~ Request for a theme but once again was way too long so here it is standing in it's own. Also please take into consideration that Law is already a zombie and there for dead, I don't want to hear any necrophilia comments and while we're on the subject vampires are also dead so if you have a problem with this don't read anything between vampire and human either. Thank you, I think I'm done ranting for the moment. I'll shut up and let you read. This will be a two-shot also, fyi ~
Law stumbled into the abandoned apartment he had been using as shelter for the past few days. He pushed the door shut behind him and locked it. His breath came in short ragged gasps. He kept his hand pressed to his side as he dropped to the couch.
Fuck... He couldn't believe he was going to go out like this. Then again, how long did he or anyone else have? If it wasn't a zombie, then another survivor. But still, being bitten hurt like hell.
He stared up at the ceiling. He had lost a lot of blood on the way back and was missing decent sized piece out of his abdomen. Swirls of darkness blossomed across his eyes and he let the coldness of death finally take him.
The sun glared angrily through the window, clawing its way in through missing patches of blinds to harass Law's sleeping form. He blinked in annoyance, sitting up and shielding his eyes from the setting sun. His head hurt and there was an unquenchable dryness in his throat. Breathing made it feel like he was running glass shards down the inside of his esophagus.
Law pushed himself off the couch and toward the restroom. Memories of the day's earlier events beat against the back of his eyelids. Pulling off his shirt, he looked down at his body, taking in all the blood he was covered in. His hand slipped through the hole in the torn fabric ringed with blood. "Where I was bit..." He muttered, his voice a harsh whisper. He licked dry lips and threw the ruined shirt to the floor.
After undressing, he stood in the shower and let the cold water rain down on him. It didn't bother him as it had before. Like he couldn't even tell it was really cold though he knew it was. Hands scrubbed down his body, washing away all blood and grime he was covered in. He looked down at his side at the slight discoloration in his skin where a bloody wound should've been.
The more he thought about it, the less it made sense. He stared at his image in the mirror over the sink after he got out. The dark rings under his eyes seemed more prominent than before. He knew it hadn't been a dream. The pain, the screaming of someone else; his hand shaking as he pulled the trigger, unloading a full clip into the dead woman's head just before a small child zombie had come up from behind and bit him. He had lost his gun in the scuffle afterwards. And the hole in his shirt and blood on the couch were also proof that he had been nearly dead when he lost consciousness.
Law packed his things and threw on a new shirt. He was still alive, somehow, no need to waste the opportunity.
- Two months later -
The thin teen clung to the wooden beams of the church's rafters. About a dozen or so zombies milled about beneath him, some sitting in the pews, some roaming, and he had been slowly making his way across above them to the window in hopes of getting out unnoticed.
He looked up at the stained glass window of some saint. He was by no means a very religious person but now this robed figure surrounded by animals was an icon of freedom. He swore under his breath as it suddenly dawned on him that he was probably going to have to break the window. That would get the attention of the dead below but maybe it wouldn't matter too much if he hurried and scrambled outside. Just a few more feet...
The front double doors suddenly burst open and three people ran in, one firing wildly behind him. They slammed the door shut just as the woman among them screamed alerting them to the zombies and all of the zombies to them.
He shook his head and scooted faster toward the window. He'd have to break it open with his elbow, he didn't have anything else.
"What are you doing? There are zombies out there!"
The teen looked down. The woman was waving up at him while the two men eliminated the zombies. He scowled and ignored her. 'No duh lady,' He thought. 'There are zombies everywhere, in case you hadn't noticed.' He crashed through the window. Those three were in for a nasty surprise. There were more zombies in that church than just that room.
Rolling down the sloping roof, he landed on his knees and side harshly. He stood and did a quick look around. More or less clear. He took off running down the street. He heard the church door open and one of the men came out screaming, the former pastor latched on to his shoulder.
The man's screaming only attracted more of the dead and while running he chanced a glance over his shoulder. He ran into the hood of a car that had swerved and was half on the sidewalk. The alarm went off and the high shrill deafened him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a group coming out of an alley headed straight for him. His breath caught. He was hyperaware of all of the zombies around him. Time slowed and he could almost count each individual one.
Then it all moved again. A hand around his arm yanked him away from the car and down the street. He stumbled along, unsure and confused. The person in front of him stopped at the corner, looking around. "This way!" He found his voice again and tugged the stranger across the walkway.
It felt strange, the hand that was now in his was cold when it should have been warm and sweaty like his own. They ran down the street until he felt a tug on his arm causing him to stop again at a different turn.
"Wait!"
He looked back and finally saw who he had been running with this whole time. A man, a few years older than him, maybe older than his brothers, tall and tan, wearing a hoodie even though it was the middle of summer and in the nineties. He was pulled away from his observation by the sound of a gunshot. It was closer than he would've liked. Right behind him, a man fell. He didn't look infected in the slightest. Several more blasts followed and he found himself being pulled backwards into a gutted out building.
The sudden shade was the only comfort he had. The stranger beside pulled him down to duck under a window while he looked over the sill outside. "Some psycho shooting whoever he wants…" He felt like he was about to hyperventilate. "Hey," He looked up. "It's ok. Just stay calm and keep quiet." He nodded. For several minutes he tried to block out the sound of gun fire and screams. After a while it was quiet, he looked up at the older man who put a finger to his lips. He looked back toward the doorway as a shadow passed. A body fell in, convulsing and shaking. He scrambled backwards into the stranger as the head lolled in his direction and their hand reached out with the last bit of their life.
A hand clamped over his mouth, forcing him to breathe heavily through his nose. He was pulled farther back into the building away from the door. They moved back into another room without a door. He could hear a crazy laughter coming from outside. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes, he couldn't believe how scared he was.
Then lips were on his and he suddenly felt calmer. He blinked and looked up only to see himself reflected in pools of amber. He stared into the hypnotizing eyes never moving, keeping his lips firmly pressed against the other. Yellow swirled and he thought he saw a red flash shoot through them but it was gone before he could fully recognize it and then those eyes were moving away.
The stranger stood, gesturing for him to stay put. He watched as he made his way toward the entrance and looked out. A sigh of relief escaped him as he came back with no incident. He stood on wobbly legs and made his way toward him. "Thank you." He managed. He clenched his fists. He was so angry at himself for being weak.
"It's fine. Although, I don't know why I stuck my neck out for you honestly…"
He laughed. "Lucky me. Thanks anyway." He said again. "I'm Luffy by the way."
"Luffy?"
"Monkey D. Luffy."
Hearing his full name didn't make any less strange. "Trafalgar Law."
"Trafla… Torao?"
"Trafalgar."
"Torao's easier." Luffy shrugged. He was feeling a little calmer now. He watched as Law dug around and pulled out a bag that had been concealed by turned over furniture. "Um, do you know which way Green Bit is from here?"
Law looked over his shoulder. "Yeah. Are you going to walk there? It's a long way."
Luffy shrugged. "I don't know how to drive and my friend already left."
"He left you?"
"No, not like that." Luffy defended. "I told him to go. I even shot at his foot."
"Waste of ammo," Law muttered.
"I don't really like guns anyway. I prefer to use my fists."
"You'll get bit that way."
"Yeah…" Luffy sighed. "So…"
"Yeah, if you go down this street the way we were headed you'll eventually hit Water 7. Then just follow it north out of town."
"Really? Thanks!" Luffy ran out the door and Law didn't try to stop him.
It had been two months since he had been bit and turned into a zombie himself. After a few days he came to realize what was wrong with him. But it wasn't nearly as bad as it seemed. He wasn't mindless like the others and he was free of some of the mortal ties like fatigue. He still got hungry though…
Why had he saved Luffy? It was weird. Although he already knew the answer. Though he never tired, it was exhausting, or rather boring being up twenty-four hours all the time. So he did sleep. And when he did, he dreamed. Ever since turning his dreams had focused around one peculiar person. He had seen him fall out of the church window and couldn't believe it. So what was the harm in saving him?
There was a crash outside the building followed by a sickening splat. Law rushed out. He saw Luffy backed against the building wall and a zombie a few feet away smashed against the pavement. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, it fell out of a window or something." Luffy laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Silly, it's been, what, six months and I'm still not used to zombies really."
Law shrugged. "Are you really going to walk all the way to Green Bit?"
"No choice. Unless," He looked up hopeful. "You know how to drive and would take me?"
"I do. But we don't have a working car." This didn't seem to deter Luffy. "What would I get out of it?"
"I dunno. I could ask my brothers when we get there."
Law inwardly groaned. This idiot... If he walked the forty plus miles to Green Bit by himself, he'd probably die and end up eaten. If that was the case, Law could kill him here. But he wasn't hungry, so why waste? He sighed. "Fine."
"Really?"
"Yes. But we still need to-!" Law was cut off by Luffy jumping and hugging him around the neck.
"Thank you so much! You're awesome Torao!"
"Trafalgar..."
The sun was setting and they still hadn't found a working vehicle, most were damaged due to wrecks and riots, some had been ran until their engines over heated and malfunctioned.
"C'mon," Law called and began to lead the way down a smaller road. Luffy followed behind trying his best not to look defeated.
"What if we don't find a car?" He mumbled beside Law.
Law looked over at him. "It would take us almost two days to just reach the outskirts of Green Bit. And that would suck."
Luffy bit his lip and tried to hide the smile. "Yeah, it would."
Law turned into the parking lot of a motel. "I've been staying here for a few days." He said as they climbed the outdoor staircase to the second floor. He pushed open the rotted wood door and ushered the teen in so he could lock it behind them.
Luffy looked around. The room was like everywhere else, abandoned and looted. But there were signs that other survivors had been through, using it as a temporary shelter. The windows were boarded up with bookcases in front of them and the table had been turned over near the door so that it could easily be pushed up for extra protection. He watched as Law moved around the dark room with ease, lighting lamps and placing them so that their orange glow spread evenly throughout the room.
"The mattress is uncomfortable but it's better than this thing, trust me." Law kicked the couch before sitting down. Said mattress was placed on the floor in front of the couch. Luffy plopped down on it and stretched out. "How far into Green Bit are you heading?"
"We found a farmhouse off the main road and cleared it out. It's not too far in, I guess."
"We?"
"Me and my brothers, Sanji and Zoro; Marco stayed to help Usopp to watch the girls while we barricaded the place."
"So there's a lot of you?" Law asked. Large groups were dangerous and didn't normally last.
"We all knew each other back in East Blue, friends and family. We've been traveling with each other since this hell started."
Law hummed. That could work. A family unit that already knew and trusted each other. They had done well to make it so far. "You hungry?" He asked, changing the subject. Luffy's stomach answered for him.
They ate in relative silence before Law extinguished the lamps and doubled checked the door. He could hear Luffy snoring on the mattress below. He looked down at the teen cocooned in their only blanket. What was he doing? He had saved him on a whim to begin with but now he was taking him to the next town over.
There was a gun shot, the shattering of glass and a scream from outside. Luffy sat up and looked around frantically. Law relit one of the lamps. "Just other survivors outside." He said, his hand resting on Luffy's shoulder. Luffy nodded. He was about to lay back down when a sudden cry caught his attention.
"Kaya! Hurry!"
Before Law could stop him, Luffy was up and unlocking the door. "Luffy, wait!" Law ran after him.
The teen had stopped on the stairs to lean over the railing panting and looking frantically in the dark. "They're already inside." Law said. Luffy nodded. He turned to head back up toward Law when he felt wet cold fingers against his ankle pulling him down. His back scraped against stone steps as he fell. The guttural moan of his assailant reached his ears along with the weight of its body pinning him down. He heard Law shout out and the corpse suddenly stood ignoring him. He took the chance to scramble to his feet and shove the zombie over the rail. Law grabbed him and pulled him back up into the room where he collapsed on the floor.
"Fucking idiot," Law swore as he relocked the door.
Luffy laughed, sad and hollow. "Yeah, I am. How many times would I be dead if it weren't for you?"
"I've stopped counting." Law said bitterly. He dropped to the couch letting his head fall back. He heard the sound of Luffy's feet shuffling against the floor.
"Sorry... Kaya is a friend. She's sick and wouldn't have made it without us." Luffy explained.
'The kind of person most kill or leave behind.' Law thought.
"My friend, the one I shot at to make him leave, he's her boyfriend and we came here looking for medicine."
Law just nodded. He didn't really care. He felt Luffy lean over him. Their foreheads pressed together and he found his eyes traveling down to the teen's lips.
"You're cold." Luffy's hands came to rest against his neck. Law shrugged. His fingers traveled down dancing across his collar.
"What are you doing?" He asked a small smile playing at his lips.
"Looking for your pulse." Luffy dipped his head down and kissed him before he had a chance to respond. When he pulled away, Law noticed the blush across his cheeks.
"You were looking in the wrong spot..."
"Oh," Luffy stepped back, falling to the bed behind him.
Law turned off the lamp once again. "Go to sleep."
"Is it going to run?" Luffy asked.
They had found a truck the next morning sitting in front of the motel's office. The keys were missing but it was an older model; Law said he could hot wire it.
"Yeah, but I don't know for how far. We should see if we can siphon gas out of some of these other cars.
Luffy scratched his head. "I don't know how to do that but if you show me I can try."
"I'll take care of it. Go grab my stuff out if the room." Luffy nodded and ran off.
They were on their way in matter of minutes. Law said that they had enough to make to Green Bit's city line if not all the way. "We'll probably be there tomorrow morning."
Luffy laughed next to him. "As long as we get there. I bet my brothers are freaking out."
"With you, I imagine they worry quite a bit."
"They're just over protective." Luffy puffed out his cheeks.
Law rolled his eyes. "I'm sure there concern is well founded."
Law pulled the truck over to the side of the dirt road a little after midnight. Luffy kept looking in his direction, fighting off sleep. He didn't really have to sleep anymore; most of the time he didn't, but Luffy seemed worried. He stepped out to stretch. Luffy did the same on the other side but with a flashlight. He scanned the area before getting back into the vehicle. Law already knew that there were no zombies around but also let his eyes sweep across the tree line out of habit.
"Torao?"
Law shrugged and got back in, locking the truck down. Luffy had already pulled a blanket from the back seat to wrap himself up in. He pushed his seat back so that he could lay a little more comfortably and feign sleepiness. He contemplated actually sleeping for a bit. Until Luffy crawled into his lap.
"What are you doing?" He hissed.
"You're always so cold." Luffy settled his head against his chest and pulled the blanket so that it covered them both.
"So get back on your side and stay warm."
Luffy rolled his eyes at him. "You're supposed to share body heat, not horde it." He said in an 'everyone knows that' kinda way that made Law want to punch him a little.
Instead, he just sighed and closed his eyes. "Whatever..."
He dozed in and out throughout the night with Luffy's warm body pressed against him. He had decided that they would start moving again once the sun began to rise. Blinking, he stared out the windshield.
"Law~"
Law's eyes opened at the sound and he looked down at the top of Luffy's head. The teen moaned again and now Law was aware of the occasional rub against his leg. 'Damnit Luffy...'
"T-Torao..." Luffy's breaths became short gasps and his fist tightened in the material of Law's shirt.
"Luffy!" Law tried to shake him awake. It was weird enough that he had been having dreams about the teen but now he had him in his lap having his own wet dream.
Luffy raised his head a little. Law's sigh hit across the face. "What's wrong?" He mumbled.
'You are moaning my name in your sleep and trying to hump me!' Law didn't say this. "Get back to your side."
"No. You're warm." Luffy laid his head back down.
"I can guarantee you, I'm not." Law groaned.
"And comfy." He continued. His breath was hot against Law's neck. He pushed forward just enough so he could lick at the cool skin. Law made a noise in the back of his throat. He watched as Luffy sat up, looking down at him hazily.
"What?"
Luffy placed his hands on Law's shoulders and leaned forward. Their lips brushed momentarily as Luffy moved to straddle Law a little better.
"What are you doing?" Law asked just before Luffy's mouth tilted the rest of the way over his in a proper kiss. He felt the young man's hips grind against his, bringing a part of him to life.
Law moaned, his hands gripping the denim on Luffy's legs. Kissing Luffy made his teeth hurt, like eating too many sweets but taking another bite rich chocolate anyway. As they parted, Law felt Luffy's hand drop between them to his pants. He couldn't bring himself to stop him, didn't want to. Though he had a feeling Luffy wasn't sure what he was doing or why. But sometimes, you just needed to forget. Forget the nightmare that they had suddenly woken up in. So he didn't stop Luffy.
His shaky hand wrapped around Law's semi-erect member. He dropped his kisses down to his neck and then ear where he sucked on his piercings. At first his strokes were unsure and he squeezed too tight but soon, after running his fingers up to play with the head and then dragging his thumb back down the underside, gently scraping his nail along, he pulled a moan from Law that went straight to his own dick. He shuddered and licked his lips, picking up the pace with his hand.
Law dragged Luffy down for kiss. One of his hand relocated to grab Luffy's ass and pull him closer. He gasped and Law took the moment to slip his tongue into the other's mouth. His jeans slid down past his hips with no complaint. The friction between them gained a new delightful feel of skin on skin.
Law's hand wrapped around Luffy's and he brought it up to pump them simultaneously. Luffy whimpered against his lips, his face flushed and movements becoming more erratic. He looked up into Law's gold eyes once again seeing that strange red lightning arc across his irises. It was the last thing he registered before being hit with the force of his orgasm and Law kissing him to smother his scream.
Law held Luffy close as he tried to calm himself down. His dead blood roared in his ears and even louder than that was Luffy. All of Luffy. His heart, his blood, his muffled moans, his panting, his ecstasy... His grip on the teen's waist loosened but Luffy didn't move, already dozing back to sleep. Law watched him for a few more minutes before depositing him back over to the passenger side.
He wasn't hungry... He kept telling himself that. He was not hungry and he would not feed on Luffy.
Luffy sighed for what seemed like the millionth time that night. He laid out on a couch with a quilt tossed over him. He couldn't stop thinking about Law or how much he wanted to punch the asshole for saying goodbye with a kiss. Luffy had really wanted to ask him to stay but just couldn't seem to get the question out. Now he was secure in the farmhouse with friends while Law was back out there making it on his own. Maybe Law managed better that way but Luffy still wished he had offered. Even if it was just for his own selfish desire.
A thunk pulled him out of his thoughts. He looked over to see Nami sitting down in a chair, there was a plate of food on the coffee table between them. "Thinking about your Prince Charming?" She asked. Luffy frowned at the nickname. Zoro had started that after hearing how Law had saved Luffy.
"He's probably been eaten by now." Speaking of the jerk...
Luffy wanted to throw something at his best friend. Law was too much of a bad ass for that. Sanji kicked Zoro in the side making him feel a little better.
"I miss him." Luffy admitted.
"Was he hot?"
Luffy blushed and pulled the quilt up closer to his face. "You have no idea..."
"I would if you gave me more details, damnit!" Nami teased.
"He was. And he was a good kisser." He let out a longing sigh. "And he had crazy gorgeous eyes; he'd look at me like... like he wanted to devour me." That got Zoro and Sanji's attention. "In a good way." Luffy tried to amend.
Sanji laughed. "The only good devouring I know of between two people is called sex."
Luffy pouted. "I wouldn't have minded..."
"We would have!" His brothers said in unison slamming their hands down on the back of the couch. Luffy jumped and rolled off, hitting his head on the floor, tangled in the quilt. He glared up at Sabo and Ace.
"You two suck!" He stuck his tongue out at them.
- About a week later -
Law leaned against the gnarled tree overhanging the creek. He had woken up a few feet away with blurred memories. Again. This was the third time.
"I found him!" A voice called out.
Law looked up and saw two men approaching. He hadn't heard their heavy footsteps crunching the leaves underfoot. He was still that out of it. He pushed off the tree and waited for them to approach.
One was a tall red-head with a heavy trench coat on and the other a blonde with a mask covering his face like he had a gore hound complex. The blonde waved at him, they didn't seem hostile but Law didn't change his stance.
"Are you alright?" The blonde asked concern in his voice. Law nodded slightly confused. "How long?"
"Pardon?"
"How long since you've been bit?"
Law's eyes widened. How the hell did they know? He sighed. Oh well, no point in playing it off. "About three months, I guess."
"See I told you he hadn't completely flipped his shit." The red head said.
The blonde punched his companion. "I'm sorry. I'm Killer and the ass is Kidd."
"Law." He nodded at them.
Killer sat down near the edge of the creek. "It's strange, thinking you're going to die and be like them," He waved his hand across the water where there were some zombies shuffling about. "Then waking up and realizing you still have your mind."
"Strange is one way to put it..." Law agreed.
"We are dead though." Killer continued.
"Lack of heart beat says a lot."
"But other things still work." Kidd said.
Law found himself nodding. It was strange. "So what are we then?" He had often wondered this.
"Still zombies. Just different, special, I guess." Killer sighed. "Though, you are only a few steps away from being just like them." Law followed his gaze across the creek.
"I say you have about two, three more cycles." Kidd muttered. He came over to sit by Killer.
"Cycles?" Law asked still watching the mindless.
"Of the moon." Law turned back to Kidd. "It's not something we pay attention to anymore, well I never did, but if you notice, your black outs happen once a month around the same time when there's no moon in the sky."
"A new moon?"
The red-head nodded. "They'll start to get worse, until eventually you don't wake up from them anymore."
"Have you seen what you do during those episodes?"
Law closed his eyes and nodded. He had woken up once surrounded by bodies, zombies and humans, men, women, some children. He hadn't fed on any of them, just killed needlessly. "What do I do about it?"
"You find your mate." Kidd said simply earning him a smack from Killer.
"Sorry, he sucks at explanations." The blonde scratched the back of his head. "But that's basically true."
"Are you fucking serious?" Law glared at the pair.
"Yes, and we're speaking from experience. This mate will keep you sane. He was already gone once," Kidd nudged Killer as he spoke. "Then he bit me, tore my neck out." He held a hand up to his throat. "When I came to he had dragged me out of the way and was perfectly fine, just like now."
"Sounds like you got lucky."
"I did." Killer shrugged.
"This person could be anywhere..." Law mumbled mostly to himself.
"Do you bother to sleep?" Killer asked.
"Yeah, occasionally."
"Then you've probably had dreams about them."
Law wanted to shoot himself. "Fuck, serious?"
"Do you know them?"
"Sorta." He stood brushing off his pants. "I was with him a little while back."
"Well, that's better than wondering aimlessly." Killer offered.
Law thought for a moment. "Will I have to turn him as well?"
"It will happen eventually. We are kinda contagious."
Law nodded. "Well thanks." He waved goodbye and headed through the wooded area back toward the highway.
How the hell was he supposed to explain to Luffy that he was a zombie? He had left because of that. Luffy was simple and didn't pry too much but he wasn't so sure about his friends. How long could he have played human amongst them? 'Maybe I should just turn Luffy and then explain...' But if anything, Law knew the teen was unpredictable and there was no way to know how he would take knowing Law was a zombie.
He didn't like the idea of taking Luffy from his friends. But the prospect of being mindless was even less appealing. And wouldn't Luffy be like him? So maybe it would all work out. Unless he didn't want to be a zombie at all... Which Law could understand. Who willing decides to be like this? To be dead and feed on the flesh of others?
He needed to find Luffy again first though. Then decide what to do. He could take Luffy for himself or let him continue living with his friends at the cost of his own sanity...