Law resolutely sniffled, wiped away the damn tears, and said:
"Roci. Are you injured anywhere?"
Damn, his voice was all croaky. Law was never a crybaby, so why did he have to break down like that, in front of Roci, in front of Luffy?
"I'm fine," Roci said, smiling at him again. "A bit of bruising, but nothing serious."
"Bruising?" Now Law could see that the skin around Roci's left eye was yellow, an old, faded bruise. His throat was all yellow, too, like someone had been choking him a while ago.
"You know how Doffy is when he gets emotional," Roci shrugged. There was a scabbed-over bite wound on his lower lip. Law shook with hatred. "I mean it, baby bunny. It's nothing serious."
His voice was weak and raspy, but he didn't sound like he was in major pain. Law suspiciously squinted at him.
"I'm still giving you a full physical when we get home," he declared.
"So you became a doctor, just like you wanted," Roci smiled.
"Not yet," Law said, "I'm still getting my bachelor's. Then, I'll be getting into an MD program. But I've been studying on my own and doing work for Doffy; I have some experience. Now, is everybody else okay? Any of you wounded?"
"Well, Luffy has a cut on his face," Zoro said breezily.
Law quickly checked Luffy's stupid grinning mug. Sure enough, Luffy was bleeding all over his face, and Law didn't even notice, distracted as he was.
"Well, why didn't you say so immediately?" he berated Luffy. "Get over here, quick."
Luffy climbed over Roci and plopped down on Law's other side, quick and nimble like a monkey.
Law cleaned and disinfected the wound. Sure enough, it wasn't that bad at all; merely a small cut under his left eye, just short of two inches. The cut was quite clean and even, so it probably wouldn't even scar.
"Do you need to do any stitches? Should I pull over?" Franky asked.
"No, it can wait until we get home," Law waved away his concern.
"He's bleeding quite heavily, though," Sanji said.
"Cuts on the head often do. Trust me, it's nothing serious. I'll take care of it later," Law promised. "You idiot," he sternly looked at the stupid smiling monkey by his side. "How'd you even get a cut like that?"
For some reason, Zoro and Sanji looked over at Roci. Luffy just grinned.
"Got careless, I suppose," he said.
"Are you ever not careless?" Law chided him.
"Well, show us your new crib!" Sanji demanded.
"I hope you have booze in there," Zoro grimly told Law, and just like that, the whole gang invited themselves to his apartment. Well, save for Franky. He was talking to someone on the phone, the device looking tiny in his enormous hand.
"Super," he said, "see you soon, Ice for Brains." He ended the call.
"I'll be leaving you here now," he said, "someone is coming to pick me up."
"Tell Ice hi," Luffy cheerfully said, holding Roci bridal style. Roci insisted on walking, said he was just fine and there was no need to baby him. Then Law insisted that Roci was not walking anywhere until Law made sure he wasn't horribly broken under his asylum rags, and that Law was carrying him everywhere until he gave Roci the damn physical. Then a bored-looking Luffy just picked up Roci like he weighed nothing, and said:
"Quit squabbling, you guys. Where to, Traffy?"
His voice didn't even sound any different, and Roci was big. Even emaciated as he was, Roci still stood 6'3''. He was probably rather heavy.
"Follow me," Law gave up. A grinning Franky waved at them as they left the garage.
Law let the gang in, wincing at their loud talking and bickering. Bepo was already clamoring at the door, white fluffy tail in a frenzy. He barked, still squeaky for being so little, and jumped at Law's knees. Law absently petted him, watching the way Roci's face lit up at the sight of the small, drooly, clumsy white cloud.
In the bright light of the hallway, he could see that Roci's hair was matted and rather long, falling in dirty waves around his face. His face was thin and gaunt, sallow and so pale he'd look like a ghost if it wasn't for the old yellow bruises all over his face and neck. But he was looking at the jumping, barking puppy, and his eyes were shining so bright, like blue spring sky.
With those eyes and that wide smile, Roci looked like a kid, an eight-year-old kid in the long, boney, haggard body of an older man.
Sanji whistled.
"Nice place," he said. Law didn't deign him with an answer.
"Over here, Luffy," he said. "Put Roci on the sofa—"
"Honestly, Law, I can walk just fine—"
"I'll stitch you up, and then we'll order tacos or something."
"Okay," Luffy said, and obediently plopped down in the place Law pointed at. Luffy was always so obedient when promised food. Law chased away the dirty thoughts; this was no time for them. Maybe later, he promised himself. The opportunities that small fact implied were huge indeed, after all.
Law brought his surgical kit, and started suturing the wound. It took a while; he wasn't a real surgeon yet, after all, and he made sure to be extra careful with his stitches. He was working on Luffy's face. He'd never forgive himself if he did something wrong.
"There, all done," he breezily said, praising the Lord for the existence of medical gloves. His hands got so damn sweaty, he'd surely drop the needle driver if it wasn't for those gloves.
"Eeeehhh, I can barely see the stitches," Luffy complained disappointedly, turning on the front camera on his phone.
"Well of course, it's a subcuticular suture. It's designed to be barely noticeable."
"But I really wanted a big, cool scar on my face," Luffy whined.
Law didn't even deign to answer that. He just ordered Luffy to sit still, and slapped some adhesive tape over the wound.
"That thing you did looked so neat, like embroidery or something," Sanji commented, sounding vaguely impressed.
"I take pride in my work, Vinsmoke," Law said primly.
He finished putting away his instruments, heavily sat down on the sofa between Luffy and Roci, and kissed Luffy on the shoulder before he knew it.
Luffy just laughed and kissed him right back, full on the mouth — hot, heavy and sweet like Sunset rum, leaving Law drunk and breathless.
Roci's eyes got very round, and then softened with understanding.
Law started laughing, first quietly, then hysterically.
"Traffy?" Luffy blinked.
Law couldn't even tell him off for calling him that damn nickname. He just laughed and laughed, face in his hands, hot tears running down his palms.
Then, he felt a long, thin hand come around his shoulder.
He opened his eyes and saw Roci. Roci's worn face, Roci's kind eyes, Roci's quiet smile that was only ever meant for him.
And suddenly, it was like nothing changed at all; like Law was still in the hospital, waiting for the next round of chemo, and Roci was there with him, hugging him and promising him all the zoos and cotton candy in the world when Law got better.
Law cried harder, again. Roci hugged him tight, quietly humming like he used to, back in the hospital, every time it got particularly bad for Law.
Law felt Luffy lean against him, a hot, steady weight.
They sat in silence. Law breathed deeply, and gradually calmed down.
Then, Luffy broke the silence with a,
"Say, Traffy. Do you have anything to eat at your place?"
"You food monster," Law sighed. "There's stuff in the fridge. Booze, too, Roronoa."
"Hmm, I'll see if I can whip up something," Sanji said thoughtfully.
"Yay! Sanji's food!" Luffy enthused.
And the clamorous crowd promptly retreated to the kitchen to immediately start bickering, clanging pots, and loudly ripping packages.
They sat in silence, Roci's hand still around his shoulders. There were loud curses and louder laughter coming from the kitchen, and there was a small white cloud lying over his feet. Things were too good to be true; this was certainly another dream, so Law pinched himself as hard as he possibly could.
Fuck, it hurt. And Roci was quietly laughing by his side, so chances were it wasn't a dream after all.
"Hey Roci," Law suddenly said, trying to hold in his snot, "Why did you even notice me? The House was always full of children, but you never cared about any of them. Why me?"
Roci sighed and kissed him on the top of his head, just like he used to do thirteen years ago.
"I don't really know," he said. "I suppose, at first I thought you were just like Doffy."
"What? I was never anything like him!"
"Yes, you were," Roci smiled. "So proud, so prickly, so standoffish. Doffy used to be just like that when he was your age," he wistfully sighed. "But then… then I probably saw that you were actually nothing like him."
"You just said the exact opposite thing," Law grumbled.
"Aw, don't be like that. You know exactly what I mean," Roci smiled. Law still couldn't believe he was here, smiling like that. "Doffy, he's… I don't even think he's human. His morals certainly aren't, if he even has any. But you — you were the most human thing in that goddamn House. And the first thing in years to make me so happy, you know."
Well, now there was no reining in that snot. It was a good thing Roci never really minded the ruined shirts.
"Dinner's ready, you shitheads," Sanji the Gallant Cook announced. "Traffy, keep this guy down, will you? I don't want him eating all the food before I can so much as serve it."
The ever-unruffled Zoro dropped a pouting Luffy by his side. Law readily hugged him around the waist. Sanji disappeared back into the kitchen, and after about five tense minutes where Luffy kept trying to escape his hold, Roci kept quietly giggling under his breath, and Zoro was wisely taking a short nap, Sanji emerged again.
"Well, what are you sitting around for?" he said. "Dig in, dig in!"
Waiting for them on the kitchen table was a veritable feast. Was Sanji a magician? Law was sure he didn't have that much food in his whole apartment.
Luffy whizzed past him like lightning, and immediately started ravaging the table. Roci watched him with round eyes.
The food was as delicious as ever, as delicious as Luffy repeatedly claimed with his mouth full, but Law's plate would have remained mostly untouched if it wasn't for Luffy, food thief extraordinaire. Law distantly felt like he was kinda hungry, but he didn't have any mind for food right now.
Roci was sitting opposite him over a plate of his own. He was very slowly, very carefully putting each new piece into his mouth, chewing the food with his eyes closed. He looked so happy, like a child. His cheekbones were so sharp it cut Law to look at them.
What were they feeding you at that place, Roci, he wondered. It's just food, why do you look that happy about it?
In the middle of the feast, Luffy's phone dinged. He fished it out of his pocket, unlocked the screen, and pouted in the cutest way.
"That asshole!" he said.
"Ah. It's Smoker again, isn't it?" Sanji guessed.
"What does he want with you now?" Zoro lazily said.
"Eh, he's asking if I was racing the streets with the peeps again. He says they made a mess tonight, so he's coming for me," Luffy looked so offended.
"How dare he. You'd never break the law in any way, right, Luffy?" Sanji smirked.
"Of course I would! But I wasn't breaking the law with Barto's peeps tonight, I was breaking it elsewhere! Smokey's such a dick," Luffy pouted even more intensely, "what's up with that guy? That's it, I'm giving him a piece of my mind, right now!" He bounced out of the table.
"Do you even know where he is right now?" Zoro said.
"Huh? Ah, right! I don't! But I can ask!" Luffy tapped away on his phone, so fast his fingers almost looked blurry.
"Who's Smoker?" Law said.
"He's — a police officer who keeps trying to get Luffy locked up," Zoro carefully said.
"Honestly, I feel like it's more of a game for him. He'd never be able to stuff Luffy in jail anyway, what with Luffy's grandpa's connections and all. I doubt Garp would ever cover up for Luffy if Luffy really did something very wrong, but he's just — fooling around. Garp wouldn't let Smoker do anything about it, even if that Hells Angels gang is kinda iffy."
"Smokey's a dick," Luffy insisted, "sometimes we fuck."
And really, Law should have expected that.
He just — sat there, pale and frozen, when Luffy's phone dinged again.
"Aha!" Luffy cried, looking far too happy for someone who was supposedly angry at someone who was supposedly dickish. "Just you wait, Smokey! I'm coming for you!" He tapped away on his phone again.
"In more ways than one," Sanji idly commented. Zoro cuffed him on the head, and then they were fighting again.
The door lock clicked. Law got up, and slowly shambled back to the living room.
Roci followed him, indeed walking just fine.
Law stood at the window, looking at the street. He could see Luffy, Luffy who had no bike with him, who was probably waiting for an Uber right now, impatiently pacing like that.
A huge police SUV rolled up to him. A huge man in a police uniform got out, dwarfing Luffy like he was an ant. Luffy just about pounced on him, wildly waving his arms and talking a mile a minute. He looked so indignant, even from that far away.
Suddenly, he stopped. The huge man was talking to him, and Luffy was listening, hands on his waist.
Then he decisively nodded, and made to get in the car. As he was getting inside, the huge man put his hand on Luffy's back as if to steady him. And then Law couldn't see Luffy behind the huge man, but he could see the way the man bent down, and the slim hands around the man's neck.
He turned away with a strangled sob, and then there were Roci's hands around him, Roci's cool mouth on his forehead. With a wounded whine, he pressed his forehead into Roci's chest. Roci hugged him tight, quietly humming.
"What's going on between the two of you?" he softly asked when Law more or less calmed down.
"…Actually, I don't really know," Law said, aiming for nonchalant and falling far short.
What were they, anyway? What did that strange, strange man want with him?
Time and time again, Law told himself to get out of this relationship before he got in too deep. But then Luffy smiled at him and said something stupid, or said nothing at all, his lips hot and dry under Law's. And then, Law would tell himself:
Just one more day. Just one more week. Just one more month.
"We're — friends with benefits, I suppose?" Law shrugged very casually.
Roci looked at him and said nothing — just hugged him again. Law closed his eyes and held him back, feeling eight and helpless once again.
"You'll work it out, eventually," he heard a quiet, gentle voice. "You have yourself, and that's the only thing you'll ever really need. As long as you have yourself, everything else will work out alright somehow."
"That's some weird philosophy," Law grumbled.
"Not philosophy, just common sense," Roci shrugged. "When you lose something, you always have something left, and something new to gain. You only lose all hope when you die. Of course, living kinda hurts sometimes, but it's all part of the fun, you know?"
When Law got back to the kitchen it was empty, and sparkling clean.
He found Zoro on the balcony, thoughtfully chugging beer. Sanji was smoking by his side, all calm and quiet for some reason. It was so unusual to see them act this civil, Law even managed to muster a vague feeling of surprise.
Law rested his elbows on the railings and stared into the light-studded darkness with unseeing eyes.
"So. Baby bunny, huh," Zoro said.
"I'll stitch your mouth to your ass," Law nonchalantly informed him.
"Oooh, inventive," Sanji appreciated. "By the way, you owe me a new knife, Traffy."
"What are you even talking about," Law grumbled, not in the mood for jokes.
"Well, your old man snatched out mine when I was cutting his straitjacket. Sneaky fucker," Sanji said approvingly. "And then this gorilla here just had to knock it out of his hand. It was a good knife, too. One of my best ones."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Law tiredly said.
"Look, man," Zoro suddenly said, low and grave, "I doubt you're going to listen, but I'll still tell you this. Whatever you want with Luffy, it ain't happening. There's a number of reasons for that, and none I have the right to speak of, so you'll just have to trust me on that. He likes you well enough, but you're never getting any further than this with him. If you're okay with that, good for you. But I'll bet you're not."
Law — really didn't have the energy to talk about this right now.
"I appreciate your insight. Now please fuck off," he tiredly said.
He expected some input from Sanji — a scoff, a jeer, a mocking remark at Zoro, anything. But Sanji was silent.
The city lights trembled and blurred in front of his eyes, and his head was spinning. It felt like he was falling, falling through the cold black air with nothing to hold on to.
The cigarette smoke smelt sharp and bitter in the night wind.