Hard Decisions
Neo flipped to the next page of her book. She was stretched out on the rec. room couch, her feet propped up in Penguin's lap. She was trying to focus on the book in her hands, but her mind wouldn't keep off of Law. When the current object she was obsessing over walking into the room she glanced up at him over the top of her book. He seemed too distracted to notice that she was watching him as he grabbed a couple books then left the room.
"Have you noticed something different with Law lately?" Neo questioned when she was sure Law was no longer in ear shot.
"I don't think so," Penguin replied while not taking his eyes from his own book. It had become a habit for them to read together. It came from him being one of the main ones to teach her how to read. He then peered over at her. A playful, yet teasing grin pulled across his lips. "Then…I don't spend as much quality time with him as you do."
Neo's cheeks immediately flushed. She pulled her book up to cover her face. She knew exactly what he was talking about. Penguin was the only one who would openly tease her like that. Maybe he was the only one brave enough, or stupid enough, to do so. He still knew that he wasn't immune to Law's wrath if he ever hurt her, which he never would. He knew where the line to stop teasing her was and he never ever came close to crossing it. He loved her too much to intentionally hurt her.
She jabbed the heel of her foot into his leg. Though he didn't really feel it due to the thickness of his overalls. He chuckled as she cleared her throat. "There just seems to be something weighting on his mind lately. He can be sitting right beside me, but it feels like he's miles away. I don't like it."
Penguin patted her ankle affectionately. "Try not to think about it. You know how he is. When he's ready to talk he will."
"Yeah," Neo mumbled.
"Hey, Neo?" Shachi asked as he and Bepo poked their heads into the room.
"What's up, guys?" She inquired.
"Just wondering what's for supper," Shachi replied. "We're getting hungry."
"Then cook something," Penguin quipped. "She's not your personal chief."
"But Neo is such a good cook," Bepo flattened his ears to his head. "And she said she would make a cake soon."
Penguin let out an irritated grumble. "You guys are just being lazy."
"Face the truth, Pen ol' buddy," Shachi gave him a cheeky grin. "You love her cooking too."
Penguin couldn't stop his blushing. Neo laughed as she closed her book. "Okay, okay. I'll get it started now. It's about that time anyway."
"What are we having?" Bepo asked as she stood up.
"Well, I was thinking of grilled fish and onigiri," She replied as she placed her book back on the bookshelf. Penguin followed her movements with his own. He was going to help her get supper ready.
"Captain's favorite. He'll like that," Shachi nodded.
"Does that mean you're going to help?" Neo raised an eyebrow at him.
"Uh," Shachi twitched before bolting away. "I've got work to finish up."
The three remaining in the room laughed. They all knew very well that Shachi wasn't the best at cooking. Anytime he could get out of doing it, he did. Bepo inevitably wondered off as well. His fur had a bad habit of shedding off into the rice when he tried to roll it. This left Penguin and Neo the only ones heading for the kitchen.
"Why don't you work on getting the cake started while I get the rest going?" Penguin asked as he started to pull out the necessary items.
"Okay," Neo nodded and did as he suggested. The two buzzed happily around the galley, unaware that they were being watched by their captain. He watched them quietly from the shadows for a long while. When he walked away he rubbed the back of his neck in deep thought…and worry.
Neo was putting the icing on the cake when the crew started to file into the galley. Soon after that Law had joined them. He walked over to her and kissed her temple. "I see you made my favorite."
"Yup," She smiled and looked up at him. "I thought you could use it since you've been distracted lately."
Something flashed across his eyes. It happened to quick for her to register what the look was or what it was about. He only nodded before taking her hand and led her over to the table. The room was quickly filled with chatter. Her eyes kept going to him. She couldn't stop wondering what that look he had in his eyes was about.
She remained distracted all through supper and even when she was washing up the dishes. She was so distracted that she didn't even hear Law reenter the room. "Neo?"
"Yes?" She jumped at his voice.
"Are you finished?"
"Yes," She nodded as she dried her hands and walked over to him. "Did you need something?"
She noticed he hesitated. He swallowed before he answered her. "The crew is gathering in the rec. room. There's something I have to talk to you all about."
"Okay," She followed him out into the hall. Both remained quiet as they trudged along at a slower pace than usual. She couldn't take the silence anymore. "Law, what's wrong? I know there's something going on in that head of yours. Why won't you just tell me what it is? Did I upset you or something? Are you angry at me?"
He stopped walking. She stopped as well and looked at him with worried eyes. He leaned down and gave her a tender kiss. "No, my love. You did nothing wrong."
"Then what's going on? Why are you being so distant from me? You know I don't like it," Neo's voice was just above a whisper.
"I know you don't. I'm about to tell you all," Law placed his forehead on hers. "And you're not going to like it."
Dread filled her entire being. But she couldn't get herself to say anything. Law took her hand and led her the rest of the way into the rec. room. The chatter of the crew was cut short when they entered the room and noticed the tension. Neo and Penguin locked eyes for a moment. He immediately didn't like what ever was about to come.
Everyone settled down. Law then began to tell them what their next moves were going to be. He told them his plans to take down the warlord, Donquixote Doflamingo. And he was leaving…tomorrow. But that wasn't what was about to shake things to its core. It was what Law said next that caused everyone to stop breathing. It was what Law said next that caused Neo to feel like her world was going to shatter into a million pieces.
"What do you mean I'm not going with you?!" Neo demanded as she jumped up from the couch that she was sitting on with Law. The crew flinched. This was the first time she has ever yelled in such a manner. None of them could blame her though. It was a bombshell for them all.
"Neo," Penguin whispered to himself. It was hard, but he remained in his seat. He watched her as she clenched her hands into tight fists. Her wings snapping furiously.
Law was unmoved as he remained on the couch with his arms crossed and his hat hiding his eyes. Her clenched fists began to shake as tears gathering at the corner of her eyes.
She was angry. She was actually angry. And it was him, of all people, who made her feel that way. His silence wasn't helping the situation either. "Why? Answer me, Law!"
When he didn't it only made her even more angry. So angry that she raised her hand and actually slapped him. She slapped him then ran out of the rec. room. The crew flinched at the sound the contact of their skin made. They couldn't believe that she actually slapped him. They remained frozen as they waited to see what their captain's reply or reaction would be.
Law still didn't say anything. Shadows still hovered over his eyes as he calmly stood up, shoved his hands in his pockets and followed after her. The crew just watched in shocked silence. Some, namely Penguin, wanted to go after her as well, but knew they shouldn't. The only one she need to talk to and be with right now was Law.
He remained calm as he trudged down the halls of the sub. He could hear the door slam to their room. When he finally reached his destination…he didn't go in. Instead, he pressed his back to the wall and slid down it until he was sitting on the floor. He could easily get in there. He knew that. She knew that. But he didn't. He knew this was going to be hard for her and allowed her to go through it at her own pace. She'd come to him when she was ready.
That time wasn't until about ten thirty at night when she finally lifted her tear streaked face from her knees. She was leaning against the door. Before she even picked herself up off the floor she knew he would be just outside the room waiting for her. She unlocked the door and opened it. She dropped her own shadow covered eyes to the left. There he was. Just like she knew he would be. Hat down, arms crossed. She knew he wasn't asleep.
She stepped to his side and kneeled down. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she pivoted her body into his arms. One arm around her back, the other under her knees, she clung to his neck as he stood up with her in his embrace and walked into their room, closing the door with his foot. He sat down with her on the bed, keeping her in his lap as he kicking his shoes off. He held her tightly to his own throbbing chest. "I'm sorry, Neo. I'm so sorry. I can't take you with me this time. I need you to understand. I can't put you in his path. I refuse to loose you, especially to him."
She held on tighter to him and clenched her teeth. She was fully aware of Law's past and who this man really was. He was the one who had hurt Law so much when he was just a child. He was the one who tortured Law, the one who had killed Corazon.
Law tightened his hold on her as her body trembled against his. "You are my lover, my life, my baby, my wife…If he ever knew what you mean to me, he wouldn't hesitate to hurt you. I won't give him the chance to touch you. I won't give him the chance to use you against me. I can't take that risk. I won't take that risk, not with you."
Law's fear of Doflamingo finding out about her and using her to get to him or, worse, killing her monstrously towered over his need to be beside her. He needed his complete focus on taking the man down. If she was there he wouldn't be able to do that.
Her voice cracked and trembled when she finally spoke. "I'm not supposed to sleep without you."
"I know. I'm the one breaking that order not you," Law said as he remembered when he gave her that order.
"I can't. I can't do this," Neo's voice was barely just above a whisper. She clung tighter to him as her tears poured down her cheeks.
"Yes, you can. You are much stronger now. I'm very proud of how you have grown. I will come back to you. I promise. Neo, please, I need you to wait here for me. Will you do that for me?"
Neo didn't want to. Even the mere thought of being away from him, for any length of time, was painful for her. But she nodded slightly. He was doing this to protect her. And he has never given her a reason to doubt him. It just hurt that she was going to have to be separated from him for so long.
He gently lifted her from his neck. She allowed him to do so only she didn't meet his eyes with her own. He brushed her tears away with his lips before placing his lips repeatedly on hers in tender pecks.
Eventually she gave into him through her fresh tears and kissed back. This would be the last time, for a long while, that they were going to spend the night in the same bed. Law didn't want to waste a second of it on anything else than just being with her. He briefly broke their kiss so he could lifted her shirt from her body then put his lips right back to hers. Once he chucked the item away he wrapped his arms back around her then rolled her down on the bed, never breaking their locked lips.
A few hours later, he was sitting on the edge of the bed, fully dressed and watching her sleep. She was going to be so upset with him for leaving like this. But he had too. He knew he wouldn't be able to leave her if she was awake. It really was best this way, no matter how much it was actually hurting him.
He pulled the covers over her exposed skin then leaned down to place his cheek against hers. "Forgive me, my love. I promise to be back as soon as I can."
He placed a lingering kiss on her temple before forcing himself to take the hardest steps of his life away from her.
Penguin had met him in the hallway. Law's order for him was simple as he handed the young man several pieces of paper. "Take care of her."
"We will," Penguin nodded while casting a glance at the papers his captain gave him. He forced back a smile when he saw it was instructions on how to take care of Neo if certain situations were to arise. He looked back at Law. "What about you, Captain? This is also your first time being away from her for so long. Will you be all right?"
"I'll be fine as long as I know she's safe," Law said.
He then left the sub.
He left Neo.
…
Author's Notes: Finally! We're starting! And we're starting with a couple sad chapters T.T Anyway, I'm finally back and ready to post! That outline was a pain. The story took on a life of its own and is taking me along for the ride all with you all. But it will be a fun one, possible with a few surprises.
As for their wedding…Yeah, it was just a normal human wedding. Whatever that consists of in the world of One Piece. From what I've seen it looks like typical American style weddings with white dress and all?
As for an Elemental wedding? Nope, that can't happen since Law isn't an Elemental. They can't use the merge crystal. But the Elementals would accept their marriage if they ever were to return to Luminous. While Neo gave up becoming queen she is still their princess and they'll still respect her and Law as her life mate.
Having Kuma officiate the wedding? Now that would be fun, if not awkward considering what happened on Sabaody Archipelago.
Another 'As for'…Law dominating over Neo. Come on, it's Law we're talking about here. Of course he's going to, but he'll does it now out of love, sometimes playfulness, instead of doing it because he's the captain. But don't think Neo will let him get away with 'everything' now. Trust me, she is far more in control of Law that she even realizes, at least back in the first story. She's learned a few things since then.
