Here's the second chapter, where the story picks up. I actually made chapter breaks, instead of last time (I ranted a lot about it if you remember) so they should be more even lengths, but not all the same. Enjoy~
Chapter 2
Luffy had been taking a nap next to Zoro, who had to use the bathroom and went to the hall one, not wanting to wake Luffy up by using their bathroom. He almost closed the bedroom door all the way, assuming he'd be right back to lay next to his love and either fall asleep or be content to watch Luffy while he slept silently.
He walked out of the bathroom and headed back to his room when he saw Robin on her bed, looking horrified. Zoro quickly walked into her room and to her bed as she stared at the screen of her laptop.
"What's the problem?" Zoro asked, concerned. Robin never looked like this. Not even when Luffy had been poisoned. This looked like she was shot in the face with a sharpened bullet. Zoro repeated his question. Robin took a deep calming breath and turned to him.
"Luffy's parents have been let out of jail."
"What?!" Zoro exclaimed. "Why?!" he demanded. Robin scowled and told him the prison had gotten too crowded so they were let out to accommodate murderers and rapists, so they were let out a little over two weeks ago.
"That's bullshit! They fucking tortured him!" he shouted furiously. "Where are they now?"
"I don't know. The prison wasn't too far from here, but I don't know if they will know anything about what happened to Luffy after all these years," she replied grimly.
The mother and son turned around when they heard a small "thump" in the doorway. Luffy had dropped his whiteboard at Robin's words and began to shake, his mouth open, looking like the world had ended. Zoro rushed over to him and embraced him tightly, but Luffy didn't respond. He just stood there in Zoro's arms as Robin looked at Luffy's face. It was mask of horror.
His parents were free? W-why? They were bad people, so they should stay in jail. And Luffy had told people about it! His dad said that… that he'd kill Luffy if he ever told anyone about what he had done down in that dark, damp basement. Poor Luffy then began to hyperventilate, causing Robin to run behind them and down to the kitchen to get a paper bag from a drawer, running back up the stairs to where the two were still, Zoro whispering to Luffy that it would be okay and touching his face with his hands softly.
Robin handed Luffy the paper bag, but Luffy wasn't sure what to do with it. "Breathe through it slowly, Luffy. That will help," Robin explained. Luffy put the bag against his lips and breathed through it, still quickly.
"Luffy, slowly," Zoro said. "Breathe slowly." Luffy did as he said and was soon breathing fine, if not a bit shaky. Luffy didn't know what to think. What to feel, at the moment. He knows! He'd just go back to sleep and wake up and find this was just a bad dream. That Zoro would hold him close and Luffy's parents will still be jailed, making Luffy feel just a bit safer. He finally responded to Zoro's hug and hugged him back tightly.
"We won't let him get you. I won't let him get you," Zoro said strongly. Robin could only assume he was referencing something the two had spoken about. But Luffy wasn't focusing very well. Zoro's words were a little garbled in Luffy's ears as his world continued to break around him.
"Luffy, I'm going to get some Xanax for you," Robin said kindly and left for the medicine cabinet. Once Robin was out of earshot, Luffy spoke, breaking Zoro's heart.
"I'm scared," was all the short teenager whispered. "Zoro, I'm scared," he repeated. He didn't cry though. Not yet.
"I'll protect you, Luffy. I promise," Zoro said, and ran his fingers through Luffy's bedhead, effectively calming him down for the moment.
Robin walked back in with the pill bottle of the little light blue tablets. "Here you go Luffy," Robin said and handed him a cup of water.
Luffy hesitated for a moment, already losing his current composure. What if he fall asleep and he breaks in and - no. Stop it. Luffy took the pill from her and downed it with the water.
He couldn't tell if it was the pill or Zoro's words that calmed him down. Maybe both. He was brought back to bed and tucked in to resume his nap. Zoro knew he'd wake up thinking this nightmare was a dream. Zoro couldn't imagine the fear Luffy must have been feeling. Was everything Zoro and he had done going to unravel from Luffy's obvious morbid fantasy of being killed some how? After all, that's what his dad told him. That he'd kill him if he ever spoke to anyone about the abuse he gave to his poor son.
Zoro left the room to go talk to Robin. "Can we get extra locks on the windows and doors? Not because I think anyone will show up, but to help make Luffy feel more secure and safe, if only a little bit. I've talked to him a lot more about things than you and he believes he's going to get murdered by his father for speaking to us about what happened to him."
Robin frowned deeply and nodded. She'd get quality locks. Not cheap plastic ones from the convenience store. It was only a little after noon, so she left Zoro to get the phone and call the locksmith. Zoro nodded thanks. He knew Luffy would probably rather have planks of wood hammered over the windows, but that wasn't going to happen. Even if it did, it probably wouldn't make much of a difference than having regular locks would.
Zoro laid down next to Luffy until he was spooning him, his arm draped over Luffy protectively. He had closed the bedroom door just because he thought it would make Luffy feel more secure once he found out.
"Hello, brat," Luffy's dad said, smiling down at him sadistically. Luffy was on the ground, staring up at the man he hadn't seen in over seven years in terror. Luffy was grabbed by his long sleeved shirt on his upper arm, like his dad used to. His shirt's sleeve was torn and pulled off his arm. "Huh, these never faded. You better not have shown anyone else," the man said, smiling in unrestrained malice.
Luffy whimpered. He was dragged by his arm, suddenly small, an 8 year old again, into the dark. He felt the needle penetrate his skin and hissed in pain. But it wasn't like it used to be. He wasn't numbed. Instead, every sensation felt stronger. He floor was colder and harder under him and the smells down there, the familiar smells, were stronger and more rancid.
Luffy was whipped over and over, screaming bloody murder as he felt he was dying from the pain.
Luffy finally woke up after dreaming his dad threw acid on his face, screaming and crying. And then suddenly he was surrounded by a warm feeling. Zoro was hugging him, shushing him softly and rubbing circles across Luffy's back. Luffy honestly thought he was going to throw up, but he held it because, in the position they were in now, the vomit would be directly on Zoro. That would be awful.
Soon the phantom pain on Luffy's face was gone and he opened his eyes, which were red and swollen. Zoro looked at him with concern.
"Are you okay?" he asked quietly. He knew Luffy wasn't okay altogether at the moment, he meant if he was okay about the nightmare he obviously just had. Luffy shook his head no and buried his face in Zoro's chest and cried softly. Zoro was surprised when he spoke.
"I don't want him to ruin everything. I've gotten so much better," Luffy lamented quietly. "I don't want to go back to being a bother," he mumbled. He was finally talking more. But not for the reason Zoro wanted him to.
Shit, Zoro thought. He hadn't used that word in a while, and he had brought it back so easily into a conversation. His father was going to ruin everything a second time. Well, Zoro wouldn't let him!
"Luffy, don't give him the satisfaction that he can ruin everything just by being set free into the world. Isn't that what he would want?" Zoro asked. Luffy nodded his head, smearing his tears against Zoro's shirt.
"Mom is getting more and sturdier locks on all the windows and doors. I think she's even doing the closet door. We most likely won't need them, but I know we'll all feel safer with them added. Right?" Zoro asked. Luffy nodded again.
"Yeah." Luffy wasn't going to ask what he wanted to because he already knew the answer. Zoro would say, "No, he's not going to find and kill you". Luffy felt like he was breaking apart slowly, every minute, his insecurities and fear flooding in slowly. It didn't overwhelm him suddenly, but it still hurt to know those horrible thoughts might come back any day and ruin everything Zoro had helped him with. What kind of repayment would that be? Falling apart just because of some fantasy that might never happen. But Luffy really couldn't help being scared. Terrified. He already felt like a dam overflowing, and the strong duct tape that was keeping it from leaking was turning into a post-it-note.
"Can I ask if you're worried about your biological mom being let out, too?" Zoro questioned quietly, breaking Luffy out of his foreboding thoughts.
"Not really. I didn't see her for years. I don't even remember what she looks like…" Luffy said, then became terrified of his words. That meant she could be anywhere. Zoro could imagine what he was thinking.
"Luffy you don't need to worry about seeing either of them anywhere. You don't leave the house, remember?" Zoro told him, still rubbing circles on his back. He found this relaxes his partner. Whenever Luffy had talked or written about something that made him uncomfortable, he would be able to continue if Zoro rubbed circles on his skin, rubbing the soft fabric on his skin. Luffy didn't know what Zoro's hand would feel like, since he'd never touched him anywhere other than his face, neck and hands.
"I… I'm sorry I can't be… normal," Luffy said quietly, not looking at Zoro's face.
"Nobody is normal, Luffy," Zoro said patiently. He hadn't seen this side of Luffy often. Almost never. He had always thought he was a bother, but never really expressed that he wasn't good enough for Zoro to love. Well, at the beginning he did, but he was now mostly convinced that wasn't true. He was good enough for Zoro. Well, that's what he said, and Zoro believed him. But now, this whole thing was going to mess it all up. Luffy could almost feel himself regressing from the extreme fear he was feeling in his heart. He was a bother to Zoro. Zoro deserved someone who wouldn't start screaming in his sleep, or need to breathe through a paper bag to stop freaking out. And Luffy couldn't ever talk about a happy or pleasant past.
"I'm abnormally abnormal," Luffy stated emotionlessly. He then voiced the reasons he had just thought of that he wasn't good enough for Zoro.
Zoro listened silently, growing more upset on the inside that Luffy was feeling these things again. "You or I can't choose who I love, Luffy," Zoro replied simply, kissing Luffy's forehead. Luffy finally started to relax before the doorbell rang. Then he suddenly wrenched himself out of Zoro's arms and jumped over him and crawled under their bed, something he had never done before. But that was the best instant hiding place he could think of in that split second.
Zoro was very surprised when Luffy practically leapt over him and hurried under the bed, breathing fast. Zoro quickly got down on the floor. He didn't attempt to remove Luffy or coax him out from his immediate hiding place, just reached under and held his hand. Zoro knew it was most likely someone coming to install more locks, but Luffy obviously was panicking that it was his dad at the door.
Zoro wanted to quickly run down the stairs to get Robin and show Luffy he was safe, but he didn't want to leave the boy by himself and he also didn't want to shout for Robin in case it triggered a panic attack or a flashback. So Zoro reached for his phone, but it was too far to stretch to and not let go of Luffy's hand, so he pulled it to himself by his toes and called Robin. She didn't answer, but came to the room and knocked on the door.
"Come in," Zoro said, just loud enough for her to hear. Robin saw the scene and it only took a few seconds for her to gauge the situation.
"It's just the locksmith, Luffy. He's here to help protect you," she added kindly. Zoro looked under the bed and saw Luffy's face redder than he'd seen in a very long time. His lower lip also trembled.
"C'mon, Luffy, you're safe," Zoro said, gently tugging Luffy's hand with his own. After a few deep breaths, Luffy crawled out from under the lower bunk and sat on the bed, curling into a ball in humiliation. How pathetic that was. So pathetic.
"Luffy, the locksmith will come in here to put another lock on both the window and the bedroom door. You can go into my room if you wish," Robin said kindly, with a smile when Luffy peeked through his arms to see her face. He nodded and got up to go in his foster mom's room, holding Zoro holding his hand out for him to take. Luffy then latched onto his arm, not just his hand. Luffy was looking everywhere, like his parents would just randomly appear at the bottom of the stairs or even on the ceiling. It was breaking Zoro's heart.
The two entered Luffy's closet and sat on the floor. Luffy didn't sit on his beanbag chair, but sat in Zoro's lap, chest to chest. Luffy surprised Zoro by speaking.
"I'm so embarrassed…" Luffy mumbled against Zoro's collar bone.
"Don't be. I can completely understand why you are so upset about this. I don't understand how you feel as much since if I saw my abusive dad, I'd punch him in the face," Zoro said, a thought popping into his head. "Luffy, would you ever want to learn self-defense? That way you could protect yourself if anything ever does happen."
Luffy didn't really know what to say. He'd have to go out in public… with other people. His face grew pale. Zoro couldn't see Luffy's face, but the younger teen stayed quiet.
"You can get a personal trainer. You don't have to be in a group class or anything." Luffy shrugged, but it was better than a no. "I can even do it with you. And then maybe after we could get ice cream. You could stay in the car with me if you want. We won't let anything happen to you, Luffy," Zoro finished speaking, waiting for a response.
"Maybe…" Luffy mumbled quietly. He was so thankful for Zoro and Robin. Luffy could somehow know that Zoro was the one who suggested getting more locks on all entrances and exits. He loved him so much. "I love you," he said to Zoro, looking up at his face and giving a small smile, the first smile since he'd heard the earth shattering news.
"I love you, too," Zoro replied with a smile of his own. Then the conversation grew serious again.
"Zoro, what do we do if my nightmares come back? I can't not sleep. I got hurt so bad because of that," Luffy said, remembering his two visits to the hospital many months ago. He hadn't been back there since Zoro broke his leg. He never wanted to go back there. "I don't want to cost any more money for anything. And I don't like getting hurt. It's not fun…" he said sadly, nuzzling his head into Zoro's shoulder, trying to hide his tears, but Zoro could feel the drops of water on his bare shoulder next to his tank top sleeve.
"I agree with that. It's not fun at all, being stuck in a bed for a long time, in an itchy gown and eating gross hospital buffet food. I don't blame you for not wanting to go back," Zoro told him, ignoring Luffy's worry about costing money.
"Luffy, I don't want to upset you, but can I ask you a question?" Luffy nodded. "Do you think you could draw a picture of your dad's face? Like a wanted poster for Robin or even us. I don't think anything will happen, but don't you think it would be better for everyone to know what he looks like?" Zoro asked. Luffy made no reaction for a moment, before he nodded slowly.
"Not right now," Luffy said quietly. "Can we watch a movie?" Luffy then asked hesitantly. Zoro replied sure, assuming since it had been a while, that the new locks were installed in their room.
"What do you want to watch?" Zoro asked as he walked to their room, holding hands.
"Something fun," Luffy said simply, once again looking everywhere to make sure his dad wasn't lurking in the bathroom or out the second story window.
"Ok, let's pick something," Zoro replied. He closed their bedroom door after nodding to Robin, who was with the locksmith on the windows in the kids' rooms.
The couple decided to watch The Incredibles, Luffy sitting in Zoro's lap facing the TV, a blanket wrapped around both of them. Somewhere in the middle of the movie, Luffy lost his concentration on the screen playing the film and looked at his wrists. The sleeves were just short enough to show the pink rings wrapped around his skinny wrists. After looking at them for moment, he pulled the sleeves down further and put his hands in his lap, hiding them within the blanket. He was surprised when Zoro took one of his hands up and kissed his wrist, turning Luffy's face red.
"If it could help you feel better, I'll kiss every scar and burn on your body," Zoro whispered against Luffy's turned cheek. Zoro then moved the shirt's collar down slowly and kissed the top of the dark chemical burn spread across his small shoulder blade. Luffy relaxed into him and laid his head against Zoro's collarbone and under his chin after he did that. Zoro then turned Luffy's head up and to the left and kissed the small scar under his wide brown eye.
"I'll do anything to help you," Zoro said, pulling his head away from Luffy's face and wrapping his arms around Luffy's abdomen. The two said nothing more the rest of the movie, Luffy's attention brought back to the wide screen.
Once the movie was over Luffy told Zoro he'd draw his dad's face. What he could remember of it since he rarely saw it in the basement when only his silhouette was visible from the kitchen light above those wooden stairs. Luffy asked Zoro to stay in the room, something he never asked because he didn't like others watching him while he drew. But Zoro knew why when Luffy began to shake as he attempted to draw. Zoro made him relax more by rubbing against his back next to him, not watching as Luffy drew.
Luffy was close to tears as he was forced to remember the face of his torturer. His eyes were watering and he kept gulping loudly, his lower lip trembling, but Zoro didn't see, which Luffy was thankful for.
He eventually finished the picture. Zoro could agree, if this picture was accurate, that the man wasn't someone you'd want to approach. Ever. Luffy had labeled the colors, so next to his cold eyes, "green" was written and next to his long hair was "black". The man had some sort of geometric tattoo on his face. He also wrote that he was tall and a bit overweight. The man looked like what he was. A violent psychopath who should be in jail. Luffy didn't draw his biological mom because he honestly couldn't remember what her face looked like. She didn't even come down the stairs when she heard the gunshot, and as far as Luffy could tell, she didn't curse him while the two people were cuffed and put in a cop car.
"Zoro?" Luffy said quietly.
"Hmm?"
"Did I ever tell you how I was found?" he asked softly. Zoro answered that he had.
"I said the neighbors called the police from the screaming, right?" he asked. Zoro didn't know where he was going with this, but he already knew he wouldn't like it. But Luffy was telling him something important. Zoro knew that. He nodded. "That was a half-truth. They heard the screaming, but first they heard the gunshot. That probably caused them to listen more carefully. I got shot in the stomach," Luffy said, pulling his shirt up to show a small circular mark in the middle of his stomach by the belly button.
"It didn't hurt as bad as a lot of the other stuff, but I guess the shock of it cause me to scream a lot. Then he stuffed a dirty rag in my mouth to keep me from screaming any more. But it was already too late by then. He usually kept the basement door closed during the torturing, but not this time, and the kitchen window had been open," Luffy pulled his legs up to his chest and continued his confession. Zoro listened quietly. "When I was set free, I didn't make any noises so none of the police knew about it at first. There was already a lot of dry blood all over my body. They only noticed when I started to spit up blood… it was scary. It was so scary and I kept choking on it…" Luffy had to stop or he'd fall apart again.
He didn't want to see Zoro's expression but he looked up anyway. He had assumed Zoro would be angry, but instead he just stared at Luffy blankly, confusing the boy. This wasn't a usual reaction when he heard something bad. Instead he leaned forward and pulled up Luffy's shirt and kissed the small scar. Luffy didn't turn red for once.
"That was a long time ago. And it will never happen again," Zoro said seriously after pulling the hem of Luffy shirt back down. And that's all he said. Luffy was thankful he didn't ask for specifics like he used to. Luffy didn't know when that had stopped, but he was happy it had.
"Promise?" Luffy asked quietly.
"I promise," Zoro replied just as softly.
Suddenly the moment was ruined when Luffy realized he'd told someone else another thing that happened down there. Now that his parents were on the loose, it was even scarier for him to say anything, but he didn't even notice what he was saying really. He just said something he felt he should. Oh, but he really shouldn't have…
"Forget I said that," Luffy said quickly, looking at the window and then the door. Zoro frowned but said nothing as he brought Luffy closer. Then he spoke, though it was quietly. He was being quiet a lot with Luffy. He knew Luffy was afraid of loud noises and raised voices, so he was beginning to talk quietly even when Luffy wasn't around, which was actually very rare.
"It's a secret between us. No one else can know a secret if it's between somebody else. So, since it's a secret, no one else will know about it unless you tell them. Right?" Zoro said with a reassuring smile.
"Yeah…"
