Kid waited across the street from the GLCC emergency room, beneath an umbrella and still wearing his bright safety-yellow rain slicker. It was wet as shit. At least he was back on the job to begin with, the site having passed its inspections. Construction was moving on to the next phase as plate glass windows were installed up and down the steel facade. Kid was put to work on the building's interior, fabricating metal reinforcements that would be necessary for seismic safety. Even stationed inside it was impossible to stay completely dry. By a certain point, the weather intervened, making it too damn damp to weld for shit. There wasn't much to be done except call it quits for the day.

The transparent walls of the ER were clouded with condensation, heavy drips beading down the inside glass. Kid would wait out here before stepping into that humidity trap, thank you very much. Especially with the number of sick kids he could see from his vantage point - it was the season for that, and Kid wasn't about to lose out on a paycheck by coming down with some sniffles. He was already hurting in lieu of the lost hours that building inspection cost, and with the ambient humidity stuck near one hundred percent, it was a chore to do even the simplest welding in a timely manner.

The automatic doors swung open and Kid stood. Law was supposed to meet him for dinner, but Kid was early. The doctor was still dressed in a long white coat, clearly not ready to leave. He had company and was speaking heatedly with a tall guy by his side. The man looked like he'd just stepped off a cruise ship from the South, wearing a peach-pink suit and rose-tinted sunglasses. Kid wondered if this was some big donor Law had to lead around and entertain for the day, but if that was the case, why were they arguing?

Law glanced in his direction and Kid waved. It was hard to miss the way Law's expression blanched before freezing into impassivity; he turned back towards the tall guy and said some parting words before returning indoors. What the fuck was that? Kid wondered if Law maybe forgot his coat, vainly hoping that his sneer of barely-concealed contempt was all just about the rain and wet weather.

But not even Kid was stupid enough to believe that.

The tall guy seemed interested in him now that Law was gone. He hadn't missed the look they'd exchanged, and opened his own umbrella before proceeding in Kid's direction. Kid felt more confused than anything, but he'd take confusion with this new guy over the hurt Law had left him with.

"Awful, isn't it?" The tall guy began. "This weather, I mean. Dreadful."

"Sure is," Kid replied. "I'll take it over snow, though. Any day of the week."

"Still rather early for worries like that, I should think." The guy spoke with the same smooth and sophisticated vocabulary that Law had, so he pegged him as loaded. A rich donor, if not a doctor himself. "Are you waiting for your chance inside? I'd get in line if that's the case, it's quite long."

"Nah, I work on the construction crew." Kid jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the building's half-formed shell, shrouded in tarpaulin to keep the rain from causing damage. "Just waiting for somebody."

"A patient?"

Kid shook his head, "Some fancy doctor with bad taste."

"Ah, so you were waiting for Law, is that right?"

"Jeeze, I didn't know his bad taste was so well known."

The tall guy snapped his fingers, as though he'd just had an epiphany. "You're Eustass Kid, aren't you? Law mentioned your name. I'm pleased to finally have the chance to meet you."

He stuck out a perfectly-manicured hand for Kid to shake. "Sorry, I guess I didn't get your name…?"

"Donquixote Doflamingo. You know, Law and I may not look very similar, but we're practically brothers. I just about raised him after he was adopted into our family."

A jolt of familiarity sang across Kid's nerves; of course, the older brother Law refused to say much about. And the family, which always sounded like it was being said with a capital-f. As in, The Family. It was a topic Law was never real forthcoming about.

For the time being, Kid didn't let on that he knew the man's identity. He simply returned the handshake with a friendly grin, though the man's grip was enough to make his joints groan. "Nice to meet ya."

"I've heard that you and Law are quite close."

"Well, we're kind of dating, so yeah."

"Yes. That is what I gather." The man pushed his glasses up his nose. "I'm afraid he's going through a bit of a difficult phase and doesn't tell me very much."

"Yeah, yeah. He kinda described the situation as estranged."

"How diplomatic of him."

"So don't take offense if we don't get too friendly here, right?"

"Oh, certainly not. I'm simply happy to see he's found someone to share his time with. He may not believe me, but I do only want what's best for him."

Kid nodded, "It sounds like you and he differ over what's really best for him."

"In a professional sense, certainly. But I've learned enough to simply stand back and allow him to run his own personal affairs. So I'm pleased that he's choosing wisely in that regard."

Part of Kid told him this was a real elaborate back-handed compliment, but he took it at face value. The thing was, guys this rich only ever saw what would confirm their already-held biases. Maybe it was the reason behind those rose-tinted shades.

Doflamingo turned and gestured for a driver to bring his car around, "I'd love to stay longer but I'm afraid if I do these shoes will be ruined."

"That's cool. Did Law say when he'd be out?"

"I'm afraid he wasn't in a very generous mood when we parted; he did not spare me any details. How long have the two of you been seeing one another?"

"I dunno, eight or nine months?" He thought on it and was surprised that it had been so long. Jeeze, it was almost a year and it'd passed so quick he'd hardly noticed. Like a workday that sped to its close while Kid was in the zone, his days with Law went by effortlessly. He wondered if he should've spent more time enjoying it. Kid shrugged before replying, "Really not that long."

"On the contrary, I don't think Law's ever had a partner last more than four months. At least he never did back when we were on closer terms - I'm afraid I don't keep close tabs on him, much as he imagines I do."

A luxy white towncar pulled up and a uniformed driver ushered Doflamingo inside, taking his umbrella in the process. One tinted window rolled a third of its way down, and Doflamingo peered over the edge, "Even though we don't get along at present, I still hold Law in high regard. Take good care of him for me, won't you?"

"Will do!" Kid gave a wave as the car pulled out, grinning like a fucking dumbass. Or a high school prom date who'd just been threatened into behaving himself. In the aftermath of Doflamingo's tactile levels of casual wealth, Kid was left feeling about as insignificant as dogshit stuck to the man's expensive shoes. What an unpleasant fuck.

Kid wondered if he should've even talked to Doflamingo in the first place. Now Law was gonna be pissed at him for acting chummy with the enemy. What did he expect, for Kid to be rude? Actually...that was probably exactly what he'd expected. Kid hadn't shared any overly-personal details - at least nothing Doflamingo couldn't find out on his own with a little effort.

Kid sighed; in the end, what did it matter? Wasn't like Law looked real happy to see him waiting outside in the first place.

Whatever; if Law didn't want him talking to his brother, he should've said as much. Kid was happy to do whatever the man preferred, but if Law never said what he wanted, he didn't get to go around casting blame on innocent bystanders. Maybe Doflamingo was right - if Kid really was the longest relationship Law ever had, perhaps the doctor had simply never considered his lover and his family ever crossing paths. Accordingly, he'd never planned for it, leaving Kid to handle things on his own. Maybe that just meant Law trusted him, and Kid felt a little better looking at things from that perspective.

His phone chirped and Kid had to spend a good thirty seconds digging it out from a waterproof pocket. It was a text message from Law: Out in 10. Well, that was something. Kid was starting to wonder if he was being stood up. But ten minutes later, Law trundled out in a long waterproof coat and knee-high boots. He always managed to look classy regardless of what the weather threw at him.

"I apologize for the delay. Working an emergency surgery rotation is always like this."

"No problem," Kid answered. "Still feeling like dinner?"

"I'm starving." Law was looking a little peaky around the edges, either from lack of sleep or food, or both. "I want take-out, though. I can't stand to be around other people right now."

"Okay, let's go to your place and I'll order something. Chinese good?"

"Thai sounds better." His arm fit through the crook of Kid's elbow as he nestled in close to take advantage of the umbrella. "Thank you."

They made their way to the monorail station. Even if Law didn't want to be around anybody else for the foreseeable future, he hadn't excluded Kid from that equation. It made him feel stupidly special, the same way he'd felt when Law first agreed to get an apartment together. "I met your brother earlier."

"Yes, I saw. He can be very persistent when he wants something, so I imagine it was inevitable."

"What'd he want? Or did he show up to harass you at work?"

"Partially." Law gave a gusty sigh before glancing in Kid's direction, a certain warmth in his eyes that made Kid forget any of the doubts he'd had earlier. "He found out about the move. I've only told a few people aside from my landlord - had to give him notice that I wouldn't be renewing. Yet somehow, Doflamingo found out."

"So what's he care?"

"I think it's got him curious. He pays attention to things like that, ever since I returned to the city."

"Sounds kinda stalker-y. Like in a low-grade menacing kind of way," Kid said, thinking aloud. "He seems really rich, though. Kind of asshole-rich, y'know? You'd think he could hire people to keep track of you."

"Oh, I'm sure he does." The hint of a smile coaxed Law's mouth upwards. "But yes, he's very rich, and enjoys using his finances to get whatever he wants. It's one of the reasons I want nothing to do with him."

Even if he disliked or disapproved of his brother's wealth, it'd clearly left its mark on Law. He dressed, behaved, and had the manners of someone raised amongst the upper-crust. Probably worked out okay around the rest of the doctors, Kid imagined. He wondered why it'd never really been an issue between the two of them. Kid couldn't have been much further from the upper classes if he'd tried. Maybe that was why Law had agreed to date him those first few times - just a dalliance with some stray mutt, who'd serve the purpose of pissing off one's family more than anything. Kid had been in a few relationships like that, where he was more of a token than a proper partner. He usually didn't realize that was the case until those relationships were over. It was one of the few things he dreaded now: that one day, Law would wake up and realize just how much better he could do.

Because someone like Law could do better. Way, way better.

It was an insecurity Kid didn't let get to him on most days, but maybe the rain was putting him in a downer mood. That, or meeting Law's elder brother had reminded him just how different the two of them really were when you got down to it. Law was never snobby about his smarts or education, which was one of the many reasons Kid loved him - and he didn't have any problems calling it that, at least in the privacy of his own head. Though he'd said as much aloud, he kept the lion's share of his feelings under wraps simply because Law had never said the same; there was a real risk of scaring someone off by coming on too strong. Then again, Law had to feel somewhat the same - he'd agreed to moving in together, after all.

The monorail cars were mostly empty, the oppressive humidity unrelieved even onboard and indoors. Kid felt sticky beneath his rain slicker. "This weather suuucks. Shower when we get home?"

"I'd like that."

"I want pad kee mao. And spring rolls. You know what you want?"

"Papaya salad."

Kid had the Thai joint's number already in his phone and placed the order right there in the monorail; they were home ten minutes later and the food arrived shortly thereafter. Law changed into his home clothes and they watched shitty tv while they ate. Kid hadn't realized how hungry he'd been, but that wasn't saying much. He could eat pretty much whenever food showed up in front of his face.

He noticed Law giving him a sideways look, with more focus than he spared for the television. "What's up?"

"Nothing." Law's attention returned to his salad, which he picked away at with wooden chopsticks. "Did Doflamingo say anything to you?"

Kid shrugged, "Nah, we just talked about you."

"Really?"

"Nothing bad." He laughed shortly, "I guess if anything, he made it pretty clear that I needed to take good care of you."

"Really." Law sounded skeptical.

"Yeah, he sounded more like your dad than your brother."

"Well, he certainly thinks he knows how best to run my life."

"I don't like guys like that much. Why'd he come bother you anyway?"

"Oh, the move, mainly. But he was at the hospital already, he's a donor. Enough money really will get you anything in life."

It seemed like there was a lot that Law wasn't telling him, but Kid knew better than to go around being nosey. They'd only really had a few disagreements while they'd been together, and they'd all been the result of Kid asking too many questions. This sort of ambiguity probably would've driven saner people crazy, but with his own shitty family history, Kid was intimately aware of how hard some topics could be. It was better to wait until Law volunteered the info, but who knew how long it'd be till he was ready?

He wondered what Doflamingo saw looking at the two of them. Probably just another rebellious outburst on Law's behalf, dating someone with none of his prestige or standing. For as close as Kid felt they were, sometimes all it took was the right outsider's perspective to realize how much distance was left.

Kid wondered if he'd be stuck on the sidelines forever, being given only a taste when he wanted to know everything. If his dad and all that shit hadn't sent Law screaming, Kid really wondered how bad it could possibly be.

The first week of the Strawhats' surveillance came and went without incident. Robin contacted him to report that while they'd found no connection, Kid and Doflamingo had been observed speaking in person, which was enough to extend the assignment for another two weeks.

Law knew precisely the incident they spoke of; he'd been present for that one himself. It'd given him a minor heart attack. Doflamingo had been at the hospital to interrogate Law, which was bizarre in its own right - the man typically didn't do his own dirty work. He'd neither mentioned nor inquired about Kid, leaving Law even more surprised when he noticed them together shortly after. Was he making a big deal out of a mere coincidence? Law refused to doubt himself; if Doflamingo was pestering him on the job, something was up.

Though even when he asked, Kid treated that meeting like it was nothing special. He was unashamedly curious but not invasively so; Law found it strange. He couldn't imagine not questioning or digging deeper, and the fact that Kid didn't felt sinister - as though he already knew enough that he didn't have to ask for details.

So his silent shadows maintained their duty, unseen, though they reported to Law at the end of each week. Yet beyond that sole interaction at the hospital, they found no evidence of Doflamingo in Kid's weekly routine. A full digital report was forthcoming, the results of Usopp's thorough digging into any sort of paper trail Kid had left. They monitored his cell phone records and email contacts, inspecting each aspect of Kid's life for evidence.

After a month had passed, the Strawhats called a meeting with Law in person. He found himself back at the All Blue, in a different booth but surrounded by familiar company.

"I thought you might like to hear what we've learned so far," Robin said. She was accompanied this time by Usopp, Nami, and Luffy; the others were away with their own commitments, and Zoro was presently tailing Kid wherever he went.

They also presented Law with their first bill, which nearly made him go cross-eyed. "We may need to suspend operations indefinitely if this is what the charges are going to be like."

Nami seemed quite displeased. "What? Why?"

"I feel like you may be under the impression that I have more resources at my disposal, considering who my brother is. But believe me when I say that is not the case."

"Oh, don't worry, we've seen your finances," Usopp said, before biting his tongue. "I - I mean, our rates are entirely reasonable for the amount of expertise required! Surveillance isn't something you want to go budget on, isn't that right?"

"Yes! You're paying for an expensive service, here," Nami concurred. "We charge based on market rates, you won't find anyone capable of doing more for what we ask!"

"But this report - " Law literally felt at a loss for words. "What on earth are all these tertiary expenditures based on?"

"Well, your boy goes to a lot of clubs and shows. Those things cost money, typically a cover fee. We don't foot charges like that." She crossed her arms and gave a huff, "I mean, why should we? You should just be thankful we didn't ask you to cover our food and beverage costs! They really do add up on these continuous stakeouts!"

"Can't you just follow him to places that don't require entrance fees?"

"Oh sure, so you can skip paying the full amount because we haven't done our duty! What part of twenty-four hour observation did you miss the first time around?"

Law wondered if the Strawhats had operatives based outside his or Kid's apartments, and part of him withered at what they might have witnessed. Perhaps he ought to have thought this over more clearly but it was a little too late for such concerns now. "So, given these…charges," he paused, biting back the words ridiculous and outrageous. "I certainly hope you have something to show for it."

"Of course," Robin replied, her voice measured and precise. "Usopp - the file, please."

It was about three inches thick, bound in a manilla folder. On one hand, Law was relieved - at least he was paying for something with this - but it was distressing that they'd been able to unearth this much on Kid. So he really was hiding a few things after all. Law tried not to be outwardly disheartened, "That looks rather comprehensive."

"I do good work!" Usopp's words held an aggrieved tone, as though Law had ever doubted him.

"You're welcome to keep this and read it at your leisure, but perhaps I can provide a brief summation of our findings," Robin offered. "The good news first: despite our best attempts - and Usopp's considerable digging - we were unable to unearth any connection between your companion and your brother."

Law felt his heart veritably stop in his chest, his breath clenching tight. Immediately, he doubted that they'd looked hard enough. "You're joking."

"I am not. We investigated every avenue of Eustass Kid's history. Even considering secondary, tertiary, or even quaternary angles, we have been unable to establish any sort of connection or communication between the Doflamingo crime family and your friend - the only evidence we observed was on the basis of friends twice removed on either side."

"They're friends-of-friends-of-friends," Nami explained. "Not surprising; you can make a connection on that level between most anyone in the city."

"Or outside the city! It's basically background noise at that point," Usopp added.

"So that's the good news," Law repeated, feeling oddly faint. For a moment, he wondered if he might pass out. No connection...how was that even possible? If the Strawhats hadn't found anything, Law practically wanted to call their methodology into question. He knew Doflamingo was involved; he'd been so convinced of it. Was he so paranoid and suspicious that he wouldn't even accept good news?

Not for the first time, Law's stomach roiled angrily with guilt. What was he even thinking with this?

The bartender stopped by to deliver hot tea for Robin. He gave Law a once-over, his eyes hidden behind tinted shades. "Whoa, you need a drink or something, buddy?"

"Yes! Let's all do shots," Luffy suggested, before bounding out of his seat and up to the bar.

Law wondered if that kid was even old enough to be drinking, but it was the least of his concerns. Robin began calmly, "We shall start with his childhood. Domestic services had quite the file on him, though it was sealed once he turned eighteen."

"I see you still managed to obtain a copy."

"The government really doesn't protect things as well as you'd think!" Usopp supplied. It was somewhat disconcerting. Law had a few records on file with domestic services himself.

Robin selected a one-page summation of their findings and passed over a copy so Law could follow along. "His mother abandoned the family when Kid was five; we were unable to locate her whereabouts, but it seemed unnecessary. She has not had contact with either Kid or his father since leaving them.

"His father was abusive. There are multiple domestic disturbance reports on file, either from his parents' brief marriage or the years which followed, when Kid was in his father's custody. The man was a mechanic and worked at several shops around the city, though his temper had a habit of getting him fired. Eventually, he was disabled by an on-the-job accident - a spinal compression which went untreated until it caused permanent damage.

"Kid and his father were on state assistance following that. It seemed to make a bad situation worse. We have a few examples of the sorts of complaints their neighbors registered over the years. During this time, Kid was hospitalized for a variety of minor injuries, though according to him, they were all the result of schoolyard fighting. He was expelled twice after getting into brawls.

"While he earned some of his injuries that way, the elder Eustass is responsible for the lion's share. When Kid was fifteen, his father beat him so severely that he earned a week's visit to the hospital. A concerned party familiar with the situation filed a complaint with domestic services, and Kid was subsequently removed from the household."

"Janet," Law said. Part of him felt so hollow and aching that he expected to hear his words echo. "His best friend's mother took him in. He told me a little but I had no idea things were this bad."

But couldn't you guess? part of him asked, scolding in its indictment. Didn't you imagine it was this bad, or worse? He's already told you enough that none of this should be a surprise.

Indeed, it wasn't. Kid had trusted him with such secrets, and he'd neither lied nor embellished them. Seeing everything written up in the precise language of police reports and court documents made it all finally real. At the same time, reading over it made things seem like they'd happened to a different person entirely - as though Law were reading a newspaper article describing a tragedy falling upon a total stranger.

Robin was not finished, and directed his attention to the next in a series of documents. "He enjoyed a period of stability once he was removed from his father's household, though he continued to have altercations at school or off-campus. He was expelled after breaking a classmate's nose, and by that point, he'd missed so much of his sophomore year of high school that he would've had to repeat the grade.

"Instead, he enrolled in a vocational college and began an apprenticeship that lasted two years. He has been steadily employed by a number of contractors across the city since he was seventeen, and on the whole, has received numerous recommendations from his supervisors due to his valuable skills and work ethic."

Luffy returned with a burst of long-limbed energy, bearing a tray of shot glasses which appeared to hold tequila. "Yay, job well done, everybody! Let's drink."

"I'm hardly finished, Luffy," Robin said serenely.

"Break time, then! I think we've all earned it." He gave a snickering giggle before pushing a shot glass in each person's direction. Law was grateful for the distraction and downed his in a single slurp, not bothering with lime or salt. He felt it burn up his throat until his stomach lurched; he couldn't remember the last time he'd done shots. Probably back when he'd passed his preliminary exams...as with many things, there was a good reason he didn't make a habit of mainlining tequila.

Even so, it wasn't long before another was nudged in his direction, and by that point Law really was beginning to worry that he looked as shell-shocked as he felt.

Robin ignored the alcohol in favor of her tea, continuing as though nothing had changed, "Moving on from his juvenile accounts, we have a few minor violations and complaints accrued on his adult record. Nothing connected to Doflamingo's organization, as we mentioned before. The most significant is a workplace incident that was reported as assault, but the charges were reduced upon Kid's enrollment in an anger management program. He still attends meetings.

"Besides that, there are a few minor complaints of trespassing, and one misdemeanor charge of vandalism and malicious mischief. He paid a fine and served two hundred hours of community service."

"Dare I ask for doing what?"

"He and two others egged a Maserati dealership."

"Oh. Of course they did." Law gave a bleak laugh, downing his second shot in one go. He was already feeling light-headed. His giggle returned, turning swiftly into a hiccup. "Is that really all there is?"

"You sound disappointed."

"This wasn't what I was expecting," Law confessed. He wasn't sure what to feel, to be happy or disappointed; trusting or suspicious. At least Kid was innocent of colluding with his brother, a fact Law had never realistically hoped would be true. What did it say about him that the prospect was frankly terrifying? All this time he'd never bothered to consider how things between them were really going because on some level, Law expected things to end.

Maybe he'd wanted bad news. Maybe he'd wanted Kid to be like all the others - someone Law would never become invested in, because he'd never last. Because Law had no idea what to do with him if he lasted.

"Aw, c'mon, Traffy! Cheer up! Your boyfriend's a good guy," Luffy said, giving Law an encouraging thump on the back.

Resolutely, Law turned to Usopp. "What chances remain that Kid could be at all involved in Doflamingo's operations?"

"For the present, nonexistent. I really went digging on this one."

Law still couldn't believe it. It was as though his mind, having never considered this possibility, was in abject denial. He'd been waiting for Doflamingo to intrude into their relationship for so long that he did not know how to cope in his brother's absence.

For a stupid moment, Law wondered if he ought to get a second opinion but dismissed the idea outright. He just needed to get a grip, to come to terms with reality...he'd taken a step in doing this that he'd never wanted to. He'd searched Kid's background so completely, only to find nothing….

In the empty void, the only things left were his feelings for Kid.

Without Doflamingo's shadow to temper them, Law wasn't sure he could handle what he felt all at once. He braced his elbows on the tabletop and massaged his closed eyelids; he could feel a headache coming on and it was making him nauseated.

"Man, now you really look like you need a drink," the bartender said.

Law could only shake his head feebly; if he drank much more he was going to be sick, though it wouldn't be the alcohol's doing.

Usopp's voice intruded, "You're not taking this quite the way I expected you would."

"I'm sorry?"

"I mean...you were doing this because you needed to know the truth. So I looked really hard at this guy's life. I really tried to see if anything was there." He shrugged, looking like it was his fault for some reason. "I dunno, you seemed like a nice guy and you're paying us so I didn't want you to get hurt. But there's nothing there!"

"Yeah!" Luffy's voice was a burst of furious energy. "He's just normal! Cheer up for a change. This means you don't have to dump him or whatever."

"That is, unless you were wanting to," Nami added. "In which case, we can also help."

"For a price, I'm sure," Law said, his tone glacial. He wondered just how much of these kids' respective educations he'd just voluntarily funded with this little ordeal.

Even with the accompanying charges - which were criminal - Law agreed to another two weeks' worth of surveillance. He needed to be utterly sure, though Usopp warned him he was just wasting his money. Nami, in contrast, was delighted - and in all fairness, she did work out a very reasonable payment plan with minimal interest. He was given all the documents Usopp dug up, to examine at his leisure. Robin had written detailed analyses of what they'd found, but Law wondered if anything had been missed.

Even with this good news, his mind refused to believe. He was unused to considering Kid as an uninvolved bystander to all his family's drama. Fate was never so kind to him like this...

By the time he stepped out of the All Blue, it was dark. The shorter days of autumn always managed to surprise to him. For better or worse, some of the shellshock was beginning to dissipate like fog in the brisk air. Law felt a sense of relief so strong that it was almost euphoric.

Or maybe that was just the booze talking. It was like Usopp said: this was good news. The fact that it was surprising and unexpected just meant it would take longer to get used to. Law would probably be wrapping his brain around this information for some time to come. He couldn't wait to see Kid next.

He paused en route to the monorail station; he was in the University district, after all. Impulsively, he reversed course. Kid was probably home right now and even if he had plans, they could probably get a quick bite to eat or something. Law didn't make a habit of showing up unannounced - perhaps subconsciously, he'd always assumed that if he were to surprise Kid, he would undoubtedly find him and his brother in collusion. He'd not gone digging beyond the surface because he'd been so certain Doflamingo would be lurking there - it was precisely why Kid's history of violence had come as such a shock, back when he'd so dramatically fallen apart.

Law had scolded himself at the time for not being more inquisitive. But his curiosity was tempered by dread: for what he could find, what he'd been certain he would find. With the investigation's results, he found himself just as certain of Kid's innocence; it was like a weight finally removed from his shoulders.

He felt like an idiot for worrying about this for so long - the very idiot Penguin had accused him of being on more than one occasion. Law was not looking forward to the gloating I-told-you-so's that were sure to follow, but they seemed like a minor and appropriate price to pay. Law had no problems admitting when he was wrong, especially in this case - though the truth was still hard to grasp, he was overjoyed to be proven wrong. A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth; it could not be repressed.

He was knocking on the door to Kid's house before he knew it. Killer answered; the place was fairly quiet, all things considered. "He's upstairs having a nap. Probably ready to wake up though, he's been sleeping since four."

"Do you all have plans later?"

"There's a show we've been talking about going to, but I dunno if he's still into it. I'm going with Wire, we'll probably leave in another hour or so."

Law nodded; his arrival was unexpected, after all. He made his way up the stairs, the alcohol from earlier leaving his feet heavy. He felt strangely empty, like a hollowed-out melon. Maybe he should've eaten something at the All Blue. Maybe he and Kid could get dinner before long, but the darkness of Kid's room and the comfort of his bed beckoned Law closer. He could feel his earthly needs fading, replaced by new and more immediate desires.

He ditched his briefcase near the door, toeing out of his shoes and tossing his coat across a chair. Kid was a heavy sleeper most nights but this was just his afternoon nap; he stirred as Law slipped into bed beside him, an inquisitive arm sliding around his waist. Kid's fingers found Law's shirt, untucking it so he could trace the vertebra of his spine with comforting familiarity.

Law sank against him eagerly, his fingers hungry for touch. Kid gave a sleepy murmur, nosing against Law's jawline. There was the wet flick of his tongue before Kid spoke, sounding more awake than was expected, "Hey, you."

"Hey." Law felt an odd giddiness jumping in his limbs and knew it wasn't something he could blame entirely on the drink. He'd learned a secret earlier and it was burning his mouth with how urgently it needed to be shared. Kid was his; only his - he'd never belonged to anyone else. It was almost like meeting him for the first time.

But Law knew if he said anything it would ruin everything. He bit his tongue and enjoyed the silence as Kid tangled their legs together. His voice was slightly bemused, "Are we doing something tonight?"

"No. Nothing planned. I was in the area so I thought I'd stop by."

"Dude, are you drunk?" He could probably smell it coming off of Law in fumes.

"I was at a reception. One of the doctors in my department made research fellow so we were celebrating." The lies came easily; they always had. Law wondered if he ought to be worried about that. Lying to Kid had never bothered him because he'd always assumed the man was doing the same. It wasn't like he could tell Kid the truth now, even with it beating heavily in his throat.

"Tequila at a doctor's reception?"

"Don't be so surprised. Doctors know how to drink better than most."

Kid gave a muffled snicker, his hands unpausing in their lazy exploration. "So you show up drunk at my house looking for a booty call? I see how this is."

"Then you shouldn't complain so much." Law inched closer until there wasn't any distance between them. He wanted to crawl beneath Kid's skin until they were inseparable. All of his paranoia from before seemed as foolish and insubstantial as a nightmare in the daylight.

A sour part of himself was ashamed for doubting Kid all this time. He deserved better. The more things sank in, the more Law realized how entirely unfair he'd been. He shifted, squirming beneath his own self-loathing. Explaining things was pointless, there was no way he could tell Kid about this without sounding delusional. Not to mention the gross violation of his privacy! Law wanted to leave this entire miserable chapter behind them; he would take it and all his poisonous doubts silently to the grave.

Law sighed. The feeling of a future with Kid was foreign and enticing; its possibilities seemed endless. He stroked his hands through Kid's hair, massaging his scalp with the tips of his fingers. "Hey, I love you."

Kid stopped moving entirely before giving a loud, skeptical snort, "What?"

"You heard me." Though the words themselves remained stuck inside Law's chest, demanding to be spoken aloud over and over.

"And you are way more drunk than you let on!"

"I am not."

"Yeah, you are." Kid's wandering hands found his ass, kneading with intent. "Oh man, I'm so glad you stopped by. Even if you're just gonna tease me and give me a hard time."

"I'm not teasing. I've been meaning to say that for a while," Law confessed.

"Really?" Another groan of skepticism. "Anybody ever tell you what a pain in the ass you are to read?"

Someone knocked on Kid's bedroom door and he gave a plaintive whine, unmoving. After a few minutes, the knock repeated. Groaning, he extricated himself from Law's clinging grip and rose; his warmth was missed immediately. Law remained where he was, listening with half an ear as Kid spoke quietly. It was probably Killer, asking after the show they'd been planning to attend. Law was pretty sure Kid wouldn't be going, and was glad. His intoxicated mind felt dopey and thick, as though heavy curtains of gauze were separating him from the rest of the real world. Part of him wanted to stay cocooned in Kid's warmth forever.

He shifted over to the spot Kid had vacated, burying his face in a pillow. It smelled like his shampoo, like his skin beneath. For the first time, Law felt unequivocally safe in in the other man's company - the lingering doubts finally erased to leave only himself and the person he very much loved. It was odd putting things in those terms, but they were the only ones which fit. He couldn't remember the last time he felt like this. He wondered what Doflamingo really was up to, if anything...Law wondered if he'd misjudged his brother as well, looking for sinister intentions where they did not exist.

That was probably being more generous than the situation warranted. Even if Doflamingo had nothing to do with this particular instance, he'd made such a continual nuisance of himself that Law automatically suspected the worst. He could blame his brother for that while still being thankful that the damage was not worse. He and Kid would need to have a conversation about the family one of these days, but it seemed so remote and unimportant that Law simply didn't have the energy to tackle that dilemma at the moment.

Maybe it was the alcohol making him drowsy, but he could feel the pull of sleep tugging him under and made little effort to resist. Kid's conversation ended and Law heard him shut the door, before stumbling over something and cursing. It was little wonder - there was a veritable carpet of discarded clothing and other items covering the floor. A light flicked on and Law could hear shuffling as Kid collected scattered papers -

Law lurched upright, his drunken sleepiness forgotten. Something had clicked into place, an unwanted familiarity: he knew that sound, the thump of whatever Kid had knocked over. It was his briefcase. Law had kicked it over enough times to know what it sounded like.

"Hey, aren't you coming back?" Law said, keeping the fear from his voice. If Kid had knocked that over, spilling papers...Usopp's report was in there.

But Kid remained where he was. "What is this?"

The lighting was bad but Law could see enough to confirm his worst fears. Kid was kneeling with some loose sheets in hand while the remainder lay splayed across the floor beside him, an indictment of Law's guilt. Clearly, he'd been cleaning up the mess when he'd caught wind of things. He likely saw his name plastered across every one of those spilled documents, his curiosity immediate and natural. So of course he'd looked deeper….

"Don't go through my things," Law snapped, feeling cross but mainly with himself. Shit. This was bad; very, very, extremely bad. What had he been thinking, bringing that report here at all? Of course Kid wouldn't go snooping through his belongings but it wasn't like Law could stop him from witnessing what was right in front of his face.

Kid wouldn't go digging but Law could hardly say the same for himself. He was the one who'd gone snooping through Kid's entire life.

"C'mon, is this a joke or something?" Kid's voice was plaintive, as though he sincerely believed Law had a reason for what he was holding. Of course, he did - but it wasn't a good enough reason to explain away that mountain of awful-looking evidence.

Law's heartbeat raced, painfully fast. His guts felt like a nest of snakes, coiling and twisting about one another until he felt sick. "It's nothing you need to worry about."

"Give me a fucking break!" Kid exploded, his anger sudden and frantic. His face was stricken, "What is all this? You did a fucking background check on me? Why?"

Law wanted to answer that question but had no idea where to start. The words died in his mouth. He could feel them cutting him up from the inside, keen little blades that were sharpened on the clear injury in Kid's tone.

"Is this about - all that stuff I told you, with my dad? About the fight I got into?" Kid swallowed; it looked like it hurt. "Were you scared of me or something? I told you everything there was. I - I really wasn't lying - "

The sheet of paper he was holding began to tremble and for a distinct moment, Law worried that Kid would once again be reduced to tears. Except unlike that last scenario, this wasn't some fallout of his own violent impulses; it was all because of things Law had directly done to him.

Panic clawed like an animal against the cage of Law's ribs. He wanted to bolt from the room like a cat frightened by the mess it'd caused. He wanted to run away from this just like he'd run from Doflamingo and the rest of his family.

"I know this looks bad," he ventured, only to be cut off by Kid, who was shaking.

"Yeah! You're right, it looks real fucking bad!"

"I can explain - "

"Explain?" He flapped a loose sheet. "This is from domestic services. About the time my dad smacked me so hard my jaw broke!" And without further ceremony, he started to cry, fat, painful tears that fell down his cheeks like they'd escaped from a ruptured water main. Like he simply could not hold them back.

God, what was there that Law could possibly say? Selfishly, he wished it could all be undone - forgotten like a nightmare upon waking. "You don't have to believe me, but this really wasn't about you - "

"It's not? How the fuck d'you figure that one?" Kid grabbed another document and glanced at its contents, tossing it at Law with disgust. "This is the legal notice - about when I was formally put in Janet's custody. I've never even seen that! What're you even doing with all this?"

And Law simply did not know what to do, nor did he have the words to somehow make things right. There was nothing he could say, nothing he could do - short of turning back time to somehow prevent this catastrophe from occurring. He bit his tongue, his mouth flooding with the taste of adrenaline.

If he was being honest, he never should've started digging in the first place. He never should've hired the Strawhats for his assignment; never should've paid them for information on someone he cared about. Law tried to remember that he'd had his reasons for all of this back at the start - good reasons.

Reasons that were impossible to explain without laying his own history out for Kid to pick over and examine.

He swallowed thickly and knew that in his heart, selfishly, he was unwilling to pay that price - even if it meant that Kid might never understand where he was coming from. Law knew that if he tried, he might fall apart as well - he might be left with tears streaming down his cheeks just the same as Kid.

He was afraid of being that vulnerable. He was afraid to know what Kid would think of him.

Yet he knew that it was the only thing that could fix this mess. But he still could not bring himself to say the truths he should've given at the start. "I should leave."

When Kid answered, his voice had hardened; disbelief swiftly transforming to anger. "Yeah. I think you should get the fuck out."

Realistically, Law knew that if he didn't leave on his own, Kid was liable to throw him out - and be entirely justified in doing so.

Somehow, he found his shoes, jacket, and what remained of his briefcase - the majority of its contents were ejected across the floor; he gathered what he could. A couple of Kid's papers were scrambled in amongst the rest of Law's belongings but the man snatched them away like they were precious artifacts. A terrible silence filled up the space between them. Betrayal was written across Kid's face and Law hated himself for being the cause of it.

He also knew that words were entirely inadequate for explaining what he'd done. Maybe they'd never be enough.

Reality felt distant, like live theater playing around him as he sleepwalked across the stage. It was only until he was standing on the cement stairs leading up to the house that things began to really sink in. He'd never even said goodbye.

He wondered if this was the last time he would ever see Kid. Part of him knew it was all he deserved.