Chapter Seven
"This is too complicated!" Corazon complained, looking at the math page Sanji had brought over. The boy was leaning over his shoulder with a pencil, frowning alongside with him. He'd needed help with a problem, and Law was too busy being annoyed with him to do anything. So Corazon stepped in, and he regretted it immediately. "Is this what they're teaching you, now? What is this devil's practice?"
"Welcome to common core math, Cora," Law snickered, looking up from his newest manga. "Please show all your work on a separate page."
"This is so stupid! Sanji! Just count to eight! Why do you have to put 5 and 3 together in such a complicated – what is this called? A lattice? Isn't that a fence?"
"I have to show everything, Cora! It's so complicated! I'm done with it," Sanji whined, flopping over the back of the couch to the cushion, resting his head on his thigh. Corazon patted him absently, frustrated with what he saw on the page. "I can't do it! I'm sick of drawing fences!"
"Just do it, you little ape," Law said, kicking him from his side of the couch. "Hurry up. Cora won't let me watch my show until you're done."
"Stop kicking me!" Sanji snapped, kicking him back. Corazon took his pencil away as both of them kicked at each other, then started to wrestle.
Muttering to himself, Corazon tried to follow the problems Sanji had already solved, creating a lattice and marking down five on one side, three on the next. Then he gave up.
"Stop! You stink!"
"You stink!"
"Your breath smells like dogshit!"
"You're dogshittier!"
"Oh my god, who taught you guys to curse?" Corazon snapped at both of them, rising up from the couch to pick up Sanji's backpack, to look inside for the textbook. He pulled out drawings of hearts, flowers, and love letters to various girls, all of them with a different compliment. He couldn't help but read them all, giggling over them as the two fought and argued behind him.
Then he straightened up from the floor, seeing that Sanji had Law pinned to the cushions, breathing into his face. Law was screaming and pushing at him, and Sanji blew into his mouth, causing him to nearly vomit. Corazon sat down on the other end of the couch and took out his phone to try and understand this wretched common core math. Both kids left the couch, racing about, breaking something that sounded vaguely dangerous, but he ignored the sound and pulled up his Youtube app.
No wonder Zeff told him to ask us, he thought sullenly. He heard Law climbing on the counter in the kitchen, opening cupboards. He found whatever it was that made something crash to the kitchen floor, Sanji yelling out – it didn't sound like a pained yell, so Corazon didn't even look up. He concentrated on making the proper lattice form, then followed the instructions of the kid teaching the concept on a whiteboard that looked well used.
He followed a couple of problems in the same fashion until he realized it was much too quiet. He looked over his shoulder to see if the boys were even there after making such a ruckus and realized he was watching Sanji throw up. It puzzled him because the kid was so healthy; he never even caught a sniffle during allergy season. He figured Law was too rough with him, but the tanned boy was so pale that he looked near fainting himself.
Weak stomach? Corazon thought, setting his things aside and rising up from the couch, watching as Sanji twitched violently. Then he was on the floor, Law watching with a horrified expression, and Corazon realized that Sanji wasn't sick at all. Those convulsions, tinged dirty vomit and snot bubbles weren't a product of being roughly handled –
Quickly, Corazon jumped over the couch, shouting for Doflamingo in a panic. Once at Sanji's side, he reached into his mouth and swept a long finger in for the pills that he knew had caused this, managing to pull up a couple of them, nearly disintegrated. Then he stuffed his finger even further down his throat, hastily grabbing him by the back of his shirt and hauling him up in the air, shaking roughly. Law just watched with wide eyes and a pale face, unmoving as the last pill hit the floor, Doflamingo sauntering out of his room with an annoyed question, headphones pulled around his neck.
Once he realized what was happening, he jerked backwards with a surprised yell, dropping his phone to the floor. The screen told Corazon that while the boys were playing, Doflamingo had been watching 'Cinderella'.
"Do something!" Corazon screamed at him, in tears as the boy in his arms twitched violently, breathing abnormally as drool dribbled over his chin and jaw, snot catching over his cheeks.
"I don't know!" Doflamingo exclaimed, utterly unsure of what to do. He looked at Law, who looked at him with utter terror on his face. Then he looked at the kitchen, where he'd left his tin canister of White Rabbit and put it together. He'd told Law that they were special breath mints for adults – Law was never to touch them or give them out. He didn't understand why the kid ignored him.
"He's dying!" Corazon shouted, shaking the limp boy that had been so lively just minutes earlier. His eyes were unfocused as they stared up at the ceiling, and he didn't look like the kid that had been smiling hugely when he showed off his spelling test. He stopped convulsing and just laid there, a strange breathing noise leaving him ever so often. To Law, Corazon screamed, "Call an ambulance!"
"No! No, I got this, I got this right here," Doflamingo said, racing for the hall closet. He pulled various boxes from the top shelf – where all their things were stored, because neither he or Corazon wanted to bend down to use the other shelves – and found the one he needed. He pulled out a small box, revealing a tube of adrenaline, the hidden drawer underneath holding empty syringes. Then he hurriedly made his way to the trio.
Once he filled a syringe – not intending on using it all, but his fingers were clumsy – he dropped the other items, pushed Law aside, and knelt across from Corazon. Without any hesitation, he stabbed the boy in the same manner Vincent Vega did to Mia Wallace. When Sanji came back with a deep inhale and startled shout, choking promptly on the foul stuff lingering in his mouth, he started crying. Corazon and Doflamingo exhaled heavily with relief.
It was short lived as Corazon hugged him against his chest, Doflamingo looking at his brother with horror.
"Zeff is going to kill us!" he hissed. "He's going to kill all of us in our sleep! Even you! For giving it to him!"
"I thought they were breath mints," Law managed to utter, looking terrified out of his skin.
'I'll think of something," Corazon said hastily, patting Sanji's back with comfort. "I'll think of something. Law, stay here. Stay here with Doffy, alright? Both of you guys pack, just in case. Just in case we have to leave right away."
"But I don't want to move again!" Law whimpered, finally wiping at his eyes once he realized the severity of the situation.
"If we want to live, it's what we have to do. I'm taking him back to Zeff. Give me his stuff. I'll think of something!"
"Goddamn it. Goddamn it!" Doflamingo cursed, pushing away from the floor. He was in the kitchen in seconds, snatching up the tin. He dumped it all into the garbage disposal, flipping the switch and running water into the sink. "I'll go with you."
"I'll go by myself! Maybe he won't react so hard if it's just me! Stay here, watch Law. Law, stay with Doffy. I'll be right back!"
"Sanji, I'm so sorry - !" Law tried to apologize, but he couldn't even speak as his young friend cried against Corazon's shoulder, still too out of it to know what was happening. Law watched them leave with horrified eyes, Doflamingo leaning against the sink with his expression hidden from them all.
When Corazon made his way to Zeff's apartment two floors down, Sanji coughing against his shoulder, he thought of a good excuse. The kid found what he thought were breath mints in the park. He brought them to the apartment. They weren't breath mints. Zeff would understand. Zeff knew how kids could be, bringing anything home.
Once the older man opened the door and saw his grandson in the state he was in, Corazon did not expect to be kicked so hard that his ribs snapped. From the angle the old man used, he kicked Corazon into his apartment, slammed the door shut, and Corazon knew it was the end for him because he heard the sound of a gun being retrieved from a hidden panel just above the door. All he could do at that moment was encase them all into Silence so that their neighbors couldn't hear what was happening.
"Breath mints - ! From outside! The park!" Corazon croaked, hand up in a pleading action as his other touched his ribs. "He's okay - ! Doffy saved him! He knew - !"
"Sanji would not pick up something from outside and take them! He knows better! I know your brother has been selling that shit to his friends!" Zeff snarled, looking fiercely murderous as he pressed the gun into Corazon's face, moments from pulling the trigger. His grandson was tucked in his arm, that pegleg pinning down Corazon's hip. He squeezed his eyes shut because he knew Zeff would pull that trigger. He'd seen it happen before.
"Stop! Stop! Please! Stop! Zeff! It was an accident!" Law cried, throwing himself over Corazon, teary eyed and desperate. Zeff pulled up the gun with a snarl, and attempted to kick him aside, but the boy clung stubbornly to Corazon. Corazon had no reserve, showing Law aside so hard that the boy slammed up against the nearby refrigerator, and grabbed the gun to force Zeff's attention on him.
"Not him! I'm the adult, leave him alone!"
"I'm the one that gave it to him!" Law cried. "I did it! I didn't know what they were! Don't shoot him, please, that's my dad, please!"
Zeff's fury started to die away. Law was once again over Corazon, hugging him tightly, and Corazon was pulling him off, and Sanji was somehow asleep in Zeff's arm, but he was breathing normally. He smelled metallic, and Zeff could feel his heart beating strongly against him. Whatever happened, the end fact that he was okay.
But he did not trust this family as far as he could throw them.
"Get out of here," he muttered, stepping away from the door. "Don't ever come near him again."
"Thank you," Corazon said, picking up his boy – it didn't matter that he was a middle schooler, he was still his boy – and hastily leaving the apartment. On their way back home, Law finally started to cry in earnest, and Corazon held him gently because they needed each other at this point.
When Sanji came over the next day, he had no memory of the incident at all. Corazon made sure Law said nothing, and Doflamingo locked himself in his room without looking at the kid.
"I made banana pudding!" Sanji said cheerily, looking nothing like the mess he was a day ago. In fact, he looked lively and healthy and there was nothing indicative in that he'd suffered any sort of trauma. "With Nilla cookies. The old man's in a mood, so I made him send me to my room, so I snuck out. Want to go down to the park, Law?"
After a cautious look at Corazon, Law said, "Sure."
"Say goodbye," Corazon whispered to him with a frown. "It might be the last."
"The last what?" Sanji overheard, looking over curiously.
"Nothing."
Ten minutes later, Sanji sighed heavily. Finishing off his pudding, Sanji said, "We're moving. The old man got a job in another city."
"That sucks," Law said, frowning, sucking the flavor from his braces. He played with the pudding with a far off look. "For how long?"
"I don't know. It's going to be so lonely…"
: :
Sanji remembered that. It explained the jumble of images, the sounds, the taste of something metallic on his tongue. He remembered all the emotions associated with it, and he remembered Zeff being so angry and helplessly scared that he'd snapped and screamed at him, and Sanji found that the only way he could see his friends was to sneak out. He was good at that. They'd moved to San Francisco. He only remembered leaving the plane and looking at the skyline, amazed by the fog and the sharp chill in the air. After that was a blank memory, but in its place was being bullied by his brothers and shunned by his real father, and making a vow to run away. False memories. His real family had been murdered by a rival faction in France, where Zeff had run off with him, and…
Looking over the setting sun, he thought about all the feelings associated with that day. Not only did that memory come back to him, but so did many other things. Being introduced to the White Rabbit, using it to fight Crocodile, remembering how Law made it his mission to eliminate it completely. Watching classmates overdose on it on the battlefield. Selling it for Arlong, to pay for Nami's debt. It was like a sudden connection of Christmas tree lights that illuminated a heavy darkness and gave him new memories to remember.
He looked at Law with an awestruck expression, remembering everything associated with the drug until he came to the day when Hiluluk confessed that it was him that reintroduced it to the city after trying to make his own batch. After that, those memories were vague, only because he'd been dosed with the Tea Party, and that timeline was going to be forever spotty.
"It felt like I'd just remembered parts of a favorite book," he said wondrously. "A lot of it. From that moment to…but only regarding what I knew of the White Rabbit."
"Even that? Because you didn't back then," Law said, tossing the warm filter aside. They were sitting at the edge of the sidewalk, overlooking the street. Watching cars go by, and the city lights illuminate the night sky. A dog barked in the distance, pulling its teenage owner along behind it.
"I remember not remembering it," Sanji said vaguely, recalling the night Law told him why eliminating the White Rabbit was his mission. Mistaking his determination as a mission for someone else. "I guess I can see why."
"Because it traumatized everyone?"
"I suppose. It was an accident, though. I don't blame anybody for it. It's not like you knew what it was, and Doffy had them up on the top shelf for a reason."
"Well, it killed us all. It was horrible."
"But it's not around anymore, because of you," Sanji reminded him, leaning in to hug him, utterly grateful for all his actions up to this point. "Because you're a romantic homo, all those boys' love novels you used to read when you were younger made you into the man you are, today."
"Shut up."
"Nonetheless, I'm lucky because I picked a good one on that stairway. I could've went home with the man that offered me candy and a movie, but I chose the boy that threatened to beat me for making a mess."
"Ah, the choices we make as we navigate through life," Law said.
"I'm aware that I make things difficult for the both of us, but…please…don't give up one me," Sanji said, pressing his face against his shoulder, comforted by the feel and smell of the man that he honestly couldn't imagine living without.
: :
Chopper screamed as the dinosaur's teeth snapped inches from them. Currently, Penguin was holding tight onto him with both arms, screaming at the same time. The dinosaur wearing Drake's clothes knocked aside abandoned vehicles as it chased after them. Doflamingo was on the back of its neck, hollering for back up as Corazon hung onto its tail. Shachi was feet ahead of them, screaming almost none stop as Gladius watched them from afar, nursing a coffee and calling for the back up Doflamingo requested.
From a building rooftop nearby, Jabra laughed hysterically, unable to take the situation seriously. Kaku's mouth hung open, certain those two stringy guys with hats over their eyes were going to be eaten, soon. All this chaos over a tiny, mutated animal in a baby carrier. He couldn't understand it.
"Give me the details, again," he said to Lucci, who only watched bitterly, looking at his Apple watch, then scanning the skyline for any sign of the Strawhats. "That little cow – "
"Reindeer," Hattori corrected.
"Just talk to me yourself," Kaku said impatiently.
"I'm feeling someway about the entire thing."
"Fine. Gosh. So that little reindeer belongs to Blackleg as his…pet."
"It's more of a child to them. He's very intelligent. I've watched him assist Blackleg with his homework. No one knows where he came from, or how they came together."
Kaku cleared his throat noisily. Drake was climbing atop of a dump truck to gain some distance, the two men picking up speed. They were like fashionably dressed ninjas – one flipped upward onto a lamp post to somersault over the dinosaur's jaw, jump over Doflamingo's startled person, and use the creature's height to leap and catch onto a nearby window of a building. Then he scaled that and was on the rooftop in seconds.
The other climbed up a tree, darted over Drake's opened mouth as he made to snap at him, use Doflamingo as a springboard to a blinking tattoo parlor sign, then climb up and over that to join his partner. Drake screamed with frustration, then chased his tail because Corazon started biting him.
"Some guys will adopt pets if they can't adopt kids, I suppose," Kaku muttered.
"Isn't he cute?" Hattori cooed, wings moving himself in a huggy motion.
"Ah…whatever you say. SO. The animal is…Blackleg's pretend child, which he shares with the Donquixote kid, who is his live-in boyfriend, whose father is Corazon, and Corazon is Doflamingo's younger brother. That's the situation."
"Correct."
"I see. And these two men?"
Lucci answered for himself. "These unidentified men are part of that brat's entourage. The Happy Virus is their calling card. They were responsible for bringing down the White Rabbit."
"Ah. So they're non-syndicate members, correct?"
"Yes. They tend to terrorize the syndicates for their own needs – Spandem suspects that their leader operates under a different name, because there is no actual record of Donquixote Law," Lucci said. "While there is a birth certificate, it's obviously a paid off piece of shit from Europe. But with how much those two travel, who's to say he's actually from Italy?"
"Okay. Well…I guess until we actually catch them, we won't know much about that group."
"Correct."
Jabra pulled himself up from the floor, hanging over the edge of the rooftop. Once he saw that Drake was trying to twist his head back to snap at Doflamingo, he chuckled, wiping his eyes. He rose to standing position.
"So, what are we going to do, guy?" he asked Lucci impatiently. "As good as a laugh as I'm getting out of this, what are we doing here?"
"We're going to do Strawhats job for him," Lucci said. "The goal is to get them to cease and desist their childish behavior. Get that deer. Shut down Drake. Send the brothers home. All with extreme prejudice. Let's make a name for ourselves, tonight. Strawhat had his chance. Maybe with his 'child' under our custody, Blackleg will listen to reason."
: :
The resort was beautiful. It stood overlooking the lake at an angle, the city to the right – the change in scenery allowed Sanji to see the stars a little more clearly, the lake edges forming shadowy walls in the distance. Small, quaint, taking in big money names – he swore he saw a celebrity with her adopted kids walking up the hall towards the dining area – the resort was glass walls and high fences and the smiling guest service agent assured them that they'd have a good time here.
Considering what they intended to do to have a good time, Sanji hoped that the talks hadn't hindered the other man's desire for him. Really, there was only one reason why Date Night was made possible in the first place. He still had hormones that made it difficult to ignore just how attractive the man was tonight. Which made him sullenly consider that maybe it was those same hormones that turned him into this mess. Were those still seventeen as well? As Law paid for the room in cash, he took out Law's cellphone from his backpocket and found the number he'd used to call Corazon earlier. As Law dealt with the overly chirpy agent, Sanji wandered off to check on Chopper.
"Hi, Sanji," Corazon's breathless voice greeted him, and Sanji listened closely, sure that he heard the sounds of distress on the other end.
"How'd you know it was me?" he asked curiously, fiddling with a railing that overlooked a stairway that promised the resort's indoor swimming pool and spa areas.
"Law never calls me more than once a week. Everything's still fine, here."
"Are you guys still at the park?" Sanji asked, frowning as he looked at the time.
"No, no."
"Then why are you so breathless?"
"I'm a smoker!"
"Well, so am I, but…are you running?"
"Ah… no, just taking a very brisk…walk…to…from the store! For candy."
"Don't give Chopper candy! Make sure he brushes his teeth, because I doubt there are reindeer dentists around here!"
"It's just…one…look, everything is fine. Here."
"Hi, Sanji!" Chopper greeted, and hearing his happy voice made Sanji feel a little better than he did the last phone call. "Everything's okay! We're on our way home!"
"STOP CALLING, CAROL BRADY!"
"STOP INSINUATING THAT WE'RE BAD BABYSITTERS!"
"LET MEN BE MEN!"
"The fact that you're all together suggests that I should be worried!" Sanji snapped back, pulling the phone from his ear at the shouts.
"Let us talk to the man of the relationship! We can't reason with women!"
"That's because you can't even talk to one in the first place!" Sanji snarled back.
At the silence on the other end, Sanji smiled in smug satisfaction.
Shachi asked, "So, are you on your period, or what? Because that was uncalled for -"
Sanji hung up because it was obvious that Chopper was fine. He turned around to see if Law were done with the agent, and realized that the woman was asking him inane questions that sounded nothing like the resort marketing pitch, so he went and liberated his boyfriend from her verbal clutches.
"Chopper is doing fine," he reported. "They're all still hanging out, together. Shachi wanted to talk to you."
"I don't want to talk to him."
"You better find out where they are and what they're doing, because if he even guesses where we are…"
With a suffering sigh, Law took his phone from him, dialing reluctantly as he passed Sanji the card keys and their overnight bags.
"Five seconds," he said as Corazon answered, breathlessly. In the background, he could hear the sound of gunfire, shouts, and car horns.
"Don't tell Sanji, but Doffy showed up, and he took off with Chopper, we have him back, but we're apparently being chased by some guys that grew annoyed with all of us fighting off Drake's temper tantrum. Chopper's with me. He's fine. Everything's good!"
"What store did you go to? All of them have chip readers, now," Law said, vaguely curious about the ruckus as Sanji wandered off, looking for the rooms closest to the number printed on the card envelope.
"Over here by Hogback's back door. I don't know who these guys are. But I have to admit, you've got these two trained pretty good. Doffy's using one to fight off two, and the other's – well, I don't know what he's doing, but…we're good!"
Law figured Doflamingo was controlling Shachi, and Penguin was doing his best to find a way out of the situation. Like good minions, they always had a back up plan if they felt they were going to be overwhelmed. And he was curious to know who 'these guys' were, but felt confident that, with both Donquixote brothers together, along with Penguin and Shachi, Chopper was in good hands.
"Sounds good to me. Make sure he shovels his own waste onto the neighbor's potted flowers. Put him in the kennel outside the sliding doors after he brushes his teeth. Then don't give in to a bedtime story – he's just stalling you to stay up longer. There's extra Dimetap atop of the fridge if one dosage isn't enough, but four tablespoons usually puts him out for the next six hours."
"I'm so relieved you never had kids of your own. Have a good time!"
"Are we still safe?" Sanji asked, leading him down the stairs to the second floor, and taking a corridor to the rooms located just beyond the spa area.
"We are."
"Law…we're okay, right?" Sanji asked, needing reassurance after all the things that had been said, tonight. "You and me?"
"We're fine. Admittedly, maybe these were things that needed to come up," Law said, still feeling an uncomfortable weight in his lungs at some of the topics. Once he found the room, Sanji used one of the key cards to open it.
The other key card he pushed into Law's back pocket. "Don't lose it."
"Wow, this room's amazing!" Sanji exclaimed, pushing past him to turn on a light nearby. It illuminated a living room set up with a large tv, wrapped tea and snacks set on the coffee table. The couch looked to be a pull out sofa, and the sliding doors nearby showed off a viewing of the lake. Their door would open to a lawn that led down to what looked like a walking trail that gave promise to a wildlife viewing area some distance away. To his left was the bedroom with a king-sized bed that had a step stool to climb upon, and that area opened up to the bathroom nearby. It boasted a large tub and shower, walking room to a closet. For a rented room, it was the size of their living room plus their shared bedroom.
"It's like a small apartment!"
"Yeah, it's nice," Law commented, having seen better, but Sanji liked it so that was all that mattered. Sanji set their things down on the coffee table and ventured towards the sliding room doors, looking out at the rising moon. The lake shimmered gently, and people walked up the pathway, enjoying the chilly air hand in hand.
He heard Law pick up the remote control to the tv, flipping through the channels until he came across one with a familiar show.
"Doffy calls Cora 'Claire', and it totally sets him off," Law commented, watching the woman violently organize her three whiny children into a van while the man-child of a husband moped over his real estate rival. "I can see why."
"I'm going to go take a shower. Please make sure the perimeters are secure."
"Aye, aye."
Once Sanji disappeared into the bathroom, Law sat down on the couch and looked at his phone. He pulled up the forums that the syndicates used to 'talk' to each other, and read a few posts about how Drake engaged into battle with the brothers over a mutated teddy bear. Kid was off downtown, drunk as a skunk with Bonney and Apoo terrorizing a school dance; Arlong and Crocodile were dining at a restaurant, and Hogback was complaining about the LA air. Krieg was looking for Gin, again. There were several complaints about the Strawhats being MIA when it came to the troubles of the younger syndicate heads, but Nami was assuring them that the situation was being 'handled'.
He put his phone down and thought about the evening, so far. He wasn't sure what conclusion to come to – but one thing he was sure of, Sanji didn't know what he wanted when it came to his future. And maybe he was right – he wasn't the same boy he was when Hiluluk took him. When his memories came back and that false self of his was gone, Sanji would be a completely different person. What if by the end of it, he didn't want to be with Law, anymore? What if he wanted to be free to explore the world as he knew it alone, to accept invitations from other men?
All the planning that Law had felt were sure steps to their future now became shaky. He felt he was the only one committed to them. Which really stung after everything they'd gone through. He realized that he needed to change his way of thinking, now. It was safest, after hearing what Sanji had to say.
And this mysterious man that Sanji 'almost' kissed. Whoever he was, Law had no doubt that this was why Sanji needed time alone to himself. No amount of thinking could make him assume otherwise. He wondered who he was. He wondered how they met. Where they met. He knew he had no control over what Sanji thought or felt – if he felt attracted to this man, then it depended on his own actions where they went.
He felt pretty rotten about it, though. No matter how much effort and feeling one person could put into another, it just wasn't enough to keep them if they themselves felt another way.
He sighed heavily, elbow on his knee, palm on forehead. He wanted to be angry about it, but he really was just scared. It was frightening putting one's heart out, expecting it to be cared for in the same manner it was being treated, then having it dropped to the floor without care.
He remembered being unwilling to open up to the kid when they first started messing around. Hiding all his feelings and thoughts and time, and then slowly realizing that the kid had a hard grip on him, whose very actions pried Law out from behind the wall he'd built up over the years to keep him safe. Now, he felt he needed to start repairing that wall. Because if Sanji did decide to leave him to 'find himself', then Law wasn't going to be the same person, anymore. The only reason why he was the way he was was because of Sanji.
But at the same time, what if Sanji was truly struggling to settle himself from within, and needed his help? Maybe he felt more comfortable knowing Law was always going to be there and could pull himself from the unrest that he was experiencing?
It was really a 50/50 situation at the moment. He supposed after this night, when they went back home, time would only tell where they were going. No doubt Sanji would meet with his mysterious suitor, and come to conclusions of his own. So with that in mind, how was Law supposed to take the situation?
The only thing he could do was wait and see, and even that was dangerous.
But just in case…he began looking for the bricks that had once made up his wall.
: :
When Sanji emerged from the bathroom with a nervous look to his features, wearing the white spa robe that came with the room, he saw that Law was watching tv with a disinterested expression. He got up from the couch to switch with him, and Sanji stopped him between rooms so he could kiss him.
"We're still safe?" he asked, enjoying the smell of the other man, reaching up to wrap his arms around his neck, pushing against him.
Law kissed him back, hands finding his naked hips, then pushed him aside. "Yep."
"Hurry up."
With mounting excitement, Sanji went to the sliding doors and drew the blinds over them. Then he sat on the couch, waiting impatiently as he watched the show that Law had mentioned. After some moments, he had to change the channel. Claire reminded him of himself, he had to admit. Always striving for perfection and getting pissed when it didn't come as easily as she'd planned it.
When Law emerged from the bathroom, Sanji hastily shut off the television, disrobing immediately. He went to him eagerly, wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling him down to him. Law almost stumbled with him in his path, making their way to the bed.
He figured after so many interruptions, Sanji was just as determined as he to find satisfaction. He lifted him up and tossed him onto the bed, removing his towel.
"Ooh, so manly!" Sanji snickered as he felt Law crawl over him. He reached up to feel him, fingers moving over the width of his shoulders, feeling the flexing action of the muscle there. Then he felt up the strong width of his neck, to jam his fingers into his hair, lightly scratching at his scalp as he felt Law lean down, finding his lips in the darkness.
Sanji closed his eyes, fingers tightening in the thick strands as Law's mouth moved over his. Gently at first, the pressure nice and soft before Sanji opened his mouth to accept his tongue. But Law pulled away at that, one hand resting over Sanji's bared stomach, moving his fingers tenderly over the ridges of Sanji's abs before creeping up over his chest. Sanji released his hair with one hand, placing it over his, enjoying the touch against his torso. When Law found a nipple, Sanji felt a light shudder happen, goose bumps lifting at the feel of his rough fingers against the soft, sensitive skin. His fingers tightened over his, arching upward, feeling the man shift over him. He felt his tongue touch him there; a gentle press, then a slow swipe, before tracing over the areole with firm action. When it pebbled in response to the touch, he traced the pink circle there with his fingertip before placing firm kisses above Sanji's breast, moving up to his collarbone.
Sanji shifted restlessly underneath him, curling a leg around his hip as his hands shifted to underhook Law's arms, wanting more friction and action. He encouraged Law's face back to his, licking his lower lip before biting the upper very gently. Once Law opened his mouth, Sanji's tongue slipped inside, and he tasted the mouthwash Law used, and explored the straight line of his teeth. He dropped a hand to find and trace a nipple with his fingers, before plucking lightly at it, sucking Law's tongue into his mouth once the man shifted again.
He made a low sound as he felt Law's hands over his hips, pressing firmly in that area, teasing the line just atop of one leg. It always made Sanji shiver, feeling Law's fingers move from the line to brush lightly at his pubic hair. Teasing him by touching around his erection, rubbing up from around his balls to his hip before moving away to one long thigh.
"Touch me there," Sanji demanded, pushing up against him insistently.
"No. I don't want to."
"Don't be a brat!"
"You are! Being all demanding and shit. You're so bossy in bed," Law complained low, leaning in to bite his collarbone, licking lightly and tasting the saltiness of Sanji's skin, smelling the lingering traces of the soap he'd used. He felt Sanji's impatient hands on him, pinching lightly, trying to direct his exploring hands to his erection.
He reached between them to capture a hand, settling it over Sanji's own dick. "Play with yourself, then."
"If I have to," Sanji muttered sullenly, his other hand reaching between them to find Law's dick. "You're not even as hard as me!"
"I'm trying to be all romantic and shit, and you're so damn bossy!"
Sanji just laughed, releasing both of them to wrap his arms around his neck, pulling him down for more kisses. He wrapped his legs around his waist and clung to him as Law grunted, trying not to fall over him with his weight hanging from him like this. He shifted so that he was on his back and Sanji was atop of him, and the man sounded satisfied with this position. He straightened out one leg between his, the other still curled around him – damn that flexibility of his – and he held onto Law's shoulders. From this position, he could hump Law's lower belly, seeking the friction he'd wanted.
He moaned softly, a sound that always made Law hot in seconds because Sanji could make the sexiest noises in bed. Then he found Law's neck with his teeth, biting lightly to show his growing frustration at not being satisfied. The feel of Sanji's hair against his face made him sputter for a moment, before Law reached for the tube he'd tossed on the pillow nearby. He stretched his arms out beyond Sanji's back just to spill some into his hands, spilling a little on him as well.
"That's cold!"
"Sorry. Here," Law said, reaching between them to slick Sanji's dick with one hand. Sanji gave a small sound of pleasure, pushing his hips into that action as he sat up. In the faint light that came in from the window nearby, Law looked up at his face. His hand over his, Sanji pushed up into the action, tilting his head back as he received the friction he needed. With his other hand, Law cupped one ass cheek before slipping his fingers between them. With the lube, he wetted that crevice as Sanji humped his hand, before finding his opening.
"It doesn't hurt?" he asked cautiously, rimming it with one fingertip.
"Uh uh. Push it in," Sanji ordered him, reaching back with his hand to guide his.
"So bossy. I can't even do things myself around here," Law mock grumbled, slipping a slick finger up into his body. He winced as Sanji ground against it, giving a satisfied sound. Once he crooked it and found that spot, Sanji released his hold on him and leaned back, hands resting atop of Law's thighs as he sought that contact.
"God yes, just like that. It's not enough," Sanji then said in one breath, lifting up with a frustrated noise. "More."
"It's not a race," Law told him, withdrawing his finger and lightly slapping his ass before twisting them around, Sanji on his back beneath him. Law reached for one of the pillows nearby, and slipped it under his hips. Then leaned forward, one hand on Sanji's hip, the other moving over his pubic hair, gently handling his balls. Spreading his legs, feet braced against the bed, Sanji reached out to touch his chest, watching as Law played with him. Then moaned when he felt Law's fingers in him, stretching him. He was growing anxious by the second – he kept looking at the other man's erection. He tried not to think about the last couple of times they'd done this.
He was determined to do this. They could do it. He really needed it, right now, because he felt so damn ravenous for something that he couldn't even identify. He was pretty sure all he needed was a good dick. He reached down to touch himself, stroking his own erection as his skin grew hot, sweat made his hair stick to him, and anticipation made his heart race.
He liked the way Law looked at him – all pleased and happy, just taking him all in, enjoying his reactions. The perv really liked the way Sanji responded to him, and he only teased him to feed his damn ego. But Sanji wasn't mad – he was pretty sure that once they had a successful coupling, Law wouldn't be teasing him so much.
He watched the other man pull away from him. Sanji felt open and ready, reaching down to feel himself as Law found the tube of lube nearby. Sanji closed his eyes because he hadn't expected to feel so sensitive as he rimmed his own entrance with his fingers, pushing in slightly to feel his own body respond to the movement.
"Stop that," Law told him, slapping his hand away. "Don't play with my toys."
"Hurry!"
But Law was not going to hurry. This part was the moment of truth. He was nervous, he was thinking too much –Sanji was much too hot and ready to go, and he felt pressure. Pressure to perform, pressure to make this happen, pressure to follow Sanji's demands. His erection was having a battle of its own to stay hard, and he knew that if he failed tonight – again – Sanji was going to look elsewhere for his satisfaction. So it was important that he perform well, tonight.
Once he realized he was getting soft, horror made him still. He started to sweat. Anxiety raced through his veins, and his first thought was to say 'Fuck it', and leave, go watch the rest of the Modern Family marathon.
Sanji looked up at him, not knowing what was happening in Law's head at the moment. He reached out and pulled him over him, so Law had to brace himself with both hands alongside his head.
"Kiss me," came the gentle command, and Law kissed him because Sanji asked nicely. His legs curled around his waist, his tongue playing with his – Sanji's fingers were in his hair, scratching lightly at his scalp. He sucked lightly at his tongue, then used his to rub gently, miming the actions of a blow job. When he pulled his mouth from Law's, he kissed his cheek, making his way to his ear – nibbled very lightly at his earrings before his hips lifted trying to align up with his erection.
Law was relieved to find that he was hard again, and just went for it. He entered him slowly, trying not to think – just pushing in gently, hearing Sanji's breathing shorten, his nails digging into his skin. He felt Sanji's body sucking him in, stretching to admit him. The feeling was incredible. Hot, narrow, slicked with lube – the noises leaving Sanji weren't that of pain or discomfort, like the first time. His hands left Law's upper body and went to his hips – at first gripping, then pushing before gripping again.
Once inside, Law struggled not to react. He thought of bills, the salmon he regretted not eating earlier – he was so hungry right now – he thought about how cute Sanji was to feed someone else's screaming kid, and how he looked leaving the aquarium with a happy smile. Anything to take his mind off the horrifyingly fast sensation that built in his balls.
Sanji's heavy breathing was interrupted with small sounds that left clenched teeth. Law honestly couldn't tell if he were in pain or enjoying it, but he wasn't moving. Law's hips twitched as he made to pull back, but he pushed in even further because Sanji's body wanted him to do so. It almost made his eyes roll into the back of his head, feeling the sensation all the way up his spine.
Then Sanji said hastily, "Stop. Stop. Don't move. Stop."
And hearing that sort of reaction wasn't encouraging, so Law froze, but even as he said that, Sanji's ass tightened around him, almost painfully, and Law wanted to retreat just to save himself. He grimaced as Sanji shifted, giving a choked shout, his fingers digging into Law's hips, then moving up to his chest, as if he were going to push him back. So Law intended on pulling out because this was obviously a negative reaction, and Sanji made those sounds again, a desperate tone in his voice –
"Don't move! Please!"
So Law automatically pushed in because he wasn't supposed to move, and Sanji cried out again, and this time Law was going to pull out because he was obviously in pain, but as he did so, Sanji tightened around him again and he was shouting "FUCK!" to the neighbors in this weird voice. Law froze, horrified, unsure of what to do when Sanji was not taking things well – then heard him give a long, shaky moan, followed by gibberish that could've been a request for tea, or a demand for an oil change.
"Are you…okay? Should I pull out?" he asked tentatively, leaning over him with a concerned expression.
"I told you to stop," Sanji muttered shakily, frowning at him.
"I – I did! I stopped!"
"Not in time! I came already -! Somehow. I don't know how, I just did! I wanted us to do it together!"
Law stared at that sullen face of his, absorbing those childishly uttered words. Then realized the content of it. Curiously, he reached down between them and felt the sticky moisture there. Sanji slapped his hand away when he touched his softening dick, and Law felt relief hit him hard.
He laughed because of course it'd end this way, and Sanji pinched him impatiently before squeezing his dick so hard that Law stopped laughing and cringed instead. He leaned down to kiss his sweaty chest, to feel the rapid beating of his heart against his cheek, then fucked him until he found his own release.
After room service and a shower later, Law fucked him again and Sanji got his request.
When it came to breakfast the next morning, while Law was in the shower, Sanji went to get coffee from the shop near the spa. Law saw that he'd missed at least seven different calls from various numbers, and he hoped it wasn't an emergency. There were no texts or voicemails left, so he attempted to call Corazon.
As the phone was ringing, Sanji re-entered the room with their coffee, and Law lowered his phone, his mouth dropping open with incredulity. He hung up as Sanji gave him a questioning look, puzzled by Law's reaction to just seeing him.
He was wearing a pink cardigan with a white v-neck shirt, sloppily tucked into a pair of brown cargo pants that rolled at the calves. He was wearing his leather shoes, the brown ones with the buckle. While moving stiffly, he didn't feel any way to have Law look at him like that.
"Wow. Sanji," Law said, sitting at the edge of the bed as his eyes roved from the stop of Sanij's head to his shoes. "I have never…seen you look so gay. Like, if I ever doubted it before, I don't doubt it right now. This is the gayest I've ever seen you look since you were a teenager, and you let girls dress you."
"SHUT UP!" Sanji snapped at him, throwing his coffee at him. "Says the guy that fucked my ass twice last night! Fucking homo!"
"'Fucking' is right!" Law had to laugh, catching the iced coffee Sanji had thrown, the content spilling lightly on the mussed sheets behind him. "Look at you, my gay little homo with the pink prep coat – "
"Shut up, you're such an ass! If it offends you, fuck off! I'm comfortable."
"No, c'mere. Come here, let me fix your hair."
"Fuck off, you shitty predator. I hate you. You're no better! What's with the goth look, you wannabe emo freak?"
"It's a black shirt. It screams man. Which makes sense in this relationship, considering you're into pink cardigans, and shit. Come here, Sanji, let me look at something."
"No, fuck off. Die. I'm having a cigarette."
Law went after him, dropping his phone on the bed. It vibrated with a text that he didn't hear, Sanji fighting off his advances – it ended when Sanji finally kicked him over the coffee table and stomped outside to go walk the trail for a proper smoking area. Still chuckling, Law went to retrieve his phone. His smile died as he read Penguin's text.
"Shit," he said, knowing he was in big trouble.
At that exact moment, the room phone rang.
With one last look at the text, he went to answer it, knowing it was more bad news. Since only Penguin knew where they were, he assumed it was him.
"How bad is it?" he asked upon answering.
"Not that bad at all if both of you come down to the lobby within the next ten minutes," Lucci told him. "Let us have breakfast together, and we'll talk business."
: :
Sanji stared out at the lake. He felt pretty good. He was in a great mood – but he had some reservations about the state of their future. He felt that what he'd said changed something between them. Law hadn't quite recovered from their first conversation, and his quiet mood had been upsetting. So Sanji had no doubt that his childhood friend had come to conclusions of his own, and was building his insecurities over what had been said. And maybe Law was right to think that way. Sanji himself didn't know what he truly wanted.
He stabbed the cigarette into the nearby trashcan ashtray, frowning at the water that glimmered with the morning light. He felt he had to prepare himself for the worst. He regretted speaking aloud of his inner turmoil. From now on, he'd have to keep it to himself to figure it all out on his own.
He looked over at the sound of footsteps, and smiled at Law. But then he realized the other man was wearing a grim expression, and Sanji knew he wasn't going to like what he had to say.
"What?" he demanded.
"First things first, Chopper is okay. Second…I'm sorry. You can fight, right?"
"Yeah. I mean…probably nothing spectacular, but, yeah. Not like last time," Sanji admitted, but he reached over to grab his shirt with a pensive look. "Why? What's wrong? Where's Chopper? What happened?"
"Well," Law said, walking on, headed to one of the side entrances. "They found out where we're staying. Doffy and Cora are subdued – more than likely jailed somewhere. Penguin and Shachi are being held in a different location. We're needed inside to meet with those responsible for this mess."
"They're here?" Sanji asked with dismay, then anger crossed his features at the thought of Chopper being held in some sort of ransoming gesture. "One of the syndicates responsible for this?"
"No. That voice, it was the man who challenged you the other day."
Sanji paused in mid-step. Dread built in his lungs. Made it difficult to breathe for a moment. All his confused feelings and thoughts built and tumbled around in his thoughts, threw off his anger. To be faced with the man while he was with Law – he was certain he would be obvious.
But then again, the man was holding onto Chopper, so that pissed him off. He had to put aside these confusing emotions.
"Great," he muttered, Law opening the door for them, then looking down at his outfit.
"I don't know if you'll be taken seriously like that…"
Sanji couldn't help but slap his shoulder, pushing him ahead of him roughly. "Stop it! Get serious!"
"You're like one of those vacationing homos you'd see with a fanny pack – "
"You're so fucking annoying! Who made you fashion police, you emo homo, with your skinny jeans and tight shirt –"
It really pissed Sanji off as Law gave a mock demure expression that caused a few heads to whip their way.
"Are you checking me out again, Sanji? I don't think I can be myself if you're thinking someway about me, like that. I'm a very self conscious and shy boy, I don't do well with aggressive homos - "
Unable to resist his impulses, Sanji jumped on him, causing Law to yell out and stumble into a nearby wall, both of them nearly tumbling to the floor as the others watching them looked on with bewildered expressions.
A few minutes later, Sanji followed after Law with a nervous expression. He felt anxiety in his blood, twisting his gut. As they neared the lobby, he drew in a deep breath and put away those feelings, resolving instead to face the situation with the utmost seriousness. He took note of their surroundings, already planning a route to the lake, just in case Lucci decided to lash out the way he did the last time.
"It'll only take a few seconds to retrieve my sword from the car."
"How could you even leave it in there?"
"It's frowned upon when you bring a weapon into a goddamn resort, alright?"
"Okay, okay, never mind. I trust you know what you're doing," Sanji said as they walked out from the hallway, and made their way to the lobby. The agent behind the desk nearby greeted them cheerily, and a couple of workers skirted around them with cleaning carts. It was a beautiful morning, the lake visible in the massive windows beyond them, and there were guests enjoying coffee near the lobby area, visiting each other quietly.
Feeling the presence of someone behind them, Sanji looked over his shoulder to seeing Jabra following along, having lingered near the desk area once they came into view. He followed them with a bored expression, sunglasses propped high on his forehead, long ponytail slapping against his back as he made the long strides necessary to catch up to him.
"Good morning. Fine day out, isn't it?" he asked, too cheerful and easygoing for this type of situation.
"Don't think I appreciate you and your friends, right now," Sanji snapped back at him.
"Don't be that way. It's only business!"
"Kidnapping isn't business!" Sanji pushed ahead of Law once he saw Lucci, scanning the area for Chopper. "Where is he, you son of a bitch? How could you think putting your filthy hands on him is in any way okay?"
"Calm down, he's fine," Lucci said, left eyebrow twitching ever so slightly as Sanji walked right up to him, looking infuriated. Hattori sat calmly on his shoulder, tilting his head as his human spoke. "I had hoped we'd talk about the work load you left with Spandem. I don't agree to it."
"Then that's something he needs to figure out! He's your boss, right? That's his shit to figure out! For you to come in and threaten members of my family - !"
"This pet?" Lucci asked skeptically, his eyes roving over Sanji's outfit for a brief moment before his lips tightened with some unidentified thought.
"He's not a pet! If you held any sort of intelligent conversation with him, you'd find that he's not a fucking pet! He's a – "
"Calm down. You're much too loud. I'm sure that vocalization is appreciated elsewhere, but we're in a public setting, and you're making a scene. Come eat, the pair of you. I worked up an appetite cleaning up the mess your friends hadn't bothered to clean up, last night," Lucci said, straightening his tie as he gestured at the restaurant nearby.
"No, where is he? Where is Chopper? And the others?"
"It'll be discussed after we sit. Jabra gets cranky if he doesn't have his second meal, and I'd rather not deal with that attitude this time of day."
"Hell, it's too early to be dealing with you, but I ain't complaining that much about it," Jabra said, encouraging Law to walk with them as Lucci led the way to the restaurant. He laid down a credit card, and the host took it with a nod of understanding. He led the way to an enclosed dining area, the massive table suggesting a group party setting, and a couple of the workers pulled back the curtains and blinds to allow a look out at the lake. Reluctantly, Sanji sat nearest the door, Lucci at one end of the table, Jabra at the end. Law sat on the other side, facing Sanji.
After drink orders were made and served, the door was shut quietly behind their server.
"Now, to begin, I had made it clear that the Strawhats' asshattery was not going to be tolerated for very long," Lucci said, setting down his mimosa. "Last night was the last straw. I watched three syndicate heads make complete and utter fools of themselves over your dear…pretend child."
"What? What happened?" Sanji asked, bewildered before looking at Law with accusation, Law looking up at the ceiling to avoid meeting those furious eyes.
Lucci nodded with understanding. "I see. You were…unaware of it."
"You're in trouble!" Jabra mock-whispered to Law.
"The Donquixote brothers were fighting over custody of this child, and thus made a general mess from B street to 68th avenue and Rock. Which is Drake's claimed territory. Once Drake heard of it, he went to put a stop to it. Unfortunately, he was drawn into the madness. Was there a Strawhat available to put a stop to things? There are six of you, but no one responded."
Sanji had nothing to say. But his fingers balled into fists and he had a million things to say to Law about lying to him, but it was also his own fault, too. He knew something was happening.
"I see. Well. I guess there really isn't anything I can say to fix what had been done," he muttered, vaguely embarrassed for his lack of action on the matter.
"Why is he being put on the spot?" Law asked Lucci. "It's Strawhat himself you should've approached, first. He's the one that made this big decision in the first place."
"When I am looking at you, or I say your name, that's when you should be speaking to me," Lucci said with a slight frown in his direction.
"He can play that stubborn game all day, bro," Jabra told Law. "Even to us."
"I don't give a shit. All I'm saying, he's talking pointlessly to the wrong person. If he wants to waste his time, he should at least acknowledge the fact."
"The only reason why I blame you for this mess is because of these," Lucci then said to Sanji, pulling out the papers that were crinkled beyond repair. He put them between them. "It is an uneven number. And while it's a relief that you feel there is no saving these fools from any sort of acceptable justice, what matters is that it is not enough to help pay any bills what so ever. Spandem still has the pile you left for him. Kindly go through it again and find it acceptable that they are all there for a reason."
"I refuse to give you bastards that sort of power, just because you feel you're being slighted a paycheck," Sanji told him. "Get a third job. These are human lives you're fucking around with."
"You fail to grasp the situation, Blackleg."
"I understand the situation perfectly! If it were up to Luffy, you wouldn't have a job at all. Be grateful for the scraps you do get."
"Unacceptable!" Lucci snapped, rising from his chair, voice changing slightly as they looked at him with caution. Jabra tapped his nails on the table, giving him a frown as Law narrowed his eyes, and Sanji glared at him. Hattori returned a moment later, fluffing out his wings as Lucci sat slowly.
He straightened his collar. "Excuse me. It's been a long night. My nerves are a little fragile."
Jabra snorted, rolling his eyes.
"I went through that pile five times. My decision still stands," Sanji said stubbornly, picking up his water. "And I apologize for last night's actions, and I'll take the blame for it. I had an idea that something was happening, and didn't put any effort into making my own decision. But return Chopper. I don't care what you do with the others. They're grown men who made their decisions."
"There is another thing I'd like to discuss," Lucci said, Hattori leaving his shoulder to walk the table, eyeing Law with surprisingly suspicious eyes. "Last night made it clear that the Strawhats' inability to police the syndicates and their destructive actions has fallen into our hands. We handled the situation justly. We put away the rabble, and took control of the situation. All without further destruction to the city. Which will be billed to Arlong, with the expectation that the Donquixote brothers and Drake submit their own payment for damages caused. As for your friends, since they are not of any syndicate relations, they'll be kept until an agreement has been reached."
Law frowned at the older man. While he had no worries for Penguin and Shachi while Bepo was still free, most likely on his way to rescue them, he didn't like the way the man negotiated.
"What sort of agreement?" he asked.
"That you enter a formal declaration of being a syndicate yourselves."
"Not happening."
"I was prepared for you saying that," Lucci said, withdrawing another paper from his jacket, and then giving it to Hattori to give to him. Law took it with a frown, opening it to see the memorandum of understanding that proclaimed he and the trio as being a 'formal' organization, which would allow the policing over them as the other syndicates were. "Signing it now will indicate your cooperation, considering the position you're in. Right now, there's nothing protecting those two from any immunity. They're free to die when I give the word. Why should they be protected? With as much trouble as you have caused to the syndicates with your independence, I'm sure many of them would agree that this is the better choice. At least, as a recognized organization, you'd be immune to our compulsions."
"That's not fair," Sanji interrupted. "You can't do that. You're threatening civilians."
"I'm threatening to eliminate common street scum," Lucci said. "Nobody cares for rats."
"You're threatening two of my friends' lives, and I find it unacceptable. They are the ones in charge of making sure Chopper was safe. They did everything they possibly could to do that when the brothers fought each other. If you're threatening them, then you're threatening me," Sanji growled, standing up from his chair.
Lucci looked at him sternly for a few moments. "Sit down. I can't take you seriously, dressed like that."
"SHUT UP!"
"I told you, love," Law murmured, still looking over the memorandum. He signaled for a pen, and Sanji was shocked that he'd actually sign it. With a slight twitch of satisfaction, Lucci tossed a pen his way.
"You're not going to sign that!" Sanji snapped at Law.
"I'm not. I see some unacceptable typos and grammar errors in this thing, and I refuse to give my signature to something so poorly written," Law mumbled, crossing out some sentences and rewriting them.
Lucci's eyebrow twitched again, Jabra looking at him cautiously. The table gave a slight protest as his fingers clenched over the edge of it, Hattori fluttering onto a chair for safety.
"Your temper is not something you should show so easily," Sanji told him flatly, still standing.
"And besides," he added, foot tapping impatiently on the floor, "What fucking balls you have, tracking me down on a private weekend getaway, and throwing your weight around like it fucking matters. The bakery lets its workers run amuck without control? You might be all animals, but that doesn't mean you have to actually act like them."
"Listen here, kid, you shitty, pink cardigan wearing brat. We're behind on bills! And the first job we get, we get hit with pink slips? I don't think so! Of course we're going to bitch about it!" Jabra growled, rising up from his chair. "All because you kids think you can handle an adult's position! You've been making a muck out of this role since you all took it! Of course we're going to complain!"
"Shut up, you shitty dog. Your barking does nothing to convince me of anything!"
"If your boss wrote this, he must've paid some middle schooler to type it out on a typewriter," Law said, ripping up the paper and tossing it back to Lucci. "I refuse to sign something that replaced 'there' with 'their' and 'you're' with 'your'. Inform him that he should go back to school, retake an English writing class, and then get back to me so we can negotiate."
Lucci frowned at him. "You must not care so much for your friends as they thought you did. It's interesting, because one of the things that one of them mentioned to tell you was 'Code Penguin'. I suppose that has some weight on you, doesn't it?"
Sanji watched as the expression froze on Law's face. Whatever the words meant, they were pretty significant. He began to worry. He looked at Lucci with a frown. "So it makes you feel better to threaten the lives of two 'rats'? Feeling a little power hungry, you fucking house cat? And again, I ask, what gives you the fucking right to try and lay down any sort of power with us? You're mad at the Strawhats, hey, fine, go ahead. But to take your frustrations out on two – "
"We're now taking control of the situation," Lucci interrupted him. "The Strawhats are being eliminated from their role. It's now ours."
"Like that will go well with anybody!"
"It's not your decision to make, anyway," Law said to Sanji. "It's Luffy's."
"But he's not here to say anything!"
"Then why are you speaking for him?"
Sanji reddened, infuriated for Law talking to him in this manner. He sat down hard in his chair, regretted it with a wince, then kicked the table, the three of them jostled by the action.
"Temper, temper," Lucci commented. "Like a child, not getting his way."
"You're the shitty asshole with the same sort of expression!" Standing up once more, Sanji demanded, "Where is Chopper?"
"We haven't come to an agreement, yet. And he's safe, I assure you. And you are one jittery person, you can't sit still for a few moments while we speak?"
"There's a reason why he can't sit," Law mumbled, carving his name into the table with the pen. Sanji had to resist throwing his water at him while Lucci looked at him with undisguised disdain.
"This isn't anything that should only be decided with me," Sanji then said, leaning over the table, palms down. "If you want something as agreement, then you need to talk to all of us. More importantly, Luffy."
"I refuse to talk to that child," Lucci said, finishing off his mimosa. "I'd rather talk to you."
"I have nothing more to say, other than talk to him. And give me Chopper and my friends!"
"Not until he has agreed to a formal agreement regarding his group."
"Your threats are unreasonable."
"That sweater is unreasonable."
With a snarl, Sanji ripped it off and threw it at him, Hattori flying around with a startled squawk.
"Look, I'll say something to Luffy and the others. Have them meet us. You tell them the same shit you just told me, and maybe they can come to the agreement, because I can't make any decisions without them. I'm not in charge – Luffy is."
"But you're one with more experience," Lucci said patiently, setting his cardigan aside. "Zeff raised you in this environment, so you know how this world works."
"This is not something I decided on my own."
"Then it's on your hands, the lives of your friends," Lucci said with a slight shrug, pulling his cellphone out from his jacket. Looking at Law, he said, "For your unwillingness to sign the memorandum, this order is on you. It's a shame. They were quite skilled in hand to hand combat – just weak. I hope you can work with the guilt in knowing that you had the power to save them, but you refused to."
Law gave him a thin smile. "I trust them to handle the situation accordingly."
"You – " Lucci paused, seeing the text coming up on his screen. What he saw caused his face to fully darken, his fingers forming claws as Hattori took flight.
Jabra looked interested. "Wow. What was that about?"
Concerned, Sanji looked at Law, who looked as if he were repressing a smirk. Lucci's eyes burned, shoulders twitching with an almost uncontrollable movement. He looked at Law with a murderous expression.
"I see Code Penguin was a success. Unfortunately, I have to deal with the fall out, so if you'd hurry up and give us Chopper, we can be on our way," Law said calmly, leaning back in his chair.
"This is inexcusable!" Lucci snarled, rising from his chair, claws digging into the table. "Dirty play!"
"What happened? What's Code Penguin?" Sanji asked Law curiously. He reached over and snagged his cardigan from Lucci's reach and put it back on.
"Now I'm curious," Jabra confessed, looking at Law.
"We'll see in a few minutes," Law said, tipping the chair back. But he looked at Sanji. "You trust me, right?"
"To a certain degree," Sanji muttered.
"Don't threaten my friends," Law told Lucci firmly. "Don't force me to sign anything. I do what I want. If I see something is to my advantage, it's mine to take. It's sneaky and underhanded for you to use the threat of death when it comes to others' valuables. Give Momo back peacefully, and I'll help you manage a meeting with Strawhat. As it is, the demands you're placing on Sanji here are unfair and unreasonable, and any mother would react the way he is once he feels his child is being threatened. So reasoning with him at this point is unsound. For some reason, you're only bullying him."
"Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" Sanji snapped at him.
"Ha! Ha! 'Mother!" Jabra laughed, causing Sanji to snarl in his direction.
"You smug-faced little shit," Lucci snarled, Jabra looking at him with surprise because he hadn't expected the other man to lose his cool that quickly. He pulled his own phone out and made a phone call to see why Lucci was in the state he was.
"Where is Chopper?" Law asked him, rising from his chair. "And under the code that everyone follows, if you threaten to harm him, it'll be all out retaliation towards your organization for manipulating the rules for your favor. You talk about the Strawhats being unfair and unreasonable? You're blackmailing Sanji here to get what you want by using his family against him."
Lucci's eyes changed. Sanji looked at Law, utterly clueless as to what had happened to cause this man so much fury. Jabra hung up with an 'Ah', and looked at Law.
"You're a manipulative little shit with a long reach, and while I respect that, it's pretty underhanded of you," Jabra lectured, hands on his hips.
"Don't threaten my friends."
For a few moments, Lucci stood there, claws destroying the surface of the table. Sanji watched him cautiously, Law completely relaxed as he folded his arms behind his head, feet resting on the table. For a few moments, nothing was said. Then Lucci grabbed the table, causing the three of them to scramble out of the way before he tossed it out the window with a roar of displeasure.
"I have never seen him lose his cool so much," Jabra admitted as glass rained out over the lawn below, table flying through the air.
Law was at Sanji's side, and ushering him towards the door. Scared workers looked at them, then at the man that rushed after them, reaching out to stop them from leaving. But Law was ahead of that, teleporting them out of reach, and they were standing in the lobby, away from Lucci's reach. Law gestured at Sanji to get moving, because he was certain Lucci wasn't going to let them get away with their actions.
"This place is going to be a mess in a few minutes," Law told him, on their way back to the room. "So let's go."
"What did you do? We need to find Chopper!"
"He's fine, he's in good hands. I just feel…that whatever happens next, you have to trust me. Please."
Sanji looked at him with doubt, but he felt he didn't have a choice. He was intensely curious as to what happened, but Law looked so calm and satisfied with the matter that he trusted that Chopper was just fine.
"What's 'Code Penguin'?"
"Well, there's three codes. One named after each of them. Shachi is our little hothead idiot, so if something is fubar, it's Code Shachi. Bepo is master of undercover and stealth operations, so if something sneaky and devious has occurred, it's Code Bepo. Penguin is reasonably tactile with escape maneuvering, so Code Penguin – "
"Means they escaped?"
"Yes…by any means necessary."
"Something overly dramatic, isn't it?" Sanji asked, Law barging into their room so they could gather their things. Once that happened, hearing startled shouts coming up the hall, Law teleported them once more. Sanji followed impatiently, looking for his cigarettes. "Why are we running away from that bastard? I don't like doing that. Just stop and stand our ground."
"This is where you trust me, and know that everything that I do, I do it for us. For what it takes to have a successful relationship, where we are happy and content and know that we can trust one another – "
"What did you do?" Sanji snapped, walking fast behind him as Law found his car. When he heard the sound of a loud engine coming their way, the screech of 'music' catching his ears, he paused in mid-step. He knew that sound. He'd heard it the other day, at the coffee shop when Kid confronted him.
"You cheater," he accused with a snarl.
"It's not cheating if I didn't ask for his help, but it's not to say that I'll turn him away when he comes through with something I need," Law pointed out, tossing their things into his car, and retrieving his sword. He swung that over his shoulders, resting his hands over it in a relaxed position. The man looked a cat pleased with his captured meal, and Sanji both liked it and hated it – for a variety of reasons. "Plus, what's Gin going to say when he sees you in this mental state? Besides the fact that you look overly-gay, today?"
"…Huh? Gin? What?"
Law leaned over and kissed him hard as Sanji stood there, utterly confused.
"I'm going to go get Cora," Law told him. "Get home safely."
"You're just leaving me?"
"I trust you. Tell Kid 'thanks' for me," Law told him with a smirk, kissing him again and disappearing while Sanji looked where he stood with an outraged expression.
Then he whirled around because Lucci was there, tossing vehicles from his path as he walked towards him, a furious expression to his face. Sanji couldn't believe Law just left him there on his own. He turned to prepare to fight, utterly furious at the other man for causing such a ruckus and then leaving, but as Lucci jumped at him with a snarl, Sanji set himself to fight.
