Time: One year, 11 months, 25 days later

-x-x-

It took Kid longer to finish all the odd jobs he had taken on, so he tried very hard not to run though the hospital to get to Law's room. The fact that the dark haired man's name was still on the plaque outside the room was encouraging, but when Kid walked in, he had a very bad, sinking feeling.

It felt wrong, somehow, in the room.

"Eus…tass?"

Kid felt like he'd been struck in the gut at the pathetically weak voice that issued from the propped up figure on the bed, and he felt like an idiot for not believing that the other man was in as bad a state as he said he was.

"Yeah, it's me." Kid made an attempt at levity, not wanting to deal with the reality before him. "I hope you didn't let a nurse fuck you while I was gone."

Law let out a weak rasp, which scared the shit out of Kid until he realized that it was a laugh.

The anger Kid had had leading up to coming to the hospital was gone, and he wasn't sure how to proceed now that he was there. He wanted to give Law shit but with the man just lying there and not fighting back, it wouldn't be any fun. Law solved his issue with a soft, barely there request.

"Hold me?"

Kid was so fucked, just like Killer had said a week ago. He was in too deep, and had let his and Law's relationship go beyond fuck buddies. They weren't dating one another, per say, and Kid would deny it if asked, but they weren't just fucking anymore this past year either. But he did get onto the bed in any case, because damn, he found that he did want to hold Law, but once the red head did, he wished he hadn't. He should have remained at a distance and continued to taunt the other man instead.

Law's body was limp when he held it, and Kid couldn't help but hold the dark haired man closer. The red head couldn't help but feel something of possessiveness and irritation over the fact that yes, Law was most certainly going to fade away and die. And he would die and leave Kid behind all alone, and the thought pissed the red head off more than it should have.

Time slipped along until Law spoke, one hand tentatively pressing against Kid's left forearm, resignation in his voice.

"You should leave."

"No." Kid held Law closer to him, and he felt the other man sag against him, as if reassured.

"…then touch me. Give me a good memory to leave with." Law turned his head carefully so that he was looking up at the tense look on Kid's face. Law smirked wearily. "We can argue and insult each other afterward, if it would make you feel better."

Kid refused to show an emotion outwardly because dammit, they weren't dating and he shouldn't be feeling this way about someone he just fucked on a regular basis. So he stubbornly shoved down whatever emotion might have shown, and managed a grin. "You want me to play with a sick man?" Kid's hands roved over Law as he spoke.

"Yes, I want that." Law leaned up as best he could. "Kiss me, you idiot. Don't think anymore."

Kid did, and he felt traces of being offended over the fact that Law really didn't have much strength in him to do much other than slump back down against his arm and twitch now and again as Kid's ministrations became heavier and surer.

"Yes, like that."

Kid's movements became bolder; really letting his hands roam and roam until he had a hand down Law's loose fitting hospital pants. Kid let out a rough laugh at what he found. "You look like shit and you can barely move but it looks like your dick is working just fine."

"Get me off?" Law teased with a weak smile.

Kid brought Law up for a kiss and did just that, though as soon as he cleaned up and settled back on the bed with Law, the vibe in the room got weird again.

-x

Law used the rest of his strength at the point in time to rest his head against Kid's shoulder so that he could tickle the red head's ear with his rapid puffs of breath.

It was now or never.

Law swallowed down whatever reservations he still had, traced one hand against Kid's weakly, and spoke. "I love you, Kid." Whether it was one sided or not didn't seem to matter so much anymore once the red head had shown up in that room. Law had been ready to give up and let the pain take him away, but the thought of leaving without some form of good-bye was unbearable to him. But Law had done it, so he no longer had any regrets other than not being able to live for longer.

With Kid. The one who hadn't left him like all the others had. Kid had no idea how much there was to it, and Law figured it was best that the red head didn't know the whole truth.

After Law had spoken those words, Kid said nothing for the longest time. He still didn't speak when he wrapped Law in his arms in an almost protective way, and Law didn't know what that meant, if anything. But the red head's warm body lulled him into a sense of security and Law closed his eyes.

It would be fine to get a little rest, but what happened next wasn't planned at all, and it changed things quite a bit from how Law had initially saw things play out.

Time: End

Kid was pissed off at himself for falling asleep like that. It had only been for about an hour, but it had been enough for something terrible to happen. Time seemed to stand still as Kid's breath caught at the sight of Law. The red head could tell that the other man wasn't breathing, that his heart was still, and the warmth was fast fading from his body.

Law was dead.

The dark haired man had breathed his last sometime between Kid dozing off and waking up, and he had never so much as returned Law's words. Or how exactly he felt about the other man. Kid certainly wasn't sure if it was actually love or not that he felt for Law, but seeing the dark haired man dead in his arms, lifeless, struck Kid harder than he thought it would. It was nothing like how he would have felt back when he'd know Law for a bare minimum of two weeks.

"You fucking lied to me, you know. You said two years." Kid stubbornly held the body tighter against him, despite the fact that he would never receive another response from Law.

"You had a week left." The last was said in a helpless whisper before Kid laid Law down on the bed, got up, and left the room wearing a grim expression.

He was going to kill those fuckers that had messed with Law and made him die sooner than he had to.

-x

Kid felt much better after taking out the son of a bitches that had screwed Law over the pills that could have given him a fighting chance. That could have let him linger longer in the world, and maybe even be cured. Kid knew that he couldn't lay a finger on the supplier Law had used, Doflamingo, but all the same, the red head felt satisfied.

Until he took three bullets to his back and collapsed out of sight in a non-frequented alley.

"He was a fool not to make you leave." A laugh sounded as heavy footsteps retreated. "And now you can't tell the cops anything."

Kid breathed raggedly, in shock over the sudden turn of events. He fumbled his phone and could only wheeze into it.

'Kid? Where are you?' There was a pause, and the blond had clearly heard Kid's struggle to breathe. 'Is something wrong?'

Kid coughed at the cell, before he managed a few words. "Got...shot. Hospital."

'Kid? You were what? Where are-

Kid didn't hear anything more, as he briefly blacked out, but when he came to, Killer was suddenly there, looking grim as he assisted the red head upright.

"What happened to you, Kid? Who did this?" Killer insisted as he steered his friend toward a waiting car.

Doflamingo, Kid wanted to say, but he could only gurgle out a sound, and it only made him beyond angry that he had let his guard down.

Killer got him to the hospital in record time, clearly thinking that no words at all was a bad sign.

Kid agreed with that sentiment, though he soon passed out upon arrival at the hospital. Kid briefly heard the murmur of voices and Killer's demanding one, surely letting them know what had happened, and then he was out.

The red head was never going to give Wire shit again for regaling the story of being shot at.

It sucked balls and hurt like a bitch.

-x-x-x-x-x

A/N: Edit-formatted the last two chapters wrong.