Thanks Vergina-spva and MyLadyDay for beta'ing

Chapter 17

Penguin stared deflated at the door where Eustass had just run out of, his shoulders slumped. Killer wrapped an arm around him to comfort him and pressed a kiss on his head.

Law felt bad for Penguin, as he had tried so hard to make Law and Eustass like each other. In vain of course, but an admirable attempt nonetheless. However, there was nothing they could do about the fact that they just didn't get along. "Well, that's that then," he said, fully intending to have another beer before calling it a night.

Suddenly, Penguin whipped around, so fast that Killer had to let go of him. "You couldn't behave for one night?"

Law raised his eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You promised you'd try to be nice and look what happened now!" Penguin looked at him accusingly.

But Law wasn't about to take the blame for this one. "I was nice. Very much, if I may say so myself. In fact, everything seemed to go rather well in the bathroom, until you stormed in and interrupted us."

Penguin opened his mouth to reply, but immediately shut it again. His eyes widened almost comically when the meaning of Law's words sunk in. "Y-you mean, it's my fault?" he whispered. His bottom lip trembled.

For some reason, it wasn't as satisfactory to blame someone as it usually was, and Penguin's reaction only made it worse. Law started to feel bad again, almost guilty even, despite the fact that he had spoken the truth. "Well," he finally sighed, "knowing Mr Eustass, he would have stormed out sooner or later either way." He looked at Killer for confirmation, who nodded.

"Probably."

"Anyway," Law continued, "I know you mean well, but this is just not going to work out. You heard him, the next time he wishes to see me should be at your wedding."

Penguin's face brightened for a moment.

"Don't even think about it," Killer said, and Penguin deflated again.

"It didn't have to be real," he muttered.

Law let out a snort and ordered a beer from a passing waitress. The three of them sat back down at their table. Penguin still seemed to be annoyed that his plan hadn't worked and lay with his head on his arms on the table top, pouting.

Law sighed. "Just let it go, please. Besides, since you started to try to set me up with Eustass, and started dating Killer, how often have you met with your friends?"

"Bepo's my roommate, I see him every day."

"But when did you last do something fun together?" Law pressed.

Penguin hesitated.

"And what about Mr Shachi?"

Penguin sat up and stared at the table. "It has been a while," he said softly.

"Exactly." Law folded his hands before him. "So I suggest you give up on this project that was doomed from the start and give some attention to people who deserve it."

Penguin still pouted, but he nodded. "You're right. I've neglected Shachi and Bepo, and I shouldn't have done that. I'll text them to go to the movies tomorrow. Do you want to join, Law?"

Law smiled, pleased he had both fixed Penguin's relationship with Bepo and Shachi and prevented other unwanted set ups with Eustass. "I wish I could, but tomorrow is Friday. I have to work. But enjoy."

Just at that moment, his phone started to vibrate, and with a frown, Law looked at Ace's name that flashed up on the screen. He hadn't spoken to Ace since the time that he came to look at Law's new place, both being too busy with work and/or study. He wondered what he could want. Swiftly, he pressed the answer button, immediately regretting the action when he had done so, as he heard Luffy's voice in the background asking whom Ace was calling.

"Shut up, Lu, I'm on the phone. Oh, hey Law," Ace said as he noticed Law had picked up, though he hadn't said anything yet.

"Is that Traf?" Law heard Luffy ask. "Gimme!"

"Let go, Lu!"

Law heard some thumping noises and a muffled whine, before Ace's voice returned. "Are you still there?"

"Ace! You're so heavy!" Luffy whined.

Law had trouble suppressing a smile. Luffy never managed to beat Ace, yet he also never learned, or was too stubborn to give up. Probably both. No doubt Ace had managed to wrestle him to the ground and was now sitting on top of Luffy, an image Law had seen often enough when he had still been living with the two of them. "I'm still here," he said.

"Good. Sorry about that just now, but you know Lu," Ace said with a sigh. "Anyway," he continued, "I was just calling to see if you were still coming to the party."

"Tell him to bring meat!" Luffy yelled.

Law rolled his eyes at that remark, but he couldn't help but wonder what Ace was talking about. "What party?" he asked.

"Zoro's party? Tomorrow? Don't tell me you forgot." Ace let out a shock gasp.

"I believe I did," Law replied, though now that Ace mentioned it, he did remember something about a going away party for Zoro, because he would go to Japan.

"I've told you weeks ago," Ace said accusingly.

"Apparently, I do not remember parties as well as you do," Law replied. "But as I am sure I told you then, I can't make it. Tomorrow is Friday, so I have to work."

"Can't you call in sick or something?" Ace whined. "It's not every day Zoro goes to Japan!"

Law sighed deeply. "No, I can't. My career is a little more important than an evening of getting drunk."

"And getting laid," Ace said, no doubt covering Luffy's ears, despite the fact that Luffy had no interest in sex whatsoever, and probably not that much in the conversation either. "I hear there's a lot of good looking guys coming."

"Regardless, I can't."

"Fine." Law could practically hear him pout. "More hot guys for me!"

"He's not coming? But what about the meat?" Luffy whined, sounding a little breathless from Ace's weight on his chest.

"No, he has to work." Ace pronounced the last word like it was something dirty, though Law knew for a fact Ace loved his own job. "Well, too bad you can't make it, but feel free to send some friends over," he said to Law. "Dorm three. They'll find it. The more the merrier and all that. Also, I should inform you that if you won't come over soon, Luffy is coming to you."

It sounded like a threat, because it was one, and Law couldn't make the promise fast enough. Ace seemed to be pleased with that and they said goodbye.

"Who was that?" Penguin inquired when Law had hang up.

"Mr Portgas. I'm sure you remember him? He invited me to a party tomorrow, but I could send friends in my stead. Dorm three, if you're interested."

"I just heard Shachi and Bepo have other plans tomorrow, so we agreed to meet on Saturday at your place, is that okay?" Penguin inquired. "Then you can join as well." He seemed to be his happy self again.

A smile tugged at Law's lips. "Sure."

Saturday night, the doorbell to their apartment rang, and Law buzzed Penguin and Bepo in while Shachi put some snacks and drinks out. They had decided to stay in tonight, to catch up, watch a movie or play games. Neither Shachi nor Bepo seemed to hold a grudge against Penguin for neglecting them a little, as they had both been busy as well. Besides, they weren't the types to hold grudges, anyway.

Still, Law was glad they had decided to hang out together again. In the relatively short time he had known them, they had managed to break through the barriers he had carefully put up in his youth. He had learned early on from his family that no one was to be trusted, because they would stab you in the back the moment it suited them. Even Corazon, the only person who had truly cared for Law, had shown him that everybody left you eventually, voluntarily or not. So Law had decided it wasn't worth the trouble to let people come close to him. He had gone through primary and secondary school without any close friends. Now that he was in university, things hadn't been that different. His classmates thought he was weird or a know-it-all – though, to be fair, he did usually know better than them – or disturbing. Law had been perfectly fine with that.

When he had met Ace and Luffy, they had started to poke holes in the wall around him, even if he would never admit out loud that they were something akin to friends. But when Penguin, Bepo, and Shachi came into his life, it felt like they had broken his barrier with a bulldozer. He has started to care about them very quickly, and Law couldn't say he minded as much as he had originally thought he would. It was nice to have people around whom he could trust, and whom could distract him from thinking about Eustass.

The incident in the bathroom kept repeating inside his head, because it was so odd. Eustass had seemed… almost pleasant, or at least he seemed to listen to what Law had to say without threatening to bash his skull in, which was progress no matter how you looked at it. Law still wasn't sure why he had mentioned Corazon to him, even if they each had a rich family they despised in common. He hadn't even disclosed much about his past to his friends, so why he would open his mouth in front of Eustass eluded him.

The worst thing was, he couldn't help thinking that they might have kissed if Penguin hadn't come in when he did, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. Sure, he could admit to himself that he was physically attracted to Eustass, but kissing for any other reason than foreplay wasn't something Law often did. Or at all. He had had his first real kiss on the same night he had lost his virginity to someone whose name he couldn't remember anymore. Sex had always been something to him that his body craved at certain times, and he was good looking enough that he never had to look far for a willing partner. The idea of a romantic partner had always appealed to him intellectually, but as he had never found anyone worthy of his trust, he had never acted upon it.

He was pulled from his musings by a discussion of what game they would play. It seemed that everyone wanted to do something else and he would have the decisive vote. However, he didn't care much for either three games and suggested a fourth, to which they decided to play each game in turn. They rolled the dice from one of the games to decide which game went first, and Bepo won. He had picked some kind of strategic war game that Law didn't completely follow, but Shachi did, and Bepo and he entered a heated discussion. After an hour and a half, Penguin suggested they would finish the game at a later time, especially since he and Law had long since been defeated. Begrudgingly, Bepo agreed.

Next up was Shachi's game, which was some kind of card game, which Law enjoyed more, but also lost. Finally, it was Law's turn to pick a game. He had chosen Operation, though the others liked that less because he kicked their asses. They tried to get him drunk, which worked only partly, and insisted he would wear a blindfold after the umpteenth time he beat them.

Suddenly, Law's phone started to vibrate, despite the later hour, and he lifted up his blindfold to see who was calling. Much to his surprise, he saw Penguin's name on his screen. "Why are you calling me?" he inquired. "If you want my attention, you can just ask."

"I'm not calling you," Penguin said with a frown. "I'm texting Killer, see?" He turned his phone, with which he had been playing, towards Law, to show him what he was doing. Apparently, he didn't realise that by doing so, Law could also see what he was typing.

Law smirked. "So your first time, I take it? Though, I wonder if that's with him or in general."

Penguin turned bright red and immediately took back his phone. "T-that's none of your business!"

"Don't tell me it was in our room," Bepo said as he pulled a face.

"S-shouldn't you answer your phone?" Penguin hastily asked Law.

Law realised he was trying to distract him by changing the subject and resolved to pressing for details later, but he also was curious about who was calling him if it wasn't Penguin, when suddenly realisation hit him. He was both amused and surprised. Hastily, to prevent the caller from hanging up, he pressed the answer button. "Now there's a surprise," he said as he pressed the phone to his ear. "Or can I assume you butt dialled me?"