Hello :D

This story is a translation of my own fanfiction by the same name, originally written in Spanish (I, obviously, have permission to translate xD) This story is already complete and in process of being translated.

I want to thank my beautiful beta, Dearshul, for her great work beta-ing this story :) You're great, really ^^

Disclaimer: I have said this a lot lately, but I don't own One Piece nor I obtain any economical benefit from this story.

I plan on keeping weekly updates, but I usually ignore myself and update ahead of schedule :D

Prologue

Eustass Kid ran as fast as he could while trying not to slip on the soaked floor, covering his head with his worn out schoolbag, looking for a place to take shelter from the rain. Usually, in a situation like this, you would look for refuge in a store, but in such a depressed area there was almost nobody brave enough to open a shop, and most of them were places Kid would rather stay clear away from.

Finally, at the end of the alley he saw the desolated neighborhood park, with its empty swings and the huge structure made of plastic and wood that was the slides, with no metal that could attract lightning and, better yet, some completely covered parts where you could hide under. He accelerated his pace and soon entered through the narrow tunnel designed for kids at least a foot shorter than him, and sat crouched against one of the wooden walls.

"Hey, get another hideout." Said a voice, and Kid then noticed he wasn't alone; there, in a corner of the structure, also crouched another young man.

He was tall, probably as much as Kid himself, though the redhead still had some years to grow up. The young man had dark and relatively short hair, wore two golden earrings on each earlobe and had deep bags under his eyes. The rolled-up sleeves of his hoodie showed matching tattoos on both forearms, similar to those he had a symbol on the back of his hands. Kid also noticed the letter on the fingers also on both his hands.

Subtle, Kid thought' mockingly.

"And get all wet? Fuck off. If I'm bothering you, get out of here, dumbass." Kid answered with his most threatening voice, the one that had the school thugs too afraid to even look at him.

"Would you like it better if I threw you out then?" But this guy not only wasn't afraid, he was challenging him.

"Go ahead, you scrawny prick."

They stared at each other, none of them making the first move but both refusing to back off at all.

Then the dark-haired man smirked.

"I like you, brat."

"Can't say the same about you," Kid growled.

"Oh, come on, don't get mad. I think we could be good friends." Said the guy, holding out a hand. "Trafalgar Law."

Kid looked at the hand before him for a moment before, reluctantly, lifting one of his own and taking it. The man was cold, even colder than Kid himself.

"Eustass Kid."

They let go.

"A pleasure. And what brings you here in this splendid and sunny day?" Law asked, sarcasm dripping from the second part of his sentence.

"Didn't feel like going home. And you?"

"Let's say this park has become somewhat of a home to me in these last months."

Kid stared at him, not sure how to react to that comment. Apart from the rings under his eyes, the guy didn't fit the traits he was used to see on vagabonds. Sure, he was all wet, but Kid could tell neither he nor his clothes had been all that much dirty before the downpour. And, despite being thin, his arms showed a decent musculature, though it was nowhere near Kid's, and he didn't seem malnourished.

"Don't look at me like that. Not all the homeless walk around dirty and underfed."

"No, I guess not."

"What's in there?" Law asked, gesturing to Kid's soaked bag.

"My fucking textbooks. I don't get why we have to learn all that shit," grumbled Kid. He hated his classes, and knew he could never go to college, so it seemed stupid to bother with them. Besides, there were some subjects no one could understand.

"Want some help?" Offered Law and, upon seeing Kid's sceptical look, his crooked smirk appeared again and he added: "Before my… unfortunate circumstances, I was a rather capable student."

Kid didn't doubt it much, pulled on the bag's zipper and opened the object that contained all of that stupid shit he had to carry with him five days a week.

"Well, at least we'll pass the time." He took out one of his most hated books. "How's your biology?"

"That's my strong point" assured Law, still smirking.

To be continued

What do you think? ^^