A/N: So proud of myself. Wish me luck! Round two!

Guest: *thumbs up* thanks! I'm glad you liked!

Snowflake97: haha thanks! hopefully this chapter takes the edge off!

Part Eleven

In the end, Zoro ended up cutting Pica to pieces. The hotel fell around them, and the small town rumbled with townspeople leaving with haste, not wanting to be caught up in the mess that would surely happen after such a grand battle. The warning of Marines coming their way, along with other powerful opponents caused panic to spread. By the time the sun began to hide behind yet another incoming storm that swept over the area with violent rain and powerful thunder, the town was nearly empty.

They'd moved next door to the hospital, to a bed and bath with meager furnishings. The mood turned somber and tense as they couldn't leave because of Penguin's near mortal injuries. The man needed some time to show positive progress before any of them could move him from the hospital.

Luffy stared out one bedroom window with a morose expression, his forehead white with bandages. Lightening streaked through the sky, the edges of town dark with falling rain. In the distance, dust built up like a wave, oozing over the desert landscape towards their way. Laying on the top bunk, Luffy fiddled restlessly with one six shooter that he'd never really used, tapping the barrel on the wooden railing in time with the grandfather clock that ticked downstairs.

"They're not coming, are they?" he asked no one in particular.

"There's no telling if they can at this point," his brother answered with a tired sigh. He wore bandages on his back and upper arms, and was nursing a bruised jaw, which made it difficult for him to eat anything, so his temper was rather prickly. "Quiet down, by the way. People are sleeping."

"I'm not being loud!" Luffy said in frustration. He looked back out the window, the reflection of the incoming storm crossing slowly over the panes, and then rolled off the bunk bed. He shrugged his shirt on as he left the room and walked down the hall.

Luffy found Zoro talking to Sanji in low tones in the room they shared, and Luffy squinted to hear better. He knew Sanji was upset because his nightmares had been vicious last night, and Zoro had no patience for it, telling Sanji after his last one that he needed to 'get over it', or stop fighting altogether. Luffy liked their friendship when they were being nice to each other, but their tempers caused uncomfortable fights that left Luffy wondering what it was all about in the first place. Sometimes Zoro was a little too rough and insensitive, and Sanji was a little too touchy and too sensitive, and Luffy didn't understand why they had to lay their hands on each other at all.

He heard that Zoro was getting angry, slipping between his native language and English, and soon Sanji was cussing at him in his, until both of them were insulting each other in their first languages, and it gave Luffy a headache to try and figure it out, so he waited until Zoro strode out of the room with a curse, hitting the wall on his way to the stairs. The front door slammed after he left it, Ace yelling at Luffy to stop making so much noise.

Luffy peeked into the room, and saw that Sanji was sitting up in bed with a faraway look to his face that immediately caused Luffy to investigate.

"You okay, Sanji?" he asked with concern, sitting at the edge of the bed and leaning over to peer up at him. The man smelled clean – Luffy had no doubt that he'd dragged himself to take a bath before anyone else could. That was how Sanji was. The other man's face looked battered and sore, one of his eyes red with broken blood vessels, lip cracked in the corner, and Luffy winced with sympathy for him.

It took a few moments for Sanji to even realize he was there, but he struggled to smile, found it difficult, and made another face, reaching out to pat Luffy's head. "I'm good. But I'm sore as fuck and don't want to move unless I have to."

"Maybe you should have Law look at you."

"I know my injuries. I'm okay. I'm just going to sit here for awhile. I'll cook later, okay?"

"Let me help you to the window, then. You shouldn't just sit, you're going to get all stiff like Brook does in the cold. C'mon. Alley oop!" Luffy encouraged, pulling the sheet back, and grabbing his hands. Sanji looked like he was going to argue, but the need for tobacco won out, so Luffy pulled and Sanji winced, but he was moving, standing in a hunched position with his hands moving to his ribs. He stood there for several moments, then shuffled to the window with obvious effort. He opened the window and looked out, then lit a cigarette.

"That shit's bad for you!" they heard Kidd from somewhere below.

"That guy's still here?" Sanji asked. "Hmf."

"He's a gas! His personality is as bright as his hair!"

Sanji had to chuckle at Luffy's cheer, leaning aside as Luffy peered out the window and waved at Kidd. Then he ducked back in, a rock missing him by inches. Sanji finished his cigarette after a few minutes, put it out carefully and had Luffy try to throw it into a trash barrel several feet away from the house. While he did that, Sanji returned to bed, the effort difficult with all the different areas of soreness in his torso area.

Luffy watched him resettle himself, a mixture of emotions running over the other man's face as he resumed his earlier position.

"I'm tired, Luffy. I'm just going to sleep, okay?"

"Do you want me to sleep with you, tonight?"

When he didn't answer, Luffy took that as a "Yes". He nodded, then patted his leg. "Get some rest, then. You did good, Sanji. Pica was real tough. We couldn't do anything until we finally came together to get that jacket off him. Shachi said Vergo was a very tough opponent, better than Pica! So when Law said you and Penguin took him down – "

"I wasn't able to, Luffy. If Law hadn't shown up when he did…" Sanji cut himself off with frustration, the unwelcome feelings of helplessness and defeat hitting him all over again. Suddenly it was difficult to breathe, and his hands bunched the sheets with anxiety. Luffy watched him for a few moments, then nodded.

"Shachi told us about Law, last night. Well, not directly, but we all kinda just guessed when we saw what he was doing to Vergo." Luffy shrugged. "Then it made sense when Pica kept talking about killing him, to get revenge for his friends."

Sanji exhaled tightly, tucking some strands of hair behind a sore ear. "Oh. So…it's out there, now. That connection. Zoro was nice enough to tell me that it's all my fault we were drawn into this mess."

With an indignant expression, Luffy declared, "That's unfair of Zoro to say that to you. I wouldn't say it was 'your fault', because we had a chance to walk away from it, too, but I pushed us to go talk to him that day. I was actually going to go kick his ass, but when I found those letters, it changed my mind about him."

Sanji looked at him with amusement. "You were going to 'kick his ass'?"

"Yeah. When Zoro told me you got stolen out of his house, I was going to kick Law's ass, but then Sheriff Smoker came along and threw us in jail for some reason. Then I found those letters. Ussop made me read them because he wanted me to practice, and you know I hate reading!"

"What 'letters'?"

"He was holding Law's mail for him. They were from someone that sounded very concerned about him, and it sounded like he was hiding, to me, but he also did something that made the other person glad he was hiding. I think if Law read them in time, maybe he wouldn't be here, but Smoker was nice enough to have them all in one place, so I think he was helping out, too. I thought, hey if the Sheriff's involved in hiding Law, too, then it must've been pretty serious."

That sly fox! Sanji thought with stunned action. Is he conspiring with Rosinante?

"Then I saw him looking sad when he was fixing his horse's grave, and you know how I am when it comes to those things. So, I didn't kick his ass. Instead, I made him come with us. So, in the long run, it was me that made the decision, and Zoro's an ass for saying that to you." Luffy tapped a fingertip into Sanji's forehead. "So get that out of your head. And, honestly, if Law wanted to leave so bad, he would. But he didn't. And he's not. So, that's that!"

Sanji had to look away, shaking his head slightly. He had to wonder who in the group was the actual strategist.

"Anyway, how come you didn't tell us that you knew each other?" Luffy asked him curiously.

Sanji was quiet for a few moments, then he exhaled again. "Well, I didn't expect things to happen the way they did. I just…I thought that would be it. Just that one time."

"That still doesn't tell me why, Sanji. Are you embarrassed, now? Was he one of your customers, too?"

"No. No, I just…back then, I knew of him. That was it. But when I saw him here, I…couldn't bring myself to hate him like I did with the others. Because it looked like he was dealing with things in the same way I was, so…I don't know, Luffy. My reasons are unclear even to myself."

Luffy nodded. Then he reached out and patted his leg. "Okay. Well, try to get some sleep. I'm sure it'll all work itself out in the end."

Sanji then reached out and hugged him, then gave him a noogie. "You're a funny kid. Thanks for giving me a new headache to think about, brat."

"Whatever that means."

Luffy pulled away and left the room, satisfied that Sanji was in a better place than before. Maybe he wouldn't think so much about his fears; maybe now he could concentrate on something different. He wandered downstairs, where he found Tony coloring on the floor within the main hall with a happy look on his face. Luffy wandered over to see what he was drawing. He drew back with a disgusted expression when he saw that Tony was drawing the insides of a human being with a happy faced doctor standing at the side of a man with x's on his eyes.

"That's gross," he told him.

"I'm going to be a doctor," Tony told him, almost in sing song, feet waving in the air. "This is connected here, this goes there, and be careful with this part! It oozes if you touch it."

"Ugh," Luffy said, reaching down to feel his forehead and finding it okay. Then he wandered off to the kitchen to find Ussop asleep at the table, his own drawings spread around him. He found some fruit, so he dumped it into a small wicker basket and began eating it all as he patted Ussop's back. He left the kitchen and found Brook outside, looking at the hotel ruins with a hand over his eyes. Luffy mimicked the pose, then walked past him to the hospital.

Inside, Shachi was sleeping with his head on the table that Penguin laid on, in a chair that looked uncomfortable. The other man was covered in bandages that looked slightly stained, the sound of oxygen flowing through a cannula the only true sound in the room. Luffy tiptoed and stopped chewing on the apple he'd stuffed in his mouth to wander over and look at the man up close. But Penguin was still unconscious, and Luffy couldn't tell what was happening with him.

Luffy wasn't clear on the details, but he knew that Penguin had needed his belly drained after the battle left him with a lacerated liver, and there was a removal of an organ, and he'd tuned out the rest because seeing Shachi worry over his friend was the only thing important to Luffy.

He looked over to find Law napping with his hat over his face on another table, blankets propped underneath his head. He was sleeping soundly, hands folded on his stomach, and it was the first time Luffy had seen his tattoos so he wandered up close to examine them for himself. He made a face, wondering what they meant, then made a pouting expression because he wanted to ask now. But he walked away, resuming chewing.

He threw the remains of the core towards the stables. Brook was sitting in front of the bed and breakfast with his guitar, strumming a melodic tune, and Kidd was coming back with a full burlap sack that bulged with various bits of treasure.

"Just food!" Kidd assured him with a grand smile, but Luffy knew better because he could see bank notes mixed in with canned food. He frowned at him, but Kidd was whistling and was happy and Luffy could find something else to tease him with later. He saw Law's horse grazing on someone's yard just down the street, still fully saddled and dragging his reins around. He whistled to see if the horse would respond to him, and it did, shuffling slowly his way.

Tony ran out from the house with a happy yell, running to the horse and Luffy hurried after him. But Bepo nudged Tony with a greeting as the boy hugged him, then attempted to climb on. Luffy helped him, the horse sighing as he held still. Once seated, Tony clicked his tongue, and Luffy hopped on as well because he didn't want the boy to fall or hurt himself in anyway.

Bepo looked from side to side before snorting, Luffy grabbing hold of the reins and pulling him to the side so start walking. The horse shuffled in a wide circle much to their delight, Tony laughing and Luffy shouting with glee in being able to accomplish this much on a horse. Brook watched them from the porch with a smile, Zoro stepping out onto the porch to see what the commotion was about.

Ace shoved the window open and bellowed at them to quiet down, then slammed it shut. Tony suddenly grew tired, and he slipped down to the ground, Luffy expressing concern. His tone caused Zoro to stride over to look for himself. Tony roared with impatience, slapping at their concerns before running back to the house with a huff and a slammed door.

Ace screamed at Luffy to quiet down.

"Well, he was up early this morning," Luffy said. "It's probably okay."

"Go put that horse away," Zoro then said to him. "It looks tired."

"Oh? Zoro? You know horses, now?" Luffy asked him.

"No, but who knows how long he's been walking around like that after last night?"

Luffy then tightened his hold on the reins, somehow managing to direct Bepo into walking towards Zoro. Once the man realized the animal was going to walk right into him, he stepped to the side, giving Luffy ample opportunity to kick him.

"Ow! What the hell, Luffy?" Zoro exclaimed, rubbing his head.

"Stop saying shitty things to Sanji, Zoro! He can't help it! You're not making things any better!"

"Oh, hell, that's what it's about? Luffy, honestly, he puts himself in the situation, he makes it worse! All I said was for him to get over it. He intends on fighting? He needs to stop those nightmares!"

"You still get upset thinking about your village, right? About those people being killed? What makes that any different? It still affected you!" Luffy said indignantly, as Bepo turned away so Luffy had to turn in the saddle to keep looking at the other man.

"It does, but I don't put myself in certain situations that keep reminding me of it every minute!"

"Oh, I'm sure that was the very first thing on Sanji's mind when that guy jumped him."

"I meant in other ways! I told him to calm it down, a little. The next man he fucks around with might be his last!"

"Well, things happened , Zoro. Sanji found Law for a reason, and I think it's obvious why. So get over it, okay? Sanji likes men as much as he hates them, but I'm starting to think you're jealous."

Zoro's face twisted with fury, and he kicked Bepo in the flanks, causing the horse to run off, Luffy screaming with horror as he held on for as long as he could before falling off. He still had a tight grip on the reins, so Bepo was jerked to a stop. From the dirt, Luffy lifted his head and screamed, "You jerk! Zoro! Ass! Boo! You suck!"

"Put that horse away!" Zoro yelled at him before stomping back to the house. He opened and slammed the front door, prompting Ace to scream once more at Luffy.

Luffy picked himself up from the dirt, brushed himself off with a grumble, and then walked Bepo towards the stables with no idea on how to 'put a horse away'. Luffy led Bepo through the wide entranceway, and then stared up at the horse with a lost expression, unsure of what to do. There were stalls on the inside, and it opened up to a corral at the end of the building, with various items hanging from the wooden walls, horsefeed packed in tight rows near the pens, and it smelled rank. The pens were empty, but there were horses still lingering in the corrals, so Luffy was glad the horse wouldn't be lonely.

Bepo stared at him, waiting for him to do something, lazily swatting the air with his tail. Luffy just shrugged, figuring he'd just shut the door behind him, and that was the end of it. But before he could, Law walked in with a wide yawn, adjusting his hat.

Bepo gave a shrill whinny that made Luffy wince, and when Law caught the reins with a mutter, the horse bumped into its rider with his head. He then led Bepo past the pens, near the open section of the building before the corrals.

"He ran away from me yesterday, he must be tired," Law said to Luffy, yawning again. Luffy looked up at him, coming to the conclusion that the man needed more sleep. His hair was mussed and straggly, peeking out from his hat messily – his clothes were bloodstained and they smelled bad. He had spatters of blood visible on his neck and on his rolled up sleeves.

Luffy pinched his nose shut. "You need a bath. You smell like ass."

"Thanks, kid, I was starting to wonder if it was just me," Law said sarcastically.

He began removing the saddle, Bepo tossing his head, pleased with the freedom. Luffy stood away and watched as Law took care of his horse, brushing his sweaty sides and back with a brush he'd found hanging on the wall nearby. Luffy made a face because the horse stunk like wet fur and the scent made his eyes water.

"Both of you guys stink. I should grab that hose over there and hose you both down." Luffy then asked, "What do your tattoos mean?"

"Nothing you'd understand."

"Will you go look at Sanji, after? He's being shy."

Law laughed. "That man is not shy. But I will."

Luffy wondered what that meant. "Take a bath first, or he'll bitch about it for hours. Trust me."

Law paused in brushing Bepo to salute him.

With a huff, hands on his hips, Luffy asked, "Are you going to talk to me? Or do I have to answer all my questions myself? Because I'll give myself some good answers."

"Look, kid, I'm tired. I'm tired and hungover, I've got a lot of shit on my mind, I'm not feeling the twenty questions thing."

Luffy chewed on his lip for a few moments, processing that answer. He remembered Zoro saying that Sanji had found 'another one', which was Zoro's way of saying Sanji had a man to fool around with, and that was always worrisome for Luffy. Zoro often let it go because Sanji always came back, but Luffy wasn't so easy going. Luffy had intended to have a 'talk' with Law that next morning of his arrival, just like he did with most of the men Sanji had his eye on during their travels. Luffy knew he'd be caught by Sanji eventually, but he couldn't help it – he was overprotective of his friends.

But then reading those letters, and seeing the way Law worked over the gravesite of his other horse had changed his mind. In Luffy's mind, those things, plus everything else so far, made him a good person. He just didn't understand, now, what all the fuss meant.

"Look, I know Sanji chose you, and maybe I still don't get his reasons, but maybe it has to do with you guys both working for the same guy, but I'd appreciate it if you were nice to him," Luffy then said. He followed the older man as he put the brush away, filled a heavy bucket with water from a nearby pump. When Law nearly stepped on him, he pointed at the saddle and gestured at a nearby rail. Luffy walked over and attempted to pick it up, but struggled dramatically, awkwardly carrying it, eyeing the distance he'd have to lift, and decided against it, dropping it back into the dirt with a heavy exhale.

"How can you put a fucking dent in Pica's armor with a punch, and not be able to pick up a goddamn saddle?" Law yelled at him.

"I'm short! This is tall! I'm having problems!" Luffy growled back. He picked the saddle back on, struggled, hopped and managed to toss it over. So he spent a few minutes repeating the process, eventually landing the saddle neatly within the center. He caught his breath, fanning himself with his hat and looking up into the sky, watching the storm clouds roll over. Thunder boomed in the distance.

Then he returned to Law, who was seated on a short stool, digging a sharp rock out from one of Bepo's back hooves. Luffy watched for a few moments, crossing his arms, then continuing.

"It makes me feel weird when he's all busted up because he can't get over his fears when he's fighting. We're going to be in this situation for a awhile, so I just wanted to let you know that I'm not joking when I say if you hurt him in any way, I'm going to fuck you up," Luffy finished, hands on his hips with a serious expression.

Law stared at him for a bit, Bepo even looking at Luffy with a questioning flick of his ears. Then Law let go of Bepo's hoof and set it down, picking up the stool as he stood. He towered over Luffy easy, and Luffy found his height convenient, shifting until the sun was behind the man and he didn't have to squint so hard to keep it out of his eyes.

"That's cute. First of all, we didn't 'work' for the same guy," Law said. "He was forced into a type of unforgiveable slavery. I was brainwashed to think that this lifestyle was the norm. Second of all, 'Strawhat', you ever threaten me like that again, I'll make sure you and your group of friends regret the day you broke into my house and forced me into this. Thirdly, how dare you think you even have a say in what I do when you broke into my house and forced me into this situation! I was content living out there by myself, avoiding this entire mess!"

"Well, people keep saying Sanji made a mistake chasing you – but, really, it was you who made the mistake, Traffy. You should've been very firm with him. You should've just walked away. Because now, if you make any mistakes with him, I'm going to collect."

Law snorted, petting Bepo and then walking away from Luffy with a shake of his head. He poured some feed into a pail that he carried with him as he led the horse towards a pen, intending on keeping him from the incoming storm.

"Good talking to you, okay? Take a bath before you go see Sanji!" Luffy then said, waving at him as he walked off. Feeling satisfied with the conversation, Luffy walked back to the house and heard voices coming from the kitchen, Ace walking down the stairway with a grumpy look.

"Luffy, you need to keep it down! I was trying to sleep!"

"I wasn't even here half the time!" Luffy protested before wrestling him away from the stairway, Ace turning the tides to throw him down. Kidd peeked out from the living room to watch them wrestle, while Tony ran out from the kitchen with a whoop, cheering Luffy on.

: :

Before he entered the room, Law took a deep breath. Then released a slow exhale. He promised himself he would make rational decisions if Sanji tried working the situation his way, again. He didn't feel too much of the sting of rejection and humiliation he'd felt the last time he'd spoken with Sanji, now that there were bigger things on the plate. He was certain he knew where he stood with the man, and he wouldn't let his feelings get in the way.

There was such a loud clamor downstairs as the guys in the kitchen fought over space, food and ideas on what to have for dinner. Luffy was pretty disappointed that Sanji wasn't going to cook for them, nearly teary eyed as Kidd attempted to make some meat heavy stew, Ace some barbequed meat, Shachi with soup, and Brook growing angry as his bread kept failing, the yeast falling every time he set it out to rise. Tony wanted candy, and was throwing a tantrum because he wasn't getting his way. Everyone's voices were louder than Pica's Gatling gun.

Thunder rattled the windows, wind and rain beating down on the house. Lightening flashed, and he could hear the horses in the corral panicking. But the storm would pass soon, and the temporary coolness was welcomed from the heat that had beat down on them earlier.

He reached up, running a hand through his damp hair, then realized what he was doing. With an impatient huff, he walked into the room. Sanji made immediate eye contact with him, and it was all Law could do to not react at the sight of him. An unwelcome memory of seeing Vergo atop of him made his gut twist with burning anger, a regret that would never go away. The man didn't come off as fragile and vulnerable upon first encounter, so seeing this man nearly beaten to death was traumatic.

His defenses were already out the door. Somehow, Sanji was still confidence and nonchalance, and in the candlelight, his hair shone brilliantly, and his shirt collar was loose, revealing all the injuries from last night, along with a bitemark on the incline of his shoulder and neck from the other night. He was reclining on the bed with one knee up and the other leg stretched out, a cookbook on his lap.

And the bastard smiled loosely at Law, even with a split lip and a bruised cheek and he just wanted to throw something across the room because his heart still took a leap.

He stood at the side of the bed, his fists tight for a moment, struggling to keep himself guarded. All he had to do was recall his humiliation and hurt pride, and it helped some.

"Take your shirt off. Luffy wanted me to look at you."

Sanji gave him a smirk that looked rather painful for him. "You've gotten so bold. Haven't you seen enough of me, already?"

Law clenched his back molars and waited, so Sanji set the book aside with a light sigh, and unbuttoned his shirt. It was a pale teal color, bringing out the color of his eyes. He ended up pausing in mid-take off once his torso protested the position. But Sanji kept his pained expression averted because he knew Law wasn't looking at his face at that moment. He schooled his features and then looked up at the other man with a slow smile.

"Can you help me?" he asked, indicating the shirt.

"You are covered in bruises. How do your ribs feel?" Law asked him, reaching out to pull the shirt down and off. He took in the sight of Sanji's mottled skin – his front torso was colored darkly with splotches, swollen, with visible boot imprints on his arms, chest and stomach. When he looked at his back, it wasn't half as bad. He reached out, pressing as gently as he could, searching for any internal deformities.

Sanji gave an involuntary sound of pain once Law pressed against one of his kidneys, and his skin broke out in a light sweat. Law noticed the action, and removed his hand. Then he ran his fingers through his hair, pressing, watching Sanji's response. There were a couple of places where Sanji tried to hide his reaction, but Law caught them. There was nothing he could do about bruising, but he was grateful that was all Sanji had.

He pulled back. "You feel any pain anywhere else?"

Sanji looked up into eyes that looked at him softly. He promptly lost track of everything he was going to say. Suddenly, Law's touches were too gentle, and the man was being too nice, and Sanji couldn't accept that these things were possible. Because he still had nightmares after every fight, and he was still recovering from the traumatic beating that set everything backwards all over again, so he attacked first, because he needed to feel in control again.

"You want to look in my secret spot?" Sanji said, reaching out to hook his finger in one of Law's belt loops, to pull him closer to the bed. "I think I need an injection. I might die, doc."

"Cut the shit."

"Are you over that feeling, thing? I'm surprise you even came up here, after all that. But you said Luffy sent you, so you would've continued to avoid me anyway, right?"

"Yeah," Law said bluntly. "I would. It wouldn't hurt you, though, right?"

"I'd get over you real fast."

It took all Law had not to give the response that immediately came to mind. Sanji leaned back on his hands, then drew a long leg up, planting his bare foot on his hip. Then started turning his toes towards his crotch, his big toe searching.

"C'mon. It sounds like they're busy, down there. Why don't you show me yours after I've shown you mine?" Sanji asked, attempting to grin, but the pull on his injuries was too great so he just smiled instead.

"This is the show you put on for the next customer, right? After the first one left, you couldn't show any pain. They'd complain. And when they'd complain, you'd get punished for it. It's nice acting, real convincing. But it'd be different if your friends actually fell for it, too. The impression I get from them is that you're a fragile lil miss – Luffy told me you were crying in your sleep again. Does that happen often with you?"

Sanji's foot dropped. Then his face hardened, reddened, and Law shifted just in time to avoid the kick to the groin. He walked away from that side of the bed, slipping his hands into his jeans pockets. "You want to act like a whore, do it at an appropriate time. Now's not the time."

"Got some bite on you, now, huh? You really did get your feelings hurt, didn't you? Isn't that a joke? Someone like you, from the place you're running from, you've actually got feelings? It's like a bad joke from God!"

"There is no God, Sanji! There is only man, and man only thinks there is a God because of the things they do themselves! Don't blame your shit on something that doesn't exist, own up to what you're actually in control of."

"Hmf," Sanji muttered, glaring at him. He reached for his shirt, wincing as he struggled to put it back on. Law watched him, ready to stay on the offensive, but suddenly Sanji stopped struggling, and then sat there with the material pooled around his wrists. With his head lowered, he asked, "Can you help me? It hurts."

"If you kick me, I'll break those legs."

Sanji gave an acquiescing gesture, so Law walked back around the bed, Sanji scooting to the edge with his back turned towards him. Law pulled the shirt up and over his shoulders, straightening the collar. He was startled when Sanji leaned back against him, forcing him to support him lest he fell off the bed. Sanji grabbed his hands, holding them tightly within his. He sat there in silence, just rubbing his thumbs over Law's knuckles, Law wondering if he should be saying anything, or doing anything. He was confused, and his defenses were weak, because Sanji smelled good and his touch was what Law himself needed, and he couldn't think of any reason to be mad, anymore.

Sanji tilted his head back to face him, whispering, "Can I kiss you?"

Law couldn't believe himself when he gave in to the request, leaning down to kiss him, and when their lips touched, it was almost perfect.

Sucker, Zoro thought with disgust, having had enough of eavesdropping. He left the doorway and headed downstairs, certain that things were going to be okay if Sanji was feeling well enough to being himself again.

Sanji released one of his hands, to reach up and cradle the back of his head, to hold him steady as he melded his lips to his. His tongue snaked out, drew over Law's bottom lip, and he sucked that in, tasting his cigarette. Sanji had both hands on the back of his head, twisted up, and his kisses were wet and strong, and he had Law feeling hot for a few moments.

Then Sanji bit his lip hard to remind Law that he was anything but sweet, and the pain was so immediate and intense that Law withdrew away from him with a shocked curse. He shoved Sanji hard, then his fists clenched and he needed to hit something, so he hit the nightstand instead, breaking the single drawer and sending the things atop of it flying to the floor.

"Fuck!" Law exclaimed, hand to his bloodied lip, feeling it pulse and bleed. "You fucking asshole!"

"Don't ever call me a whore again," Sanji growled, ready to fight as he watched Law grow infuriated. "You shit ass bastard, you've got no right to call me names!"

Breathing heavily, struggling to control his anger as it raged hotly from the trick, Law looked at him with fury in his features. Blood slipped between his fingers, and he snatched up the edge of the sheet to press against it. But that wasn't working and he was still furious, so he left the room with a violent slam of the door. Standing outside of it, he struggled to get himself back into control. Then he made his way to the bathroom, slamming that door shut. He found a hand towel and pressed that against his bleeding lip, leaning over the sink for a few minutes.

When the bleeding finally stopped, the mirror showed him the angry break of skin, teeth imprints visible. He clutched the edge of the sink and growled, kicking in the door in the cabinet below. Then the rage passed, and he caught his breath, letting the hot feeling go so he could think more clearly.

He heard Kidd laughing uproariously downstairs, Tony screaming at Zoro, Ace talking to Brook. Luffy was complaining and Shachi was protesting the loss of his vegetables. Everyone was so involved with each other downstairs that no one heard what was happening upstairs, and the thunder outside rumbled heavily, rain slapping the window panes.

Ace yelled at Luffy to stop eating his meat, to which Kidd laughed and said something that made Zoro exclaim with disgust. Tony was crying to Brook, and Brook wasn't having any sympathy for him. Shachi was getting angry over Ussop taking his tomatoes, and Ussop was arguing a negative. Their voices weren't loud enough to drown out the storm outside, thunder cracking so heavily that it rattled the windows, the pictures on the wall.

Tony screamed and kicked and threw things around in the hall, Luffy laughing at him and offering to make a run to the store. Ussop wanted to go with them, their voices loud and carrying up the stairway.

"Sanji? Law? You guys want anything?" Luffy called up to them.

"Cigarettes!" Law heard Sanji yell.

"Law? Anything?"

"Licorice! Red!" Law answered shortly.

Luffy laughed. "Can't see you as a candy guy, but okay. Let's go!"

"Make Tony wear a jacket!" Law then shouted, leaving the bathroom, tossing the towel aside. He made his way back to the bedroom, kicking the door open.

"You guys stop fucking this place up! This is a nice place!" Ace shouted.

"You're a fucking piece of work, you shitty piece of ass," Law snarled as Sanji looked at him with surprise, where he'd been standing by the window with a cigarette, a disgusted look on his own face. "Where the fuck do you get off thinking you can treat anybody this way, after all that shit that's been done to you? You think you're fucking above it? You throw around all this shit about my past like it doesn't hurt me, and it's clear that you can't even leave your own! You think you're still living there! You might be way out here in the goddamn desert, but your fucking attitude is still back there in that house they worked you in!"

"Oh, ho ho ho, listen to you, all angry and shit," Sanji said, flicking his cigarette at him. "Back off, dick head. Don't come at me like that."

"What is your fucking problem with me? Get it all out right here, let's move past this!"

"'Move past this'?" Sanji repeated dumbly. He looked at the bite he'd left, and winced. But then he turned to face him fully, judging the distance between them. "My thing is this 'feelings' business! You shouldn't have any!"

Law noticed the measure Sanji had taken, and took a step back, just in case the man decided to attack. "No, that's dumb, that's a lame ass fucking excuse –"

"It's not dumb! I just don't understand it! Why? How? Look at what I've done, look at what I did for you! You're the stupid one that has no feelings, how could you even have feelings for me? You don't know me, jackass! The only fucking thing you know about me is that I'm fucking amazing in bed, and that's all you need to know!"

"Yes, I have feelings! Yes, they might be a little screwed up, but I have them, and how the fuck can you be so cold hearted as to toy with them in such a humiliating way? You look down at me with such scorn because you think I shouldn't have any, but I do, damn it, I do! And for some fucking shitty ass reason, I have them for you!"

"That's your own fault," Sanji said with a bitter expression. "I've nothing to give to you. I don't know why you'd want to, anyway, after what's been done to me. I don't know how to give you anything other than my winning personality."

"Just…quit giving me shit. Okay?"

"…That's it?"

"Yeah. I'm sure the rest of it will work out, however it does."

Sanji turned to face him, giving him a bewildered look. "What am I supposed to do? What – what do you expect, what - ?"

"I don't know, okay? I just know that – every time you look at me, I lose all thought. Okay? You – I never would've done anything like this, but then you came along and then – I just don't know. I never thought I'd get this far, anyway, I just…"

"What about our past? What about - ?"

"Just – it's common ground. I did some things I ain't proud of, but there were reasons behind it, and – you have yours. You have yours, that's a part of you, that's not something I'd resent or hold against you, it's just…we're alive for a reason. We shouldn't let it continue to control us the further we get away from it."

"That's impossible. That's impossible, I can't even function around - !"

"That should be expected! If you were fine with things, then I'd most likely think you're crazy, but they obviously do, and…it takes time. It took me years to get this far with myself, I don't expect it to be easy for you. Just…stop fucking biting me and fighting me and making feel like a dumb ass all the time."

Sanji stared at him with disbelief. "And that's all you want from me?"

Law looked back at him with discomfort. "Yeah."

Sanji didn't know what to say. He continued to give him a bewildered look. Then he sputtered, "But I told you before, I'm – I chase. I have problems. I – use it – I – you're not the only one out there, you said you get jealous, I can't just – it wouldn't be fair, I don't know how to be fair, I – "

He looked down at the hand that extended to him. He reached up to touch his own shirt, his hands close to himself. He looked back at Law with some nervousness, unsure of what direction this would lead. Unsure of himself, and unsure of the outcome.

"As long as you come to me. In the end. I'll try not to react."

"That's unfair to you."

"It might be, but…I want attention, too. I want to be noticed, too. And when you gave me a chance, I just…never realized how lonely I'd felt all this time. And suddenly you filled that void."

Sanji felt himself shaking. "Those are real nice words. I want to believe them. I want to think that they can be applied to me."

"I have some time."

Did they? Sanji wondered, thinking about the incoming storm. That made his decision for him. He reached out and took his hand.