Hunger

by Hack.Drawer

Two roommates battling personal battles realize they have more in common than they thought - but both of them are prickly, private and stubborn. Little did they realize that they would become more reliant on each other than they'd imagined. AU *COMPLETE*

14. Chapter 14

Naghi-Tan: Hopefully this chapter fixes that! :D

HS: Law reflected that he was capable of same sex feelings, but hadn't really had the chance. He had man crushes here and there through life – but definite experience with women – but only this time could he actually find someone to return his interest. The tourmaline was the usual color. I left severe subjects very light – there will be some references here as well! – because the focus on these two and not a whole other world of distractions lol I can be easily distracted XD

Snowflake97: LOL! Usually the beginning of the week I can update! Everyone helped but in the opposite way they thought – they'll still have these feelings, unfortunately. What a bad reputation to have D: More boundaries will be crossed here (smirk)

: : 14

Law hadn't given any thought to Rocinante's return, so he wasn't exactly sure what to think or how to act in front of the man that had raised him. But seeing him now, at such a considerably inconvenient time – he could still taste Sanji on his lips – made all his thoughts scatter. But he felt as guilty as a kid caught doing something he wasn't supposed to, which absolutely bewildered him. He was a damn adult who took care of himself and his responsibilities – at his age, why was he reacting in such a way in front of a man who basically left without much explanation?

Rocinante looked as he always did – sloppily dressed in what should be sharp clothes; but his eyes were a little older and he had a couple of new wrinkles around his mouth. His hair was cut shorter, allowing his features to stand out – sunglasses hung from the unbuttoned collar of his white shirt. He carried a bag of food that smelled too sharply of Chinese and it automatically made Law's stomach turn.

"I'm so happy to see you!" Rocinante exclaimed, rubbing at the red mark on his forehead, his nose swelling slightly. He set the bag down on the coffee table, looking Law over with joy in his eyes. He promptly hugged the man, Law smothered by the smell of cigarettes and cologne. His eyes watered and he sneezed, forcing Rocinante to push him away abruptly. He was like an oversized puppy, nearly expanding with all his excited cheer and joy.

Then his face abruptly changed to look solemn. Law had forgotten that Rocinante was capable of hiding his true emotions and thoughts with an intense expression and softly spoken words; much like he'd been trained to do so.

"You look good," Rocinante said in a voice that was much too stoic from the emotion he'd shown earlier.

"How'd you know I was seeing Marco?" Law asked him curiously, hoping Sanji made it back to his room. He wondered of a proper way to "introduce" his roommate to Rocinante, but he was sure Rocinante already knew of Sanji.

Rocinante gave a single nod. "I know almost everything."

Law was aware of his help from time to time, but he wondered how the man was capable of knowing these things.

"Once I heard you were seeing him, it was a relief for me that things should turn for the better," Rocinante said. He gestured at Law to take a seat, but Law looked nervously down the hall to Sanji's room. Rocinante's expression looked forced at this point. "Where is your roommate? Is he here?"

"In his room," Law answered clumsily, looking down to avoid his eyes. He hoped Rocinante had no idea what was just transpiring between the pair – he had an unreasonable suspicion that the man was of psychic capabilities.

Rocinante exhaled shortly. "Then we should eat. I brought dinner."

"We don't…really eat…out," Law responded awkwardly, as to not hurt his feelings. "We already had dinner – he cooks, so…"

Rocinante observed the pristinely cleaned kitchen and Law wondered why he had lied about that.

"Law," Rocinante said with slight chiding. He began unpacking the containers from the bag while Law told himself to take at least a few bites. He didn't have to finish it. He didn't have to eat at all if he didn't want to – but he didn't want to be rude, he didn't want things to start off badly.

Then he recognized that he was already shifting back into that mode he'd adapted as a teen – trying to please someone by being as less trouble as possible. It was absolutely fine to be firm and to express his refusal without having to feel any other way about it.

"I don't want to eat," Law said, feeling his hands clench at his sides. "I don't really like that stuff."

"It'll be fine, it'll be fine," Rocinante said, waving at him. "All guys like eating this stuff. It's the stuff men eat when they're single – "

"What's that disgusting smell?" Sanji demanded, leaving the hallway after overhearing the exchange. His presence startled Rocinante, nearly dumping a container of noodles over the shaggy white carpet. Law looked nervously at Sanji before looking to Rocinante, unsure of what to say. He couldn't help feeling like some kid all over again – guilty on the inside for hiding something from the man.

"Disgusting?" Rocinante repeated sharply.

Sanji looked the containers over with a frown. "This stuff always leaves behind some bad memories. I'm Sanji, by the way. But you knew this, right?"

"Yes, of course," Rocinante said with a stiff expression, extending a hand out. Sanji glared at it, and Law wondered what that was about. There was a sudden hostility that arose between them like billowing smoke clouds born from a widening rupture on the ground. Law felt like he missed something.

Rocinante picked up a set of chopsticks so he could eat. "Not what I was expecting. I thought guests would be well treated around here. In any event, I thought I'd drop by to see how everyone was doing," he said, sitting back down on the couch to eat.

"Aokiji mentioned something of an ulcer?" Law said, unable to help from looking to one to the other, looking for clues to this hostility that he felt from both of them.

Rocinante rolled his eyes. "Aokiji and his dramatics."

"So you think eating all this grease will help it any?" Sanji asked snidely, Rocinante pausing in mid-chew. Giving the man a disgusted look, Sanji then muttered, "Why don't I make something suitable for it?"

"If you can cook, then do so," Rocinante returned, a little sharply.

Law looked after Sanji with utter bewilderment as he strode off for the kitchen, Rocinante set the container on the coffee table as Sanji rummaged through the fridge for what he needed, then looked to Law.

"Let's catch up," he suggested, patting the cushion next to him. "Maybe we should update your wardrobe now that you're starting to look like a normal human being."

Something slammed to the floor and rattled noisily, causing both men to look over with a start. Sanji picked up whatever he'd dropped and continued rummaging through the cupboards. Because of this unexplained attitude, Law just looked at him with utter bewilderment. Sanji's actions and words were bordering on rude, and he wondered if he should call him out on it.

He looked to Rocinante, who looked to him with question. "No thank you," he said politely. He noticed that there was a light sheen of moisture at his hairline – Rocinante was curiously stressed. Law wasn't sure how to feel about it, patting at his pants uselessly. "So…where have you been?"

"My job has kept me busy," Rocinante muttered grimly. He picked up the container and noodles, once again with chopsticks in hand. "Flying all over the country, talking to too many people, seeing too many places. But my supervisor isn't ready to let me go just yet."

"Ah, Sengokou? I…forget. What exactly do you do?" Law asked, sitting slowly at the edge of the couch.

"Oh, yes, I did run into Aokiji about a couple of weeks ago," Rocinante said, stuffing his mouth with noodles anyway. Law furrowed his brow at his question being ignored, but he was used to the secrecy. The less he knew, he supposed. "I've been pushing him to properly deal with that chronic fatigue thing he has going on, but he distrusts doctors."

"Ah, you must be doing the same weird things Aokiji does," Sanji said from the kitchen, angrily cutting through vegetables. "Something involving some type of espionage."

"What a strange word to describe working as a recruitment officer," Rocinante commented, with a tone that did little to disguise his distaste. Law felt his skin pop out with sweat because he was trying to assess the weird situation; he found it startling that Rocinante was so…prickly. Not that it wasn't unusual for him to speak in this fashion around those he wasn't familiar with, but Law sensed a lot of tension coming from him.

Sanji glanced at him. "I noticed you didn't ask about Bepo."

"I saw the lizard, but didn't think it was important to ask," Rocinante said, spilling noodles over himself as he stood up. "Oops."

Sanji rolled his eyes. Law looked at him with such bewilderment that he was caught between calling out the younger man for his attitude and keeping it to himself for later, for polite reasons.

Law did introduce Bepo to Rocinante, pulling him out of his tank. The spotted gecko stared up at Rocinante, then crawled up Law's arm to reach his favorite spot.

"He's a cute iguana," Rocinante said lamely.

"He's a spotted gecko. I'm sure he's still a 'he'," Law added, plucking the lizard down from the back of his neck to examine his underside. Bepo's legs waved about, as if embarrassed. Law put him back into the tank, much to the gecko's dismay. "He's a great companion. But Sanji shares custody of a dog – "

"Ah, yes, Brook."

Law looked at Rocinante with a puzzled expression as the tall man looked delighted, searching for the animal. "How'd you know - ?"

Rocinante sucked in his lips with a start, then sputtered, "Oh, Bege told me all about him."

"I haven't even met that guy," Sanji said. "And I've lived here for months. So you guys communicate regularly?"

"I help out with rent from time to time, so it isn't that suspicious."

"How does Bege know Brook's name if Law or myself hasn't even spoken to him?" Sanji then asked, in a tone full of mock curiosity. Law knew it was mocking because he'd become familiar with that tone during Sanji's first few months here.

Law looked back at Sanji with discomfort. "Do you two know each other? Because it sounds like there's some familiarity there."

"We've never met," both of them said in unison, then glared at each other.

"Someone is a liar."

"Not it," Sanji said quickly, Rocinante looking at him with disgust.

Rocinante then looked down at Law, grabbing his chin to look him over. "It's been quite a journey for you, and I just can't express how relieved and happy I am that you're now on the right path. I realized that I wasn't making things any easier," Rocinante added, brushing noodles from his shirt. He bent to pick them up and nearly knocked over Bepo's tank with his ass. Law quickly caught it, struggling to reset it when Rocinante took over the task himself with a look of panic.

Glass cracked underneath his hands and everyone froze. Bepo took advantage of the moment to quickly crawl up the edge and leapt onto Rocinante's arm. He scurried up and over his sleeve, Rocinante's eyes widening with horror. Bepo then settled at his neck with a look of content, Law watching his gecko with an expression of betrayal.

"Um…help?"

"He needed a new tank anyway," Law said, helping him reset the stand and tank. The breakage of the glass was glaringly obvious from where Rocinante's grip had been applied. He supposed that was normal for a man of his size. He couldn't reach Bepo but the man's shoulders was raised and cringing so hard that Bepo had to shift to avoid being smushed by the back of his head.

"He seems very comfortable with you. I think that's a good sign."

"Almost like they met before," Sanji commented with a fake smile, throwing everything into a heated wok.

"Rocinante has a way with animals," Law mumbled. But he thought of all the times dogs barked at the man – how cats hissed and ran away. How birds dropped shit flying over him or slamming into him while they were walking outside. But he was sure that all these things meant that Rocinante's size was just that noticeable.

"I've never met a lizard that didn't like me," Rocinante said, plucking Bepo from his shoulder and putting him back into the tank gently. Law watched this, so he didn't understand how Rocinante's foot slid forward and carried the man's weight unexpectedly into the wall, creating a large dent.

Law then noticed that he'd slipped on the noodles he'd brushed from his shirt earlier. "Ah."

"Will you sit down?" Sanji hissed at Rocinante. "For fuck's sake!"

"It was a long trip," Rocinante admitted, sitting quickly onto the couch with his hands held primly together between his knees. "Add to it that it's been so many years since I've seen Law, I am unsure how to relax. Sometimes I wondered if his condition was the effect of my actions."

"It wasn't," Law said gently. He felt like he couldn't exactly delve into personal reasons – this man was absent from his life for years. But at the same time he was aware of his eagerness to reconnect. Rocinante might be a clumsy, sloppy man but he raised him, put him through school, and did his best to be a father when Law lost his. So Law had a very high level of respect and affection for him; but he was also an adult, not a teenager, so he needed to keep that in mind.

He sat down on the couch. "It's good seeing you again. Did you resolve your fight with your brother?"

Rocinante plucked out a cigarette from his shirt pocket, then remembered he couldn't smoke here. "Let's go outside."

Once out on the roof, Rocinante exhaled smoke like it were a gust of hot air. He wiggled his shoulders and turned his head from this way and that; as if he were releasing all his tension. The hot air felt good, but night had fallen so the city lights were bright.

"He's still on the lam," he said in response to Law's question. "That aspect has nothing to do with you. And don't worry about your roommate's behavior, Law. I'm taking nothing personally. Frankly, I'm pretty sure it'll come out eventually so the reason why I'm so comfortable knowing things is that I have the place monitored closely because of the situation with my brother."

Law furrowed his brow. "How would Sanji know that?"

Rocinante reluctantly said, "I think he's comfortable around this sort of thing, considering his own family's situation…"

Law looked at him blankly. Everything was going over his head.

"…so he's well aware of my interferences from time to time. He's taken advantage of it, but…"

Rocinante crushed his cigarette in his hand. He wore an intense look. "This only motivates me to do better."

Doing better in sneaking about? Law wondered. He wore a troubled expression. "So…this was how the FBI was aware of Kid being an arms dealer?"

"If only that guy wasn't so hard to find!" Rocinante hissed bitterly.

Law pictured Kid as they'd seen him at the bookstore. Reading "titty books" and drinking coffee in his hipster attire. Since it "had to do with him", he found it no reason to talk at all about Kid.

Rocinante looked at him with regret. "So you can bet I know every detail of this one's life, as well. But don't worry," he added, hand up, "he's totally estranged and has nothing to do with the Vinsmoke case now. Your job is secure."

Law had no idea what he was talking about, but he was going to leave it at that. He had different worries on his mind. "Well…that explains some things. I apologize for his behavior, he's not always so…"

Law trailed off. Sanji was pretty aggressive towards men in general so he restarted his apology. "Well, it now makes sense," he finished lamely.

Rocinante then smiled fondly at him. "Law. I'm aware that things have been changing for you lately."

"Wait – how much do you monitor?" Law then asked, frozen.

"I'm aware that things have been changing – "

"Can you hear sound from…anywhere?"

"Just the living room. Now – "

"Audio and visual?"

Rocinante sighed. "This is for your own protection, Law."

Law looked at him with horror. "My bedroom?"

"Oh, no! No, no no, that's…pretty much off limits! The living room includes the front door and kitchen – main points where any conversation or situation can be overheard." Rocinante then smiled at Law with understanding. "I understand that you have yet to bring anyone home and I refuse to invade your privacy, so when you happen to lose your virginity – "

"I lost it in high school to my classmate I brought home to 'help me study'!" Law exclaimed with horror, using finger quotes. "I have an eating disorder, there's nothing wrong with my hormones!"

Rocinante crinkled his brow with thought, gasped with horror. "That homely girl with glasses?"

"She was pretty aggressive, I couldn't say 'no'. And in any event – "

Rocinante gasped again. "In our old house?"

"I was a teenage boy, Cora. It couldn't be helped. And furthermore - !"

"Where did you get the condoms from?"

"SHARE class!"

Rocinante looked like he was going to faint. Law was exhausted from his dramatics. At his age, this was ridiculous.

"You're so embarrassing. I'm glad we're outside where no one can see us," he said flatly.

Rocinante made a whirling motion with his finger, and Law found himself scanning surrounding high rises with suspicion.

"Anyway," Rocinante sighed heavily, pulling himself to his feet with weary action, "I just want to confess because I know that guy will rat me out with the way he's treating me, so…it's for your own protection. And his, I guess. My brother is capable of many things, and that includes a nuclear destruction of this particular coast if we don't find who is supplying him with the arms necessary from across the pond…"

Law decided he didn't need to know any more than that.

"So I suppose I understand that you're in good hands," he finished slowly. "I did step in a few times while both of you were…"

Law looked at him with surprise. It made sense to him, now, where Bepo was. "Thank you for taking care of Bepo for me. I was just…there was no way I could take care of him while I was so out of it."

Rocinante trailed off, then looked guilty. "I'm so sorry, Law. I'm sorry I couldn't be here when you needed someone. I…after that first hospital visit, I…didn't know what to do. I…am not capable of…doing anything right."

"Don't say that," Law chided gently. "It wasn't your fault. It was all on me."

"It shouldn't have been! You shouldn't have been going through that alone for as long as you had! It's just…this job, the immensity of the care and conditions that you require…I failed because I didn't know what to do or how to deal with it! All I can do is pay for things, and - ! But…I'm glad you were able to connect with someone that watched out for you. Which is why I didn't kill him for the first rude comment he made."

Law gave him a skeptical look. "I doubt you're capable of killing anyone if it weren't by accident, but okay."

"I'm glad that you're looking and feeling much better," Rocinante then said, reaching out to pat his shoulder. "…I'm so sorry I couldn't be here for you."

"It's fine," Law stressed. He gave the man a small smile. "I've never blamed you for anything. I don't think you should feel that way – even if you were here directly, I wouldn't have listened to a word you had to say. I would have continued doing this to myself because of the other issues that I was dealing with, and now that I'm…recovering…it was apparent that I turned to unhealthy coping mechanisms in order to deal with the loss of my family."

Rocinante's eyes teared up. He embraced the man clumsily, pulling him off the roof to do so. Law struggled to get released. "Oh, my little brave boy!"

"I'm not a child - !"

Rocinante set him down roughly, the shock racing up Law's legs with so much force that he stumbled. But Rocinante had dropped the stoic act and pulled him forward to grasp onto his hands, saying intensely, "I'm so happy that everything's going to be okay! You just keep doing what you're doing, okay? Keep moving forward! And if there's anything you want or need, you just let me know, alright? Just talk about it – I'm so happy to hear your voice, now, and you're smiling, and you're getting healthy, and when you're ready to, let's hit the buffet! And you can eat all you want, no matter what it is because I swear to you, it won't show at all, you're such a skinny little thing!"

Law sighed.

"And I'm sorry for eavesdropping, but I need to keep you safe," Rocinante finished, pulling back on his expressions and excitement to maintain his previous indifferent air. "I'd keep you locked in a box if I could, but there are laws against that. Ask your roommate."

Law felt like he was overloaded with unnecessary information. But he noticed that Rocinante was growing nervous the longer he stood there in the open. "Are you leaving?"

"I'm sorry …job security and all that. Let's check in with your roommate so I can clear up any misunderstandings…"

Law stopped him with hand on arm. "It's fine. You'll just make things awkward in there."

Rocinante looked hurt. "But – "

"Maybe when you're all settled down and can enjoy life, we can meet again."

"No," Rocinante said firmly. "It's important that I establish my place in your world. I might be absent from it, but I'm not that far away. Let's go talk."

Law exhaled heavily, feeling like it was a bad idea.

Once they reentered the apartment, dinner was nearly ready. Fat bricks of salmon were being deposited onto steamed greens. Rocinante immediately lit up with delight.

"This is something I'd seen on the website from your restaurant!" he exclaimed merrily before hastily resuming his indifferent expression. Sanji gave him a skeptical look while Law tried to imagine such dishes being served at the Baratie.

"From the place I got fired from? Yes. Not the crap being served at the other one," Sanji said as Law looked his choices over. Numbers automatically ran through his thoughts – he trusted that Sanji made them "correctly", but at the same time he trusted that Sanji cooked for Rocinante's ulcer and not Law's old habits. These things were hard to kill.

"Oh…you…switched workplaces?" Rocinante asked dumbly.

Sanji stared at him with the expression of someone that wasn't accepting sorry stories. Rocinante made a caught frown.

"Fine. Look, let's get things straight," Rocinante snapped at him, supporting himself on the counter with one hand and using the other to point. Law looked nervously at him, unconsciously fiddling with the hem of his shirt as he dreaded any sort of forceful confrontation between the pair. Despite his clandestine background, Law pretty much counted on Sanji being able to kill Rocinante easily, and Law would have to be the unfortunate witness. "We had a talk about everything."

Sanji gave him a relaxed look. "That makes things a whole lot easier."

"So he knows what I know what you know."

Sanji's expression turned to that of concern. "It must be very difficult for you…"

Rocinante paused.

"Not having any more brain cells than the last five you got left after the last dye job."

"The…last…wait…what?"

Law looked at Sanji with impatience. "Stop teasing him."

Sanji looked at him with pity. "You're such an intelligent man. Him leaving you behind made you that much smarter."

"Please don't be mean."

Sanji then looked at Rocinante with distrust. "I don't trust this guy any further than you can kick him."

"You don't have to, but he's…my father."

Rocinante's eyes teared up but he quickly covered it up with sunglasses over his eyes and lit a cigarette. Despite that, he stuffed the entire brick of fish into his mouth and pulled out the fishbones slowly, cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth. It was an amazing parlor trick that Law couldn't help but be astonished by.

Sanji turned back around to finish setting out the other vegetables. He had a petulant look to his face as he waited for Law to pick a plate. He addressed Rocinante with a rather bitter tone. "I just think it's messed up that you left the way you did. Where was his support?"

"This isn't a subject we're going to discuss," Law told him firmly, much to Sanji's frustration.

"It's understandable that you'd be angry," Rocinante told Sanji, chewing severely. "I left because there was no way on Earth I could keep up with him intelligently, and I'd also found my calling with my brother's…condition."

"What's wrong with him?" Sanji had to ask.

"He's a creative evil genius bent on country-wide destruction and financial ruin."

Sanji looked like he didn't know whether to be concerned or puzzled, and settled for an expression with both.

"I told you it was weird," Law muttered from the corner of his mouth, taking his fork tines to his fish. He took small bites and tried not to count them – the flavor took over his senses. The battle started when his mind told him that this fish was too fatty to finish entirely – another part of him wanted to ignore it and eat normally. Another part of him was stressed over the confrontation between the pair.

"As such," Rocinante continued gravely, spearing up his greens, "I was incapable of doing the proper thing by standing by Law. As his support, as you insist. I could only do so financially. I didn't know what to do. He doesn't listen. He's a stubborn jerk. I'd only end up making it worse."

Sanji looked upset.

"But I'm glad you came along," Rocinante said. "It was fortunate that you had problems and he could feel better about himself with the mess you turned out to be."

Sanji wondered if he truly was an idiot. Standing as close as he was, Law used his foot to touch Sanji's, trying to communicate with him without Rocinante noticing. As such, Sanji bit his tongue and kept it there.

Rocinante nodded. "His dieting was out of control – he was such a chubby child, headed for husky sizes and men's sizes – "

"You are - !"

"It's true, Sanji," Law cut in, elbow against his arm to stop the man in mid-shout. "I was."

"NO YOU WEREN'T!"

"Observe his high school pictures," Rocinante said, searching for his wallet while Law looked at it with horror. Sure enough, he had some old school IDs from Law's teenage years, and he showed them to Sanji. Sanji was horrified to see that Law was nothing as Rocinante had described – he was just a baby faced teenager that already looked like he had too many sleepless nights and preferred slogan shirts. He inhaled deeply to rip this man into shreds before Law cut in.

"I can't believe I styled my hair that way," he said, taking the IDs for himself. "This was such an emo stage."

Despite the rising fury he felt building inside of him, Sanji restrained himself. His face and neck reddened with the effort as his fists clenched at his sides. Law gave Rocinante the IDs back, and Rocinante examined them with pride.

"Maybe when your appearance gets better, I can get a new picture of you," he said, looking over the grumpy teenage face. "We shouldn't allow reminders of this bad phase to exist, in case you decide to fall back into it. What do they call it? Thinspo?"

He put his wallet away.

Law said, "That sounds like a good idea. I don't like taking any pictures, now. Maybe we can take a trip somewhere, or something. We were talking about visiting some of the national parks around here, weren't we Sanji?"

Sanji struggled to stay calm. But it was a tremendous effort. He eked out some sort of answer, but it was a strange noise.

"Ah, yes," Rocinante nodded with agreement. "Maybe just visit the parking lot. It would be terrible if you died from the effort of taking a short hike. Imagine the amount of the bill if rescue efforts were made to fly you in. I'd have to work overtime just for that."

"YOU ARE A FUCKING JERK! You dumbass, enough with your stupid mouth!" Sanji roared at him. "This is all your fault!"

"Oh?" Rocinante asked, affronted. "All I'm saying is what everyone is thinking. Law is in no condition for outdoor activities. As much progress as he's made so far, he shouldn't even be thinking in this direction right now."

"Sanji, this is a wasted effort on your part," Law said to Sanji calmly. "It's not what you think."

"Not what I think? I can't just stand here and listen to this piece of shit talk down on you like you're not worth any effort! Just his idiocy alone - !"

"You're not a very calm man, are you?" Rocinante asked him with concern. "No shred of patience or understanding…"

He looked at Law furiously. "What is wrong with you?"

Law looked at him with a startled expression, utterly lost as to what this conversation was leading to.

"I don't like this at all!" Rocinante then roared at both of them, hitting the counter with both hands and rattling dishes while Sanji looked a little confused. "I was shocked with Law's admission about his study buddy from high school, but this isn't a fucking roommate thing – this is a thing-thing! I suspected something fishy with your relationship together, and this isn't something I approve of! YOU! You're too feeble and weak to take on any sort of support for my Law! You can't even speak up when someone's tearing him down!"

Shocked, Sanji exclaimed with a red face, "You went this fair for a fucking suspicion? I want to kick your ass, you shitty crook!"

"Just try it! I am a black belt, I will ruin you! I don't approve of this, Law!" Rocinante snarled at the man, who looked mortified. "I knew you were into men, and how dare you not think to confide in me about it! Your own father!"

Law was surprised that Rocinante knew of his secret. He wondered how it had been obvious.

Sanji, unfamiliar with Rocinante and his shifting moods, looked at the man dangerously. He was prepared to fight for both of them if he had to. "Do you have a problem with it?"

Rocinante glared at him. "I do have a problem with this! He's obviously a fragile person incapable of making proper decisions - !"

"He is not! He might be stupid sometimes, but he's not a fucking fragile person!"

"And this is the shittiest decision he could make! Law! Is this some sort of father complex? He smokes, he's blond, he and I have the same fashion sense - !"

"For fuck's sake! What shit is that?"

Law sighed noisily as they continued to argue. "It's not a father complex," he mumbled, fingers tapping together. "I wasn't looking for anything to fill a hole, but when things started falling into place, I…I found comfort and support from him."

Sanji heard this and looked at him with trouble while Rocinante looked frazzled. His hands went to his hair, cigarette burning between his fingers.

"We became good friends," Law said softly. "Then it finally became more."

"I forbid it," Rocinante snapped at him, huffing at his cigarette. "Mostly because he's obviously me but younger. So it's weird."

"NOT!" Sanji exclaimed with horror. "I look nor act anything like you!"

"This is a load off my chest," Law confessed. "I was wondering how I should say anything in regards to this situation."

Sanji looked at him, feeling slightly panicked. He wasn't sure what to say in response, or even how to process what was happening between them. He suddenly regretted the situation; quite certain he'd ruin this person with his selfishness and lack of proper love. He ruined his own marriage with his actions – what if he did the same to a situation that wasn't even defined?

He swallowed tightly. "Not that anything is of any confirmation or denial, it's…nothing defined just yet, so it isn't as if...this is a sure thing, it's…complicated."

"Oh. Right," Law mumbled, looking awkward.

Rocinante watched him closely, puffing out fragrant smoke so Sanji put his worries aside. Leaning over the counter once more, he warned Sanji, "You break this man's heart, I break you. Understand that I know how to get rid of a dead body."

"Cora - !"

"In any event," Rocinante ignored Law's protest, "my time is finished here."

Law followed him to the door while Sanji stood at the counter, looking over the remaining food with a thoughtful frown. "I think that you should understand," he said slowly as Rocinante opened the door to step out, giving a cautious look out into the hall, "that while I appreciate your help, it's not that I'm some helpless kid, anymore. I don't need you looking over my back."

"You can say that, but…I am still your father," Rocinante reminded him before tearing up once more. He tilted his head back to look up at the overhead lights, inches away from his face. "We don't just stop watching and listening because our kids are getting older."

"About those audio devices – "

"Goodbye! I shall return at another time! Don't change the locks," Rocinante then added in a whisper before striding off towards the elevator.

Law frowned after him, then slowly closed the door. He heard a loud metallic bang but he figured he didn't need to investigate because Rocinante could trip walking over thin air. Then he pulled the chain lock over the door as a precaution.

He looked to Sanji with an awkward expression while Sanji looked at him.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this," Sanji then said quietly, fingers fiddling nervously over the counter. "I…"

"I think this situation is different," Law insisted, crossing the space between them.

"But I'm not different."

"I think it's okay to be scared, because I am, too," Law confessed, reaching out to touch his face, excitement fluttering through him. "Maybe we shouldn't think of this as what you're used to, and just…go with the flow."

"One of us is going to get hurt, and I feel that it's not going to be me, because I'm going to ruin it somehow - !" Sanji insisted, pulling his head from Law's touch. "Maybe everyone is right!"

"Why does their opinion matter?" Law asked, reaching out to grab his arm because it seemed like Sanji was going to pull himself, physically and emotionally, away from this. If he held onto him, that wouldn't happen. "It's what you feel, right? And it's not like this is rushed in any way – it's not something decided on a whim. This was eventual. It took you months to even see me."

Sanji could feel his touch burning through his flesh, warming him from the inside. He was filled with so much uncertainty now that he could think, and his heart was fluttering with immense anxiety. As he stood there with all these thoughts running through his mind, Law kissed him. It felt good, just as warm and unrelenting as before but Sanji had lost his confidence. He ended up jerking his head away, hands placed on the taller man's shoulders.

"I'm scared," he insisted. "What if I'm confusing this with something else? I – I'm weak to any expression of affection, what it I'm losing my own head to something I want, I crave, but I ruin it the moment I overthink it and – and I panic?"

"I think that defining anything right now is a misstep," Law said, pushing past Sanji's defense to pin him against the counter.

"You're quite aggressive," Sanji noticed with a startled look, bracing himself against the counter.

"What if things don't have to be defined? Why can't they just go where they're going without having either of us define it?" Law asked, reaching up to touch his face once more, forcing Sanji to look at him.

"It's smarter if it is," Sanji warned. "Anything could go wrong, or could be misinterpreted, or – "

"I want this," Law stated clearly. "I want what we already have, and I want more of it. That can't be misinterpreted for anything else. The only aspect I question myself over is if I myself am worthy to have it."

"Your worth should allow you so much more than what I can give - !"

"Then we're equal, right? You think you don't deserve anything, I think I don't deserve this. Doesn't that cancel each other out?"

Sanji inhaled and exhaled unevenly, wanting to believe that. Sensing his moment, Law kissed him again. Sanji was a little more compliant this time, tentatively returning the action while his hands lost some strength in keeping space between them. After some minutes of kissing, he ended up pushing him away again.

"Are you sure?" he asked cautiously.

"I have a mental and physical boner, here," Law told him with a frown.

Sanji looked down between them. "So you do. Where the hell has that thing been hiding all this time?"

"Let me show you where."

"Do you have experience with men?" Sanji asked skeptically.

"Just my enthusiasm," Law admitted sheepishly.

Considering it, Sanji then shrugged. "Fine. But not in here. I'm adventurous but definitely not the sort that does things right under your dad's nose where he can hear."

"Tomorrow, when we're more put together," Law said, reaching up to brush hair from Sanji's face, to expose both eyes to him, "we'll go look for these things and remove them."

Sanji wondered if Law somehow knew that being touched so tenderly was one of his weaknesses. He felt like melting underneath the older man's cool fingertips. It was such a difference from Zoro's clumsy, rough, warm skin that he almost panicked once again before reminding himself that other men had touched him, too. He couldn't help but think of his ex, though. It felt like everything he was set to do had Zoro's imprint on it. He wondered if there would be a day when he wouldn't think of that man.

He took a deep breath to focus. He found the courage needed to draw the man close with an arm around his waist, his other hand placed up against his chest. Law was so much more slender than the other men he had been with – but while his body felt and seemed dangerously weak, it was the man's stubborn spirit that made him strong.

"I don't have...anything, I never thought I'd be hooking up with my roommate. So I don't have the necessary equipment…"

Law understood that a battle had been won, but the war wasn't over.

"It's on the To-Do list for tomorrow, then," he decided, pulling him away from the counter, to head towards his room. "But there's we can do some things without it, right?"

Sanji nodded shyly. "Sure. Just…we'll take it slow. If you don't have any experience, then it's best to go slow."

Once in the room, Law shut the door behind him while Sanji nervously looked at the bed.

Take it slow, he thought to himself before turning to face the other man. But Law was more enthuasitic about this, pulling him close to kiss. Sanji realized that he could get used to this - he felt the man was surprisingly aggressive and it was really nice to be wanted this way. He opened his mouth at the feel of Laws tongue prying against his lips, his hands reaching up to press against those that had settled on his hips. He managed to insert his fingers between his, gripping tightly.

"Slow," he mumbled against the man's mouth, but at the same time he could feel Law's dick pressing against his stomach.

"I am going slow," Law managed to say, pushing Sanji against the bed. Sanji caught himself quickly, but opened his legs to allow the man between them. He reached up to cradle Law's face between his hands as the man carefully moved over him. "But I've wanted this for awhile so forgive me if I'm a little overeager."

Sanji was flattered to hear that. He knew at some level that this was so but to hear it, to experience it was different. He felt his face redden with a slow moving blush.

"How?" he managed to ask. "I'm such a mess -!"

"It was...everything," Law said clumsily, reaching between them to touch Sanji's chest. He couldn't wait to see everything - couldn't wait to touch and explore. "Less talk."

Sanji agreed on a mumble, reaching up to pull him down. He closed his knees around the man's slender waist, grinding up against his boner. Just to exert some friction there. He liked the way Law answered with a grind of his own, surprisingly forceful. It was only surprising because of his condition, but Sanji had to tell himself Law had an eating disorder, not a dick disorder. He was sure there was nothing wrong with his hormones; he probably just lacked the opportunity to hook up with anyone.

He reached up to grip Law's hips, guiding him against him as his mouth stayed busy with his. He felt Law's hand moving over his chest, finding his nipple. A firm tweak and a gentle tug had him uttering a noise.

"How should I do this?" Law asked breathlessly, teaching down between them to grab Sanji's dick. Sanji squeaked in surprise, jolting up against him. He snatched that hand away.

"Slow it down, tiger," he warned, bringing Law's hand up to his mouth to bite gently. "When I say we're going into this slowly, I meant let's start like we're high school kids."

Law wore a disgusted pout. "Handjobs?"

Sanji had to laugh at his expression, grabbing hold of his head to press a kiss against his curled lips. "Don't be such a shitty brat. Doing this right means building up the tension."

"Sanji. I'm not going to tell you how long it's been for me."

"I want to do this with some romance, damn it."

"Like candles, wine and a bubble bath? Sanji, no."

"Sanji yes," Sanji said, sitting back and finding Law's zipper and button. He spit into his palm while Law looked disappointed. Pulling out the waistband of his underwear, Sanji didn't have to delve deep to find his dick. He pushed back on Law to sit on his knees, looking with horror into his briefs. "How the fuck do you hide that snake?"

"Enough with the flattery," Law complained, pulling his underwear down so he had the chance to see Sanji's face blanche. "Put your girlish hands on me."

"I feel like I'm going to choke just looking at it," Sanji muttered with some trepidation, working up spit for both hands.

"It's either oxygen or dick, you can't have both."

"I'm not letting you up my ass without getting used to it," Sanji said firmly, watching his fingers overlap with a bit of horror. But he applied pressure with some alternating stroking, looking up at him with worry. "Maybe two bottles of wine."

Law frowned at him, but a part of him liked the insecure look on the man's face. It gave him some masculine pride knowing that his dick gave his partner - such a beautiful word! - worry. He watched Sanji's hands work, enjoying the feel of his grip, impatient with the process. While his hands moved, Sanji scooted forward so he could touch his mouth to the veiny planes of Law's hips. Law shivered at the feel of Sanji's mouth against his warming skin, running his fingers through the blond's hair. He hoped that with Sanji kissing him in this fashion he'd go elsewhere with his mouth. Anticipation made him shiver again, his fingers combing through Sanji's hair with rough action.

Sanji's tongue wet a trail over the indentures of thigh and hip, skin suckled briefly. He moved his way tantalizingly down towards the wiry hairline of his pubes before moving up and away.

"You tease!" Law accused him, tightening his fingers.

Sanji chuckled as Law tilted his head back to glare at him. One slimy hand settled against Law's lower belly, snaking up his shirt. Law pulled away suddenly, shirt hem clenched tight.

"Wait."

"Oh, now you're shy?" Sanji asked, wiping his hands on the duvet.

"I'm not exactly normal," Law said with hesitation. "I'm...a little self conscious about my appearance."

"Yet your one eyed monster was eager to get up in my face."

"That's different. Just...it's better with my shirt on, please."

Sanji sighed, giving an acquiescing nod. He pulled on Law's hips, doing his best to open his mouth wide over his dick.

After some moments of concentration, Law muttered, "This is what you did in high school?"

Sanji answered around his dick, so Law regretfully pulled himself out. It was surprisingly hot to see drool and fluid string out between his mouth and Law's dick. Sanji wiped his chin and cheek before saying, "I said, compared to your high school study buddy?"

"That was different. That was a surprise attack to which I had no defense."

He felt Sanji's hands creeping up the backs of his thighs, moving over his backside and back as his mouth once again began moving over his hips and thighs. Law wiggled out of his grasp, and pushed him into his back. He somehow kicked out of his pants and underwear while Sanji watched him smugly, chin glittering with drool.

Law studied him, laying over Sanji's fully clothed body, his ass growing cold in the AC cooled air. He wiped the moisture from sanjis face with his thumb, then licked it clean. Sanji's eyes seemed the darken then, reaching up to cradle Law's face between his hands. They resumed kissing, touching each other tenderly in the darkness.

He managed to wrangle Sanji's shirt off and over his head, inhaling of his skin and touching mouth to pulse points. Trapping Sanji's wrists in his shirt, Law held his hands over Sanji's head with one hand while the other explored him. Sanji's excited breath against his face told Law he was doing this right. Law ended up licking his lips open to delve inside, tasting ash and their own musky mixture of saliva.

His heart was racing soundly against his chest, marveling over the cushion of flesh against Sanji's ribs, reaching up to grasp tightly over one breast.

"I don't have boobs, goddamn it," Sanji cursed against his mouth. Law squeezed that area anyway before shifting and taking that pert nipple into his mouth. He sucked and licked, feeling the man tremble against him. Sanji's dick was poking him insistently against one leg, so Law reached down to grab and hold, stroking palm over the length of it.

Restlessly, Sanji sought friction against Law's hand.

"Just a handjob, right?" Law asked, undoing Sanji's pants and reaching into his underwear. "Oh...how cute."

"Don't call my dick cute!" Sanji roared with outrage before laughing.

"It's so warm and small. Like holding a newborn animal -"

"Not everyone has a damn anaconda in their pants!"

"No choking hazards here," Law commented with relief, pushing down to pull Sanji's dick into his mouth. Sanji eked a strangled sound as Law sucked hard as he drew his mouth up the length of it and released it with a pop.

"You did this before?" Sanji asked with disbelief, sure no straight guy could delve into it so abruptly.

"No. I just learn fast," Law commented with confidence, returning his attention to Sanji's dick. He had to slurp before adding, "Weird way of giving a handjob, though."

"Shut up and come here. I'll show you how to finish this," Sanji snapped at him, red faced.

Early the next morning, Law awoke suddenly. He had the panicked feeling that the events of last night had been nothing but a dream. But Sanji had his back to him, releasing low sputters of a snore as he slept. He had pulled his clothes over him like a blanket to protect himself against the cold air of the running AC. Relieved, Law watched his shoulders twitch. It took him some moments to pull his duvet out from the sleeping man and tuck over him before retreating into his own sheets.

'Romance', huh? he thought.