Home is With You / Various One Piece x Reader

Meeting: Sanji

You arrived at the market square almost five minutes ago. You were still dealing with a certain pouty snow leopard in your arms.

"Why did you give them money?" Law asks with a hard tone, "they had bad intentions."

You look down at Law's face. His eyebrows were scrunched up as he mustered the angriest glare he could give you.

You gently wipe away the wrinkles on his forehead with your thumb.

"They were kids whom do not have a home to return to," you state solemnly, "I could not leave them with nothing."

"But they could have just tricked you into thinking so."

And Law is right, they could have just been hiding behind a facade to fool you into thinking they were poor, needy children. But your sixth sense would have alerted you of that.

You trained yourself to differentiate what is real and what is not. You seen enough of the world to hone your skill of forming judgements. Masks are easy to see past through; you just have to know what to look for.

"I would know if they were lying, little one. Trust me, yeah?" Law lowers his head at that, "and anyways, why are you so riled up? They are no longer with us and we still have money in our possession."

Law shies away from your gaze and digs deeper into the collar of your coat.

He mumbles something indistinguishable.

"Repeat that?"

"...your money."

My money? Is he implying that I don't have a lot of it? Well, I'm not the richest person alive, but I think I make enough to feed a whole family thanks to my magic.

"I apologize that I do not have a lot of money, but-"

"It was your money that you earned! And- and they made you give it away without a proper reason! That's not fair! It's not-!"

You gasped at the loudness and hurt in Law's voice and moved one of your hands without letting go of his body to the back of his head, caressing his black hair in a soothing manner.

You quietly shush him and tuck him deeper into your shoulder so that he doesn't notice the stares he received from his outburst.

"Hey, it is fine, little one. I could always obtain money easily by running more errands if needed. And if we ever do run out, my magic can always replace money's role to help make our lives more sustainable."

Though it will cost me more of my energy; magic is a system of equivalent exchange after all.

"Those kids will have a harder time making money on their own. They need it more than us, little one." You give his head a soft pat and rub his ears affectionately, which leads to Law releasing a tiny purr from the back of his throat.

Law calms down at your response, somewhat satisfied by your reassurance, albeit it did sound a bit opinionated to him.

But the lingering despair in his heart has subsided, and both of you got to work, browsing through the wide selections of fresh produce and materialistic goods that this land had to offer in its current winter state.

-

"And this book on heart surgery as well, please." You whisper to the seller, intending for your words to not reach Law's ears.

But Law hears it anyway, because what would you expect from a snow leopard. Though your surprise was a futile attempt, you spot his tail swaying in silent joy.