Chapter Text
Trafalgar Law, at age seventeen, was too old for this. What he was old enough for was a job. A job that at this moment he and his best friend were supposed to be looking for. They had decided on the mall since it seemed the most likely to hire high schoolers at the start of the semester.
However, what Law forgot to account for was his friend’s ADHD. Meaning, he was unable to stay on task for more than thirty minutes. He timed it once before. Research.
Ace Portgas was capable of extremely idiotic ideas. Ideas that only five year olds could come up with. Law often wonders whether Ace’s narcolepsy causes him to continuously be in a dream like state. He hasn’t gotten around to researching that quite yet. Currently, Law found himself at the mercy of one such idea.
The mall they were in had a large fountain at its center. It was extremely ornate for the small town mall with its statues of cherubs and a black marble base. A tier made up of three sections stood in the middle of it with a cherub at the top, spewing water out of its mouth and into the air. Coins coated the bottom of the pool and a few could be seen on the tiers as well, though they were fewer in number as they got higher.
Ace stood in front of this fountain with a grin plastered on his face. “Aw come on, Traffy!”
Law cringed at the childhood nickname. He loathed it when they were younger and time had not changed his feelings for it. Arms crossed and scowl firmly in place he replied, “I refuse to act like a five year old.”
“But it totally works!” Ace’s excitement was making his already too bright smile glow. It was slightly unnerving. “The other day when I was really hungry but didn’t have any money, I wished for something to eat. Right afterwards Gramps bought me a whole meal at the food court!”
“He only did that because you were whining like a two year old. I was there.”
“Nope. Magic.” Ace crossed his arms and nodded to himself. He had already determined that this was fact and there would be no persuading him now.
By this time they had managed to draw the attention of more than a few shoppers. Standing in the middle of a mall discussing the magic of fountains like children would do that. Deciding that if they ever hoped to have a job in this mall, getting thrown out for causing a scene would not help any. “Will it shut you up?”
Ace nodded, holding out a coin for Law to take. “Yep! Now make a wish.”
Rolling his eyes, Law grabbed the coin and walked to the edge of the fountain. “I don’t even know what to wish for.”
“You could always be boring and wish for a job,” Ace shrugged before getting a mischievous look in his eyes. “Or you could wish for a boyfriend like you should.”
Law snorted. “You can’t be serious. I should just wish for a job.”
“Dude you’ve already got a job. This would be your second,” Ace pointed out and even though he was correct, Law was unwilling to see the fault in it. “What you need is a little bit of pampering and fun. A boyfriend would be perfect.”
This was a familiar argument between the two. Ace had been trying to set him up for years now. “Would you drop the whole boyfriend thing already. I am fine with exactly the way it is.”
His friend’s grin turned into something eerily similar to the Cheshire Cat’s. Honestly the amount of Ace’s intentions that was shown through his smile was astounding. “Only if you wish for it.”
He sighed. “Fine. I wish for a man.” He raised his arm to toss the coin only to meet resistance in the form of his best friend’s hand on his wrist.
“No, no! You gotta do it like this for extra luck!” Ace turned so that he was facing away from the fountain and fished another coin out of the many pockets in his shorts. With his eyes closed he said, “Please grant my wish for Marco to go out with me.” Then with so much grandeur it should have been illegal, he through the coin over his shoulder to land in the water with a loud plop.
Law stared at his friend for a solid thirty seconds. “I am not doing that.”
“You have to. It won’t work otherwise.” Ace crossed his arms, taking on the air of a sage explaining life to his pupil.
Before doing anything, he contemplated whether or not he had enough medical knowledge to get away with murdering his best friend. He did but quickly decided the cleanup would take too much effort. “Alright. But after this we go back to filling out applications.”
“Oh fine.” Ace groaned under his breath, “Joy kill.”
Law smirked as he turned away from the fountain. He closed his eyes and repeated, “Please grant my wish for a boyfriend.” He threw the coin and it landed with a soft plop to join the many littering the bottom of the base. He opened his eyes to give his friend a cold stare. “Happy now?”
Ace grinned with satisfaction. “Yep.”
“Good. So we can finally get back to work.”
“You seriously are no fun,” he sighed dramatically. Really everything with Ace was dramatic. “Fine. Onwards to the next help wanted sign.” He promptly led the way into the next store and then into the redhead exiting the store.
“Oi, watch where you’re going!” The man scowled down at Ace.
Ace immediately started to apologize but stopped when his eyes lit up in recognition. “Eustass Kid, right?”
Narrowing his eyes, the man crossed his arms and replied, “Who’s asking.”
Law watched the man carefully. He remembered Kid. He was a year ahead of them in school, infamously popular, and often found picking fights. Law had a few run-ins with him in the past. Nothing really memorable. Just another high school drug head.
However, at the beginning of the last year Eustass suddenly disappeared. Rumors had started to circulate; the most popular being that he was in jail for arson and manslaughter. Looking at this version of him, it was easy to assume. His face had been scarred with burns on the left side that traveled down his neck, disappearing into his baggy black hoodie. His glare was deadly as it turned to Law. “What are you looking at, raccoon?”
Raccoon? Law gave the man his most innocent smile, which really didn’t look innocent at all. “I haven’t figured it out yet.”
Kid scoffed, opening his mouth to reply when Ace interrupted as if their conversation wasn’t happening. “Where’ve you been, Kid? You just disappeared.”
Kid’s glare never left the spot where it was trying to drill through Law’s skull. That’s not really any business of yours.”
Law’s grin quickly turned into a smirk. “What, were you in rehab or something?”
Kid sneered. “Oh aren’t you a fucking riot.”
“I do try,” Law replied with a smug tone.
Ace’s grin remained, ignoring the two’s bickering. “So Eustass. Are you applying for jobs too?”
Eustass broke his glare to look at Ace. “You sure ask a lot of questions.”
Ace shrugged. “It’s my specialty.”
He snorted. “Well I’m not going to answer.” He pushed past the both of them with a simple, “Later, raccoon.”
“Oh I really hope not,” Law replied. He glared after Kid as the man left the store with a laugh. As soon as he was gone Law turned to Ace. “Did he seriously call me a raccoon. What does that even mean?”
Ace’s grin turned to him with the full force of the sun. “See! The fountain does work.”
Law blinked at him, dumbfounded. “Oh fuck no.”
“You can’t tell me you’re not interested in him. I know you.”
Law was. He couldn’t deny that. However, it was more like the interest of a doctor to a rare disease than the attraction of Ace’s imagination. “Not in the way you’re thinking.”
“Sure. Maybe not yet but the fountain works in mysterious ways. That’s why it’s mystical.” He nodded proudly to himself.
Law rolled his eyes. “Whatever you say, Ace.”
With that, they returned to the task before them. This time though, Ace tried to set a light hearted mood with a song, “Traffy and Eustass sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” This earned him a solid punch to the arm, effectively ending any more talk of mystical fountains and angry red heads. Honestly, Ace was such a child.