The next occasion occurred the very same night.
Law couldn't sleep. The island that had so mild climate by day, appeared to be very cold by nights. Stupid Corazon didn't even thought that someone could freeze in that temperature - he probably didn't feel cold in that damn feather cloak of his - but, actually, Law found that convenient. Cold helped him stay awake and sharp. Not that he showed he wasn't sleeping; he was simply lying on the sunken bed and breathing slowly in order to mislead that big fool. He was sure that if he waited until Corazon fell asleep, he would be able to leave here unnoticed.
In the Family, they said that Corazon was an absent-minded idiot - and even though not every belief they'd had about Donquixote Rosinante, appeared to be true, his distractedness was still a fact. Then again, Law, who had once - not so long ago, yet it seemed like ages - faced the situation when being noticed had meant an instant death, had learned to move noiselessly and hide himself from others. In order to catch him, Corazon's instincts needed to be as sharp as those of an owl, and they certainly weren't. Even if he'd taken the place by the doorway - he was sitting on the floor next to the exit, leaning against the wall - Law had no doubt that sooner or later that excuse for a human would be deeply asleep.
He didn't know how much time had already passed; Corazon hadn't made a single sound. To tell the truth, Doflamingo's brother - just like Law himself - hadn't moved at all since they'd gone to sleep. The cigarette he'd had then was his last; Law could no longer smell any smoke. Could it be he'd fallen asleep right away? Knowing him, it was. Law was aware that people who had trouble concentrating could doze off immediately, just having closed their eyes. Maybe Corazon had been asleep for a longer while? Law strained his ears but couldn't hear even the man's breathing. Without a sound, he sat up on the bed and turned towards his kidnapper, but the room was pitch dark.
Then, what if... What if Corazon was using the ability of his Devil Fruit? Law tried to remember what he'd heard a few days ago when Corazon had spoken to him for the first time. Now, how it went...? Nagi Nagi no Mi that had power to cancel all sounds. Maybe he was using it now...? If he did, it didn't bode well for Law. Still, Corazon hadn't reacted in any way when Law had got up. Sure, it was possible he couldn't see him, but Law was suddenly absurdly certain that his heart-beat was laud and clear in the darkness. He told himself to remain calm; something like that wasn't possible. After another few moments, he came to the conclusion he would gather nothing if he didn't try. There was a chance that Corazon was deep in the sleep of the just (the just? him?!), just like Law had assumed. And in the worst possible scenario, Law would be caught, and that was all. Since Corazon had kidnapped him to find a cure to his illness, he wouldn't do anything to him... At the very most, he would tie Law for night from now on. Hmm...
He spent the next few minutes weighing all cons and pros - not so many of them - in the dead silence until he finally, slowly, carefully put his feet on the floor, trying to ignore the cold draught. Actually, he was pretty chilled already. There was still no reaction; the silence was almost ringing against his eardrums. Law strained his eyes. He had a perfect spatial cognition and remembered the layout of the room like he'd seen it by light, especially the exact position of the door. The house had been abandoned, but some furniture was still left here. The space between the bed and the door was empty, and Law was fortunate that the door wasn't creaking; there was even no knob. The greatest challenge would be to move past Corazon and not trip over his long legs... The best way was to walk around him, but carefully enough not to bump in the table and chairs that were standing in that part of the room.
Law kept moving forward, step by step, making no sound. He knew that one careless move could thwart his plans, so making haste was not an option - even if something in him desired to dash towards the door, rush outside and run like hell. He forced himself to remain calm, realising - despite his pounding heart - that he felt some irrational pleasure in that challenge. If he managed to deceive Corazon... Then, however, he asked himself if there was really any merit in deceiving such a fool, and his satisfaction quickly vanished. Well, he shouldn't be bothered by such needless rubbish anyway.
So far so good. He safely walked sleeping Corazon around, and his moronic carer still wouldn't move. Law stretched his hands - they were barely trembling - and touched the wooden door. Foolish Corazon probably hadn't even thought that Law might try to escape - maybe he'd assumed that he would sleep nicely until the morning? He really treated him like a kid...! Still, he had to contain his anger. One moment more, and he would be free from that big idiot, who thought he could do as he pleased. Law tightened his muscles and lightly pushed the door, begging inwardly that it didn't creak...
He was perfectly sure he hadn't made a sound - he hadn't heard any! - yet the next moment he was kept in the grip. Corazon was holding him like a vice. Law cursed, trying to free himself, but to no avail...
"Let me go!" he called, amazed by his own voice after those minutes, quarters and hours of silence. "Let me go!"
"The bathroom is there," Corazon said. "No need to get out."
Law groaned angrily. Once again, he was under the impression that he and Corazon were on the different wavelengths. But what else was to be expected since Doflamingo's brother was a complete nut...?! He jerked his elbows to wrench himself free, but it was a futile attempt.
"Are you going to hold me like that?" he asked in a cold voice, and one he started, it was hard to stop. "Were you asleep? Or were you not? Did you wait for me to try and escape? Or maybe-" He realised he sounded like an idiot himself, and he felt even worse.
"I was asleep," replied Corazon. "But I have a light sleep."
Law cursed inwardly. It seemed that the option called 'escape by night' was doomed to failure. Well, at least he'd tried and found out.
Corazon was still holding him, and Law thought that, had someone seen them, it would look like a great show. "In that case, I won't try to escape by night," he drawled, although he'd rather not, but even less he felt like continuing with that farce. "Is it enough? Could you release me now?" he hissed, feeling at the same time that negotiating with a madman was a hopeless task.
And he was probably right, for the next moment Corazon - a complete psycho - pulled him close to himself. Law didn't even manage to react when the soft feathers wrapped around him, and the heat wave coming from the big body touched his cold skin.
"You're freezing," Corazon said, and there was an idiotic concern in his voice. "Sorry, I was thoughtless..."
Law clenched his teeth, trying to get himself together and failing miserably. For a moment, he couldn't think of any retort... no, he couldn't even gather his wits in that chaotic emotion that filled him. In the end, he said nothing at all, for it seemed to him anything he might say would be particularly stupid. Apparently, Corazon's stupidity had infected him... and it was only that thought that put him straight.
"I promise I won't try to escape," he choked in a more begging tone than he'd intended. "But let me go back to the bed..."
"Fine."
Corazon finally let go of him and rose... hitting his head on the shelf placed under the ceiling; something fell down - judging from the sound, it was a pot of kind or another - and broke on the floor. Corazon didn't let out as much as a moan. Law returned onto the bed and curled up on the mattress, caring little about the straw sticking out and determined to fall asleep as soon as possible. In the morning, he would try to run away again.
He hadn't managed to think any more when the feather cloak fell on him, isolating him from the pervasive coldness. He heard Corazon sit down on the floor and rest his back against the bed. Now that he no longer needed to escape, the sleep came very quickly.