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“Captain, we got you a gift!”
There on the table is a small tube containing a deep rich red, together with a matching blue eyeliner. An opened and used container with a snow white powder laid beside it.
“We see you always staring at them through the shop window, but never purchasing. So we took it into our own hands!”
Taking the lipstick gently from the table and holding it in the light made the golden decorations sparkle. Taking the cap off he slowly screwed the tip out, before setting it onto his lips.
“You know, I never thought you’d be interested in such things. Not that it’s bad!”
With graceful strokes his lips were soon a striking red, but his movements didn’t stop there. Reaching the corner of his mouth the lipstick kept moving, an arch of red spreading over his cheeks, before mirroring it on the other half as well.
“We thought you might like it, but you don’t have to use it if you do n’t like the gift. Sorry…”
Setting the lipstick down and taking the eyeliner instead he bends forward, his other hand reaching up to pull the skin around his eye taut. Drawing, soon an ocean blue mantle around his eyes were staring right back at him from the mirror.
It reminded him of the time he first applied make-up on his own. A lot less successful than today as well. He had stolen his eyeshadow and foundation and hidden behind some boulders. With no mirror at hand the results were horrendous. But it had made him laugh…
“Law, there you are! Do you know how worried I was when I couldn’t find you?! What were you even doing behind those- PFAFAHAHA!”
Sitting there on the ground behind a few boulders was Law, his lips and cheeks smudged with red lipstick while his face was caked with a thick layer of white powder. Around his eyes and even forehead were blue lines drawn on.
Scowling at him Law blushed, embarrassed to have been discovered with his failure. He didn’t think it would be so difficult to apply some paint on the face, but he got humbled quick. Scrambling to stand up he glared at the still laughing clown, who had managed to faceplant.
“Stop laughing you asshole!”
Still on the ground he muffles his laughs, before coughing to play it off. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it in a bad way. Say Law, what were you trying to do anyway?”
Shuffling on the spot Law avoids his gaze, turning his head away. A red blush of embarrassment creeped up his neck before disappearing under his hair and a layer of foundation. His silence seemed to catch his attention again, the clown fully directing his attention on Law now.
With a smile he took the make-up and sat upright, patting the ground in front of him. Getting the message Law sat down, confused on what he planned to do know. Squawking he reeled back as the clown began to rub Law’s face with his sleeve.
“Hold still, Law. You put too much foundation on, you look like someone smushed a plate full of chalk into your face.” Seizing his struggle Law watched how he kept cleaning his face, his tongue peaking out from the corner of his mouth, his eyes focused and set on his task.
“Almost… There! Now we can start.” Catching Law’s confused look he grinned at him. “You don’t seriously think I’m going to let you be now that you’ve shown an interest in make-up, do you?”
“I’m going to teach you how to apply make-up correctly.”
Hours passed as the two sat on the ground, the clown explaining every step carefully and answering all the question the child had for him. Laughter carried by the wind rings out, jokes and banter shared as the child’s face gets repainted. The clown, ever so careful, finishes the last touches with gentle yet precise strokes.
“I’m done, Law.”
With a sparkle in his eyes Law hurried over to their bags and takes out a dagger, before admiring the finished look of himself in the reflection. Yellow eyes with blue marks around them stared back at him. His spots from the Amber-Lead poisoning are covered under a white powder, masking his illness. Cherry red lips pull up into a smile, the painted smile on his cheeks only growing bigger.
“Do you like it?” Hearing the clown behind him Law turns around and is met with a matching smile and face. But before he could answer Law noticed what the clown held in his hands. A small black box with cylinders attached to it. It took the snails head poking out of an opening for Law to realize what it was – a recording Denden.
“Come here, Law. Let’s make sure we can remember this later when the years have passed.”
…
Law didn’t have anything left of his family except the image of them in his mind, which is slowly getting blurrier and fading away. He’s scared he won’t know what they looked like one day. The only reference he’ll have is his own face than. So the option of having something to remember him by excites him.
They may still be on the run and didn’t manage to find a doctor to treat him, but he won’t be alone. When he dies Law is going to have his dad him by his side, be it through a recording or the man himself. Law doesn’t want to think about the possibility of outliving him he can’t he WON’T
Feeling an arm wrap around his shoulders Law gets pulled out of his thoughts, looking up to see the clown smile down at him again. Shifting, he nestles himself under the clown’s feather coat and lets the warmth sooth his aching limbs.
Crouching down they stare cheek to cheek at the camera in front of them as the clown holds it at an arm’s length.
Humming, but his gaze not wavering from the camera ahead of them the clown squeezes Law, before muttering quietly under his breath “Now how to say it- you know what. Fuck it.”
“Hey Law, I love you!”
With matching faces and wide smiles both him and Corazón look similar enough to be father and son. Looking into the mirror Law sees not himself standing there, but the father who taught him the skill of using makeup.
Turning to wash his face Law exits his room, leaving a lone picture of a small child and a clown beaming at the camera on the desk behind.