Title: Panacea
Author:AoiTsukikage
Rating: PG-13-ish (for now)
Characters/Pairing:Law/Sanji
Chapter: 2/5 (?)
Word Count: 3054
Summary: There's something in his demeanor, the way he hides his true feelings whenever they start to unconsciously slip out, that speaks volumes. And Sanji would hardly consider himself somebody that wants to fixpeople but, well, he likes a challenge, and Law presents a rather giant one.
Spoilers:For recent-ish chapters, but this is set before Dressrosa.
Chapter Two
Escaping the zoo?" Sanji doesn't have to look to see who's entered the galley. He knows everybody by the way they open the door, by how much noise they make walking up to it, and Law's no exception at this point..
"I'm quite convinced zoo animals are much better behaved than your crew. I have a polar bear on mine, after all, and he's infinitely more civil," he sniffs rather haughtily and Sanji laughs to himself, chopping up some vegetables for their evening meal.
"What were they trying to rope you into?"
"I'm not even certain. Something to do with tabasco balls and cola, but that was enough to convince me I should be elsewhere," he looks disinterested, eyes focused on some random spot on the wall, and Sanji plops a drink down in front of him and waits for him to pay attention.
"Here. I promise there's no tabasco or cola in there," he nods and Law regards it suspiciously for a moment or two before trying it, a slight quirk in his left eyebrow the only indication that he likes it. "Well?"
"It's pleasant," Law decides, and coming from him that's pretty much a standing ovation.
"Nah, 's not much. We're running low on supplies, especially after I had to cook for all the Marines and kids back on Punk Hazard. Nami-san says there's an island we'll be coming up on tomorrow so hopefully they have a village or a market and I can get some fresh produce," he's talking mostly to himself but Law hums quietly to let him know that he's at least listening.
They haven't talked about that night since it happened, but at least Law hasn't been giving him the cold shoulder or anything and, if it can be called progress, he does seem to seek out Sanji's company more often than not. He's still secretive and still fairly emotionless, but it's better than it had been before.
"We can't linger too long anywhere," and okay, apparently taking time to shop for food is a sore spot, but Sanji's not having any of that right now.
"Look, shitty doctor, just because you've got some beef with Doflamingo doesn't mean Luffy's gonna move any faster than he damn well pleases. So put up or shut up," he stabs the knife down rather viciously, looking over his shoulder to see Law staring at him in a fair approximation of shock. Or, at least, what passes for shock where Law's concerned, although it's hardly a change from his normal neutral expression.
"It's more than a trifling issue," he finally admits. "Doflamingo…I've spent half my life waiting to make him pay for what he did to somebody I cared deeply for."
It's the most Sanji's ever heard him admit about himself, but he can respect that, at least. He's fairly sure that, one way or another, they're going to run into Doflamingo and from what he's seen and heard the man is not what one could call a decent human being.
"So that's your goal? Revenge?" he asks, and Law levels a rather even look at him before turning his eyes away. "Hey," Sanji smacks his palm on the counter and Law flinches involuntarily, shoulders hunching over. "Hey," he says again, softer, feeling bad. He chews on the end of his unlit cigarette thoughtfully, crossing around the counter and seating himself on Law's lap as the older man looks at him curiously. "Look, if that's what you need to do, go ahead and do it. But just remember that you're never going to be happy if you're trying to reach a dream for somebody else. Finding the All Blue might be that shitty old geezer's dream, but it's mine, too, so I'm not doing it just for him."
"This could hardly be called my 'dream'," Law frowns. "But until it's finished, one way or the other, I can't move on."
"Yeah. I get it," Sanji pulls the cigarette out of his mouth, tipping the other man's chin up with his free hand and kissing him lightly. Law doesn't look angry or annoyed, just sort of confused, and Sanji stands up and goes back to preparing his mise en place for dinner.
The door opens before either of them can say anything else, Nami sliding in and leaning back against it while huffing an annoyed breath, and Sanji laughs to himself and starts making a drink for her. "Come to join us in the idiot-free zone, Nami-swan?"
"Is it just me, or are they louder than normal today?" she rubs her temples and hops up on a stool beside Law. "You two bonding in here?"
"You could say that," Sanji grins to himself, seeing that Law is looking uncomfortable, and tries to change the subject. "How close is this island?"
"Mm, I'd say we should make landfall midday tomorrow if the wind holds," she replies, tapping her fingers on the countertop. "Will the supplies last until then?"
"As long as Luffy doesn't break into the fridge we should be fine," he sets the drink in front of her and she nods in thanks.
"We won't stay long," she adds, probably for Law's benefit, but he schools his face into a more neutral expression and shrugs.
"I suppose one day here or there won't make an exceptional amount of difference," he finally replies.
"Are you that eager to get rid of us?" she rests her chin on her upturned hand, narrowing her eyes, and he sighs.
"No, that's not…"
"It's fine," she waves her hand. "Believe me, you're the perfect ship-guest and even though I don't trust you completely I do trust you not to murder us in our sleep," she gives him a look that implies if he tries there's going to be serious consequences.
"I consider our alliance to be binding, Miss Nami, and I'll protect you all as I would my own crew for the duration of it" he intones and she smiles and nods.
"That's good enough for me," she stands up and takes the drink. "Well, I've got to work on some maps, so wish me luck not punting the rest of them overboard if they get in my way," she raises her glass in a salute and Sanji inclines his head formally, sighing as she leaves the galley.
"Out of interest, what would your crew say if one of them had walked in thirty seconds sooner?" Law asks, Sanji thinking about that while he finished chopping the vegetables and setting them aside.
To be honest, relationships and bed-partners weren't something any of them had ever discussed, probably because most of them had no desire for it. Luffy and Zoro and Chopper pretty much had no interest in anybody in that way, Usopp had his girl, Brook was a skeleton, Franky…well, Sanji didn't really want to inquire too closely about how…those parts of his anatomy worked, if they still did, and the girls would never lower themselves to be involved with any of the degenerates on-board. He doesn't think any of them will judge him too harshly (although they might be surprised that he's getting involved with another man) but, well, he has no history to base his thoughts on so really it's up in the air.
"Would you care if they had?" he asks instead, and Law shrugs.
"Not particularly. I'd just like to know that you're not doing this out of pity, or because you think I'm broken somehow," he sounds serious and Sanji feels bad for thinking, well, at least partially the same thing.
"I'm not," he promises. "I'm attracted to you. Yes, there's a part of me that would like you to…trust me enough to let down a few of your walls, but that's not why I kissed you," he hopes that Law can't see right through him because in part that's exactly why h's pursuing this and he feels guilty for it now.
"I don't believe you," Law decides, standing up and moving behind Sanji, and the blond forces himself to keep working, breath hitching a little in fear when one of Law's arms locks around his waist and the other hand comes up to grip his throat, not hard enough to restrict his airflow but definitely enough to be a warning. "But I'm attracted to you as well, so perhaps I'm willing to forgive you for that," he's pressed close, the proximity making Sanji lean back into him. His hands are loose at his sides, unsure what he's supposed to do because Law doesn't exactly adhere to any conventions. "Whatever you're going to do, do it."
And he'll take that as permission, hands sliding back to rest on Law's hips, holding him there. Law's lips press against the side of his neck, mouth opening so his teeth can scrape lightly along the skin, and Sanji's amazed that he feels no threat at all from the action. The hand around his throat slackens a little, moving to rest over the knot in his tie, and he's always had a rule about no fooling around where the food was prepared but, well, it was very hard to remember that right now.
"Oi, Sanji! Have you seen…?" Luffy bursts through the door, followed by Usopp and Chopper, and Law darts back as if burned, both of them turning toward the voice. "Torao!" he crows excitedly. "You just ran away! We wanted to try out this…"
Sanji picks up a knife and twirls it in his hand the same instant that Law creates one of those rotating circles, both of them glaring at the intruders, and Usopp and Chopper mumble something about 'forgetting things on the deck bye' and scurrying out, Luffy taking a bit longer to get the picture but Sanji chucks an apple out the door and watches the captain bound after it like a dog chasing a bone.
"When we make landfall…" Law looks thoughtful, "do you think your lovely navigator will object to us spending the night at the local inn?"
"I think she'd probably insist upon it," Sanji swallows heavily because Law's gone from wanting to rush out of this as fast as possible to wanting to spend the night with him and it might not make sense but, well, Sanji's not going to complain about his sudden change of heart.
Law doesn't say anything, going back to his seat and finishing his drink, and Sanji tries to concentrate on dinner while suppressing the memory of how good having Law pressed against him, entirely surrounding him, felt.
000
He's trying to bring back that rather pleasant feeling later on when Zoro and Robin corner him, the swordsman actually offering to help with the dishes (which should have been Clue Number One that something was wrong) and Robin sipping a cup of evening tea in the galley, a knowing smirk on her lips that tells Sanji he's not getting out of this one easily.
Not willing to make the first move, he keeps scrubbing at the dishes, passing them to Zoro to dry and getting lost in the rhythm of the familiar action until Zoro sets a bowl down a little too hard, the sound making Sanji flinch.
"What the fuck are you thinking, dart-brow?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sanji replies automatically, hearing Zoro scoff.
"Yeah? You know that I always train by the stern, which means if I look toward the kitchen I can see right into it," he glares at Sanji, who shrugs.
"The fuck do you care, anyway? Not like you've ever shown any interest in my well-being before," he mutters, splashing his hands down in the water viciously.
"Nakama, you idiot," Zoro says like it should be obvious.
"Yeah, well, don't worry. I can handle myself," he wants the subject to change but he knows it won't be that easy.
"We don't doubt that," Robin interjects smoothly, tilting her head to the side and using a spare hand to catch a plate that's precariously close to tipping off the counter.
"So what does it matter?" he glances around and Zoro sighs.
"Because he's using you. He's not a nice guy, Cook, no matter what Luffy says…"
"You have no idea because you've never said more than two words to him," Sanji knows he shouldn't be defending Law, especially not over his own crewmates, but he fails to see how Zoro can think that Law's still some sort of horrible psychopath even after seeing him save all of those kids. "Look, I appreciate your concern, but I know I've got good instincts and just…just trust me when I say that there's nothing more sinister between us than mutual attraction."
"Well, he is a rather attractive man," Robin chuckles and Sanji blushes a little, tipping his head so his hair can hide the flush on his skin. "Don't be ashamed, Sanji. If you're certain you know what you're getting into, then I see no harm in pursuing it for now."
"Hey!" Zoro exclaims because this obviously hadn't been their original plan, but eventually he sighs and turns to Sanji, narrowing his eye. "Don't get in over your head, Cook."
"Your concern is touching. Truly," Sanji says dryly and Zoro grumbles something before turning back to his dishes. "I'm surprised you haven't said anything about the fact that we're both men."
"It's surprising, to be sure," Robin folds her hands in front of her. "But I see no reason why it's our place to judge."
"Yeah, whatever. As long as you can still fight, I don't care who you're sleeping with," Zoro mumbles and Sanji responds by flicking some water at him.
"Aww, little Marimo, that's about the nicest thing you've ever said to me!"
"Shut up," Zoro dries off the last dish and stacks it on the counter, wiping his hands on a spare dishtowel and nodding toward Robin before leaving the galley.
"There's something more than just mutual attraction, isn't there?" Robin taps a finger against her bottom lip, the lilt to her voice telling Sanji she already knows the answer.
"Well, yeah. But it's on my part, not his."
"He's a fascinating man, to be sure," she murmurs, "and this may seem like strange advice, but remember that while you have all of us looking out for your well-being, he has nobody making sure of the same where he's concerned."
"I'm not going to hurt him," Sanji vows, because no matter what Law chooses to reveal to him, or not, that information will only stay between them.
"I trust you," Robin smoothly gets to her feet, a hand popping out of Sanji's shoulder to pat it comfortingly. "Good night, Sanji."
"Good night, my beautiful Robin-chwan," he replies, heart fluttering a little at the tiny smile she affords him.
000
"They cornered you, didn't they?"
"Fuck!" Sanji nearly drops his cigarette, glancing into the shadows to see the barest hint of movement in the blackness.
"They know?"
"Yeah, they know. They don't care," he adds, and Law hums thoughtfully.
"But they don't trust me."
"I think they're starting to," Sanji lets some smoke out in a steady stream, leaning his elbows on the railing. "Or at least, they trust that I can take care of you if you misbehave," he raises an eyebrow and Law looks down, a hint of a smile playing about his lips.
"Your crew has a lot of faith in you," he says, and Sanji shrugs, although there's a rather large part of him that's pleased by the knowledge. He wanders over beside Law, the shadows concealing them from any prying eyes, and leans back against the cabin wall beside the other man.
"I guess I've given them good reason to," he decides after a moment or two of thinking. "I've gotten them out of some pretty bad situations by virtue of being able to sneak around mostly unnoticed and fuck shit up in the background. It's not the position that gives me the most glory, but at least the people that matter know what I'm contributing," he stuffs his hands in his pockets, closing his eyes and letting the evening breeze blow through his hair.
"I hope you realize that your intelligence is part of the reason I feel attraction toward you," Law says mildly, and Sanji looks at him curiously.
"Yeah?"
"Indeed. I'm not…oblivious to appearances and you're physically very attractive, but coupled with a strategic mind…" he shrugs and Sanji laughs softly.
"Feeling's mutual," he replies, because Law's kind of scary with his plans and back-up plans and fifty different ways out of every scenario, but it's admirable and, yes, attractive in a way. "Can I ask why you changed your mind so quickly about staying overnight at the next island?"
"Because, as you said, your captain will not move any faster than he wishes to and getting worked up over it will only turn out to be counterproductive. I'm not a man that gives in to impulse very often, but in this circumstance, I think it's warranted," he explains, and Sanji guesses that it makes sense.
He'd learned pretty early on that trying to keep Luffy from doing anything wasn't going to end well for him.
"Well, here's hoping they have a decent inn," he's not exactly sure what this can be termed as, because well, it's not as if he's ever really gone out and paid for sex before (truthfully all of his allowance from Nami is spent either on supplies or clothing) but having one-night-stands is a little different than, well, planning it.
Which is what they're doing. Essentially.
"I'm quite sure we'll make do," Law pushes himself off of the wall, catching Sanji's tie and yanking him up into a kiss that damn near leaves him breathless with how intense Law is about it, and before Sanji can even react Law lets him go and turns smartly on his heel.
"What was that for?" Sanji blinks after the other man, still trying to figure him out because Law apparently only exists to cause him massive amounts of confusion.
"Consider it a…preview for tomorrow night," Law replies, smirking over his shoulder, and Sanji touches his fingers to his lips and thinks that, for all the teasing he's doing, Law had better fucking deliver when it counted.
Notes:
1. Thank you all so much for the positive responses I've received! I know this isn't the most conventional pairing but I'm happy that people are giving it a chance.
2. This fic will probably be five or six chapters long, depending on how the writing process goes, but the rating will be going up in the next chapter so just a heads-up on that (also I realize in the manga it only took them like a day to get from Punk Hazard to Dressrosa but I'm extending the timeline here for…obvious reasons).
3. Please feel free to leave me a comment if you feel so inclined! Feedback is a great motivator.