Noise

Characters: Law, Heart Pirates. Rating: K. Warnings: None

Sharing a bed with nakama (or just a blanket pile in the middle of the room with his entire crew bundled up close around him) was one of Law's favourite places to be. Not that he would ever admit it, or actively seek it on any day that wasn't his birthday, but there was something about not being alone that brought comfort.

Whether or not his crew had cottoned on to this fact, Law wasn't entirely certain. He suspected that at least some of them had – at the very least, they all knew he wouldn't say no to the offer – but it was one of those things that was never discussed.

His nakama all made noises when they slept. That wasn't particularly remarkable; most creatures didn't slumber in complete silence, but it was the combination of the not-silence, and the trust he held in all of them, that allowed him to relax enough to enjoy it.

Bepo made a little whistling noise in his sleep, not a snore but not his regular breathing either. Law wondered if it was a mink thing. He could hold a conversation, too, much to the annoyance of some of the crew if it occurred during a daytime nap. At night, there was no-one else to converse with.

Sometimes Shachi would snore – a light noise, not the elephantine racket Jean Bart made if he was ill – and other times he'd make small noises that Law never mentioned because they sounded too close to a whimper. He was also a restless sleeper, somewhat capable of staying where he'd fallen asleep but almost guaranteed to wake up with his limbs arranged differently.

Penguin's breathing was much heavier than when he was awake, strong and even all night long. Law had never known it to be any different, and often found himself gravitating towards the older man for the reliability when they had their blanket nights in the recreation room.

Ikkaku spoke in her sleep. Most of the time it was nonsense, sentences of gobbledegook falling from her lips just because it could. Other times, maybe there was some meaning to it, but Law was careful never to listen. Unlike Bepo, she didn't need anyone else to talk to before she opened her mouth.

Unless he was ill, Jean Bart was quiet. Out of all of them, it seemed the most jarring contrast, and Law tried not to think about why such a large man was so silent. He was fairly sure that hadn't always been the case.

Every group always had that one snorer, and in the Heart Pirates it transpired that that was Clione. The crew had long since learnt to sleep through it as and when required, although more than once the man had woken up to find his head buried under a pillow.

Uni, meanwhile, made a series of strange clicks as he slept, joining the chorus of his nakama as they all gathered around.

With arms holding him tightly and the familiar noises in the background, Law could ease his way into sleep almost as and when he wanted. It was much better than silence.

Silence had had its time, back when he was twelve and travelling with a man that could ensure it with a simple click of his fingers. It had helped Law sleep back then, but that time was long since passed now. Silence meant Cora-san, and Cora-san meant thinking of that day on Minion Island, when the lifting of the silence had told him the exact moment the man who'd saved him died.

Ever since then, Law had been unable to sleep in silence.

Thanks for reading!
Tsari