A/n: The waterworks are terrible in this chapter.My boots aren't high enough. I knew changing out of my gym clothes and into people-clothes was a bad idea.

Reviews: , Anon, Guest, Krito1389 – thanks, guys! Seeing your comments are amazing snacks for the thought machine. Nom, nom nom!

: Over The Love :

Law slapped the book shut. He was quite eager to get the mid-term finished, so he could start focusing on the new death threats. The singing message guy in a bear costume was still slumped in the sidewalk next to him, and Law felt kind of bad, but not really because the bear knew what he was getting into, singing Doflamingo's latest threat to him.

He cracked his knuckles, then stretched his arms over his head. He looked at his watch, sure that it was nearly midnight. He loved studying here, where the activity was constant. Looking over the shipyards, he felt pretty good. The talk with the kids had been entertaining, if not irritating – but he felt happy that they chose to spend their time with him as they did. When he'd first arrived, Luffy kept trying to fight him, Chopper stalked him, and Ussop kept running away from him whenever he'd see him. Now their meddling meant they were comfortable with him.

He did feel minutely bad for leaving.

He grit his teeth at the thought of the green haired man. Gathering up all his books and notebooks, he shoved it all into his backpack and then hefted the heavy load onto his back, gathering up Kikuko, heading for the main path back to town. He figured he'd stop by a noodle shack for a snack and then head back to the hostel he'd been staying at for a few hours of sleep. Then he'd wake up early enough to see Sanji when the other man started his shift, and that put a spring in his step.

He wondered what Sanji had decided that night, but he tried not to think about it too much. He had already come to conclusions of his own, and he was prepared for every answer. There was nothing that Sanji said that would surprise him, because Law had spent his free time imagining every scenario, even the ones that involved the asshole. While it sucked that Sanji had seemed to open up to the other man very easily, despite the months of apathy, Law couldn't imagine being the one Sanji decided to stay with. He didn't fit in with their crew – he was always lingering in the back while they lit up the night with their voices, and there was just no possible way for him to join in, with his nature. And yet Zoro did it so easily – like a rock holding fast in a rapid.

But if it were Sanji on his own, it'd be different.

But Law knew this wasn't so, so he couldn't quite convince himself to be hopeful. He saw just how much the man needed those kids.

He sighed heavily, shoulders drooping for a moment as he paused in mid-step. Even if Sanji chose him, and they left Roguetown behind, Law couldn't quite focus on him, not when he had a corrupt World Government to expose, and a homicidal maniac who loved pink feathers wanting to make him immortal. Law had a list of things to do, and Sanji would be a distraction. He was quite aware, from the way the others spoke of him, that Sanji was definitely part of a Monster Trio – he'd heard stories about Luffy, and knew the legend of Zoro from friends on the Grand Line, but Sanji was just…

He would only get hurt, Law decided with a firm nod. And he couldn't risk that. He'd never forgive himself if Sanji got hurt or dead standing at his side.

Those kids would never forgive him.

He clenched his hands tightly, tattoos standing out. Whatever Sanji decided, Law was prepared for it. He continued walking, thinking about the noodle shack when he realized he was looking at the man from his thoughts. He was standing near a railing that looked over the shipyards, and, judging from the filters discarded around him, had been there for awhile. His side profile was very tense, and he looked heavy with thought. Law wondered what he was thinking of.

For the first time since he'd met him, Law crept away without saying anything to Sanji.

Whatever Sanji had to say, Law would just wait for him to say it when he was ready.

: :

The next morning, as he brushed his teeth and stared at the dark circles around his eyes, Sanji decided to call in. When the manager tried to argue with him in that there was no such thing as a 'Walker Virus', Sanji hurriedly hung up on him and then went back to bed. He sulked there for some time, utterly ashamed of himself and feeling low about his reactions. He hated that he gave Zoro his emotions – but at the same time, he felt slightly lighter than he remembered feeling, for some time. He hadn't told anybody what he felt – why would they understand?

The kids wouldn't understand what he'd felt. Making a fool out of himself with women, then struggling to accept his gayness, exploring the world of gay – then realizing he was in love with his best friend. Zoro had come to grips with his feelings, too. Sanji had thought that was the end of it. Zoro had pulled away a lot – protesting, arguing, but when it was just them, he allowed physical affection. He even offered it himself, until he grew comfortable about it with the kids around.

Sanji had seen that their future was bright and wonderful – until Zoro left behind a grocery list, saying nothing for his leave. The only reason why they knew he was meandering through the Grand Line was because Ace had run into him. Sanji had never felt so rejected, ugly and broken, before. The anger he'd felt dissolved and then became buried under the apathy that took over. The kids stopped asking if he were 'okay', and life continued on with him. For a man that claimed to love him back, Zoro sure took great steps to get away. The Grand Line was nefarious for making sure that things stayed lost, and Zoro was the worst one with directions.

For him to come back as he did, to say the things he did – it just wasn't fair. To expect to take up where he'd left off – he definitely was an idiot. But for Sanji to just tell him what he felt, so raw and emotional – he couldn't understand why only Zoro was able to do that. There had been many times when he should've at least told the kids how upset he felt, and answered Law whenever Law asked, but Sanji held back because he felt none should be troubled by his obvious distress.

So why unleash all that hurt on the one that hurt him? He buried his head underneath his pillow, kicking his sheets until he flopped there.

Shifting his head so he could breathe, he stared at the window, watching the dust specks shine. He wondered if he were stunted. He wondered if taking such a leave of absence from life the way Zoro did would do anything for him. Maybe he had to – maybe he had to do this to allow the kids to grow up, and for Zoro to fix his relationship with them alone. Maybe in his own travels and tribulations, Sanji could find his own destiny, and return a more confident man (if he chose to return at all).

The kids would be fine. They'd be so caught up in their new adventures, they'd barely notice him being gone. Zoro would keep them in line. Nami would rein them in. Franky would keep them healthy. Brook would keep them young.

And if Law wanted him, Sanji would be the best man he could be. Not this indifferent mess that rejected his efforts. He really was a good man underneath that scary visage of his. He was persistent when Sanji didn't appreciate it, and –

He hated to compare this relationship to the one he had with Zoro, but dammit, he started to think that perhaps he was treating Law the same way Zoro had treated him. Sanji knew he was a better person when it came to giving and appreciating – he felt he failed Law at this. Maybe he should just let go of all this hurt, devote his attention to another.

Or let go of all this hurt, and fix what he had left with Zoro.

He growled, and sat up, staring down at his bed. Why should he bother? Why forgive him as easily as the kids had? What if he let himself grow comfortable and forgive him and then Zoro decided he was being smothered and ran away, again?

But…when Zoro made vows, he stuck with them. Sanji knew this – Zoro always held fast onto his promises (threats didn't count). If what he was spewing was true…

Sanji was disgusted at feeling a sliver of hope deep inside of him. That despicable warmth that shouldn't even be there after what Zoro did to him. Did he really hate himself so much that he'd allow Zoro back in?

At the low knock on his door, he stilled.

He wasn't sure if he could face Zoro again. Not right now. Not in the midst of his emotional and mental turmoil. So he rolled himself up in his sheets and listened for anymore movement outside his apartment. When he heard nothing, he exhaled heavily and continued to mope.

He missed their friendship, their constant interaction that never left him feeling lonely. He missed being able to rely on Zoro just being there – listening (even though he didn't want to, he stayed and listened), doing things, being within arm's reach. He'd missed hearing his voice, missed their fights, missed their moments of laughter and cheer. He'd missed the man so much that he wore Zoro's shirts to bed until Ace told him where he'd run into him. Then Sanji hadn't hesitated to throw most of it away.

Remembering that he'd kept some things, he untangled himself from the sheets and ventured towards the closet. In there, he retrieved a decorated shoebox that one of the kids had made for their elementary school Valentine's Day collection. In it was a single shirt, a couple of pictures of both of them and Zoro's final grades from the year he'd left. He lifted up the shirt, and gave it a sniff. He caught the scent of Zoro in it, and it sent an insane bolt of sadness through him. He immediately shoved it back in, angry at himself for feeling this way.

He'd just closed the closet door when his nightstand disappeared and Law was standing there with a suspicious expression, Kikuko in the process of being drawn. Sanji jerked backward, startled at his sudden appearance.

"What the hell?" he exclaimed.

Law took a few steps forward, examining him from head to toe. "You weren't at work! I thought something had - !"

"I'm fine! OUT! Dammit, can I just have a moment's peace?"

Law looked surprised, obviously at a loss of what to say after being screamed at, but he looked around himself – Sanji wasn't sure what he was looking for – and then looked at him with a frown as Kikuko was replaced and rested onto his shoulder. Seeing that there was no danger, that Sanji was obviously fine, he felt embarrassed for reacting the way he had. So he covered it up with anger.

"Sorry for giving a shit," he snapped, Sanji's nightstand appearing in the same spot as he vanished.

Sanji immediately felt bad for reacting as he did. With all the threats Law had told him about, he was pretty sure that Law had thought he'd been in some kind of danger. He pulled on some shorts, stuffed his feet into some loafers, then hurried out the door.

"Good morning, neighbor!" Franky hollered from his patio. Sanji was grateful that the cyborg was wearing his usual bathing wear, and not that absurd sock. "I thought you had to work, today?"

"Have you seen Law?"

"Heard from the kids that he was studying over there on campus, but then again, I thought I saw his little room thingy flash earlier – wasn't paying attention, though." Franky lifted his glasses to look at him closely. "You look lively, today."

"Urgh, dammit," Sanji then cursed, looking over the stairway railing and peering into the courtyard of their complex. When he didn't see him, he sighed, giving into the need for a cigarette. He stared at the blue skies, smoking while Franky frowned at him, unsure of what was happening.

"What should I do, Franky?" Sanji then asked, but not interested in his neighbor's answer.

Franky pulled his tanning trifold over his chest, settling down in his chair. He didn't know what Sanji was asking, but he was used to random situations. He figured he'd learn about it later. Right now, all that mattered as a simple answer.

"Go after him, I suppose."

"But which one?"

"There's two Laws? You know what? It's cool. I don't know what sort of kink you're into, and I don't want to."

"It's not like that!"

"Like I said, it's cool, bro. Probably in your case, you'll just have to go along with it."

Sanji reflected on that for several seconds, then flicked the filter away from him. He furrowed his brow, lip set.

"Law does his own thing," Franky continued, "he's kind of a lone wolf like that. So if he has a twin running around trying to imitate him, then we need to alert the authorities, or something, man, because…"

He looked up when he realized Sanji was no longer there. Unsure of what just happened, Franky shrugged and continued tanning himself.

: :

Sanji jerked the box down from the closet shelf and set it aside. Then he examined his closet choices, and stuffed what reliable outfits he had into a backpack, along with a couple of shoes. Then he flung it aside, and went for the safe under his bed. He found the extra key that went with it, and sat on his heels for a few moments, staring at it.

Gripping it within his hand, he then stuffed it into his shorts pocket. He picked up the box with Zoro's things, then left his apartment with a slam of the door. Franky yelled something, but Sanji ignored it, his mind racing. Once he reached the trash bin, he held it up to throw it in, but hesitated.

He stared at the bin for several moments, slightly out of breath. Then he tossed it in, turned, and headed off towards the campus. Once there, he evaded questions from former classmates and searched for familiar faces. He didn't see anybody on the campus' benches, so he went for the library, instead. The majestic building was bigger than he last saw it – there were more stairs, floors, and more heads than the last time he'd seen it.

When he finally reached the end of the fifth floor, he spotted Law glaring at some books in front of him, writing furiously. Next to him, Sanji recognized that an entire bookshelf was missing – probably the result of his teleportation ability. Around a couple of smaller shelves, open books lay scattered on the floor, as if each other had been opened and left there, to be returned to later. The area was clear, and it must've had to do with the dangerous aura lingering in the vicinity. Sanji ignored it because he feared nothing but his own feelings, and just took a few moments to take in the other man's features.

He was wearing a bright blue sleeveless hoodie, with stripped shorts and loosely laced high tops. The gold earrings he wore caught the sun coming in from the window, and his messy hair looked flattened by the hat he always had on. He was wearing glasses to glare at the small print. His tattoos were stark against his pale skin and from afar, he looked like another street miscreant. But he had such a brilliant mind that Chopper secretly spoke of him as if he were some kind of deity.

Sanji felt so much fondness for him at that moment. He could see himself sitting at his side, and they'd have intense discussions. There would be awkward moments because Law was easily embarrassed and more reserved, and Sanji was – had been – a happy, cheerful guy that said whatever was on his mind, and of course there would be sweetness and stability in the relationship that could span decades. Law would be reliable and sturdy and Sanji could count on him. And he was such a gentleman – for all the show Law put on with the kids, the pair had never slept together. Law just liked sleeping next to Sanji for the sake of sharing body heat. He was a very sweet person, and Sanji really liked him for it.

But on the other hand, what he had with Zoro was passion. Everything about them together was all shouting, cheer, compromises, death-threats and heat (they'd had pretty intense make-out sessions, but whenever Sanji tried pressing further was when Zoro would make a full retreat). There was also the intense fear that Zoro could run away from it again, and Sanji still didn't know what he'd do.

Then again, what if Law didn't want him, either? After all this time agonizing about his decisions, what if neither man was the one? What if it were only him that imagined the possibilities of a future with either one of them?

With a shaky exhale, Sanji took a slow step back. Maybe, after searching for love for so long and having such terrible luck at it, maybe he wasn't destined for it. All he had were terrible experiences.

"Sanji?"

He startled at the sound of his name and regretted not being fast enough to leave. He knew he had to say something quick, his mind muddled with everything that had happened. As Law removed his glasses and stood up hastily, grabbing his sword, Sanji left the stairway and ventured over with hesitation.

"Take me with you," he then said. Shaky at first, but then with a firm tone. "I want to go with you when you leave."

Law looked down at him with hesitation. "What is going on with you?" he finally asked.

"A lot of things have been happening, and I – I should've been talking about it," Sanji said, fiddling with his fingers, wishing he could smoke. "I should've, but now – now I just want to go. I can't be here, anymore."

"But you're needed here," Law said firmly, then his eyes shifted before looking back at him. "You can't just pack up and leave like - !"

"I can! I'm a goddamn adult, I can make my own damn decisions – I shouldn't have been making others' for them! All I got was the shit end of it! I'm tired of doing this! Of being the one left behind, or relied upon, and -! When is it my turn?"

"I think we shouldn't be speaking of this here," Law then said, hand reaching up to fall on his shoulder.

"Let the others hear it!" Sanji snapped, dislodging his hand and gesturing at the library as a whole. "They're going to hear about it anyway! I want to get off this goddamn island! The kids can take care of themselves – they have been! They can wipe their own asses! They don't need me! Zoro's back, they can rely on him!"

"But that's where you're wrong, Sanji-ya. You're needed much more than you think. And for you to think so selfishly is hurtful."

"'Selfish'?" Sanji repeated, looking taken back. "You think I should just stay here and get shit about it for loving them the way I do? Maybe it is time to leave them! Maybe everyone is right, and I should be letting them grow up without me constantly interfering! Maybe I'm hindering their growth by babying them!"

"No, I hardly think you're selfish, but making a rash decision like this one because you're upset is not only unwise, but in the end, you're not only going to regret this decision, you're going to hurt others closest to you."

"I thought you'd want me to go with you!" Sanji exclaimed, trying not to sound hurt.

"If the situation were different, then, yes, I would've been happy about it, Sanji-ya, but I can't. I have a very important mission to accomplish, and I can't rely on you to either assist me, or survive without me. I'd rather you stay behind where I don't have to think about you," Law said seriously. "It's not that I think you're useless, but with how I know you, you're a weak person that can't even cope with heartbreak, so what gives me any confidence in your ability to survive a battle out there in the Grand Line?"

Sanji stared at him. Then he finally noticed Law kept looking to the side with concern, so he turned. Once he saw Chopper, Ussop and Luffy staring at them from behind one of the shelves, their homework spread around them, he felt inches tall. Chopper was crying huge, silent tears, while Ussop looked stunned and Luffy was frowning, chewing on his pencil with measured chomps.

He felt like an idiot. He looked at Law, wanting to strike out, to yell, to react – but he just felt horrified and low.

"Is that what you think of us, Sanji?" Luffy asked, rising from the floor. He adjusted his hat and brushed off his shorts and wiped his nose. "All this time, you thought of us as a burden?"

"N-No. No, not at all."

"If you thought that, then why didn't you say anything a long time ago? We don't need you wiping our asses, like you said. We're perfectly capable of wiping our own. If you don't want to be involved in our lives, then you could've said something about it, and we'd understand. To know that you'd been stressing about it all this time is pretty shitty. I thought you were a decent person, a strong guy to admit something out loud. But ever since Zoro left, you're nothing like you were back then," Luffy continued, Ussop pulling on his shorts with a tearful whisper.

"N-No, Luffy, it's not like that, it's just - !"

"If you feel like we're a burden to you, then just leave! Don't come around, anymore!" Luffy yelled at him. "We don't need you, any more than you need us!"

"Luffy!" Chopper wailed.

Stunned, Sanji stared at him, feeling as if his heart were being pulled out from his chest. He tried to sputter a few words, but nothing could climb past the lump in his throat.

"Luffy-ya, Sanji-ya, please, calm down. I'm sure if we talk about it, it can be fixed," Law said, looking to Ussop for help, but even Ussop was crying. "You guys are grown men, why are you crying?"

"You don't need me, anymore? You could've told me that awhile ago!" Sanji sputtered.

"You're a weak man, Sanji! Crying over Zoro because he chose to better himself – well, he came back! He loves us! Here, you resented us all this time! Who was actually the worse one out of both of you? YOU!" Luffy spit. "Why don't you run away, find your balls, and maybe we'll let you back on the island if our moods are right? Go find your own happiness, damn you, without dragging us in your damn dirty mud!"

"Fine! I'll do that! On my own," Sanji added, glaring at Law before striding away.

Law stood there in frozen silence as Chopper wailed again, Ussop cried into his hands, and Luffy fumed noisily, angry tears spilling from his eyes as well. He didn't even know how to handle the situation at all.