I answered after a while of silence.

"Good we're getting somewhere." He joked acting in his usual comedic relief way. "But that still doesn't tell me why I was given this job." I said. "I'm getting to that don't rush me." Thatch responded. "Now where was I?" he asked himself out loud.

"That's right, now Haru-" He started only for me to interrupt him. "Don't call me that!" I bristled "- if someone saw you and, say Jozu, what do you think they would say?" He asked me. "I don't know. That I'm small?" I said answering his question with a question.

"Right that your small." He reestablished. "And out of the two of you who do you think that person would be more scared of?" He asked me again. "Jozu of course. Do you not see how big he is?" I asked.

"Yeah he's real big." Thatch comment like he was talking to a child. "And how many of our brothers are big and scary like Jozu?" Thatch asked me once again. "Well, Jozu's big and all but he's not scary. At least not to me." I state of handedly "But in terms of size maybe half of our members are like Jozu, and the other half are around your size Thatch."

"And that my dear Haru-" "Don't call me that!" "-is why you were chosen instead of someone freakishly big, or even adult size." Thatch stated as he finished his long winded explanation that didn't give me any answers in the end.

"…Because I'm small?" I ask hesitantly "Because you're not scary. Especially for someone like Luffy who's probably traumatized by now." He furthered, like he couldn't have just said that from the beginning.

"I mean could you imagine the little guy waking up to see someone like Jozu or Namur staring down at him." He joked laughing a bit at the thought. "I'm pretty sure he would scream again." I answered smiling for the first time since last night. "Hell yeah he would!" Thatch answered back.

After a few jokes were shared, Thatch stood up and stretched his arms. "Well now that everything is settled, I think I'm gonna go back to the meeting hall." Thatch said to with his arms still reaching over his head. "Are you going to be alright?" he asked me.

"Don't worry I'll be fine, I think I can handle watching the brat." I said as Thatch looked at me expectantly. "That's good to know little Haru." Thatch told me as he walked out of the infirmary doors.

"Don't call me that!" I yelled out for the third time as he closed the door on my protests. "Bastard." I mumbled under my breath with a slight smile. Turning my head towards the brat I said out loud to no one in particular "I guess it's just you and me kid."

I apologize if this chapter was too short, but I wanted to dedicate this chapter to Haruta who, by the way, is 19 it this. I was honestly surprised when I finished two chapters in one day but I won't be posting anything until about a week after the poll closes. I thank you for all the reviews, favorites, and follows.

Thank you for reading~