Sorry to keep you all waiting again. I finished this chapter a little short this time, mainly because I feel very bad about keeping you all waiting, but also because I've decided to dedicate the entire next chapter to our bad guy's background, which is heavily hinted at in this chapter.
Next, I'd like to give a BIG thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. I'm glad to hear you all seem to like the way I portrayed the torture and sexual assault, I really was nervous about that since it's a first for me going so dark. My confidence has been boosted immensely by you all. XD
And, as promised, the results of my lemon poll- You all get a lemon! It's not really detailed, and it's short- more emotional than anything, I wanted to avoid the smut area with this fic, but it's still something, and it's right away- so if you don't want to read a lemon, then just skip the first five paragraphs and it'll be over.
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece of the characters, they belong to Oda Eiichiro.
He couldn't hold back anymore, he wanted, needed the woman beneath more than he ever thought imaginable. He didn't care that after this was over he might never see her again, as long as he could say she was his once; he felt he could be happy with just that.
As Law pushed Nami back on the bed, following her as their embrace grew more desperate; he let his hands wander over her skin, ingraining every dip and curve of her body into his memory. He listened to the deep moans coming from her throat as she kissed him, her hands in his hair to keep him there, even though he had no intention of pulling away. The hot air around them seemed to fuel their lust for each other, the two panting into their kisses as they began peeling clothing away from sweat glistened skin.
He groaned as nails racked over his bare back, his tongue tracing hot paths over her chest, savoring the salty flavor of her skin. His hands found their way to her shorts, deftly slipping them off along with his own. As he returned his mouth to hers, he pushed himself into her, not wasting any time in taking his chance to claim her, if only for that night.
Nami didn't stop him, her mind too focused on enjoying the pleasure and comfort that wiped away all the pain and fear she had faced not long before. This was something she wanted, this was with someone she knew and trusted. This was something that was weeks in the making, a result of a growing bond, and escalating attraction neither could deny any longer.
She cried out as Law buried his face in her neck, the man panting into her as he overwhelmed her with pure ecstasy. It wasn't long before they lay exhausted together, the captain collapsed atop her, breathing in her scent as she mindlessly ran her hands through his hair. No words needed to be shared, they both fully understood what had happened and knew they'd deal with the ramifications later, when all was finished with the man hunting them down.
After a few long moments of silence, Law finally rolled away, pulling Nami's pliant, spent body with his so she'd lay on his chest, his arm wrapped around her back as he moved to play with a tendril of her long orange hair. When she turned her face to look up at him, he sent her his characteristic smirk, pressing his lips to her forehead as he basked in the afterglow.
"No falling asleep on me, Nami-ya," he teased, his mouth still pressed against her head as he spoke, chuckling when she huffed at him, obviously not willing to risk sleep again with a lunatic after them.
After that the pair let silence take over, both feeling strangely calm and relaxed, as if there was nothing out there for them to worry over. As Law's hand stayed tangled in the navigator's hair, the young woman's hand mindlessly ran over the planes of his stomach, eventually coming to rest on the still healing wound in his side. The doctor glanced down at her as he felt her hand pause over the mending scar, one fingertip deftly tracing the edges as she stared at it in thought. With a slight frown, he moved to take her hand in his; squeezing it to bring her attention back to him so he could see the slightly haunted look in her eyes. He knew where her mind had drifted to in that time.
"Tell me about your past," he suddenly said, deciding it would be a good way to distract her, even if it did bring up memories he knew she'd rather not have, "I've already seen it, but I'd rather hear about it from you."
Turning her amber eyes down to the hand held tightly in his, Nami took a deep breath as she moved to lace their fingers together, her thumb playing with his as she collected her thoughts. After releasing her breath, she spent the rest of the night telling him everything; from the time she drew her first map, to the day her world came crashing down at Arlong's hands, to the day she met Luffy, and to the day he freed her from an eight year-long nightmare.
Law listened silently, his mind connecting her story with the images he had, his arms never leaving her as she recalled her pain and torment, and her overwhelming happiness. When dawn finally broke, they still laid there, Nami's story finished, both taking in everything they just shared.
Both realizing how very hard it was going to be to let go in the end.
"He's stronger than I thought," he mused to himself, pushing back his violet locks as he peered at the dark gray dome keeping him from his prey. His grin was as wide as ever, despite his disappointment in being interrupted, still feeling the thrill of torturing the young navigator as he did.
Turning away from the house, he made his way back out of town, heading into the hills that surround the area. He was feeling tired with the late hour, and with his targets safely hidden from his reach he felt it a good time to pay a visit to old friends. Climbing the unkempt paths, he could feel the weariness sinking further into him, his manic grin slowly slipping away with each step. By the time he had reached his destination, his face was stuck in a frown, a deep sense of sadness surrounding him as he sank to the ground beside a large mound that outwardly didn't seem any different from the hills around him.
Reaching out, he set a solemn hand on the side of the hill, caressing the soft tendrils of grass and wildflowers overrunning the surface. His grey eyes darkened to nearly black, turning glassy as he tried desperately to keep a blank and stoic face, unwilling to show his endless sorrow.
"Long time no see," he muttered; his façade cracking as a tear rolled down his cheek, "Sis."
A few hours past dawn, Law found himself with a gorgeous woman reclining in his lap on the couch, her back to his chest as she sat reading. They had eventually pulled themselves from the bed to eat a meager breakfast from their rations before Nami decided to pull out a book, the novel he knew to be a distraction for her in that moment, her thoughts undoubtedly darkening as they continued to wait. The captain had surprised her, as well as himself, when he took a seat on the couch with her, pulling her to lay between his legs as he stretched out over the surface. Despite her shock, she didn't fight him, taking advantage of the comfort she had come to find in their physical contact.
Law allowed himself to lie there, blankly staring out the balcony doors at the sky, discolored by his Haki barrier, his hand on her waist mindlessly drawing circles underneath her loose, borrowed shirt. His mind had drifted into his own thoughts long before, trying to come up with a better way to deal with their pursuer, but coming up blank as he knew he had to stay near Nami in order to keep her from feeling the other man's illusory effects. It wouldn't be long, though, before his defenses fell again, and he had to be better prepared than he had been the night before. The only thing he had to be thankful of, though, was the fact that he had slept somewhat while stuck in the illusion, his body receiving rest even if his mind was at war. That short respite was just enough to help recharge him, his body used to years with living on little to no rest.
His wandering thoughts and attempts at silently planning were cut short, though, when he spotted something casually flying towards the window, pulling him from his comfortable position as he wondered what could be heading their way. Just as he grabbed his nodachi, positioning himself in front of the confused and slightly fearful Nami, he was surprised to find a News Coo entering his barrier and landing on the balcony railing. Law watched, curious, as the seagull dropped his bundle on the ground and flew off, his job done.
With his sword still in hand, the captain move to pick up the newspaper, somewhat surprised the seagull had delivered anything to what appeared to be a completely uninhabited island. Behind him he heard Nami pull herself up from the couch, nervously approaching him to look over his shoulder to see what they received. Upon opening the newspaper, Law immediately figured out why the bird had come to them, a thick envelope addressed to them hidden within the parcel.
"That's Robin's handwriting!" Nami exclaimed; her eyes focused intently on the package as Law moved to open it, her remark receiving a grunt of acknowledgement from him as he pulled a rather long letter from the envelope. "What did she send?"
"My men have already managed to find your crew; they're headed our way. And it seems Robin-ya has come across some very valuable information on the man who's after us," Law mused, pulling the young woman with him as he moved to sit back down on the couch as he read, his eyes going wide as he skimmed over the words. He knew Nami was still reading over his shoulder when she let out of gasp of surprise, her hand moving up to cover her mouth while the other gripped onto his arm.
"Tangi," he continued, reading Robin's news aloud as the young woman next to him sat back against the couch, "a former bounty hunter, now a criminal sought after by the World Government for targeting and killing marines that have any connection to pirates, including Shichibukai. He has a bounty of two-hundred million beli, and his devil fruit abilities come from the Psi-Psi Fruit. His immense hatred for pirates, and all who willingly work with them, comes from a tragedy that occurred on this very island..."
Laying down in the soft grass, the morning sun warming his skin, his hand still slowly brushing over the dew covered wisps growing on the mound next to him, Tangi let his mind drift to his past, the road that lead him to where he was. He let out a sadistic chuckle, half-hearted with the tears still streaming down his face, as he thought of all the people he made pay for the destruction of his childhood, his home, his life.
As his memories played back to him, the images flashing through his mind like a distant nightmare that he had long ago tried to forget, he felt sleep drag him down, the first time in nearly three days. He needed rest; his prey could wait just a bit longer for him. He'd awaken later, freshly reminded of his crusade, his heart all the more vengeful and angry. When he awoke next, he'd make their last moments of life a living hell.
A note on Tangi's name- from what I found online, his name means 'funeral, to cry with great sadness' in the Pacific Islands. I picked that on purpose because yes, if you can't tell already, I'm going to make you pity him a bit.
And as I said before, the next chapter will be entirely dedicated to Tangi's past, so not a lot of Law x Nami moments in there, but I feel our antagonist has waited long enough in having his character developed in this way. With that, I'm guessing this story will be finished in the next 4 chapters. :(
As always, review please!