Heart [+felt]

Law was well pleased with the way things were going. Smoothly. According to plan, even. He'd probably found an "in" on the research facility, too. If he were given to cheery whistling, perhaps he'd do so while he walked the streets of the port.

It was a large island, and he had been inland for almost a month. It was… nice, really, to smell the sea properly again. And raw sewage, and rotting seaweed, and fish entrails… So, actually, the stench of the port itself was not so pleasant. But Law found he was anticipating the day — hopefully within the year — that he could return to his submarine.

Which was amazing, in some respects. He'd become a pirate as a means to an end, but, at some point, it had become an end of it's own. He was a pirate, now, for better or for worse. When he finished up this business, (he refused to think, if he survived), he'd probably set course for Raftel and the One Piece, which was just…

"Odd, what one becomes strangely attached to." And, to speak — or think — of the devil, if he wasn't gravely mistaken, that huge redhead that had ducked into a shop down the way was none other than Eustass Kid. Law had not seen Eustass, (or considering the nature of their relationship, seen Kid), for what was nearing a year. It was even more strange to consider he had missed the man, but there it was. There was no denying the way his thoughts had turned to him, time and again, this past year, nor mistaking the thrill of pleasure he'd felt upon glimpsing him here.

Thinking about it, though, there was no reason to deny himself this. They'd parted amicably enough; things being as they were, Law could probably just ask if the man had the time to spend the night. Himself, he was at ends, as it were, until his connection to Caesar Clown either came through or fell out — hence idly strolling about.

So, he would wait for Kid, then ask him for his company this fine evening. Possessed of a plan — perhaps even a good one, Law leaned against a wall in the less filthy of the alleyways beside the shop Kid had chosen to patronize and composed himself to patience.

Perhaps unfortunately, the little shop was nothing seedier than a tinker's; Law would have enjoyed teasing him. Getting to the point where one could poke fun at "Captain" Kid without a fight for one's life — there was another accomplishment, now that he thought about it.

He didn't have to wait long — Kid ducked out of the shop in moments, his coat sweeping behind him like a cape as he walked right past Law's little alley without a glance. "Fairly careless, Eustass. Why, there could have been a Warlord waiting to ambush you, right here." (The fact that he was one of the Seven Warlords, though he'd planned on it, still amused the hell out of Law.)

The broad back stopped, then slowly turned to face him and — "Kid! What the hell happened?"

The scars were shiny-new, all angry purples and reds. The prosthetic arm — too soon, can't have healed, part of him whispers — is all naked metal struts and gears. "At least I know why he was in a tinker's." The thought was ridiculous snark he's glad he didn't voice.

Kid glanced at him quickly then looked back down the street. "Should see t' other guy."

Law's fingers itched to see what — if anything — he could do. But it was a public street, if a quiet one. He lowered the hand he'd reached out, putting his fingers in his pocket to keep them from temptation. Time enough for that tonight.

"I would wager "the other guy" is dead." He earned a twitch of Kid's lips at that — a suppressed smile, or, more likely, smirk. Law leaned a little closer, lowered his voice. "Perhaps you and I could go somewhere and get a drink? You could tell me all about it."

He had a bit of a sadistic streak, especially for revenge. If the one who did this wasn't already dead, Law is quite ready to spend some time with Kid, plotting how to make them beg for sweet release. He liked to think himself a bit of a connoisseur of vengeance.

But instead of acceding quickly, as he'd expected, Kid instead kept looking up and down the street. He was also worrying his bottom lip, and if Law didn't know any better, he'd think Kid was nervous. But that made no sense. In Law's experience, once you'd had your tongue in and around someone's anus, and vise-versa, any trepidation tended to fall by the wayside.

"I…" His voice trailed off. Kid hadn't even met his eyes properly. What the hell was going on?

"Kid? What is it?" Law reached toward him again, and the man actually flinched back from him, minutely. He paused, and lowered his hand.

It seemed to be impetus, though, because Kid squared his shoulders and finally looked Law in the eye. "No. I swore I wouldn't. So, I… gotta go."

Kid turned and walked away, and he let him go, stunned by what he'd seen. "How long?"

How long had that been there, in Kid's gaze? Because, now that he thought about it, Law was certain it'd been there before he'd broken off their arrangement.

A small smile bubbled up, irrepressibly. Law covered it with his hand, leaning back against the alleyway wall. Eustass Kid loved him. Was in love with him. He tried the words on in different combinations. None of them offended him, particularly. Or at all, really.

He was fairly sure he didn't love Kid, now, but that didn't mean he couldn't. He was certainly very fond of the man, enough to miss him thoroughly.

"Swore he wouldn't, huh?" Probably that overgrown nursemaid Kid complained about, Killer. (Though the irony of Law, of all people, calling another crew overprotective was not lost on him.)

It looked like Law had something else to do, when he finished this business, after all. More important than Raftel.

The grin widened into a full blown smirk, and Law pushed off the building to saunter towards the tavern he was renting a room from.

"I don't give back hearts, Kid; what sort of pirate would I be if I gave up treasure? I stole it, or you gave it to me — it doesn't matter. Now it's mine, and I'll be coming back for it. Just you wait."