Words: 3,709
Title: Unplanned
Characters: Law, Luffy
Author: The Dark Crimson Blood
Chapter Title: You're Sick
Genres: Drama, Psychological, Romance(?), Angst, Hurt&Comfort
Summary: Having someone unexpected wedge her way into his life, was something he didn't exactly plan for. Fem!LuffyxLaw
WARNINGS: Fem!Luffy (FemaleLuffy), Psychological
Trafalgar Law doesn't know whether or not he should be amused or disgusted with the sheer amount of food this skinny, bony girl could inhale. Upon invitation over to her house for dinner; Law expected something small, like a salad or something. However, he was come to face with an insanely large amount of food that looked to be enough to feed four people evenly.
In all honesty, Law expected the girl to eat less than a plateful, and yet here she was, eating enough for three people as if it were as normal as everything else in the world. Having finished his meal already, he states at the girl beside him with a dumbfounded expression. Where the hell does she keep it all?
"Traffy~" She begins, drawing letting the name play on her lips for a couple of moments. "You'll never grow up big 'n strong if you don't eat right."
For some reason Law feels the need to point out their rather large height distance, but instead narrows his eyes at her as she jabs an elbow into his side and laughs heartily. He crosses his arms over his chest and rolls his eyes for the briefest of moments before he realizes that he's pouting. Pouting. It was a strange action for him; and so he stops, and playfully pushes her head away from him. With as much gracefulness of a baby giraffe when it's first born, she falls over and lies on the wooden floor as she tries to contain her laughter. Law's lips curl up in a smile.
"I'm twenty, by the way." Law randomly announces to no one in particular, watching as the young woman uses his arm to pull herself up. "This was fun, Luffy-ya. Would you like help with the dishes?" He asks, taking a moment to glance at the festering pile of empty dishes on the small table in front of them.
"I'm sixteen!" She replies while wiping the tears from her eyes, pressing her lips together in order to keep her laughter in. This, of course, doesn't prevent the couple of giggles that undoubtedly leave her mouth no matter how hard she tries to keep them in. "Geez, you're twenty? You're so skinny~" She draws, leaning in far closer than Law's comfortable with. She stands up so suddenly that Law nearly flinches from the unexpected movement; Luffy takes no notice, and instead claps her hands together as if a new idea had shed light on her. Perhaps it did.
"I know!" She says with a smile and a gentle tone of voice, she spins on her heels and turns back towards him. "I'm gonna feed you every day from now on, 'cuz I don't then you'll wither away to nothingness... Really, what'd I do then?" She giggles, nudging him again before pulling him to his feet with strength and a grip that he didn't know she had. Strength that should have been impossible for such a tiny girl.
"And no worries, I can handle dishes-" She cuts herself off the second she turns around by tripping over her own two feet and face planting onto the ground. For a moment there's complete and utter silence, before someone breaks out laughing.
It's not Luffy.
For the first time in years, Law laughs so hard he needs to grab his sides in order to contain himself.
Luffy laughs too.
Perhaps it was how hysterical they sounded that their neighbors sent someone to check on them, literally minutes later.
oOo
Law wakes up groggily, a tired yawn leaves his mouth and he stretches his arms out as far as he can before running a hand through his soft black hair. The area around him comes into view; a running television, candy wrappers surrounding the area, half full bowls of popcorn, and two cups that remained mostly empty off to the side. The girl lying at his side; curled into a ball, with a satisfied smile on her face doesn't really go unnoticed to him either. She's actually quite peaceful when she's sleeping, much more relaxed and far less in danger of somehow hurting herself.
Her hair just barely skims her shoulders, and seems to frame her face as she sleeps. For a moment, Law reaches out to pull up one of the blankets scattered that she had most likely thrown on him in the chaos of it all, he moves to stand to his feet but soon finds himself unable to. Her left arm overlaps her right arm and she uses it to hold onto his shirt with a grip Law can't help but be surprised by, for the second time that day.
It doesn't take much effort to unwrap her thin fingers from the small piece of fabric they had clenched onto, and as he finally stands he wonders just what he's getting into. This girl, actually seemed to like being around him. She treated him kindly, joked around with him, and acted just like a friend would. She was different, and yet, Law couldn't help but think that it was inevitable that she would leave him one day. Just like all the others. However, Law doesn't mind staying around into she did.
"'Wes be friends fo'ever." She mumbles in her sleep, the slight bit of drool that falls from her mouth doesn't go unnoticed.
"You're a bit strange, huh?" He asks, not expecting an answer. "But I guess if it's you, strange is okay."
oOo
Trafalgar Law was a prodigy.
Finishing high school at fourteen and then finishing college at seventeen was what it took for him to earn such a title. After three years of working day after day with small intervals in between, he would earn the title one of the youngest surgeons in the world. Of course, that meant he didn't have to work for as long as he used to; just when he was called in to perform surgery.
Sure his paychecks were large and he could move into a rather large house if he felt like it; but he didn't, and so here he was, in a nice little apartment complex that was... comfortable for him. He enjoyed it. Besides, what was the point in moving into a house made for more than one person? It sounded like a waste of money, if anything else.
In all reality; he would have never expected to make any friends or talk to many people. Yet here he was, walking down a grocery store with a girl he had only known for three days now. She had a rather boyish style that Law hadn't really realized about her until now; this girl was always wearing clothing that looked like it was trying to eat her whole.
A pair of baggy pants that make her legs look like sticks, and a short sleeve shirt that continuously falls off of her shoulders. If Law ever needed anything to kill boredom, he'd probably just start counting each time she had to pull her pants up to prevent herself from tripping. It was amusing; Law thinks as he silently follows after her, something that's not really hard for him to do.
"What kind of things do you like to eat? Are you allergic to anything?" She suddenly asks and kills the silence in between them, shifting her gaze back towards him while she moves forward. As he watches her attention drift from what's in front of her to what's behind her, Law can't help but feel worried about her walking into something that was or wasn't there- for the sixth time that day. Or more specifically, the sixth time since they entered the store.
"I'm not a picky eater. I don't like bread or lima beans though."
"No, no, you've gotta eat your veggies to grow up big and tall." She easily jokes, treating him as a small child despite having to stand on her toes to reach his head. She does this all while ignoring the hint of annoyance and amusement that dances across Law's eyes. She lets out a giggle and turns; but almost like clockwork, the second she turns around, her legs somehow seem to tangle underneath her. However far before she can hit the ground, Law grabs the back of her shirt and easily hoists her to her feet. Almost as if she were weightless.
"Clumsy, clumsy child." He teases. A childish glare plays on her face as he smiles.
oOo
It's two in the morning when Law wakes up from a deep sleep that was supposed to have lasted all night; when he wakes up, his body jolts and he quickly gulps down air as he sits up. However none of this seems to calm his rapidly beating heart, or erase the fear that had etched itself across his face. With a frown and a defeated sigh, he covers his face with his hands and ducks his head.
"Another nightmare?" He questions; asking himself rather than anyone or anything else, not as if these words would ever leave his mouth if there was anyone else in the room with him. He blinks; the darkness of the room seems to engulf him, and the silence was so loud that it blared in his ears so painfully that he nearly wanted to yell.
Self-control.
He thinks with a deep sigh; wondering why after a week of the best sleep he's ever had in years, that everything suddenly seems to escalate to this. It was the same nightmare he usually had; a girl who seemed brighter than the sun would reach out to him while he was being dragged into the darkness. The faces behind him sneered and looked down at him with dark expressions.
No matter how hard he tried, he could never free himself from their grasps. He shakes his head and mentally beats himself up over his own childish actions. In silence, he lies back down and tries his best to fall asleep. It doesn't take long for him to discover that no matter how hard he tries, it's impossible. With frustration clear on his face, he swings his legs over the bed and throws the covers off of his still shaken body.
Perhaps it was because of his own exhaustion that he steps out of his bed, puts on his shoes, and leaves his apartment; instead of switching on the television or picking up a book as he normally does. Above anything and everything else, Law can never figure out why he's outside knocking on Luffy's door at two thirty in the morning. The bags resting underneath his eyes are too easy to see, and even harder to hide.
Hell, at this point he can almost feel his eyes drooping. His shoulders are slouched and the sweatpants he sleeps in are nearly as disheveled as his hair. And yet, not once does he worry about his physical appearance. For some reason he feels as if he doesn't need to, as if it's no necessary. The thought quickly leaves his being the very moment the door creaks open, revealing a certain little lady on the other side who simply smiles at the sight of him. "Lil' early for a visit, don'tcha think?" She whispers, her soft voice echoes through his ears and his body yearns to be closer to her.
She opens the door, and leads him inside.
Law mindlessly follows her.
While ducking his head and tightening his grip on Luffy's hand, he trudges after the girl as if he were a child who just awoken from a nightmare; quiet, and desiring comfort.
It's almost as if he hadn't registered being brought into her house or being tucked into bed; the only thing he can think about right now is the sensation of a delicate hand rubbing gentle circles on the bare skin of his back. She sits by his side and he curls into her; the smell of vanilla fills his nose, and a natural warmth radiates from her. It's familiar. For a moment he wonders who she reminds of, why she smells so familiar.
He doesn't dawn on this thought for long; as her soft hums and delicate touches finally lull him to sleep.
And so he sleeps; without disturbance.
oOo
Law never really understood Luffy's constant need to be so close to him.
Her seemingly delicate fingers would never hesitate to comb through his hair, run down his bare skin, or run soothing circles on his back. These soothing light touches never lasted, and always seemed to leave Law aching for more
. As much as Law didn't want to admit it; he was beginning to recognize Luffy as an adult instead of the child he was so used to seeing her as. How she'd innocently drape herself across Law's body in search of comfort that seemed to help them both, how she'd press her lips together when she tried to form a word, or when her hair would fall to the side as leaned. Luffy was a woman, a woman he was attracted to, and Law had ignored this fact for as long as possible.
Perhaps it was because he felt liked to her. After an entire month of talking and being around her nonstop was beginning to leave an effect him; perhaps it was making him realize that he didn't want to go back to the way he lived before he met her. Loneliness wasn't something anyone wanted, so was it really so bad that he wanted the bright sun all to himself? Even now as Luffy lies with her head resting in his lap, he can only think about bringing her closer and capturing her all for himself. Selfish, wasn't it?
The aforementioned girl releases a bored sigh, choosing that very moment to roll over and jab one of her long fingers into his rib cage. It didn't quite hurt so much as tickle, but yet playful anger danced across his eyes anyway.
She does it a second time, then a third, and then a fourth before he finally stops her. His large hand grabs onto her bony wrist and yet he's still not in control. Luffy uses this chance to spin, and dance her fingers alongside his ribcage. For a moment and no longer than that, Law remains stoic, right before bursting out into a casual fit of laughter.
Five, ten, twenty, thirty minutes seemed to have passes when Luffy finally stops. Red from laughter, she throws herself onto her back and releases her giggles.
With a flushed face and a seemingly pale complexion; Law reaches out towards the troublemaker, but freezes when a single drop of water hits his neck. It's not even a second afterwards that several others follow; landing on the two unsuspecting adults without much warning. Sharing a brief moment of eye contact and stand simultaneously; without thinking much, Law grabs Luffy's hand in his own and pulls her forward.
"Let's go," He says while she smiles, tightening her grip on his hand.
"Mhm!"
"How the hell, do you trip over air?" Law asks as he walks into the room; wearing nothing but a pair of black jeans, with white spots at the bottom. He sits down besides his friend and carefully begins roaming his eyes over her in search of some sort of injury, but finds nothing. Luckily.
"You're always falling over, yet you're never injured. You're like, rubber." He jokes, placing a hand on her now dry hair. She presses her lips together and pouts, shifting the baggy shirt she borrowed from Law around into a comfortable position while her eyes hide shift sideways.
"And with the way you take care of yourself, I'm surprised you're not deathly ill." She replies, placing a dry towel on his soaking wet hair and gently drying it out. It doesn't take her long to finish; but as she does, her hands press against his cold cheeks and tilts his head upwards slightly.
"Really, I'm surprised you're still alive. You're shaking." She frowns, the worry Law sees in her eyes is something that makes him happy for some reason. Happy that someone cared enough about him to worry. He smiles and feels the need to point out that she's shaking too. He doesn't exactly get the chance; as she disappears around the corner and returns with a heavy blanket and a change of clothing.
For a second time she leaves the room; declaring that she was going to make tea for the both of them, but Law knew it was just her discreet way of giving him privacy.
He changes easily, and for some reason the clothing fits him perfectly. Baggy black sweatpants and a soft navy colored shirt. It's no wonder Luffy seemed so tiny in the clothing she wore, if it fit him than it obviously wouldn't fit her. With ease, he slips the navy blue shirt over his head lets it fall to his waist perfectly. It doesn't take too long for Luffy to return with the aforementioned drinks that had now been placed on the table.
She's changed too; wearing a plain grey shirt that fell to her knees, and a pair of boxer shorts that stopped halfway down her thighs. She doesn't hesitate to throw the blanket that had been long forgotten about, directly at Law's head. He narrows his eyes at her playfully, but remains silent otherwise. "Don't catch a cold."
"Mm." He pauses to take a sip from the white mug before him. "Same to you."
"I'll never get sick." She replies immediately with a voice that makes Law look at her with an upraised eyebrow; it's heightened and shakier than it should've been, but Law doesn't question it. Rather he takes a mental note of it while his eyes drift towards the window; lightning flashes across the darkened sky and a roar of thunder follows.
The lights flicker once, twice, and then a third time before they finally flicker off. A certain sharp intake of breath from the other side of the room has Law snapping his head in that direction. Footsteps approach him and the owner sits by his side. "It's okay, you're not alone. There's no need to be scared." She whispers reassurances to Law, but it sounds like she's comforting herself more than anything else.
Out of everyone else, Law would've never expected Luffy to be afraid of the dark. He places a hand on her head, only to yank it back the moment he feels the amount of heat radiating off of her skin. "You're sick." She flinches, her head shoots back and her hands drop to her sides.
"I'm not." She breathes; and with the little light that is provided, Law takes notice of her current features. For having such a high fever, she looked surprisingly healthy. Her face wasn't pale or sickly looking; if Law hadn't known better, he would've thought that she was completely healthy. Her eyes were red, her lips spread apart as they take in sharp intakes of air, and fever were all things Law had taken notice of. He looks down at his hand that had touched her forehead; the smudge of makeup runs down his palm is hard to miss. His lips curl into a frown as he fixes his gaze on Luffy again; "How long have you been hiding this?"
"…Three days…" She finally drones out; perhaps it's because she hears the hurt in his voice, or maybe she hears the unasked question that rotates between the two of them『Don't you trust me?』 Law can only sigh; choosing to take the towel he had been given earlier, and wipe off the makeup that covered her face. Her skin was pale, cheeks flushed, and dark rings rest underneath her eyes. The disappointment and betrayal in Law's eyes is enough for Luffy to drop her head in guilt and a bit of regret.
"I'm sorry," She'll apologize, and he'll shake his head silently.
"It's okay." As he avoids eye contact.
"Thanks for today, but I should probably head back." He stands to his feet; but before he can move any more than a foot, his pant leg is grabbed. "Luffy?" Though it's barely noticeable through the dark; Law is able to see her body shake, her nails dig into her palms, and her eyes waver from side to side. These actions were something that couldn't have been hidden, but they weren't occurring earlier. In other words; the way she was acting right now, was not because she was sick.
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry… I don't tell anyone when I'm sick anymore…" She whispers. "It's scary. I… I'm… Could you…" She releases him with a shake of the head. "I'm sorry, you can go if you'd like."
"Say it." Law replies somewhat harshly; instead of flinching, she looks up at him with surprise and slight confusion. "Say it. Tell me what you want for once. You're always helping me, always taking care of me, and you're always there when I need you or I'm feeling lonely. For once, do something for yourself."
"…Can you stay, tonight?"
"Of course, you idiot."
oOo
A/N: ...
~Crimsy