(Disclaimer: One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda, obviously.)
- 0 - 0 -
The place was crowded but thanks to the spacious design of the tavern, the atmosphere inside was not stifling. Soft jazz was playing in the background, the volume high enough to be heard over that chatter of the crowd, but not disturbingly so. Every once in a while, a booming laughter would be heard from different corners, adding to the merry aura.
Trafalgar Law and Eustass Kid were sitting across from each other at a small table, both of them cradling glasses filled with amber liquid and staring at the other intently. To an outsider, it would almost seem like two captains were discussing "business" while their crews relaxed together across the room. Law ripped his gaze from Kid's and glanced around the room lazily, smirking slightly as his eyes landed on a drunk Shachi throwing his arms around Penguin and Killer's shoulders who were sitting on either side of him. He watched as Killer flinched slightly but didn't do anything to shake the arm off. It wasn't the first time after all, looked like The Massacre Soldier was getting used to the more enthusiastic and forward attitude of The Heart Pirates.
"That casquette guy has some balls..."
The comment and soft chuckling that followed brought Law's attention to the redhead sitting across him once again.
"Ah, but I daresay Killer-ya has grown a soft spot, even though I'm sure he'd rather cut both of his legs off before admitting it..." said Law mischievously.
"Or yours." Kid had a matching expression on his face as continued to watch The Surgeon of Death.
"I think he is clever enough to know that it would displease his captain immensely."
The comment made Captain Kid's mouth stretch into a broad grin that seemed evil. "True, pounding into you wouldn't be nearly as fun if I didn't have your legs thrown over my shoulders."
"Tsk, how uncouth, Eustass-ya...Maybe I should teach you some manners using my devil fruit abilities; making it impossible for you to pound into me or anyone else ever..." Even though Law's voice sounded reprimanding, his eyes were dancing with mirth.
The answer only seemed to widen the redhead's grin. "You know Law, I think this is exactly why we are able to tolerate each other... You are just as much of a sadistic bastard as you accuse me of being..."
Law's gaze was so penetrating that it was giving Kid goosebumps. "I'd say you had a point there, Eustass-ya, if this could still be called 'tolerating each other'..."
They stayed with their eyes locked for a while, then Kid's grin turned into a softer smile that baffled Law briefly, and he gestured to the door with head.
"Come on Doc, let's get outta here."
As they were walking out the crowded tavern, they spared one last look at their crewmates. The only one that seemed remotely close to being sober was Killer, but then again they couldn't know that for sure with the mask in the way. Kid raised his hand in a half wave, and Killer answered with a slight nod of his head.
First sight that greeted them once they stepped outside was the moonlight's dance over the waves. They could still hear the laughter coming from inside the tavern, voices occasionally cutting the silence. Without verbally agreeing on it, they started walking in the same direction. There didn't seem to be many people around, the chilly air no doubt the main reason for that. As they passed other taverns and bars, muffled voices could still be heard.
"Where are we going?" asked Law finally, breaking the comfortable silence.
"Killer was saying something about there being hotels or whatever on the other side of the town... Why, you have somewhere you have to be?" The mocking tone was impossible to miss.
"As a matter of fact, I do," commented Law, "And you do too."
Kid let out a snort. "And where might that be?"
"Next to our respective crews."
"Aww, worried about your children? Relax Trafalgar, I'm sure they can survive one night without their precious captain around to look after them."
Law knew that the redhead understood exactly what he was talking about, but was refusing the acknowledge it. Which was to be expected.
"Still does not mean they will appreciate their captain leaving them behind and taking off with another captain that is supposed to be his rival." Law had no idea why he was pushing it, it was almost like he couldn't stop the words coming out of his mouth. Where the fuck is this coming from, out of nowhere? Perhaps alcohol really wasn't his thing.
As he continued staring ahead mindlessly while his feet took him forward, he didn't immediately notice the other had stopped walking. When he did, he too stopped to turn around and curiously stare at Kid who had his arms crossed over his chest and was watching him with a frown on his face.
"Why did you stop?" Kid just continued blinking without giving any sign he had heard the question for a few moments. Then he let out a mirthless laugh, bit his lower lip and shook his head slowly.
"For fuck's sake Law, do you even want to be here?" The sudden question took Law by surprise but he quickly schooled his features.
The brunette cleared his throat and drawled, "I would have thought we've been acquainted enough for you to at least know that I never do something I don't want to."
"Cut the crap! Stop manipulating words and being a smartass for once in your life!" The sudden yell made Law flinch. So Kid was being serious... Which could never be a good sign.
"It's the same thing every time we meet. Every damn time, you are acting like some righteous saint that I most certainly know you're not. Like you are so above this; as if I am forcing you to come with me or something. I tried ignoring it because you always come around in the end but you know what, I'm fucking tired of your shit! If you'll be whining like a bitch everytime, why are you still doing this?"
"I'm not whining like a bitch." His voice sounded weak and unconvincing even to his own ears, and he cursed himself for that.
"The fuck you aren't!" By now Kid was breathing heavily, his eyes aflame.
He took a deep breath and looked like he was trying to calm himself. He let out a noise that could either be a cough or a dejected laugh, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"You know what, I think it will be better if you go back and join your crew." A calm Eustass Kid was definitely creepier than an angry and shouting one, and Law just stood there speechless, unsure of how he should proceed.
"Is this what you want?"
Now Kid was staring at him like he couldn't believe what was coming out of Law's mouth.
"What I want? Stop trying to make it look like this is about me! You and I both know that I'm not the one ending this."
Ending? Who said anything about 'ending'? They were always arguing over something or another, but never before had Kid brought up anything about an ending. Law tried to disguise his panic.
You just have to destroy this, don't you? Cause God forbid you ever let your feelings and insticts steer the direction. It's like you are allergic to happiness.
Happiness? Law tried to convince himself that his inner voice was sprouting complete and utter bullshit, but that one word continued to echo in his brain.
...But oh God, it was true wasn't it? The surgeon realized with horror that the warm, unfamiliar feeling he had whenever he was with Kid was exactly that. Happiness. He smiled bitterly. No wonder he couldn't recognize it earlier.
Meanwhile, Kid was watching Law, trying to understand the different emotions passing over the his face. It was hard to tell what was going through the man's mind. Then again, with Law you could never tell.
"What do you mean 'ending', Eustass-ya? What is there to end?" What the fuck, Trafalgar? His mouth had a mind of its own, and it was obviously out to completely destroy any good thing he could have; but Law seriously felt like he couldn't stop himself from saying all these stuff. It was similar to watching a train wreck, he felt like he was watching this from afar, like there was nothing he could do to make it stop.
Kid on the other hand look like he had been expecting something along those lines. His mouth stretched into a smirk but it looked strangely out of place, almost bitter.
"Yeah... You're right I guess. What is there except bickering and-" He abruptly stopped and heaved a sigh. "Doesn't matter now anyway. Well, I guess that's it. I should be on my way now." He looked around the dark street and then turned his gaze back to Law. "Goodnight Trafalgar."
So that was it? Kid was going to give it up and leave just like that? Law didn't answer and continued staring at Kid. The redhead broke the eye contact and walked past Law and towards the other side of the town, where they had been making thier way to before all hell broke loose.
Law knew that if they left each other like this tonight, there would be no going back. No way to mend it; even if they were to come across each other a hundred times in the future, it wouldn't matter. From the very start, this had always been something delicate, something that wasn't supposed to work under normal circumstances but somehow did. Naturally, they never really questioned it, both content with not giving a name to whatever it was that's been going on. But maybe we should have...
The sound of Kid's footsteps were getting more and more silent as he walked away from Law, who was having a fight with himself in his head. Maybe this how it was supposed to be? They were captains of rival crews after all, both in search of One Piece and they both knew there could only be one Pirate King. So getting involved with someone, especially in their positions was dangerous and reckless. It would do nothing but distract them.
Except it became something more than a distraction. Somewhere along the road, they started to actually mean something to each other, no matter how much both tried to deny it. The way their 'coincidental meetings on the same island' got more and more frequent, the way they got to know each other more intimately than they had ever thought they would (and not just physically either), the way their 'I should be getting back to the ship's changed into falling asleep wrapped in each others arms while they bathed in the post-coital glow, and everything else they tried their best to ignore... It was almost like there was an unspoken rule about never mentioning it; like if it was actually put into words, it would suddenly become too real for either of them to ignore. Looking back to it now, Law thought it was funny how notorious pirates seemed to be afraid of mere words and definitions.
As the doctor stood still as a statue, lost in thought; he failed to realize the sound of footsteps were getting louder again. When he came to himself, he found himself staring into the angry eyes of Eustass Captain Kid once again. He opened his mouth to ask what Kid was doing but the redhead obviously had other plans.
"You know what Trafalgar, I refuse to be the one to walk away when I'm not the one acting like a fucking coward here. No. No; you will be the one to look me in the eye, say that you just don't have the courage for this anymore, and you will be the one to avert your gaze and turn around to run away from something you can't face, knowing I'll be here to watch you as you hurry back to your submarine."
Kid was breathing heavily by the end of his rant. He never broke the eye contact as he waited for Law to make the next move; for him to run away.
For a few moments, Law could only stare into the face of the man that changed him irreversibly in so many ways. They had come a long way. When he first met the feisty redhead, he couldn't have known that this man would turn his life upside down and change what he valued most in life. Those days when he hadn't met the captain of Kid pirates yet, back when he had only heard rumors about some redheaded devil with a sadistic grin and a love for sharp objects seemed so far away, almost like it was another life altogether.
Law heaved a deep sigh. "You've always been so dramatic."
The comment only seemed to annoy Kid further and intensify his glare, almost as if he was trying to burn a hole in the surgeon's skull by his stare alone.
"And you've always had your head so far up your ass but this level of ignorance is too much even for you. Do us both a favor and stop trying to fuel me with petty insults when I'm not the one with serious issues here. Well, about this anyway."
Law let out an undignified snort that under normal circumstances would never escape his mouth.
"Right, this is all my problem. I'm the only pirate here."
"What the fuck does that have to do with anything?"
"You are completely delusional!" The unexpected yell took Kid by surprise, making him swallow down the sarcastic comeback he was about to deliver. This wasn't making much sense.
"What are you even talking about Law? Goddamn, how much did you have to drink before we left?"
"Oh yes; now that one of us is actually getting reminded of the real world out there, it's not fun anymore is it?"
Kid opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it back. He could feel the familiar throb in his head that was usually followed by a strong headache.
"I don't know what the hell is up with you, but I think this is enough for tonight. You needn't make any excuses so just-"
"What the fuck is so hard to grasp about it?! In case you haven't realized, we are pirates Kid! As in 'dangerous outlaws that has the same goal'! We shouldn't even be having friendly bar chats, let alone fucking each other!"
So that was what's been bothering Law all along... Kid didn't know whether he should laugh or just punch him.
"Exactly, Law. We are pirates. Goddamn pirates, for fuck's sake! As in 'we do whatever the fuck we want'! It's nobody's business whom I allow near my crew, whom I get chummy with or take to my bed! That's what being a pirate is all about; being completely free and not owing anybody any fucking explanation!"
"So you don't care? You don't care about how this could be used against you or distract you from your goals? You are just lying to yourself if you naively believe that it won't affect anything!"
"You think it hasn't already?!"
The silence that came after felt like it was almost actually drowning Law. Inside his mind, everything was in chaos. There were so many words but somehow putting them into sentences was extremely hard.
"Then how can you be okay with that?" The whisper left Law's mouth after a few minutes of dead silence; when he was finally able to form simple, coherent sentences.
"How can I not be, when the person makes it more than worth my while?"
Law felt a pang in his chest and tried to school his stunned expression that felt so foreign on his face.
"Well, Eustass-ya, I'm sure any hooker would be glad to assist you from now on. Goodbye."
He rushed past Kid in a hurry, not wanting the redhead to see that his words actually had effect on the brunette.
"What the hell- Law! Come back here!"
"Fuck off!"
But Kid was having none of that. His longer legs made it easy for him to catch up with Law, and when he did he planted himself in front of the doctor and grabbed his shoulders.
"And to think everyone believes you to be a smart and cunning guy!"
Law thought that he was insulted enough for one night, and he wasn't going to stick around to hear more of this bullshit.
"Let me go! Get the fuck away from me!"
"No, listen to me! Fuck, Law, listen for a damn minute will you?!"
Law stopped struggling and stared into Kid's eyes with anger.
"Make it quick or you'll find yourself missing your limbs, Eustass-ya."
"Yeah yeah, I know the drill. God, you are just so damn stubborn did you know that?" He let go of Law's shoulders now that he was sure the other wouldn't try to leave.
Law's expression looked like he would be going on an endless rant if he opened his mouth so Kid knew he had to get his point across as fast as he could.
"When we first started... Seeing each other, if that's what you can call it, I never really gave it any thought, you know... Some stress relief would be good, and as you can tell I'm not really good at social interactions and I can't stand most people. And even though your smart-ass comments made me wanna punch you in the face sometimes, it was alright. I never really pictured myself as 'the committed type'. I figured, the less I knew about the guy I was screwing, the better."
Kid had a faraway look in his eyes as he reminiscenced. He remembered it all like yesterday, and yet it felt like it happened a lifetime ago. Had they been sticking around for so long really?
"If I could realize it was turning into something else, I would have tried to stop it. I know that. But you know what Law? I find myself thinking 'Thank God I was too blind to see it.'"
Law was blinking up at Kid, wondering if he was actually hearing right. He had never heard Kid talk like this before. Like he was someone who wore his heart on his sleeve. It just wasn't like the violent redhead.
Kid rose his arms to cup Law's face in his hands; his fingers brushing the brunette's sideburns and his thumbs dancing over his lips, feeling Law's breath tickle his skin.
"Take a good look, Law. I can't even bring myself to care that I'm acting like a lovestuck fool here. What did you do to me?"
Kid lowered his head and pressed his forehead against the other's. Their noses touched gently. Kid whispered against Law's lips.
"What the hell did you do to me, Law? I never even used to believe in such a silly notion. How did you do it? How did you make me fall in love with you?"
Law gasped against Kid's lips. Silent tears made their way down his face, and even though he would be mortified under normal circumstances, right now he just couldn't bring himself to care.
"Don't lie Kid... Don't you lie to me about this."
His voice was cracking, he was losing his head but he just couldn't stop himself. Never before had anyone seen him come undone like this; never before had anyone been able to make him come undone like this. But deep down, he had always known Eustass Kid was not just 'anyone'.
"I'm not Law... I swear I'm not. Fucking hell; just look at me, do you think I would be caught dead in a situation like this willingly? It would totally tarnish my 'notorious pirate' reputation."
Law let out a soft laugh. "You stupid bastard..."
"Ah sure Trafalgar, I'm the stupid one here." He pressed a kiss against Law's lips, lingering for a moment.
"Shut up. Of course you are. Asshole."
"Mmhm you still love me though..." He stole another kiss.
Law swallowed and bit his lower lip. "I do... God knows why, but I do..."
"Pfft that's easy; it's because I'm perfection incarnate. Everyone wants a piece of me." The playful smirk was back in its place on the redhead's face. For some reason, Law felt relieved to see it. Without really noticing, they started walking towards their original direction.
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Eustass-ya..."
"Aww don't be jealous, it's all yours to do as you please!" Law turned to look up at the smug captain, and gave a small grin.
"And don't you forget it."
(A/N: Your reviews make me more happy than you realize :)