Hello everybody,

yes I know, I'm a little bit late (I'm sorry), but I was really busy, had to work overhours on friday, then wrote my practise exam this morning (five hours of my life I will never get back...) and then I had to work up what I couldn't do yesterday evening, so yes, I'm somewhat late, sorry.

But I was still determined to post today, so here you go, I hope you have fun with this chapter

Greetings ;-)

P.S.: See you next weekend^^

Chapter 13 - Bathroom

"We should take a shower," Law grumbled as Rosinante closed the door to the porch and watched the approaching storm for a moment, "I'm sandy and wet, and you don't look much better."

He followed Law to the big bathroom, where the other took off his wet shoes. A quiet drizzle on top of the roof told them that the rain had set in.

"We got inside just in time," Rosinante muttered, ruffling through his sandy hair.

"Undress and sit down," Law replied only roughly, obviously upset.

Rosinante knew full well that it was unwise to argue with Law if he was in such a mood, so he took off his swimming trunks and sat on the wooden stool he had bought from Mr. Sansan the previous day. It felt a little bit peculiar for him not to even wear a towel around his hips, but it wasn't as if Law hadn't already explored every part of his body, with more than just his eyes.

The other stepped behind him, turned on the water and began to rinse him off. Only now did Rosinante notice the slight burning of the bruise from the rope that had been tied around his chest.

"That was naive of you," Law began, as expected, his scolding, "naive and reckless. As a novice to go into the sea on your own, just before a storm..."

"Oh, come on," he murmured, trying to turn around, but Law held his shoulder with a determined hand, "you didn't know either that a storm was coming. It's the Grand Line, things like that happen, but we both didn't know that such a storm on Natsu is possible that quickly, so don't act this..."

"That doesn't change the fact that it was naive of you to just go that deep into the water without an experienced swimmer by your side," Law interrupted him again, shampooing his hair with clearly too powerful movements, "you could have drowned, damn it, even without this storm. Every idiot knows how dangerous the sea can be and you..."

"If I was naive, then you were downright stupid!" Now he rose and turned towards Law, who met his gaze unimpressed. "It may have been naive of me to think that I would learn how to swim on my own, but it was just stupid of you to see these waves and still run towards the sea."

Law turned off the water and wanted to reply, but Rosinante continued to speak, unwilling to be scolded like a small child.

"I'm tall, I'm strong, I could fight the waves, and I had a damn rope around my stomach that you'd just have to pull on to get me into safety without putting yourself in danger. What I did might have been naive, and yes, I didn't expect the storm to happen, but you put us both in danger when you ran towards me. If the wave had reached you before I could, it would have dragged you into the sea and then I couldn't have done anything because I can't swim yet. So be as angry as you want, but at least I've taken safety precautions while you've just walked blindly into your perdition."

He rarely showed this side of himself.

It was true that Rosinante was rather a good-natured, good-humored person. Despite, or perhaps because of his past, he liked to hold onto the lightness of life and not let his smile be scared off. He had experienced himself how it felt if someone spread only hatred and misery, so he always wanted to be someone who brought love and happiness to the hearts and smiles and laughter on the faces of others.

But that didn't mean he was simple minded. He had consciously chosen to be a cheerful person, but that did not mean that he could not be serious. He had consciously chosen to solve most situations with a little humor and a grin, but that didn't mean there were no moments that even he couldn't laugh at.

He seldom showed that to Law, the serious, brooding Law, who laughed and dreamed far too little, but...

"You know, you're not the only one here who loves someone and is constantly worried. You're not the only one who's afraid of losing someone. I may be clumsy and naive, but I can assure you that I never put my life willingly at risk."

Law withstood his gaze, but his face was expressionless.

"You may be more thoughtful and careful than I am, but you neglect yourself all the time and even if you don't care, I do and today I almost lost you because you acted carelessly and I couldn't have saved you."

"But Cora-san, I..."

"Don't you see why I want to learn to swim so badly?" He interrupted the other and slapped his fist against his bare thigh. "Don't you realize that I'm doing this mainly to save you, should you ever fall into the sea?"

Law's eyes widened and he didn't even try to reply.

"I may be a capable fighter, Law, but I'm not stupid. With your strength and your experience, you are undoubtedly superior to me. I can't protect you and I don't even need to and I'm grateful for that. But I've lost my devil power and now I think that might have happened so I got the opportunity to take care of you in the one thing you can't care of yourself."

He took a deep breath.

"I like the sea, but not so much that I really have to learn how to swim in a storm. For God's sake, half the pirates and soldiers I know cannot swim. But the idea that you're drowning because I can't swim..." He took another deep breath and then looked away as his lower lip began to tremble.

"Cora-san, I..." Law began much more gently than before, but Rosinante interrupted him with a hand motion before looking at the other again.

"I know I'm the one who left you alone, Law. I am the one who promised you that everything would go well, and it did not. I'm sorry. But every day I try to make up for it by valuing and respecting the life you have given me. I may be scatty, but I'm taking care of myself. You, on the other hand..." He shook his head. "You told me that you once almost wished you had fallen in the Great War, but that you didn't want to just throw away the life I had protected."

Law nodded only vaguely and looked at him again so expressionlessly.

"Then why do you still live as if you don't care if you die today or tomorrow?"

"I don't do that," Law said. "In case you haven't notice, I've built a home with you. I run a practice and we even have friends in..."

"You don't sleep enough."

"What? What does that have...?"

"And you forget to eat all the time. You work far too much and never take a break when you're exhausted. You rarely say when something is too much for you and never ask for help. You neglect yourself and ignore your own needs. And today you almost died because you..."

"I wanted to save you!" Law approached him and slightly hit his chest. "I thought you were drowning and wanted to..."

"No!" He bent down to the other so they were at eye level. "If you had wanted to save me, you would have pulled on the fucking rope or tried to get me out of the water with your abilities. No, you rushed into the salt water like a madman, even though you knew what the consequences would be for you, even though you knew you couldn't do anything in the water."

"I didn't think straight," Law roared, pushing him away slightly and taking a step back. "Damn it, Cora-san, I thought you were going to die! I didn't think about what would make sense, I just ran. I've lost you before, do you think I could do this a second time?!"

For a moment he just looked at the other, then Rosinante slightly tilted his head and nodded.

"And do you think I could lose you?" He replied calmly.

"What?"

"In all your wise and rational thoughts, have you ever wondered what I would feel if I would lose you? Have you ever wondered what I must have thought, the moment you ran towards me? Can you imagine how afraid I had been of losing you? Knowing that I was barely able to help myself, but would be without chance if a wave would reach you? You know what it feels like to lose me, Law. I don't, but I know what it feels like to almost lose you, believe me I know that pretty damn well, and every damn time the fear and pain gets worse."

Finally, an emotion crept over this calm face; disbelief was reflected in these deep eyes.

"You once asked me what a life is worth, Law, and I told you that everyone can only decide that for themselves. I told you that I would give my life for yours at any time, but why do you think I would do so?"

Now Law's lower jaw trembled and he turned his gaze away, rubbed over the tattoos on his forearm, biting his lower lip.

"I have no idea what a life is worth, Law. But I know full well that without you, mine is worth nothing."

Tears ran down Law's face and he shook his head.

"So please, for my sake, don't be so careless with yourself."

He walked towards the other and put a hand on his cheek. Hesitantly, Law looked up, unable to contain his tears.

"I know you find it hard to believe, Law, but as important as I am to you, you are to me, perhaps many times more, because I have experienced you in your terrible twos." He smiled and Law snorted briefly. "Everything you don't want to happen to me, I don't want to happen to you. As much as you want to avoid me being sad, I want to avoid you being sad, do you understand that?"

Law bit his lower lip again and nodded while Rosinante wiped away a tear.

"And nothing would make me sadder than losing you, okay?"

Now Law cried even more, nodded, and looked to the ground, shaking like he was about to collapse.

"Okay," Rosinante whispered, pressing the other against his chest, one hand in his sandy hair, the other arm placed around his shoulders. "I love you, little one, and I don't want anything to ever happen to you. I want you to live a happy, joyful, long life."

Law's shoulders shivered and he clawed into Rosinante's back. Smiling, he patted Law's head. It seemed as if he had really reached the other for the first time.

He went on his knees to look up to the other and shoved his hands away, as Law tried to cover his face like a small child.

"And I want you to eat decent meals. You always have far too few vegetables on your plate, and that as a doctor."

Law nodded and sobbed barely audibly.

"Look at me, Law." When the other responded to his request, he showed him the greatest grin he could offer. "And I want you to go through life smiling."

Law took a deep breath, looked up at the ceiling, and then nodded slowly. He briefly closed his eyes, but when he opened them, there was a trembling smile on his face.

"Just like that," Rosinante praised, brushing the other's tearstained cheek.

"I love you, Cora-san," Law whispered in a broken voice, "and I was so afraid I could lose you."

"I know," he replied, pulling Law back to the floor in a hug. "I was scared as well."

Then he got up and pulled the other to his feet.

"Come on, I still have foam in my hair, like this I can't get into the bathtub." With a smile, he settled down on the stool while Law turned the water back on.

"I think I'll ask Ninnin if she could teach me how to swim," he said, consciously carefree as Law continued to wash his hair.

His head leaned back and his eyes closed, he enjoyed the warm water and the drizzle of rain above him, as his own heart calmed down again. Sometimes he forgot, as grown-up and wise Law had already been as a child, he was still inexperienced when it came to feelings.

"I'd be happy about that," muttered Law, whose voice sounded more composed than Rosinante had expected, "I can ask her tomorrow if you want."

"Yes, that would be very nice of you, Law."

"Although she'll probably call me today in this storm as soon as the first emergencies come in," the other said with a dissatisfied undertone.

"Oh, I don't think so," Rosinante waved off, and began to soap his body. "Unlike us, the islanders probably know that a few clouds on the horizon mean that a storm is coming soon and are making preparations. Mrs. Paipai will scold us if we do something this stupid again."

Law grumbled something approving, handed Rosinante the showerhead and began to undress behind him.

"So, I'm done, now it's your turn," Rosinante said, still consciously in a happy mood, and stood up, but then he forgot his smile.

Law was facing him with nothing on but his underpants and for the first time Rosinante was able to take an actual look at the other's chest tattoo. He had already noticed it the evening Law had come to his room, but although he had admired the elegant lines, he had not been able to realize what they meant, there had been no time for such thoughts in the heat of the moment.

The other stood in front of him, not even blinking, a strange facial expression Rosinante could not read.

He took a step forward and touched the black lines, retraced the heart on Law's chest and remained over the skull, which probably represented Law's Jolly Roger.

"On Minion," Law finally said in a hoarse voice, "after you left to get the Op-Op fruit, I was freezing like hell. I clutched the blanket tight, but my body was shaking, and I thought my teeth would burst, as much as they were chattering."

Rosinante got cold while Law looked away and slowly embraced himself.

"Then I imagined that you would carry me back to safety in your warm arms and I was no longer cold." Law hesitated. "When you came back, your hands were like ice and you weren't well and yet I was warm when you were with me."

Law was shaking all over his body, it obviously hurt him to talk about it, it seemed to cause him almost physical pain.

"Law, you don't have to..."

"After that, I was always cold," Law continued, shaking his head, rubbing his forearms. "I was always cold, my hands were always cold, I couldn't sleep, it was always too cold. Then I always imagined that you would hold me in your arms again, and the cold passed. I imagined you holding me, and I was getting warm, I could fall asleep."

Law looked up slowly, rarely were his eyes as clear and open as now.

"From then on, I kept imagining that you would hug me, but as I got older, my memories started to fade. I didn't know what it felt like to be hugged by you, I didn't know how you smelled anymore, even your voice I forgot." A single tear ran down his face. "I wanted to avoid forgetting even more, forgetting your smile. I wanted to feel your hugs again, not just remember how you had hugged me as a child, but how you would hug me as a man."

Law then turned away.

"But that wasn't possible, I knew I was... I didn't know if you would ever embrace me again, so..." He shrugged. "This should be the reminder that you had never let me go, that even if I was cold, you would be with me until the end."

Suddenly Law looked at him and a faint smile lit up his features.

"Oh, Cora-san. I'm sorry, I should not have..."

"It's fine," he interrupted the others, rubbing his tears away, "I'm sorry, Law, I'm so sorry."

He pulled the other into a firm embrace.

"I will never let you go again, I will..."

"It's okay, Cora-san." Law patted him on the shoulder. "But now you're getting dirty again."

"I don't care."

Law's fingers combed through his hair while Rosinante couldn't stop crying.

"Thank you for telling me," he whispered in Law's neck.

"Thank you for not asking."

He looked at the other, stroked his cheek, and took a step back to take a better look at him. But he stepped on the soap, and every elegant response he had intended to give ended in a surprise outcry as he crashed to the ground in his birthday suit.