A/N: Here we go.
22. Naivety
A week passed.
Luffy's been living in Law's apartment for the time being, not in the right mindset to go back to his dorm. The younger had already let his roommate know of his situation, and left it to the man to inform the college so he could be properly pardoned. Law got into contact with Amazon Lily and let the insufferable Boa know as well. They had set aside their differences and joined hands in the midst of Luffy's loss. Although she was obnoxious as all hell, Law appreciated that she was being cooperative during this time.
Luffy hasn't moved from his apartment within the last seven days despite Law's insistence to bring him outside, even for a walk. Luffy always refused, and Law never pushed. There were times during the week where Luffy would cry out his late brother's name in the middle of the night, and it would give Law chills. Sometimes he called for Law so he could have someone close to him as he wept and despaired. It would be nights like that when the older would hold Luffy as he cried himself to sleep. It would hurt like hell to separate from him in the morning to go to work, but he had to.
He'd leave some breakfast for him, some lunch in the fridge, and come back in the evening to cook dinner for the two of them. There were times that he'd come back and Luffy's watching TV lifelessly, and there were times he would find him locked in his bathroom, sobbing in the shower. Law always gave him his space when he deemed it necessary, or came close to hold him if he wanted.
It seemed as though the entirety of the Going Merry staff had visited in the last seven days, but Sanji and Zoro led the pack in the frequency and length of their visits. Law had called them over after he woke up from talking with Luffy, and ever since, they visited nearly every day. They always stayed for hours in his room while Law sat on the couch or busied himself in the kitchen. Sometimes Sanji would come out and help him- the man was a much better cook than he could ever hope to be. Sometimes Zoro would keep him silent company as Law worked about his place, needing a breather from Luffy's tears. Those two in particular cared fiercely for Luffy's wellbeing, and were happy to be there for him in his time of need.
It was on the morning of the seventh day that Luffy emerged from his room and didn't look like he wanted to die...as much. He had a blank look of defeat on his face, and wordlessly moved to sit on one of his red stools at the island.
Law studies him over his shoulder from the stove. "...Good morning."
The teen rests his elbows on the smooth surface and lowers his head on his arms. "...'morning."
The surgeon tosses Luffy a worried look but returns to the sizzling eggs before him. "How are you feeling?"
The younger doesn't answer for a long stretch of time. After the egg is properly cooked and set to the side, Law cracks another in, tosses some spices on, and turns to face Luffy.
"Do you want some breakfast?" he tries again.
Luffy raises his face to Law and nods wordlessly. The older reaches for the fridge. "Then I'll make some extra bacon, just for you."
This earns him the smallest of smiles from the teen. Law's heart skips at the expression. It's been forever since he's seen Luffy smile.
The sounds of the television in the background along with the sounds of the pan before him fill the air. Behind him Luffy is quiet, patiently waiting for the food to be ready. The older takes a break from the stove and grabs a glass, fills it with water, and sets it in front of the younger. Luffy peeks up at the drink, then at Law.
"Thank you."
Law returns to the stove, beginning to pile food on a plate for Luffy. Warmth spread through his chest. "You're welcome."
The surgeon loads plenty of sunny side up eggs, strips of bacon, links of sausage, and pancakes topped with butter. He sets the plate before Luffy, who perks up at the smell of meat. When Law turns to get silverware and syrup, there's a sound similar to a vacuum behind him, and when he faces the teen once more, a quarter of the food is gone.
"Hungry, hm?" Law chuckles as he sets down the items before Luffy. The teen had been picking at his food ever since that day, barely eating meals and opting for snacks, so the surgeon was so happy to see him finally eating something proper. Luffy gives him the slightest of nods as he tosses back strip after strip of bacon.
The older's lips curl at the sight. He turns to the stove and loads up the inevitable second plate Luffy would need, then he fixes one for himself. He wasn't much of a pancake person, so he opted for a couple of toasted breakfast tortillas with peppers, bacon, cheese, and eggs. He fills up a glass of water and takes the stool on the other end of the island with his food, giving Luffy a seat's worth of space.
Law digs in quickly, satisfying the hunger pang that's been terrorizing him since he woke up. His body thanks him for the nutrition as it goes down, and he washes his palette, prepping for another bite. The surgeon's chewing his second mouthful of food when Luffy speaks up beside him.
"...What happened?"
The surgeon snaps his neck to the younger. His chewing slows to an almost comical pace as he takes in Luffy's side profile. The teen was munching mindlessly on a pancake soaked in syrup, staring blankly at the stove on the counter across from him.
Law's mind works in overdrive to figure out what Luffy meant before realization clears his thoughts. If Luffy wanted him to talk about that day, he would, but he hoped Luffy would be okay afterwards. "After you...passed out," Law begins softly, "I carried you to a nearby hospital room to rest."
Luffy stopped eating to focus on listening to the older. "The damages to the hallway were extensive. And then there was the doctor you punched, and the security to deal with..." Law closes his eyes against the pounding headache that was surely coming from thinking about that night. "I took responsibility for it all."
Luffy whirls to him, and it's the most energy he's had in the past week. "You what?"
Law meets his gaze, eyebrows drawn together with worry. "What I'm trying to say is, I took care of everything. Even the paperwork for Ace. They allowed me to because I was your boyfriend, and you were...out of commission. I have a bit of clout around the hospital, so that helped too."
Agitation seeped from Luffy's shoulders and he slumped back to his food. He jams an egg in his mouth and watches the other wall, pained. Law purses his lips and turns back to his own plate. Maybe he shouldn't have answered the teen after all. The wound was very much still fresh on his mind.
"After I wrapped up the documentation, I treated you as best I could. Gave you a couple stitches for the nasty cut you got under your eye. Those will have to be taken out next week, by the way."
Luffy reaches up to his new scar, contemplative. "After you stabilized," the older continues, "I was cleared to bring you here to sleep. And the rest is as you know it."
"I see...thank you," he hears the teen murmur quietly.
Law makes a sound of understanding. "Yeah. Of course."
Luffy takes a deep, shuddering breath. "Where...where is he right now?"
Ace. He was talking about Ace. The older braces himself for how Luffy would take the news. "They've kept him at the hospital mortuary," Law explains as gently as he can. "I made sure of that, until you made a decision about what to do."
The teen curses and wipes at his eyes with his left hand as he eats with his right. Law continues, not wanting the dam to overflow. "Of course, you do this at your own time, I'm making sure they don't do anything without your knowledge."
Luffy flinches at the information but nods nonetheless. He falls back into a tense silence, and Law follows in tandem, finishing off his burritos. A few minutes pass, and Luffy reaches for the second plate Law made for him, partaking of the food.
"'Why did Ace die?'"
The older freezes. Law's been asked a lot of impossible questions as of late, and each time, he has no idea how to answer them. Thankfully- or unfortunately- Luffy answers for him.
"I've been turning that question over and over in my head," the teen downs a long gulp of water and stares hard into his plate. "I couldn't fucking figure out why. He was...he is...so strong."
Law stares at Luffy worriedly. He hopes he wasn't trying to find excuses around what was happening again. That couldn't possibly be healthy for the younger. "Luffy, I think-"
"No, listen," Luffy says firmly. He looks at Law with hurt but determined eyes. "Before I lose the courage to bring it up again."
Law shuts up and listens.
Luffy drops his gaze to his half finished plate. "I had completely forgotten about it, because it just happened before...you know. But I had met Kidd. He was at my dance studio in the morning...coincidence, by the way." He adds the last part at Law's rising brows.
The teen runs a hand through his hair, expression twisted in focus to remember the events. "He explained the texts he sent me. Long story short, he thinks that the incident with Ace and Marco was staged."
"Staged?" Law repeats incredulously, shaking his head. "Wait, wait...how the hell does Kidd know this? What kind of bullshit is he sprouting?"
"He said he heard it in a bar, so I don't exactly know how credible it is, but he seemed serious. And if that's the case…" Luffy's face darkens. "I don't know what I'm gonna do."
The surgeon lets out a breath through his teeth. This was a lot to take in. "You're suggesting what I think you're suggesting."
Luffy brings his gaze up to Law's. "Yeah..."
Ace might've been killed. Not caught up in an accident.
The words laid unspoken between them.
"I'm going to kill Kaido," Luffy vows, clawing the island in an iron grip. His voice is low and dangerous, and there's a dark undertone to it that makes Law very, very nervous. "If it's true, I'm killing him."
Law's blood pumps hard and fast through his veins. "Is that the guy you think..?"
At the younger's nod, Law sits back in the stool, fighting that raging headache from before. "Fuck." He could barely wrap his mind around the man passing away just a week earlier, but his new revelation made the entire situation turn on its head.
Luffy trembles with anger, clenching his fists. "I want to go after Kaido. I don't even know how, but I want to."
Law rests a hand on Luffy's arm. "Calm down, Luffy. First, we'll need some kind of confirmation. We need to make sure that fucker- make sure Kidd- knows what whatever the hell he's talking about. If he's getting you this worked up over a lie I'm really gonna kick his ass this time."
The younger hesitates but keeps his ears open. Law searches his plate of food for words. "There's nothing we can do if we don't have any solid proof. If it winds up true, we'll need more information before we go to the police about this." Law frowns slightly. "I really don't wanna think about what it'll mean if it's true though..."
Luffy hums softly at the words, but doesn't speak, signaling he didn't wish to speak on the topic any further. Law doesn't blame him. It's probably extremely frustrating to think about, let alone speak.
Once Law finishes, he stands with his plate. As he walks to wash his dishes, Luffy pushes his half eaten plate towards him.
"You done?" Law asks.
Luffy nods slightly, and the surgeon takes the plate to save for later. He wasn't the biggest fan of wasting food.
The younger clears his throat. "...I'm going out today," Luffy announces. "Zoro and Sanji begged. To dance."
"Oh my god," Law turns, relief flooding him. He beams at Luffy, because that's progress if he's ever seen it. "That's awesome. I'll drop you off and pick you up. When are you leaving?"
The teen doesn't seem as excited as Law felt. "They said whenever I leave to just tell them. They'd come whenever I got there. Zoro offered to bring me back, so don't worry about me."
"You know I can't help but worry about you, Luffy," Law reminds with a sad smile. A troubled expression overtakes the younger's face. Law's smile drops. "When do you want to go?"
"Whenever you leave for work, I guess."
Law places the clean dishes in a rack to dry and glances at his nearby phone. "Alright, well it's a quarter till nine now, and I've gotta be at Flevlance at ten. But before that..." He gives Luffy a once-over. "Go and take a shower. It's been days, hasn't it? You probably don't smell the prettiest."
The older's vain attempt at humor isn't rewarded with a quirk of the lips, but instead, a docile compliance of his words. The surgeon watches Luffy slip away dejectedly with his mouth turned downwards. "...oh Luffy..."
Just as Luffy enters his bathroom, his phone rings. Law checks the caller ID and widens his eyes. It's Corazon.
Ever since the blonde asked Law to help him figure out what was going on in the Going Merry, he's caught Law up to speed so they can find time to investigate. Though Law hasn't been able to help Corazon as much as he wanted because of Luffy and his shifts at the hospital, he's been around the club many times, searching for clues, trying to find evidence. As far as Law's been told, Corazon's deep sweep of the place has been fruitless. Even the times when the surgeon has been to the club, seeped in that scent- which he has long since concluded was the drug- he's found nothing. Whatever Doflamingo was doing to keep the Going Merry supposedly drug free was working like a charm. The only other information Corazon has been able to get was that the drug was a white powder of some sort. Though they now knew what they were searching for, it barely narrowed down the list of things they needed to do.
"Morning," Law greets, holding the phone between his shoulder and his ear and he bustles around the kitchen. The sound of the shower from the bathroom drowns out the drone of the TV and provides Law with a curtain of privacy for the call.
"Morning," the serious voice returns. "I've got an update."
The surgeon pauses mid step. "What is it?"
Corazon sighs tiredly. "I believe some of the staff is up to it, too."
Law frowns, thinking back to the night the woman passed out before him. He remembers Sanji, Zoro, and Luffy talking about some 'new hires' backstage. "You mean the new ones he's hired?"
"Yeah, how did you know about them?"
"Luffy and the others."
"I see." Corazon pauses to take a breath, likely filled with smoke. "They usually work with Doffy on his nights, but occasionally they work with me on mine. No matter how many times I try to correct how they handle drinks at the bar, they don't listen. They only do it Doffy's way. Got me thinking."
Law's quiet, contemplative. He goes to sit on his couch, because something tells him he's gonna want to be seated for this conversation. "Wait. Doesn't that mean that staff like Brook and Usopp..?"
"No, not them. Just the new ones," the blonde replies quickly. "He hired new waiters, waitresses, and...security..." There's a moment of silence. "Wait a damn minute."
Law's mind struggles to connect the dots. "Security was there when that woman collapsed. According to Luffy, they were there when his customer passed out, too." Sure they were pretty suspicious, but was it possible..?
"Fuck," Corazon hisses, and Law hears something being hit on the other end. The man furiously blows out a puff before returning to the line. "I should've fucking suspected them earlier. I don't know why I didn't."
"They're a big group," Law reminds the man. "We know from experience that Doflamingo usually works with a small group he can trust."
"But Doffy has changed his tactics from back then. Likely to fit the current narrative." Corazon pauses for a moment, and there's another stream of air. "God damn it, I'm an idiot. Security...it's their job to stop anything in the club from getting too rowdy. I never thought twice about them because they did their job well. But sometimes it's like they're too good at it. They always seem to be there when something's going down."
The surgeon grunts in agreement. "Now I think about it, when they took away that woman to an ambulance, I tried to follow but they wouldn't let me."
"Then I think it's safe to say that that wasn't really an ambulance."
Law feels his stomach drop. He didn't want to believe it, but he knew something was fishy about those men right from the start. "Then where did they take her?"
"I wish I could tell you. I have no idea," Corazon sighs. "But at least we're getting somewhere. The drug is a powder, and Doffy is working with the staff, and likely even security, to distribute it."
Hearing it all being said out in the open made Law realize how insane the situation was. And that was spiraling out of control.
"...Shit."
"Exactly." There's movement on the other end, and Corazon flaps what sounds like paper. "Let's make our move. Law...I hate to ask this of you, but can you come to the club tonight?"
"Tonight?" Law asks, puzzled. He sits up a bit straighter. "What do you want me to do?"
Corazon swallows hard on the other end. "I hate doing it this way, because it puts you in danger. But the head of security will only appear if there's a rowdiness in the club. I could ask people to start a fight, but I would rather there not be chaos. So the next best thing would be to draw them out by having someone faint- using their tactics against them."
The surgeon lets out a long stream of air. "You want me to pretend to pass out."
"...Am I asking too much?"
Law shakes his head. No, he wasn't. And it made sense. "No, it's okay. I'll do it. So, when I draw them out to me, what do I do then?"
"You give me a text right before you put on your show." The blonde scowls on the other end. "When they show up, I'll come and handle them myself."
The shower turns off in the bathroom, and Law rushes to finish the conversation. "Gotcha. I'll be there tonight. Text me details?"
"Of course. Love you, son. See you tonight."
"Love you too, dad."
Luffy emerges from the restroom just as Law switches off the phone with a sigh. The younger had hastily dried himself, judging from the water droplets that clung to his glowing skin, and a towel hung around his waist. Law has to make a conscious effort to keep his eyes on Luffy's face.
"Who was that?" the younger asks, wrapping a smaller towel around his hair.
Law and Corazon have yet to break any news to Luffy. It was awful timing, all of it, with his brother passing and the craziness happening at the Going Merry. They collectively decided it was unfair to burden him any further. Same with Zoro and Sanji. Whatever inkling of an idea the two strippers might have had about the Going Merry from their interaction from the fainting woman was pushed to the side, with Luffy taking their priority. The issue was left on both Law and Corazon's shoulders, and the surgeon wanted to keep it that way.
"Corazon," he says, tucking his phone into his pocket. He stands and starts for his room. "He wanted me to swing by the Going Merry tonight."
Luffy watches him curiously but doesn't respond. Law enters his room and grabs his own towel. "You're done in the restroom, right?"
"Yeah," Luffy responds.
Law reappears in his bedroom door frame. "Then I'll shower then we'll be on our way."
The teen nods, and Law moves past him and slips into the bathroom. Law might have been imagining things, but he swears he feels the younger's questioning eyes on him as he moves. The feelings subsides once the bathroom door closes, and Law leans tiredly against it.
This was going to be a long day. He felt it in his soul.
Bepo sat sullenly to his right, and Penguin rubbed his back comfortingly. The blonde has been despondent ever since Ace passed away, and Law couldn't blame him. Poor guy hasn't been able to step in the burns unit since.
On his left, Shachi looks uncomfortably between Law, Penguin, and Bepo, wondering what he could say to lighten the mood. But the right words couldn't quite form in his mind, so he's quiet. Law sits at his desk and rests his elbows upon it, fingers intertwined against his lips. His eyes are closed, and he focuses on breathing and nothing else.
They made it an unspoken tradition to come together and just sit in silence like this, to meditate. To calm their minds and hearts as best they could. Bepo benefitted the most from this, since every time he set foot in the hospital he damn near burst into tears. Penguin was much better at handling him than Law and Shachi was, so they left the blonde to his care.
Law himself had his own grief to deal with. But to give Luffy his support, he had to ignore it and be his pillar of strength. Therefore, when he wasn't around the teen, like here in his office with his friends, he allowed himself to let go of his sturdy hold on the emotion. Sadness crept through him as he thought back to meeting Ace with Luffy for the first and last time. He had only known the man for all of an hour tops, but the man had made an unforgettable impression. Law could only imagine what those around him who've known the freckled man longer must be feeling.
Shachi clears his throat, trying to warm the air around them. "How's...Luffy doing?"
Law rests his head on his bed of fingers. "Better. He left my apartment today to hang out with Sanji and Zoro."
"That's awesome. I'm happy for him." Penguin gives Law a weak grin. Bepo from below him nods numbly.
"Me too, but…" Law's voice holds a certain worry as he continues. "He told me something this morning that doesn't sit right with me."
Shachi frowns, sitting up in his chair. "...What do you mean?"
Here goes nothing. "Basically, Luffy thinks that somebody killed Ace."
The air in the room turns cold. Even Bepo raises his head to stare at Law in shocked disbelief. "No. He was discovered in the fire!"
The surgeon leans his chin on his left hand, meeting Bepo's gaze steadily. "Said he heard it from his ex. Don't ask, long story. He thinks a man named Kaido is behind it."
"No fucking way." Penguin stands, gripping the chair the blonde sat in harshly. "Someone killed him?"
"We don't know. For all we know, it could be a rumor. But knowing Luffy, his spirit won't rest until he finds out the truth." Law leans his head further into his hand so his nails dig into his skin, and the pain is a nice wake up call from his sorrow. "Regardless of what that truth is."
Penguin curses under his breath. "Fucking hell."
Law's eyes shift to the black haired nurse. "Told him we need information before we do anything."
"Does that mean we'll be going back to the good old days?" Shachi asks from his seat. "Going after shady shit, figuring out-"
"No, we're past that, Shachi!" the surgeon snaps, baring his teeth. When Shachi is about to speak up, Law scoffs. "And no, the pun is not intended!"
Shachi deflates.
"If we're gonna do this, we're doing this legally. I'm talking squeaky clean. I already have enough to deal with as it is, and going back to that life to look for information would only make my problems worse."
The trio before him grow grim at his words. They knew the implications every bit as much as he did. At the red head's fallen expression, Law's voice softens. "Sorry for lashing out like that, Shachi. I've just been stretched really thin as of late."
"It's okay captain," the man responds quietly. "I get it."
A flash of guilt stings Law's heart. He must feel stressed again, calling him that. He would make it up to him later. Promise. For now, something else took priority.
The surgeon plants his hands on his desk and lifts himself to his feet with a grunt. Law studies each of the men before him in turn before he speaks. "I'm telling you guys all of this because I trust you all. And because I trust you guys...I have a favor to ask."
"What is it?" the blonde sniffles, dapping at his drying tears.
Law closes his eyes for a few seconds then opens them, a determined man. "Can you all come to the Going Merry tonight?"
Shachi makes a confused sound on his left. "You're asking us to go clubbing? After everything that's happened?"
"Trust me when I say it's for good reason." Law takes his seat once more. "You got my back just like I got yours, right?"
"Is that even a question?" Penguin scoffs. "Of course."
Law's narrowed gaze slides over his friend. "Then trust me and come. I'll let the bouncer know to let you guys in. Don't order anything, don't do anything. Just come, around midnight."
The surgeon feels their confused stares on him but he bites his lips from saying more. Charging in blind to tonight's endeavors made him more than a little weary, but if he had his friends by his side, he's sure to feel a little better about it. Surely if things went downhill, they'd pick up the gist and help him out of it.
Penguin doesn't need more words. "Consider us there."
Bepo agrees with a bounce of the head, and Shachi just continues to stare at Law. "I'm coming, don't get me wrong, but...is everything okay? This is a strange favor, especially coming from you."
The surgeon contemplates telling the truth versus telling a lie, but he's tired of telling lies. He goes with the truth. "No, everything isn't okay. That's why I need you guys there...for insurance, if that makes sense."
Bepo takes a deep breath. "This...is important, isn't it?"
Law nods slowly. "Very."
"If you're roping us into trouble again Law…" Shachi quirks his lips. "Then it's been far too long."
The surgeon can't help but laugh sarcastically. Shachi had always been the one who loved their stunts the most back in the day. Followed closely by Law, of course. "I'll be counting on you guys."
At the sound of agreements in the room, the surgeon feels much better prepared for the night. With these rascals with him, maybe things would turn out to be alright. Surely, things can't go that badly.
When the Law of the following day would think back to this moment, he would choke on humorless laughter at his naivety.
Luffy felt himself soaring through the air to the harmonic plinks of the piano. His mind was filled with nothing but the sorrow the singer felt as he glided across the floor, lifting his arms in graceful arcs over his head. He does a small roll before rising to his knees, sweeping his leg across the ground with feather light movements. He extends his arms to the ceiling and watches them blur in and out of focus. He slowly brings them down to melt on his face, where he felt tears. He sniffles and wipes at them as the music fades away.
Sanji and Zoro stand on the sidelines, giving him slow applause. The blonde walks over to his phone and stops the next song from playing over the speakers. "That was beautiful, Luffy."
The teen rubs the wetness from his eyes and rises from the floor. "Thank you."
"That was the closest thing to contemporary I've seen from you," Zoro notes in wonder. He hands Luffy his water bottle as he approaches. "Have you ever trained?"
Luffy shakes his head. "No, I just moved as I felt."
The blonde makes his way back to the other two dancers. "That's the beauty of contemporary. I've trained a little in it. It's all about expression and versatility."
The teen hums. If Sanji said so, it must be true.
When Law dropped him off at the studio that morning, Luffy entered and saw Zoro and Sanji already in their favorite studio. The first thing Luffy did was spill out his heart to the two about how he felt concerning Ace, and the possibility of his death being intentional. It tumbled out of him before he realized it was, and soon, he was crushed by the men in a breathless hug. He was so overwhelmed with emotion, he barely registered the whispers in his ears. There was nothing they could do at the moment but this, and sorry that they were so helpless, and they would stand by him no matter what to figure out what the fuck was really going on.
And then Zoro turned on the music.
His body told him to dance.
The trio had begun to freestyle. Luffy wasn't too sure where his energy came from, maybe from being holed up in Law's apartment, but his limbs rejoiced in the exertion. He sweated out his anger and his frustration until he was light on his feet. Being with his friends who danced alongside him soothed his nerves like nothing else. It allowed him to feel a little bit okay for the first time in what felt like years. Not that Law didn't help, because good god that man pulled him from the darkest of places, but something about dancing was just different. Having his body move to music and toss everything else to the wind was something a conversation could never replace.
After nearly an hour and half, Luffy requested a solo. To what song, he let Sanji pick, because he could choose something appropriate for the mood. As much as he loved the green haired's music, he was not in the mood for heavy bass and rap at the moment. Once the piano started playing, Luffy embraced the music and let it sweep him away.
Sanji turns to Zoro as Luffy settles down near them. "Have you touched any contemporary?"
The green haired huffs. "I can't do that shit, man. Too soft for me. I prefer urban by a landslide."
"Oh god, I wish you could see the amount of people you just pissed off by saying that."
Zoro grins wide, showing gums. "I want to, too. I'll show them how much better urban is."
Sanji stands, arching a challenging brow. "Those who like urban and those who like contemporary aren't necessarily mutually exclusive."
"What the fuck does that mean?"
"It means stop being a dick, Marimo."
Zoro gets closer to Sanji, snarling. "I say whatever the hell I want to say."
The blonde doesn't back down from the front, raising his chin to look down on the man as best he could from their even height. "You say the most insensitive things but you refuse to say those three little words-"
"Listen, shitty cook-"
"No, not those-"
"Guys," Luffy sighs exasperated. "Please."
The pair back down from each other, turning to Luffy. The teen looks between them pointedly, "Can you flirt later?"
Zoro tsks and plops down on the floor, crossing his arms. Sanji grumbles and turns away, itching for a smoke. The teen holds his now pounding head. There's nothing but the sound of breathing for a solid minute before a soft voice breaks the ice.
"...you said that ass Kidd thinks it was a set up, right? With...Ace?"
Luffy feels a swirl of nausea in his chest but finds himself nodding.
Sanji runs a hand through his hair. "Does he think it, or does he know it?"
The teen shrugs, "Said he was gonna go get information from the bar he heard it from."
"Well, did that piece of shit get back to you or what?" Zoro grunts, flickering over to Luffy.
The teen pasues. He had completely forgotten that Kidd was supposed to get back to him with updates.
Luffy's hands shook. "Can...one of you grab my phone?"
Zoro was the closest. He reaches back with a long stretch of exposed torso, curling his arm to grab Luffy's bag. Luffy kicks Sanji slightly to keep the drool from the man's exposed skin back in his mouth as the bag is thrown in his direction.
The younger digs around the pockets for his phone, and he hurries to unlock it. He's not sure why his stomach is tied in knots as he frantically finds Kidd's contact info. Maybe it's because whatever he texts could completely change his perception of everything that he's going through. Luffy finds the text message thread from Kidd and reads.
Hey Luffy. I'm headed to the bar right now. I'll
text you when i get back with any new info. If
i dont text you back...assume smth happened
to me. These guys are dangerous so this is a
risk, but its the least i can do to get info.
Ill get back to you asaic.
Zoro and Sanji had gathered over his shoulder to read as well. Luffy bites his lip. This was bad. This was really fucking bad.
The message was sent a week ago. And it's the latest message from the man.
"Fuck," Zoro cursed through clenched teeth. "You sure that's the only text?"
Luffy flicks his thumb up frantically, refreshing the messages. After a few moments his face hardens. "The only one."
Sanji mutters something low and hard in French, and the green haired turns to him with wide eyes. "You only speak in your mother's tongue if you're really upset or really turned o-"
"Call him," the blonde instructs in English, cutting off the other man. "As much as I hate that bastard, the last thing we need is a fucking missing person right now."
Luffy dials Kidd's number and waits for the rings. They don't come. Instead, the automated voicemail system starts up, relaying the options to leave a message. Luffy ends the call and stares at his phone for a long, long time.
"...he's not picking up."
"Oh my god." Sanji sinks to the ground, finally joining Zoro and Luffy. "He's really gone."
"We don't know that for sure," Zoro's voice is fraught with feigned hope. "Maybe he just has a dead phone or something."
Luffy perks up a little. "That's a good point."
"How about you call him later?" the green haired suggests. "Just in case."
The teen nods, he would do that.
A splay of different emotions crosses Sanji's face before he settles on exhaustion. "...what do you guys want to do in the meantime? I don't...really feel like dancing much anymore."
"Neither do I," the dark haired agrees. He felt tired. Everywhere he turned, there was more and more bad news.
"Let's go get some food." Zoro hauls himself to his feet and reaches out a hand to both of the men on the floor. "Let's put something in our stomachs before we think about anything else. Sanji and I need energy for our performances tonight, anyway."
Luffy takes the hand gratefully, bringing himself up. "You guys are still performing?"
Zoro shrugs. "Someone has to."
The youngest winces and Sanji punches the green haired's shoulder pointedly. "Dude. Words."
"Fuck, what was that for?"
Sanji turns to the youngest, apologetic. "Luffy, don't listen to this piece of shit. I'm sorry, he didn't mean it like that."
"What did I say?"
"...Just stop talking."
Luffy tries his best to ignore the coldness that pricked the back of his neck. "It's okay."
Sanji throws one more glare at Zoro before he links an arm through Luffy's. "Come on. We'll dine without that dumbass."
As they gather their things and head for the exit, Zoro makes a frustrated sound from behind them. "Wait for me!"
A/N: Thanks for reading! I procrastinated a lot writing this, so sorry for any dips in quality.
P.S. Luffy was dancing to 'My Immortal' by Evanescence. This song is absolutely beautiful, and it brought back many memories listening to it again. His freestyle kind of looked like this. Minus the leaps and turns. Link in AO3.