When they were children, Law remembered how easy and happier times were. They were a normal family – they celebrated birthdays and had Christmas and were treated with the utmost love and affection a child could expect from their parents. But he wasn't exactly clear when he began noticing the gradual breakdown until the day he was introduced to the Donquxiote brothers. They'd come to the house and both siblings had been in awe of the men's presence. They had to bend just to enter their front door, and were so outrageously different from their parents that both children were amazed that such characters existed. Law remembered thinking how awkward and small their mother looked at their entrance while their father wore a tense expression.
Doflamingo had introduced himself cheerfully, removing his flashy glasses to look the pair in the eyes. Law remembered thinking that this man was dangerous – he'd crowded against his sister in an unconscious action of protection. Corazon had looked sullen, chewing at a toothpick while scratching lightly at his neck and jawline, giving their home a sweeping examination. When Doflamingo introduced him, Corazon had given the pair an ugly and disdainful look.
"Let us get along from now on," Doflamingo had said, patting Law's head as he turned to address their father.
Almost two years later, Law was carrying a suitcase and a backpack behind his sluggishly moving father, who couldn't seem to look him in the eye. Law understood it to be a weekend stayover; he was now familiar with the Donquxiote family because they attended gatherings together, and Doflamingo plied them with gifts and treats that children couldn't say 'no' too. At the porch, his father turned to Law with a look that he could only describe as troublesome. He had difficulty speaking while Law had looked at him cautiously, frowning at the gloomy frown and the seemingly unconfident way he spoke with.
"This will only be a brief thing," his father had said, almost apologetic. "But Doflamingo thinks it would be good for you to see what the world is made of."
"I don't understand, dad," Law had said, brow furrowed. "Why does Doflamingo make your decisions?"
His father hadn't answered that, but patted his shoulder before ringing the doorbell. He gave Law a hopeful smile. "We'll come get you early Monday morning before school."
But he wasn't retrieved that Monday. Nor the following. Doflamingo told him lightly that he'd start a new school and a new life until his parents 'got it together'. The anger began to burn then because Law didn't understand and because he felt abandoned. Doflamingo appealed to his rebellious side and let him stay up past curfew, gave him whatever he wanted, let him eat whatever he felt. Law was taught to shoot 'real guns' and play with real knifes, and was never taught discipline; if men teased and hurt him with play wrestling, he was encouraged to retaliate. He watched movies with sex scenes and was introduced to adult movies; his reaction was made fun of by the other adults in the house. His parents dropped by rarely with Lamie, who had lost her sunny personality and began to look haunted – intimidated by the loud, raucous activity that Law had grown used to. Law realized he couldn't relate to her – she was still a "baby". In the evolution of growing older in this toxic environment, he began to think dismissively of her.
It wasn't until he was a teenager when the grooming progressed. His hormones were taken advantage of. The feeling of knowing that these things were wrong and never being taught that they were became confusing and sullied. Law's feelings were muddled but he slowly started to accept that just because he was male he still had 'needs' that had to be met and if they were being met then who was he to complain? He became older than his classmates, developing a mind geared for the worst rather than acknowledging he was only a teenager.
Once he realized that his mother's solo visits to the house were part of a payment towards a debt that had grown in time with loans and illegal prescriptions, his hate for his parents began to grow. He had no sympathy towards the people that had thought nothing more of dropping him off as part of an agreement to lessen that debt. He saw less of Lamie and less of them. Penguin and Shachi were part of that crowd – but they relied on each other to pull through the worst of it and began to include him once they saw potential in him. The trio began to understand that this environment wasn't normal. They plotted and stole little by little from their own guardians until they could take advantage and manipulate their environment to work for them. Eventually, all three of them were accepted into a college out of state. Law was comfortable with dead bodies – he'd seen his share of the family destroy those that were unlucky enough to attempt a stand. He had been expected to follow in their footsteps, and he would have if it weren't for those two to remind him that he wasn't like that family.
He scored part time jobs at mortuaries while paying and scoring scholarships to college to further his education while the other two steadying worked through nursing school. Eventually Law cut contact with that family but did make time to go back and cause chaos. The fights he had with Doflamingo and Corazon were growing deadlier and he wouldn't have it any other way.
In the midst of it, he had no idea what Lamie saw or endured with their parents. He'd never given her that much thought until he was securely away from that environment. With his upbringing, he'd always thought she'd reject him because he was like this.
So to hear that she felt she was the cause of their parents' deaths was both surprising and not. But it made sense that she referred herself as an implosion and he as an explosion; she held things in until she couldn't – he released them as quickly as he took them in. Both were dangerous within their own menace.
"I had run away from home," Lamie said quietly, staring at her uneaten food, "and they kept looking for me. Doffy kept texting me these things…and they knew of it. Mom knew of it. She did nothing to discourage the attention – she told me how to. How disgusting is that? Coaching her own flesh and blood to take on the inappropriate attention of a full grown man when I wasn't yet an adult?"
She looked at him, looking years beyond her age at that moment. "They found me – they said they were changing. They were in rehab, they wanted to fix our relationship. But in the next breath they were talking about how to make a birthday party at their house for that weekend. So how was this a truth? I was in the backseat, listening to him talk to Cora, who was complaining about their dog's death. He was already off his rocker, not making any sense. Mom was trying to talk to me at the same time, pretending that this conversation wasn't even happening. They had the child locks on, Law. I had no choice. You know the highway along the countryside that goes into the back of the city? That's where we were. Dad was still talking to Cora when I reached over and yanked the wheel. We rolled so many times off the road. Mom was tossed out and flattened. I saw her body when I was able to get out. I didn't know dad didn't make it until after I saw the newspaper."
"Did you have any injuries?" Law asked, impressed with her tactics.
"No," Lamie answered. "Just a headache. Maybe someone was looking out for me."
"No one knew you were in there with them?"
"Probably just them, but I doubt they'd say anything. I am an adult. The police were looking for me to contact me of their deaths – did they contact you?"
"No."
Lamie swallowed tightly, reaching for her soda. She took a long drink before setting it aside. "I wonder why…"
Law wondered, too. Had he been written completely out of their life? But that wasn't a bad thing to consider. He would not pause to reflect on their actions.
"Once they did, I told them I had been homeless for some time. Estranged from them. And I didn't care about them. I wasn't legally bound, to. Whatever happened that is…nothing of my concern. With the way they relied upon that family, they have nothing to give to us. And I don't want what they might have…"
Law had other questions to ask, but they were only of her. Seeing the way she wore her expression had him taking back any effort. That had probably taken a lot out of her – it had been a heavy load to carry alone all this time. And here he'd been, living life lightly. He felt the responsibility of abandoning his little sister.
"Well," he said slowly, picking at the last of his chicken, "that's that. And that's not something you should feel anything negative over. They deserved it."
Lamie looked at him, frowning. "They did. But…sometimes I feel like that family is still looking for me. Sometimes I think you're going to reach out and send me back to them. When you get so angry…"
With confidence, Law shook his head. "They'd have to kill me first, Lamie. But never let your guard down. Don't wander off alone. Keep the doors locked. There's a reason for your paranoia. The only good thing about this situation is having good instincts."
"Then why is your instinct dulled by another man?" Lamie returned. Law couldn't answer that – he didn't think his instincts were dull at all. Sanji aroused instincts in him he never thought he was capable of having – but at the same time, Law had acknowledged that this game was different.
"How could you?" Lamie then asked. "They used to talk about it. Those people. I know what happened. Are you that comfortable with something so disgusting?"
Lamie was feeling out her safety parameters, Law realized. Her tactics were different from his. Children born into these toxic environments had different defense mechanisms.
He set his fork down. "There are different people out there that aren't like us. I met a few. Admittedly, there was one to change my mind and I…accepted myself. Thanks to him. I guess."
Lamie couldn't understand his way of thinking, looking at him with dark eyes that were shadowed with doubt.
"Your old man ex?" she ventured tentatively.
Law had to exhale slow because he didn't want to talk about Smoker with her. But after having this conversation with Lamie, it was quite apparent that while Smoker left a dark spot on his heart, he wasn't the cause. Law had been in love once and that was enough to prove it was real. He couldn't believe how much he'd needed this talk with Lamie just to see that.
Lamie realized the stretch of silence suggested that this was a sensitive topic. She looked down at her plate, folding her hands underneath the table. She was tired of talking, voice stretched thin. It had been ages since she was able to say anything about the weight she carried alone.
Both of them sat in heavy silence at the table, not looking at each other. The sounds of surrounding neighbors and their activities were noticeable only then.
Law shifted in his seat, looking at the nearby window. "Penguin is a registered gun carrier. Maybe it'd make you feel better if you asked him how to carry."
Lamie looked at him, fingers tense. It hadn't occurred to her that anyone carried a gun around them. "Why don't you?"
"Lamie, if you continue to live your life scared, you're not going to be able to live life properly."
"Do they know where you live?"
"They do. I gave them the invitation. They took advantage of it twice. So if it makes you feel better, get a concealed weapon permit and get comfortable with the thought of killing someone."
Lamie's anxiety seemed to increase and flatten at the same time.
"Penguin, Shachi and I have already implemented a safety plan in the event that they do show up," Law assured her. "I will show you escape routes and safety nets to use – it's close to the police station down the block. And…I hate to say it but…you can rely on those idiots, too. Strawhat and his friends. They live close by and they're…reliable."
"But you don't even like them."
"I don't have to like someone to know that they're dependable."
Lamie was confused by the contradiction, but she took it in stride because her brother's face at that moment said everything she needed to hear. "Then I'll need their numbers."
"I don't talk about my past to them – they know nothing of where I come from or what's bothering me. If you want to talk about that sort of thing, just talk about your own story. Don't share mine."
She nodded. Despite the conversation, her lips pulled into a tentative smile. Understanding where he stood made her feel better. She picked up her fork. "I'm tired…"
Law nodded to agree with her. Talking of these things was exhausting, but he realized he needed to hear it as much as she did. Knowing where she stood made him feel better.
But each of them still registered that small fear they had at the back of their mind – whether or not they would sell out the other to the man that continued to terrify them.
: :
Having that conversation affected him in a way that felt like a box had been opened. Law woke up from fresh nightmares that forced him to revisit parts of the past he thought had been put away. He was forced into thinking about new security measures for Just In Case. He ended up thinking about what his past relationship with Smoker had done for him. A small part of him wanted to acknowledge that to the man, but to go about it in a way that wasn't encouraging. Another part of him demanded to know why he had to say anything at all.
All of this was a jumble of noise and images that didn't seem to ground themselves into one place; he felt unfocused and irritable. He had been comfortable leaving home for a tryst across the city but now he felt a thin thread of anxiety doing so now that he knew Lamie felt paranoid of Doflamingo knowing where he lived.
After everything she'd been through, wasn't it alright to acknowledge she was scared? He showed her escape routes and gave her phone numbers, and they did a few practice runs. Now his apartment made sense to her. He told Penguin about her concerns and Penguin was more than happy to take her with him to the shooting range.
Law realized there was a part of him that felt uncomfortable with Lamie's declaration of holding herself back from loving somebody until she was 'right' because he felt that current vulnerability often opened up to small mistakes that blundered into bigger ones. He had no way of knowing if this was just a protective instinct or a controlling one, and had to work on preventing it from turning it into something unhealthy.
One night, before either sibling could agree on who would shoulder the responsibility of dinner, Penguin showed up to their apartment with Sanji, who came prepared with the first of their hot meals. A panic was alit under the siblings as they hastily registered their sloppy clothes and living conditions while Penguin looked rather proud of his negotiation skills.
"I knew money talked louder than pride," he whispered to Law while Sanji cheerily greeted Lamie, who looked flustered as she attempted to fix her hair and tidy up an apartment that was comfortably lived in.
Law only looked at Penguin suspiciously because the man smelled like recent cologne and walked with a confidence that irritated him once he went to greet Lamie. Both of them talked lightly with each other while Sanji swept a clear space on the counter to deposit his hot meals. In the space of that moment, the blonde's sharp observation skills caught the pensive look Law gave the pair talking at the dining room table while Lamie cleared it.
Law realized he was stuck in an awkward conundrum – he could talk to Sanji but it would rage out of control like it always did and this apartment was too small of a space to hold back that big of a storm. He couldn't ignore him, either – Penguin had bought him to bring them food that overpowered the stench of their cooking mistakes and caused his stomach to rumble with embarrassing volume. Penguin and Lamie were talking cheerily about her job opportunities and available time to visit the local gun range.
Law had a feeling he needed to interfere with the chat because it was so awkward but he didn't want to get swept up in the storm that built when he talked to Sanji, either. So he stood awkwardly in between dining room and kitchen, uncharacteristically timid.
He did catch the smirk Sanji was wearing – caught the dart of his eyes towards the pair at the table before looking pointedly at Law. Seemingly teasing him with the knowledge of knowing Law's sudden distress.
"Lamie," Sanji interrupted, setting out tins of mixed vegetables and curiously browned shapes that smelled like seafood, "are you thinking of getting a gun permit?"
"I am," Lamie confessed, fiddling with her hair shyly as she turned to look back at him. "Law said Penguin carries, so…"
"There's nothing wrong with having a gun," Penguin said. "I have one on me at all times."
"Even at the ballpark?" Sanji asked curiously.
"That's classified information because they're banned there, but yeah."
"What are you scared of, Penguin?"
"Grabby hands," Penguin replied with a shrug.
Sanji let it go as he looked to Lamie, "No woman should have to feel afraid enough to worry about these types of things, but this world sucks. I'm sure his advice is well enough to take, considering we have to ask him if he's carrying when he has been all this time."
"They seem intimidating," Lamie admitted, glancing at Law to see his reaction to the conversation. She couldn't read his expression but it was only because he wasn't sure who to react to. He seemed frozen.
"Knives are convenient, too," Sanji suggested. "Multi-tools aren't considered an illegal weapon."
"You should ask your brother about those," Penguin suggested to Lamie, sitting down in a chair. "He prefers them, too."
"I've found a couple in unexpected places," Lamie reported with a nervous laugh. "But I'd love the idea of being confident to handle a gun."
"We can talk about this in detail at another time," Penguin then said, shifting the discussion because he thought Sanji was a stranger to their past and not included in these plans. He looked over at the man. "Here is dinner! I see those boxes on the counter you guys were trying to open."
"We've gotten better at it," Lamie admitted while Penguin looked over at Law once he realized he hadn't heard a peep from him. She moved to the kitchen to look over the food being evenly distributed onto their paper plates. Giving an awed sound, she clapped her hands together while Law shrugged at Penguin with a reluctant gesture. "Oh! This looks so good!"
"Made with consideration to your dietary needs, with a special dessert that you won't feel guilty having," Sanji assured her. He opened up another carton to reveal a fruit concoction that looked bright and artistic atop of two small plates. "Not that you should be self-conscious of these things, you could already be a model."
Lamie blushed, fiddling with her hair again. "It's my height, isn't it? But I'm glad I met Robin – I don't feel like a tower, anymore."
"The taller the prettier I say."
"You say that type of thing to every girl out there. How am I supposed to believe you?" Lamie asked with some mirth.
Sanji grinned at her, still hiding the loss of his tooth. "Because I am looking into your eyes, dear, and not your – "
Law immediately swept between them with an irritated look at Sanji. "Stop flirting with my sister, you cockroach."
Penguin exhaled with relief, hand to his chest. "There he is! I was wondering who this asshole was standing here like a lemming caught between paths."
" – heart," Sanji finished lamely, locating their utensils. "Here are your two meals. Already paid for – all I ask is that you finish every bite. Of course, if there are any dislikes or preferences, please don't hesitate to let me know so that I can include them into your future meals."
Law was stuck – he rejected Sanji's food all the time on the basis of pissing him off. Being faced with having to eat it now – wasn't that ruining his efforts? He glanced at Penguin, who perked his head to look at the plates Sanji was depositing onto their table.
"Looks yummy," Penguin commented with interest as Lamie took her seat.
"I just ate," Law then said clumsily. "Before I came home from work…"
"I didn't smell any food on you but that ugly chemical stuff," Lamie said with a puzzled look. "Come eat with me. Penguin? Are you hungry?"
"I didn't cook any for him," Sanji said before Penguin could reply. Penguin just shook his head in response because he could already tell Sanji was getting testy by having his food rejected. "This is only proportional to you two. If he doesn't eat it, then save it for tomorrow for breakfast. It's not a big deal. We've already accepted that he'll be a fat ass – "
"Fuck you!"
"He's not fat," Lamie said with another nervous chuckle as she took a bite. Her eyes widened briefly as she chewed slowly. "Oh my god. Sanji."
"Words I love to hear from a woman," Sanji said with a brilliant expression. Law looked at him with murder while Penguin sucked his lips between his teeth.
"This is so good! Law, sit. Have some. You've been hungry since you got here," Lamie then said to him, gesturing at his chair.
"Have some," Sanji reached out to pat Law's stomach.
"I'm going to break your hand if you touch me like that again," Law warned him, slapping his hand away. "Touching me like I'm fucking pregnant, what the fuck."
"Calm down," Penguin told him, unable to interpret Sanji's mirthful expression as he rubbed his hand. After some tense moments, Lamie pausing in mid-chew, Law reluctantly took to his chair. He looked down at the mixture of vegetables and soft brown shapes.
"What is this shit?" he ended up asking gruffly. "I don't like hush puppies."
"Is that what this is?" Lamie asked curiously. "I've never had seafood before. It doesn't taste like the sea…!"
"Vegetables with baked salmon meatballs. Lightly dusted with avocado sauce for the millennial taste buds," Sanji said lightly as Penguin's brow furrowed with curiosity and Lamie took another bite. "Light on calories but guaranteed to make you finish every bite. I've got to go, I've been promised to be busy elsewhere with a friend – "
"You have friends?" Law asked skeptically, using a fork to unravel one ball to examine it closely, Penguin kicking him underneath the table.
"Oh, many," Sanji assured him with a tone that caused Law to glance at him but Sanji was already gathering up his things. "As an adventurous person, I don't keep my interests steady on one area. It's important to explore your options before settling. Which is why I suggest to Lamie that for those skilled in various weaponry should share their options with her before deciding for her what she wants."
Law looked over at him with disgust while Penguin looked to Lamie with skeptical action.
"Once I get you comfortable with a gun, it'll be fine," he assured her.
"Oh, do take care of me," she uttered with some trouble. "I getting nervous just thinking about it."
"There is only one gun we're talking about here, Penguin. One that doesn't require certain grooming to handle. Please remember that in the future," Sanji said pointedly before sweeping out the door.
Law looked at Penguin while Penguin looked puzzled, Lamie shifting her gaze to her food with a furrow of her brow. Then it occurred to Penguin what Sanji was suggesting, looking at Law with horror before shaking his head repeatedly to deny it. Law only looked at him dangerously while Lamie registered the tension to glance at them.
To avoid any more awkwardness, Penguin lifted from his chair hastily. "I'll text you guys later about the gun range. I'm actually on my way to, uh…see Shachi. We're going out to eat. Later, gators."
After he shut the front door behind him, both of them heard him bellow Sanji's name like a high-pitched accusation. Law looked at his little sister with warning once more while Lamie looked confused.
"You lot use so much of your faces to communicate," she said uncomfortably. "I don't know if you're talking of me or about me, sometimes."
"Men's business," Law told her, looking at his food once more. He figured since Sanji wasn't around to see his reaction, it would be fine to try. He crammed in a piece of a meatball into his mouth and froze. Lamie watched him, then grew concerned as moments passed without his reaction.
"I won't tell if you vomit, or don't like it," she whispered with hesitation.
Law swallowed without chewing, looking down at his paper plate with an expression she couldn't read. She wasn't sure if he were going to throw up or if he was allergic to the ingredients.
"You don't like fish?" she asked.
Law set his fork down aside his plate. He then looked to her, noticing that she finished nearly half the contents already. Despite not chewing, the flavor left behind on his tongue continued to linger.
"It's good," he said slowly. Too good, he thought uncomfortably. No wonder small wars were waged when Sanji brought his food about. Acknowledging that made him feel doomed. Almost in the same way they'd come together that first night without any hint of compatibility between them.
Lamie wasn't sure how to interpret that. He continued to look like he'd been slapped in the face. She shrugged and continued to eat while Law frowned down at his food.
: :
Sanji was relieved when he learned that all he needed was a crown to replace the missing tooth. The dentist had assured him that the softball he'd taken to the face had only left him with a hairline fracture that had healed significantly, but admonished him for waiting for so long. He made the arrangements before setting out to the grocery store to start cooking for the siblings' next meal. Lamie had texted them that they'd both enjoyed their dinner, and that Law asked for no bread while she preferred no green beans or chicken; she was tired of chicken. Sanji was waiting for Law's reaction but the man was stubbornly remaining quiet about it.
He wanted to know if Law had been affected by his food – that man was a tough animal to coax to a food dish. He knew Law did it to piss him off – but what was his reason, now? It irritated him to not know.
So for the rest of the week he made their dinner meals, impatiently waiting to hear from Law directly. Only Lamie texted him what "they" thought of it, but Sanji was sure she was being nice for her brother. Maybe Law wasn't eating it at all. It bugged Sanji – he knew what his food did to people, so not getting the reaction he wanted was starting to eat at him. He went above and beyond trying to impress that man into saying something.
The next Tuesday, he was cutting sections of venison apart when he heard the front door open and close, lock moving into place. It caused him to tense, waiting to hear the familiarity of his brothers' footfalls. Only his friends were noisy enough for him to identify from the outside, so the quiet of the action made him grip the knife tightly within one hand. The jazz station playing from the Bluetooth speaker atop of the window sill provided just enough noise to hide the momentary stillness.
Once he realized those quiet footfalls were much lighter and purposeful with a longer stride, he felt his face shift with a light smile and resumed cutting.
"I've heard nothing from you about what you've been eating," he said as the kitchen floor creaked lightly with Law's arrival. "Have you been eating at all?"
"It doesn't seem like you're starving for compliments," Law grunted, walking up to him at the counter to examine what he was doing. Used to seeing him in casual wear, Sanji did a double take at the long sleeved shirt, tie and slacks Law wore. His mouth dropped before he could catch it, and he hastily whirled back around to focus on what he was doing. "What's this?"
"I killed it this morning. It's still hanging up in the garage," Sanji joked, seeing the man give the garage door a curious look. "I'm kidding. Psycho. Well, how goes it? Lamie still safe from that flightless bird?"
Law refused to answer that, noting the layout on the counter. Everything Sanji chose to use was already measured out and set aside – just like those cooking shows. There was a glass of wine nearby, the bottle sitting closer to the sink. He had to admit that he'd never had this type of meat before, so he was unsure of his judgement about it. The dark red color of it and the smell of blood had a different reaction to him after spending most of the day aiding in the investigation of two homicide victims. It almost made his stomach turn but at the same time spurred his taste buds. Maybe he really was psycho.
He looked to the other man, momentarily distracted by the jeans and t-shirt combo he was wearing, with an apron over that. Sanji was also barefoot. Inappropriate thoughts hit Law hard, uncomfortable with the uplifting feeling about coming home to this every day.
"Your door isn't locked," he said instead. "So I locked it for you."
"I don't lock my door," Sanji reminded him impatiently, hair swinging about as he looked at him. "If I have to abandon my task just to answer it then it's not worth it."
"Are you really doing this for the money, or just to amuse yourself?" Law then asked him.
"I have plenty of time."
Law leaned against the counter. "You're not doing this to hold my attention?"
"I don't think I need to worry about that," Sanji said with some confidence that spoke volumes. He didn't have to look at the older man to sense his disgusted eye roll. He then set his knife aside to wipe his hands on a paper towel, then take a quick swallow of his wine that he then set aside. "So what happened? You seem obsessed with locked doors and windows. Her fear is telling. Are you expecting a visit?"
Law looked at him pointedly. "You're trying to break one of my rules."
"Did you come just to stand here and look dumb?"
"Yes," Law muttered, watching as he then tossed each strip into a pan that was laden with spices that smelled savory and caused his mouth to water once more. "Penguin and Shachi took her to a gun range. They won't be back until later."
"Then you'll have to wait until I'm done, because I'm occupied at the moment."
Law watched him as he worked, comfortable with the silence between them. There was something there that made him feel comfortable enough to carry a conversation with Sanji in a way that didn't feel forced like he would feel with Smoker. It was comfortable in silence, too – it made him feel disgusted at himself.
Sanji looked at him, pausing his work. "Where did you park, by the way?"
"Down the street by the office. Why? Expecting company?"
"My friends were threatening me with a good time but I told them I wouldn't meet them until later. Sometimes they drop by just to make sure I'm doing what I'm doing."
Law wondered what Sanji did to make his friends have to think that way.
"What do they think of this storage unit?" Law then asked, stepping away from the counter to look over the dining room and living areas that were stacked with moving boxes. There were more added to the dining room, he noticed. Labeled with foreign languages. "Why are so many of them from France?"
Sanji glanced at him, wondering how much to tell him. But he looked them over as well, pulling a cover over the baking tray. He set that into the refrigerator before washing his hands. "Could be drugs, could be money, could be body parts," he mused. "I don't open them to know. They're not mine."
"Then where is yours?" Law asked, searching for ones that might be holding body parts.
"If I need to leave, they're in a place I can take from quickly. But they're mostly just childhood memories, so I don't know how useful that can be."
"Are you ever going to live in this house?"
"It's not my house," Sanji corrected him before pulling out potatoes and skinning them quickly, saving them for another strainer. He put the actual potatoes into cold water and set that into the sink. "I'm only taking advantage of it."
"Then why don't you move in with one of your dumb ass friends?"
"Because I don't want my relatives visiting me there," Sanji reminded him. He washed the skins underneath the water, then pulled forward a mortar with thinly chopped vegetables in it. Law caught sight of what he was doing, noticing that he was working with items most people swept aside. After chopping up the potato skins, he began mashing everything into a fine paste. Law didn't know that could be done. Words left him as he watched him work. Sanji noticed he'd lost his train of thought and looked back at him.
He set the mortar aside, along with the pestle. "Come back to Earth, please."
"My sister killed our parents," Law blurted out, unsure of why the words escaped him, "and she thinks they're looking for her. Those guys. My…stepfather."
Sanji nodded with a thoughtful expression. "Then you're taking the right steps to arm her to make her feel comfortable. But maybe it's time to move if she feels scared."
"You can't live life scared – "
"She's not you, dickhead," Sanji snapped at him. "Of course she feels scared! You take one look at her and know she's scared about something, but she's clinging to the hope that you're always going to be there, and can you promise her that you're going to?"
Law looked away with frustration.
"Each of us has had our own experience with this shit and each of us adapted to it differently, and she's different from us because she's a woman," Sanji insisted. "And I'm not saying that because I think they should all be protected by a capable man, I'm saying that they're different from us! Of course us men are going to leave our doors unlocked or fly back home to invite shit but women won't – especially not her! She jumps if you look at her funny. She's not going to stand her ground, she's going to run and that's a smart thing for her to do. For you to force her to stand her ground when she can't – who is the fucking bully here?"
"If she has a gun – "
"Is she going to carry that thing into the bathroom with her and hold onto it while she's sitting on the toilet or taking a shower? What happens when she wants to lounge on the couch? Tell me, when she's doing her chores, is she going to wear it all the time? Will she have time to reach for it when that door's kicked open? How about if she's grabbed from behind, do you think they're going to let her reach for it?"
Law sighed. Slapping the back of his hand against his palm, Sanji said firmly, "It's not about you, it's about her. Everything you think is wrong."
"I have a place that I'm familiar with – I showed her the routes, I gave her extra numbers – "
"Again - !"
"SHUT UP!" With a growl of frustration, Law was incredulous how Sanji tore holes in the safety net Law had relied upon for years. "Fuck, I didn't come here for this!"
"What did you come here for?"
"I can move, but it's the middle of the month. And it has to be a place where…if she chooses to move on with…someone…see, that's the other thing."
"So, this thing with Penguin is a real thing?" Sanji asked with amusement.
"NO! I'm saying IF! I'm planning ahead! It's important to be prepared!"
Sanji studied the older man's reaction and had to hold his lips tight to keep from pouncing on that visible frustration. But he said with amazing patience, "You are working yourself up with something that might just be your wild imagination…"
"I don't either! I told her not to be making stupid choices, and especially with them. It's not right for sisters to date your friends because that shit gets awkward! What if they break up? Then I have to choose who I stand with, and I'm not doing that…" Law found himself stumped with expressing himself like this, Sanji leaning against the counter with an amused look on his face. "I mean, of course she's going to say one thing and then do another, that's what women do, they want to be – loved and shit, and I know it's going to happen with her because she's going to make a mistake, and I need to plan for this because this apartment shit isn't cheap. If she moves out after finding a man, I'm going to be stuck with the fucking rent of a place I didn't want in the first place…"
Sanji laughed, the man looking down at him with an upset frown. "Listen to you! Big brother to the rescue – tell me, do you plan on controlling every detail after that? I get the danger aspect of your fretting but this one…you can't control what people think and what they want to feel. You can give them shit about it, but you can't do shit about it. Remember that. But I don't approve of it so you need to talk to your shitty friend."
"I want to…but it seems awkward…" Law trailed off because there were threads to that that made this conversation even more so.
Sanji laughed again, tickled by this situation.
"Of course I'm doing what I can to discourage this – "
"Is it even a thing? Maybe you're just overprotective…"
"I'm not overprotective. I'm realistic."
Sanji knew that battle was going nowhere and decided to change the subject. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Then look for another place, numb nuts. You said she was running for awhile – let her figure out what works best for her because it obviously worked for her. Stop planning her life for her. Build up her confidence by suggesting, not demanding. She wants to do the gun thing – let her. Let Penguin do it. But warn him not to get the wrong idea."
"I know, I know…" Law realized why he spoke so easily to Sanji, looking at him with a sort of frazzled expression. Sensing his dismay, Sanji waited for him to continue with whatever thought had crossed his mind but Law seemed reluctant to continue. He pushed away from the counter. "I'm going to go. I just had some time to waste, so I came here."
"Yeah, your twenty minutes were up a long time ago," Sanji said with amusement, looking at the oven clock.
Law hesitated while Sanji returned to his mortar and pestle, grinding what he needed to before depositing it into a separate bowl. The sunlight coming from the window nearby was declining as it made it's way over the city to set. The sounds of kids from the house next door was suddenly apparent – from behind the fence, Law could see them jumping on the trampoline.
"So…you met up with a friend?" Law then asked slowly, each word difficult to release. Sanji directed an impatient expression to the counter before looking at him, seeing the way Law avoided looking at him as he waited for his answer.
"Are we doing that now?" Sanji asked. "Doesn't that break one of our rules?"
"I just need to know because sometimes I do this thing where I remove the condom without you noticing – "
"Fuck off, you son of a bitch. It was Ussop I was meeting up with!"
"There's nothing that I'm doing that's breaking a rule. This is just two dudes talking to each other about things only we know about. Bar conversation."
"Things like that give a guy the wrong idea," Sanji said, "and that's not…a nice thing to do. I think you can agree that…both of us are seeking something we're not used to. And…it's glaringly obvious that neither of us can shut up when we're in each other's company, unless there's a dick in our mouths, so let's just toss that onto the table."
Because it was true, it took Law a few moments to acknowledge it. He felt nervous as he did so. His phone vibrated with messages, but once he saw Luffy's name atop of the board he muted his phone without reading it, sliding it back into his pocket. Sanji scraped out the mortar, then examined the contents of his bowl before turning on the flame to a skillet filled with oil. He kept his back to Law as he watched the oil remain stationary. Law noticed how close the glass of wine was and snatched it to take a swallow – he made a face, cringing and stiffening as the taste hit him unexpectedly. He was not a wine drinker – he set the glass aside and somehow managed to swallow without catching Sanji's attention.
"Accepting that I have feelings for a man has been like…a kick to the balls," Sanji reluctantly admitted. "But I can't deny them anymore."
"I thought we agreed with the no feelings thing – "
"We can talk ourselves hoarse about that rule but it's obvious we're both full of shit," Sanji told him. "You wouldn't be seeking me out, and I wouldn't be talking to you like a fucking human being. So obviously we fucked up with that aspect. In the spirit of carrying on this conversation like an adult, let's just acknowledge that we're both stupid."
Law sighed uncomfortably as he watched kids laugh and play outside, an adult adjusting a propane fueled grill on the porch. The fact that he could see this normal family with its normal problems filled him with unease.
"I wasn't expecting anything to happen beyond that first point," Sanji said sullenly. "But it did, and here we are a year later, two jackasses still denying the obvious. I honestly don't know what to do. What happens from here?"
It took Law a few moments to answer. "Just…remain two dudes talking about similar things. Why does it have to be any different?"
Sanji turned to look at him. In the light of the sun streaming in from the nearby window, his eyes looked like the sort of brown bark that Law saw packed atop of flower boxes on the roadway, designed to keep them moist in the hot sun. "Just because I accepted you doesn't mean I've accepted what people think of me. But I don't want to continue on like I'm fucking stupid."
He bit his lip before saying softly, "Twenty minutes isn't enough, anymore."
Relief flooded Law at that moment, feeling similarly. So he nodded in agreement, Sanji's face showing the same expression at this mutual thing.
"Threatening me the way you did that one time wasn't fair, either."
"I honestly regret that. I didn't mean to put that on you," Sanji admitted with an uncomfortable look. "It happened because I panicked. But to be fair, I wouldn't even dream of giving them that satisfaction."
Maybe dark honey, Law decided. "I only let you threaten me because it amuses me."
"I don't want to think that anything can come of this, other than what we have now," Sanji decided, hands clasped together. "Because both of us are with clear lapses in judgement…"
"Are you proposing a change in rules? Because I don't do that public thing."
Fiddling with his apron, Sanji then remembered he wasn't done with his preparations and washed his hands again. He pulled over a bowl of flour and began breading the ground ingredients from earlier. By the time he tossed them into the skillet, the sizzle of oil provided some noise within the space of silence. He found a metal ladle to stir.
"I still haven't figured out my own question," Sanji mumbled, monitoring his progress. Law didn't know what he meant by that. "It's taking me time to accept this part of myself. Not with the same degree I had when we were starting out."
"No more truck stop romances? Sleazy hotel rooms?"
"Maybe we can upgrade to Best Westerns in the good part of town."
Law snorted. "Proposing something that's more than what we have now is a lot of work. It's a lot of effort to make time to talk and act…chummy…"
"Do you want to?" Sanji asked him, interrupting him. "I mean…"
He trailed off awkwardly, youthfully nervous.
Law considered it. There was a part of him that wanted him to stop this conversation, but it was explosive diarrhea that just wouldn't stop. He looked at him. "What would you tell your friends?"
"I thought about it," Sanji admitted reluctantly, Law looking at him with surprise to hear that, "and those guys…they're not like…they're not negative, they're not…if something makes someone happy then they're happy for them. So it wouldn't be a big deal…but having to admit I'm something I've spent so long denying, it just…"
"Why do they have to know your origin story? They know you for you."
Sanji used the ladle to drop the fried pieces onto a nearby container with a paper towel tucked inside. Then he set the skillet aside while shifting another pan atop of that. He said nothing and Law waited for him to continue. Sanji then looked at him, fiddling with his fingers. Unconsciously looking timid.
"Were you asked out, or did you blackmail him, too?"
"Listen here, you terrorist, I did no such thing. But…" Law thought about the way he and Smoker worked their relationship out in public. Without any affection, without any indication that they were together. Just two dudes that got along well. "It was…not even those guys knew what it really was…"
"I can argue and fight with the other guys until I kick their ass but both of us are fucking perverted and work that into a form of fucking foreplay, so talking to each other normally," he used finger quotes around this word, "isn't going to get any easier."
He wore a resolute expression as he looked back up at Law once again. "So. Let's decide here right now what this is going to be."
Law frowned at him. "You're doing it again. You're pushing me into a corner with your goddamn demands again."
"No, I'm forcing both you and me to look at the obvious picture and acknowledge it for what it is! We both agreed to do this talking thing – not like we can stop it anyway – and it's only going to progress from here so we might as well as get it over with and admit it."
But from his tone, it was obvious he was looking to Law to make the first move. Sanji withdrew the marinated meat from the fridge before turning up the flame on the stovetop. Law remained in stubborn silence while Sanji cooked the meat. The fragrant scent coming from that was absolutely heavenly. His mouth was watering, thoughts fuzzy while he tried to sort out his thoughts.
He exhaled low, but it felt like a sense of relief. "Fine. It is what it is."
"What does that mean?"
"Let's do this."
"With conditions."
Giving a tired groan, Law snapped, "Fuck conditions! Just let it go!"
"But if there aren't rules set, you're going to bulldoze your way into things like before!"
"Like you aren't using the same fucking tactic! You threw in all these demands and conditions in and I had to follow them or else!"
Sanji sighed noisily, pulling the steaks from the grill. He set them aside, separating them into different tins.
"Fine," he muttered.
Law watched him work, then said, "After all that denial and anger about yourself, now you're finally thinking it's okay? Like…how did that come about?"
Sanji looked nervous as he set his utensils down, the knife clattering noisily atop of the cutting board. "When I'm with you, I feel like it's okay," he said slowly. "How could it be wrong if I feel fine being around you?"
Law scowled. "Making stupid decisions just because something feels good doesn't always make for smart decisions…this is how children are made. So…this is it."
He exhaled low, rolling this decision around in his thoughts. He felt like he had butterflies and anchors rolling around inside of him. Both exciting and frightening. "This is…a thing but we're not telling people anything, right? Just sort of…let them figure it out? Or are you intending on blasting it to the world like a gender reveal party?"
Sanji couldn't read his expression to see what Law preferred. He shrugged. "I don't know."
Law looked at him, feeling uncertainty crowd his senses. Sanji watched him, looking for some guidance or something that would make this nervous feeling go away. Neither of them felt negative about it. But it was acknowledged that they shared the same wants without a fight.
The buzzing sound finally caught their attention, both of them looking around themselves for a phone that clearly wanted attention. The continuous pinging and buzzing came from the nearby hallway – growing fainter but obviously muffled. Once it became an idea of what it could be, both of their faces paled and dropped, thinking as one.
The silence became intense at that moment. Enough for Luffy to cautiously peek around the doorframe, holding his busy cellphone tightly within both hands in an attempt to muffle the slurry of incoming texts and phone calls. Once he realized that Sanji and Law were looking right at him, both wearing horrified expressions, Luffy cringed.
But he pushed away from the doorway, saying hastily, "Oh, hi guys! Hi, I just…I just got here, I was just dropping by to see if Sanji was here! I used my key cuz the door was locked. Don't worry about anything, I didn't see or hear anything, I didn't – I mean, I just got here so I didn't have time to overhear anything…I'm shocked to see you here, Traffy, psh, I mean, it's cool you're here, Law, dude, bro, um…buddy? So, what's going on here? Sanji, what are you making, hmm?"
"How long were you standing there?" Law eked out, fingers itching to get to that neck of his while Luffy stumbled obviously through his web of spoken lies.
"LUFFY!" Sanji exclaimed, purple in the face as he figured out the reason behind Luffy's busy phone.
Luffy laughed noisily, but struggled to rein in. His every gesture of nervousness and over exaggerated action spoke of what just happened.
"Gosh, you guys act like I'd messaged a word by word play of everything I heard," he chuckled, sweating nervously as he fiddled with his black hair. "You guys! I just walked in, heard voices and - ! Yum, Sanji, is that deer? That's deer, right? That's what you got yesterday? Is it done?"
"You did not," Sanji said with a horrified expression. "How much did you hear?"
Luffy studied one face then the other, then looked at his phone. Looking back at him, he answered with a squeak, "All the way from you yelling at Traffy over Larry. Why? Is that a problem?"
Sanji slapped his hands over his face while Law exclaimed, "What do you mean, word by word play? You messaged our entire conversation to everyone?"
"I don't have that many contacts," Luffy stressed, looking at his pinging phone while notifications poured in from everyone he had been texting.
Both of them looked slapped in the face while Luffy hastily cleared his screen, giving them a sheepish look. Then he threw his arms out with a yell.
"You can't get mad at me! I didn't know what you guys were talking about! I was telling those guys that Traffle-Guy was moving and Larry needed a gun and for everyone to get ready to square up to kick some ass because if either of that was important then it was a big thing," Luffy inhaled dramatically after going red in the face before spewing out, "then you guys started talking about being in love, and suddenly I didn't know what I was writing and everyone kept asking me more questions so I just kept texting them exactly what you guys were saying and it somehow got out of hand and I was reporting for everyone - !"
"LUFFY!" both older men shouted at him, causing Luffy to cringe, biting his lip. He continued clearing his screen, tapping without direction while he kept his cautious gaze on both of them.
"All I said was almost everything you guys did, so none of it can be misinterpreted," he argued, still tapping away. "So you should be mad at yourselves and not me and can I test taste that stuff…?"
Law had his face in his hands while Sanji's fingers covered his mouth and nose, eyes closed tight. Luffy frowned at both of them, still tapping away the notifications that were coming in.
"I mean," he stressed, trying to diffuse the situation, "everyone knows you two liked each other because you wouldn't even talk, so that was suspicious and then we kept watching you two and Law would only be mad when Sanji was ignoring him and Sanji wasn't talking to you like he talks to us, so - !"
"STOP WATCHING US!"
"All I'm saying," Luffy continued, tapping away with his left hand now that his right was tired, "is that things are fine! There's nothing wrong with it, just surprising because I thought Law bought prostitutes and Sanji played with dolls like the ones at the adult store because that one time - !"
He ducked when Law grabbed the nearby strainer to throw at him, then exclaimed, "Why are you guys so mad? You're always so mad – hey, wouldn't it be easier to not be so mad and just be glad that you don't have to stress on how to tell people? Now they know. Now, thanks to me, you don't have to hide!"
He quickly evaded the knife Sanji flung at him then took cover in the hallway, sweating nervously once the blade buried itself into the wood and sheetrock inches from his head. It occurred to him that one was a cook that cut up animal parts and the other a man that cut up human bodies, so he hastily made a quick getaway before either one of them could get a hold of him.
Hearing the front door open and shut, both of them froze with the shock of what had been done. Law turned his phone off just to mute the constant stream of messages coming to him – some of which included Luffy's play by play. He'd texted Law and what looked like 100 others, "Reporting for Channel 2 news, Reporter Luffy OUT!"
"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," Sanji whispered, hands to his face once more while Law looked dazed. Inhaling deeply, Sanji struggled to get it together. But he lowered his hands to his apron, brushing at it senselessly.
"Whelp," he said slowly, "that settles that. Time to…accept what happened and roll with…what comes next. Yep. Okay."
He went back to his preparations while Law looked at him, struggling to accept that Luffy's hundreds of friends now knew that the pair of them had established a formal relationship. The shock was new and metallic in his mouth but…Sanji was right. It was done.
Naghi-Tan: Big chapter! :D Happy New Year!
HS: LOL I admit, I had to look back frantically after reading your review to make sure I had included that (during editing, I cut and delete so much that the ghosts remain and confuse me because I thought I left certain details in that actually didn't…). This chapter is more uplifting BUT…there is always a BUT…:D
Snowflake97: That's how I like to drive: 0 -100 :D This story is slow to open but once it does, it gets pretty exciting! While their secret is now out, can they handle that pressure? Ugh, I'm excited for the new few chapters :D
