Tremble

Characters: Penguin, Law, Bepo, Shachi. Rating: T. Warnings: Blood

It wasn't supposed to be Bepo. It was never supposed to be Bepo - gentle, soft Bepo who apologised to his own shadow if he tripped over air and shied away from raised voices - but it was, and Law was beside himself.

Penguin was, too, if he was honest. Bepo was theirs, but Bepo was also strong and with his electro caught the entirety of North Blue off guard if they got close enough for him to use it. He wasn't a fragile human, liable to break at the slightest provocation. Wasn't the rest of them, but Penguin was fine, Shachi was similarly unhurt, and Law…

Well, Law had been fine. The scuffle had been exactly that - nothing dangerous, nothing to worry about, easy to win - but somehow they'd been separated from Bepo and whatever had got Bepo had taken the Mink down as though he was one of them. A fragile human.

Law had been fine until he'd seen white fur stained red, and then he'd flipped. Bepo was rescued, retrieved, and transported deep into the safety of the Polar Tang's infirmary in the blink of an eye. Another blink and Law had been gone, too, leaving Penguin and Shachi to finish off with cries of vengeance raw enough to burn their throats before making their own way back the traditional way - walking.

Running, because there had been so much blood and it was Bepo and they'd seen each other like that but never the Mink. Penguin was terrified, and he knew Shachi well enough to see the same terror mirrored in the set of his shoulders, the rigidness of his fists.

The white infirmary was red, smears and splashes on the floor. Bepo wasn't moving, and if it wasn't for their captain, everything would be deathly still. But Law wasn't still. Law was moving, hands a blur against the ramrod straight back. Both betrayed his own fear, his own tension, but both did their job. Law's back kept him upright to work, while his hands flew around within the blue sheen of his Room, piecing Bepo back together bit by bit until the ragged white fur looked like a Mink again.

Penguin knew better than to interrupt him. If Law needed help, he'd demand it, and at that moment, he and Shachi would step in. Until that moment, they stayed outside the boundary, not alerting their captain to their presence. Not distracting him from his furious ministrations. Law couldn't bear to lose him, and it showed.

None of them to bear to lose him. They needed Bepo.

They also needed Law, and at some point after Bepo was in one piece again, their captain's hands slowed enough for Penguin to see they weren't steady any more. As though taking its cue from the state of Law's hands, the blue sheen flickered, temporarily blinking in and out of existence as though it couldn't hold on any longer.

From the ragged breathing of their captain, and the tremors running through his always steady hands, it wasn't the Room that couldn't hold, it was Law himself. But Law was stubborn. It didn't matter if his body couldn't hold, because his mind would force it past all its limits.

Penguin was fairly sure there were long-term consequences when Law did that, but Law was tight-lipped about any downsides to his fruit that weren't the obvious. At the very least, Penguin knew exhaustion when he saw it, and with a muttered phrase in their mother tongue to Shachi stepped forwards as the Room flickered and died again.

He heard the ginger vanish, obeying the instruction, but paid no heed. His attention was on Law, who ignored him as he approached. Penguin knew he knew he was there - even if his Room was failing, he'd still register the presence, and his lack of reaction proved he knew exactly who was approaching. Still, there was nothing until he grasped Law's long, slender fingers in his hands, forcing them to stop moving.

"Stop, Law," he said, looking over at Bepo. The Mink's chest was rising and falling, and Penguin hoped that meant things would be okay. Law couldn't keep going, even if the younger man was attempting to tug his hands back.

"I can't," he mumbled, golden eyes never leaving Bepo. "Bepo-"

"Is he stable?" Penguin cut across. Law blinked. "Law, is he stable?"

"Well-"

"Yes or no, Law."

"For now," his captain sighed. "But-"

"So you have time to breathe?" Penguin pressed, before realising phrasing it as an optional activity wasn't going to work. "No. Let me say that again. You're taking a break, Law. Now."

"I have to keep going!" Law bit back. At least, it was clearly supposed to have some bite to it, but his hands were still shaking and his voice didn't have its usual strength.

"You can't hide those shaking hands from me," Penguin rebuked. "You need to stop. If Bepo's stable, that means you can take a break."

"No-"

"I'll sit with him," he continued. "Shachi's waiting for you in the kitchen. Eat something, get your strength back. I'll call you if something changes."

"But-"

Penguin darted around him and grabbed his arms from behind, pushing him towards the door. Law was strong, but when it came to physical strength, Penguin still had him trumped - especially when he'd exhausted himself.

"Peng-"

"Law, you'll do more harm than good if you keep working now," Penguin told him firmly. "I promise I'll keep a close eye on Bepo, and I will call you if anything changes."

He got as far as the door before a second set of hands reached out and snatched Law from his grip, yanking him across the threshold.

"I'll take it from here," Shachi promised. "Figured you might have some trouble." Normally, Shachi had some struggles overpowering their captain, but Law was so much limp doll by then. Penguin nodded, a rueful grin on his lips.

"I'll call you," he promised one last time, before slamming the door shut in Law's face.

Trusting Shachi to have it all in hand, he crossed the room back to Bepo's side, resting his hand on soft mink where it was still white, and settled in for the vigil.

From the prompt "You can't hide those shaking hands from me. You need to stop." on Tumblr.

Thanks for reading!
Tsari