Tea'sing All The Way Through

by Defenestrated-Nutter

The coffee shop that had become Law's second home just closed and he was forced to find another one to survive. In between all the madness that is college, he found himself tangled with his barista's personal life, his dog and his really bad food puns as if he didn't have enough of his own problems already. Au. Lawlu. Slow-built.

2. Chapter 2

Hey there again,

How have you been? Happy New year to you all! I hope 2017 will bring more humanity, common sense and good choices, I guess we're kinda lacking on them.

So, I know, too much time to update again, and I'll say sorry, again. My school started this Tuesday (yey me) and, for some reason, I already have a test tomorrow and next week too, my teachers can only be sadist. But yeah, this was supposed to have been updated the day after Christmas, but shit happened.

I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it^^

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Law doesn't go to Bell-mere's on Sunday because Shachi had asked him to come to his house so they can have the buddy time that Shachi always rambles about missing. He wants to say no, that he has enough of him for the whole week but, truth is, Law does know how sentimental and emotionally attached to someone Shachi can be. And well, the fact that he's sentimental and emotionally attached to him does suck, but Law isn't that kind of an asshole, most of the times at least. They end up watching a movie marathon of Scary Movie and Penguin and Jean join them by the time the third movie is playing on Shachi's computer, and okay, Law does have some fun. But because he didn't go to the Bell-mere's that day, he feels like he has missed something important when, on Monday late afternoon, he tries to open the coffee shop's door and ends up finding it closed. He tries to look inside, through the glass door but, when he doesn't manage to, he moves to look through the windows because the sign hanging on the door says 'open', so the place should be, well, open. He doesn't see anything either though, and he's not sure if it is because the tinted windows don't let him see through or because the place is too damn dark inside. Well, if there is anyone there, they must be laughing hard at his face but, then again, Law can't hear any laughter, or any noise at all, coming from the inside.

He wonders what the hell must've happened before he does his way to the coffee shop that has now become his official second choice. The guy behind the counter is still the same as the other day, and he still looks at Law with a weird and unimpressed facial expression, but at least now Law doesn't have a cup of coffee from the competition and already knows the WiFi password so that saves him from two awkward situations.

He leaves one hour later with an empty stomach and more stressed than ever because the internet was so fucking slow that it took six minutes just to open one Google tab. One fucking google tab.

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On Tuesday, he comes sooner but still faces a closed door again, so that means it wasn't a change of the closing time. The sign is still on the wrong side so something must've happened for sure. He fights the urge of trying to take a sneak peek through the windows again because he already knows he wouldn't see anything. He's not in the mood to go to the other coffee shop again because he feels like if he goes there too many times, he will eventually become a regular or at least a familiar face to whom appears to be the only employee of the place, and he doesn't want that. He's a loyal customer, even if his favorite coffee shop keeps failing on him at the most inconvenient times.

He ends up calling Jean to go meet him at the campus' library so they can exchange notes about physics. He misses coffee and sometimes he has to read the same thing twice because he wasn't paying any attention the first time, but he doubts he will die if he doesn't drink a cup one day. Overall, it ends up being quite a productive study session if Law is being honest, and he actually found himself taking a few pictures of the notes Jean managed to write in a much more resumed way than himself. So, everything's good.

When he finally leaves the library, four or so hours later, the sun is already setting, or so it seems like it. It would be a cool thing to see if it wasn't for the fucking clouds and the fog that cover the sky and streets. As he walks home, he sees as the little sunlight that had managed to get through the sky's cloud wall becomes fewer and fewer until the night takes over. He doesn't exactly know why, but he finds himself walking through the Cocoyashi street even though he has long ago discovered it isn't a short cut to his apartment at all. He only uses it when he has to go to Bell-mere's and, when he's heading home, he always walks back because it's way faster if he just goes around it.

He also doesn't know what he was expecting when he's facing a closed door again. It's not like the place is open at that hour even during what he considers normal days. He had checked once or twice when he remembered at the last minute that he still needed to do something that required internet, like send an important paper via e-mail that counts as a third of the final grade and ridiculous shit like that. Those days happened to be coincidentally ones where Luffy was the one in charge of closing Bell-mere's, and he always had let Law in to do whatever he needed to do, with his computer on top of the counter, while he cleaned and arranged the rest of the place.

Come to think of it, Luffy has saved him and his grades a few times too many and he isn't giving the guy enough credit for it. Law kind of owes him big time.

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On Wednesday, Law's there again, because faith is the last thing standing and he doesn't want his bad thoughts about the fact that his new favorite coffee shop might have closed all of a sudden, just like the last time Law considered a coffee shop as his favorite, to be true. He's still a bit traumatized by his loss, and he's not sure how his poor college ass would overcome another one. Law can't be that unlucky for it to happen to him twice, he just can't be. And things appeared to be going just fine, the business and all. The place was crowded more times than not now and they sold pastries nonstop all the time just because they looked that good and tasted even better. They wouldn't put food in front of you only to then say it's on the house if the business wasn't doing alright. But, then again, what does he know about businesses. Plus, the business of his previous favorite coffee shop also seemed to him to go in full swing and look at what it has become now, a fucking flower shop that's what it has become. Goodbye coffee machines, hello plant pots.

He's faced with a closed door again, but now the sign has the right side showing so that means someone has been there at least. He doesn't know if that's a good or a bad thing though. It could be the new owners, already doing some changes inside, that got tired of customer after customer trying to open the door, only to walk away angry and decided to put the sign properly to not confuse more people for all he knows.

He decides to knock at the door because what does he have to lose anyway. At least that way he may get some answers if someone does open the door, even if it's someone he has never seen before that opens it and that only sends him the fuck away. No one opens the door though, so he knocks again, and again, and again, and he keeps knocking until the knocks become bangs and he starts feeling angry because he doesn't know what's happening, and he's not sure how the hell on Earth he hasn't broken the glass in the door. Fucking good glass right there that's for sure.

The door does open though when Law's ready to punch it again, so he calls it a win. Sure, it was an angry and tired looking Nojiko that opens it and she doesn't seem that pleased to see Law at all, but at least someone opened it.

"And why are you trying to break my fucking door, exactly?" She demands, her brows frowned, her eyes angry. She doesn't even open the door fully, just enough for her head to get through and to show her posture of don't you dare annoy me any further, her hand on her hip. Fucking rude. Well, at least it's still her fucking door so the place isn't for sale. Or wasn't sold yet, he hears his brain saying far away into his skull. Stupid brain and its negative behavior.

"Shouldn't it be opened in the first place?" Law asks, his expression matching hers in annoyance and then, well, she just looks confused, like she doesn't own a place customer related that needs an opened door for said customers to come in so the business can happen.

"I mean, you could at least put on a sign if you're rebuilding the place or selling it, you know, so people that depend on your coffee like me don't freak out and know it's time to move on and find another coffee shop."

She looks at him with a weird expression then, like he somehow turned into a being from another planet and said something that made no sense or was uncharacteristic of himself. He knows that expression far too well though, it's basically one of the reasons he doesn't socialize with other people when Shachi and Penguin are around.

"Are you crazy?" She ends up asking.

Well considering that he's in college, doesn't sleep enough for years and is addicted to caffeine, which he has been deprived off, by the way, uhm, "No?"

"Then why the hell are you here for?"

"Maybe to get some answers? Like for why is the place closed?" Law says with as much sarcasm he can manage to put in those two phrases. He closes his arms in front of his chest but he doesn't stay that way more than probably five seconds because his computer bag hanging on his shoulder is weird under his arm as he does so.

"Oh, so you don't know," Nojiko then says, low, the angriness of her features being swallowed by the tiredness.

Law's not sure if he was supposed to hear it in the first place. It's only then that he sees the darkness under her eyes and how she looks older than when he first saw her, even if that time didn't last longer than five minutes. Then he remembers that he actually doesn't know how old she is in the first place and has only seen her from afar when she brings new pastries to put on display, or that one time when she was forced to leave the kitchen.

"Well, come on in then. If you make yourself useful I might even make you a coffee," she says and opens the door fully, stepping away for Law to be able to pass through, then closing and locking it right after, probably not wanting more customers to appear and see that if they knock hard enough they will get the chance to get in.

The inside of Bell-mere's is not new to Law, at all, he has seen it crowded and with only a few people inside, has seen it right after the opening of the day and way after the closing time when Luffy let him in. He has seen the place ready for customers and has seen it with the chairs on top of the tables, leaning against the wall. He has seen it all, all the facets of the place, and yet he still feels like he has walked into foreign territory as soon as he puts one foot inside. There's no sweet smell of the pastries or the smell of caffeine in the air, there is no cozy feeling, there is not magic, there is no nothing. Just the same furniture in the same place as always which tells him the place wasn't properly closed.

"So you're not selling the place?" He asks, leaving his computer bag on top of the counter and proceeds to follow Nojiko to the kitchen. The glorious kitchen where the sacred pastries are made and nothing more happens.

"Of course not. I'm making money out of it so why would I?" Nojiko says.

Law doesn't answer her question because, well, rhetorical. At least Law was right, the business is going well and they're not selling the place. That's really good, that's really good. If Law didn't already waste half of his life with the goal of becoming a heart surgeon then he would totally be an awesome business man. Okay, probably not.

As it turns out, the glorious kitchen has a not so glorious weird smell that Law can't quite figure out what it is. It's like something has soured and it's not at all the best smell to have inside of a kitchen. He doesn't know what he's supposed to be doing there in the first place, in what the hell he was supposed to be helping with, so he just leans against the island at the center and crosses his arms in front of his chest. There is no strap to mock him his time so he just stays there, staring at Nojiko like she knows all the answers which, in this case, she really does.

"Are you going to help me or just stand there being a creep?" Nojiko then asks as she ironically throws a bunch of crepes in the trash bin, remembering Law of one of the first puns he has received form Luffy.

That's what smelled bad, he thinks, trying his best not to close his nose with his fingers, that means she really didn't come inside the kitchen in this three days in a row. He takes a proper look at the kitchen, the home appliances seem to be good and everything seems to be well organized on the shelves beside him but, in the island that Nojiko is focusing her attention on, there are containers and used utensils like she had been interrupted while baking, and, also, wasted pastries right there in front of Law, so many it's hard for him to count them. It's a heartbreaking image.

He comes to stand beside her after he realizes what she's doing. He takes the trash plastic bag from her left hand and holds it open with both of his hands for her to be able to throw an entire container with cake dough inside of it because the trash bin is already full.

"What do you need me to do?"

"You can start by doing exactly what you're doing," she says, smiling softly at him, though it doesn't feel like a smile at all. "Then you can take everything outside. There's a door to the back there," she does a head movement, showing the door's direction with her chin.

Law didn't know they even had one. So maybe Luffy doesn't spend all that time inside of the kitchen with Nojiko, maybe he goes out to smoke or to do what God knows what and then comes in again when Nojiko warns him there's a new customer entering.

Law holds open bag after bag while Nojiko throws away food, plastic containers, and kitchen utensils when she sees that it would take too much effort and work to clean and save them. Law feels like he's holding open a bag for food abortions and he hates himself for it. He can almost imagine himself in that exact same place, only he wouldn't be throwing away food, he would be there giving Nojiko advice about some aspects of her food where he thought he could help, telling her she should put fewer cloves on the mystery cake or to let the shortbread cookies a bit less time inside of the oven. But, come to think of it, he couldn't do that without sounding arrogant since Law has never even had a full conversation with Nojiko, just a few nods whenever she came out of the kitchen and he was eating, hoping she understood that it meant her pastries were good. And he wasn't exactly expecting the first time of them having an actual conversation to happen under these specific circumstances.

"I didn't imagine my entrance in this kitchen like this," Law ends up muttering because he couldn't stand the tense silence between them any longer. He normally doesn't mind silence, actually prefers it most of the times, and it's not like he's her friend or that he cares about her that much to the point of being pushy, he just doesn't like tension in the air. Especially if he doesn't know the reason for said tension.

"Like what?" She asks and then throws at least a dozen muffins that didn't even make it to the oven inside the bag.

"Oh, you know," he shrugs and puts the plastic bag on the floor, "me and you, inside of the kitchen where the pastries I've been eating lately are made, throwing away containers with ruined cake dough. It's not that appealing."

Nojiko huffs but then laughs a bit and shakes her head slightly, so he calls it a win. "Sorry for ruining your dream then."

"You better be," he tells her, pointing a wooden spoon covered with a weird pink colored dough at her. She looks at it and then motions for him to throw it away too. Beyond salvation, huh, he thinks. The place will seriously need some new utensils and containers after this ravage.

Law helps her put everything she considers as worth saving inside of the dishwasher and then pack the bags of sugar and flour in their respective places. After that, he follows her again and goes grab the things that were on display to throw them away too, and it's mildly sad, considering they still looked good.

When Law realizes there's nothing left to be sent to the trash, he grabs the bags in one hand along with the trash bin in the other and takes everything outside to throw into a big trash bin. He comes back again and is forced by Nojiko to wash his hands which she didn't need to really, he would have done it without her demanding to do so, after all, he knows quite a lot about bacteria and hygiene work.

"Shouldn't we give the pastries on display to a homeless or something?" Law asks while drying his hands with a kitchen cloth.

She shakes her head in response and then explains that they were no longer edible, even if their appearance said the contrary, sure they weren't that shiny vibrant color they are when fresh, but they couldn't be that bad, a bit dry maybe, but she surely knows better than him.

"I'm making cakes for the homeless later on, don't worry. I have the fridge full of cake dough that I managed to save in time."

"Need help with that?" He asks. She looks at him with one of her brows lifted, yeah he also doesn't know why he is being so helpful.

Nojiko does a dismissive hand gesture, which first of all, rude. "You've done enough. Come, I'm making you a coffee." And just like that, she's forgiven. He hopes she at least knows how to do it properly like Nami and Luffy do because he's already missing a good coffee way too much to be considered healthy. He's so addicted.

Nojiko stops by the coffee machines Law still considers weird looking and barely leaves space for him to pass between her and the counter. He ends up hitting his hip with way too much force against Nami's fucking high chair that only she uses for some reason. That means Nami was the one attending customers the last time Bell-mere's was open, he thinks. He goes around the corner and occupies a seat on a nearby table, he contemplates seating on his spot but that way he would be a bit too far away from Nojiko if she decided to, for some reason, stay behind the counter.

Minutes later there are two coffee mugs on top of the table and Nojiko is sitting in a chair beside him. The coffee tastes a bit better than what he's used to, but that's probably because he hasn't had a proper one in what his body feels like ages and was craving for it, hard.

"So where's your sister and Luffy at?" He asks after a while of silence. He's tired of silence, they had cleaned the kitchen mostly in silence, and he's getting a bit too impatient right now. "Don't tell me they decided to go on vacations at the same time and didn't warn you."

She glares at him for a few seconds, but then she must've remembered Law doesn't have a fucking clue of what's happening and her features soften a bit and she snorts. "I wish that was the case actually."

"Just spill already would ya," Law tells her, a bit harsher than what he intended but whatever, he waited already for too damn long.

Nojiko grabs her coffee mug and holds it tightly while looking through the window where the night has already started to take over. The lights of the coffee shop aren't on and she doesn't seem to have any intention of turning them on, but Law doesn't complain. The light that comes from the lamp just outside is enough to illuminate at least enough of the place for Law to be able to see Nojiko. He waits again, but he's starting to get a bit pissed off. That's why he isn't going to be a psychologist or a psychiatrist, he wouldn't be able to stand those patients that take too long to spill out their problems.

"Me and Nami have been at the hospital these past few days," she starts and pointedly doesn't look at Law. He doesn't really care though, as long as she talks he couldn't care less about the eye contact, "Luffy has had an accident, I thought you knew, considering he talks about you like you're his friend." She pauses and looks at Law then, her eyes sad.

"His brother Ace, he has-had a motorcycle and usually did rides around the country with his friends. Like those badass motors, you know. Anyway, whenever those rides were here in the area, he always took Luffy with him. Only this time," she stops, "I don't even know what happens, just know a fucking truck ran over them."

Law feels his throat clenching and it gets hard for him to swallow his coffee. He waits a bit before he asks if they're okay, to which Nojiko responds by shaking his head. Of course, they're not, Law has noticed her correction, and that can only mean one thing. Well shit then, and Law there worried the fucking place had been sold. Fucking idiot.

"Ace and- I don't know if you have heard about him or not, Whitebeard?" She asks and Law shakes his head in response. "Doesn't matter now anyway. They died before the ambulances even arrived, the truck just fucking took them. And Luffy," she lets a harsh laugh escape her mouth, it isn't a happy one at all, it's like she's confused and incredulous and can't believe what fucking happened, and he doesn't really blame her. "No one really knows how but he managed to survive. Ace's motorcycle was fucking cut in half you know. Ace's part was smashed against the front of the truck while Luffy- I don't even know. He somehow managed to get to the other side of it."

"Is he okay then?" Law asks and realizes just how stupid his question is. Of course the guy isn't fucking okay. He decides to rephrase his question before Nojiko's glare kills him. "Is he conscious? Awake?" And that seems to do the trick, well more or less. She leans against the back of the chair instead of glaring at him and closes her eyes, probably trying to find the right words to explain Luffy's condition. It's only then that Law realizes she doesn't even know he's studying medicine, and neither does Luffy or Nami. He doesn't tell her that fact now though, doesn't tell her that she can use the complicated terms all she wants that he will understand her perfectly fine. In fact, that's the only time Law waits without trying to push an answer out of her, he feels like he doesn't have the right to do that.

"He's alive, not conscious, but alive," she starts, straight to the point, her voice low and her eyes still closed. "When he got to the other side of the truck he went flying on the asphalt and got himself burned and scratched, nothing too serious. But when he hit the road the last time he landed on top of the exhaust pipe or something and people weren't fast enough to get it out. It caused him a three-degree burn on the chest. He has been in critical condition for the past few days, but the doctors say he's gonna make it."

She remains still after that and, for a moment, Law wonders if she has fallen asleep. But a man comes and tries to open the door and Nojiko's eyes open instantly, her head snapping in the man's direction. He seems confused at first to find the door closed and tries two more times before he moves to the window and tries to take a sneak peek. At that moment, Law feels like he's seeing his past self, facing the coffee shop closed for the first time, only that time he thought that if there was anyone inside they would be laughing at him, not having a conversation like him and Nojiko are having. Law would prefer to be laughing as the man goes away with confusion splashed across his face.

"So, you and Nami," Law starts again after a while of silence and when the man is long gone, "have been at the hospital this whole time?"

"Yeah," she mumbles, sounding small and vulnerable, "she thinks he will immediately wake up the second she leaves the hospital so she has practically stayed there the whole time."

"You don't seem to like hospitals that much," Law points out before he can stop himself. He shouldn't, but he's a bit curious about why she says the word hospital so bitterly, like the mere fact of saying it out loud offends her. "You can tell me to mind my own business," he then adds when she stays quiet, staring at the still full coffee mug in front of her. He's not sure if she has even had one sip. Law has drunk half of his own while Nojiko was staring through the windows, but his mug is now forgotten in front of him. He has lost all the appetite for caffeine he had.

"My mom's last year was spent closed inside of a hospital. Saying I don't like them is an understatement," she explains and looks at him with an expression that tells him quite specifically to not push that subject any further, and doesn't have any intentions to do so.

So Law guesses coming to the Bell-mere's was just an excuse for her to leave the hospital, even if it was a really good excuse, considering the ruined food and all that could be an even bigger problem in the future. Law understands why people don't like hospitals, there are only a few good reasons as to why one should be there against way too many bad reasons. Law doesn't like them either, the bright lights and the white walls, he always thinks of them as a bad irony, as the light some of the patients see before they die but, truth is, great things can happen inside of a hospital as well, and are those things that Law is aiming for in his future. Having a person's life depending on him, on his hands and on his skills, feeling like he can choose for a split second whether or not someone dies, even if that's not entirely the truth.

He wonders if Nami hates hospitals as Nojiko does, he bets she does, and yet she's still there all the time, worried Luffy is going to wake when she's not around.

"Is Nami there right now?" Law asks and stands up, making his way towards the counter to grab his computer bag before he even gets an answer. When he looks back at Nojiko again, she just nods. "Then I'm going."

Law doesn't exactly know what he was hoping for when he just stood there, looking at Nojiko and waiting for her to say something. "I can take you there if you promise you'll convince her to at least come out to get fresh air."

But he's glad he did. "Deal."

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Law waits for Nojiko to open the door and close it after him, then proceeds to follow her to the small parking lot at the end of the street that now has tourist buses parked more times than not. Today though, that's not the case and Law spots Nojiko's supposed car, a blue pickup truck, parked all alone easily. He has to make room for himself in the passenger's seat and shove all the papers and what appears to be maps aside, being careful to not ruin or crush them as he does so.

He waits for Nojiko to enter her car and soon enough they are on the road at a speed Law's sure already crossed the limits for the area, but he doesn't complain, he's not in a place to. She doesn't say a word all the way to the hospital so Law keeps his mouth shut as well. He wonders if she's just naturally quiet or if she just doesn't have anything to talk to him about, or if maybe it's due the circumstances they're under.

He helps her find a spot to park in the hospital's parking lot that sure as hell needs expansion with the number of cars that it has parking. He ends up spotting an old woman just leaving a bit ahead and then both of them have to wait until she does the apparently so difficult maneuver to take her car from under a tree-shaded spot. Nojiko doesn't waste time after that and parks way too aggressively. They do the rest of the way walking past through the groups of people that are currently leaving, the visiting hours not lasting more than probably an hour now. The inside of the hospital is what can be considered organized chaos, with people seating in the plastic seats as they wait, and groups of nurses and medics that are on their break to drink a coffee or are doing their way outside to smoke. There's a line at the reception where a tired looking old woman gives visitors cards for them to be able to pass through the guard and see their respective friends or family hosted in one of the hospital rooms.

It takes a while to be their turn, and Nojiko it's the one that does the talking, telling the woman Luffy's name and room number. It's the first time Law has heard about Luffy's surname but he doesn't think much about it. The old woman only gives them one card, stating that Luffy can only receive two visitors per time and that there is already one person with him, whom Law guesses must be Nami. They are shoved aside then, by a weird looking couple that may be the only ones that are excited inside of the reception and, as they ask for their cards, Law's not at all surprised when he overhears they're going to the maternity ward.

Nojiko then grabs his arm and brings him close enough for her to be able to talk low and still be heard over the noise around. She tells him to go, that Nami's there and that she will wait outside. She gives him the card and tells him the room's number and the floor where Luffy's at, even though Law just heard her saying the exact same thing at the reception, and despite it being written on the front of the card.

"I will tell her you're waiting," he tells Nojiko and receives a nod in response.

She's paler than before and Law can see her hands grabbing her crossed arms forcefully, her fingers pressing her skin. He starts doing his way towards the guard then and, when he looks behind, he's not surprised to see that she's not there anymore. He shows his card to the ridiculously tall and muscled guard and passes through him with only a pointed look between Law's face and the card.

He enters the big elevator and has to share it with one old patient in a wheelchair and with what appears to be his son, considering the similarities on both of their faces. The guy must've taken his father for a walk outside and now it's time to bring him back to his room. They exit the elevator on the floor below the one directed to the intensive care.

The burn intensive care unit is at the very end of a very long and white corridor that makes Law feel as if it doesn't have an end at all. Law has to walk and he cleans his hands every time he sees a sanitizer because he's starting to feel paranoid with all the probabilities of Luffy catching an infection because of him, which okay, aren't really that many considering Law is Law and won't touch him, but the probabilities are still there and he knows the implications of it.

The first thing he notices when he enters the unit is the obnoxious sound that gets louder and louder every time he passes through one of the patient's rooms. He sees a woman leaving, fat drops falling down her face. She's wearing a protective garb and gloves, and her mask is under her chin but still stuck to her ears. She doesn't lift her eyes when she passes right beside Law and it's only then that Law realizes just how different their situation is, Law doesn't need to be wearing any of that, which means Luffy's in a much better condition than the patient the woman was visiting.

Law soon enough reaches Luffy's room, the sound coming from inside getting louder as he enters. He comes closer to the bed where Luffy lays unconscious. The first thing he notices is all the things that attached to Luffy's body and the ventilator covering his mouth, making him seem smaller and more vulnerable. He's pale, but Law's not sure if the white sheets along with all the whiteness of the room itself are the reason he seems to have such an alarming kind of pale or not. The room is mostly empty, aside from Luffy's bed equipped with all the machines and the chair Nami is currently using. There's a TV high on the wall, but its black screen doesn't do much other than reflecting the two people in front of him like a bad mirror.

Law approaches Nami, who's curled up in a fetal position on the chair right next to the bed. She seems uncomfortable while sleeping, her hair falling half over her face and the other half to the back of the chair. It isn't as shiny and well arranged as Law is used to see, but it still provides the only color inside of the room. Law touches her shoulder and shakes it lightly, feeling only slightly bad for waking her up. She awakes in a jolt and looks at Law, first seeming confused and then with what appears to be some sort of anger.

"What are you doing here?" She asks, her voice low and her left hand coming to rub one of her puffy and red eyes. She looks just purely miserable.

"Your sister is waiting for you outside," Law tells her instead and she stares at him while her sleepy brain makes sense out of his words. Then she looks at Luffy, laying still on the bed and doesn't move a muscle to get out. He understands her need to stay, but it's highly improbable that Luffy's going to wake in that already less than an hour left of visiting time. "You should go home and have some rest-"

"I'm fine," she cuts him off and doesn't look up at Law, "I don't want him to awake and be here all by himself. He will be too confused."

"You have done enough already today," Law tells her, softly, but she doesn't look convinced so he tries another approach. "So what, are you going to stay here all the time? What if he stays like that for months, are you going to move in?" He says, harsher than what was probably needed, pointing in Luffy's direction. She finally looks at him and he knows she got the point, she shouldn't risk her own health just because she wants to be here to support and comfort Luffy the moment he wakes up. She can't exactly help much if she's exhausted and looking almost as dead as Luffy, can she?

And yet she still shakes her head, like a toddler refusing to eat all the vegetables on the plate. "The visiting time is almost over, I can go home after the nurses kick me out."

"Exactly, it's almost over. Come on Nami, go home, you're not helping much if you're here sleep," he tells her, lower this time because he's aware they're not alone in the hospital. She seems uncomfortable and maybe a bit embarrassed by the fact she fell asleep and had to be awakened by no other than Law himself, as if somehow she had failed at super visioning Luffy's body. "I can stay here and watch over him if it makes you feel any better."

She looks at him again, but this time her look is different, somehow. He's a bit self-conscious then, being under her gaze his only mildly uncomfortable to stay the least. He doesn't really know why he has said that, it just came out of his mouth without his brain having enough time to filter and rethink about it. As he holds Nami's weird gaze, his hand find their way to his computer bag and firmly hold the strap as if his subconscious his giving him some sort of excuse for him to be there. Not that he needs one, but he guesses it wouldn't do any harm to use the hospital's internet, even if just for half an hour.

"Would you?" She asks after a while and Law nods in response.

She sighs, heavily, but rises from her seat, motioning with her hand that it now belongs to him. She grabs her large purse from under the bed and then extends her hand in front of him, her palm facing up. It takes a few moments for Law to realize she is silently demanding his phone and he quickly takes it out of his jean's pocket.

"In case he wakes up in your turn," she says and then hands him his phone, now with her phone number and her name showing on the screen. He doesn't think twice before calling her, only to quickly turn off after he hears her phone ringing somewhere inside of her purse.

"In case he wakes up in yours," he tells her, receiving a small smile in return.

She leaves after that without saying anything else, leaving Law by himself once again. Only this time, there's an unconscious Luffy laying on the bed beside him. Law doesn't know what he's doing with his life anymore. He wasn't expecting to be at the hospital visiting no other than his unconscious barista when he woke up this morning but one thing Law's sure, he's one hell of a good customer.

Law grabs the chair and puts it a bit farther away from the bed than what it was, then he takes out his computer from the bag and quickly connects with the open WiFi the hospital has to offer its visitors. He's careful to put both the chair and the computer on certain angles so Law can see Luffy's messy head in the background besides his computer screen. He starts typing, but without really paying much attention to what he's writing. His brain managed to block out the sounds and beeps caused by all the machines around him until they've stopped being annoying.

He tries to pay attention to his computer screen, but that ends up being an impossible task so he just closes it. It's hard for Law to concentrate on his assessment when he's in the environment that he hopes will be his environment in the future. It's hard to focus on a computer when he has so many machines that he has learned about in his boring morning classes. It's hard to look away when everything is there, in front of him, attached to Luffy's small body.

He should be worried, but he isn't. He's excited, there's no other word for it other than pure excitement. Which is bad, is cold from his part because Luffy's just there, unconscious, a third-degree burn on his chest that will leave a permanent scar and a brother just counting the time left to go to the grave. It's horrible if Law really thinks about it, but he doesn't want to.

Luffy will be alright, will get better, will survive, and that's all that matters to him right now because Law didn't know his brother and isn't Luffy's friend to worry about him that deeply. That has nothing to do with him, Law's just there because Nojiko told him to get Nami out, and because Nami told him to keep an eye on Luffy otherwise she wouldn't go.

Law packs his computer back inside of his bag again and raises from his seat to examine the room while he still has time. He knows most of the equipment by memory, not because he really needs to for any of his courses but because he wanted to know, wanted to familiarize himself with everything, even if it is still too fucking early to be familiarized with anything. Shachi would call him obstinate if he was here.

Soon enough there's a nurse in the room asking for Law to leave with an apologetic smile on her face and it's disturbing.

"You better give me a fucking yellow paper tomorrow," Law mutters as he takes one last glance at Luffy's body because Nami would've killed him if he didn't. The sound of his voice echoes through the room but it's quickly swallowed by all the beeps.

He leaves after that and, surprisingly enough, he doesn't really want to.

.

.

.

On Thursday, Law arrives sooner. The Bell-mere's once again closed but Law has seen Nojiko's car parked in the parking lot so he knows she's there. He will not be fooled again. He does his way, as usual, only this time he doesn't knock the front door open like yesterday. Instead, he goes search for that alley where he sent to the trash all of those pastries and knocks on its door. That way, he's preventing any other potential customer to see him enter the place because he assumed Nojiko will let him enter again.

Nojiko opens the door after a few knocks and looks a bit surprised to see him again, but it disappears in a split second and Law's sure that's because she was expecting him to knock at the front door, not the back one. She doesn't say anything, not even a hello so Law doesn't bother either, only enters through the door she's holding open and barely even letting enough space for him to get through.

When he enters the kitchen he's more or less pleased with what he sees. That's more like what he thought he would see in the first time, not a messy kitchen full of dirty containers and acid and sour aroma like yesterday. Sure, there are also dirty mixing bowls and baking utensils everywhere, but at least Law knows they were used today and that they will have some sort of salvation, unlike those unfortunate ones with cake dough so stuck that it looked more like cement than anything else. There's a sweet smell filling the place too, along with a brief combination of chocolate and flour.

He decides then he likes the kitchen like this the best, although he's aware it would be even better if Luffy came in, stole one of the still hot cupcakes and then Nami hit him in the back of his head with a wooden spoon.

"I'm making the cakes," Nojiko says and hits Law on his arm with a kitchen cloth, as if telling him to step the fuck aside already. She then opens a big oven, embedded on the wall just behind him, and takes out four cakes, one after another. She puts them all on top of the island and takes them out of their respective forms. "I would offer you a slice, but they're for the homeless. Guess you'll understand," she adds, winking.

Law has to bite a response that was just ready to come out of his mouth because he doesn't want to start gaining more enemies now. He has enough already. "How's Nami?" He asks instead and leans over the counter where he hopes he isn't blocking the way.

"Better I guess. Actually slept. But she was at the hospital as soon as visiting time started," Nojiko says and looks at him with a small smile on her lips. "Thanks for yesterday, by the way, I don't know what you did or said but whatever it was, it worked so, yeah, thanks."

"No problem," Law says and is only mildly uncomfortable. He's not used to people thanking him, mostly because he doesn't usually do good things to people, and when he does, his friends tend to not really thank him. He's not used to it and doesn't know how to deal with it either. But he guesses it's a thing he will have to eventually get used to, considering the number of lives he's planning on saving.

"What did you tell her anyway? I want to know the persuasive secret so I can use it when you're not around."

"I didn't say anything in special, I think. Just that I would cover her shift for her," Law says and Nojiko's looks at him with that look that tells him she was not expecting that. She was probably expecting him to be like the caveman he is sometimes and to drag her out of Luffy's room by her hair, or probably was expecting him to tell Nami all the things she's doing wrong as a visitor. Law's sure Nojiko wanted the "persuasive secret" to be something she could do herself, and Law already knows she wouldn't take over Nami's shifts because of her most probable trauma with hospitals.

"I see," Nojiko mutters and starts pounding the cake dough furiously until small bubbles start to appear on top. "She complained all the way home though, but said you stayed and would call if Luffy woke up. I just thought she would be the one that made you stay there against your will, not that you offered to do it voluntarily."

"Probably she was the one using persuasive secrets on me," Law tells her and receives a snort in response.

"Probably," she mutters. "Anyway, are you going today too?"

"If you give me a ride, I will think about it," Law says and reaches out his hand, mostly as a joke. He wasn't expecting her to dip her own hand into a flour bag and then shake his own though.

"Deal," she says and returns to her work. "I will be ready in a minute, go ahead and use the internet for your nerdy stuff if you want to."

Law tries his best to not feel offended as he does his way to the place where he should be to begin with, but he still glares at Nojiko's back before he does so. He doesn't use the Internet for nerdy stuff, he uses it for purely scientific purposes and research. That was one hell of a rude way to treat a customer, especially one as loyal as Law himself. Maybe that's why she only interacts with customers when she's obligated to and spends most of her time in the kitchen. Maybe it doesn't have that much to do with her culinary abilities and more with her attitude. Nami's sure better at being polite and faking friendliness.

He goes sit at his spot and turns on his computer. Nojiko could've given him a slice of one of the cakes, it's not like the homeless would mind, and could also make him a coffee but no, she's that kind of person. Law wished he knew how to work with all that machinery, he could start making his own coffee if this current situation takes long to get over with and Nojiko refuses to make him one. That's the customer Law as turned into. He has turned into a customer that stopped coming for the food, stopped coming for the coffee, and started coming only to have a place with internet to seat, all alone and in the dark because Nojiko didn't even turn on the lights on again. And that's also what Bell-mere's turned into. It stopped being a cozy and warm place to become a dark and cold one, stopped being full of people to become deserted, stopped having that delicious smell of pastries and coffee to have just a faint of it as Nojiko's takes cake after cake of the oven.

Half an hour passes before Nojiko emerges from the kitchen, and she comes with her hands-free, no plate nor yellow paper. The stinginess sure runs in the family. She looks at him with a weird look he can't quite figure out, like she's annoyed Law didn't magically guess she was ready to go and continued doing his work instead of packing his computer and all his shit. Like she's annoyed to have to wait for Law to do just that as she stands there behind the counter, hand on her hips. Like she's the one that has a reason to be annoyed. Yeah right, like she was the one that had to sit in the dark and cold with nothing like a scalding hot coffee to warm her inside.

Law follows her back to the kitchen and doesn't have enough time to appreciate or even properly look at all the boxes containing the cakes for the homeless, all piled up, as he is practically shoved outside and then almost needs to sprint to keep with Nojiko's pace while doing their way towards her car. The woman must be crazy.

"Did something happen?" Law asks while climbing to the car.

"No," she responds and Law can't see anything more than pure sincerity and maybe a bit of confusion due to Law's question. And probably a bit of madness too. Yeah, the woman is most definitely crazy.

The ride to the hospital is as fast as it was yesterday and Law's not sure how they haven't been stopped by the police yet. Law also doesn't know how someone could give Nojiko's a license or even a car. Law's not sure if he believes she's the one driving when Nami is also inside the car.

"Tell Nami I'm waiting here," she says after parking in the hospital parking lot, only this time, she didn't need Law's help to find an empty spot. She didn't make a move to get out of the car, so Law realized he was going inside alone. Well, it's not like he doesn't know what he needs to do to get in, and it's also not like she would've done anything while keeping him at least company in the way too long line to get to the receptionist other than stress out and glare at everyone that showed happiness. So yeah, it's probably for the best if she just stays in the car. She doesn't have the right to complain about the time she will have to wait though, it's not like he could shove aside everyone ahead of him in line.

He stays in line for what appears to be ages and he's only mildly angry about the fact he's wasting visiting time while standing in the same place for decades. He doubts Nojiko's has called her sister to warn her Law's coming, she probably knows that calling would only give Nami time to sort out excuses to stay, and that's not what Nojiko wants. So Law just needs to wait and do his way up and maybe awake Nami again.

When it's his turn though and the receptions tell him the two cards are already taken, he realizes he has no other option other than call Nami. She has one of the cards, and since Law doesn't really know any other person within Luffy circle of friends, she's the only one he can ask for it. He calls her and waits a good amount of time before she picks up. The only reason that doesn't make Law feel even more pissed is that he has seen the bag where she puts her phone in, that thing is huge and probably carries just so much shit that Law feels bad for her back.

"Yeah?" Is the first thing she says when she picks up, her voice low.

"Are you in Luffy's room?" Law asks, even though he already knows the answer. He can hear the beeps in the background.

"Yes I am, are you planning on coming?"

"I'm already here and I need a card," Law says, annoyed, and hopes the just come the fuck down already and give me the card and leave because your sister is waiting for you is implicit. Law gets shoved aside while people walk past him more often than not, even though they have plenty of space where they can walk and still have a five-foot gap away from him, and that only gets him more pissed. This is not a good day for Law's mood, that's for sure.

"Okay, be there in a minute," she says as Law's once again shoved in the ribs, good thing he's at the hospital and will be helped immediately if one of his bones break. He moves out of the way and leans against the nearest wall, hopefully far away enough from the pathway for him to be safe. Law ends the call then before she can say anything else just to show her how annoyed he is for having to wait.

Law waits and gets more and more annoyed as the times passes by and there's still no sight of Nami passing through the tall and emasculated guard. He wonders if she didn't pick up the urgency in Law's tone of voice, or if Luffy has awakened the second she put a foot outside his room as she feared, or if maybe she's stuck inside of the elevator because there's no way she can take that long to get down.

He ends up glaring at everyone that dares to cross in front of him, and that includes two little children that he's sure he has somehow traumatized. A few moments later, he spots orange in the middle of the crown and crosses his arms in front of his chest before Nami can get near him. She finds him easily, almost immediately if he may add, as if she felt him glaring. Apparently, his glare hasn't lost his power, but then again, he's has been deprived of Nojiko's baked goods. He knew that amount of sugar inside of his systems wasn't doing him any good.

Law watches as Nami starts making her way towards him, and he frowns his brows more with every one of her steps. A blond guy with a weird haircut follows behind her, and it takes Law a while to remember his face. He has seen the guy a few times too many inside of Bell-mere's, ordering and flirting with Nami so bad it was both painful and hilarious to see. So together they had the two cards, he thinks, the guy better be the one returning his own card to the receptionist since he only needs Nami's to get in and there's no way he will be the one returning it for him.

"Ah, there you are!" Nami greets him a bit too loud. "Alone in the corner, as depressing as usual."

"Yeah, whatever," Law says, his patience only held by a very, very thin thread. "Just give me the damn card will ya?"

"Okay take it already," she frowns and gives him the card, then she turns to the blond who keeps staring at Law with only one tired and puffy eye, the other covered so fully with his blond hair that Law isn't even able to see it. It's so weird. "By the way this is Sanji. Sanji, this is Law."

He keeps staring at Law before his mouth forms a smirk, as if he's realizing something, which makes his face even weirder. "Ah, so you are the famous Law," he starts muttering then, the smirk never leaving. "I've heard a lot about you, it's weird how the descriptions actuality match the reality."

Law wants to ask just what he has heard about him, and what are those descriptions he's talking about but he decides against it. Who the fuck cares anyway, Law has already wasted too much time there in the lobby. Plus, Sanji is definitely the weird one, not Law. "Can't say I've heard a thing about you," Law ends up saying instead, which is a lie, but the smirk leaving Sanji's face is totally worked it.

"And you're also as rude as they told you were," Sanji mutters again and Law wants to punch him, only Nami does if for him with a well-given punch on his shoulder.

"Stop it," Nami tells him and he immediately backs off, just like a puppy scared of the owner. It's disturbing. Then Law remembers what he has overheard once in Bell-mere's, back then the guy did go after Nami like a lost puppy and obeyed her without complaint, at least that's the impression Law got once the conversation changed the subject, although Nami still seems to don't care at all about it or him, not now and not back then.

But fuck it, Law doesn't like drama and he sure as hell doesn't want to know anything related to their somewhat relationship. He doesn't care and it sure isn't interesting if Law can compare them to a dog and the owner, it doesn't really seem healthy for either of them.

Law nods a goodbye at Nami and ignores Sanji as he starts doing his way towards the guard, now with a card hold firmly on his hand. He was rude, he's aware of that, but he couldn't care less and it's not like the guy was the mister sympathy to him either. He takes heavy steps as he does his way to the elevator, and he knows he must be irradiating five different kinds of anger when a mother of twins almost crunches her children between her and the elevator wall just to keep them away from Law's aura.

He sighs, mostly because he's being ridiculous and more childish than a child. But it's not really his fault, yes, he woke up with a mood slightly worse than usual but people just keep teasing and mocking him, which only makes him angrier. He takes less time to reach Luffy's room, as he already knows where it is located and doesn't need to stop and inspect every room's number.

Luffy is still in the same position, still with everything attached to him and the image would be a peaceful, almost angelical one if it wasn't for all the annoying beeps and the almost cadaverous look on Luffy's face.

"I think I need that tea you keep giving me when I'm in a bad mood," Law mutters as he passes by Luffy's bed and goes sit in the chair, near the window. Law watches Luffy's face, hoping for some twitch in his expression, something similar to what his face did when Law actually ordered food with only hand movements, although he knows it will take a while for Luffy to smile that brightly again. Luffy doesn't move, as Law was already expecting, but he knows he must've heard him, even though he won't obviously remember anything once he wakes up.

Law doesn't know what he's doing, or why he's even there. It's stupid, how many people even visit their baristas at the hospital? Law realizes then that if Luffy wakes up when he's there, he will have no clue of what to do, of what to say. Sure, Law knows what happened, but it was only the resumed part of the story, he doesn't know any details, so he wouldn't be able to explain Luffy anything aside from the fact he has had an accident, will have a permanent scar and just lost his brother. How do people even tell this kind of news to the person involved? How do people even approach this subject, do they just spill out everything in a row or do they take baby steps? Law knows that depends on people, him, for example, would very much prefer if people could just put everything on top of the table and not let his brain have enough time to process the meaning of the words, he knows he would've preferred it that way when doctors said Rosinante died. He would've preferred if they told him straight away and overloaded his tenth-year-old brain with information he did not comprehend as a whole at the time instead of being as patient and sympathetic as they were, with those stupid facial expressions always splashed across their faces. He would've preferred it so much more.

But for Luffy, it may be a totally different case for all he knows. He may get in shock or traumatized if the information comes in just one go, or it may be the other way around, Law doesn't know. So Law really hopes Luffy wakes up soon, but he also hopes he doesn't during his turn because he doesn't know if it would do Luffy any good to discover what happened through him.

Law feels dislocated, he has only met Luffy a few months ago and has not had one single full conversation with the guy and yet there he is, seating on a chair beside his unconscious body. If Luffy's friends come they will find the fact Law's there weird, to say the least, because he's anything more than a stranger. Law only knows Nami and Nojiko in Luffy's circle of friends, and Nojiko keeps staying the hell away from the hospital and Law takes Nami's place beside Luffy's bed, so he's all by himself. If two of Luffy's friends come together when Law's there, hoping to see Luffy also together, Law will be inevitably taking the place and the card of one of them. And does he have the right to do that? Who would Luffy prefer to see, prefer to have explaining his situation to him once he wakes up? Would the answer be one of his friends or Law, one of his customers?

That's kind of an easy question to respond, isn't it?

So Law decides then that, if one of Luffy's friends come and ask if he can give his card to another that's still waiting in the lobby, he will not think twice before going away. He will not act selfishly just because he also feels like he should be there. He doesn't have a place there, he's just covering for Nami's shift and the sooner that gets into his mind not as an excuse but as the truth the better.

.

.

.

On Friday, Law contemplates the idea of not going to the hospital when he receives a message from an unknown number that Law deduces must belong to Nojiko, telling him not to go to Bell-mere's hoping for a ride, that she won't be there. He contemplates the idea, yes, but he still goes anyway. The message just told him Nojiko wasn't in the coffee shop, not that Nami wouldn't be at the hospital like she apparently always is.

So he goes, and since he doesn't have a ride, he has to take a bus, an overcrowded one if he may add. Law doesn't know how that many people can manage to fit inside of such a confined space, and he feels like a packed sardine when they just keep entering and squeezing the ones already inside and no one fucking leaves. At some point, he can feel someone grabbing his ass, and he turns around in full force to glare at whoever did it, but the people beside him are the ones that glare at him, showing their displeasure for the fact Law basically just shoved them all while turning around, although it's not his fault if he's taller and needs more space than all of them. No one grabs his ass again during the way, so he guesses it was just an unintentional accident, or maybe it was just a pickpocket trying to steal his wallet from his pocket, only to then give up after discovering Law's wallet is not on his jeans. Law knows how to keep his belongings safe, they're all inside of his backpack, deep inside where no one can open it without Law noticing, he has made sure of it.

When he arrives at the hospital, Nami's there alone so the receptionist gives him the last card. but it's only when Law enters Luffy's room that he realizes that, this time, he can't really tell Nami to go home, because Nojiko isn't there to take her. It's only then that he realizes he will have to stay the two hours remaining of visiting time with her, only then that he realizes he didn't really think it through.

"Oh," is the first thing that leaves Nami's mouth when she sees Law, standing awkwardly by the door, unsure if he should risk it and enter or not. She has a book now resting on her lap and her hair is caught on a weird bun that somehow suits her. The look she shows tells him she's truly surprised by the fact he's there. "I didn't think you'd come today."

"You thought wrong," Law says as he enters the room and starts doing his way towards the seat beside Nami that wasn't there last time Law visited. He receives a snort in response when Law's waiting for Nami to take her purse from the seat so he can use it, hitting with his foot on the floor just to show impatience.

"You know I'm not going home today though, don't you?"

"Figured, yeah," he says, dismissively and Nami nods, not really bothering to pretend to feel at least a bit excited to have company. She looks in Luffy's direction and, or a moment, Law wonders if she has seen him moving or something because she keeps staring at him for a long time. Law can see her eyes are not focused on Luffy though, can see that she drifted away and wonders if it's this way that she passes her visiting hours, if she brings books and ends up not really paying attention to them until, eventually, she falls asleep if no one's around.

Law takes his notes from his backpack and spreads them on his lap and harm's chair, trying to make the bit less of noise as he can manage while doing so. He can feel Nami's eyes on him now, as if wondering what the fuck he's doing, only to then judge him.

"You're such a nerd," she ends up saying after Law's all set and he doesn't bother to feel insulted, he's actually surprised she took so long to insult him. It's now obvious the two sisters share the same opinion about him.

"I'm thinking about my future, not being a nerd."

"If you say so."

They fall into silence then, Law's mind absorbed into his papers and Nami's absorbed in itself, and it's everything turns quiet, too quiet, but Law doesn't mind to just hear the machine's beeps and Nami's heavy breathing beside him, or at least, he doesn't mind it too much. He can see Nami opening her book again and readjusting into a more comfortable position on her chair by the corner of his eye but, after a while, she still hasn't turned a single page. Law wants to talk to her, wants to fulfill the silence and to get her out of her own mind but it's kinda hard to do so when one doesn't really have anything to talk about.

Law knows what she's doing, she's overthinking, it's not that hard to figure out when he's always overthinking himself. He knows the signs and knows how it is. He wonders what she may be thinking about though, which doesn't really concern him but it's more interesting than paying attention to the principles of pathology. He wonders just the amount of cost she's having with Bell-mere's closed so many days in a row, he wonders if she can afford those costs, he wonders if she's even thinking about that right now.

"When are you planning on opening Bell-mere's again?" Law asks and sees Nami coming back to reality when he looks at her, waiting for a response that she seems to not have. He guesses she wasn't thinking about that in the end. It's weird thinking that Nami, for once, isn't thinking about the money she's losing. Law doesn't even know if the coffee-shop is in condition to wake up to life again, at least not with only one employee available, Nami wouldn't be able to stand behind the counter all by herself, no matter how fast and efficient she is, she would only end up with a nervous breakdown. And Nojiko's has her job in the kitchen and won't help her much during rush hour. But she can't be waiting for Luffy to wake up, recover and go back to work for it to open again, it can take weeks, if not months, they will be bankrupt by then. "You need to find another employee," he tells her.

"Don't be stupid, I'm not replacing Luffy," Nami bites back and closes the book with more force than necessary, the clap echoing through the room and corridor.

"Then find him a temporary substitute," Law says, remaining calm, "Luffy can come back when he's recovered."

"Yeah, because finding a reasonable employee in this fucking town is that easy, especially one that doesn't mind if they get fired the day right after entering service because Luffy has recovered. It's not that easy Law."

"So, is Bell-mere's better closed?" Law asks and raises an eyebrow at her.

"Of course not, but it's just-"

"I have a friend that used to work at the coffee shop on campus and that needs money," he cuts her and she seems interested, slightly, the responsibility to warn his friend of the job's peculiarity being only on Law's back seeming to catch her some interest. And it's not like Shachi would mind it anyway, he doesn't really need the money like Law, it's more that, that way, he gets more space maneuver when it comes to the amount of money he has available that Law's sure shouldn't be that much by now. Plus, he did work at the coffee shop on campus and he did good, the only reason Law didn't go there was because there was always too many college students confined inside that small place and Law rarely managed to find a free chair to seat most of the days. Shachi resigned from work when he noticed he had saved a good amount of money and then couldn't occupy the place behind that counter again.

But he did well when working, and worked fast, and he thinks that's exactly what Nami needs right now, not the employee of the month, but one that knows how to do shit fast and properly right from the beginning.

"Then tell him to pass by Bell's tomorrow, at four, and he better not be late," Nami says before opening her book yet again, only this time, she's actually paying attention to the words written on them, so he calls it a win.

.

.

.

"I've found you a job," it's the first thing Law says a few hours later when Shachi opens his apartment door for him. He looks lost and confused, the sleepiness and pillow marks showing on his face.

"What di- what do you mean you find me a job. I wasn't even looking for one," Shachi says and leaves space for Law to enter his apartment, closing the door after him.

"I know," Law says.

"Then, hum, why? I'm really confused right now Law."

"You said you would go to Bell-mere's every day, remember?" Law said, and Shachi's expression tells him he's trying hard to remember but can't. He doesn't really blame him, Shachi was hungover back then so of course he doesn't remember shit, Law would actually be surprised if he did. "Well, now you can go every day. And tomorrow you better be there at four."

"Are you really serious about this Law? You really found me a job without even my consent?"

"As if you can talk about consent."

"Oh please, Law, don't you come here victimize yourself, and don't you compare!" Shachi says, looking offended. "Without your consent, I find you dates, I find you chicks willing to put their hand down your pants. Without my consent, you find me a job. Don't compare the two."

"It's funny how I care about your financial problems more than you."

"It's funny how I care about your sexual problems more than you," Shachi says, bitterly, and Law finds that this is exactly what he needed to get rid of his bad mood, a discussion, a big one where he can spill out everything, even if said discussion is with Shachi. Law knows he doesn't like discussions one slight bit but he couldn't care less right now, Shachi can be annoying when he wants, so Law has the right to be annoying every once in a while too.

"I don't have sexual problems!" Law bites backs, and it's true, he doesn't. He's sexually active, it's not like it's that hard to find an interested girl on campus but, apparently, Shachi can't see that, or maybe he doesn't share Law's luck, so he just keeps on insisting that Law needs help with this, or needs help with that, and keeps trying to play the role of matchmaker as if he's better than Law at finding girls. Sure, he does find some pretty ones every now and then but Law's sure the joy it gives him to see Shachi's frowning when he declines a date is way better than the joy he would get from the blow jobs the girls would most likely give him.

"And I don't have financial problems either!"

"Okay, fine, whatever. Don't go, I don't care," Law says, which is a lie, he does care, a bit. He wouldn't have recommended him if he didn't. "But next time you ask me if I can buy shit for you, don't expect me to say yes."

"Gosh, you're so vengeful! You know that?" Shachi says, he seems tired so Law doesn't expect the discussion to continue much further. He's actually surprised the old woman that lives next door hasn't come to complain about the noise they're making like she always does when Law comes to Shachi's apartment, even though it's still not that late yet. "Why did you even suggest me? Do you want to have a friend behind the counter? Is that it? You want to have a friend making your coffee so you can have discounts?"

"You're being-"

"Why don't you ask that guy for a discount, I'm sure he would give it to you," Shachi cuts him, thinking his argument was good. What Shachi doesn't know is that said guy already gave him discounts, if you can call free pastries paid in tips discounts. What Shachi also doesn't know, is that, right now, Law can't really ask Luffy anything.

Law realizes then it would be easier if he just explained the shit it's happening and that Shachi doesn't even have a clue about, so that's what he does. It's hard to think that Shachi, someone so noisy and knowing about Law's life doesn't know about the stuff Law's been doing lately, about his story with Bell-mere's and it's employees. It's hard to think that his best friend doesn't know shit about a part that as somehow become very important in Law's life, considering he used to know about everything. Law explains the story, not exactly getting into any details, just the important parts, and Shachi listens, his head turned slightly to the side as he eyes him. When he's finished, Shachi keeps staring at him as if wondering how the fuck he managed to not know so much shit about Law's life, and he knows Shachi will start paying more attention from now on because that's just how obsessed with him Shachi is. He has a need, a need to know what Law's doing or who Law knows, and Law doesn't mind, most of the time, just when he uses the information against him and starts making fun of him with Penguin. Then he shakes his head and pouts slightly once he looks at Law, and that's how Law knows he won.

The discussion ends there, as Law predicted, but he doesn't mind, he's feeling better already. They order pizza and start watching movies on Shachi big TV after that, and they only get up from the couch when the pizza's waiting at the door and when they need drinks for it to slide down their throats better.

"You didn't need all that sentimental crap, you know," Shachi tells him while shoving a slice of the second pizza inside of his mouth, "you convinced me when you said there were two chicks needing me. "

Law smiles, because he knows, that's the main reason why he included big boobs while describing them.

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The next day, Law feels like crap and he's so grateful it's Saturday he can't even express it in words. He doesn't leave his bed until late in the morning and he regrets drinking those beers with Shachi as he does his way to his bathroom in a hurry. He feels tired, even though he hasn't done anything especially exhausting and has slept well during the last few days. As he looks at himself through the poor excuse of a mirror he owns and that occupies a great part of the small wall of his tiny bathroom, he feels weird. He doesn't know what he's doing with his life anymore, and it's been a while since he felt this useless.

He decides his hair needs a comb, but he's not in the mood to go get one, not right now and not in the near future, so he decides to take a shower, hoping it can look reasonable enough without the accumulated oiliness. He stays under the hot water springs more time than what he should've, momentarily forgetting about the fact his water bill's increasing and taking his time to wash every part of him until he can feel clean and his skin is pinkish.

Law stays inside of his apartment for the rest of the day, focusing on the studies he has been neglecting recently. He skips lunch because he doesn't feel like cooking or ordering anything, and he also skips the nap his brain's craving for because he knows he would only wake up on Sunday if he went sleep. And he can't afford it right now, he needs to focus on the papers in front of him, he needs to start stressing about the fact his finals are coming and about the fact the time he has left is just on counting down.

He knows studying with and headache and with an empty stomach isn't the best way of studying, that neither of his professors would be impressed by his study methodology, but he's in college, no one can really blame his study methodology because at least he has one. Plus, Law does know the key to study properly is to not get too comfortable and too warm while doing it. One should be a bit uncomfortable and with a bit of hunger and a bit of cold to be able to properly study, if not, they're most likely to fall asleep instead. And damn, isn't Law just uncomfortable, hungry and cold as fuck right now.

He doesn't notice the time passing by, in fact, he only notices he has been studying for hours straight when he has to get up from his chair to turn on the lights, the sunlight coming from the window dissolving into darkness as the building in front of his apartment covers the sun. Law feels like he has somehow teleported into the future, as if he just fast forward a few hours, it's a weird feeling. His ass's numb and he has to take a few steps around his living room. He goes grab his phone, still forgotten inside of his bedroom and he's not surprised to see eight texts showing on its screen, one from Nami and seven from Shachi.

Your friend's late, it's all Nami's text says. It was sent two hours ago, at 4:02 PM, of course, Shachi's late by those standards, the guy thinks up until half an hour late he's not late at all.

Law checks Shachi's texts after that.

Im going now wish me luck, received at 4:05 PM.

Youre supposed to wish me luck asshole, received at 4:07 PM.

NAMIS SO HOT WHY DIDNT I SEE HER LAST TIME, received at 4:07 PM.

Im rll mad at you, friends do introduce hot chicks to each other you know, received at 4:08 PM.

AND SHE HAS A FUCKING SISTER?!, received at 4:20 PM.

I hate you, received at 5:30 PM.

But thanks for the job, received at 5:31 PM.

Law smiles as he looks down at his phone. Nami didn't say anything more, if Shachi matched her expectations or not, even though he suspects they were probably really low, considering Shachi was late, but at least something Shachi must've done right, or maybe Nami realized she doesn't really have must choice other than him. Either way, Law's happy for Shachi and happy for the fact Bell-mere's will finally be open again.

He sends a text to Shachi telling him to stop by when his work's done so they can discuss how much of a good friend Law is. He doesn't get a response, and he's not sure if that's because Shachi's ignoring him like he thinks Law did, or because Nami doesn't let him answer his phone. Law suspects it's the later.

He goes back to his studies then, but can't really focus on them anymore. After a while and few read pages later, Law decides to pile all his shit at the end of the table and then makes his way to the kitchen. His fridge is a pure disappointment when he opens it, and his cabinets aren't in a better state. He wonders when was the last time he went shopping, then he realizes he doesn't even remember.

He texts Shachi again, telling him to bring dinner with him and, this time, Shachi does answer him, telling him he's a lazy ass and that he'll take two or so hours until he's out of work. Law doesn't mind that, he doesn't mind the fact he has two hours to kill without having anything to do at all. He's tired of studying, his head hurts like hell and, for the first time, Law really doesn't have anything to do, anything he needs to get done. He contemplates the idea of going to Bell-mere's, but what for, he's not really craving for coffee and he's still too stubborn to order food in Nami's presence. He doesn't necessarily need internet, and it's not like he enjoys Nami's or Nojiko's company or conversations that much.

You could go see Luffy, his mind tells him, but again, what for. Nami's not there for once, needing to be persuaded to go outside and neither is Nojiko, waiting on the parking lot and probably glaring at the hospital's building in front of her. So it's not like he really has a reason to be there, and it's not like Law enjoys Luffy's conversations more than what he enjoys the two sisters' ones since he isn't even awake.

He decides to go shopping, even though he's not at all looking forward to the noise and lights of the supermarket just down the street, and neither is his head, but he needs essential supplies, he guesses. Shachi will bring dinner but he will still need food for tomorrow too. So he goes, and hopes he will be back before Shachi arrives at his doorstep, Law will be damned if the guy finds out he went shopping because he had no food in the fridge.

The supermarket is as overcrowded like he suspected it to be, considering it's Saturday. Apparently, everyone does their shopping on fucking Saturday. The place's bright, too bright, and it would remind him of the hospital's white lights if it wasn't for the fact there were thousands of plaques and posters of promotions and sales hanging on in every aisle. The music is the first thing that annoys him, and it starts the moment the doors slide open in front of him. He grabs a cart and starts shoving everything he thinks looks tasty or just because it looks good inside. He's hungry, he shouldn't be shopping right now, he broke so many rules of how to do things properly today that it's frustrating just to think about it, first it was with his study methodology, now with his shopping habits. He doesn't feel like a functional human being anymore.

In half an hour, Law has seen what the whole place has to offer and has his car full to the very top. He has the brief feeling that he's forgetting about something, but since he doesn't have a list or remembers what's at the bottom of the cart, he doesn't have the slightest idea of what it might be. When he reaches the cashier, there's a huge line in front of him and he can't suppress an exasperated sigh from leaving his mouth as he makes his way to the very end of it. A few moments later, he's seriously pondering of whether or not to just leave the damned cart forgotten in a corner and go home empty-handed. But that would mean he just wasted almost an hour inside of the supermarket, throwing inside the cart things he's sure will be forgotten as soon as he packs them on his cabinets and he hates the idea of wasting time, or at least, he hates the idea of recognizing he has just wasted his time unproductively. And, if he just leaves now, he would have no choice other than recognizing he wasted time but, if he decides to stay, he will waste even more time, although he will at least have some unhealthy food to fill his fridge and stomach for a couple of days.

Law's lost in thought when someone hits his back with a cart. He really wanted to know the reason why people keep hitting him, it's like he's a human magnet. It's ridiculous. It's not enough to hurt him, after all, he's more than used to be punched and shoved accidentally by now, but it's enough for him to turn around and glare at whoever is behind him.

There's a green haired girl looking straight at him. She's leaning against her cart that's still way closer to Law than what he would like. She doesn't look apologetic at all, in fact, her smirk tells him it wasn't even accidental.

"Hey there," she says.

"Do I know you?" Law says instead. He can almost feel the blow that Shachi, or even Penguin, would most likely give him if they were there. What a way to treat a girl, dumbass, they would most likely say.

For some reason, her smirk grows bigger. "We weren't formally introduced," she says, her voice honeyed. "You were at the party I hosted, but left before I could say hi."

Oh. Law remembers her, okay not really, he has never seen her before. But the remembers Shachi saying something about the party's host, Monet or something.

"I didn't stay long," Law ends up saying.

"I know," she reaches out her hand in front of him. "I'm Monet."

Law smirks then, not because of her but because he remembered her name. "I'm-"

"Trafalgar Law," she cuts him. "I know," she leans over her cart more, leaning over her forearms and resting his head on her left hand. Law doesn't miss the fact her breasts are squeezed together, barely fitting inside her caved tank top while on that position, and she doesn't miss the direction his eyes are looking either. "I was looking forward to meeting you at the party. Guess in the supermarket works just as fine."

"Guess so," Law mutters. The fucking line has to be the slowest ever. He takes a look at her cart and he's surprised to see mostly green inside, full of a huge variety of fruits, vegetables and good things to one's health. When Law looks back at his cart, he realizes he doesn't have any.

Monet starts talking again, and only stops when it's Law turn to be attended. She tells him they share a bunch of classes, a thing he already knew, and that she first heard about him when Shachi came to her and started rambling about him. Fucking Shachi, he has to be everywhere.

For some reason, Law ends up waiting for her outside, his arms full of bags. When she passes through the slid open doors, she seems pleased to see him waiting, but not surprised. They exchange numbers before parting ways, and okay, maybe his shopping trip wasn't such a waste of time he thought it would be. He even manages to arrive at his apartment way before Shachi does, and has time to pack everything in the kitchen.

When Shachi arrives, he brings Penguin and too many pizza boxes with him. Law wants to complain, to tell him that they ate pizza yesterday too, but then both Penguin and Shachi almost punch him, stating Law had to tell them about Nami and Nojiko's existence, that it was his obligation has a friend and that makes Law laugh, he laughs so hard with Shachi and Penguin running after him that it makes his face and belly hurt. And it's good, it's a good feeling.

The three of them end up sleeping in Law's living room, surrounded by empty pizza boxes and with the TV still on.

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The next day, Penguin wakes him up with a plate full of burned pancakes in front of his face, but they're reasonable, the middle part at least, if he puts more syrup than the normal dose.

He goes with Shachi to Bell-mere's after, and Nami crosses her arms under her breasts and glares at them both when they open the door, the small bell tingling on the top of their heads. Law didn't realize how much he missed that stupid thing until then.

"Good morning Nami!" Shachi kind of sings, his voice shrill and high pitched as usual. A few heads turn in their direction, then back at their food and coffee.

"You're late," she says, glaring at him, then at Law, "again."

Shachi just grins, big and bright, as he makes his way around the counter, like a kid opening his Christmas presents. Law follows him, but then turns to Nami and orders coffee. The words feel foreign as they leave his mouth and he feels happy for the fact he helped the Bell-mere's open again. Nami watches as Shachi starts making his coffee, like a hawk watching his prey, waiting for him to screw up one way or another but, when he doesn't, she turns to Law again to take the money from his hand.

"How was the reopening?" Law asks her.

"Busy," she says, sounds tired, but the good kind of tired, one that tells him she had her hands full with work, not restless and stressed due to the hospital.

"That's good," he says and Nami just rolls her eyes dramatically, but there's a small smile playing on her lips and Shachi's watching them instead of focusing on the coffee machines in front of him. He hands Law his coffee with a jealous frown that makes Law almost laugh.

Law stays by the counter, leaning against it with his coffee between his hands. There's no one in line, so he guesses Nami doesn't mind if he stays that way, watching the customers, some with faces Law has become an acquaintance to and others that are new to him, watching as they readjust and include Bell-mere's back in their routines. Little do they know that Law has helped, little to they know they should be thanking him for the coffee they're drinking and for the chairs where they're seating.

He looks at his spot and his surprised to see it occupied by two girls surrounded by papers and looking stressed, and for the first time, he finds that he doesn't care. Maybe that's because he relates to them with both the stress and the papers accumulated, or maybe that's because he's in a good mood today and doesn't want to go sit there. Whatever the case is, he finds it funny how they almost take their hair off their head, how they almost groan in frustration. He wonders if that's what he looks like.

"I'm considering putting a couch or something on that corner," Nami says behind him. Law turns to look at her. "So that all your nerdy asses can get more comfortable."

That would be good, really good, and also strangely kind coming from her. "I doubt I would find an empty space on that couch to put my ass on if it was there though."

"Yeah, probably," Nami says, smiling, "I'll figure something out. After all, you are my favorite customer."

Law smiles at her, "I better be."

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Law's having a good day, and there are rare times where he feels lucky, and today's one of those times. So he tries his luck at the hospital but he doesn't get past the lobby. He doesn't really know why he thought he would get a card, to be honest, it's Sunday. Everyone comes to visit their relatives and friends at the hospital on Sundays.

He feels like the woman in the reception is starting to take pity on him. Every time Law goes ask for a card, after spending an eternity in line, she's always the one that tells him there are no cards available. She must recognize his face by now.

He's on his way home when his phone rings, making everyone inside the bus beside him jump in surprise. Law's only mildly surprised when he sees Monet's name flashing on its screen, and only mildly surprised when she asks him if he wants to go and grab a pizza with her, as if this wouldn't be the third night in a row he eats pizza, as if Law likes pizza that much to eat it every day, as if he's not sick of it by now. As if she knows any of that really. But he goes anyway, and they end up eating in a cozy and small restaurant that smells like fries and ketchup and Law actually has a good time, considering Monet does most of the talking, but she's smart and talks about interesting things too, so he doesn't mind.

When they're finished, they leave together and decide to go and drive a bit around town, it being a bit late and most of the roads being almost deserted. Law doesn't own a car, but Monet does, a white and very ugly thing on the outside, but quite spacious on the inside as Law later found out when both of them climbed into the back seat.

---

Feel free to leave a PM ^^

Remember to apologize, even if what you did wrong was unintentional. If you don't know how to, then learn. It's a horrible thing when someone recognizes that has acted badly and still doesn't apologize for it. Always apologize for what you've done wrong, and make your apologies count.