Title: The Dark Side Of My Shadow
Author: AoiTsukikage
Rating: PG-13 for now, will increase
Characters/Pairing:Eventual Law/Sanji, other pairings mentioned
Chapter: 2/?
Word Count: 3359
Summary: Sanji hadn't planned on getting bitten that night. Law hadn't planned on taking a vampire home with him. Now there's no going back. AU, Vampire!Sanji, eventual Law/Sanji.
Spoilers: For recent chapters.
Chapter Two
"Are you feeling okay, Sanji-kun? You look…different."
Sanji freezes, trying to stop himself from reacting in any way that might be suspicious as he twirls and regards the table of his friends. They usually show up during the lunch rush if they're free, and he notes with some pride that Nami does look genuinely concerned. "Ah, my darling, it's just a bit of exhaustion. I slept poorly last night," he tries to infuse his normal overdramatic inflections into his voice, wriggling a little to keep up the illusion. Part of him is thankful he only has to deal with a small group today, but Nami, Robin and Ace are all extremely observant so he needs to be on his guard (well, he can just shove a plate in front of Ace and let the other man fall asleep, but the girls are a bit more of an issue) and Zoro, when he wants to be, isn't oblivious either.
"Well, take care of yourself," she pats his arm on the way by and he swoons appropriately, spinning away to grab her and the others their meals. He notices Robin looking at him curiously, the older woman as always with her nose in a book, but Sanji knows she has an interest in the occult and if anybody there could tell what had happened to him, it would be her. Zoro, the ungrateful bastard, is looking utterly bored to be sitting at a table with two such gorgeous flowers, but Sanji notices when he looks down and picks up one of his swords, eyes narrowing in a way that implies somebody's about to meet a very bad end on his triple blades, and Sanji suddenly starts to feel inexplicably nervous.
Because it's just occurred to him that one of Zoro's blades is cursed, and if it's anything like Law's sword, it's probably reacting to Sanji's presence and that's what Zoro is noticing. And Zoro might not be the brightest crayon in the box, but if he figures out what's causing the sword to vibrate…
Just act natural, he tells himself, because if he looks suspicious at all Zoro's going to clue into it somehow, and even though he feels a twisting in his gut the entire time he manages to make it through the lunch hour without giving himself away.
Or, well, he thinks so, until Zoro asks to speak to him in the back, Nami and Robin looking on curiously and eventually tailing them (Ace has predictably fallen asleep and Sanji quickly moves his plate out of the way as they walk to the back so he doesn't face-plant right into it).
"What, shitty Marimo? If you've got a complaint about the…" he's halted rather convincingly by Zoro grabbing his collar and bodily lifting him against the wall, the blade of the cursed sword at his throat.
"Who are you and what have you done with the cook?" he growls, Sanji at a loss for words for a moment because explaining his way out of this one isn't going to be easy.
"Zoro!" Nami sounds horrified. "Of course it's Sanji-kun! Don't be stupid!"
"She's right, asshole. And if you don't let go of me right now I'm going to kick your damn face in," he unconsciously bares his teeth and that's when he hears Nami utter a little shriek. One look down confirms that his shadow, which up until then had been a rather peaceful swirling mass, is roiling like the ocean on a stormy day, streaks of red appearing in the blackness and Sanji pretty quickly figures out that it's apparently affected by his emotions.
Fucking great.
"You're lying," Zoro presses the sword closer and Sanji can feel it shaking against his skin.
"Okay; okay!" he still knees Zoro in the solar plexus because he's getting tired of being held off the ground, and it's enough to get the swordsman to stumble back while Sanji rights his tie and figures out how to word this. He should have known he couldn't keep it a secret forever, but he trusts his friends implicitly. "I'm still me, I just had a little…incident last night after work," he clears his throat and sees Robin tilt her head to the side, eyes narrowed.
"You got bitten," she surmises, and Sanji nods quickly. "But you're not…you're a half-breed?"
"You know about them?" he asks cautiously.
"Of course. I think I've read every tome about vampires the library has to offer, and while they're not mentioned extensively, there's enough information that I could identify one if I needed to," she smiles, then, mysterious and mature, and he feels slightly more at ease.
There's a scuffling behind him then and Zoro turns, one of his swords still out, but it's just Ace and Sanji heaves a sigh of relief at that. "Nobody told me the party was moving," he frowns, blinking sleepily, but he doesn't seem surprised by the news and Sanji's wondering about that. Robin, yes, but Ace isn't exactly the bookish type.
"You're a vampire?!" Nami shrieks and Sanji hushes her quietly. "Sorry. Sanji-kun, you…"
"I'm a half-vampire," he corrects her gently. "I've got the fangs and low body heat and this…thing," he points at his shadow, "but that's it. I'm still me, and at least from what Law told me I don't think I'm gonna change any more."
"Who's Law?" Zoro asks, still looking ready to attack somebody.
"He's…the guy who found me last night. Works for the government as a doctor and he's got a cursed sword, too, which is why they keep him around because I get the feeling he's not really on their side," he laughs darkly.
"So that's why it went crazy. I was wondering," Zoro examines the sword again before sheathing it, seemingly placated now. "So you're still a scrawny annoying bastard?"
"Only in your mind," Sanji replies, lighting up a cigarette without regard to how much Zeff will yell at him for smoking inside.
Damn it, he needs it right now, and he's only grateful his…vampiric qualities haven't stifled way nicotine relaxes him.
"Still," Robin clears her throat, "It's best if you don't tell anybody else. Half-breeds are uncommon for a reason, and you'll be putting Sanji in danger if you do."
Nami nods immediately and Zoro just shrugs although Sanji knows that for all they bicker, they'd never consciously endanger each other and he's grateful for that.
"Well, then," Robin gives him a kind smile and pats his shoulder, making his heart flutter and his shadow wriggle rather uncontrollably. Thankfully, Robin's only response is to chuckle softly before she steps back. "We'll let you get back to your job. Thank you as always for lunch, Sanji," she leaves with a wave, Zoro walking over to him and sighing before clapping a hand on his shoulder with enough strength to make him stagger.
"Hey. Don't get yourself killed or something stupid, okay?"
"Like I would," Sanji scoffs and Zoro grins then, heading after Robin as Nami comes up and takes his hand, frowning. "Nami-san…"
"You're so cold," she looks concerned, eyes wide.
"It's normal. I think. I'm not sure what I am, Nami-san, but…"
"You're still you," she says firmly, squeezing his hand before moving back. "And it doesn't matter to me, or to any of us."
"I know. Thank you," he nods to her and she smiles, although it's a little dimmer than usual, before walking out. Sanji sighs and turns back to the cupboard, cursing his own stupidity for causing all of this in the first place. He completely forgets Ace is there until the other man clears his throat, and he nearly drops a glass on the floor at the sound.
"So. A half-breed, huh?"
The way he says it makes Sanji pause, and he stops what he's doing to turn to him. "You've…heard of them before?"
"It would be awkward if I hadn't," Ace replies, crossing his arms and grinning, "seeing as how my boyfriend is one of them."
000
"Zeff's going to kill me."
"Nah, you never get business in the afternoon," Ace rightly points out but Sanji's still a little apprehensive, hands stuffed in his pockets. They're in a pretty shady area of town and while he knows vampires can't go out in the daytime, he thinks it's the sort of place they'd hang out. He's not sure what to expect from Ace's boyfriend, since he's never met the man, but now he's got a good idea why. Ace seems to really like him, though, and Sanji can't see Ace hanging around with anybody too dark and creepy.
And yes, there's a part of him that's nervous to meet somebody…like him, because it's only going to make it more real (not that, of course, with his damn shadow reflecting every emotion he feels, it's hard to forget he's abnormal). They stop at an abandoned dock, a few half-built boats bobbing in the water, so rusted Sanji's fairly sure they've been abandoned mid-construction.
"Why are we…"
"Wait. Nobody ever comes here so he can show off," Ace has this light in his eyes that tells Sanji he's about to see something spectacular, head tilted up to the sky, and Sanji looks up to see what looks like a blue streak of flame shooting across the cloudless expanse.
"Ace, what's…"
"Just wait," Ace grips his elbow and Sanji stands his ground, taking a half step back when the flame heads for them at breakneck speed. When it gets close enough Sanji can see that it's some sort of bird, bright yellow flames flickering in amongst the blue, and it hits the dock like it's a runway, taloned feet digging into the wood as it skids to a halt. There's an explosion of flames then but Sanji's almost amazed to find out that they burn cold, and in the middle of the fire he can see a human shape, the fire flickering down to nothing.
There are still flames dripping from the tips of his fingers, feet still bird-like before the air shifts and he's standing on two perfectly human legs, and Sanji has a sudden flashback to Law's words, of a half-breed who'd let himself be subjected to the hybrid experiments, but this…
"You must be Sanji, yoi!" the man drawls, grinning, and Sanji barely has the brainpower to nod. "I hear you and I have something in common."
"Told you he was a show-off," Ace whispers and Sanji thinks that, yeah, that whole display was pretty amazing.
"The name's Marco," the man's moved closer now, no trace of fire around him, and when Sanji shakes his proffered hand he can feel that Marco's as cold as he is. "And I'm sure you've got some questions for me."
Sanji can only nod, but there's a huge sense of relief floating through him at the same time.
He's more than ready to get some answers.
000
"You're distracted. Did you meet somebody?"
"The mere fact that your first thought as to what could possibly be causing me distraction is 'did I meet somebody' says a lot about your thought processes, Mr. Eustass," Law mutters, stepping back and narrowing his eyes. "And remember that I have no obligation to look at you any longer because biotech is not my specialty."
"You met somebody," Kid Eustass says with a firm nod, baring his teeth in a grin that makes him look entirely sadistic. Law's not sure he isn't, but he's got a strange sense of honor and he seems to have some…attachment to him, or at least likes to pester him, and Law's thinking the second one is more likely given what he knows of the man.
Of course, it's possible he's turning over a new leaf after having a brush with his own mortality, but he's not banking on that.
"I meet several people each day, Mr. Eustass. Your point?" he asks, examining the rather garish metal arm the man's now sporting. He'd been in a rather horrific motorcycle accident a few months prior and had ended up with a few nasty scars and with an arm so badly damaged he'd opted to replace it instead of going through extensive physical therapy with the small chance he might be able to regain full mobility one day.
And Law knows damn well their cybernetics are advanced enough they could have made a suitably human-looking replacement but Kid has apparently decided to go for this gaudy metal robot-arm that must weigh far more than would be comfortable.
"How's your shoulder?" he asks instead, and Kid shrugs.
"It gets sore if I have to walk around for a long time without getting to rest my arm on something, but I can handle it," he pouts and Law nods, sitting down in a chair and making a few notes on a pad. "You're still avoiding the question."
"It's none of your business, quite frankly," Law sets the pen down a little more firmly than necessary and Kid starts to cackle.
"I knew it! You're so uptight, man, getting laid'll be good for you! So who is she?" Kid leans forward, eyes narrowed, and Law sniffs.
"He is somebody who had a spot of trouble last night so I took him home so he wouldn't run afoul of dark creatures. And he is apparently a very good chef and has offered to make me dinner at his restaurant as thanks," he thinks that's vague enough and Kid reaches out to nudge him with that bloody giant arm, nearly knocking him off of his chair.
"He's cooking you dinner!"
"As a thank you. If it were anything more I would have turned him down immediately," Law isn't going to think about Sanji being anything more than a casual acquaintance, not just because he's quite sure he'd make a horrible boyfriend but also because…well, honestly, Sanji's new status isn't putting him off, but the man's rather unquestionable straightness is hard to get around.
"Hey," Kid leans down into his space and Law looks up irritably. "I'm serious. If you've found somebody that's willing to be nice to your prickly ass, you don't let go of him," he says seriously and Law glares at him, now entirely sure Kid only comes around to press his buttons.
"Again, I don't have to have you as my patient any longer…"
"Yeah, right," Kid stands up and stretches, his arm responding remarkably well for its size before it drops back down to his side again. "I'll be back next week. There'd better be progress with this mystery man," he threatens, curling his mechanical arm into a fist before leaving the examination room. Law rubs his temples and slumps over his desk, glad that Kid was his last patient.
Or maybe, he reflects, it's not a good thing, because now he's got nothing to occupy his time until he's supposed to go to the Baratie.
It's going to be a long afternoon.
000
"Where are we going?"
"Somewhere safe, yoi," Marco says over his shoulder, turning down a rather narrow alley and ushering them both into a door in the wall that's so well-hidden Sanji would have walked right by had he not known it was there. "Here."
Sanji looks to Ace but the other man seems all too happy to enter, so he figures that's good enough for him and passes through the door into a small bar.
It's empty save for two men seated at a table in the corner, but then most people aren't out drinking in the middle of the afternoon so maybe that's not unusual.
"Shakky, hey," Marco waves and the woman behind the bar looks up, holding up her lit cigarette in greeting.
"Marco; Ace! And who's this cutie?" she asks, Sanji's shadow immediately starting to wiggle again and she reacts by laughing, of all things. "Oh, you poor dear. Newly Turned?"
"Ah…last night. I'm Sanji," he inclines his head formally, striding across the room to take her hand and press a kiss to the back of it.
"I like him. He's got manners," she says to Ace and Marco before looking at Sanji directly. "Well, it's a good thing you've run into Marco, here. He'll keep you safe," she promises. "And you're always welcome here if you need to lay low for a bit. I've got two rooms in the back if you need to stay overnight," she adds, and Sanji nods in thanks because, well, that could come in handy. "You seem less…freaked out than some of the guys Marco brings in here," she notes then, and he shrugs.
"I, um, ran into a…" he's not sure how much to admit but this woman makes him want to tell the truth so he does. "I met a guy right after it happened who knew enough about half-breeds to explain some of it to me, so…"
"Would I know this guy?" she narrows her eyes and he blinks.
"It's not a big deal, yoi. If he wanted to kill Sanji he wouldn't have let him go," Marco logically points out and Sanji's relieved, because he has a feeling these people wouldn't take kindly to any government employee, whether Law agrees with their principles or not.
"You're right," Shakky leans back then, smoking casually. "Can I get you anything, Sanji?"
"Just water. I'm still technically supposed to be at work," he admits sheepishly and she smiles, grabbing him a glass of water before they all move toward the two seated men, both of whom are watching them carefully.
The one's a strange looking creature with a shock of neon-green hair that looks almost like a rooster's comb, a ring through the middle of his nose and fangs that hang outside his mouth, and Sanji thinks that, half-breed or not, he'd really not like to run into this guy under normal circumstances. The other couldn't be more different physically, with delicate features that give him almost an androgynous appearance only accentuated by his flowing blond hair and the rose he's idly twirling between his fingers.
"Sanji, this is Bartolomeo," the green-haired guy bares his teeth and nods, "and Cavendish," the other man's eye twitches imperceptibly at Marco's introduction. "And I'm sure you've already guessed why I brought you here, yoi."
"Yeah. I think so," Sanji sits down, Ace sitting beside him like he can tell that he's a little off-balance, and he appreciates it. "So, we're all…"
Marco nods and Sanji looks down for a second, frowning.
"You don't have to look so worried, yoi. Both of these guys had tons of questions after it happened, so whatever you want to ask, we'll be happy to answer," he promises, looking utterly relaxed as he leans back in his chair, and Sanji takes a deep breath, thinking of what to ask first.
"So are there any…similarities between all of us? Because nobody else has a freaky shadow," he points to his, which is kind of curling in on itself, mirroring Sanji's own uncertainty.
"Near as we can tell, the biggest ones are the fangs and the cold body temperature. We've all got our quirks otherwise, though. I seem to have accelerated healing and regeneration properties which…is probably why the government decided to go the whole phoenix route, but I can't say it's unwelcome. I'm not sure if it's the phoenix itself or another side-effect of the vampirism but it's been…twenty years, give or take, and I haven't aged a day since then," he adds. "And these two…"
"I like flesh," Bartolomeo bares his rather impressive fangs and Sanji blinks at him.
"That's because you were too weak to fight off the worst of the transformation. At least I've kept my stunning looks," Cavendish smirks, and Sanji gets the feeling that Cavendish might even be more vain than he is.
"Well, I can control my cravings. Usually," Bartolomeo counters, pouting a little. "I just have to make sure I've got fresh meat all the time. You…"
"Ah. Yes," Cavendish sighs and when he looks at Sanji again, there's a definite tinge of red around his blue eyes. "Sanji…have you ever heard of Rommel's Whirlwind?"
Notes:
1. Yes, I know, they didn't actually interact in this chapter, but they will next time and I needed to get some world-building and exposition in before they can start to work on any sort of relationship ;) And as for what sort of world this is, if you've ever played some of the later Final Fantasy games there's a lot of biotech and talking animals and swords while still having modern technology so it's kind of in that vein as far as the universe goes.
2. I'm not entirely sure why Cabbage and Barto came to mind immediately when I was thinking about other characters that could be half-vampires, but since Barto's epithet is 'the cannibal' I thought taking a more…literal meaning would make sense. And Cabbage's alter-ego seems sinister enough to be something demonic, so that's why I eventually went with them. Also I realize 'whirlwind' isn't the best translation of 'Kamaitachi,' but it's the one that makes the most sense if the folklore behind the original meaning doesn't come into play.
3. Thank you for the kind words on the first chapter! I hope you're all continuing to enjoy this! I'm on holiday right now but I'm by the ocean which generally inspires me to write so we'll see if I can get another chapter out fairly soon.