The weather is cold, but nice. It's already dark, though the sky is clear, the full moon glistens on the glowing snow, almost making it seem as if it were daylight, only the midnight blue sky peeks out from behind the white blanket of clouds and gives away how late it is. A few street lights are hanged up, in an attempt to improve the visibility, but that only works on the darkest of summer nights, when the snow isn't already bathing the world in the reflected moon light.
He's in a good mood – even with his fingers freezing from the cold-, pleasantly surprised that thus far there hasn't been any assault on him from Luffy's part. Everything is going well, the time they spend together is exclusive, in Law's opinion, the whole thing certainly feels like a successful date; however he isn't sure if he and Luffy are on the same page.
The kid could be completely obvious to the things Law is doing and Law wouldn't even be all that surprised – that would just be Luffy for him.
Said boy is uncharacteristically quiet now, content with just trotting next to Law, eyes wandering around, probably taking in the sight. The city is pretty, at least this part of it is – mostly lower ranked nobles and wealthier commoners live there-, but it's a miracle that even Luffy is able to just silently admire it. He shouldn't be so surprised about that, after all, he shouldn't assume that Luffy won't enjoy something calm like this. Besides, it's his first time seeing the scenery of a beautiful winter night.
The teen stops in his tracks, and when Luffy doesn't follow him after a few steps, Law turns back.
''What's-'' he begins, but gets interrupted by a snowball thrown at his face. He hasn't gotten to experience anything like this since he was a kid, and the years have nearly erased how unpleasant the feeling is.
That little-
Luffy then laughs while Law wipes the now melting snow off of his face, and he sends a glare in Luffy's direction, which the boy ignores. Law scowls and walks over, considering returning the favor, but a better idea comes to his mind.
He grabs Luffy's legs and pulls them towards himself, making the teen fall into a heap of snow. He grins, realizing but not caring that he's getting dragged into the younger's pace. Even he's allowed to have fun sometimes…
What he doesn't expect is to be joining Luffy there, as that sneaky little shit pulls him down too. Before he knows it, Luffy shoves a fistful of snow into his clothes, and shit is that cold, he's still grinning though, generally having a good time. Luffy tries doing that again, and Law reacts fast, taking each of his wrists into his hands, having none of his antics, effectively pinning him down.
''No fair'' Luffy complains, white puffs of air leaving his thin yet very, very inviting lips. They're really close, dangerously so, Law can even feel the warmth of Luffy's breath on his face.
His eyes wander from his mouth to his eyes instead, feeling a hint of arousal at the sight of a pink blush on his round face. This doesn't help his situation at all. He looks back to the subject of his desire, then to the attentive eyes that are fixed on Law's lips. He takes that as a sign of approval.
He leans down and closes the remaining distance between them. It's a sweet, gentle kiss that evolves into a tentative dance of their tongues, shyly telling a story about their mutual attraction to one another. He has already released Luffy's wrists at some point, and Luffy uses his now free hands to slide his fingers through Law's hair, knocking his hat off in the process.
He feels warm and content as they pull apart, relaxed and surprisingly calm. Luffy wears a look of wonder on his face, his dark eyes soft and clouded. Law caresses Luffy's cheeks gently, lovingly and all the while smiling like an idiot, because that's all he seems to be capable nowadays with Luffy around.
''I liked that'' Luffy says, voice quiet and hoarse, even though it hasn't been that long since he has last been using it.
''Me too'' he answers, enjoying the small fingers massaging his scalp.
He offers Luffy a hand to help him up when he has had enough of laying in the snow -the mood had already been gone at that point- and doesn't let go of it even after the teen is securely on his feet, but Luffy doesn't seem to mind, if anything, he holds onto it tightly, fingers pushing until they're intertwined with Law's. His right hand isn't cold at all for the rest of the night, and he simply keeps his left in his pocket.
Luffy wakes up to the sudden wave of cold as his source of warmth leaves him, and he doesn't like it one bit. Experiencing how awesome is it to cuddle with someone under a warm blanket while the temperature is freezing cold was totally the best thing that had happened to Luffy, and the fact that it's Law that he has been cuddling with only makes it better.
He's always liked physical contact, has always been adamant on sharing a bed with his brothers but even he begrudgingly admits that it has been uncomfortable. That doesn't change the fact though that Law was right where he's supposed to be, and nothing could be that important to have him get up right now.
''Torao'' he mumbles, not sitting up, only turning his head in his direction. ''Where are you going?'' he asks, noticing that the older male is putting on clothes more splendid than he's used to.
''Good morning'' Law smiles, and climbs onto the bed to pecks him on the lips. ''I'm going to Rubeck for a few days.''
''Why?'' he asks, pouting as he circles his arm around Law's torso to keep him there.
Law sighs. ''I've got an important conference to attend to – I've already mentioned that.''
''Oh'' Luffy says, suddenly remembering. ''So you were going to go without saying a word?'' he asks, appalled at the idea.
''I was going to wake you up to say goodbye, but I figured I'd let you sleep until I'm ready'' Law answers, caressing Luffy's cheek. He does that all the time and Luffy really likes that.
''I wouldn't say goodbye anyway'' he says, wrinkling his nose to get his point across before relaxing into the touch of Law's calloused hands.
''Oh? Why is that?''
''Goodbye means we won't see each other again, and you're coming back soon, right?'' he asks, the dread of losing yet another person rising from the pit of his gut. He's already lost Ace, if the rumors about him being taken are true, and Sabo has gone missing soon after that too.
''Of course'' Law assures him quickly, rubbing their noses together, as if sensing his growing anxiety. Luffy closes his eyes and kisses him lightly.
Law climbs off of him when they break apart and puts on a pair of warm-looking boots and more layers of clothes. It's such a bother to dress up so warmly, moving properly is impossible under all that restricting fabric – the two layers of clothes he has been forced to wear all the time in Goa have been bad enough for Luffy.
''I'm going now'' Law says, interrupting his train of thought before they could wander into dangerous waters. It's no use thinking about things that are over. He waves at Law and pulls the covers further over his body to make a nice cocoon.
'' Where's my kiss?'' Law asks kind of indignantly.
Luffy just blows him one, having fun teasing him a little. That, and he doesn't really want to get up. ''I would see you off but it's nicer in here.''
''Geez'' Law says, pinning him to the bed for the second time that day – and it's only morning. The older man captures his lips in a deep, passionate kiss that could have turned into something more heated, if it weren't for a knock on the door.
''Yeah?'' Law asks absentmindedly, occupied with rubbing Luffy's red, saliva-coated lips with his thumb.
''Sir, the carriage is ready''
''I'll be there in a moment'' Law replies and Luffy can tell that he isn't happy about leaving. He looks Luffy in the eye then. ''Well, I'm really going now'' he murmurs, stealing another short kiss, like he couldn't get enough of them - not that Luffy minds, of course.
''I'll walk with you for a while'' Luffy offers, climbing out of bed with a duvet securely wrapped around him. He really hates doing that. ''Okay, that's it'' he exclaims at the door, his bare feet having had enough of walking on the cold tiles.
Law looks at him like he was deranged. ''Seriously?''
''Yeah'' Luffy nods, and Law sighs exasperatedly. He pulls Law in for a quick hug before he turns on his heels and marches back. ''Take care!''
'' I should be the one saying that!''
Later that day, he overhears a very intriguing conversation. He has just accidentally ended in the basement, and is trying to find his way out of the labyrinth-like walls, and can't help but hear them talking.
''You're new, aren't you?'' The man doesn't wait, just slaps the other roughly on the back, nearly making him drop the keys. ''There's only one of importance there, his name's Portgas D. Ace. Ever heard of him?''
Luffy lets out a noise of shock, then claps his hands over his mouth and ducks just in time before he could be caught eavesdropping. Could it be…? That Ace is here, could it be true? The older guard keeps looking his way, and Luffy holds his breath, thinking for a moment that he'll be kicked out before he could hear the end of the conversation. He needs to know what's up with Ace!
Fortunately the man turns back to his fellow. '' So. Portgas D. Ace'' the man continues, his posture more rigid than before.
''He's the commander of the rebels that captured Banaro. He was delivered by the government's new dog – Teach or somethin'- when he was rushing to Bateriella from the East – homesick or somethin', ya' know. They snitched him on so the Duke could stop him before he could reach Bateriella. Would have been bad if the peasants got instigated, wouldn't it?!" he laughs, obnoxiously, patting his colleague on the back again, probably trying to get him to laugh too.
Luffy suddenly has a terrible feeling in his gut and a lump in his throat. They said Duke. They aren't talking about Law, are they? He couldn't have been the one who…
''Yessir'' the younger man says, obviously uncomfortable.
Who put Ace into jail. He isn't like that. He wouldn't do that.
He would under the right circumstances.
''One thing, though'' he begins again, tone turning to grave in the matter of seconds. He's similar to Luffy's grandfather in that matter. ''If anything happens to that one, the Duke will have your head. Got it?''
''Yessir'' he answers, and though Luffy can hear them perfectly well, his brain isn't processing the information.
''Good, I'm leaving now''
It's only when the exchanged good-nights hit his ears does he realize that he really should get the fuck out of there. He scrambles backwards, but his hands slip and his head bangs into the wall.
''Fuck'' he swears, abstract images dancing in front of his mental eye for a moment. He puts his hands on the sore spot on his forehead, feeling them getting wet.
''Who's there?!'' he hears, and he forces himself to fight down the sharp pain and make his senses work again, ignoring the tickling feeling on his forehead. He turns to run but the grip on his arms stops him from doing so. ''What are you doing there, brat?!"
He tugs and struggles, but gets roughly shoved against the wall. He continues to squirm in the bruising grip, trying to twist his body out of the hold. He only needs to reach the first floor and he'll be safe – if he runs into someone he knows he will be fine. ''Let me go!''
''What the fuck do you think you're doing there? '' the man behind him snarls, tone ferocious. ''You're eavesdropping, aren't you?''
He knows he can't lie to save his life, so he pretends not to hear it. ''Let me go already!''
He feels his hand in a way that was definitely neither natural nor healthy, he groans in pain and panics, desperately slamming his feet into the knee of the guard. His leg buckles from the impact, the man falling to the ground with a thump, and Luffy takes the opportunity to kick him in the face, knocking out a few teeth in the process.
He's trapped again by the other man that has snuck upon him while he has been occupied, and he feels the cold, hard surface of cuffs against his wrists. He tries to push himself forward and out of the way but a soft, ominous click stops him. Fuck.
The younger guard hesitates, he can feel it in the way he treats him, he doesn't want to hurt him and he sees his chance in that. Before he could do anything though, the more violent guard is up again, words unintelligent between his wheezing and panting.
''You didn't actually think you could get away with this, did you?''
He just glares, not even being able to keep that up for long, courtesy of the blood that has flown into his left eye from his close encounter with the wall. It stings.
He actually tries to think for once, doing his best to find a way out of this mess he has gotten himself into. If only he could get Penguin…
''I want to talk to Penguin'' he says, earning a laugh.
''What business would someone like you have with Penguin? What will be the next one? You're a friend of the Duke?'' the man asks, laughing at his own words like he has just told a joke or something. His sense of humor really sucks though. Luffy would have already broken his nose if he hasn't been cuffed.
He watches helplessly as the cell's door clicks shut into the lock, the sound of it slamming close echoing through the dingy room. Now what?
''Well shit…''
The temperature may be higher down here than it is outside, but the air is dank enough to make his clothes damp from sitting on the wet, rotting, wooden bench. Luffy's just absently chewing on his lips, feeling the pieces of already torn bits of skin in his mouth, his lip stinging whenever his tongue brushes against it. He has his legs pulled up against his chest and he hugs them, trying to keep himself warm.
How he wishes Law's coat was with him right now, or even better – by some miracle-, the man himself.
There's the sound of constant dripping, perpetual and out of rhythm, not really noticeable unless you're specifically searching for a source of noise to break the eerie silence. Luffy thinks it's even worse than the silence.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
'' … a hair on- … you'll hang- … the Duke…- tolerate…-''
Drip. Drip. Drip.
He squints his eyes, like that would sharpen his hearing. He's sure he just heard talking.
'' I-I apologize! I couldn't possibly have know-'' the voice is high and frantic, desperate and pleading, but it sounds vaguely familiar.
'' It's not me that you should explain yourself to.''
''But sir….''
'' You should be begging for forgiveness to Luffy'' says Penguin, his cold tone nothing like what Luffy is used to.
Penguin steps around the corner, so Luffy can finally see him. He looks livid, nearly panting, maybe a hint of fear present in him too – of what, Luffy doesn't know. The man that he has amiably kicked in the face is there too; nasty, black bruise on his chin, the torn wound on his lips still not closed, he looks terrified, sweat running down on his temples. He's pathetic.
Penguin takes the key ring and unlocks the door, letting Luffy out. He gets out as fast as he can, more than delighted to be free again, though Ace is still in the back of his mind – is he really in the same building as Luffy right now?
It would be great of course, but he can't help being a little scared of that possibility – how could he just go up and enjoy his stay until Law comes back, getting spoiled rotten from the luxury while his brother might be rotting in a wet cell? He doesn't think he's spent more in there than a few hours and he's already cold, can feel it even in his bones.
'' You okay?'' Penguin asks, leading him with a hand in between his shoulder blades.
''Yeah…'' he answers, his eyes sliding over the glistening keychain in the younger guard's pocket. It's a miracle that it hasn't fallen out yet, only one key of the three is still inside.
He should take it.
If Ace really is here, he has to get him out.
'' Luffy… you got that wound here, didn't you?'' Penguin grits out, looking at the guard like he is the worst of scum he's ever seen. The man trembles under his gaze, and Luffy thinks that if he was a dog, his tail would already be between his legs.
The younger guard isn't paying attention either, being busy with trying hard not to pee in his own pants; at least he looks like that. He seizes the opportunity and snatches the key, successfully avoiding anybody seeing him do it and quickly stuffs it into his clothes.
''Penguin'' he whines, instantly gaining his attention. ''I'm cold – let's go!''
The man glares at the guard one last time and begins to ascend the stairs, making sure that Luffy is in front of him. They reach the first floor and Penguin turns him around by his elbows so that he's facing him.
''What were you even doing down there?''
''Exploring!'' he says, as naturally as he can after discovering the disturbing possibility that Ace's in captivity here, that the brother he hasn't seen in two years is held prisoner by the man he loves. ''I got lost though and heard them talking, I wanted to get away 'cuz I think they were talking 'bout something important, but I slipped and hit my head there'' he points a finger at his forehead ''-and they heard it and the big guy just came at me and thrww me into the cell!'' he huffs.
After a few moments of silence Luffy adds. ''I kicked out his last teeth though!''
Penguin raises his eyebrows at the last part. ''Good'' he says anyway. ''But are you okay?'' he asks, eyeing his forehead. He doesn't seem to like it at all.
He nods. ''Yeah… I'm cold though.''
''You should dip in the hot spring – I'm sure Law wouldn't-'' he cuts himself off when he sees Luffy's expression changing to one of refusal. ''You don't like that?''
''Nah…''
''The bathtub then?''
''That'd be nice!''
He's warm and cozy under the blankets, fresh out of the bath, the silky sheets caressing his bare legs. He takes a pillow from his left and takes a whiff, smiling a bit. It smells like Law. He turns to his side, feeling the key chains under his right knee.
His smile instantly drops.
He takes it into his hands and fiddles with the keys, tracing his finger over each. One of them might be to Ace's cell. The cell's where Law possibly put Ace. He feels like someone is squeezing his heart at this thought, he can't breathe; the lump in his throat doesn't allow him to - it blocks his way to the precious oxygen.
What should he do?
How's he supposed to choose between Ace and Law?
His brother is supposed to be more important, but he wants Law too. The thought of losing him hurts Luffy. He just wants to gather Ace, Sabo, Law and maybe some friends and live together happily ever after.
He whines a little, curling up into a ball. Getting all worked up doesn't do him any good – first off, he has to make sure that Ace is actually here. He could have misheard something, or there could be plenty of Aces running around in the world, though a part of him is well aware that he's just in denial.
He doesn't realize that he's been trashing around for god-knows-how-long until the sheets tangle with his legs and he has made a complete mess of the bed. It doesn't even smell like Law anymore. He huffs and climbs out of the bed, pulling a pair of chausses on his legs without putting on socks first. He doesn't care though; he needs fresh air and he needs it now.
It's really cold outside, given that it's probably past midnight. The wind swirls up the dry snow, coating the landscape in silver mist, the bright moon adding to the magical view. The tales he grew up listening to tell that the North is the land of snow and sorrow, that those two come hand-in-hand, but he doesn't think they are right. He really likes snow. It's peaceful.
He could do just fine without the damn blizzards though.
The backyard is pretty too, or so he imagines it to be during summer; Law has told him once that it's full of colorful flowers and green grass then, when Mother Nature is at her peak. It's just plain white now, like she's in deep slumber now.
Bepo, the giant, fluffy, white dog paddles towards him, wagging his tail all the while. It's funny, he hasn't even noticed him as he blended into the scenery so well with his snow-like white fur. He's the kindest dog of the pack, and the biggest too – he's his favorite dog and Luffy recalls him to be Law's favorite as well.
He pats the dog on the head, doesn't even have to lean down because the dog's snout reaches his bellybutton even as he sits. Law has once said he could be easily mistaken for a polar bear, whatever a polar bear looks like.
Luffy sighs, pulling the coat tighter on himself. He has no idea what he should do now. This isn't like him at all; he has never been the brooding type, he's the 'do-it-now-think-later'-kind of guy. He hates this all. The feeling of uncertainty is killing him.
He should wait for Law to come back and ask him about the matter – surely, if he explained to him that Ace is his brother he would let Ace go, wouldn't he?
Wouldn't he?
He could just say no, Ace plays after all an important role in the rebellion. But he loves Law and would do this for him, and Law loves him as much as he does and he would do it for Luffy too.
''What should I do?'' he asks himself, though it comes off as a question addressed to Bepo. He doesn't get any verbal answer, of course.
The keys clatter inside his pocket though, tempting him; he could just go and free Ace on his own and he wouldn't have to confront Law either.
He might as well just go and do that.
In the end, he doesn't risk going now and getting caught just after Penguin has gotten him out of a cell as he ran into some patrolling guards – they were already suspicious of him, borderline hostile even. It's been two days now, and he has been running on minimal sleep since his little trip to the base of the castle. He shouldn't have gotten lost there, his brain tells him.
Yet here is he, trying his best to hold on tightly and not slip on the wet surface he's crouching on at the moment. He managed to climb up a pillar, and is now seated on the bulge between the arch and the pillar that supports it so that if someone happens to be there he would go unnoticed.
At least as long as they don't look up. If they do he can just jump at them like a vampire – that would be really cool. Vampires are cool.
He doesn't know what to do now, though. He asked Penguin about how the prison runs there, and apparently, there are two levels even in the dungeons. The less dangerous or temporary prisoners go to the first level and the others to the second.
The levels have two parts as well, where Luffy stayed was for the temporary ones, the other for the ones that committed lesser crimes such as stealing – that's the first one. On the second one part goes for the state prisoners, the other one for murderers and war criminals.
He wonders what category Ace falls under – is he a prisoner of state or a war criminal? He figures it doesn't matter; it's not like he knows which side is which anyway.
That does nothing to help solve his problems; he's still clueless about to how to carry out his plan. He has the keys and knows where to search for Ace, but the 'how' has escaped him. He can't afford to be seen, but he can't turn invisible either, nor can he blend into the background.
Or can he?
He can, but he sure as hell can't help the grin spreading across his face at his brilliant idea. As if on cue, steps echo along with low murmuring. He holds his breath and concentrates on the quiet noise, trying to make out if it's one person or more.
One.
The vampire's mission begins.
'' Fucking finally – thought I can never go to sleep''
You are about to take a nice long nap, Luffy thinks, his heartbeat quickening as he gauges the distance between him and the guard.
He has only one chance.
One more step and he can jump.
Slowly, agonizingly slowly the man takes that certain last step. Luffy can feel the sweet, familiar feeling of adrenalin pulsing in his veins as he pushes himself off the pillar.
He lands on the shoulder of the guard. The man's knees buckle under his weight and from the shock, and he falls on the tiles face-first.
''I came for your blood'' Luffy whispers, tone low, trying to make it unrecognizable. He earns a pathetic whimper in response, and wild thrashing as the man tries to turn around.
The guard is bigger than him, and it's only matter of time until he can stand up, might as well with Luffy on his back. It's almost like riding on a wild horse, Luffy thinks. He's not about to lose.
He manages to grab the man's neck, and with a jerking movement backwards, the struggling stops. This time an eerie crack echoes. Luffy is pretty sure he's dead, but at the moment he has more important things to worry about than actually checking; his brothers whereabouts for instance.
He strips the man out of his clothes as quickly as he can, not particularly keen on stealing a most likely dead man's clothes, but this isn't the time to think about what he wants, but what he has to do. He pulls the uniform over his own clothes, hoping that that way the size difference would be less obvious, and takes the weapons, though doesn't know what to do with the body. He can't just leave it there.
He drags the body behind a pillar, and scratches his head. Best case scenario he could get it up to the ceiling, but he doesn't have a rope or anything that could substitute it, so that's out. He could just leave it propped against the pillar if there was something to support it so that it wouldn't fall. He would need a stay-rod or something.
He has a spear though.
He takes the spear and frames the wooden end to the meeting of the floor and the wall, pushing the sharp edge of the weapon into the man's stomach deep to prop him up properly and securely. This should do the trick, he thinks, proud of his work.
Now he can finally get to work.
He reaches the second level without any obstacles, the guards he meets on his way are not suspecting anything. They even invite him to join in on their card games or drink with them, the poor souls, he thinks, they don't suspect anything. He tries not to search for Ace too conspicuously, tries not to stare too much into each cell.
He grows anxious by the time he's nearing the end of the hallways, where he guesses the prisoners of state are held captive – Ace wasn't on the other side so he should be here.
The guard greets him with a friendly pat on his back. He tries to grin back, nervous. He feels like something is off here, but the heavy tension that has been accompanying him all day prevents him for pinpointing what exactly.
His eyes wander to the cell, seeing a curled up form on the bench in there. The man inside isn't by any means small, looking like a ball of muscle waiting to be released. His arms are decorated with ugly bruises and the skin is swelled up, angry red around the infected wounds that leak puss.
''Hey, hey. No need to look so lost – you're new, aren't you?''
''Yeah..'' he says, voice small, completely falling out of the act. He can't bring himself to go back to acting thought, seeing Ace's state bringing him dangerously close to his breaking-point.. He can barely restrain himself from rushing right inside – he would even chew and scrape his way through the bars if he had to – not necessary though, thanks to the keys in his pocket.
However small his voice was, it still caught the attention of Ace. Slowly, the filthy mop of wavy black hair rises, exposing a worn out freckled face. Bloodshot gray eyes go wide in disbelief, the bloodied, sand dry lips open and close without the owner having any control over them.
''… -of mind'' Luffy hears, snapping his head in the direction of the man that has apparently been talking to him. He hopes that it wasn't a question.
The man seems to notice that he stopped listening, because he repeats himself. ''I said I could tell – they're always like that, scared out of mind. Let me tell you, little one, these are not the ones that you should be afraid of, the worst pieces of scum still roam the streets''
''Y-yeah…'' he says, finding that his eyes have wandered back to Ace on their own. He wants to look away but can't, even though his brain screams at him to do so, to block the images of how roughed up his dear brother looks. He also feels anger boiling in him, boiling until it feels ice cold right in his core.
Whoever did this must pay and will pay – he will personally make sure of it.
He sees the panic on Ace's face, and the way he jumps to his feet, and can even see the movement of a spear coming into his direction from the corner of his eye, but his body's stoned and he can't do anything. The tip of the cold metal presses against his neck, but thankfully, it stops there.
''Who are you?'' the guard asks, demands, the friendly tone long gone. Luffy realizes what bothered him from the beginning – the kindliness was fake.
He doesn't answer, not wanting the blade to tear the skin on his neck. He just chooses to glare.
''Were you going to free this man? '' he asks, nodding his head in the direction of Ace.
His brother looks livid, and Luffy can tell that he's doing his hardest to calm himself down before he throws himself against the bars in a fit of rage. He's always been wiser than Luffy, albeit his temper often took the best of him. Still, his patience has its limits, limits that are neighboring in this case.
Their eyes meet, and the old, familiar bond they share seems to be the messenger of their thoughts. They're going to pull a trick or two.
'' How did you know?'' Luffy asks, the pressure on his throat uncomfortable, but he's going to do his best to break his concentration.
''That was easy'' the man smiles, '' You are not very precise, are you, little one? You forgot the spear''
Ace shuffles towards the bars without making a noise. Luffy thinks it isn't a smart move on the guard's part to turn his back to a prisoner, although normally it wouldn't mean a thing if he does that or not, as long as he's out of arm's reach.
''You didn't even take off your clothes before taking these.''
Luffy experientially tries to pull the ball of his feet backwards, feeling a dull stab in his throat instantly. He nearly gags at the sudden jab, feeling the amount of saliva in his mouth growing.
''Don't even think about it, little one.'' he says before his eyes drift to Luffy's clothing again. ''How would you even get these?'' he asks suspiciously.
He doesn't really know what to say, always bad at interludes. It has always been Sabo's part.
''Who did you get it from?!'' the guard yells now, poking his neck once more. Realization slowly dawns on his face before it darkens, threateningly so. ''Is that so?''
He seems mad now, Luffy thinks. He only needs a little push now to be there where they want him to be – he's very close to lose his composure completely.
''I didn't lost the spear – I propped up the body with that'' he says, as nonchalantly as he can.
And that does the trick.
Immediately, the pressure on his throat is gone as the man pulls the spear back, and Luffy barely has time to duck down before a sharp strike follows. The guard aims at him again then, this time with the intent to kill and Luffy charges forward, scarcely getting out of the way, and he pushes the man against the cell by his hips.
Not a moment later Ace's muscular arm reaches out and grabs the man's face, and jerks it back until it knocks against the bars, the metal bending from the impact while the body goes still. As the freckled prisoner's hold loosens, the man falls to the ground lifelessly, and Luffy notices the blood trickling down from his head down on his neck, tainting the uniform. The sheer force broke his skull, he guesses.
''Luffy..'' Ace says, voice carrying too many emotions that Luffy can't quite understand.
''Ace!'' he cries, suddenly feeling light and giddy. He clambers to his feet and rushes to the cell, gripping the bars in excitement. ''AceAceAceAce…''he murmurs, his grin widening to an impossible extend. He feels tears of joy running down his cheeks, but he doesn't care because Ace is there.
He shuffles through his pocket with shaky hands, searching for the keys, but it slips out of his hands. He ends up handing them to Ace as his hand trembles too hard for him to unlock the door himself. The cell opens with a creak, and Luffy's ready to just jump at Ace and tackle him, but the sharp pain of a fist colliding with his skull stops him from executing his plan.
''Ow! Ace! What was that for?!'' he pouts, rubbing the sore spot.
''Idiot! What the fuck were you thinking!? Coming here like that?! What the fuck are you even doing in Flevance?" Ace scolds, albeit Luffy can tell that behind the chiding there's immense amount of worry and fear of losing his little brother.
He's about to respond when he feels Ace's arms wrapping around him tightly, almost painfully so, but it's comforting and warm and he returns it with a death grip of his own. Ace playfully lifts him up a little, until Luffy's chin rests on his shoulder, highlighting their still present height difference – which Luffy claimed would be non-existent by now.
He feels the shoulder under his chin shake, if from laughter or crying he can't tell, he can't even decide what he's doing at the moment – both probably.
The moment Ace releases him he already misses the warmth, and he's about to voice his displeasure, but the stern look Ace gives him forces him back to reality. Talk later, act now. They will have plenty of time to catch up later on, right now they lack the time to do so.
''What do we do now?'' Luffy asks, glad that he can finally trust someone else, a more reliable person with the planning – he has already been starting to develop a fever from thinking too much over such a short amount of time.
''How did you get inside the castle? Scratch that, how'd you end up in Flevance?'' Ace asks while crouching down and giving Luffy the discarded spear.
''Law brought me here'' Luffy says, mixed feelings stirring inside him at the thought of the man. He has been nothing but kind to Luffy, although he was the one that raided Bateriella.
Ace stops rummaging through the guard's pockets at that and gives the younger a surprised look. ''Trafalgar? Were you captured? Has Bateriella fallen already?''
He nods. '' It lasted for like three weeks, but the Northern army took over in the end''
Ace sighs, an ironic smile playing on his lips ''And here were we, sending you there to be safe..for like what? Two weeks?''
''One'' he replies with a shit eating grin. He has insisted on staying in Goa, and fight too, but his family has been obstinate about putting him into a safer place. He has arrived to Bateriella one week before the siege has begun.
What little playfulness his brother had on his face disappears with his next question. '' Are you a… slave now?'' he asks, jaw clenching at the mere thought.
''Nope'' he says quickly, ''Law freed me after I helped him and I came here on my own..'' he trails off as he feels Ace's intense gaze on him.
''Helped him? You? Why on the earth would you- '' he takes a breath to calm himself down, ''He's our enemy, Luffy. He's a lackey of the Celestials – did you forget whose fault it is that our people starve? That man works for them!'' he yells, his previously sickly white face flushing red from anger.
He feels the need to defend Law, though he's at loss for the right words. It isn't like Ace is wrong, but he doesn't understand it either. ''He's nice.''
''Nice?'' Ace asks, disbelief oozing from his tone. He seems to be in a search for the joke there. ''Luffy, you should hear yourself now!''
''I love him!'' he blurts out, boldly, and Ace looks like he just slapped him. He knows he shouldn't feel this way. He feels guilt about it, and he feels guilt about betraying Law too, but doesn't regret freeing Ace either. He just doesn't know what to do now.
Apparently, Luffy's outburst was what Ace needed to come to his senses because he just turns to Luffy, no visible trace of the anger that was radiating off of him. ''We'll talk about it later – let's go!''
Later is not something to take granted – that was the lesson of the day, and the knowledge impregnates into their brain so deep that neither Luffy nor Ace will ever forget it.
They get back to where Luffy got the guard's uniform, together and safe without any obstacles. Albeit the adrenaline is still pumping in his blood and makes his heart beat faster than it has ever had to, he still feels calmer in some way, having his strong big brother on his side. He could manage on his own, but Ace next to him feels reassuring, his mere presence enough to trick him into thinking how everything is going to be all right in the end.
They will get out, together and safe and go back to Goa. Luffy has decided. Flevance isn't his place to be, he doesn't belong there – the city itself never felt like home to him, in spite of the fact that Law's arms did. He'll miss Law, he can tell that beforehand from the already present ache in his heart, but it isn't like he has a choice.
He's brought back to reality by the unexpected appearance of a group of guards that are not under any circumstances supposed to be there. They don't notice them fortunately, inspecting the lifeless body of the man Luffy has left here, a wide, dark trail of blood where he was dragged out from behind the pillar.
''Did you do that?'' Ace asked after he had pulled him behind a pillar, his voice quieter than a whisper, taking his eyes off of the guards to look at Luffy for a moment.
''Yeah..''
''Was he going up?''
''Yeah..''
''Damn change of shift..'' Ace mutters. Luffy doesn't particularly get it, but he knows it isn't necessary for him to understand. It is enough if Ace understands.
The freckled man begins to make a plan of some short, if one could call it a plan at all: stay together, break out, get to safety. 'How' is the only question here, one that isn't solved, that requires improvisation – they don't have the time to wait for another shift to start nor can they afford to wait around at all.
Words must be spreading fast and the place will be abounding of guards. Taking them head on would be too risky at the moment, even Luffy realizes that. Were Ace at his prime they would have kicked their asses and already be out of this hellhole, but he knows his brother well enough to tell when he's okay and when not. He's far from it at the moment.
His arms shake, fingers uncoordinated, skin feeling dry like paper, sickly white colored skin where it isn't red from swellings. His eyes have sunken, looking bigger than usual, cheekbones more prominent. Law has high cheekbones but contrary to Ace it makes him more handsome. His brother just looks sick like this.
Before the plan could have been started, they're ambushed. He kicks and Ace punches, however futile it is. Normally Ace is stronger than Luffy, owning a monstrous muscle strength but in his weakened state he's no match.
One thing is still lacking though, the strategy behind their actions. Sabo is – was- the one providing them with that, like a guide of sorts. He notices things neither of them do, having the ability to see what lies beneath the surface. He's really needed at the moment, not that his brain is the only reason why Luffy wants him to be here.
A low, raw grunt of anguish hits his ears, the ominous sound drawing his attention to Ace. There's a tear on his clothes now, where Luffy supposes his heart is, an expanding taint of red, a metallic shine of something small and pointy- like an arrow.
Oh, how he wishes Sabo would be here the moment Ace falls to the ground, twitching unnaturally in a growing pool of red liquid – of blood- that makes Luffy cringe at the image. Still, he would have preferred having him jerking on the ground over him going eerily still in a matter of seconds. He has a foreboding feeling and he prays for it to be the paranoia in him.
It has him fall forward without a second thought, needing proof that what he sees is just a mirage, a cruel trick of his mind, that Ace is fine and everything is fine. They'll get out, together and safe.
''Ace'' he croaks, ignoring how pitifully weak he sounds even for himself. Getting no reaction, he grabs on Ace's muscled arm with both hands. ''Ace'' he shakes him, desperation taking over his common sense.
It's hard to tell if Ace's skin really has gotten a tint of gray, or if it's just the bad lighting and Luffy's panic, though it doesn't change the fact that Ace just won't react to anything he does. His expression is one of agony; his eyes wide open glassily staring into nothing.
They will haunt him as years pass by, Luffy has no doubt about that.
Ace is dead, one part of him says, no he isn't, the other persuades, and Luffy can't decide which is right and which is lying. It's like his head is being pulled into two opposite sides, resignation and denial. Ace would be mad if he resigned, if he has killed him so soon.
Ace's stronger than that.
You can't kill a dead man, he thinks, a wave of emptiness burning itself through his heart. There's pain, unbearable agony that hurts so much that he feels numb. He's hugging Ace's body, clinging to what remains of him in this world despairingly, not ready to let go of him just yet. He needs Ace, needs him to be with him, he can't leave just yet, there's so much to say before they part, he can't…
He can't do this.
His hands slide from Ace to his own face, hands shaking, hands with blood dripping from them to the pool that he's kneeling in. He fists his hair, tugs roughly, hoping that if he pulls it hard enough it'll wake him up, and he'll wake up in Goa, and Ace and Sabo will be there laughing at how scared he's of a mere dream, but he'll willingly endure any teasing if it gives back Ace. Ace said they'll talk later and he always keeps his word, doesn't he?
Doesn't he?
His fists press against his eyes hard, the blood that gets in them stings, even the insides of eyelids seem red instead of the comforting black. Just be over, be over already, he begs.
He won't ever take 'later' as granted, and Ace won't either because he's dead and not coming back.
He feels weak, detached from his own body; the world has turned blurry and soundless. What keeps repeating in his head is the whiz of the arrow, the heavy thump of Ace's lifeless body falling onto the ground, the small sound he made – that terrible choked up gasp of shock and immense pain.
Vivid images of his brother jerking on the ground in his last moment in an useless attempt to get out of death's embrace, the pool of blood that grew bigger and bigger as life left him are still fresh on his mind, mingling with the sweet childhood memories they shared, warm and happy and idyllic in a sharp contrast to the harsh, cruel reality.
His head aches numbly, throbs, feels like exploding under the pressure he's been going under the past hours, days, weeks, they all seem to crash down on him at once. The agony, the loss, like a parasite is eating him up from the inside, infecting every fiber of his being. This is too much.
He doesn't know how much time passed, it could be days or even minutes for what he senses. He's sliding in and out of consciousness, indulges in his own world filled with sorrow and loss. The terrible truth is that the reality isn''t any better.
What he does notice is when he's pulled back by his clothes from behind, away from his brother, his dead, glazed eyes hollowly staring at him, and he knows if he goes now he'll never see him again, never ever, he'll be gone forever.
He panics when Penguin walks up to Ace and puts his index and middle finger on his eyes, forcing the eyelids to close. He tries to lunge forward, the thought of anyone going even near Ace replacing his pain with anger. He's held down though, can feel both of his arms being gripped tightly.
''Don't touch him!'' he yells, and Penguin turns around instantly, and while his face is hidden by a chaperon, Luffy can easily imagine a grim expression, his eyes burning with anger directed at him.
He strides over and motions for the guards to let go of him, and Luffy's shoved forward so that he falls to his knees. He sits back on his heels and looks up at Penguin, wary of the newfound hostility he emits – he doesn't know what he's about to do. He obviously isn't happy at the turn of events. Luffy stubbornly makes eye contact though, never one to back down.
He sees Penguin's raised hand, prepares for the hit, and from the corner of his eyes he sees Ace's corpse being tucked into a cocoon of dark material. Instinctively he wants to crawl there, moves to do so but Penguin steps in front of him. He thought better than to hit him, though he could have gotten away with that easily – Luffy lacks the energy to fight back or to even stand up. He's drained and exhausted, but sleep would avoid him, he's sure of that.
''Do you have any idea what have you done, Luffy?'' he demands in a dangerously calm voice. Silent anger is the most lethal, Luffy knows that well. He doesn't wait for an answer, just continues. ''The only thing that refrains me from taking your head right there is that Law thinks so highly of you''
The mention of Law's name causes a wave of mixed emotions to wash over him, crashing over his head. He feels bitter and angry, betrayed and guilty at the same time, torn between wanting to see him, be in his arms and stealing his kisses and wanting to strangle him, or at least be as far from him as possible. He doesn't know what to do with all these conflicted feelings.
While there was no way for Law to know about Ace's relationship to Luffy at that point when he captured him – when they had yet to meet at all -, Law is still the one responsible for the freckled man's death. He may not have shot that arrow or gotten his hands dirtied at all, but he got Ace in this situation in the first place.
If only his brother had been left alone, this wouldn't be happening. Nothing would have gone wrong, Law and Luffy could have been happy here – he knows that. He's well aware of that, and this hurts the most, he thinks. The what ifs – what if Law and Ace had never met, what if Ace had escaped during his ride from Banaro to Flevance, what if Ace had dodged that arrow, what if the wound hadn't been fatal, so many what ifs that could have prevent the tragedy.
A happy ending was just an arm's reach away, dangling in front of them, and when his hand grazed it, when he pushed himself a little closer with the determination of 'just another inch closer', he stumbled and fell face-first into a dark, endless pit of dolor, into the sea of grief.
He can't swim.
The sound of the creaking door being closed behind him, accompanied by the loud slamming, is enough to pull him back into reality. He's back in a wet cell, whether or not in the same he's been mere days ago is beyond him.
Penguin leaves without as much as a glance thrown at his direction. He doesn't care; he wishes it were the biggest problem in his life that somebody decided to ignore him. He has no desire to deal with it when Ace fills his every thought, memories recent and ancient, and Law's on his mind too, everything he's had with the older man that he just doomed.
He's left alone with his loss, and the constant dripping of water proves to be a surprisingly prolific ground for thinking, almost cruelly so, the planted seed growing rapidly until his every fiber can remember and relive the destruction one arrow can cause.
Penguin's company would be welcomed now, Luffy's ready to admit that.
The carriage pulls through the heavy iron gates, the familiar ornate wrought in it causes an unexpected spark of calmness to blossom inside him that mixes with the bubbling anticipation in his gut. He's eager to see Luffy and glad that he can share a bed with him tonight, even if not in the sensual sense of the word; the presence is enough for him for the time being.
What he doesn't expect is the grim expressions the servants wear, the look of wariness on their faces, the lips pressed into straight lines instead of curling into welcoming smiles, but what really makes him think is the absence of Luffy. Law isn't one to anger, he's made sure of that on many occasions that everyone here knows that, but at the moment he's more absorbed in a fear fueled vivid fantasy as to how could the absence of his lover and the unsaid apologies be tied .
He comes to the conclusion that something must have happened to his lover, and while he doesn't like it in the slightest and hopes that it isn't the case – not only on the behalf of him but on the behalf of the staff; there would be, after all, dire consequences if whatever happened was caused by one's neglect – he can't really think of anything else, maybe because his brain seems to be shut down from the electric wave of fear these thought bring to the surface.
''Where's Luffy?'' he asks, and if the silence hasn't been suffocating up until now, then it is unbearable now.
Penguin is the brave one who steps forward. ''You might want to discuss this in private, My Lord'' he grits out, fists shaking at his sides from balling them so tightly. He looks more angry than scared and that confuses Law.
He searches for Penguin's eyes, trying to glean some kind of information there, but all he gets is the feeling that he really won't be happy about whatever he has to say.
''Alright.''