26


Leaving class, Sanji said, "After yesterday, will Wednesday still be a thing?"

"Yes," Law told him, shrugging on his backpack, leading the way outside. As kids milled about, they walked over to the baseball field, sitting against the backstop. Someone had posted signs with a warning to pick up their cigarette butts, or suffer consequences. The font and border suggested it was from the office.

"What'd you do?"

After giving a hard sigh, Law fiddled with his fingernails for a moment before answering, "We had our meeting over there by Dairy Queen…"

Sanji knew that was only a few blocks from the park, picturing the ice cream shop at the corner of an intersection.

"…and they're aware that some stuff happened, and wanted to talk about it," Law mumbled, wearing a discomforted expression. He looked away from him, feeling anxious about sharing this part of himself with the other boy. But at this point, he felt he could get through to Sanji this way if he heard his story. At the same time, he was nervous Sanji would judge him differently. He was worried Sanji would disregard it, conditioned as he was for thinking this type of life was 'normal'.

Sanji noticed his hesitation, the stiffening of his shoulders. In a demanding tone, he ordered, "Sit down."

"No, I'm too jittery – "

"Because if you run away from this, I will scream so shrilly that I don't care if I sound like a girl. Everyone will look at us and I will continue chasing you until they call the police," Sanji threatened him, and Law could picture him doing it. He debated on testing Sanji on it, though, before he removed his backpack and set it down beside him, sitting up against the heavy wooden planks of the backstop while Sanji sat in front of him on his knees, pulling Law's feet on either side of him before slouching with his hands atop of his thighs.

Vaguely amused by the position he was in, Law focused on his fingernails to avoid looking at that intense glare Sanji wore as he waited for him to continue. It took a few moments to reset himself after settling.

"I don't want to talk about some things at their command, so I chose to leave," Law said.

"Did you tell them you don't want to talk about it?" Sanji pressed.

"No," Law admitted. "Like, I knew from Smoker that they were aware of things, but to be confronted about it – not confronted, but asked – I didn't like it."

"If they're working on things, then just fucking say so. Don't run!"

"It was overwhelming, Sanji. And don't be a hypocrite."

Sanji huffed, reddening a little as he scratched his ear. "I had a panic attack, and I ran because you make fun of me for showing so much."

Law gave a remorseful frown. "I did. I apologize. But this particular subject, I don't want to talk about it with them. Not when I haven't even opened up to them."

Sanji turned his sight to trace over the laces of Law's right shoe, muttering, "I guess there's a lot that you've got going on inside, huh?"

Law nodded after a few moments. "A lot of those things made me what I am."

"I can't imagine what you've gone through, but things like that don't define you as who you are, you know."

"Same with you," Law told him, looking at his fingernails.

"Whoever told you that lie doesn't know me well enough to say that."

"Your older brother thinks differently."

Sanji looked at him sharply, frowning. Then he gave a lift of his chin. "Stop talking about me. Tell me what you brought me out here, for."

Seeing Law struggle to build up the confidence needed to speak, Sanji waited patiently, pulling nervously at his left arm sweater sleeve; he noticed that both of them had the habit of needing their hands occupied, as they both possessed a sort of nervous energy that caused Law's hands to clench, and his to grasp something.

"I told you about my sister," Law mumbled, reaching up unconsciously to fiddle with his earrings. Sanji's eyes strayed to the thin pieces of jewelry there, trying to imagine a sibling that looked similar to the older kid in front of him. "She was really young when she…there – was an…inoperable brain tumor, and…passed."

"Yes."

"So….after that, my parents just…fell apart. They just…turned into these…two diff…changed people, and just – like they didn't – like they forgot there were two of us. Neither of them were – both blamed themselves, and each other, and the system for failing Lamie, and – "

"That was her name? Lamie?" Sanji repeated, reaching out and touching his shin, clasping the limb with his left hand.

Law exhaled heavily. "Yes. Lamie. Ssshe – wasted away, so it – when she passed, it was almost like…like a relief."

Sanji nodded to acknowledge this.

"Like I said, they forgot there was – like I didn't exist for them. Like you, I tried my best at getting good grades, and – but, nothing I did was right. Their grief was…bigger than mine, I guess. Being compared to her after her death – it felt like I didn't have a chance. Can't – you can't measure up to a dead person. No matter what, and, everything – it was frustrating. I spoke with this stupid impairment, anyway – and it was harder and harder to speak because – he would get so mad that I couldn't speak prop– so I just stopped, and – "

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier? I wouldn't have been so pushy," Sanji whispered with some trouble, finding it difficult to swallow. He understood exactly what Law had gone through, quite aware of his own efforts to at least be acknowledged.

Taking a deep breath, Law then said, "So I started staying out. I didn't want to go home, anymore. That didn't make them happy, either. Lorenzo – my…he'd just get - just start yelling as soon as I came in, and – Lainy, she wouldn't even…she just let him do whatever. I felt sick all the time. And nothing – I couldn't concentrate on anything. So my grades just…flopped. Cue in more yelling. So…I stayed at the park longer. Wandered around town. I spent the night in slides, a couple of times.

"I came home one night, he was right in my face, shouting at me that it should've been me, that I was extremely selfish for trying to get 'attention', and I hit him. He flipped out. Lainy didn't even try to stop him. I left for good. I had the marks for the police to file a report. The system, it's…not good all the time. Because I hit him, and refused to talk – he only spent a night in jail. But they removed me. I was in foster care for six months while they went through the court process for his actions. They wouldn't even look at me. So I felt…like that was it. They didn't want me, so I didn't want them."

It was somehow easier speaking of it after he started. The difficulty of remembering these things had made his mouth dry and his tongue heavy, but instead of the familiar hurt and anger he'd felt every time he thought about it, he just felt resignation. This had happened, it was part of his past – the pain would never go away, but it had faded enough to leave him with anger, uncertainty and general distrust. So as he continued to speak, his words left him with an impassive tone, and his stuttering lessened. The end of break bell had rung a few minutes earlier, but they hadn't moved from their spot.

"The first couple of homes were fine, but because I didn't open up, neither family could warm up to me. I probably went through six homes before I hit thirteen. That's when things grew more difficult. So…I kept leaving places. I got into trouble…spent some time in juvie. It took four homes until I got to Doflamingo's. I ran away from him, too. For all those reasons that you think. But after getting to know Rosinante…I didn't feel like running, anymore. He needed me, and I needed that."

Law paused to dig out his cigarettes. After lighting one up, he offered one to Sanji, but he was intensely focused on his knees, his hand still gripping his shin.

"When these two started coming around, I'd leave because I didn't want to talk to them. They began trying harder recently. That's why I was…why it was hard warming up to the idea."

"But…you did," Sanji said low. He still hadn't looked up. "Why?"

Law shrugged a shoulder. He fiddled with his cigarette, ran a fingertip over the ashes that had already fallen. "I'm conflicted on that one."

After a hard exhale, Sanji adjusted his sitting position to sit carefully, still between Law's feet. His eyes were noticeably red, and he was struggling to swallow. "I don't know what to say, Law."

Exhaling, Law said, "This is why I keep telling you, yours won't improve."

"And I keep telling you, it's different – "

"How is it different?"

"Because I'm different! Okay?"

"I knew kids like you, who can express themselves like you. I knew of two of them that were killed because of it."

Sanji wiped his face. He did feel the embarrassing urge to shed tears, unable to imagine that sort of life Law had lived, but he knew if he did, he felt it wouldn't send the right message. Law wasn't telling his story to earn his pity – he was sharing this so that Sanji would know why he pushed, why he felt the way he did with Sanji's situation.

Law picked at the edges of a band-aid that was visible just at the hem of his sleeve. Rosinante had stabbed him with his fork the night before, angry about the quality of his dinner; they had to use powdered eggs, Doflamingo promising to provide 'real' eggs Thursday, when his deposit hit. Rosinante's ever changing mood swings had turned more tumultuous after the introduction of new medication, and his stress over Law's possible leave.

"What should I do?" Sanji asked quietly.

"Stop being a mean fuck."

Sanji rolled his eyes, scowling to the left of him. "There's no way I – "

Because of the way Sanji sat between his legs, Law drew his knees together, bumping him with them. "Those kids are trying to get through to you, you know. All that ass kissing is an invitation."

"But that won't solve my home situation. Unless I just go to my mom's."

Sanji sighed heavily, leaning his forehead against Law's left knee. He reached out to hug that leg, mainly to support his own weight, so Law tensed it. "If I had known that story beforehand, I would've encouraged you to not do it."

"Well, it – "

"But after seeing them that day, Law, they look as if they desperately want to fix things," Sanji continued firmly, turning his head to look at him, still resting it on his knee. "I didn't know that they were – them – at first, because they just looked…scared. And those things – all those things you've been through between then and now – your dad can't hurt you, anymore. Harsh as it might sound, but you've been through worse since that night – "

"It's because of him that this is so, Sanji."

"And you can be angry at him for it. You don't have to forgive them for any of that. They won't be able to. But…after all the crap I pulled, you got to know me."

Law stared at him in contemplative silence for a few moments, before reaching out to run his fingers through Sanji's hair.

"I don't think you can trust Doflamingo," Sanji said quietly. "As close as you want to be with Rosinante, whatever it is he has planned for you, I don't think you should do it."

"If I go with my parents, and it doesn't work out, I can either go back to him, be homeless, or take the offer Smoker gave in exploring the independent living thing, but everyone I've known that has tried that option has never been successful with it."

"Why?"

"Those that used it felt like they were set up to fail. They want you to find a job, some of which…isn't available because of the school they failed, so they don't have a degree, and none can come up with the payments necessary to match what little funding comes to them – "

"Then that's even more reason for you to stay with them, finish," Sanji stressed, lifting his head. "Even if you feel you can't ever repair what happened, use them. Treat them like a – a foster family, and just use them until you can get a degree, until you can get a job and get out. They're going to give you a home – "

"I feel like if I do," Law mumbled, "I'll start to think that it'll be okay, and start to relax, and then something will happen – "

"And when it does, at least you'll be prepared! You'll think of something different, you'll be ready! But most of all, at least you tried, Law! That way, in the future, you won't find yourself wondering what could've happened when it's too late," Sanji said. He turned his attention to Law's knee, scratching at the near threadbare patch with his right hand, momentarily entranced by the change of color as he did so. "At the end of the day, like you've said, you aren't that kid anymore. You can defend yourself, and it'll be okay to do so. You can do this, climb out of this shithole by getting your diploma and - you're so smart, I hate you for that, but you can go far even with your speech problems. Make those two pay for speech therapy. Use them, damn it. Milk them for all they're worth financially, they're freaking doctors. You don't have to like, love them? You don't have to do any of that, just…be there to take those things to use for yourself just to get out of this."

Sanji's words were easy to take in, reaching Law in a different way than Smoker's. Maybe because this kid shared so much with him, understood him, encouraged him differently with the pressure to use two people for his own advantage; allowing Law to feel it was acceptable to stick with distance from two people he had once loved. While Smoker was just a man that had seen too many stories to truly understand a kid's plight, pushing him to allow his parents in with the same sort of bond that they had before Lamie's death, it was a stretch for Law to imagine at this point.

"Trust your gut, shit head," Sanji then said with a sigh, pushing away from his leg. "Let's go to class."

Law put the butt of his cigarette into his pocket to throw away later, then took his hand when Sanji extended it to help him up. Once he was on his feet, he pulled his backpack on while Sanji adjusted his bag around him. After a moment's hesitation, Law then reached out and wrapped his arms around him, feeling uncomfortably overwhelmed with the strong feelings that swamped him.

With a heavy tone, he said, "Which is why I keep telling you to move out of there."

With a surly frown, Sanji replied, "I guess I'll figure it out when it comes."

Even as he'd expected him to say something like that, Law couldn't help but think of Ichiji's story, wondering how many animals Sanji had attempted to save before his family took the chance away from him. He figured, as an injured animal himself, he would just have to rescue himself to save his rescuer.

"Hey, you crazy kids," Ace said, strolling over from the concession stand with a bottle of Gatorade in hand. "I swear, both of you skip more classes than I do. I thought I heard voices over here, so I thought I'd come over and check it out."

Despite the startled move Sanji made to turn and yell at him in reaction, Law held onto him tightly, feeling the teen struggle to get loose.

"We spoke about this," he mumbled over Sanji's head, feeling him stiffen up with a low growl. He could feel the heat of Sanji's temperature in reaction to Law's words, and his self-consciousness to Law's hold on him. He could feel Sanji struggle within himself to somehow be cordial.

Once Ace saw that Sanji wasn't going to snap or bite at him in any way, he visibly perked up. He showed no care to the clingy way Law held onto him as Sanji turned from him to face Ace, bright red in the face with his efforts to 'be nice'.

"We….we were just headed to class," Sanji managed to eke out, struggling to stave off his automatic reaction to snarl at him. "Talking, we were just – talking."

"Guess you gotta do it when you can, eh?" Ace said amicably. "Makes sense."

"It's hard finding any privacy around here."

"You're never going to get it at a public high school, where everyone knows your business," Ace said skeptically. "Why don't you guys just hang out after school?"

"Ah," he then said, as Sanji's face shifted with a scowl, "with three other brothers, it's probably hard to do. No matter how many times I try and ditch those two, either one of them ends up finding me. Brothers can be clingy, right?"

Before Sanji could answer, Law mumbled, "He works, too."

"Hey, what do you do?" Ace asked, brightening again. "Please say you work fast food! I want some freebies!"

"Baratie's," Sanji answered slowly.

"That place where all the old people eat? Is it expensive?"

"No."

"You'll give us a discount if we come in?"

"Stop being cheap - !" Sanji started to snap when Law's arms tightened around his neck, and he gave a choking sound before he corrected himself forcefully. "Yes!"

"Ha ha! Sounds like a date!" Ace said cheerfully. He recognized that Law was in the same position Sabo often took to make either him or Luffy behave in a polite manner, Sanji being forced to 'be nice', and it was cool with him. "Sabo can pay for it, he has the most money out of all of us, all the time. Our business alone is like a night's worth of customers! Hey, I'll tell the others, and we'll drop by. That old man might fit right in over there."

"So great," Sanji eked out with effort, struggling to repress the snide comments that built up at the thought of serving those three boys and Garp at a table.

"So, Garp had those old buzzards put up a steel curtain to the concession stand, so I have to find a new place to nap," Ace complained lightly. "Finding a good place to do that is hell around here. Luffy claimed space in the gym equipment room, and Sabo figured out how to sleep on the toilet in the bathroom, and since I'm not that talented, I thought I could sleep in the car, but Garp checks there, too. So if you guys find a good spot, let me know. But now I heard they're talkin' about patrolling this place, too, so you guys ruined it blackening your lungs. See those signs?"

"Yep," Sanji answered, wondering how these D boys could sleep so much.

"They don't check the lab equipment room on the second floor," Law said. "That clown complains because it's too small for him."

Ace brightened, heading back towards the building. "I never thought of that! I'll go stake the place out! Thanks, man!"

Sanji watched him go with a cranky expression. He managed to pull out from the weight of Law's arms around him, pushing the older kid away from him so he could breathe. "Jerk…why is he constantly spying on us? What is he, a perv? Not that we're doing anything wrong, but - ! He's always around, overhearing us!"

Law exhaled heavily. Hard as it was speaking to someone else, Ace had made it easy for them both, considering his easy-going nature. They made their way into the building just in time to hear his name being broadcasted from the school's intercom system, informing him he was needed in the front office. He sighed again.

"It's Smoker," he said with resignation.

Sanji looked back up at him. "Go fix it, and don't fuck it up. I'm going to class."

Relieved because Sanji was not treating him any differently, Law leaned down and kissed him.

Once at the office, he saw both Ichiji and Smoker glaring at him, but he wasn't feeling any shred of regret for his actions. To Smoker, he gave shrug and a slight smile, of which Smoker took with a hard scowl.

"Playing with another student's attendance doesn't reflect well on you," Ichiji told Law crankily. "He was doing fine until you came around."

"Put down the shovel," Law retorted, Smoker leading the way out the office as Ichiji scowled at him.

"Goading that kid isn't the smartest thing in your position to do," Smoker snapped at him as they walked out into the sun. "And what the hell happened to you?"

"They were being invasive."

"So you think running off was the right thing to do? All you had to do was say something! They're panicked, both of them are driving around the whole fucking town looking for you!" Smoker growled, withdrawing his phone from his back pants pocket. "What made it worse was that Doflamingo didn't even know where you were."

"Obviously, I didn't want to be found. So I didn't go back until I knew you were off the clock."

After sending a text message, Smoker then found his cigarettes, standing underneath the No Smoking sign. He lit one up, looking Law over with a suspicious squint. His phone chirped noisily, one right after another, so he put it into silent mode.

"You're in a good mood," he then said gruffly.

Law slid his hands into his pockets. "I'll see them Wednesday, anyway."

"You're still going to go through with it?"

Law nodding, looking over the worn toe cap of his shoe.

"Will you be running off then, too?"

Law looked back at the school, hearing the light sound of kids' laughter as they walked near the front office. Then frowned at Smoker, not answering.

With a hard exhalation, Smoker crossed his arms over his chest and glared at him. "You have a lot of potential, kid. It would be a shame if you threw it away. Living on the streets when you could be doing so much more would just be…look, give it a chance. Give them a chance. You can do better, go far if you'd just live with them until you finished school. Get that diploma – I can help find you a job. Stop doing this with your attendance record – I agree with that kid, stop fucking around in school. Dragging him along with you isn't doing him any better, either."

"I care about your opinion."

"That sarcasm keeps my hair white. Thank you for that. I'll have you know, all the hipsters shell out hundreds of dollars for this type of cosmetic shit, but I just have you to thank for it."

"No problem."

"In all seriousness, kid, I'm glad to see that you're here," Smoker then said. "They've already said they would be willing to move to the area so you can still attend this school. It's not like you don't have options, but I hope you choose the right one."

After a few moments of watching some birds hop about on the grass, chirping noisily, Law mumbled, "I want to stay here."

"I don't trust that Doflamingo, just so you know. So I hope he isn't part of it."

"When Saturday comes, you no longer have an opinion."

"You're so prickly, kid, it kills me. It'll take a while to remove those quills. Stop fucking up with your classes. Stay in class. Where do you want them to get you, Wednesday?"

At the rush of nervousness that hit him, thinking of that night, his thoughts a mess, Law wasn't sure what he was asking until a moment later.

"I'll wait for them by that grocery store at the corner. Near the Redbox."

Not showing any signs of convincing, Smoker studied him. He couldn't tell what Law was thinking, nor could he make any sure judgment on the difference he could see. He refused to be positive, already conditioned to the kid's track record of running from anything that seemed overwhelming. Because there was nothing more he could do, he had only to rely on Law's word. After Saturday, he had no more influence over him.

He nodded.


RR: That's right! (as long as it isn't menthol XD)

Reincarnation15: Welcome! That's a pretty big chance you took on this story, considering the main characters – it's awesome that you gave it a gamble! ASL will keep making their appearances throughout the story (as Ace did here), and the Strawhats individually, but as it's focused on these two and their families, they'll stay at the edges. Adding to that, Sanji will do his best to be 'friendly', ha ha!