21

When Ichiji, Niji and Yonji returned home from watching a movie later that day, Judge was on the phone in his study. Niji and Yonji went straight to the fridge, so Ichiji headed upstairs to look for his younger brother. He looked into Sanji's room and saw him napping, still in work uniform, shoes laid out over his pillows as he lay with his arms splayed out over the foot of his bed. He had a basket of his laundry that he'd completed but had yet to fold sitting on the floor next to him. Ichiji frowned at him, looking over at his desk to see that the laptop was open, and homework was laid out, but it had been abandoned. Since he was snoring deeply into his duvet, Sanji wasn't even aware that they'd returned home.

It felt different going to a movie without him; there was an element missing with Sanji gone. Even if all they did was argue and fight, there was something that didn't feel right when it was only three of them, versus all four of them together. This job had been good for Sanji so far, Ichiji supposed. Sanji did come home too tired to cause trouble within all of them, and he was less apt to argue when Judge made a decision, so Ichiji hoped this worked out for him. He walked into his brother's room, and carefully removed Sanji's shoes from his feet, depositing them onto the floor. The smell that hit him made Ichiji wrinkle his nose, wiping his hands onto his jeans, but he then left Sanji's room and headed to his to find a book.

Nearly an hour later, he grew aware of doglike whining coming from the hallway, and he listened closely, knowing it was one of his brothers. He realized it was Yonji, and Yonji was trying to wake Sanji up in the least aggravating way possible, but it was aggravating him just hearing it. Ichiji heard the heavy sound of Yonji venturing into Sanji's room on all fours, and he heard Sanji's cranky mutter as Yonji continued whining.

"Dad, he's bothering me!" Ichiji heard Sanji complain, but it was muffled into the bed so there really wasn't much weight into it.

Yonji then launched into a play by play of the movie they seen, ignoring Sanji's complaints. When Sanji asked questions about it, Yonji's answers were easy given. There were times when they weren't fighting or deliberately antagonizing each other, and it sounded like this was one of those times. Ichiji imagined that they were seated and having their conversation with wide gestures of their arms, since neither could really talk without throwing their hands into it. Ichiji had to put down his book to listen to this rarity. Once it sounded like it was going to last awhile, he stood up from his desk and wandered into Sanji's room to see Yonji sprawled out on Sanji's bed, talking away while Sanji picked at his bare back.

Ichiji was disgusted, his earlier image of a companionable conversation drifting away as Sanji patiently popped pimples and wiped with a wad of tissue paper. He watched the way Sanji maneuvered his cast about, finding an angle to use where it didn't hurt his arm to work this way. At seeing that, Ichiji caught sight of his pain pills and a bottle of water next to it, and he wondered just how hard it was to work with that as a setback. Sanji didn't complain, though, so Ichiji thought that having an unusable limb wasn't all that hard.

He took a seat at his desk, unable to understand how Yonji was comfortable with having all his back pimples popped so casually by his brother, finding the very idea disgusting.

"How was work, today?" he asked, when there was a lull in conversation. Both of them looked startled at hearing his voice, and he wondered with irritation how he was missed so easily.

"Don't look at me!" Yonji cried, attempting to cover himself modestly, but the action was unnecessarily dramatic, considering how he was face down on Sanji's bed with his limbs dangling over the edges. Sanji frowned back at Ichiji, sitting back on his heels.

"I was busy all damn day!" Sanji answered with irritation. "I'm tired, and I have a lot of homework to do. You guys are bothering me."

"What do you have to do, anyway?" Yonji asked curiously, propping his chin up with his hands. "Like, take orders and stuff?"

"Yes, and wash dishes and take out the trash and stupid things like that. I freaking hate it. Dad freaking hates me so much…"

"Work of servants – hey, you should thank us! We gave you a head start on that sort of thing," Yonji snickered, Sanji frowning at him before squeezing deliberately hard on a particularly angry spot on his back, causing him to yell out with pain.

"This will build character and experience for later on in life," Ichiji told Sanji.

"It fucking sucks, and I don't want to hear about it from either of you," Sanji muttered, picking at a blackhead and wiping over with the napkin. "But, on the plus side, I get to get away from you guys."

"I don't know why, we're so much fun," Yonji grumbled, picking at his duvet. "Hey, it's not like you can get into trouble there, too, right? So dad doesn't have to yell at you all the time."

"It's not like I want to get into trouble!" Sanji protested, sitting back once again.

"If you'd stop being so aggravating, you wouldn't have to," Ichiji complained, saving his page. "You should learn to be quieter and more obedient."

"HAH!"

"Niji ate all the chocolate, again," Yonji told Sanji. "Like, decimated it before we even had a chance to ask for it. Next time, we should go when you get off work."

"I'm so tired when I get home, because I'm on my feet like, all the time," Sanji told him, focused on a cluster where Yonji's singlet must rub the most. "I was out before I had a chance to do anything."

"Besides, dad likes you better when you actually listen," Ichiji continued, re-opening his book.

"Dad doesn't even care about me, shut up."

"Oh, you're so dramatic."

"There were some hotties in there," Yonji mumbled underneath their bickering, folding his arms underneath his chin. "They wouldn't talk to us, though, even when I started throwing popcorn at them. I swear, Niji hates women. He kept talking shit about what they were doing and what they looked like, so then they got up and moved. Next time we go out, we should really try and talk to some that don't go to our school."

"Niji is threatened by girls that have better hair than he does," Sanji grumbled, examining a particularly dark 'worm' he'd extracted from his brother's back, then wiping it on Yonji's shoulder instead. "Use a loofah!"

"What, that sea sponge thing?"

"Not mine!"

"None of them will talk to us because they're afraid of us. Females are naturally less inclined to speak to any male that looks like they could be overwhelming. With our appearance, despite the fact that we have money, we look too intimidating," Ichiji stated crossly.

"It's not that we look 'intimidating'," Sanji said crossly, looking at him. "We act like assholes!"

"We should put an effort into it, though," Yonji said. "Like, at least say 'hi', or whatever."

"That's your opinion, Sanji. Yon, you don't know how to conduct yourself in a proper manner when it comes to anyone. You start bragging about yourself before you even allow a word in," Ichiji muttered.

"Niji does! He thinks talking about himself is going to impress people, when he only comes off as hella annoying," Yonji complained.

"The only way any of you will get to talk to a girl is if you're threatening her, just like you guys do in class," Sanji mumbled, wiping off Yonji's back. "You're better off saving up for one of those fake, animatronic things from the sex store."

"Besides, you're supposed to hype yourself up!" Yonji continued with a bewildered expression while Ichiji snapped back at Sanji, "That's your option, considering everyone hates you, too!"

"The reason why girls ignore you, Ichi, is because when you try to say anything, all they hear is a shitty stick talking out of an ass! High and mighty asshole," Sanji retorted.

"I think it'd be hard approaching one to be friendly with it," Yonji muttered with concentration. "I mean, her! Approaching a real chick and being friendly with her! Damn it, Sanji, now you got me thinking about a robot."

"I hold myself with the highest regards, because I am of considerable class and superior capabilities – "

"Oh, shut up, Ichiji, you alien!"

"Hey! Let's go out to the store and try an experiment!" Yonji said, sitting up abruptly. "Each of us will pick out a chick there, and talk to her! See how it really goes! No fair if it's a girl from school, though."

"Dad! Yonji's interested in girls!" Niji shouted from the stairway, overhearing parts of their conversation on his way up.

"No, I'm not! I mean, yes I am, but I'm not going to break any rules!" Yonji shouted back in a panic.

"What are you lasses talking about in here?" Niji asked, striding in, Sanji heaving a huge sigh of exasperation. "Without me? Why do you guys always leave me out of a conversation?"

"You were down there, crying like a baby over a muscle," Yonji scoffed. "We're talking about approaching girls, yo. Those ones in the theater motivated me to start working on my conversational skills."

"Those ones that were all wearing the uggs and vests like bad Han Solo impersonators? God, you're so lame!"

"One of them was cute!"

"Sanji wouldn't know anything about 'cute girls'," Niji snickered, climbing onto the bed. Sanji started kicking at him to get off, but Yonji was still sitting in the middle of it, and Ichiji frowned at his younger brothers for thinking they could all fit there comfortably. "Sanji likes looking at the boys."

"You'd notice that, wouldn't you? The reason why you hate girls is because you like boys," Sanji scoffed, blocking Niji's foot as he attempted to kick him around Yonji. "Closet case!"

"No, I'm not!"

"It can't be that hard!" Yonji insisted. "All you have to do is say 'hi'! Then ask stupid stuff, like, What's up? What you doing?"

"I like girls, I just don't like the ones our age because they're so pretentious!" Niji said with a sniff, fiddling with his hair. Sanji gestured at the action towards Ichiji, who frowned at him. "They're stuck up, with pounds of makeup and attitude. I like older women. College is going to be great!"

"Dad! Niji's looking for a mother figure!" Sanji hollered, Yonji snickering, elbowing Niji.

"No, I'm not!" Niji yelled in response, throwing a pillow at Sanji. "I'm just saying, at least they know what they want, and they don't mind age – to them, the younger, the better! Look at all these teachers sleeping with their students. Like, how do I get a part of that? Miss Nico needs to notice me, already."

"Oh my god, her boobs are so huge," Yonji exclaimed. "Like, how are you supposed to focus on the subject when she wears little dresses and pushes them into your face when she's bending over a desk?"

"Dad! Yonji's getting a stiffy talking about a teacher!" Niji yelled, Sanji snickering as Yonji hit Niji in the back.

"Dad! I'm not!"

"Dad doesn't care about the shit you guys talk about, so stop telling on each other all the fucking time!" Ichiji snapped impatiently at all of them, Yonji grabbing Niji and flinging him back first onto the bed to hit him. Sanji was nearly knocked off the edge, so he grabbed onto Yonji, climbing over him. At that moment, Niji kicked out to hit Yonji back, and caught Sanji, so Sanji stomped at him, the three of them yelling and wrestling atop of the bed. Ichiji rolled his eyes as they all fought to stay atop of the bed, clinging to each other as the piece of furniture protested their efforts. "This is why nobody cares to talk to either of you. You're all so fucking immature."

"So much judgment from an old man," Niji commented, rolling onto his stomach to look at him, Yonji pinning Sanji down with one arm and threatening to fart on him. Niji received one of Sanji's feet to his face, so he whirled onto his side and kicked Yonji, which only prompted the bigger brother to lay on both of them, crushing them with his weight.

"I just feel that my maturity levels make it difficult to relate to anyone of my age, regardless of gender," Ichiji continued at normal level, as their yells exploded with renewed effort over their wrestling.

"That's because you're an alien, and aliens belong with other aliens!" Niji insisted, latching onto Yonji's back while Sanji kicked him from the front. Yonji grabbed Sanji's feet, and all three of them finally tumbled off the bed, crashing onto the floor.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Judge yelled from downstairs.

"Why does he yell at us all the time?" Yonji grumbled, getting up. "We're not even doing anything."

"He's mad about something regarding work," Niji explained, rolling onto his back.

Ichiji rolled his eyes because Yonji's complaint was fairly silly, considering that all three of them were tattling on each other minutes earlier. "Why do I even bother hanging around you guys, sometimes? Every time we're together, you three act like idiots, and I have to stand there, silently, taking the harm because there's nothing I can do to say or do to stop it."

"Let's go out to the store!" Yonji urged, finding his shirt and yanking it on. "Let's go do this! It's Saturday!"

"Why are we?" Niji asked, bewildered. "Fuck it, let's just go!"

"I want some cigarettes," Sanji said, ripping off his apron and work shirt, reaching for a t-shirt.

"You're not allowed to have any," Ichiji reminded him crankily, Sanji flipping him off.

"Dad! We're going out to pick up some chicks!" Niji yelled as they then trampled out of Sanji's room, Ichiji following with a huge sigh, abandoning his book on Sanji's desk.

"J-K! We're just going to the store!" Yonji hollered, battling Niji for the keys as Sanji fixed his hair in the mirror hanging near the closet door.

Judge stepped out from the study, giving them a puzzled frown. "What's this? What's going on?"

"We're going to the store! We need stuff," Niji explained, checking to make sure his wallet was in his pocket.

"These guys want to practice their pickup lines," Ichiji said crossly.

Judge rolled his eyes, waving them off. "Boys, don't do anything stupid to invite trouble with either law enforcement or with any potentially destructive social media viral video. Also, do not take in new numbers onto your phone. I don't want any of you trying to start any type of relationship with a girl. I don't want any of you losing your focus towards your athletics once a floozy is involved."

Sanji rolled his eyes before he followed after the others, Ichiji giving another suffering sigh.

But by the end of the night, as they were settling for bed, he caught sight of Sanji hugging his cast to his chest with a weary expression, attempting to soothe the limb with pointless rubbing of the hard plaster. Despite it, Ichiji wondered what the small smile was about; did he have a good day overall, or was he thinking about something else? After all that business with English, the constant fighting between the brothers and Judge, the new job, what did he have to smile about?

Ichiji hoped it was because all of them had gotten together, this evening. He hoped that with Sanji's busy schedule, he wasn't thinking of that boy; it irritated Ichiji that Sanji still spoke to him at school, but because the brothers were on high alert to Sanji's sneakiness, they'd kept them apart pretty well. Ichiji was sure this was only a phase Sanji was going through because he was feeling like an outcast amongst his brothers.

It also bothered Ichiji how involved their classmates were to this situation – how those D boys kept interfering made Ichiji well aware that the kids were talking about it. It wasn't their business, but those two kept watch over English like they expected him to be ambushed. He would be, of course, but Ichiji couldn't approach him outright when those guys had eyes and ears all over the school. Ichiji just wanted Sanji to stay on the right path. Straying off their father's plans wouldn't be good for Sanji's future. If he just kept his place, he'd be fine; he wouldn't wind up like Sola and Reiju, living in a one bedroom apartment in another state, struggling to make ends meet because Sola was too weak.

He didn't think too much of his mother, but at the same time, he was impressed with the way she held it together. He didn't know why Judge chose her, but she was their mother, and she had nothing to do with their upbringing. If she could continue to stay out of it, all four of them would be as successful as their father and have something to be proud of.

: :

After talking to his mother on Sunday, Sanji hoped that Sola didn't try to talk to Judge about what happened to his arm and hair – as far as he was concerned, she'd only make the matter worse. With Sola attempting to bawl Judge out would only have his father's wrath on him for unnecessarily worrying her.

He headed to his room, to finish up the few things he needed to do. He finally put his recently laundered clothes away, and when he came to the sweater that Judge had him throw out – he'd retrieved it from the trash and washed it with his load – he examined it with a thoughtful frown. He took a few minutes to write a note, folded it, and stuffed it into one of the pockets. Then he folded it and slipped it underneath his books in his messenger bag, to give back to Law Monday.

As he worked, he thought about yesterday. He couldn't repress the smile that burst forth every time he did. Law was appreciative of him; he was "grateful". Sanji knew he wasn't lying, because he'd learned Law had a hard time enunciating his words clearly when they were overwhelming, and Sanji knew Law was speaking the truth. It filled him with such hot warmth that there was nothing he could do to hide his reaction.

All of Sanji's emotions leapt right out of him every time Law appreciated his gestures, so much of it that he couldn't quite sort them out and put them in appropriate places when necessary. While Friday had hurt him deeply because Law was right, he couldn't be angry at him. There was a part of him that wanted to – that bastard stole his first kiss because Law thought guys like Sanji wanted it – but there was a bigger part of him that couldn't. Because even if it were a short peck, boy, did it feel nice. Sanji had every confirmation he needed to know that he was definitely attracted to boys.

After the anger and hurt faded away, Sanji did think about the things Law was already aware of; which only made him curious. Horrified, but curious. There was a part of him that told him to push for these things; 'get it while he could', because Law had offered. Maybe if he didn't like him 'that way', maybe Sanji could use him.

Another part of him asked why he'd do that.

But overall, he did like the feel of being useful to someone that appreciated him. If they could continue being friends, Sanji would like that very much. Because it felt good to talk to someone who wasn't his brothers, that needed his company as much, and Sanji still liked him. He had liked hugging him, holding his hand – was Law aware of how much it meant to Sanji to allow him to touch him like that? These were new things Sanji wanted to explore, because all he knew of hands were hands that hit or grabbed, so doing things like hugging, holding – this was something he wanted to take more part of.

He debated constantly within himself if this was appropriate behavior. Law made it clear that they were 'friends'; but Sanji wondered if he should take what was offered. His conscious was a wreck because of these changes, and he didn't know what to think.

That Monday morning, he had Law meet him in his next classroom, where he passed over the sweater, and waited for Law to finally hand over the one he'd been wearing. With his teeth and one arm, Sanji ripped the garment by the button holes, tore off one of the arms as Law slipped on his own sweater.

"This can finally be retired to the trash heap!" Sanji declared, stuffing it into the bin near the teacher's desk. "Don't try digging it out, either."

"I have been known to eat trash straight out of the can," he heard Law mumble as he made adjustments to the sweater, stretching and pulling at the hem.

Sanji considered this, and grabbed it to throw it in the dumpster. Law then sat down at his desk, noticing what he was doing.

"I was kidding," he said sourly.

Sanji restuffed it and wandered over to him, saying, "If you don't mind, can I ask you a couple of questions?"

Law looked at him suspiciously as he took a seat in the desk across from him. "About?"

Sanji took a deep breath, lowering his voice at the sound of kids lingering in the hallway. "When you say 'guys like me', like…what did they do when…they wanted your attention?"

Wholly uncomfortable with the question, Law just looked at him with a troubled frown. Sanji pressed on with, "Look, my brothers were trying to hit on chicks at the grocery store, and they totally failed. But seeing as I got to pave my own route with, well, things – "

"If you can't be mature talking about it, then you're not ready for it," Law mumbled uneasily.

"Maybe I'm not," Sanji agreed with a shrug, "but now that I have time away from my family, maybe, where I work, I can get the attention of someone who might be interested in me, and I was thinking, how would I know?"

"I can't give you this type of advice."

"But if they're trying to be subtle, how would I read the signs? Like I said, you had experience with it, so what happened to you?"

Law stared at him with such a disturbed look that Sanji wondered if he'd asked something wrong. But after a few moments, he crossed his arms tightly over his chest, propping his feet up on the chair in front of him. He mumbled, "They'll start off being nice. Then start giving …gifts. Compliments. Then ask about your experience – "

"I have none, but I can fake it, right?"

"Then…then…they'll…start off with 'I wonder how' statements …related to how you'll respond. Safe gestures like…hugs and pats. When you respond, because your hormones will do it all f-for you, that's…that's when they…go…far – until you …go along with it because – the…attention."

"'Compliments', huh," Sanji murmured, thinking about it. He was pretty sure he'd fall for it right away, considering how rare he received them. "How would I know if they're lying?"

"You won't know until…after…t-they're done using you."

"'Using'? Well, I'm sure it'll be beneficial because I'm getting what I want out of it, too."

"God, you're such a fffucking weirdo," Law stuttered with disgust, glaring at his desk.

"It's not like I can get feelings, anyway! I can't! I know I wouldn't be liked for me, right?" Sanji snapped at him. "You said it yourself!"

Law shook his head as he started to grow rigid, jaw flexing. He ended up glaring at his desk, and Sanji stared at him, unsure of what he'd said to cause this reaction.

"Now what?" he asked impatiently.

"You piss me off."

"What did I do?" Sanji exclaimed, standing up. "Am I not supposed to ask about this sort of thing?"

Law didn't answer, pulling his sleeves over his balled fists and hunching even lower in his desk. Sanji didn't understand what had happened, and he gave a heavy exhale, fiddling with the cast.

"Look, straighten me out, I'm sorry. I don't know what I said. I thought, as friends, I could get some advice from you – "

"Why you think a-sking me - shit -is appropriate?" Law snapped at him, hitting the desk with both hands. "If you want to fuck with -! F-find some dudes like you! Leave me out - !"

"I'm asking because you kissed me as a fucking favor! So because you have experience, I just thought I'd ask you - !"

"Asking me is - stupid!"

"Why? I don't know why you're so mad - !"

"FUCK OFF!"

Alarmed at his behavior, Sanji turned and walked away hastily. He left the classroom fiddling with his fingers, those lingering the hall looking at him with bewilderment. Unsure of what he'd done wrong, Sanji hurried to his next class, sitting into his desk with a heavy sense of confusion. The bell rang, and he exhaled deeply, running over the conversation to see where he'd gone wrong.

He had plenty of time to do so, pinpointing it when he'd asked for subtle signs. He knew he'd crossed a line. But how was he supposed to know that? He had to tell himself that Law's experience was different from his.

Because of this troubling reaction, Sanji realized he was wrong to think of using Law like this. At lunch, he went in search of him and finally found him sitting on the stairway near the gym's auditorium room, where they sat last time. He approached him cautiously, sensing the tension and anger around the other boy. It was almost similar to approaching a snarling animal, but Sanji was determined to fix this because he wasn't about to lose everything he'd gained thus far over his own ignorant comments.

He moved to sit by him when Law stood up, and Sanji figured he'd have to talk fast or grab to stop him, but he wasn't expecting the punch to connect with his jaw. Light faded for a moment, and he felt his knees buckle, so he reached out to catch himself, but wound up hitting the railing with both arms clumsily. He did manage to keep himself from hitting the stairs, but he slumped to sit as his legs threatened to bend even further to have him tumble the few steps to the landing.

Once he was sure he had himself in order, he covered that part of his jaw with both hands, wondering if he still had his teeth. Numbness and unsettling tingling left his thoughts disordered. He sat there, listening to the bell ring in the distance. After some time he could feel his teeth, but the resounding pain was enough to make him whine lightly, feeling tears sting his eyes. He hung his head, fighting the urge to cry with frustration. But all he was worried about was that Law would stop being his friend because of his ignorance.

A moment later, he felt Law sitting next to him. When Sanji dared to look, Law looked incredibly upset as he sat there. He wasn't wearing the usual furious expression, and if he truly was angry with Sanji, he would've been long gone. Sanji wasn't sure what was going through his head, but his appearance was enough. He released his jaw with one of his hands, and, with some hesitation, reached out and touched Law's rigid back. It was almost as if he were touching a coiled spring, and he held himself rigidly, waiting for him to get up and leave.

After a few moments, Law shifted, lifting up his arm and cautiously placing it on his shoulders, utterly tense as he did so. To Sanji, this was an invitation, and he took it to lean against him, glad to be forgiven. Law seemed to feel the same, because his back lost some of its rigidity, and his arm rested more firmly against Sanji's shoulders.

Sanji could feel him working up the nerve to speak, so he waited for Law to gather his thoughts together.

"I ruin everything," he said tightly, and Sanji wondered how that was so when he felt it was he was the one thinking that.

"It'll be okay," Sanji reassured him stiffly, having trouble speaking.

"It's not okay!" Law insisted, withdrawing his arm, but not withdrawing himself. "I…tried – thought I could, but I couldn't…do the advice – it – "

"You don't have to – "

"Let me get this out!" Law snapped impatiently, and Sanji nodded to let him. Exhaling shortly, Law then spoke again. "None of my…experience is – so – I can't – relate to things- to the things you want. I'm not – valuable to what you seek."

"Okay. I get it. But it's up to you to tell me what you're comfortable with," Sanji added, seeing Law inhale to speak. "I'll try and read you as best as I can, but I miss things, too."

"But you can't know - until I say something."

"Okay."

Sanji heard Law swallow hard before he managed to make himself look at him. Sanji faced him, not afraid to make eye contact with him. When grey met brown, there was definitely a shock between them both. Sanji thought it would be wrong to feel that when he was told it was one-sided, but it was such a new and exciting feeling to experience that he didn't feel like lying to himself. He didn't want to upset Law any further, though. He withdrew his arm and placed both hands in his lap, to fiddle with his palm. He worked his jaw sorely, knowing it was going to cause him trouble later on.

Law rested his elbows on his knees, reaching up to rub his eyes, then rested his palms against them. They sat like that for some time, unmindful of their attendance. Right now, all that mattered was the pair of them together, working on things they couldn't work on with anyone else. After some minutes, Law looked at him again, and Sanji could feel him doing so.

Law reached over and cupped his jaw gently. He examined it, then stood. "I'll go get you some ice."

"No, it's okay."

"No. I'll be right back."

"Let's just go to our classes," Sanji said, rising to stand. "We've been gone long enough."

With a troubled expression, Law considered this. As they walked side by side down the stairs, Sanji was aware of his closeness, the way his hand shifted against his. It might have only been the way their steps caused them to bump slightly into each other. But his fingers curled towards his. He made to drop it because he only meant it as a gesture of reassurance, but then Law's fingers curled around his. He looked embarrassed doing so, but the strength in that grip spoke otherwise. Watching him, Sanji threaded his fingers through his, just to see how far he could go with it. Pulling the door open for them, Law held his hand tightly, and Sanji could not explain how delighted he felt for these small gestures.

What made the moment more exciting was that there was no sign of letting go as Law walked him to his class instead of leaving him to go to his. Once there, Law looked at his face again, gently tilting his head to do so; shame colored his features. Sanji caught his hand before he could drop it, to catch his attention.

"I'm fine," he assured him strongly.

"I should've just – said – something -!"

"Maybe this is the reason why we met. I can take this. You bring out…something different in me. Things no one else has," Sanji told him firmly, Law dropping his hands to his sides, wiping them on his slacks. He had to think about that.

His eyes dropped to his jaw again, and he reached up to touch his face. Sanji was so overwhelmed by the moment that he took a step back, bumping up against a couple of lockers. But he was so intensely focused on the other boy that nothing mattered at that moment; just the touch and feel of Law's hand against his skin, the remorseful and yet hopeful look on his face. Sanji's eyes dropped to his lips, then back up again, and anticipation made him brighten at the possibility that felt intensely heavy between them.

"Do you like me?" he asked shakily, needing this validation first.

"…Yes," Law answered after a few moments, a little surprised that he'd admit it.

"Okay," Sanji confirmed with a faint nod, giving him permission to follow through.

Law felt himself smiling a little, feeling an uncomfortable amount of things – things he'd sort out later – but he kissed him because it felt right. He didn't feel like there was anything wrong about it; he wasn't being pushed to do it, and the sensation it produced was welcomed. As he pulled back, Sanji followed after him, kissing him clumsily, reaching out to grab his sweater to keep him from moving away. His inexperience was hard teeth against his lips that made Law wince, but he reached between them to steady Sanji's face, to kiss him gently. After a few moments of this, Sanji followed his example, his face hot under Law's touch. When he pulled away, Sanji was looking at Law like Law had just given him the moon and stars, and it was hard not to ignore that.

"I felt it," Sanji told him, fingers tightening in his sweater.

"You make me nervous," Law admitted, lowering his head because Sanji's face spoke so much positive volume, that he didn't know how to handle it. He felt his lips against his nose, his forehead, his fingers in his hair, and he felt himself wilting into that because, despite his anxiousness, he could feel it, too.

"It'll be okay," Sanji assured him on a whisper, entirely excited over what had just occurred. Everything was worth it.

Overwhelmed by his own feelings, Law pulled away from him, but he didn't release his hands. "We're going to get in trouble," he told him.

Sanji did consider the consequences of what was happening, but they were gone just as fast. He let go of his hands as Law then turned and walked away, heading towards his history class. Heart still racing, Sanji licked his lips, his hands nervously moving over his face, straightened his hair. Now that the cloud of excitement was fading away, he looked around himself, aware that they were inside the school, where anyone could have seen them. It did occur to him that any of his brothers could have seen, but he was sure they would've said something.

He cleared his throat and walked into his classroom with his usual flair, unapologetic for being late.

: :

As Sabo was retrieving his books for next class, Koala slammed into him from the side. She tiptoed as high as she could to kiss him soundly on the cheek.

"I'm sorry!" she said cheerily, causing him immense suspicion as she retreated from him. "You were right!"

"About what?"

"Those two."

At his questioning expression, lowering her voice, she answered, "Sanji and Law."

"Oh," Sabo said, still not understanding. "Okay."

Seeing that he still didn't know what she was speaking of, Koala rolled her eyes. She leaned in close so that he could hear her above the noise of the busy hall. "I saw them!"

"Yeah, they're pretty good friends," Sabo said, relieved that he didn't have to prove himself.

"Friends don't kiss each other the way they were," she told him, Sabo dropping his books unexpectedly.

"They were kissing?" Sabo repeated, mouth dropping open.

"Shh!"

"Who was?" Ace asked, stuffing the rest of his breadroll into his mouth.

"Sanji and Law," Sabo repeated, crouching to pick up his books.

"Shh! Sabo!" Koala snapped at him, looking around anxiously for any sign of the brothers.

"This is a secret?" Ace asked, puzzled, pausing in mid-chew.

"What's a secret?" Luffy asked, looking at them curiously as he shouldered his backpack, but kept a steady hold on his pile of chocolate bars in one hand, Nami looking on with a curious expression.

"Sanji and Law," Ace told him, Nami's face brightening.

"Why's it a secret?" she asked.

"They were spotted kissing – " Ace choked on his words as Koala shoved her palms against his face, Luffy's mouth falling open at the treatment of his brother.

"KISSING?" Nami repeated, in complete shock.

"Who was?" Zoro asked, Ussop at his side, Nami's bag at his shoulder.

"Law and Sanji. I guess it's a big ole secret, so, shh," Luffy told them, finger against his lips.

"Why is it a secret?" Zoro asked, puzzled while Ussop looked horrified.

"We're talking about Sanji Vinsmoke, right?" Ussop clarified, Koala looking at them with a terribly distressed face, Sabo realizing late how quick this was going to spread as other kids around them performed double takes. So his expression turned similar with horror. Ace realized moments later what this was going to lead to, making a sheepish frown.

"You guys are making too big of a deal out of it," Zoro said, yawning again. "So what?"

Koala slapped Sabo's arm with an upset frown and stalked off, Nami looking after her with a startled look before hurrying after her. Ussop ran after them, still carrying Nami's bag for her. Sabo made a face, Ace and Luffy looking to him with guilty expressions.

"Maybe it won't be that bad," Luffy said, opening up a candy bar. "Want some?"

"Let's hope not many people heard it," Sabo muttered, looking at his books and realizing that he had the wrong ones.

"What's the big deal, anyway?" Ace scoffed, crossing his arms. "So what?"

"Our thing is those fools hearing about it! They're sneaking around for a reason!" Sabo snapped at him.

"What are they going to do? It doesn't seem like their bro's being forced into it! They have nothing to get mad about."

Sabo shrugged, hurrying off to class with the proper books, while Ace and Luffy looked at each other. Pointing at Zoro, Ace said, "Give us the deets if that he-man woman hater starts lashing out on Trafalgar over this."

"Yeah, whatever," Zoro said, wandering off with another wide yawn.

"I honestly don't know why it'd be a big deal," Ace said with a sigh, he and Luffy walking off to their next class.

Luffy concentrated on chewing as the bell rang soundly, sending most of the students scattering to class. "Does this mean they're, like, together?"

Ace shrugged. "I don't know."

"It's not a big deal," Luffy decided, shrugging. "There's a lot of couples like that, here."

"Yeah, but it was just weird because of how things started off, so that's what bothers people," Ace told him.

As they made to take different routes to class, they caught sight of Ichiji stalking down an adjoining hall, looking furious. Both of them paused in place as this registered, Luffy and Ace looking at each other apprehensively.

"Meet in front of Zoro's class right at the bell," Ace told him. "Something tells me big brother is pissed."

A/n: *dramatic gasp *

thank you, RR, DedicatedFan, Snowflake97, and Sarge1130 for your reviews! Last chapter was just the beginning! :D