And another month whizzes by. I barely have time to write anymore, and I feel as if the weekends are my only breaks. Well, I'll try to update at least then, so wait for me!

—The seed is not alone. There resides another, who suffers the same, but grows regardless, indifferently. The first seed watches in fascination as its friend breaks through the surface, withstanding the rain, taking a glimpse at the dead gray pond.—

8. Bittersweet

Law glances at Luffy curiously, with searching eyes and a pursed mouth, gingerly nursing a glass of dark wine. Sunlight filters in through the drawn blinds, painting sharp angles on the desk and comfortable seats accompanying the furniture. The couple chooses a secluded seat, away from the commotion of the crowds. Luffy didn't look at him for the majority of the ride there, much less speak to him, so Law didn't expect much out of the encounter. Well, that's what he told himself, and it's a weird feeling he swiftly and quickly dismisses.

"I have things to do, and it's okay if you don't want to talk about Ace, because believe me, I don't either. But I'm not about to spend my time babysitting you if you're not going to at least look at me," Law says irritably, sighing into the glass he brings to his lips. "I'm busy."

The dark haired across from him takes a shuddering breath, one from the depths of his chest, and eyes Law warily. "How do you know my brother?" And it's the question of the whole damned day.

The teacher leans back, staring at the ceiling, thinking, and thinking hard before giving an answer. "There are many ways to answer that," he begins slowly, Luffy's there, in his face, eyes wide and red and livid.

"Tell me everything," he hisses, biting off the words.

Law raises an eyebrow as Luffy calmly settles himself back down into the seat, even flashing the waiter a smile as he sets down the food with an expect, experienced hand. When did the blonde come, and how long was he there? It doesn't matter, because soon he shows us his sharp, suit clothed back, black and stiff and proper as he walks away, professionalism embedded into his presence. Law absentmindedly regards his walking away, and it's back to thinking. "Ace and I were friends," Law whispers, closing his eyes against the flood of memories. "We were small, dirty things, both stealing away from families we didn't like."

Law eyes soften at the past, the happy times, at least, and a soft smile graces his closed off features. The teen across tries not to stare, but he does, because, fuck, Ace made that expression, he used to, he did. Ace. Damn the world, Ace.

Gulping, Luffy listens attentively, leaning forwards on bony elbows and

narrows his eyes, full dark orbs focusing only on Law, and the man grimaces slightly at the intensity. It's a bit. Huh. Overwhelming.

"And what about Ace?" Luffy says quietly.

Law sets down his wine, not realizing he's been gripping the glass for well over ten minutes now, and sighs. "It's a complicated story. All I knew of Ace at the time was that he lived with others not related to him, and the same applied to me. We were both mad at the world, but the world was generous, I guess, in letting us meet."

The man from before walks towards them, causing Law to drift off mid conversation. With a snarl, Luffy swirls on him. fangs bared and fierce irritation adorning his young features. His brow twitches downwards in confusion before stiffly bowing, sharp and jagged in movement, setting down the neat, small book with their bill. The sun-colored hair hid exactly one eye, exactly one swirly eyebrow, and exactly half of a smile Law wasn't completely sure was genuine. His gray, conflicting eyes travel back down to his student, whose eyes told the man to piss off.

He needed his Ritz crackers.

Luffy watches the man leave their presence for the final time, and he turns back to Law. With barely contained excitement, he asks, "So Ace?"

The older throws him a look, pointedly and sympathetically. If he stopped to think about it in medical terms, he'd say Luffy was in such a stage of grief where he's not sure what to do with his emotions. Not sure where to place him. And he has no one. Poor teen, poor student, poor Luffy.

Law sips gratefully on the wine, and it's suddenly easier for the words to slip out of his mouth, a recalling of the past. "I remember it was raining really hard that day, and I was running from Dolflamingo again. He...he was there, just in the forest, looking up at the sky and crying along with the rain, so I. I stopped and looked up, asking him why he was crying, and he looks at me with this expression and I just—"

Luffy waves a hand, shaking his head slowly. "Calm down," he says softly. Law blinks at him, and realizes his breath was coming out in shallow huffs, because he was digging up the past again. It should stay there, in the past, forever and always. But he was bringing it back up again, because of this student, and what Ace and he had was, at least to him, a sacred, treasured friendship.

And he didn't care how others saw it.

It's slightly embarrassing, too, because here he was, breaking down in front of his student, and it was his student there for him. But he wasn't just a student, he was Ace's brother.

And Luffy.

Law gets up suddenly, and he doesn't want to say it here. Not here, not in public, not now, not around people. If he was going to speak of his treasure, of his beautifully twisted yet bittersweet past, it was going to be in private and, he only wanted Luffy to hear. It wasn't anyone else's business. He wouldn't even be Luffy's if he wasn't Ace's brother.

But he is, and Ace is dead, and the past has a right to exist in the present, in a way.

"Let's go," Law says slowly, dragging on the words in an extensive manner, eyes on Luffy, yet mind thirteen years in the past. He throws a crumpled twenty on the table, nodding slightly towards the approaching waiter, whose gait insinuated business.

Luffy follows him, his face an impassive, blank canvas. It's was a queer thing, his mood swings, but Law didn't put it past him much. It was an awkward walk out of the restaurant, where the doors are pushed open and chilly air greets them, despite it being early summer. Warm sun rains down on them, illuminating Law's face, creating an earthly type of halo. Sharp wind parts for them as they walk against the impending nature, and Luffy's wincing, but Law stares straight ahead.

It's serene in a sense, if one were to look from afar. But the air around them is tense and heavy, a melancholy weight on their shoulders, as snowfall upon the ground. It's cold and unwavering, steadfast and prominent, yet the two bear it, silence stretching on endlessly. Crunching grass underfoot, Law steps into his car and leans to open the door for Luffy, who simply stares at him, an emotion within his brown gaze he couldn't quite place.

"What is it, Luffy-ya?" Law asks, making sure the inquiry is unbiased, open, and ready to listen for responses.

Luffy swallows and gets in the car, studying Law's face carefully. His quiet behaviors elicits something close to an raised eyebrow from Law, and Luffy sucks in a shaky breath, a hint of a flush on those tanned, rounded cheeks.

What the hell?

"Are you alright, Luffy?" leaves Law's mouth, and there's an emotion, clear as daylight. Concern. He feels himself reaching out towards his head, looking for a fever because hell, the way he carried himself, constantly stressed and sad, it would make sense if he got sick once in a while.

The younger dodges the offending limb, eyes wide and a darker blush adorning his cheeks. Law's hand retreats slightly, and it hangs in midair for a millisecond before dropping limply to his side. "Yeah, I'm fine Ace," he whispers, slipping into the car and staring down into his lap.

Ace.

Law swallows hard, and tries not to hear his own heartbeat pounding in his ears as he starts the engine and pulls out with careful, predetermined movements. He blows hot air through clenched teeth, eyes turned, steeled on the road, and hell if he looked at his company. The incident hurt more than he let on, so he let it be. Never brought it up again. Pretend it didn't happen. Act like he wasn't drowning.

It bothers him even more when he realizes the incident won't fade into the background.

Law tried not to look upset when Luffy called him Ace again that same evening, especially while flashing him the biggest and most beautiful smile in the world. He pushed the fact he thought Luffy's smile was beautiful to the back of his mind, as it was a thought he would rather not deal with right now. He sits in the Monkey apartment, restraining his own movement on the couch with legs crossed, yet his heart was open, beat, and bruised. It was an area not yet scoured in the depths of his soul, and to experience this with a student, with a patient. This was. Well.

Painful.

"Hey, Ace, where were you all this time?" Luffy had smiled wide, eyes sparkling at the thought of his beloved brother back. Law coughed lightly. The room was getting smaller, more twisted and lopsided, and it took more energy than it should for Law to remain upright on the couch.

Law does the safe thing and dodges the bullets aimed for his heart. If only he moved sooner, because some had already lodged deep. "I grew up with a man named Doflamingo," Law begins, eyes closed tightly, subtly ignoring the question. A large, conniving smile split the tan man's face from within his mind, a disturbing giggle escaping his upturned lips. "He was a man of great power and money. Yet, his heart was wicked and rotten. My family died and through certain circumstances, I ended up with him."

Luffy listened rather offhandedly, partly paying attention to the winding tale. "It was rough, being with the man. He worked me to death, trained me to death, and more than a few time I was actually dying," Law continues, a rueful smile gracing his lips. "So one day, I decided to run away."

"What does this have to do with my brother?" Luffy rubs his temples slightly. "Either shut it and tell me or hurry the fuck up and get out of my apartment."

Shock silences the man for a few seconds, lips partly open, mind reeling. It sent his brain into overdrive, and he immediately shut down, all vaults pertaining to his past closed, and closed tight. No more. "Ok, you know what," Law says, and he stands unsteadily. His head was spinning, his heart pounding, and he was tired from teaching. It was, what, five pm, and he was ready to sleep. He was ready for a break. From Luffy. From this whole situation. He needed away. "I'll just leave."

"Wait, what?"

The teacher shoulders his bags, striding swiftly past the younger and out the door, straightening the shoes haphazardly strewn about before he exits. Law stands outside the door for a spell, cursing quietly against the smooth wood. He follows the independent, swirling design expertly carved into the with narrowed eyes. Law begins walking down towards his own apartment, and a hand clamps over his mouth. Painted lips curve upwards into a satisfied smirk, and determined, ocean blue eyes hide behind dark, ombré glasses.

"Trafalgar Law, correct?" the woman whispers, and the older eyes her steadily, resolve firm and absolute. He's been in numerous situations such as the one at hand, and judging from her stature and the grip of her hand on his mouth, she wasn't physically strong. But a glance into her eyes shows she had the mental capabilities of a queen. "Perhaps I should better my approach?" she then suggests.

With a gloved hand, she lowers her sunglasses to look at Law directly. "Portgus D. Ace's friend, Trafalgar D. Water Law? We would like to ask you a few questions."

—•—

Luffy knew he was barely coping throughout the day, and he swore he was seeing things ever since the lunch with Law. The day went from one end of his emotion spectrum to the other, from dark to light, from happy to sad and all and every emotion in between. He knew he was a mess, he knew, but he couldn't fix it. It wasn't his fault that Law started turning into Ace halfway through the meal. It wasn't his fault that Law did things that his brother used to do, like sudden, sharp decisions, a certain narrowing of the eyes, or the way he carries himself. It all started to resemble his brother more and more and then he just called him Ace.

Because that's just who he was.

First when they we're in the car, because Ace always worried about Luffy's well-being, and there he was worrying yet again. He was such a fretting older brother, but Luffy loved that about him.

Luffy blinks. Law then replaced Ace, and there's hurt deep, barely visible in those stormy eyes of his. When did he come?

It's a silent drive home, and Law doesn't look at him, for reasons which Luffy couldn't quite comprehend. It puzzled him, the man's behavior, from the time they were in the restaurant to the time they entered the car, to the time they arrived at Luffy's apartment. It's quiet, too quiet, and although the world around them buzzed on as if nothing was wrong, everything was. Nothing was right.

It was silent to Luffy.

They enter and his vision was blurring again, from Law to Ace and back again. When they enter, it's Law's back he sees, but the man turns, and it's his brother. So when he makes room for Luffy to pass, as Ace always used to do, it's the good old regular normal Ace that he addresses. What brother doesn't ask where his sibling was?

Yet when he inquiries him, it's Law again, and he's more hurt than before. His expression reveals nothing, but it's his eyes, a wavering stone, mouth curved neither upwards or downwards, but straight in an emotionless equilibrium. Words were exchanged, and Luffy's mad. He hasn't...he hasn't heard anything about Ace. What was the point of his teacher being here if he wasn't going to talk about his brother? That was the whole point, the only reason he even asked the guy for lunch, he was the only source of information. The only place to learn more about his older brother. Law was only talking about his fucking backstory. No one cares, especially Luffy, and he just wanted to know about Ace.

Law's out the door and Luffy is left alone again.

As usual.

The teen stares after the man, regret building up in his throat, bringing the angry words and feisty snaps from the tip of his tongue. Something was wrong with him, he realized. Something so very wrong. Maybe he should've realized earlier. The noiseless air bites at him, and it's hard to tell which silence was worse; the one with Law or this empty, lonely one.

Hie goes to his Calendar, and barely glances at the other previous days. 'Ace is dead' glares back at him, dark and hurried scribbles adorning the page, words of depression and sadness and pain. Pain so deep and powerful that he knocks Luffy off his feet, and, poor him, there's no one to pick him up. On the floor he would lay, sad and alone. There's nothing worse on this world than loneliness, he could say, if it weren't for Ace dying.

He closes his eyes and releases a shaky breath. Luffy needed to get himself together. He couldn't stay this way forever. He twirls a pen, thoughtful, and then writes something new. It's a turning point, he knew, but how, he wasn't sure. It signified a new birth, a cornerstone of something better and new and amazing. Luffy didn't hold high hopes, but he could feel Sabo and Ace doing it for him.

Lunch w/ Law

Luffy could've smiled, but he didn't. These words were written rather nearly neatly, a stark contrast to the rushed handwriting from before. It's new, something Luffy would have to get used to. It's the beginning of fixing things. Himself?

He hoped.

"I have to apologize," he whispers, opening the fridge and scouring the contents for food. "Fuck my life, I have to change."

He removes the milk, and behind the gallons is a note. Folded, neat and proper, with Luffy's name printed in smooth, easy writing. The teen blinks confusedly. Who else besides him got into his fridge?

With careful hands and cold fingers, he unfolds it, and scans the paper carefully. "'What would you like?'" Luffy reads, eyebrows drawing together. "What the hell?"

The dark haired looks around the tiny kitchen. Was there someone else here? After a quick run around he small apartment, his conclusion proved false. He glances at the writing again. Maybe his fridge was taking to him. Maybe he was crazy...crazier than he already was. Regardless, he writes his response below the acute writing.

More meat and soda

Everyone needed more meat in their lives, he believed, and soda wouldn't hurt. Yeah. It's okay. He's alright. It'll be okay. Luffy'll be alright. He hoped so. Replacing the note back into the cold retainer, he closes the fridge, appetite gone, and walks away from it all.

—•—

The dark lights outside filter through the nearly transparent curtain, a cheap, dollar one from the store. It shines weakly on Law's face, his cheek, rather, and it irritates him more than the woman in front of him. She's cocky and resilient, with hard, deep blue eyes, staring into Law's own, touching the dark places of his soul, where his secrets reside. It ticks him off, that calculating stare.

The dark room they sat in was bleak, nearly lightless. The teacher sat in a vintage wooden chair, creaking, unstable, but stable enough. He glared across the empty, unfurnished blue table to the orange haired woman who introduced herself as Koala, and her company, Marco. The same man who visited Luffy in the hospital. Conversation with him was awkward, cut, choppy, so it was avoided. Marco, however, didn't seem to think this way, and yelled at him outright, a bold decision and move.

"I have no obligation whatsoever to tell you people anything about me or Ace," Law spits, and there's more than a nerve hit. The blonde from behind her tsks, and Law narrows his eyes sat him. He's a lanky, tall one, with haunted eyes and a smiling mouth. It's a terrifyingly contradicting, yet harmonious combination. Law could understand his expression very well.

It didn't mean he liked it, but oh well.

The woman sighs. "Even if we could solve his murder?"

Law swallows the rejection forming in his throat, and folds his arms. "Was it necessary to ask for an interrogation in such a rough manner? I could call the fucking police."

"Honey, we are the police. Well, we have a close enough connection that anything you tell them is only going to come back to me," she chuckles.

"How in the living fuck did you know Ace, Law?" Marco hisses, eyes wide and on fire, posture rigid and stiff. "How the hell did you?"

"If I'm not gonna tell her," he begins levelly, nodding towards the frowning investigator across from him, "then do you honestly expect me to tell you?"

Marco chokes a bit, surprised at such a rude addressing, and he's about to retort when Koala slaps black clothed hands on the table. "The both of you, that's enough okay?"

To Law, "Stop being so fucking immature. I expected more from you, Mr. Trafalgar." She whirls on her partner, "And you, if I hear the word Ace from your mouth one more time I'm gonna rip it off, do you understand? I'm sick and tired of it!"

There's an awkward, drawn out silence between the trio, with Koala buries her hand in her hair, sighing deeply. Law doesn't feel sorry, because he shouldn't. He was taken by these two with no rhyme of reason, just to be questioned over Ace. But it was Ace, so maybe these measures were acceptable.

Law's shoulders drop, resolve crumpling beneath his feet, and he's already fallen, already hit the ground floor. That's why he's able to talk so easily. That's why the words come from his mouth and enter the air with such ease.

That's why he says, "Ace died because of me."

Soooo this chapter was really crappy in my opinion. Like. Holy shit that was so bad XD. I'm honestly thinking of rewriting it, especially considering how much material I have left. Hmm. Anywho, I hope you got some tiny enjoyment from this regardless, and I'll see you in the next chapter! (P.S., sorry for the over a month long wait, I suck at life in general.)