Law POV

I shouldn't have done that.

His mind was whirring like a machine, restless and anxious. He lay on his bed, face up, staring up into the darkness. He felt like he was in a state of shock - his body was frozen, his heartbeat raised slightly. He took no comfort in the soft sheets beneath his skin.

He couldn't shake this feeling of heavy dread in his stomach. It was like a lead weight.

He was certain he had ruined it all.

What have I done? He rubbed his face, trying to calm himself. She wasn't supposed to know. Nobody was. He had tried so hard to keep his feelings hidden so that her departure would seem easier, and more natural. Yet he had failed. And he didn't know what to do.

Such a foolish action. Such a stupid action. He'd made a mess of everything. What was I thinking? After a pause, he let out a long breath. The truth was, he hadn't been thinking at that moment. He had let his guard down as soon as he had her by his side again, trembling and crying as she clutched his arm. And so in the laboratory, his mind had been wiped of all thoughts just by the few simple words she had murmured.

His fingers absent mindedly brushed over his lips then, and his mind returned - not for the first time that night - to that brief moment with her. It unsettled him how much he had enjoyed those few seconds of contact they had shared. His mouth still tingled, even now. Memories were unwillingly dragged up behind his eyes. Her lips had felt soft, and warm. A little moist, and pliable under his. When they had parted ever so timidly, and he had felt her hot breath whisper against his lips and tickle his tongue, the most frightening sensation had overcome his body. A fire had been created inside of him.

He would be lying if he said he didn't crave her lips on his again. Her lips and more...

Despite himself, Law felt his cheeks heat up. He knew he wouldn't have stopped without an interruption. It had been too intoxicating to stop. He had been so close to just forgetting his mind and succumbing to his desires. And a part of him wished that he had never stopped. With a sigh, he let his arms fall with a soft flump onto his chest. He knew sleep wouldn't come easy to him tonight. His mind would be droning all through the night, denying him the peace he craved.

He knew this wasn't just a fleeting attraction. This wouldn't quickly disappear into the wind with the passing of time. He couldn't just forget her. He wouldn't be so worked up if it was.

Something nagged his brain. He had actively refused to think too much about it, but it was clawing it's way to the front of his mind.

She had pulled him back, hadn't she?

He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but he couldn't stop the light feeling that spread through his chest as he remembered the look on her face when she had reached out to him. Did she feel the same way? Had she felt the same strange relief he had at their kiss?

Could something possibly bloom?

No. Don't be a fool. He gritted his teeth.

Stop thinking about it. I can't allow this to happen.

He had to forget it all.

She can never be mine.

~ x ~

Rose POV

The lazy quietness of the ship was the only thing that accompanied her as she slipped silently into the kitchen. She had woken up much earlier than usual, and the silence of the ship told her she was the only one awake at this time in the morning. The ship almost seemed colder without the presence of the crew.

She was brimming with an strange energy she had never experienced before, even though her sleep had been restless. Dreams had come and gone, none she remembered. How odd, she thought, wide awake as she walked across the cold tiles of the floor. She opened the cupboard, staring at its contents, but not actually seeing them. Her mind was on autopilot as she searched for what was needed for breakfast.

It was embarrassing how much he occupied her mind, really. All evening, and most of the night. But she couldn't help it. A shy smile spread across her face, and her heart fluttered in her chest. The giddy happiness she had felt when she realised he felt the same things as she did towards him was still swirling around her body. She should have guessed earlier that what she felt towards Law was affection - the wild heartbeats at just his eyes, the electricity of his touch, the breathless content at his presence...

She bit her lip, thinking. The truth was, the possibility of a shared romance between the two of them made her just as anxious as excited. Law had a quality she couldn't put her finger on that just made her...freeze. Perhaps it was the pure confidence and assurance he exuded, and the way he commanded the very room he was in. Or maybe it was his intimidation - there was no denying that Law's presence was intimidating at times.

Yet it was clear that she was very much attracted to him. And he apparently felt the same towards her. And that was enough to make Rose shiver with exhilaration.

Stop it... she chastised herself, pressing her palms to her warm cheeks. Stop thinking about him so much. But it was something she really couldn't help.

After finishing a piece of fruit for breakfast and cleaning up behind her, Rose made her way slowly to the door, mind still swimming in happy thoughts. Absent-mindedly, she opened the door to the kitchen and half-jumped across the threshold.

She would have made a clean exit if she hadn't flung herself into someone else. Her daydreaming was abruptly interrupted as she stumbled back slightly with a yelp of shock.

"Oh, I'm s-..." Her rushed apology petered out into silence as she realised who it was.

Of course it had to be him. Just when he was all she could think about. It was almost comical.

A rush of warmth spread onto her face, and she bit her lip as she quickly took a step back, creating more distance between their bodies. Her gaze was directed at the floor, a sudden shyness preventing her from being able to meet his eyes. She hadn't seen him since their kiss.

After a tense pause, Law cleared his throat.

"Excuse me," he mumbled, brushing past her into the kitchen. But he didn't walk much further before stopping. Rose glanced up at him, heart breating fast. He had turned around, yet the look he was giving her was enough to make her fluttering heart still for a moment.

His eyes were cold, and hard. Much like the look he had given her before he had told her to leave, that time at the port. Rose was suddenly very aware of his height. It was a little frightening. She sensed none of the desperation and heat she had felt from his lips last night. It seemed all passion was gone.

"I'd like to apologize, Rose." He said suddenly, lowering his head slightly. Rose blinked at him, feeling dread pool in her stomach. Apologize...? "About what happened yesterday."

It took Rose a moment to respond. "Yesterday?" She prompted timidly. Law didn't react.

"I was...not myself when I advanced on you. I don't know what came over me, and I apologise for my behaviour. I assure you, that kiss meant nothing to me."

Rose felt like she had been punched in the stomach. Nothing. It meant nothing.

"N...nothing?" Her voice was a squeak. Cold suddenly spread through her. Law's eyes hardened as he raised his eyes to hers.

"Yes. I am sorry if it caused you any distress, but there's no need to be wary of me. I feel nothing of the sort towards you."

Her heart seemed to crack inside of her. Breathing suddenly became very hard. She felt her grip on the door tighten. It meant nothing. Dimly, she knew she had to form a reply.

"I...I see." It didn't sound like her voice. It was too smooth, too steady to be hers. She felt like she was on the verge of collapsing. A cold, clammy feeling was overtaking her body. It hurt.

Law wasn't looking at her now. He had half turned away, and was tensed up. Dismissive.

Rose knew she had to leave straight away. She was going to cry. Or maybe scream. She didn't know. But her hands were shaking, her eyes were burning, and her heart was aching.

In truth, she didn't know how she ended up in the corridor, shakily stumbling her way back to her room. All she wanted right now was privacy. Oh God, how it hurt. She meant nothing. He didn't love her.

He never loved me.

She should never have gotten her hopes up. Of course he didn't love her. She was much to stupid, and naive, and weak to compete with him.

A sob pushed it's way out of her mouth, and she placed a hand over her trembling mouth. She was completely and utterly heartbroken. Tears streamed down her face, and more sobs escaped from between her fingers.

Her hand fumbled with the door handle of her room. Open, please, quickly. As soon as she collapsed against the door, it opened under her weight, and she kicked it closed hard behind her as she fell onto her bed.

That kiss meant nothing to me.

How it hurt.

~ x ~

Law POV

"...are not stimulated in these pathways tend to wither away and become unusable. These neuron cells either die or change in ways which render them ineffective. If pathways are never developed, they never become usable in the sense that they can handle significant traffic in terms of electrochemical communication within..."

If love hurt this much, Law didn't understand why people were so desperate to find it.

With a sigh, he lifted his eyes from the large book that lay open in front of him, gazing around the familiar study. The smell of old pages wafted up towards him, inticing him to continue reading. But his attention wasn't focusing as he would like, and it was very frustrating.

It had been necesary. It was important that he made her believe that he didn't feel any kind of attraction towards her. Nevertheless, it didn't stop him from hurting. In all honesty, he couldn't undestand her reaction. She had stared at him for a bit, then murmured a simple 'I see', then had hurried out of the kitchen without a backwards glance.

Law had been left with an empty feeling inside his chest...but also a pounding headache. He didn't normally get ill, but he knew when to listen to his body. Clearly this was punishment for not taking care of himself properly over the past few days. Skipping meals, working into the night. He supposed he had been irresponsible.

"Damn it." He massaged his temples. He didn't feel well at all. It was late in the evening, and he had spent most of the day cooped up inside his study. He didn't like to think how cowardly he was acting. There was a knock at the door then. Law's eyes locked onto it, tensed up slightly in anticipation. "Come in."

Bepo poked his head around the door, and Law relaxed.

"I'm not bothering you, am I Captain?"

"Not at all, Bepo-ya." The bear entered and shut the door behind him. "What is it?"

"I just wanted to confirm a few things with you."

They spent the next few minutes discussing the plans for the next few days. It was a little tiresome, but eventually it was all sorted out. Law rubbed his eyes, sitting back in his chair.

"Okay, are we all good?" He nodded in response.

"I believe so."

"Are you alright?" His trusty navigator asked, peering at him anxiously. "You don't seem completely with it." Law frowned.

"I'm not feeling too good. I think I'm developing a cold of some sort." Bepo cocked his head.

"I see." He murmured. "Do you need anything?" Law gave a small smile.

"Don't worry about me, Bepo-ya. I don't need to be looked after." Bepo smiled and nodded in return. Then he perked up with energy.

"I saw that Rose is back!" He chirruped happily, and Law was instantly set on guard. He looked up at Bepo warily. "What made you change your mind, Captain?"

"Ah...well..." He began, looking at the table. There was no way he was going to reveal his true intentions to Bepo, but he wasn't going to lie to him. Clearing his throat slightly, he continued. "The place was much too dangerous for her. I found her in a rather...precarious situation. I decided it would be best if she remained in our company for a bit longer." Bepo nodded then.

"Yes," he said, looking at the ground. "Jean Bart told me she had been injured." Law remained silent, still careful to appear at ease, even though just talking about her was making him anxious. "But...well...I saw her earlier this morning, and, erm..." He trailed off, scuffing the floor with his feet. "She...she didn't look happy at all."

Law raised his eyes then, staring at Bepo. Unhappy? Was it him that had caused this?

"What do you mean?" He prompted carefully, controlling the urge to twitch. Bepo shifted uneasily.

"Well, she it seemed like she was crying..."

His heart panged. Ah. Yes, he had caused it then. Law was ducked his head, frowning. It actually hurt him to think he had made her upset. Damn it... He didn't respond to Bepo's statement for a bit.

"Leave her be." He stood up slowly, avoiding Bepo's gaze. "Whatever it is, I'm sure she'd prefer to be alone."

They exited the study, said goodnight, and parted ways. Bepo made his way down the corridor towards the kitchen, and Law turned groggily towards his bedroom.

His head was killing him. And his limbs were starting to ache too. He was in for a rough night.

She was crying.

The thought stopped him in his tracks. He stared ahead of him, unseeing, hand hovering in front of his mouth. His heart was aching horribly. A grimace spread its way onto his face.

The urge to go to her, right there and then, was almost overwhelming. For a moment he forgot all the reasons he couldn't allow himself to give in to her.

Her room is close.

As if on its own accord, his feet turned away from his room. He took a step forward.

Then he paused.

No.

Realisation came flooding back. It just couldn't be. He had to remember what he was doing with his life. Kill Doflamingo. That was it.

He couldn't afford to get distracted.

Gradually, he shifted his weight onto his other foot, and then turned his back on the direction of her room.

If it wasn't for the fact that he knew he was falling sick, he would have just labelled his heavy, pounding heart as a symptom of his illness.

~ x ~ x ~ x ~

Hello my lovelies.

I guess I owe you an apology for being so slow with updating! I'm sorry, I have just been so busy with school. But I really wanted to get this out to you guys! Sorry if it's a little short!

Anyways, yeah. The Law and Rose love story isn't going to happen that easily hehe.

Please leave a review and let me know what you think! :D