"The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off."

They had just started to eat, the table was still full of Kidd's amazing dishes: bread filled with shrimps and a creamy sauce, roasted sea urchins and crabs, caramelized salmon, clamps with white wine and kelps...Kidd had always been such a great cook, however, this time Zoro found himself unable to take another bite. An electric current suddenly surged thought him. Powerful, uncomfortable, and utterly disgusting, as if a bolt had paralyzed his nerves. His head grew dizzy, his hands numbed and his breath caught as he felt the sensation pass him, and vanish as quickly as it had come.

Zoro blinked, suddenly alert. He looked around. The dining room where they were eating was warm, wide and comfortable. The large table were the tree of them were eating still had the marks of the knives Kidd had thrown at him before. The crystal walls looked over the garden room below in a mix of blue and green. Law next to Zoro was silently focusing on the food, Kidd, in front of him, was looking at the boy as if waiting for something. Everything felt normal, nothing having changed, however, the strange sensation kept bugging Zoro.

Something wasn't right, the world seemed the same, but its shape just seemed to have shifted, making it bigger, stretching it, connecting it to something large.

Zoro shook his head confused. He was seeing too much; his paranoia was growing bigger now that the mortal accompanied them. Everything was fine. He was about to raise a spoon to his mouth when a memory filled his mind. He had felt this before. He had felt it several times through his life, the last one being when… His eyes fell on the mortal trying to crack open a crab.

No! Zoro tensed. It was too soon, they weren't ready, they hadn't even…

"What's the matter?" Kidd said looking at him. Tensing too and looking around. Preparing for a combat or a sudden attack.

The greenhead breathed deep and even. He got up from the table, picking up his plate still filled with food without looking at them. Law had stopped eating the crab and now looked at him suspiciously too. Kidd was now frowning looking around the room.

"The door is open" he announced giving them his back. "It would close soon, so we should prepare quickly"

A different kind of silence filled the room then. Tense, angry and scared. Zoro approached a little sink and started washing his plate giving the pair a little moment of intimacy. Kid, however, said nothing. Law didn't talk either, he just got up from the table as Zoro had done, and ran in the direction of his room, leaving his plate half empty, the blue crab opened over a silver plate.

Zoro continued cleaning the dishes as he studied his friend from the corner of his eyes waiting for a reaction. Kidd continued to do nothing. At first glance he looked fine, calm, just in thought. His fingers danced over the rim of a glass as if wondering about something mundane and unimportant. It wasn't until one looked into his golden eyes that one could find a storm like Zoro had never seen before in his friend. Kidd looked about to commit a murder or make someone cry and beg for his life. He looked like the god some mortals thought them to be: cruel, angry, powerful. The room grew small as Kidd's immense power filled it, the air crackling with energy, the table trembling as if moved by invisible forces.

Zoro frowned.

It was good to see Kidd feeling so passionate about something after so many years of indifference, just feeling, but this wasn't a good path to take. Anger wasn't a good emotion, it was necessary, yes, it helped you survive, but it also caused too much destruction.

He knew why Kidd was feeling this way, he knew what had happened between them. Dear god, he had eyes everywhere in his fucking home, the palace was almost a part of him, and the other ones hadn't exactly been subtle about it! Zoro could almost count with the fingers of one hand the rooms they hadn't used. He was happy for them despite the inconvenience, he had been the same once, but he was also worried for the turn in events.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go, he liked them together, but not like this, they couldn't even talk normally to one another. The other two were too proud to confess and recognize what they felt and they just kept silently hurting themselves and the other. Such stupidity, they were worse than children. Zoro didn't know if this would end up well, it had turned too complicated, and he wasn't exactly an expert to guide them in this process.

Now, they had run out of time.

A crack sounded in the room behind him, and Zoro turned to see that Kidd had broken the glass between his fingers. Shards of glass and drops of blood falling onto the wooden table. Kidd stayed silent. His golden eyes still had a dark golden tone. Dangerous. Unhealthy. Mad. Zoro stepped in his direction, now alarmed and very worried. This wasn't right, he won't lose Kidd to anger and madness, not when he had gotten him back.

Kidd however, just got up, gave Zoro his back and left the room in the opposite direction Law had taken, not giving Zoro any time to talk.

He went in the direction of the door of the palace.

Zoro sighted. He knew what Kidd would try, but it was impossible. The stone door was indestructible. He didn't know exactly what it was or how it had been created, but it went beyond any god's power. If Zoro hadn't been able to break it, Kidd, a lesser god, won't be able to even scratch it.

Law was returning to his world. There was only one way to stop him, and it wasn't by destroying the door. Kidd had to understand it. They had to talk.

Zoro turned away from the sink and took a little piece of fabric from a cupboard. He started to fill it with cheese, bread, dried meat and products for Law to take on his journey back. He trusted that Kidd will be able to convince Law to stay. But he also knew his friend's stubbornness. This could go incredibly right, or incredibly wrong, but in any case, Kidd's fate would be decided by his decision.

...oOo…

Law observed the room in front of him with a mix of panic, satisfaction and worry. The time has come, he was going back to his world, to his normal life with normal people. To Scotland, where the rain fell and the hills were a deep emerald green. To Inverness, with its grey fogs and it's black castle. Home.

To a world where Kidd wouldn't follow him.

The both parts of his mind battled with fury. One wanting to stay in these worlds and be with this amazing creature, the one he loved like nothing else, the one that despite everything seemed to cheer him up as no one had ever done before. The other part, however, was still scared of it all and was just waiting for another betrayal to happen.

To trust or not to trust. To risk everything he had again, or leave and be safe.

The decision was still too hard, no matter how many days passed, no mattered what Kidd did or said. It was Law's decision. Law knew he loved Kidd, but did the god really love him? Or was he just lying like all the others? Like everyone Law had met in his life?

The time had come. He needed to make the decision now. There was no time left. If he stayed, he would stay forever, as Kidd had said, the door had its own free will, it could open again, or it could stay closed for the rest of Law's life. If he stayed, it would be forever. If he left, it would be forever, too.

Could he really leave Kidd? Forget about him? Would he regret this decision? But also, could he risk his freedom, everything he had fought for, for this man? One he couldn't yet believe or trust?

Law walked another step into the room as his mind advanced in its own discussion. The room he shared with Kidd was a mess. Last night they had done everything but sleep. Zoro had pounded on the door even demanding silence. Law blushed remembering it. The bed sheets they now shared were crumpled, even torn in some parts thanks to Kidd's nails, clothes were scattered everywhere, with weapons and opened books, the tub was still filled with water, puddles around it, the desk had a broken leg, the carpet on the floor had a suspicious mark, even the wall next to the door was a bit cracked thanks to Kidd's thrusts.

Their things were now mixed together. The proof of their passion filling every corner of the room and making memories rise again in Law's mind, heating up his body. Their lives were mixed. Their paths crossed. It felt right. Heart-warming. It felt destined.

Law picked his dagger from the floor. The small silver dagger Rayleigh had given him when he had finished his training, and the one that was now rusty after the swamp's toxicity. Law threw it into a bag on the floor. Then he picked a book, the anatomy one that Vivi had given him before disappearing, he also picked a shirt, a sock, and dumped them in the bag too. Slowly, without thinking, Law picked up his things from the room and filled the bag. A blanket. His bow. A boot. A sharpening leather. A pedernal...

When he finished in mere minutes, the room suddenly felt empty and cold. Law had never had too many things. The stuffed bag in his hands was small, insignificant, but heavy. His whole life could be packed in such a little bag.

A knock sounded at the door, and when he turned, Zoro, still half-dressed from their previous training session, handed him a pack that smelled of food, and that was bigger than he needed.

Law looked at it. Zoro was expecting him to leave, giving him a departing present. Kidd had told him at the beginning how he wanted him to leave too. He had told him how a god and a mortal couldn't be together. He had laughed. He had mocked him. Doflamingo was waiting for him on the other side. And Luffy. And Shanks. And his beloved freedom. The rain had stopped. He had done everything he had wanted to do here. His mission was complete.

Now he needed to return and gain his reward.

Kidd hadn't ever tried to stop him from returning. He had told him about his house hinting at a future, he had given him pleasure and whispered encouraging words in his ears, he had even saved his life…. but that was all. He had never actually asked him to say, that time, when Kidd had confessed, when Law had heard the words he most needed, it had been in the middle of sex, so maybe just in the heat of the moment. Kidd hadn't repeated them. He hadn't said anything.

Law's eager mind was reading too much into the situation. Again. Would he ever learn?

Law took the bag of food without saying anything. It was the best. He needed to leave.

Getting out of the room, he walked outside, following glass corridors he had learned long ago, and that now looked familiar. He won't see them again.

...oOo...

Kidd stormed over the land with tightly clenched fists and a murderous glance. The land at his feet was now dry, little green sprouts now having fully grown, there were little white flowers too between the lush green, even animals seemed to have appeared as a bright blue bee buzzed next to him. The looming dark cliffs have turned into a beautiful landscape, shadowing over a roaring blue sea that not long ago had been a frozen moor.

Kidd observed the door atop of it. Dark stone, intricate drawings in a language no one now understood, and that uneasy light that seemed to ooze from the rocks. It was beautiful. It was powerful. A miracle of past days.

Kidd had been trying to destroy it for half an hour.

At first just with brute force. He had pushed, kicked, he had even tried to pull the rocks apart one by one. But while touching it, a strange numbness spread over his fingers and body, as if the arc of stones sucked on his energy. As if it was trying to repel him, forbidding him to cross.

Then, despite him knowing better, he had tried to use his power.

They had answered him.

For the first time in millennia, after so many efforts, and trials, his power had obeyed him as if they had never left. A lightning bolt had fallen from the sky and stuck the stones in a roaring bang of light and thunder. The arc had resisted, of course, but Kidd had been too dumbfounded for what had happened that he had momentarily forgotten his rage.

Believing it a coincidence, a weird joke from destiny, Kidd had tried it again. The sky had cleared from the eternal dark clouds, the sun had smiled at him, warm, bright, like an old friend welcoming him back. Kidd had made it rain then. He had made snow fall. A hurricane mess with the sea at the feet of the cliffs...

It was back. Powerful as ever.

No matter his current emotions, his rage or his frustration, his powers had obeyed him as they had so long ago. For a moment Kidd had wondered why? Why now? Why not when he had needed it? What had changed that could provoke this development?

Law.

Rage and sorrow filled him again. He remembered the boy, raising from the table at lunch, so eager to leave him when Zoro had announced the news. Not looking at him. Not saying anything. Not wanting to stay with him.

Kidd turned to the stones and struck them again with all he had. Thunder, lightning, roaring wind, frozen water... The ground trembled, the rocks under the arc cracked, some of them falling into the sea. But the arc remained. It always remained, as it would do for eternity.

Kidd knew he was acting like a child. He had no right to do this. It was Law's decision, if he wanted to leave, Kidd shouldn't stop him, it wasn't his place. But still, the mere thought of not seeing him again, of not touching, of not hearing him, made Kidd want to scream and destroy things. Law was his! They belonged to one another, he couldn't leave him here.

He had to stop him, if he couldn't destroy the arc he would try with something else. He wouldn't let him leave. Not without fighting, not when Law had been the best thing that had happened to him in all his life. He would beg him. He would say everything he hadn't say, he would fucking chain him to this world if necessary, but Law wasn't leaving!

Kidd knew he was breaking the rules. He was doing something that was forbidden, he could die if it was discovered he sheltered a mortal, they couldn't coexist, he had never known why, but the empress had always been adamant about it. Mortals wouldn't come into this world. Gods were forbidden to go to theirs. However, Kidd didn't fucking care. He had never been one to follow the rules, the court in the capital had always regarded him as a rogue, and Kidd was happy with that.

All that mattered now was Law staying with him.

A hand felt on his shoulder.

Turning, he faced Zoro who was looking at him with hard serious eyes. Pain and worry mixed in the green iris of his dear friend and brother. Kidd knew the image he was giving, he knew the fears the other had. But Kidd was different from Zoro, he won't fall into madness.

"It's time" his friend however announced.

They both turned to face Law, to the mortal who had changed so much in such a little time. His grey eyes were emotionless, the mask having fallen again to cover his emotions. Kidd hated it. It had been hard enough to crack it just to see him putting it back again so easily.

The boy wore the same things he had worn when Kidd had found him, black boots, black trousers, rusty weapons, a little bow and the bag at his back. He looked so different now. Kidd could recognise the tiredness on what had looked like weakness back then, he could see the worn-out clothes of a warrior on what at the beginning had looked like poverty. Law was strong, marvellous, brave, everything Kidd had dreamed of in a partner.

Kidd could see now his soulmate on what had been a stranger not so long ago.

It was time. It was now or never.

I know this chapter is shorter than other's I have wrote, but it's because of a reason, I could have rushed the news and the goodbye in one chapter but I preferred to have it separated cos if not it would be too long…and also because I'm mean and love cliffhanger. So, what happens now? Would Law really leave or Kidd would suck it up and convince him to stay? What the hell is that door that it can't even be destroyed with a god's power?

To my dear anons

To MonMon: waoh you dare betray Kidlaw with another pair, how dare you! KidLaw is sacred! XD In any case, I'm glad you like my writing and settings, they are a mix of so many cultures and ideas that's it's a pity I can't dedicate them more time or explore them fully because the story has to keep going. In any case, things are going to change a bit from now on, I will focus less in the skimo from Kidd and more into the Scottish one. About the characters, well Doffy here would be more like a second character, in other fics I have he has more protagonism, he would be important here, but not so much as Kid or Law. Robin would be more complex than anything, I'm still struggling with her. But secrets are secrets, not just Robin, bus as you said Zoro, Law's past, the prophecy… You would have to wait and read like the rest. Hope you liked this chapter. Kisses and hugs and lots of thanks for the comment.

To Guest: Thank you darling, I hope you also liked this chapter, the fun is about to start.

Lots of love and hugs, as always thank you for reading and please leave a comment to the poor author.