Admonition

Characters: Penguin, Law, Shachi, Bepo. Rating: K. Warnings: None

It was hot.

As Penguin's consciousness filtered back to him, that was his first observation. There was something soft tightly pressed around him, and past that was the heavy weight of too-many blankets. He attempted to move, to throw off the excess blankets because really, it felt like every single one on the ship and that was just excessive. Arms – warm, furry arms that did nothing to help the high temperature – tightened around him, refusing to let him move.

"He's waking up," he heard Bepo say, a corresponding nuzzle to his cheek leaving him with no doubts who was holding onto him. It was unusual for the mink to hold onto him like that, usually simply serving as a pillow, or occasionally their cuddly-toy substitute.

"Let him move," Law's voice ordered, and the arms gripping him immediately laxed their grip, allowing Penguin to finally hurl the top several blankets off of him; it seemed like his initial impression of all the blankets on the ship wasn't that far off. "I see you're feeling better," his captain continued in a wry tone, and Penguin shifted to look at him.

The movement reminded him of the beating he'd taken as his bruised body groaned in protest and he slunk back down to his previous position, letting Bepo paw at him once more. Surrendering to the mink's whims because it really wasn't worth the hassle not to, he blinked at Law, who seemed like he had two heads – nope, that wasn't two heads, that was just Law and Shachi apparently sharing a single blanket.

"If you're short on blankets you can always take one of mine," Penguin pointed out to them. Law visibly rolled his eyes before slipping out of the blanket, leaving Shachi to huddle himself up in it, and resting a cool hand on Penguin's forehead.

"You needed them more," the younger boy said bluntly, pulling his hand back after a moment, apparently satisfied.

"I have Bepo," Penguin retorted, feeling the mink nuzzle against him again. "That's way better than burying me in blankets." Bepo made a noise that sounded like a surprised whine before he was nuzzled again, more enthusiastically.

"You needed Bepo and the blankets," Law said bluntly, and before Penguin could come up with a remark about overkill he continued talking. "You were in shock and hypothermic." Penguin's mouth clacked shut, and he glanced back at Shachi, who had rather uncharacteristically failed to say a word since he'd woken up.

His hair was a mess, mussed until it resembled a birds' nest, and Penguin recalled Law's vigour when it came to the ginger not drying his hair properly. He was still clutching the blanket, and Penguin realised who must have fished him out. Law's use of the word 'hypothermic', and the way they'd been sharing the blanket suddenly held a new meaning, and his mouth curled down into a concerned frown.

"Are you okay, Shachi?" he asked. In hindsight, the explosion should have been obvious.

"Am I okay?" the ginger demanded harshly, shooting to his feet and towering over the bedridden Penguin. "Am I okay? You go and damn near drown and you're asking if I'm okay?"

That was a resounding no, then.

"Come here," he said, ignoring Law's disapproving harrumph as he reached out a hand to yank at Shachi's arm. The ginger let himself be pulled closer, until Penguin could wrap his arms around him firmly. He wasn't cold, per say, but compared to Penguin and the veritable furnace he'd been cocooned within there was a notable chill to his skin.

Law made the harrumphing sound again, and Penguin turned his attention back to him once he'd coerced Shachi into sharing the bed with himself and Bepo.

"So," his captain said, the word full of intent and disapproval. "What stopped you from doing the sensible thing and avoiding a fight?" Penguin shrugged, knowing full well that he'd messed up when he'd underestimated the other pirate crew. He didn't need Law to tell him that, but his captain seemed determined to do so anyway. "You could have died!" Law hissed. On some level, Penguin knew that, had known that since the moment everything started going dark and he was all alone in the water. "You nearly did."

"You weren't breathing," Shachi interjected, as if Penguin wasn't taking it seriously enough. "When I got you out the water you weren't breathing." The raw desperation in his voice forced Penguin to consider that maybe he wasn't.

"You saved me," he replied, biting back the sorry because he knew they wouldn't be content with a single, generic word. "Thank you." He buried his face in ginger hair, smelling the familiar scent even as he extended a hand to Law. "Both of you." He nuzzled Bepo lightly in the reassurance that he knew the mink had done everything he could, too. "I'll be more careful next time."

All three of them responded simultaneously, the words different but the sentiment the same.

You'd better.

Sequel to Drown and Resuscitate (chapters 55 and 56). Penguin PoV for Penguin's birthday :D (and I owe Shachi an apology because I totally forgot about his earlier this month).

Thanks for reading!
Tsari