Penguin had woken some time in the night, and sleepily thought to go back to bed, when he realized that the snail he had taken from Law earlier was gone. Penguin groaned and sat up. He knew that Law would have noticed, but Penguin had hoped to keep it away from him at least until the morning, when he could sneak it into Law's cabin without him noticing that it had been gone in the first place.

Stretching, Penguin pulled his hat on and exited his cabin, walking down the short hall to Law's room, thinking to check and see if Law was still asleep. Penguin paused with his hand on the doorknob as voices drifted out from behind the door. Penguin blinked. Voices? He leaned up against the door, straining to hear what was going on. Dread filled him when he realized who his captain was speaking to.

Doflamingo.

"I know you don't want anything to happen to your crew. Especially not that nosy one, who was sticking his nose into other peoples' business."

"You will leave him out of this, Joker. And my whole crew, in fact. They have nothing to do with recent events. Only me."

Doflamingo's dark laugh rang clear, and Penguin gripped the doorknob tightly.

"Oh, but they do now. It's cute, that they think they stand a chance to protect you from me."

"It won't be necessary for them to do so."

Penguin felt the words twist his gut like a sharp knife. Law's voice had been a bitter calm, and Penguin hated it. Hated that Law would ever think to regard the crew in such a way. That they couldn't help him.

"So you say, but can you go through with what we discussed earlier?"

Law hesitated, Penguin noticed, before he heard his captain speak in a defeated, weary tone, "Yes."

"Then you don't have anything to worry about, do you?" Doflamingo's voice was pleasant again. "So long as you agree to stick to what you agreed to."

Penguin knocked on the door, hard, and heard the startled gasp from Law, and the amused chuckle and quiet words of Doflamingo saying something that Penguin couldn't quite hear. The Heart Pirate crewmate entered the room, and found Law seated at his tiny desk. "Are you okay?"

Law avoided eye contact, even if he couldn't see his crewmate's eyes due to the hat, "Tell Bepo to chart a course to Cliff Rock. We need supplies."

Penguin nodded, "Right." He refrained from commenting on the fact that he had been eavesdropping, because he knew that Law knew he had. Penguin retreated from the room before Law chose to comment on it, and went on to find Bepo to relay the message.

Still, Penguin couldn't help but think, based on what he heard, that Law was up to something.

That it involved Doflamingo was cause for concern.

-x

Locating the island had been easier than Penguin had thought, and since they would reach it by the morning, he figured that he could get some rest.

It didn't come easy, if at all.

Penguin ended up waking up later than the rest of the crew. He had been pondering late into the already late night, and had ended up falling into an exhausted, worried sleep. Penguin walked up on deck, and noted that they had indeed already surfaced, and were currently docked at a town that had a lot of cliffs with sloping roads that connected to one another for easier access. Penguin paused as someone called out to him from behind.

"The captain's gotten into a fight! I don't know how it happened, but he's fighting with Kidd. If it keeps up, I don't think we'll be able to resupply. Shachi and Bepo are trying to break things up."

'That idiot' stayed in Penguin's mind as he nodded to the crewmember that had spoken and strode off. He left the ship and hurried into town, and past the throng of people crowded together. The bystanders wore varied expressions from horror to fascination as they watched the two Devil Fruit users fight with one another.

Penguin reached the edge of the crowd, and saw his crewmates as they tried to intervene, as Kidd's crew tried to do similarly, without success. None of them seemed to want to get too close should they get caught in between the fray of sharp metal bits flying around and a wide range of that metal being hacked to pieces.

Penguin swiftly assessed the situation, before he threw himself into the middle of the ongoing fight. He was confident he could hold out for a short while, if only to get his captain to come to his senses. Law's reaction was immediate as the fall of the long blade halted abruptly. Kidd's gathering of metal, however, did not stop, so Penguin had to hastily side step the attack while Law created another room and warped to just behind Kidd with a sweep of his blade.

Kidd's left limb snapped up to block the blade, before they broke apart again and made another sweep of their respective weapons at one another. The two captain's came to an halt as Penguin intervened again and knocked aside Law's attack by striking his captain's right arm and making the blade go wide of the other captain. Penguin spun and ducked beneath Kidd's attack, barely, before the Heart Pirate lurched up and halted with one hand straight out and up to Kidd's throat.

The fight ended abruptly as Law and Kidd appeared to snap out of whatever rage they had been in that had caused the tussle to begin in the first place.

Kidd hated that Penguin had interfered in a fight that wasn't his to participate in, when he realized where the other man's hand was. Kidd cursed inwardly when he noted that the shorter man was in a good position to do some damage to his exposed throat. The redheaded captain kept the metal gathered around one arm, thinking about striking the dorky hat wearing bastard a blow. The metal was only inches away from the other's back. Unfortunately, the fingers lightly touching his throat made Kidd think otherwise, as he had to wonder if he could hit him before Penguin dealt him a nasty strike in return from being up close and personal. Kidd flicked his gaze down and was surprised that he could see eyes narrowed at him, even if the hat still kept them shaded for the most part. But that gaze...what the fuck was Law thinking, having someone like this in his crew? The other man looked like he would be more than happy to break Kidd in half, and start with his throat first before dealing with the rest of him.

Penguin caught the stare, and kept his gaze locked with Kidd for a few long moments as he spoke quietly, "If you hurt my captain, I'll happily repay you tenfold."

Kidd couldn't help but laugh at that, "Like you could beat me in an actual fight."

Penguin's fingers rested heavier against the redhead's throat, "Would you care to test that theory? The captain may have an interest in you right now, but if it causes him any harm, I will find you and do something about it. He's been through enough bullshit that he doesn't need anymore right now."

Kidd shifted slightly, a faction, really, and Penguin merely moved with him. Fuck, seriously, what the hell was Law thinking when he picked his crew? He could all but feel the animosity rising off this bastard, and there wasn't much he could do if Penguin decided he wanted to try and kick his ass. Which was funny as hell, considering Kidd felt he would be able to crush the idiot if he had enough room and wasn't being menaced in quite a humiliating way. Kidd stared down at Penguin as he offered a nasty smile, "I could always have one of my crew shoot you in the back."

Law saw, from where he was stood, that Penguin now offered Kidd a bared tooth smile in return, and knew that his crewmate was getting a little carried away. Apparently from whatever Kidd had just said. No matter how amusing the situation was, Law knew he had to end it, before Penguin actually did anything to Kidd. He knew that his crewmate was perfectly capable of some nasty damage from where he was currently standing. For now, Law felt that he wanted Kidd in one piece, if only to be able to tease him about it later and let him know how dangerously close Penguin had come to just snapping his neck and being done with him then and there. Law wasn't the only one who had issues. Penguin was just better at hiding his. Which Law knew he would have to confront him about sooner or later. All the business with Dressrosa was bringing out things in Penguin that Law hadn't seen in years. Law rested his now sheathed blade against his shoulder and spoke up, his voice sharp and commanding, with a hint of warning, "That's enough, Penguin. Stand down."

Kidd was baffled when Penguin immediately relaxed his stance before he turned away and headed over to his captain without a word. As if Kidd were now unimportant, as the Heart Pirate had made his point clear, and Law had told him off. Kidd bristled at how quickly Law's crewmate had invaded his space and all but made it clear that he could have easily incapacitated him. Where the hell had that come from? And the half glance the idiot threw him left Kidd confused, and wondered if perhaps it was because…

Penguin walked right up to Law, his voice not in the least bit amused for what he had seen. Interestingly enough, he seemed unperturbed that he had just basically threatened someone who appeared more than capable of crushing him without a moment's thought. The only remaining inkling that he was still in a bad mood was the crisp tone he was currently used, "Captain. We need supplies. We are running low on everything. If you and Kidd destroy the town, we will have to leave and go elsewhere. And the supplies will run out long before the log pose resets and we reach another island." Penguin's voice dropped so that only Law could hear him, "And if word gets out of two supernovas picking a fight, Doflamingo might get word of it too and come to investigate."

Kidd was surprised to see a flash of anger cross Law's face before it dissipated into a wry smile as he spoke in return to his crewmate.

"Get the rest of the crew to get the supplies. I'll be back to the ship in a few hours." Law gave a meaningful look in Kidd's direction, "I was not finished with him yet."

Kidd grinned at that, and knew from the other's tone and look in his eye that they were done fighting.

Penguin shook his head disparagingly as he watched his captain walk off in the direction of an inn with Kidd trailing along after him. It really wasn't his business whom his captain slept with, but still, he had meant it when he had said to Kidd that Law had enough to be dealing with.

"Penguin? You're bleeding."

Penguin looked at Shachi, who had spoken, and then down at his right arm. There was a small gash. He hadn't noticed. When had that happened? "It's fine." It was. He'd had worse wounds. This one seemed relatively small compared to what he had received in the past.

"No, go get it taken care of. Bepo and I can get the rest of the crew to go get those supplies." Shachi was giving Penguin a strange look.

Penguin gave in. He was rather out of breath from the short fight, he supposed. Kidd's strikes were hard, and Penguin found himself glad that he had learned to master armament haki. And the fact he'd had a dagger concealed beneath the sleeve of his arm he'd blocked with. The dagger was done for but at least the cut he'd received was not as bad as it could have been. With one final look in the direction Law had gone, Penguin headed back to the ship. He knew that he had some explaining to do, both to Law and his crewmates, for how worked up he had gotten that he had needed Law to snap him out of it. Penguin paused to stare at his hand. How easy it would have been, he mused, to take down a 470 million bounty, with the right amount of pressure applied...

"Penguin." Shachi warily watched his crewmate, who had stopped walking, "Are you all right, Penguin?" Shachi stilled as Penguin glanced over his shoulder at him. The smile he received was not one of Penguin's usual smiles, and not at all reassuring.

"I'm fine. I'm going back to the ship. The wound isn't that deep."

Shachi watched Penguin walk away, before letting out a slow sigh, "That's not the problem..." Had Shachi been able to see Penguin's eyes, he would have known that something was troubling the other man, and that it wasn't the fight that he had just intervened in that was the problem.

-x

The journey to the inn had been uneventful. Getting a key to a room had been so as well, other than to give the innkeeper a pointed glare not to say anything. Not that the poor man would have, from the way he'd merely given the key up without even asking for any payment for the room.

However, as soon as the door to the inn room had closed and locked, Kidd found himself facing a completely different Law than he had been just minutes ago, when they had been out for one another's blood. Only now, the dark haired pirate was making it perfectly clear that he wanted something else from Kidd.

Kidd felt the sly smirk Law gave him head south immediately, and he cursed his body for being so easy to arouse with merely a look. Something he didn't think capable of from the other man. Kidd watched Law's every move. Where he leaned his weapon against his chair. What he was doing with his hands. Then, realizing that he was staring, Kidd shook his head and growled, trying to regain some control over himself, "What the hell is your problem?" And Kidd meant it in the way of why Law had begun their fight in the first place.

"I merely did not want your crew to think that you were only interested in doing things with your other head." Law pointedly looked down at the obvious bulge in Kidd's pants, "And as for the other reason? I do not like to give in to something very easily, and if fighting you took away what your crew thought you had in mind, all the better for me."

"We're gonna fuck anyway, and the crew will know it. We did come here alone." Kidd felt that he needed to point that out, since he could see the other man was in a similar state as himself. Aroused and obviously trying to find a way to make this encounter acceptable, since he was not at all drunk this time around.

"They did not see you enter the inn with me." Law pointed out as he turned, though he allowed Kidd to back him up against a wall. He did flinch ever so slightly when Kidd caged him in, and hated that redheaded captain's eyes narrowed suspiciously at that.

Deciding that he could think about the other captain's odd effect on him later, Kidd leaned in and traced his lips along Law's neck, "Hm…you are kinda on edge. Something wrong?"

"Like you care about my problems. It is not your business, and has no immediate effect on you and you venture of crushing the four emperors."

Kidd grinned at that and bit down on the juncture of Law's neck and shoulder, smiling against the skin when Law writhed faintly at the action. Kidd let the pressure stay, before letting up and licking the bite, "Could have fooled me." Kidd felt Law's hands trail along his waist, and decided that meant Law was in the mood after all. And then Kidd had to go and ruin it by saying something that he figured he shouldn't have, because Law froze in place, "Is it about Doflamingo?"

"I would rather not say at this point in time." Law hedged as he ran his fingertips lightly along Kidd's skin, "Unless you want to talk instead of doing this?" This being Law sneakily dipping his fingers along the redhead's waist.

"Like hell." Kidd scoffed, and pressed Law up against the wall heavily, letting his hands, metal and flesh, rove over Law's clothed body slowly, as if trying to decide which article of clothing should come off first. A thought came to mind, and he lifted Law's shirt up and over the man's head as he growled irritably, "Why the fuck did that bastard get in the way of our fight?"

"Penguin?" Law's voice was muffled from where his shirt had gotten caught on his head and arms, "What about him?"

Kidd tugged the shirt off impatiently before he closed in on Law and let his hands roam over him again, enjoying the way Law moved when he touched him. "Is he so protective of you because he is jealous?" Kidd felt Law's hand dig through his hair and impatiently remove his goggles and toss them off to the side somewhere. Kidd had to tell him not to do that, if this became a common occurrence.

Law had furrowed his brow at the redhead, "Jealous? Whatever did you get that idea?"

Kidd decided that Law was genuinely confused, and backed away a little to peer down at him, "For sleeping with you the other night." Why else would Penguin be giving him such dirty looks? It made more sense to Kidd that the other man would be jealous, from the actions he had displayed. Coming to get Law the morning after, and interrupting a fight in which he had threatened Kidd.

Law was startled into laughter, not expecting that at all, "Why would you think that? Penguin is not interested in me like that at all. He is merely concerned for my wellbeing and does not believe that you are."

"Are what?" Kidd asked, distracted as he groped around Law's waist and removed his belt. He felt slim hands cup his jaw and tilt his head down.

Law was wearing a tiny smile, "You, idiot. He doesn't think that you are good for my wellbeing. As should have been obvious when he had a hand to your throat." Law wasn't sure why Penguin had bothered. Kidd didn't have the necessary attention span to be afraid. Law wouldn't have been at all surprised if Kidd had just continued the fight, even with the clear threat Penguin had undoubtedly leveled at him.

Kidd snorted, though he was clearly distracted by the sensation of Law's hands at either side of his face. "Not good, huh? Because I fucked you enough that you couldn't walk straight?" Kidd pointedly ignored the jibe of Penguin threatening him, and he breathed a little more heavily as Law leaned in to give him a peck on the lips, but nothing more. Kidd damn near pouted until he saw Law give him a teasing little smile, fingertips trailing along the red head's jaw, "Perhaps, but you had to have some trouble too, right?"

"...what?" Kidd asked, as his eyes had half closed at Law's caresses of his jawline, and when they dipped lower down his neck, and along the scars on the left side. Kidd shuddered softly and leaned in to the other's touch, missing the amused curve of Law's lips as he continued to assail Kidd's scars with his fingertips.

"And not the night before. I mean a few minutes ago. Penguin could have killed you, you know. He was considering it too. I could tell how close he was to going through with it, regardless of your crew being nearby." Law stated, as he continued to trail his hands absently.

Kidd growled something and stopped Law's hands, although he couldn't prevent Law's lips that continued to assail him, "Didn't...seem that way." Damn, it was getting harder to form words. What the hell?

Law let up on the touch and leaned back as he tilted his head to peek up at Kidd, "I saw otherwise. I know him. When he bared his teeth at you. What in the world did you say to get him to that point?" Penguin had remarkable self control. Sure, he and some of the crew were inclined to being ridiculously enthralled by Boa Hancock that one time, and could be generally silly when they wanted to be for whatever reason came along. Penguin as well, if he were around Shachi and the others. However, given the state of things as of late, Law was not surprised in the least that Penguin's control had been steadily slipping. "He does not lose control often, unless provoked in certain ways." Kidd had better think on his words carefully, or this little encounter of theirs was not going to end on the bed.

Kidd didn't think it was a good idea to say it, with Law so close, but did anyway, not really seeing the threat he had given that big a deal. He'd have threatened it to anyone, if he had ended up in a similar position, "Said I could have one of my crewmates shoot him if he tried attackin' me." Kidd felt Law go rigid, and had enough presence of mind to keep his hands tight around the other captain's wrists. Especially when Law shot him a venomous look.

"Perhaps I should have allowed Penguin to knock you around a little. Not that he would have been able to hold himself back, after you goaded him." Law said, as he tried to free himself and failed as Kidd's hands gripped tighter around his wrists. "You were lucky I was able to call him off. A few moments longer and I might not have been able to."

Kidd was silent, before he was distracted by Law leaning up on his toes and kissing him. What the fuck? That sure as hell distracted Kidd as he immediately let go of Law's wrists to wrap his arms around him. Kidd winced slightly when Law seized him by either side of his head so that they were looking one another in the eyes.

"We aren't finished with this, understood?" Law eyed the redheaded captain darkly for a moment, before the expression was replaced with an exasperated, if lusty, one, "I am currently distracted enough that I will let the issue slide for the moment." At that, Law leaned in and started to run his hands along Kidd's sides, before he nipped the side of the other pirate's neck, "Bed." Law said simply, as he gave Kidd a slight shove in the chest when the other man had all but let go of him to allow him access to his shoulder.

Kidd blinked as Law's hands dropped, and he was met with the smirking gaze of the other captain. What the hell? It sure seemed like the Penguin issue wasn't going to be dropped so easily, so why was Law...? And then he realized he was slightly cold and looked down briefly. Holy shit. Kidd hadn't realized that Law had sneaked his pants off of him when he'd been distracted by the soft touches. When had that happened? "Bed." Kidd repeated, as if it were a foreign word.

That appeared to amuse Law, as he encouraged Kidd to walk backward, until the back of his legs bumped into the bed, "Yes, bed. You know, for sleeping…" Law's smirk became wicked, "And other activities." He hadn't forgotten what Kidd had said about Penguin, but he was rather in the mood, so most unfortunately, Law would have to wait to deal with Kidd until later. The dark haired captain supposed he had to allow for the fact that Kidd couldn't have possibly known that the shooting comment would have affected Penguin so much.

Kidd seemed to regain control over himself as he sat down on the bed and threw Law an irritable look as he complained, "No fair going after my scars, you son of a bitch."

Law crawled onto his lap and rested his arms over Kidd's shoulders, in a remarkably similar position when the Heart Pirate had first bothered Kidd in his room the other night, pretending to be drunk. Only, they had both been clothed at the time. Not naked as they were now.

Kidd blinked as he looked himself over, and Law, though a tad more slowly, "Huh." When had the rest of his and Law's clothes been removed? Hands traced his jaw, and Kidd tuned his attention to Law, who was smirking at him confidently, "What the hell is so damn funny?" Other than the fact that they were naked and feeling each other up, when Law had looked ready to fight him again just moments earlier.

Law gave the other captain a solemn once over, before he smiled again, "You." And at that, he ground down against Kidd sharply, and dragged his fingers along his back hard enough that it left scratches in its wake.

"Shit." Kidd cursed, as he suddenly realized just how damn hard he was and how Law was in a similar state, despite the initial snag they'd run into. Again, he tried to figure out how it'd gotten to this so quickly, but with Law in his lap, obviously eager, it seemed utterly irrelevant why they didn't have clothes on anymore. Therefore, it was not a concern right now. What was a concern, however, was who was going to end up topping this time around.

Law must have noticed, because he gave an exaggerated sigh as he leaned up against the redhead. "I'm tired." Again with the sly grin, "Want to see if you can live up to the other night?"

Kidd dropped his right hand and gave Law's backside a casual squeeze, "Asshole. You are't tired at all. You're just lazy right now."

"Maybe. Are you complaining?" Law rested his hands on Kidd's shoulders again, "Because I could change my mind."

"No need." Kidd said with a girn, and he tilted backwards, taking Law with him. He sure as hell wasn't going to give Law free reign over him, not right now, just in case he chose to take up the Penguin issue in the middle of it. Gripping Law with both arms, Kidd turned them over and pinned the dark haired pirate on the bed, and smirked triumphantly down at the other man.

And made good on Law's words.

Law, for the most part, didn't mind Kidd using the lotion that he had had in a pocket, though he did take the opportunity to swat Kidd over the head lightly when he moved his fingers too quickly, "I am not going anywhere, you idiot. Slow down."

Kidd nuzzled his head along Law's stomach, breathing out lightly as he kept his right hand occupied, "Shut up. Don't complain. Besides, your body sure as hell ain't."

Law shifted as he frowned and rested a hand in Kidd's hair and gave it a ruffle, "Slower." He insisted, but didn't bother to hold back to small moan that slipped out.

Kidd smirked at that before he did as Law asked, even if he wanted to move things along and get to the good part. The part where he screwed Law into the bed and heard him beg for it. Or at the very least, insist that he move faster. He liked it when Law had goaded him when they had had sex the other night. It made things hotter and more enjoyable to hear the son of a bitch as he attempted to order him around. "Hey, Law?"

"Hm?" Law was feeling pretty good at this point, even if Kidd hadn't even gotten around to fucking him yet. Fingers could only do so much, "What is it?"

Kidd removed his fingers, rooting around for the bottle of lotion that he had misplaced between now and the last minute or so, "Why is Doflamingo after you anyway?"

That punctured Law's good, lusty mood as he half sat up and twined a hand tightly into Kidd's hair, which caused the redhead to go still with his hand around the lotion bottle. The Heart Pirate's voice was rigid, "Why do you ask?" Law felt Kidd's other hand trail along his thigh lightly.

"Just wonderin'. He doesn't, you know…" Kidd's right hand dropped and ran along Law's member as question. Though he also did it because he wanted to, if only to get Law to writhe some more. It was an interesting sight.

Law bit his lip at the touch, though his hand relaxed a little as he shooed Kidd's hand away and dropped back on the mattress. "Doflamingo is not interested in me as a potential lover. If that is what you are implying. He merely wants me to be back in his crew, and he will not take no for an answer, no matter what I say." Law heard Kidd about to speak again, and he reached out to swat him lightly again, "No questions. I don't want to think about it."

"Fine." Kidd wanted to know more, but decided that if he pissed Law off he would be taking care of himself in the bathroom. And perhaps the Penguin issue would be dragged up sooner than he wanted it to be. Kidd got out some more lotion, before he shoved Law's legs around to his liking, and pressed close to the dark haired pirate as he breathed against his throat, "Is this okay?"

Law wrapped his arms around Kidd's neck, and glared up at him, "Don't think about it and just do it already."

Kidd did. With enthusiasm.

Kidd enjoyed the sudden cursing as well as the moans that mixed in, though as soon as he was done, Kidd should have known that Law was up to something. Well, Kidd only realized it when, an hour or so later, he felt Law's breath against his ear, along with a playful lilt to the other man's voice, and his touch.

"My turn."

-x

Law woke up feeling more relaxed than he had been in the past 12 hours, if rather sore. Law realized that the only reason he'd woken so abruptly was because his transponder snail was going off again. Probably his crew. Shachi or Penguin or Bepo. Law answered the call, and his stomach dropped as he realized with a stab of dread that it was Doflamingo again.

Doflamingo hadn't even bothered to wait for Law to speak. "You won't be running around free for much longer. You know that you are of more use to me alive than if the marines arrest you and strip you of your title, before sending you off to Impel Down or the gallows."

"I will not go back to your crew. I have changed. I am not the same as I once was, and our interests no longer coincide." Law stated grimly, as he glanced down to make sure that Kidd was still fast asleep.

Doflamingo laughed, "You will come back, if you want your crew to be safe from harm."

"You plan to kill them whether I come to you or not." Law felt he had to flat out state that, because he didn't doubt that Doflamingo would do just that given the opportunity.

Doflamingo's grin stretched the snail's features, "I most certainly will kill them if I have to come and take you back by force. If you agree to come willingly, as we spoke of before, I and my crew will not harm yours." Law was doubtful, and Doflamingo must have known it, because he added, "If you stay behind in Cliff Rock."

Law was not at all surprised that Doflamingo figured out where he was currently anchored. Law glanced down at the slumbering Kidd again, thought about his crew, before he spoke with obvious reluctance, "All right." He would do just about anything to keep his crewmates out of harm's way, even if it meant doing something he didn't want to.

Doflamingo sounded pleased with the answer, "I will be there in a few hours. You had better not run this time." He hung up.

Law ran his hand through the sleeping Kidd's hair lightly as he hung up. The Heart Pirate captain knew what he had to do, and he wasn't looking forward to it one bit. At the very least, Kidd was going to be spared a lengthily discussion of just why Law had been so furious to learn of the threat Kidd had given Penguin. Law got out of bed and steadied himself. The only thing to do now was to go and take of a few things before Doflamingo showed up. Law retrieved his clothes and dressed, before he grabbed his sheathed blade. With one final look at Kidd, the Heart Pirate left.

-x

Kidd woke up, and while disappointed marginally, he was not surprised to find that Law was already gone. Kidd was a little offended, but he soon decided that he would see the man again at some point in their travels. Kidd stretched out and yawned. He had forgotten to ask about forming an alliance, due to obvious reasons of the sexual kind. And the earlier sparring match. Oh well. Another time then. Kidd figured that an alliance with the Heart Pirates would be good in terms of firepower if that also included Straw Hat Luffy and his crew, but it would also give Kidd an excuse to spend nights with Law occasionally, should the other captain still be interested.

"Kidd?"

The redheaded captain buried his face into a pillow and made a noncommittal grunt. It felt too early to be having any conversation, and especially not with Killer.

"We've gotten the supplies loaded onto the ship. We're ready to leave if you've finished playing around."

Damn, Killer sounded pissed, though Kidd knew it was more that he'd let his guard down around Penguin than him having sex with Law. "Another hour." Kidd mumbled into the pillow, and clearly heard a sigh of exasperation.

"Acting like a child is not very captain like." Killer commented. "Although I am not surprised given your activities last night."

Kidd groaned again and felt himself waking up more. Which was probably Killer's plan all along, "Dammit. Fine, I'll get up."

"I'll let the crew know we're ready to leave when you deign to show up."

"Asshole." Kidd growled half heartedly as he heard the door close.

-x

"Has the captain said when we're leaving?"

Shachi glanced over at the crewmate who had spoken, before he shrugged, "Not yet. Captain said he wanted to wait for a bit and see if there were any more movements from Kaido."

"Where is the captain?"

"He and Penguin were going to look at some charts." Bepo provided as he walked by.

Shachi caught sight of Law walking along the hall, with a tray, "We haven't heard anything yet, captain."

"Keep an eye and ear out for anything unusual." Law said in return as he walked by.

"Aye, captain." Shachi responded, and turned away. He couldn't help but notice that Law appeared to be withdrawn again, but shook the troubling thought away. He was probably just tired.

-x

Law entered his cabin and set the tray down on the table. He knew that Penguin would be there shortly. Law sat down on his bed. He could only hope that his crewmate would forgive him for what he was about to do. Just thinking about it made him feel terrible, as it was a poor way to repay his crewmate for the actions he took while breaking up his and Kidd's fight. But it had to be done, and Law felt that Penguin, at least, would understand why he had done it, once he realized what had happened.

The dark haired pirate traced the small vial in his pocket. All it would take was a brief distraction on Penguin's part, and the deed would be done. Law glanced up when the door opened, and nodded to his crewmate as he indicated the tray. "I haven't had time to eat yet."

Penguin sat down on the chair across from Law, and eyed the food. "I suppose I have not either."

Law reached out and poured the wine, "Then have some. I do not think I can reason if I don't eat something first."

"And have something to drink." Penguin said, bemused, as he watched Law fill the glasses.

"You don't have to have it if you don't want it." Law said of the wine, as he pulled a plate toward him, "I just feel like I need a drink after the past few hours."

Penguin was silent as he took a plate, before he agreed, "I believe I need a drink after all."

"Your arm is fine?"

Penguin looked up from the food, "Yes, it was shallow. Nothing to worry about."

"Good."

The two fell into a silence as they ate, though Law was wondering what went through his crewmate's mind. Surely he thought Law might bring up the fight with Kidd, but right now, Law didn't want to. He didn't want to dredge up any painful memories for Penguin. After all, he was about to get a rather nasty one, courtesy of a captain he trusted. Law hated himself, but hated Doflamingo more for forcing him to make this choice in the first place.

As soon as they had finished their lunch, they were down to business in the span of five rice balls, two roasted fish, and a mysterious substance that neither had touched. The cook had claimed it was mashed potatoes, but neither Penguin nor Law were willing to give the substance the benefit of the doubt. The wine, however, went well with the fish.

"Penguin? Could you grab the chart that's behind you?" Law questioned, as he indicated the small bookshelf behind him as his hand reached for his glass of wine.

Penguin twisted in his seat and spotted the chart relatively quickly. He reached out and grabbed it, and turned back to lay it out on the table. He did not notice Law's guilty expression, nor the faint clinking right before, but the guilty expression was gone as soon as they looked down at the chart together.

"Is there any reason you needed this particular one?" Penguin didn't think that it was needed. They'd already been in these waters. Why had Law asked him to grab it? It wasn't any use to them where they were right now.

Law took a sip from his wine glass, and looked a little abashed as he sighed, "I must have switched the charts around. I've been a bit distracted as of late."

"I have noticed." Penguin commented as he took a few sips of his own wine, "Do you have any idea where the other one might be?" He hoped the crew wouldn't have to be pulled from their current duties to go map hunting because Law had misplaced it.

"I think I may have given it to Bepo." Law set his drink down and rose from the side of his bed.

Penguin took a few more sips, before he set the glass aside as well and wondered at his captain's mind. If nothing else, it would be good for Law to distract himself with something mindless. Something that he didn't really have to worry over much. It was just a map. Just a...Penguin blinked as he splayed one hand against the table. That was odd. Something didn't quite feel right in his own mind. His thought process was almost beginning to feel...disjointed. It was similar to the time that he had drunk far too much alcohol. A time he'd rather forget, actually. Nothing good came of those memories anyway. Wait...what had he been thinking about before? Maps? Penguin set his other hand on the table, shaking slightly as he attempted to hold himself steady. He felt sluggish, and that didn't seem right either. Penguin barely heard Law stand and clear away the tray and glasses. It was only when Penguin felt Law wrap an arm around his waist firmly, and helped him out of his seat that Penguin realized what had happened. And couldn't believe it. Didn't want to believe it, "You put somthin…my drink…" Penguin slurred in accusation, trying to fight Law's grip but failing as his body refused to listen to him.

"I did." Law didn't sound happy about it. "It should wear off in an hour. I didn't put much in. There shouldn't be any negative side effects."

Penguin dimly heard Law say "room" before they were suddenly in Penguin's cabin, and Law was helping him to lie down. When had they reached his bed so quickly? Penguin felt his hat removed, and blearily looked up at his captain with a mixture of confusion and betrayal. That Law would do this to him. After what he had told Law of his own past. What little of it he had been willing to divulge. But even that didn't matter right now. It would later, when he could wrap his mind around things when his thought process was clear. What did matter this instant was that Law only would have done this to him if he had been left with no other choice. Penguin wanted to protest, but whatever Law had laced his drink with was taking him down, and taking him down fast. He felt foolish for not thinking that something like this might happen, and the only reason it would was because Law likely wanted to stop him from interfering with whatever he was about to do.

Penguin thought he heard an apology from the other man, but he wasn't sure as he went down the rest of the way into unconsciousness.

And the single fear that the only reason Law had done this to him was to keep him from doing something, and the only thing Penguin could think of was wanting to stop Law from making a terrible mistake. To prevent him from going back to a particular individual.

Doflamingo.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

A/N: I do like toying around with what characters could be like, so Penguin...yeah, no, I still want him to be a badass. I am going to try to write Shachi and Bepo more, but damn, Penguin just ended up being more prominent in this fic as I wrote it out. And apparently I'm going to end up tormenting him just like what I did to Law in other fics. Because that's the way the storyline turned out and I do feel kind of evil for one of the future chapters and what happens in it. Well, what happens in the next chapter too, I guess, even if there will be more Kidd x Law stuff in it.