You wake up, cuddling into Law who you assumed was still asleep, and try to go back to sleep. Since you didn't have to go to the nursery today, you were going to attempt to sleep in. Ace curls up into your back with a yawn and Law nuzzles your hair softly. You sigh when your stomach growls, it deciding that you in fact would not be sleeping in today. Sitting up slowly so you wouldn't wake the other two, you crawl out of bed and drag yourself to the kitchen.
"Good morning ___." Smoker says, sitting at the table with a box of donuts. You jump, not having seen the man sitting at the table.
"Oh. Good Morning Smoker. How are you?" You ask, sitting across from him.
"I'm alright. Brought you breakfast. You've done good with them." He hums.
"Thank you." You smile, grabbing a donut from the box. "I'm happy that you think so."
"What will you do when he's grown?" He asks, sipping at his coffee quietly.
"I think, if it's possible, I would like to stick around here for a while." You say around a bite of donut. Smoker nods.
"You can if you want, we won't mind." He hums. "We'll find another use of you I'm sure."
"That sounds good. I like it here." You say, giving him a small smile. "It's nice."
"I guess it's better than how you're used to living." He comments. You nod finishing off your donut.
"It is. Very much so."
"That's good though, your soul is worth more now that it's been touched by our power." He sits back with a smile.
"Is that so..." You furrow your eyebrows. "That's sort of cool I guess."
"Just means your soul is marked, so the reapers know where to send you when you die." He shrugs
"Oh well. That's good." You grin. "Not that they'd mistake me for someone meant to go to heaven. I don't really fit into that category."
"Actually, they do that sometimes, or send them to purgatory.... We don't get along well." Smoker rubs his neck.
"Oh. Well. Hopefully they don't send me to the wrong place. If they did I would come find you guys again anyways."
"And we'll raise hell for you." A voice breathes before someone leans over and kisses your lips.
"Is that right?" You chuckle, tilting your head to see a slightly familiar face, though it was much older than you had anticipated. "Ace?" He smiles, kissing all over your face.
"Moonin! Goob moonin ___! I wuv oo!" He mimics in his old voice. You giggle, pushing him back so you could look at him.
"You're all soooo hot...." You say in mock exasperation.
"Heh. You like what you see? I stole some of Law's clothes." He grins lightly.
"No. I woke up to that freckled face instead of ___'s beauty." Law grumbles, pinching his cheek.
"Sorry. I was hungry so I got up to make breakfast." You say, smiling at the two of them. "But Smoker brought donuts!" They look at Smoker at that.
"... Hi..."
"Morning. I'll be taking you to work Ace. So eat with ___." He rumbles.
"Awe...." Ace pouts at that. You reach over, grabbing a donut and holding it out to Ace.
"Here you go." You hum. "They are really good!" Ace takes it, placing a kiss on your cheek before eating it.
"Thanks."
"I hope you have a nice time at work today." You say, furrowing your eyebrows a bit. "I wonder what I'll do. Now that all of you are grown...I don't exactly know what to do with my time here."
"Luffy will be off soon, you'll see him no doubt. Until then, just relax, find a hobby, you're going to need one." Smoker tells you.
"Hey, why not write a book about this?" Law hums smirking, "I'm sure it'll be popular."
"Book. It probably would be." You grin. "Maybe I'll do that. Keep myself busy until you guys can find something else for me to do."
"Sounds like a plan." Smoker gets up. "Let's get going you two." He adds to Law and Ace.
"Awww.... But I wanted to stay with ___!" Ace whines, hugging you tightly. You pat Ace on the back with a small smile.
"You will see me later Ace. Go have a great day at work. I'll be here whenever you get back." He pouts at you before cupping your cheek and kissing you deeply.
"Until then my beautiful fiancée." He breathes against your lips. Law pushes his face away, pulling you into his chest.
"Mine. All the kisses are mine." He growls at Ace. You look between the two, shaking your head slightly.
"You two are funny." Standing, you kiss Law on the cheek before pushing both of them towards the door. "Now go on. Before either of you get into trouble."
"Bye." They wave before going after Smoker together. You wait until they shut the door before falling down onto the couch, pulling a book off the table.
"Perfect. Now I can read...whatever this is." You hum, flipping through the first few pages. A few hours later, you had made a decent dent in the book, having gotten intrigued after only a few pages. Setting the book down on the table, you sit up and stretch before going to the kitchen to make yourself a sandwich. The sound of rushing feet sound before you're glomped from behind.
"___!!! I'm hungry! And I missed you!" Luffy cheers happily. You almost scream before you realize that it's Luffy, settling for a loud laugh instead.
"Good afternoon Luffy. I missed you too. Would you like a sandwich?"
"Mm no, I need more food! I brought money! Let's go out!" He gushes happily, kissing your cheek. You nod, putting away the stuff from your sandwich.
"That sounds good. Where do you want to go?"
"Mm a place where I can eat all kinds of food!" He grins at you holding your hand.
"So...a buffet then." You say, starting for the door. "Wait...where are we? Cause if we are back home then I have no idea where to go." He tilts his head, reaching out to the door and opening it to show the hall of your old home.
"Oh. Okay then." You say, starting outside again. "There is a really good buffet a little ways from here. You want to walk or call a cab?"
"Let's walk, I wanna spend time with you." He hugs you, cuddling your cheek affectionately. "How are you? I saw Ace earlier."
"I'm pretty good. It is very weird not having all you guys running around." You say, leaning against his side.
"I miss you." He hums thoughtfully, rubbing your back. "Do you miss me?"
"Of course I do." You say, looking up at him. "But I understand you guys have things to do, so I don't mind waiting to see you until you get time off." He smiles and cuddles you cheerfully.
"Then I'll finish work faster!"
"Don't rush too much. Don't want you to end up getting in trouble for not getting everything done." You chuckle.
"I got easy work! I'm a soul delivery demon!" He chimes. "Oh! Kid's big now, I pass his post everyday! He's scary looking."
"Well I'm glad he grew up." You say with a small smile. "l'm sure he is just as good looking as the rest of you."
"I guess, he seemed really bored since there are no battles." Luffy shrugs slightly.
"Oh." You frown a little. "Well if you see him again tell him I say hello."
"I will!" He chimes happily, his stomach growls and he licks your cheek in response. You giggle pushing his face away from you.
"Its right up here." You say, pointing to the doors of the buffet.
"Yosh! Fooood!" He scoops you up and dashes over. You laugh, tugging at his arms when you get inside.
"Luffy! Let me down! We need to pay and get plates!" He chuckles, setting you down and kissing your cheek.
"Alright alright." You go up to the counter paying for the two of you before pulling Luffy into the buffet section handing him a plate.
"So you go to each booth and grab a little piece of things you think you will like. That okay?"
"Alright! You go first! I don't want to take your food!" He smiles at you happily, brown eyes soft. You nod, going through each booth and grabbing a few things here and there before turning around to wave Luffy along.
"This is good for me. You get what you want now." He nods, piling his plate high up, tail wagging behind him, earning odd stares. You frown briefly, walking over to him and tapping him on the shoulder. "Hey, no tails. You're sorta giving yourself away."
"Meh, they can't do anything about it." He shrugs. "Where do you wanna sit?" You blink, but shrug and point to a table a little ways away from everyone else.
"That one okay?" He nods and go over to sit down.
"'I'm so glad I get hangout with you alone! " He chimes happily
"Really?" You ask sitting down across from him. "It still surprises me that any of you would like to hang out with me."
"But you're so cool and nice! I love you!" He chimes cheerfully, tail wagging.
"Love you too." You smile, picking up a few different things from your plate to eat. He chows down happily, tail wagging again. You finish your plate, pushing it away from you and sighing.
"That was really good." He finishes soon after, licking his lips.
"You're pretty today ___."
"Thank you Luffy. You look very handsome today yourself." You chuckle, standing from your seat. "Come on, let's see what other stuff we can find to do."
"Alright." He grins, getting up and holding out his hand to you. You take his hand, pulling him from the buffet with a small smile.
"Alright. I wonder what's going on around here today?" You hum, glancing around the streets.
"Hmm..." Luffy looks around carefully. "What do humans do for fun? I like to juggle souls..." He tilts his head at you
"That...sounds like fun. And well, depending on what's going on around here, we enjoy movies, walking through the park. Sometimes there are concerts, carnivals, and that sort of thing." You list off, tapping your chin in thought.
"... Is there a carnival nearby? What do you do at one?" He inquiries curiously.
"There might be." You think back to carnival dates before nodding. "I think there is. At a carnival you play games, ride different sorts of rides, and eat tons of food. Sound like something you would want to do?"
"Yeah! Let's go!" He hugs you cheerfully, cuddling your cheek happily.
"Okay." You chuckle, leading him to the fairgrounds a little ways away. You had been right about the date. Brightly colored stalls containing games and food with large banners lined the small piece of land while different amusement rides ran. "So what do you want to do first?"
"Mmm you pick!" He chimes cheerfully looking around excitedly. "There's so much!" You glance around before pulling him to get tickets for rides. After getting enough for the two of you, you go to stabs on line for the first ride with an excited smile.
"These are my one of my favorites." Luffy looks at it curiously before smiling happily.
"Then I'll definitely like it to!" He says cheerfully.
"I hope so." You smile, pulling him into the ride once it was your turn. You help him buckle in before doing so yourself, a small smile on your lips. You giggle excitedly once the ride starts, watching Luffy to see his reaction. His eyes widen, grip tightening on the bar before he starts to grin excitedly.
"Woooo!!!" He cheers, putting up his arms. "This is so much fun!"
"I'm glad you liked it!" You say after the ride stops, smiling happily.
"Yes! Can we go to another?!" He grins at you excitedly. "Which one is your favorite?"
"That one." You say, pointing to a ride shaped like a spaceship. "It spins really fast and makes it to where you can hang upside down and stuff."
"Woooow! Let's go on that one next!" He gasps getting off and pausing. "Oh! I keep forgetting to ask but... Can I kiss you?" He tilts his head. You blink, looking over at him before giving him a brief shrug.
"I don't really mind." You say, tilting your head. "At least you ask first." He smiles and pecks your lips.
"I like that!" He says thoughtfully, taking your hand, fingers intertwining with yours. You smile lightly, pulling him along to the next ride. Handing over tickets to the person operating the ride.
"Okay, so lean back against this. Once the ride starts, the force will hold you in place. Sometimes you can move around and stuff though so you can end up upside down and stuff like that."
"Really?! Cool!" He bounces slightly, grinning at you excitedly again. "Can we still hold hands?"
"Sure if you want to." You say, giving him a small smile. "I don't mind."
"Yes!! Best day ever!" He cheers as you both get on. You lean against one of the walls, waiting for Luffy to do the same as more people file into the ride. Once the ride starts, you smile pushing yourself off the floor a bit. "See. It's like I'm floating."
"Wow! I wanna try!" He says in awe, trying to do so cheerfully. "Whoa! This is like flying!"
"Right! It's a ton of fun." You smile. After a minute or two the ride slows down causing both of you to slide down the wall do your feet could touch the floor. "I'm glad you're having so much fun."
"I always have fun when I'm with you!" He chimes cheerfully, hugging you happily. "Do they have snacks here?"
"Oh yeah. Over here." You hum, leading him to one of the food stalls. "See anything you want to try?"
"... What's that?" He points at the cotton candy curiously.
"Oh that's really good if you like stuff that's sweet." You say, asking the person running the stall for a small bag. "I think you will like it." Luffy tries it and lights up.
"YUM!!!" He gushes, licking his lips happily. "So good! You have some too!'' You laugh, pulling off a piece and letting it melt in your mouth.
"Very good. I think they make it fresh here."
"This is awesome!!" He breathes, looking around for the next activity. You look around before starting towards a dart game.
"These are fun." You smile, paying and handing Luffy a dart. "All you gotta do is pop the balloon with the dart."
"Alright... Like this?" He throws and it somehow bounces of a balloon and finds the stall manager's rear, earning a yelp.
"Um..." You cover a small smile with your hand taking one of the darts from him. "Like this." You hum, throwing the dart and popping one of the balloons.
"Wow! You're good at this!" Luffy grins at you.
"I like playing darts." You smile, throwing the other dart and popping another balloon. "Pick a prize." He hums, looking around thoughtfully before picking out a meat plushie. The man at the stand hands it to him, giving the two of you a wave. "Alright. Let's see." You look around in thought. "Anything else you see that you want to do?" He looks around before shrugging.
"What else is there?" He asks you curiously with a head tilt. You look around with a small frown.
"None of the other rides are very fun. Most of the other games are rigged. I am not particularly hungry....I'm not sure." He hums, hugging you.
"Do you like a place nearby by you wanna see?"
"Well since it's getting dark, we can go to a park near here. They have little lights all hung up. It's really nice."
"Alright! Let's go!" He chimes happily, kissing your cheek. You take his hand pulling him to the park. Little lights hung around willow trees lining the sidewalk. A small pond sat in the center with a fountain and benches scattered around it.
"See. Pretty."
"...Mm You're prettier." He shrugs slightly, peering around curiously. "What happens here?"
"Not a whole lot. Its just calm and pretty. People come here to relax or eat lunch. During the day little kids play games and things like that." You say, pulling him over to a fountain and pulling a penny from your pocket. "Here. Close your eyes, toss this in the fountain, and make a wish." He tilts his head and takes it, closing his eyes.
"I wish, I can always be with you, forever." He smiles softly, before tossing it in.
"That's sweet." You smile, taking his hand again and leading him through the park. "I will try to be around for as long as my forever will let me be." Out of the corner of your eye, you catch movement but can't respond quick enough. An arm wraps around your throat and you feel the barrel of a gun against your back. You freeze, letting go of Luffy's hand.
"Well missy, forever might end up being a little shorter than you thought." Luffy blinks, looking over in surprise, pupils slitting at the man.
"Let. Her. Go." His voice taints with a demonic growl, skin starting to steam. "You have no right to touch her!" His eyes start to glow red. You blink, feeling the weight of the man behind you shift.
"W-what the hell?" He shouts, letting go of your neck, but before you can move, an earsplitting shot rings out, causing your ears to start ringing. You take a step forward, reaching out to check on Luffy before the pain registers in you chest and you cough, blood spilling from your lips. Luffy's eyes widen, catching you in his arms.
"_-___?" He breathes in shock. You bring a hand to your face, wiping away some of the blood on your chin.
"I'm okay...I'm okay...." You repeat to yourself, you hand now resting on your chest where you could feel blood pouring through your fingers. "I...I don't want to die..." You say through clenched teeth, tears starting to pour down your face. "I finally found somewhere I am happy...I..."
"I.... I don't know what to do ___..." Luffy, shakes, holding you close. "D-Don't go... Tell me W-What to do..." He sniffles, looking terrified. You wrack your brain, the edges of your vision going cloudy and your thoughts becoming muddy.
"I...I don't know..." You look up at him, eyes glassy from tears. "I just..." You pick your hand up cupping his cheek and pull his forehead to rest against yours. "I...I'm sorry...I don't think there is anything...."
"___? Please... Don't go..." Tears start to escape his eyes. "I'm sorry... This is my fault..." He hugs you close, starting to cry and apologize softly.
"No....None of this is your fault. I love you okay." You say with a soft smile, rubbing his cheek. Your fingers start to go numb, your hand falling back against your chest. "C-can you do me one favor? P-please. T-tell all the others I love them t-too okay."
"I love you... I love you ___... Please stay..." He whispers, rocking with you slightly.
"I...c-can't...." You choke out, another cough wracking your body. "You will b-be okay. You've g-got forever ahead of you." You say, your head rolling against his arm, the feeling slowly fading from the rest of your body as your vision goes dark. "I'm sorry I couldn't share it with you."
"___!? ___!" He cries out as your body goes limp in his arms. "Please... Please...."