Story Title: Portgas D. Luffy
Author: The Dark Crimson Blood
Genres: Family/Hurt comfort/Angst
Main Character(s): Luffy/Ace/Trafalgar
Summary: Portgas D. Luffy and Portgas D. Ace are siblings; he hated her because her birth was what caused the death of their mother. Let's watch as she makes new relations with unexpected people.
Words: 2,892

oOo

A week has passed since Ace and Sabo let Luffy go.

Neither of them knows what to with themselves anymore.

Ace sits with his knees folded into his chest while he leans against the cold wall next to him; the cold doesn't bother him, it never did in the first place. It didn't even bother him when he was a child because he had such a warm family, and Luffy was always snuggling onto his side despite his protests.

Though it was once an action Ace found annoying, he now found himself craving it more than ever. He wanted her to look to him for protection and comfort when the nightmares came, and more than ever; he wanted to see her smile again. Ace knows that he can no longer be the big brother who makes all the monsters go away.

Sabo feels slightly different, as he had played a different position in Luffy's life. Luffy would ask him questions day after day no matter what time it was and he would always answer them with hints of annoyance that she never really picked up on.

Even though he never really showed it; he loved teaching her things. He'd teach her what words mean and why things happened, it was fun and made Sabo feel as if he was the smartest person in the world when she'd look up to him with sparkling eyes that held nothing but love and trust. Sabo knows he can no longer be the smart older brother who knew everything in the universe.

They'd both been replaced.

Rather, they'd lost their chances. The very day they decided to cast her out and never apologize until they realized their mistakes. By the time they did; Luffy was gone and it was far too late. Both of the brothers regret their actions. Ace wishes he had never blamed the death of Rouge on Luffy while Sabo regrets listening to Ace when he called Luffy a murderer.

"I still want to apologize... Even though I know she won't forgive me..." Sabo mutters underneath his breath; he's not really talking to anyone but himself but his voice is loud enough for Ace to catch him.

"I do to, yet you don't hear me complaining about it!" Ace replies, his voice just barely underneath a yell. His eyebrows are furrowed, and the tick mark on his face is far too obvious for Sabo to ignore.

"I wasn't complaining!" Sabo retorts as he sits up abruptly; quickly throwing a glare towards the slightly older boy. "I was talking to myself!"

"A little loud, aren't ya?" Ace yells back as he copies his brother's actions, replying with an equally terrifying glare back towards Sabo.

"I'm sorry if my talking bothers you!"

"Shut up, I want to sleep!" Ace raises his voice even further as he allows his actions to betray his words as his body removes itself from the bed.

"You're the one who started yelling, so why don't you shut up?!" Sabo swings his legs over the ledge and jumps to his feet, standing face to face the slightly older boy as if he were ready for a fight.

"You're the one who convinced me to give up on our sister! You've got no right to complain!"

"And you're the one who abandoned her for being born!"

"You did the same thing, asshole!" Ace retorts. "Now that we know Luffy's safe; I don't really see the reason for us to stay together."

"Neither do I! I'm going to ask if I can be placed on a different ship, as far away from you as possible." The blond yells in reply. "Let's agree on never seeing each other again!"

"Deal! And in the meantime, how about you go outside and play a nice game of hide and go fuck yourself!?"

"I can see you're already going to, so I'll leave you to your activities!" Sabo shouts just as Ace slams the door and heads outside.

Sabo growls underneath his breath and unknowingly, Ace does the same.

oOo

Thatch absentmindedly fixes the few hairs sticking out of his pompadour as he watches Luffy down her meal. Today she was able to eat a healthy meal of chicken noodle soup with the tiniest bits of meat that was just enough to excite her. It tasted absolutely wonderful, far better than what she had been used to eating on the ship she had been on before this one. Halfway through her meal, the back of her shirt is carefully taken into calloused hands, "Your clothing is ripped up. It's old and it looks like all it's doing is covering your body. Aren't you cold?"

"Yeah, it's really cold. And itchy, but I don't mind." Luffy replies; taking the last sip of soup and placing the bowel on the table in silence. "Does it bother you?" She continues, cocking her head to the side and staring at him for a couple of seconds as she waits for a reply.

"Pfft. Why would it bother me? I just think it would be good to get you kids something better to wear. You are going to be sticking with us for awhile, right?" Luffy nods. "Eventually we'll be stopping at colder islands, and it's hazardous to wear such thin clothing there."

"I don't have any money though. So I can't buy clothing."

"Well I know that the old man is looking for a doctor; it's a great paying job, if you're interested." Thatch says as his lips twitch up into a smile the second he catches sight of her cheerful expression, her eyes light up and she claps her hands together. It's cute and adorable and everything a twelve year old child should be. "Think it over for a bit; until then, feel free to take a tray of rice balls and green tea back to your room."

"I will! Thank you so much!" She says, throwing her arms around him and pulling him into a hug he hadn't been expecting. It's short and brief, but it's warm and comforting at the same time. He places a hand on her head, sending her the biggest smile he can.

"No problem, kid."

oOo

Law can't help but be surprised when he sits up from a short nap and finds Luffy flying at him at an alarming rate. He doesn't have the chance to dodge, and the action has them both falling out of the bed in a mess of limbs and blankets. Law appoints himself the job of untangling both himself and the troublemaker at his side, who's currently laughing so hard that it makes Law wonder if she hit her head or not. By the time they're untangled, the oldest of the two helps the youngest up and silently places a hand on her head.

"What, if I may ask, was that rude awakening for?" He asks; knowing full well that Luffy knows that he's not as serious or as angry as he seems. He's toying with her, and it's fun because she doesn't take this kind of thing seriously.

"I brought you food!" She replies, pointing one of her delicate fingers towards the plate of food sitting next to the bedside. At the sight of the three rice balls and a cup of green tea on the wooden table, Law's stomach rumbles as he's pushed back into bed. The tray is placed on his lap and Luffy remains at his side. "Also, they're looking for a new doctor! Isn't that great, Law?!"

Law blinks and nearly spits out his tea in surprise, but soon a smile plays on his lips and he nods his head by using the slightest of movements. "That's really good. Thank you Luffy." The black haired girl smiles at him and Law feels himself heat up at the sight.

He shakes his head violently and silently continues eating. The idea of him getting a job in a profession he enjoys is a good thing; not only that, but Law knew they'd be staying here for a while. A couple of years at least, considering this place was safe and provided them with nearly everything they needed.

Luffy liked it here too, and it was even better now that Ace and Sabo had stopped bothering them. It was calm now, and even though Law clearly enjoyed the silence; he also knew that it was always calm before a storm. However, the smile on Luffy's face made him want to forget that fact.

OoO

The sky was bright, not a single cloud stained the sea of blue above them. The sun shone down on them harshly; but all in all, it was a good day. Luffy seemed to think so, as she lies on the figurehead of the Whitebeard ship with her arms behind her head.

Wavering through sleeping and being awake; her eyes are half lidded, and every once in awhile her lips would open to yawn. She had a while to herself, considering Law was working right now and was too busy to be bothered.

Luffy sighs; rolling onto her side and curling her legs slightly, feeling more comfortable in a fetal position than anything else; that was what she was used to. She nearly jumps and plummets into the great body of water beneath her with someone taps her shoulder and holds onto her clothing to make sure she doesn't fall. Luffy turns her head and smiles at the young man with the slightly worried young man. "Law? I thought you were working."

"I finished early." He replies as he pulls himself onto the figurehead and takes a seat next to her. "Didn't I tell you not to sit up here unless I was with you?" He questions with a slightly raised eyebrow; she replies with a face splitting smile that makes Law wonder if he's really angry at her or not. No, he can't stay angry at her when she smiles at him and she knows it. His eyes narrow; in one swift movement, he pulls his friend into a headlock and doesn't let go until she apologizes.

"Sorry!" She laughs, yet rather than seeming sorry it looks as if she's having fun instead of anything else. He releases her, but she remains close to him. Carefully, her hands intertwine with his and she leans on his shoulder. There's silence for just a few minutes as the two continue to stare at the afternoon sun. Law speaks up first.

"I'm going out to get new clothing with Marco and Thatch." He speaks clearly, his gaze on Luffy doesn't falter once as his mouth moves. "I know what you're size in clothing is so I'll be buying for you as well. Stay on the ship while I'm gone and don't do anything stupid."

"Same to you, stupid." Luffy says as a pout appears on her face, her pink tongue slips out of her mouth and Law can only narrow his eyes in return. Seemingly insulted on the outside, Law fakes hurt from her insult by grabbing his chest in pain and letting out a fake gasp. Luffy's giggles get louder and Law finds himself soon laughing too. Eventually, their hands release and they part ways after a quick hug.

"Don't fall in the water."

"Don't get kidnapped or something."

They wave each other off, neither of them notice the lone storm cloud lurking behind them.

OoO

Law wonders if it's because of how long it's been since he's trained himself that his legs are so tired right now. The bag on his back weighed at least thirty pounds, it was packed with enough clothing to last Luffy and himself for a year at least. Then, there was the vast amount of medical supplies piled on top of it. He sighs and pushes forward, feeling the sweat form on his brow and eventually drip down his face, yet he pushes forward.

He wonders if he can protect Luffy like this.

If he's having problems carrying a mere thirty, forty pounds, then how would he be able to protect Luffy? What if she got hurt and he couldn't carry her? What if Luffy started to think he was weak? Above anyone else, Law wanted Luffy to see him as the strongest man in her life. He wanted to be the one to protect her and be there for her whenever she needed him. He wanted to be the person she loved the most.

Law nearly stops in his tracks.

How long has he been thinking like this? He vigorously shakes his head as he tries to remember the moment in time this started at, but nothing comes to mind. The only thing that came to mind was Luffy; Luffy with her big eyes and long eyelashes and bright smile and her constant touches... He feels his face begin to heat up; he immediately hides it by pulling down the hood when someone taps his shoulder.

"You were walking strangely, are you okay?" Thatch asks as he feigns worry, but the look on his face says otherwise. It's as if he knows exactly why Law is so flustered. "Your face is all red... It can't be because of the girl you like, could it?"

"I'm fine. I'm just tired." Law replies, and watches as the man stifles a laugh. He soon realizes just what he forgot to say. "Don't bring Luffy into this!"

"Oh? I didn't even say her name. You're the one who brought her into this. You didn't even say 'I don't like her!'" Thatch grins mischievously, and for some reason Law finds himself being reminded of a grinning cat that just got out of trouble. "You likeeeee herrrr"

"Young love," Marco teases, shoving the teenager's shoulder slightly as he swallows the meat off of a terriyaki stick he picked up earlier. "It's fucking adorable."

"Cannibalism" Law brings up as he stares at the blond out of the corner of his eyes. "It's fucking disturbing."

As a stress mark appears on Marco's face and Thatch begins to laugh heavily while silently taking the bag from Law; Law begins to wonder if this is what it's like to have a family.

It's nice.

Law absentmindedly wonders when the sky got so dark.

OoO

"Law's suuuuuper strong! He's tall and really cool! Did you know he doesn't like bread? I like bread, I can't eat it right now though but I'll eat it later. He likes rice balls though! Law likes a lot of thing! He likes being a doctor and he shows me a lot of stuff too, it's fun! He's gonna be the greatest doctor in the world one day y'know? And, and..."

Whitebeard feels himself zoning out as he listens to the child on his lap constantly babble about the same person; Law. It's been at least an hour, and somehow she continues to find more and more subjects to talk about.

Honestly it's draining him, and right now he feels the undying need to close his eyes- even if it's just for a couple of seconds. At the same time, he wants to keep listening. This child seems to do far more than simply admire and look up to Law; as she talks about him she laughs as if she's the most carefree person in the world, but then sometimes she quiets down. Whitebeard has questions; but he decides they're best unanswered until the time comes.

"You really like Law, don't you?" He soon finds himself asking, and really, it's automatic and he doesn't really mean to ask it at all. However, when she pauses her babbling and looks up at him with big brown eyes and the brightest smile he's ever seen, he can't help but feel happy he asked her.

"Of course!" She giggles, "Law's the strongest, nicest, greatest person in the world!"

"How could I forget; you've reminded me at least twenty times now."

"Twenty six!"

"My bad."

Whitebeard sweat drops; yet somehow he finds himself listening again. The crew mates just outside of the door stare in with pity for the poor man who couldn't say no to the big eyed Luffy

Honestly, they didn't have it in them either.

oOo

A/N: Rewritten, cleaned. Chapters have been consolidated.

Thanks for reading, leave a review!

~Crimsy