Prompt from anon on Tumblr: -Law is a very stressed, tense man and his back has begun hurting terribly. Kid gives him a nice relaxing back massage to help loosen him up. Sfw-
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Law felt like he would never get up from the couch again because he was so sore and achy. As soon as he'd laid face down on the couch, there was no getting up in the near future. In fact, Law resigned himself to the fact that the couch would be where he would sleep that night. That is, if he could even get to sleep with his exhausted, aching body. Not to mention it was all because of the stress and tension that had accumulated over time.
Law let out a heavy sigh. If only there was someone around to make the ache in his muscles leave him…
"Oy, Trafalgar. What are you doin' there?"
Law smirked against a pillow on the couch at those words and answered accordingly. "Dying."
There was the sound of a derisive snort, and then two hands settling on Law's shoulders. "You sound just fine to me."
"No, I'm dying." Law drawled, exhaling in the relief that those hands brought as they dug in to sore muscle. "But keep doing that with your hands, Eustass-ya. At the very least, I'll die pain-free."
"You're a piece of work." Kid grumbled overhead, his hands still working out the kinks in Law's shoulders. "Shit. You've got knots all over. What the hell are you doing at work?"
"My job?" Law returned sarcastically before he let out a low, pained groan of relief at Kid working away the worst of the aches. "And why are you here? Don't you work tonight?"
Kid didn't respond; he just kept working away at Law's shoulders and then methodically made his way down to the doctor's lower back.
Law was lulled into a half asleep state by those hands and the relaxation that came from removing the tension in his muscles. But as soon as Kid's hands left Law's body, the dark haired doctor woke abruptly with a harsh breath. Law struggled upright on the couch, head sharply turning as words sprang unbidden to his lips. "Eustass-ya?"
No response.
Memory swiftly caught up to him and Law smiled bitterly at the carpet. He'd just remembered why he'd collapsed on the couch to begin with. A truth he refused to face until now, alone as he was in his house.
Kid was dead. He had died in an accident earlier that day and Law couldn't save him.
Law closed his eyes. He'd had a rather realistic dream but…
The doctor opened his eyes, confused when he noticed in that moment that his aching back was feeling loose and relaxed. As if…as if he had experienced Kid giving him a massage. "Eustass-ya?" Law asked again to the empty house.
An unseen hand ran lightly through Law's hair, followed by a chilly presence that pressed itself close to Law's side.
The doctor closed his eyes once more with a faint smirk. "I knew you wouldn't leave me behind." Law imagined a grin on Kid's face because he heard what sounded like an echoey laugh. "Wait for me?"
The half hug Law imagined he'd been given made him think dangerous thoughts. But when he himself was in an accident years later, Law was unsurprised to find Kid waiting for him.
Law offered a smirk, deciding to test and see if he'd only imagined a ghostly presence years earlier. "Will you give me another one of those massages?"
"Thought you'd never ask." Kid answered with a grin.
Law felt that was answer enough.